The Pleasures of Talking Nonsense with Someone We Love We might expect that, if we could eavesdrop on the conversations of the most admirable, clever and loving couples in the world, those who had properly cracked the puzzles of intimacy and emotional maturity, we would hear them talking in the noblest ways about the most serious things. So it may come as a surprise that, in all likelihood, these couples would do nothing of the sort. Through our recording equipment, we might hear some of the following: one of them starting to wonder why bananas grow in an oblong curved shape, the other – not quite listening – going off on a tangent about an ulcer they've got on the left side of their tongue while filing a toenail and half glancing at an airline review video on YouTube, which might be followed by the other speculating (for no apparent reason, in a bad imitation of a German accent) on the lyrics in an album by Dire Straits, which might be a prelude to their partner suggesting that they wanted to follow up on last night's reheated curry with a chocolate biscuit dipped in strawberry yoghurt. It might sound like regressive nonsense and in key ways it is, but we might want to maintain that this sort of incoherent chatter should also be considered one of the high-water marks of emotional intimacy and in its way, a bellwether of the most serious kinds of interpersonal closeness. People who know each other extremely well and love one another deeply, do not – it appears – sit together discussing philosophy or the accelerator theory in economics, they shoot the breeze, they swerve here and there, they talk shit and this. Far from being some kind of distraction or unfortunate lapse, it is a strange and profound proof of the depths of their mutual affection. Intimacy is about daring to be increasingly and bravely weird with someone else – and finding out that that's OK with them. In the recesses of all of our minds flows a stream of consciousness that mixes the serious and the unserious, the consequential and the flighty, the physical and the emotional. And when we have allowed ourselves to be genuinely close to someone, it is to this that we take them; we do them the honour of showing them who we actually are, not who we should or pretend to be – a privilege we grant only to a handful of people in our lives. Everyone else may know our sensible selves; they've been introduced to, and know how to love and take an interest in a naughty, sweet, curious and highly peculiar babbling child. We are doing one of the most courageous and important things in the world: allowing someone else to know us. 词汇表 talk nonsense [ˈnɒnsns] 胡说八道，说废话 eavesdrop [ˈiːvzdrɒp] 偷听，窃听 crack the puzzles [kræk ðə ˈpʌzlz] 解开谜题，破解难题 intimacy [ˈɪntɪməsi] 亲密，亲密关系 maturity [məˈtʃʊərəti] 成熟；到期；完备 in all likelihood [ˈlaɪklihʊd] 很可能，多半，十有八九 oblong [ˈɒblɒŋ] 矩形的，长方形的，椭圆形的 curved [ kɜːvd] 弯曲的，弧形的 go off on a tangent [ˈtændʒənt] 突然离题，突然改变行径 ulcer [ˈʌlsə(r)] 溃疡；腐烂物 file a toenail [faɪl ə ˈtuːneɪl] 修剪脚趾甲，锉平脚趾甲 speculate [ˈspekjuleɪt] 推测，猜测；投机 prelude [ˈpreljuːd] 前奏，序幕，先声 reheated curry [ˌriːˈhiːtɪd ˈkʌri] 热过的咖喱 dip [dɪp] 浸，蘸，涮 yoghurt [ˈjəʊɡət] 酸奶，酸乳 regressive [rɪˈɡresɪv] 退化的，倒退的 incoherent [ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt] 语无伦次的，不连贯的，杂乱无章的 chatter [ ˈtʃætə(r)] 闲聊，喋喋不休，唠叨 high-water mark 顶峰，巅峰，最高境界；高水位线 bellwether [ˈbelweðə(r)] 征兆，风向标；领头羊 accelerator theory [əkˈseləreɪtə(r)] 加速理论（认为投资与产出存在加速关系） shoot the breeze [ʃuːt ðə briːz] 闲聊，闲谈，吹牛 swerve here and there [swɜːv]（话题）东拉西扯；东拐西拐 lapse [læps] 小错，疏忽；（时间的）流逝 recess [rɪˈses] （思想或心灵的）深处；幽深处，隐蔽处 consequential [ˌkɒnsɪˈkwenʃl] 重要的，意义重大的；随之发生的 flighty [ˈflaɪti] 轻浮的，反复无常的；琐碎的 a handful of [ˈhændfʊl] 一把，少数，几个 naughty [ˈnɔːti] 顽皮的，淘气的 peculiar [pɪˈkjuːliə(r)] 独特的，特殊的；奇怪的 babbling [ˈbæblɪŋ] 胡言乱语的，咿呀学语的；潺潺作响的 courageous [kəˈreɪdʒəs] 勇敢的，有胆量的 🏫翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Who is backpacking for? Do you know anyone who has gone backpacking? It's a type of travel that is low-cost and independent, often meaning no fixed plans regarding accommodation or destination. The word 'backpacking' comes from 'backpack', a type of bag that you carry on your back. Travellers typically fill a backpack with life essentials, like clothing, plus anything extra needed for adventure. The stereotypical view of a backpacker is someone in their 20s, keen to tick off items on their bucket list. But, forget this. You're about to find out that anyone can backpack. Last year, my best friend's parents retired at aged 65 and set off on a 630-mile trail along the southwest coast of England. Each carrying a 15kg backpack, Mike and Lorraine hiked along cliffs, explored golden sandy beaches and even cycled. For accommodation, they didn't pre-book but stayed in whatever they could find on the day, which varied from B&Bs to camping in fields full of sheep. They did stop for the occasional well-deserved cup of tea – they were in England after all. Backpackers are also known for travelling with little money, but few begin with as little as Othmane Zolati from Morocco. In 2015, he embarked on an almost four-year journey, but he started out with just $80 (£64). He zigzagged across 24 countries on the African continent and filmed his experience, aiming to show the world the diversity and beauty of Africa, all on a shoestring budget. He told BBC What's New that he often had to work odd jobs and rely on the kindness of strangers to be able to afford to keep travelling. But it was worth it. South Africa was Othmane's final destination and, on reaching it, he said "It was one of the best moments in my life. It made me know that if you fight for something, you really stick to that goal… then you will reach it". So, don't give up. If you want to travel, you can, no matter your age or budget! 词汇表 go backpacking [ˈbækˌpækɪŋ] 背包旅行 low-cost [ˌləʊ ˈkɒst] 低成本的，廉价的 fixed [fɪkst] 固定的，不变的 accommodation [əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃn] 住处，住宿 backpack [ˈbækpæk] （徒步旅行或登山时用的）背包，旅行包 life essentials [ɪˈsenʃlz] 生活必需品 stereotypical [ˌsteriəˈtɪpɪkl] 刻板印象的，老套的 backpacker [ˈbækpækə(r)] 背包客，徒步旅行者 be keen to [kiːn] 热衷于，渴望 tick off [tɪk] 勾选（清单），做标记（表示已完成） bucket list [ˈbʌkɪt] 人生愿望清单 set off 出发，启程 trail [treɪl] 小路，小径；路线 hike [haɪk] 徒步旅行，远足 cliff [klɪf] 悬崖，峭壁 golden sandy beaches [ˈɡəʊldən ˈsændi ˈbiːtʃɪz] 金色沙滩 pre-book [ˌpriː ˈbʊk] 提前预订 B&B（bed and breakfast的缩写）民宿，提供住宿加早餐的旅馆 camp [kæmp] 露营，野营；营地 well-deserved [ˌwel dɪˈzɜːvd] 应得的，该有的，当之无愧的 Morocco [məˈrɒkəʊ] 摩洛哥（非洲西北部国家） embark on [ɪmˈbɑːk] 开始，着手，从事（旅程或困难的事情） zigzag [ˈzɪɡzæɡ] 曲折前进，呈之字形前进 continent [ˈkɒntɪnənt] 大陆，洲 shoestring budget [ˈʃuːstrɪŋ ˈbʌdʒɪt] 极少的预算，小额预算 odd jobs [ɒd] 零工，杂活 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Young women on social media Neil: Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Beth: And I'm Beth. In this programme, we're discussing the positives and negatives of social media in the lives of young people. And this is a really trending topic at the moment because of what's happening in Australia, where a new law to limit under 16-year-olds' access to social media is being debated. Neil, tell me one good thing and one bad thing about having social media in your life. Neil: Well, one good thing is, it means I can see what friends are doing who live far away and one bad thing is it's really addictive and a massive waste of time. Beth: Well, it's interesting to hear a man's perspective, Neil, because when it comes to issues like cyber-bullying, it's often young women who are most affected, so soon we'll be hearing from women in different countries about their online experiences. Neil: But first I have a question for you, Beth. In 2024, which was the most regularly used social media platform in the world? Was it: a) Facebook? b) Instagram? or c) TikTok? Beth: Oh, I'm going to say TikTok. Neil: Well, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. Now, let's start with the positive side of social media. As a politics student at Oklahoma University, twenty-one-year-old Haleigh Hurst campaigned in the 2024 US presidential election. Here, she explains one benefit of social media to BBC World Service programme, Pick of the World: Haleigh Hurst: I do think social media has played a huge role in educating young voters on different policies and different people who are running. I know Trump has recently said that he has a soft spot in his heart for TikTok. With the growth of social media, it has sparked a lot more debates. I think my generation too has seen so many climactic things happen. Beth: Haleigh thinks one good thing about social media is that it sparks debates and conversations – it causes debates to start. She comments that Donald Trump is a fan of social media by saying he has a soft spot for TikTok. If you have a soft spot for something or someone, you feel affectionate and fond of it; you like it a lot. Neil: But of course, that's not the whole story. Increasingly, young women are reporting the negative impact social media is making on their lives, and the pressure they feel to appear 'perfect' online, especially from men. Beth: Maanvi Sharma, aged 28, is a businesswoman and model with a large Instagram following who lives in Delhi, India. And Kemi Adeyemi, is a twenty-six-year-old travel blogger from Lagos in Nigeria. Both young women discussed these social media worries with BBC World Service programme, Pick of the World: Maanvi Sharma: The person you're dating, they might leave you just because of the social media. They might think that you're not good for, you know, marriage. Like, you can't be a good partner because you're on social media, because you're being watched by a lot of people, and they feel a little intimidated by this: "You know what, we saw your girlfriend - Oh my gosh! She was wearing this, Oh my God!" But it's affecting my personal life. Kemi Adeyemi: Some men or some people, they want you to shrink yourself so that they can, like, be the bigger person. They get to listen to what your friends say about you, what your family says about you, and they are not able to, like, stand up for you, to say, "Oh, I know this person. I believe she's not, like, doing these things for other reasons". Neil: Maanvi thinks some men are intimidated by her popularity on Instagram. Intimidated means to feel frightened or nervous because you lack confidence. She feels people gossip about her posts and photos, using expressions like, 'Oh my gosh!' and 'Oh my God!' to express their shock or surprise. Beth: And Kemi agrees. She says that on social media, some people want her to shrink herself, a phrase meaning that you underuse your full potential in order to avoid making people uncomfortable, or to fit in. When she's bullied online, Kemi says that these people don't stand up for her. To stand up for someone means to defend or support someone who's being criticised or bullied. And I think it's time you revealed the answer to your question, Neil. Neil: I asked which was the most regularly used social media platform in the world in 2024 – Facebook, Instagram or TikTok? What did you say Beth? Beth: TikTok. Neil: I'm afraid you're wrong. It's Facebook, with over three billion regular users. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme, starting with the verb spark, meaning to cause something, such as a debate or argument, to start happening. 📝字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

How to Conquer Overthinking in 4 Steps It comes from my mother, I think. I lie awake at night, worrying about cash flow and paying the bills. The next morning, I mull over the problem while sitting in traffic on the way to the office. I read and re-read the same emails, wondering what I missed and what I could have said better. I play out disaster scenarios in my head about my finances, family, work, marriage and business. And yet, I've found a way to manage overthinking. If you face these problems, take heart from John Milton, who said, "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." The good news is these four daily habits will help you solve that problem. 1. Capture It Your boss asks you to distribute the monthly sales figures by the end of the day. Customer support emails say a big client wants to cancel their contract later this month. A WordPress plugin is slowing down the company website. It's only Monday morning, and you've got a lot going on. No wonder you forget about distributing the sales figures until the drive home that evening. Writing down new tasks as they occur on a trusted to-do list that you review regularly is the best way to get them out of your head. This habit will free you from mental baggage, allowing you to refocus on the activity at hand without forgetting anything important later. 2. Meditate Several years ago, a boss sent me a short, sharp email demanding an important report. I reflected on his tone for the entire day without realizing it. That night, I lay in bed and couldn't sleep. What had I done to make him angry? Didn't he know how much work I've to do? Would he fire me? As a chronic overthinker, I should have meditated for just ten minutes that evening. According to a 2012 paper by Jaeger and Junze, directing your attention to your mental state often changes that state. In short, a daily meditation habit will help you witness unproductive thoughts about your work or boss in your mind as they occur. Once you become aware of these thoughts, choose whether you want to engage with them, act or put them to one side. 3. Reflect Let's say you gave an important presentation that didn't quite convince a boss or would-be client. You could ruminate about it while watching television at home that night, or you could put those unproductive thoughts to one side by writing a short journal entry. Even if you're not a writer, cultivating a habit of putting thoughts to paper honestly will help you get unproductive thoughts out of your head. Remember, nobody has to read these entries. So, when five or six o' clock arrives, ask yourself three questions: What worked? What didn't work? And what will I do differently next time? 4. Act Unless you're a scientist operating in a laboratory, you'll never have access to all of the facts and be able to work in perfect conditions. Be honest with yourself. After a certain point, seeking more information to review is a form of procrastination. Part of a productive workday demands you place that sales call, write the report, deliver the presentation, or contact that unhappy customer. If you're not in the habit of consistently taking action, pick the three most important items on your to-do list at the end of the workday. When you begin the following day, whatever else happens, ensure you complete these items. You'll learn more from accomplishing something important, even if you're late. Your mind is a powerful tool. Don't let it work on the wrong things. When a problem arises at work and you can't get it out of your head later that night, pick one of these habits and cultivate it. Although I'm a chronic over-thinker, I've learnt sometimes it's best just to act. Far easier to fix a mistake later than live with regrets about squandered opportunities. 词汇表 lie awake at night 夜不能寐 cash flow [kæʃ] 现金流转，资金流转 mull over [mʌl] 仔细考虑，琢磨 play out 上演，出现，发生 disaster scenarios [dɪˈzɑːstə(r) ˈsiːnəriəʊz] 灾难场景 capture [ˈkæptʃə(r)] 记录，充分体现，描绘，刻画 sales figures [seɪlz ˈfɪɡəz] 销售数据 customer support [ˈkʌstəmə(r) səˈpɔːt] 客户支持（为客户的购买提供服务的行为） WordPress 博客系统（软件名） plugin [ˈplʌɡɪn] 插件 mental baggage [ˈmentl ˈbæɡɪdʒ] 精神负担，思想包袱 at hand 在手头；即将到来 meditate [ˈmedɪteɪt] 冥想，默念，深思 chronic overthinker [ˈkrɒnɪk ˌəʊvəˈθɪŋkə(r)] 长期过度思考的人 would-be client [wʊd biː ˈklaɪənt] 潜在客户 ruminate [ˈruːmɪneɪt] 反复思考，沉思，反刍 journal entry [ˈdʒɜːnl ˈentri] 日记条目，日志记录 consistently [kənˈsɪstəntli] 一贯地，始终如一地，持续地 squander [ˈskwɒndə(r)] 浪费，挥霍 💡 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

People not to fall in love with: a checklist It may sound ungenerous to throw the emphasis on negative, but we can fairly say that people who are good at love know - first and foremost - who not to fall in love with.‍‍ While they may have all sorts of friends and a wide sympathy for the vagaries of being human, when it comes to who they opt to tie themselves to, this is some of what they will avoid with determination: People who have no sense of how difficult they are to live with. People with a heightened belief in their infallibility. People who will, when something is pointed out to them, quickly choose the occasion to simultaneously inform you that: 'It's not as though you're perfect either.' People who will label any criticism of them (however sensitively delivered) as 'rude' or 'offensive' and contrary to the rules of true love as they define these. People who deliberately drive you to the edge of frustration, then turn and say: 'why are you getting cross so suddenly?' People who smile and say, 'I get it completely now; I'm going to change,' and then go and do whatever it was all over again few days later. People who combine an exquisite talent for upset with an even greater talent for sentimental apology. People who will flirt with others, then call it 'only a bit of fun' and label you a prude for minding. People who will mess up your house and call you 'anal' . People who will prioritise time with their friends over time with you and then call you 'controlling.' People who tell you you are 'imagining things' a lot. People who harbour a background grudge against your gender. People who are furious with a parent and don't realise they are. People who can't forgive anyone who thinks better of them than they think of themselves. People who claim desperately to want a relationship - but are inwardly so committed to distrust, isolation and self-hatred that they aren't in any position to really have one, and yet don't know this of themselves. People who principally associate love with the pleasant feelings they register when you are nice to them. People who don't take your love as a substantial gift you chose to bestow every day and could take elsewhere. People who don't realise your time is very, very precious. People who are far too in pain to know how to want the best for you. People who refuse to do the necessary work. Let's remember; the people in the list above comprise some of the most charming, beautiful, vivacious, seductive characters on the planet. But their traits also mean that you will be headed for substantial challenges in any extended involvement with them. It may take years to work out that they use words like 'love' without knowing what they should entail or that they have systematically or shredded your confidence in your judgement in order to avoid acknowledging a raft of their own difficulties. Lovers who know to avoid these types are not cleverer than the rest of us. They have just had the good fortune to be looked after early on by people who were tender and sweet and therefore now know how to associate relationships with fulfilment rather than frustration. Through immense good luck, they simply have no interest in suffering. They have via experience learned one of life's most important lessons: that the point of a relationship is to be mutually delighted by another person. As we may eventually realise, we aren't alive long enough for anything else. 词汇表 checklist ['tʃeklɪst] 清单，检查表 ungenerous [ʌn'dʒen(ə)rəs] 刻薄的，胸襟狭窄的，吝啬的 first and foremost [ˈfɔːməʊst] 首先，首要的是 vagary [ˈveɪɡəri] 反复无常，变幻莫测 heightened belief [ˈhaɪtnd bɪˈliːf] 增强的信念，坚信 infallibility [ˌɪnfæləˈbɪləti] 绝对正确，无误，无懈可击 simultaneously [ˌsɪmlˈteɪniəsli] 同时地 sensitively [ˈsensətɪvli] 谨慎周到地，体谅地，善解人意地 get cross 生气，发脾气 exquisite [ˈekskwɪzɪt] 极度的，剧烈的；精美的，细致的 sentimental [ˌsentɪˈmentl] 煽情的；情感的，伤感的 flirt with [flɜːt] 与…调情 prude [pruːd] 大惊小怪的人，装正经的人 anal [ˈeɪnl] 洁癖的，过于讲究整洁的 harbour [ˈhɑːbə(r)] 心怀，怀有（感情、想法等） grudge [ɡrʌdʒ] 怨恨，不满，积怨 be furious with [ˈfjʊəriəs] 对…发怒 inwardly [ˈɪnwədli] 在内心，暗自地 distrust [dɪsˈtrʌst] 不信任，怀疑 self-hatred [self ˈheɪtrɪd] 自我厌恶，自我憎恨 principally [ˈprɪnsəpli] 主要地，首要地 register [ˈredʒɪstə(r)] 注意到，意识到 substantial gift [səbˈstænʃl] 丰厚的礼物 bestow [bɪˈstəʊ] 给予，赠予 comprise [kəmˈpraɪz] 包含，由…组成 vivacious [vɪˈveɪʃəs] （常指女性）活泼的，充满活力的 seductive [sɪˈdʌktɪv] 有诱惑力的，有魅力的 be headed for [ ˈhedɪd] 前往，走向，面临 extended involvement [ɪkˈstendɪd ɪnˈvɒlvmənt] 长期的交往，深入的参与 entail [ɪnˈteɪl] 使必要，牵涉 systematically [ˌsɪstəˈmætɪkli] 有计划地，系统地，有条理地 shred [ʃred] 摧毁，切碎，撕碎 a raft of [rɑːft] 大量的，许多的 immense [ɪˈmens] 巨大的，极大的 mutually [ˈmjuːtʃuəli] 相互地，彼此地 🏫翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Inside My Autistic Mind I am an autistic person. It is obvious when you see me. I have no voice, but yearn to say so much. If you are willing to listen, I will try to say how I feel. I live in a total blur of information. If I have too many people in a room at one time and one place, it is too overwhelming for me to have to process. I have to jiggle my brain to make it settle. It's just how I cope. Water takes my pain away because it allows me to lose myself in a place that asks no questions of my abilities. Every drop lets me be me. Before I could communicate through typing, I remember that I was frustrated by people who were kind, but didn't know my brain was as good as people who can speak. I remember being told that I liked the Teletubbies, which I did, but I wanted to move on and was desperate to read books for my age. Now I have the chance to speak up for people like me. I'm speaking from my heart. Non-verbal people are pleasing to be around because we sense the world in a deeper way than those who talk. Because we cannot express our emotions instantly, we become deep thinkers. People-watchers. We have the same dreams as everyone else, so please don't treat us differently. Each of us is a star, eager to be discovered and named in the atmosphere. If you acknowledge our abilities, we can shine brighter. We have so much to say. Please hear us. 词汇表 autistic person [ɔːˈtɪstɪk] 自闭症患者，孤独症患者（一种神经发育障碍，表现为社会交往障碍、交流障碍，以及明显的兴趣、刻板与重复行为方式） yearn [jɜːn] 渴望，向往，渴求 blur [blɜː(r)] 模糊，混乱，记不清的事情；使模糊；使看不清 jiggle [ˈdʒɪɡl] （使）轻轻摇晃，摇动，抖动 settle [ˈsetl] 使平静，使安静，使镇静 Teletubbies [ˈtelitʌbiz] 《天线宝宝》（英国幼儿节目） speak up for 为…发声，支持，为…辩护， speak from my heart 发自内心地说，讲真心话 non-verbal [ˌnɒn ˈvɜːbl] 不用语言表达的，非言语的 people-watcher [ˈwɒtʃə(r)] 善于观察人的人，喜欢观察他人的人 💡 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why do we binge-watch? Scott: I can easily watch an entire series in a single day. Hamira: Two days. Brian: Ten hours of television a day, and I didn't even like it. Scott: Bingeing started by accident. Netflix had realised that loads of people were gravitating towards watching shows in bulk, you know, be that shows that you've seen before - Friends, Seinfeld, Law & Order, ER. That's the surprise about it - it's led by the consumer. The way that Netflix tries to nudge you to watch more, it's very subtle little tricks. They work out very quickly when a show launches, which thumbnail is working. Why? Also, getting to the very end of an episode and immediately the credits, they minimalize it right to the corner of the screen straight away and automatically load the next episode. That's how you sometimes get sucked into watching a show for three hours without even noticing. Brian: I have found that people are deeply embarrassed by how much they watch TV. Deeply embarrassed to not be productive and take time off and say,"Actually, I watched six hours of television today because I needed to not look at five different tabs on a work computer, I just needed to..." We also binge to be part of the public conversation. (Yeah, I love Fleabag! ) So I think there is an anxiety about being caught up about this content, which is forcing people to binge more also. Hamira: When we can identify with a character it leads to the release of the love hormone oxytocin. It creates a bond. A series like Big Little Lies, which allows you to look at the same event through the eyes of very different characters, you're bound to be able to find a character that you can relate to and go on the journey with. ("If you ever touch my little girl like that again, you're gonna be in big trouble." ) (So are there benefits to binge-watching?) If we're making time to watch a series end-to-end, we are potentially creating hours of space to work with our emotions, our relationships. (There was a 41% leap in the number of couples seeking counselling after Love Island 2019 began airing.) Brian: I have probably watched television with over 700 people, and so I've experienced a lot of people having big emotions. (No-one's fun anymore. Whatever happened to fun! ) The episode Splat! of Sex and the City, which is the one where Kristen Johnston falls out of a window causes people a lot of emotions because it's an episode about moving on from something. Hamira: Our brains don't discriminate between real activation and activation due to imagined events. (Binge-watching is not just about relaxing, what we watch can have an effect on our nervous system.) Binge-watching means that you're activating yourself to a high degree for much longer periods of time. That's going to take longer for you to come down from that. Episode four of Game of Thrones where Missandei is beheaded - a much beloved character, it's a very graphic death - will have triggered the sympathetic nervous system. It wouldn't be conducive to a good night's sleep. (Video on demand is changing the way stories are told. Series are designed with bingeing in mind.) Scott: What makes Netflix stand out so well is the fact that they're able to really experiment with the number of characters, the number of story arcs. Netflix knows that you're never going to watch a show midway through, you're never going to start in the middle, you're always going to start from the very beginning. So that's why you've got Orange Is the New Black, which has a cast of about 40. So you know you're able to have that level of depth over an eight-hour series, than what you would normally do if it was separated into eight 60-minute chunks shoved on a linear broadcast channel. Brian: Bingeing is a word that has very negative connotations to it, right? Bingeing is to shovel yourself. We don't say, "I binged a book." But the reality is that some of the greatest writers of our generation are writing television. I would be the last person to say stop binge-watching. 词汇表 binge [bɪndʒ] 无节制的行为（如刷剧，暴食，狂饮等）；放纵 Netflix ['netflɪks] 网飞（全球著名的流媒体公司） loads of [ləʊdz] 许多，大量 gravitate ['ɡrævɪteɪt] 被吸引，移向， 倾向 in bulk [bʌlk] 大量地，整批地 Friends, Seinfeld, Law & Order, ER (emergency room) ['saɪnfeld] 《老友记》《宋飞正传》《法律与秩序》《急诊室的故事》（美国电视剧） nudge [nʌdʒ] 促使，劝说；轻推，推动 launch [lɔːntʃ] 推出，发布；发射；发起 thumbnail ['θʌmneɪl] 缩略图；拇指甲，极小之物 credit ['kredɪt] （影视节目结束时播放的）演职员表；信用；学分 get sucked into [sʌkt] 被卷入，被吸引住 take time off [teɪk taɪm ɒf] 偷空，忙里偷闲；抽出时间，休息 Fleabag ['fliːbæɡ] 《伦敦生活》（英国喜剧）；邋遢的人；睡袋 hormone ['hɔːməʊn] 激素，荷尔蒙 oxytocin [ˌɒksɪˈtəʊsɪn] 催产素（帮助和他人感觉更亲近的激素） bond [bɒnd] 纽带，联系 relate to [rɪ'leɪt tuː] 理解，认同，发生共鸣 end-to-end 从头到尾，首尾相连 leap [liːp] 激增，猛涨 counselling ['kaʊns(ə)lɪŋ] 咨询服务，辅导 Love Island 《爱情岛》2019（美国恋爱真人秀节目） Splat [splæt] 《啪嗒！》（《欲望都市》集名）；啪嗒声，泼溅声 💡 字数限制，完整词汇表、翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Naps might not be as good for you as you think Surely, they're called power naps for a reason? Aren't naps the key to feeling alert, improving your memory and just generally having a great life? Well, they can be, but things aren't quite that simple. It is true that a short nap can help people be more alert, improve their memory and concentration, and reduce risks around tasks with heavy machinery. Our circadian rhythms are responsible for the notorious lull that many of us feel in the early afternoon. This is the best time for a nap. Some companies have installed sleep pods for their employees, hoping to benefit from increased productivity and cognitive performance. But it is also true that naps can cause problems. Let's start by thinking about the length. A true power nap should be less than half an hour. Any longer, and it becomes hard to rouse yourself from. Any benefits in terms of alertness are likely to disappear with the grogginess that results from a longer period of slumber. This isn't the only issue. Naps have been linked to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac problems. However, it's not clear whether these are direct results, or stem from the impact of napping on our sleep habits. If you take a nap after about two or three in the afternoon, it's likely to have a negative effect on your ability to get to sleep at night. Breaking your sleep cycle can lead to bad sleeping habits, which themselves become ingrained. Of course, in the same way that naps can lead to bad sleep, it's also true that bad sleep can lead to wanting to take more naps. So, if you find yourself frequently needing to sleep during the day, experts suggest that you consider why that's the case. Are there any potential health issues that could be causing insomnia? Or are work pressures stopping you from getting enough sleep? 词汇表 power nap [næp] 能量盹（指白天短暂而能让人恢复精力的小睡） alert [əˈlɜːt] 警觉的，清醒的 heavy machinery [məˈʃiːnəri] 重型机械 circadian rhythm [sɜːˈkeɪdiən ˈrɪðəm] 昼夜节律，体内生物钟 notorious [nəʊˈtɔːriəs] 众人皆知的，臭名昭著的，声名狼藉的 lull [lʌl] 困乏，昏昏欲睡的感觉；间歇；平静 sleep pod [pɒd] 睡眠舱（供人短暂休息或睡眠的小型设施） cognitive performance [ˈkɒɡnətɪv pəˈfɔːməns] 认知表现 rouse [raʊz] 唤醒，使醒来；激起，唤起 grogginess [ˈɡrɒɡinəs] 昏沉，头晕眼花 slumber [ˈslʌmbə(r)] 睡眠，沉睡 diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] 糖尿病 high blood pressure [haɪ blʌd ˈpreʃə(r)] 高血压 cardiac [ˈkɑːdiæk] 心脏的，心脏病的 stem from [stem] 源自，由…引起 sleep cycle 睡眠周期 ingrained [ɪnˈɡreɪnd] （习惯或观念）根深蒂固的，难以去除的 insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] 失眠症，失眠 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

5 Signs You Are Wasting Life Life is precious, and we only get one shot at it. Nevertheless, a lot of people spend their life merely passing the time rather than making the most of the short time they have left. Young people are especially guilty of this – we are in the springtime of our lives. If ever there was a time to plant a tree, it's now. Yet, most of us don't do that. Young people spend their time partying, eating junk food, and taking vacations rather than reading, building new skill sets, building healthy habits, and investing in themselves. Are you merely passing the time instead of making the most of your one life? Here are some ways to tell. 1. You Don't Get Out of Bed Quickly Upon Waking If you spend a half hour to an hour poking around on your phone before getting out of bed, you are not making the most of your life. People who have a driving purpose in their life don't spend time lounging around on their phone in bed. Waking up is no big deal, just the start of another random day. To someone with a purpose, waking up every morning is a refreshing welcome to another day of hard yet meaningful work. 2. You Spend More Than an Hour or Two a Day on Aimless Activities Some activities are inherently aimless, done only because they are pleasing in the moment. Some activities like this are: spending time on social media, watching TV or movies, and playing video games. In small doses – no more than an hour or two a day – these kinds of activities can be an important part of decompressing. Any more than that, though, and you're going beyond 'decompressing' into 'wasting your life.' People with a purpose don't spend too long doing these sorts of things because they are aware that every hour sucked away by aimless activities is another hour they will never get back. It's not that they try not to spend so much time doing these things – the thought of wasting that much time makes them sick. People with a purpose wouldn't waste their time this way even if they could. 3. You Don't Feel Ready for Bed at the End of Each Day People whose days are filled with purposeful activities feel tired at the end of the day. Whether it's mental work or physical work, purposeful activity uses up all your energy and leaves you ready to go to bed each day. When you aren't making the most of your life, on the other hand, you aren't tired at the end of the day. You are, quite literally, not making the most of your energy. 4. You Spend More of Your Time Planning Than Doing If you spend more of your time daydreaming, planning, or thinking about the future than you do working to bring about that future, you are not making the most of your life. People who make something of themselves don't sit around daydreaming about what the future may be like. People who make something of themselves pick a goal for the future and then work hard to make that goal happen. Someone who spends all their time daydreaming is not someone who spends all their time doing. Think about professional weightlifters. They spend a little bit of their time researching how to lift weights more effectively, and a lot of their time lifting weights. 5. You Worry About What Others Think of You High achievers are too busy getting things done to worry what others think of them. High achievers may worry about what people who matter think of them, but they don't worry about what their friends, family, or pop culture thinks. They are too busy getting things done. If you routinely worry about what your friends, family, peers, or pop culture thinks of you, you may be letting your life slip by. Instead of doing what others approve of, find a guiding purpose that you can be true to even when the world turns against you. 词汇表 shot [ʃɒt] 机会，可能性；尝试 ，努力 pass the time 消磨时光，打发时间 make the most of 充分利用；尽情享受 springtime [ˈsprɪŋtaɪm] 春天，春季；青春年华 skill sets [sets] 技能组合，综合技能 invest in oneself [ɪnˈvest] 自我投资 poke around [pəʊk] 闲逛，搜索，翻找 driving purpose 驱动目标，核心目标 lounge around [laʊndʒ] 闲荡，消磨时间，悠闲度日 random day [ˈrændəm] 随机的一天，普通的一天 refreshing [rɪˈfreʃɪŋ] 使人精神振作的，令人耳目一新的 inherently [ɪnˈhɪərəntli] 本质上，固有地，内在地 in small doses [ˈdəʊsɪz] 小剂量地，适量地，少量地 decompress [ˌdiːkəmˈpres] 减压，使放松 suck away [sʌk] 耗尽，消磨；吸走 sick [sɪk] 厌恶的，不快的，不适的 daydream [ˈdeɪdriːm] 白日梦；幻想 make something of themselves 有所作为，取得成功 sit around 闲坐，无所事事 weightlifter [ˈweɪtlɪftə(r)] 举重运动员 lift weights [lɪft weɪts] 举重 high achiever [əˈtʃiːvə(r)] 高成就者，高绩效者，成绩优异者 routinely [ruːˈtiːnli] 惯常地，常规地，例行公事地 slip by [slɪp] 溜走，悄然流逝 be true to 忠实于，坚守 turn against 反对，与…为敌，背叛 💡 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How to form good habits, and break bad ones Science and technology - Well informed 科技——见多识广 How can you break a bad habit? 如何改掉坏习惯？ It takes resolution to keep your resolutions. 坚持决心需要坚定的意志。 Did you make any resolutions this new year? If you did, are you keeping to them? Well done if you are. Polling in America suggests half of new-year resolvers give up by the end of March. More rigorous scientific studies confirm that it takes months for a new behaviour to stick, regardless of when you start. Habitual behaviour emerges in response to dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure, being produced as a consequence of a certain action. Two brain systems are involved. One, in the basal ganglia (a set of structures deep in the brain's interior), responds automatically and predictably to certain stimuli. For example, your morning alarm is a stimulus that activates your "getting up" habit. This will include sub-habits such as "shower", "make coffee", "get dressed", "drive to office" and so on, each with their own triggering stimuli and dopamine reward. The other brain system, which is goal-directed, is located in the cortex, that organ's outer layer. Its dopamine reward comes from a deliberate action being successfully performed. This goal-directed system can, if necessary, override the stimulus-response one. For example, if the radio tells you of a traffic problem, the "drive to office" sub-routine will need conscious modification. For one-off modifications of habits, this arrangement of routine and override works well. But permanent changes, such as either breaking an old habit or making a new one, are thought to require weakening the stimulus-driven system to reduce the pertinence of old stimuli and strengthening the goal-directed one to increase that of new ones. In a paper published in January, Eike Buabang and his colleagues at Trinity College, Dublin, review the evidence behind various ways in which this can be done. In practice, most proven approaches seem to operate on the stimulus-response side of the equation. Deliberate repetition, that stalwart of hopeful resolution-makers, trains the brain so that what was once goal-directed becomes automatic. In the case of driving to work, the incentive to do this is strong (you won't get paid otherwise). For things more easily abandoned, reinforcement with small rewards (whether the kick of having lost another kilo at your weekly weigh-in or the praise generated by language-learning or fitness apps) works similarly. To break an unwanted habit, on the other hand, consider removing familiar stimuli. Moving house is known to help—though calling in the removal vans is a drastic approach to resolution-keeping. Why people learn bad habits in the first place remains mysterious. Most habits form precisely because they are helpful. Automatic behaviours, such as those involved in a morning routine, reduce cognitive load and free mental resources for other tasks, such as working out what to say in the ten-o'clock meeting. But these mechanisms can be subverted. The nicotine inhaled by smoking tobacco—a type of habit so powerful that it has a special name, "addiction"—stimulates dopamine production directly. This is something natural selection could not have foreseen. Non-addictive habits like procrastination are harder to explain. In the end, though, all this science continues to support the idea that, when it comes to habit-formation, good old-fashioned willpower is the way forward. As the old joke has it: "How many psychoanalysts does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change." 词汇表 resolution [ˌrezəˈluːʃn] 坚定，决心，决定，决议 polling [ˈpəʊlɪŋ] 民意调查，投票 rigorous [ˈrɪɡərəs] 严谨的，严密的；严格的 habitual [həˈbɪtʃuəl] 习惯性的，惯常的，积习难改的 dopamine [ˈdəʊpəmiːn] 多巴胺 basal ganglia [ˈbeɪsl ˈɡæŋɡliə] 基底神经节（大脑中的一组神经核团） interior [ɪnˈtɪəriə(r)] 内部；内陆；内政；内部的；国内的 automatically [ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli] 自动地，无意识地，机械地 predictably [prɪˈdɪktəbli] 可预见地，不出所料地 stimuli [ˈstɪmjəlaɪ] 刺激物，刺激，促进因素（stimulus [ˈstɪmjələs] 的复数） sub- [sʌb] 次要的，下级的，从属的；在…之下（如sub-habit子习惯） goal-directed [ˈɡəʊl dəˈrektɪd] 目标导向的，有用意的 cortex [ˈkɔːteks] （大脑等器官的）皮层，皮质；树皮 outer layer [ˈaʊtə(r) ˈleɪə(r)] 外层 override [ˌəʊvəˈraɪd] 覆盖；推翻，否决；凌驾于 modification [ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] 修改，改进，改变 one-off [ˌwʌn ˈɒf] 一次性的；一次性事件 permanent [ˈpɜːmənənt] 永久的，永恒的，长久的 pertinence [ˈpɜːtɪnəns] 相关性，针对性 Trinity College, Dublin [ˈtrɪnəti ˈkɒlɪdʒ, ˈdʌblɪn] 都柏林圣三一学院（爱尔兰最古老的大学） equation [ɪˈkweɪʒn] 反应式，机制；方程式，等式 stalwart [ˈstɔːlwət] 忠实的，可靠的；忠实拥护者，坚定分子 incentive [ɪnˈsentɪv] 激励，刺激，动机 reinforcement [ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsmənt] 加强，强化，巩固 kick [kɪk] 极度的快感（或刺激），极大的乐趣 weigh-in [ˈweɪ ɪn]（拳击等比赛前的）称体重 🔆字数限制，完整词汇表、翻译pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

The benefits of pocket parks How often do you go to the park? Is it part of your everyday life, or a trip that you plan? Many large urban parks are situated far from where people live, meaning they are a destination for planned visits rather than everyday life. For example, only 14% of the population of Los Angeles have a park within walking distance. Also, the distribution of such parks is often relatively unequal, meaning that they benefit some areas and groups of people much more than others. A number of studies have shown that it is often disadvantaged neighbourhoods that lack easy access to green spaces. It's rarely practical to address this by creating large new parks, but designating small parcels of land, empty lots, or even parts of quiet streets as pocket parks can have a major impact on residents' quality of life. Often no larger than a few tennis courts and located within neighbourhoods close to where people live, these green spaces can strengthen community bonds. They provide a place to meet neighbours, or a play area for children. Green gyms or ball game areas can give local people a space to exercise in, improving public health outcomes. Local businesses can use spaces to promote their products or organise events to help them grow. A study by the University of Philadelphia, showed that crime was reduced in neighbourhoods with pocket parks, compared to those which left empty spaces derelict. Studies report that where space is used to make pocket parks, communities feel greater ownership of and attachment towards their neighbourhood. As well as benefits for the human population, an increase in green space can benefit the local environment. Pocket parks can act as stepping stones, allowing wildlife to travel across the city, as well as providing habitats for different species. Parks provide increased tree canopy cover, offering shade which can counteract urban heat island effects, helping to reduce temperatures. Trees also help to reduce air pollution, and green space allows water to drain away, reducing flood risks. Could pocket parks be a relatively cheap way to strengthen communities and improve local environments? 词汇表 situate [ˈsɪtʃueɪt] 使位于，使坐落于 walking distance 步行距离（能方便地通过步行到达的距离） disadvantaged [ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒd] 贫困的，条件差的，弱势的 neighbourhood [ˈneɪbəhʊd] 社区，住宅区，街区；邻近地区 designate [ˈdezɪɡneɪt] 指定，划定（特征、用途） small parcels of land [ˈpɑːslz] 小块土地 empty lot [lɒt] 空地，闲置土地 pocket park [ˈpɒkɪt pɑːk] 口袋公园，袖珍公园（规模较小的公园绿化活动场地） tennis court [ˈtenɪs kɔːt] 网球场 community bonds [kəˈmjuːnəti bɒndz] 社区凝聚力，社区纽带 green gym [dʒɪm] 绿色健身房（户外自然环境中设置的健身场所） Philadelphia [ˌfɪləˈdelfiə] 费城（美国宾夕法尼亚州最大城市） derelict [ˈderəlɪkt] （建筑物或土地）荒废的，弃置的 ownership [ˈəʊnəʃɪp] 归属感；所有权，产权 attachment [əˈtætʃmənt] 依恋，眷恋，深厚的情感 stepping stone [ˈstepɪŋ stəʊn] 垫脚石，前进的帮助手段 habitat [ˈhæbɪtæt] （动植物的）栖息地，生长环境 canopy cover [ˈkænəpi] 树冠覆盖率 counteract [ˌkaʊntərˈækt] 缓解，抵消，对抗 urban heat island effect [ˈɜːbən hiːt ˈaɪlənd ɪˈfekt] 城市热岛效应（由于人类活动导致城市的温度高于周边地区） drain away [dreɪn] 排水，流走；渐渐枯竭 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Resilience In Hard Times You're going to get knocked down. A long business relationship will come to a sudden end. A contract won't be renewed. A lover will call it a day. People will suddenly be weird with you. They'll keep you out of lovely things and you won't know why. You'll read about yourself on social media and every worst fear will be confirmed. Quite a lot of things go wrong over a lifetime and you'll want to die and throw it all in and quit this painful world. When you look at a child, this is what's coming to them. That's what makes it moving to look at a baby sleeping. You're looking at innocence through the lens of painful experience. Oh my, they're going to suffer and there's simply nothing you can do to help them. Apart from one thing, teach them that the suffering is normal. It isn't a sign that life has gone wrong. It's an ordinary part of everyone's biography. The only way, is to learn to fight! The temptation would be to withdraw under a rock. To pull up the drawbridge; to go into a shell. But the challenges are like a fire, a bed of coals you have to walk across. The fight has to be expected. The difficulties are a sign that things are on track. That you're being rejected, that there are haters, isn't evidence that your life is a ruin. It's proof that you've found something worth living for. 词汇表 get knocked down [nɒkt] 被击倒，被撞倒 contract [ˈkɒntrækt] 合同，契约 renew [rɪˈnjuː] （执照、合同等）续期，延长期限，更新，重新开始 call it a day 到此为止，就此结束，收工 confirm [kənˈfɜːm] 证实，证明，确认 quit [kwɪt] 离开，放弃，停止 innocence [ˈɪnəsns] 天真，纯真；无辜 lens [lenz] 视角；透镜，镜头 biography [baɪˈɒɡrəfi] 传记，人生经历 temptation [tempˈteɪʃn] 诱惑，引诱，诱惑人的东西 withdraw under a rock [wɪðˈdrɔː] 躲起来，与世隔绝；躲在岩石下 pull up the drawbridge [ˈdrɔːbrɪdʒ] 与外界隔绝；拉起吊桥 go into a shell [ʃel] 退缩，变得孤僻；缩进保护壳里 a bed of coals [kəʊlz] 一片炭火，炭火堆 on track [træk] 步入正轨，按计划进行 reject [rɪˈdʒekt] 拒绝，排斥，冷落 hater [ˈheɪtə(r)] （尤指网络）攻击他人的人，怀恨者 ruin [ˈruːɪn] 一团糟；废墟，毁灭，崩溃 proof [pruːf] 证据，证明 🏫翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】