Obsessed with someone? It might be limerence Have you ever spent countless hours idly daydreaming about another? The mere inkling of an encounter, or even a simple DM reply, sending you into euphoria and reinforcing your belief that you simply can't live without them? For many, this could be considered the rumination of a hopeless romantic. But what if these thoughts and feelings begin to take a far more detrimental hold on your personal and work life? Limerence is an addictive form of romantic attraction, First defined in the late 1970s by American psychologist Dorothy Tenov. In contrast to a simple crush, which can come and go with little psychological impact, or a romantic engagement that can be mutually beneficial for both parties, limerence is an addictive intoxication with the pursuit of feeling in love. Tenov interviewed 500 anonymous individuals and concluded a person going through a limerent episode as having the following core characteristics: You obsessively think and fantasize about the person. Every song reminds you of them. You go out of your way to bring them up in conversation with others. You intricately plan your schedule in the hope you might just bump into them. They even appear vividly in your dreams. You constantly crave and long for their reciprocation. They are in your mind and you want you to be in theirs. Perhaps you'll just send one more text or that funny cat meme you just saw earlier. And when they do finally reply, you get a little thrill of satisfaction. Like a detective, you endlessly search for clues that they indeed do want you to. You overanalyze and replay each encounter with them, every word spoken, each gesture and every eye glance. And finally, you put them on a pedestal. Any flaws they may have pale in comparison. Quite simply, they are the most perfect individual in the universe, and they can do no wrong. All of this can lead to an exhausting and relentless lifestyle, where instead of a person focusing on a balanced life and work schedule, their main raison d'etre is a pursuit of affection from the limerent object. Ternov coined the term limerent object, or LO for short, because in the eyes of a person undergoing limerence, the desired becomes an object to project romantic feelings upon, rather than a person to interact romantic feelings with. Limerence can take form in a number of scenarios, but one of the most common is when an LO is unavailable due to already being in a committed relationship. If the limerent person believes the LO is sending them mixed signals and interest appears to be requited, then limerence may strengthen and last for months or even years. Building on the work of Ternov, psychologist Albert Waken estimates that around 5% of the US population struggle with limerence and describes the condition as a combination of obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction. So if you're in the throes of limerence or you know someone that is, what can you do to counter it? The first is abstinence. Like other addictions, acknowledging that you first have a problem and then diligently cutting off the source which is fueling the negative habit is a powerful countermeasure. In the case of limerence, that means cutting off all contact with your LO, hiding them on social media and avoiding them in public. Of course this can be immensely difficult, especially if you work with them or share a close mutual friendship group. The second is to refocus your limerence onto a more suitable romantic candidate and that over time your feelings towards your original LO will dissipate. And last but not least, you own up and tell them in the hope that either the feelings are reciprocated or a suitable response of rejection is given. For better or worse, at least you will now both know and can make adequate steps moving forward. Limerence can be a confusing and debilitating psychological disorder, but with adequate self-realisation it can be conquered. Or, as 80s pop crooner Robert Palmer once sung, you don't have to face it, you're addicted to love. 💡 字数限制，词汇表，翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Stop Being Nice All the Time It's natural and beautiful to strive to be a nice person. In a world full of cruelty and thoughtlessness, nice people are committed to being generous, sympathetic and gentle. They never want to cause anyone to feel defeated or to lose sleep. They will go to great lengths to spare others tears. It sounds especially lovely. Nevertheless, it seems impossible to go through the whole of life being nothing but kind. Sooner or later, we are all called upon to take decisions that, even as they protect things we very much care about, will ruffle feathers, generate upset and may lead us to be (at least for a time) violently hated in some quarters. We might, for example, have to tell a romantic partner that, in spite of our deep affection for them, we don't see ourselves being together for the long term. Or we might have to tell a child that it's now bedtime and that there can be no more stories. Or we might have to explain to a colleague that we don't see them fitting into a team and that they might be better off looking for opportunities elsewhere. Such situations can be agony for committedly 'nice' people. There are great temptations to delay the moment of truth or avoid it altogether. The 'nice' still deep down hope that they might – while always smiling and agreeing – stay friends with everyone. However, being truly nice involves something 'nicer' still than constant agreement and emollience. It means signalling to others what one's value system is and sticking by it, even at the occasional cost of public opposition. It means taking on the burden of telling others where we stand and ruining their afternoon or month in order to save their long-term future and our own. It means accepting that there might be choices to be made between loyalty and sincerity and effectiveness and bonhomie. Mature people have come to terms with the tragic need to acquire something even more important than popularity: a character. 词汇表 thoughtlessness [ˈθɔːt.ləs.nəs] 欠考虑，轻率，粗心 be committed to [kəˈmɪtɪd] 致力于，忠于某一立场 feel defeated [dɪˈfiːtɪd] 感到挫败，感到受挫 go to great lengths [leŋθs] 竭尽全力，不遗余力 ruffle feathers [ˈrʌfl ˈfeðəz] 惹怒，激怒，使心烦意乱 quarter [ˈkwɔːtə(r)] 个人，群体；（某一人群生活或工作的）地区 agony [ˈæɡ.ə.ni] 极度痛苦，煎熬，苦恼 committedly [kəˈmɪtɪdli] 坚定地，忠诚地 temptation [tempˈteɪ.ʃən] 诱惑，引诱；诱人的东西 emollience [ɪˈmɒliəns] 温和，柔和，圆融；软化 stick by [ˈstɪk] 坚持，忠于，继续支持 bonhomie [ˈbɒnəmi] 友好，温和，和蔼 🏫翻译，视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

What are the four types of attachment in our relationships? The types of attachment were theorized by British psychologist John Bowlby in the 1950s. They're widely used to help us understand how we react to situations in our relationships, whether it be with romantic partners, friends, or family members. Bowlby relied on research on the impact of early separations between infants and their mothers, and emphasized the importance of attachment relationships in the social and emotional development of children, as well as their long-term mental health. During the 1970s, American psychologist Mary Ainsworth expanded on Bowlby's work, helping him develop an observational method to assess different types of attachment in children and adults. What exactly is an attachment style? According to psychology today, our attachment style is the way we establish bonds with other people, which develops in infancy. and becomes refined in children, adolescents and adults. In simple terms, it's the way you interact with those around you. There are four main types of attachment. The first is secure attachment. Children with secure attachment feel safe and protected when they're with their parents or caregivers. They seek comfort from them when they feel anxious or scared, but are also capable of exploring the world around them, knowing they can always return to their attachment figure if needed. The second type is avoidant attachment. Children with avoidant attachment tend to avoid or ignore their parents or caregivers when they feel anxious or scared. They're less likely to seek comfort from them and prefer to explore the world without their assistance. What about the other two types then? The third type is anxious attachment. Children with anxious ambivalent attachment constantly seek attention from their parents or caregivers but struggle to be reassured even when they're close to them. They may appear preoccupied with the possibility of being abandoned and can be highly reactive to signs of separation. Finally the fourth type is disorganized or chaotic attachment. It's characterized by a child's paradoxical and disorganized behavior in the presence of their attachment figure. This type of attachment is less common and brings chaos into the lives of those affected. Their emotions can be excessive and devastating and at times the person may seem absent or disconnected from reality. There are many online tests which can help you work out your attachment style. It generally stems directly from our childhoods. If you're not aware of it and haven't considered it before, it tends to remain the same throughout your life. But looking into it may help you understand your reactions towards friends or partners in certain situations. You may even learn to predict your own response and with time develop a more secure attachment style. There you have it. 词汇表 attachment style [əˈtætʃmənt] 依恋风格（个体与他人建立联结的方式） secure attachment [sɪˈkjʊə(r) əˈtætʃmənt] 安全型依恋（感到安全和受保护，必要时寻求安慰） avoidant attachment [əˈvɔɪdənt əˈtætʃmənt] 回避型依恋（倾向于回避和忽略，独自探索） anxious attachment [ˈæŋkʃəs əˈtætʃmənt] 焦虑型依恋，又称anxious ambivalent attachment [æmˈbɪvələnt] 焦虑矛盾型依恋（持续寻求关注，难以感到安心） disorganized / chaotic attachment [dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd / keɪˈɒtɪk əˈtætʃmənt] 混乱型依恋（表现出矛盾和混乱的行为） theorize [ˈθɪəraɪz] 建立理论，创立学说，推理 infant [ˈɪnfənt] 婴儿，幼儿 observational [ˌɒbzəˈveɪʃənl] 观察的，观测的 bond [bɒnd] 纽带，联系 infancy [ˈɪnfənsi] 婴儿期，幼年 refined [rɪˈfaɪnd] 精炼的，完善的；文雅的 caregiver [ˈkeə(r)ɡɪvə(r)] 照料者，看护人 reassure [ˌriːəˈʃʊə(r)] 使安心，使消除疑虑；安慰 be preoccupied with [prɪˈɒkjupaɪd] 全神贯注于，一心想着 paradoxical [ˌpærəˈdɒksɪkl] 自相矛盾的，似是而非的 disconnected [ˌdɪskəˈnektɪd] 分离的，脱节的，断开的 stem from [stem] 源于，来自 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Turning uncertainty into opportunity Starting a new job, moving house, quitting your job to start a new business – all of these can be great opportunities, but all of them can lead to uncertainty. We can't know for sure that they will turn out well. Could this fear of the unknown be holding us back? Improving things in your life often requires some uncertainty, whether that's making time to learn something new, or moving to a new area. And It's not just about radical change. We often make negative assumptions about people we don't know, but if we go through the uncertainty of getting to know someone new, we can establish positive social or working relationships. So, how can we learn to make the most of uncertainty? First, it can help to adjust the way we think about not knowing what will happen. Being curious about a new job can help us grow, while being afraid of any negative changes can stop us taking advantage of new opportunities. It can be helpful to see threats as challenges that can be overcome. One thing that can help with this is having faith in your own abilities. When assessing an uncertain future situation, consider your own capability in being able to mitigate any issues that come up. If you know that you have the skills, knowledge or flexibility required to address unforeseen problems, then uncertainty can seem like less of a threat. Believing in yourself is one way to build resilience. E-commerce entrepreneur Alexandre Bonvin highlights the importance of building up a cash buffer in business. Another way to build your resilience can be to take on small tasks that have some uncertainty and reflecting on how you deal with each one. A positive mindset and building up our own personal resilience can help us use uncertainty as an opportunity for growth. 词汇表 quit [kwɪt] 离开，辞职，停止，放弃 hold back [həʊld bæk] 阻碍，妨碍（发展、前进等）；抑制，控制 radical [ˈrædɪkl] 根本的，彻底的；激进的，极端的 assumption [əˈsʌmpʃn] 假定，假设，臆断 take advantage of 充分利用，好好把握 mitigate [ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt] 减轻，缓和（问题等） flexibility [ˌfleksəˈbɪləti] 灵活性，适应性；柔韧性，弹性 unforeseen [ˌʌnfɔː(r)ˈsiːn] 未预见到的，意料之外的 resilience [rɪˈzɪliəns] 适应力，恢复力；弹性，韧性 cash buffer [kæʃ ˈbʌfə(r)] 现金缓冲（指为应对突发情况而储备的资金） positive mindset [ˈpɒzətɪv ˈmaɪndset] 积极的心态 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

9 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Life We overcomplicate our lives, relationships, goals, and to-do lists. We, as human beings, have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be. Happiness is found in simplicity – so, how do you simplify your life? 1. Get rid of what no longer serves you. When was the last time you really wore that shirt? Throw it away. When was the last time you really used that membership? Cancel it. When was the last time you really talked to that friend? Stop making promises to hang out. "Trim the fat," as they say, and only keep in your life what you really need. 2. Create clear expectations. Conflict arises in ambiguity. Mistakes occur in ambiguity. Disappointment lives in ambiguity. Frustration is bred in ambiguity. If you want to avoid all of those things, set crystal-clear expectations. The result, then, is far more objective, instead of subjective. 3. Scale vertically, not horizontally. When people think of growth, they tend to think horizontally, adding as many pieces to the puzzle as possible. But the more pieces you add, especially different types of pieces, the more difficult it becomes to switch your brain from one mode of thinking to the next. Too many different types of projects, or ambitions, or commitments, and you end up spinning your wheels. Instead, think depth. Think about diving deep, instead of spreading wide. Less becomes more. 4. Change your crowd. 改变你的社交圈子。 Financially, life becomes complicated when you try to live or associate far beyond your means. Too often, people want to "appear" successful or "appear" wealthy, and so they attempt to live a lifestyle they can't truly afford – and live on the edge because of it. But unless you are doing so with a very specific goal in mind and seeing it as an investment (e.g. "I want to rub shoulders with the right people"), you are doing yourself a disservice. 5. Don't overbook your calendar. Is it smart to schedule back to back to back to back meetings? Probably not. I know what it's like to hustle, and if you have to do it, OK, get it done. But realize where the tipping point is and when that schedule is no longer the exception but the expectation. It's not healthy, and it's not sustainable. Make things simple: Create your schedule with downtime in mind. 6. Do not gossip. Ever. The fastest way to complicate your life is drama. Take the higher road. 7. Build the right daily habits. Whenever something "bad" happens, it's easy to look at the trigger event. But the real question is: What habits carried out over a long period of time built up to this? Make the easy day-to-day habits – what you eat, going to the gym, etc. – the standard so that you're not constantly in recovery mode. Be proactive instead. 8. Give, give, give, give some more, and then ask. The best things in life come as a result of what we have first offered ourselves. Things get complicated when we're constantly in "ask" mode. But when we give, things tend to reveal themselves exactly when they need to. Give, give, give, and all will fall into place. 9. Don't try to be everything, to everyone. And finally, one of the biggest sources of life stress for many is attempting to be what everyone needs, all the time. It's just not worth it. Be you. Focus on you. Do what you need to do first. Express yourself. Stay true to yourself. And you will attract everything you need in life, naturally, like a magnet, and repel anything else. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. 词汇表 overcomplicate [ˌəʊvəˈkɒmplɪkeɪt] 使复杂化，使过于复杂 simplicity [sɪmˈplɪsəti] 简单，朴素，简易 membership [ˈmembəʃɪp] 会员资格，成员资格，全体会员 trim the fat [trɪm] 去掉多余部分，删减冗余部分 ambiguity [ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti] 模棱两可，含糊不清，不明确 breed [briːd] 产生，引起，招致 crystal-clear [ˌkrɪstl ˈklɪə(r)] 清楚明了的，清澈透明的 scale vertically [skeɪl 'vɜːtɪkli] 纵向深耕，垂直扩展（指在某一领域深入发展） horizontally [ˌhɒrɪˈzɒntəli] 水平地，横向地 puzzle [ˈpʌzl] 拼图游戏；谜；难题 spin your wheels [spɪn][wiːls] 白费力气，原地打转 dive deep [daɪv] 深入探究，潜心钻研 beyond one's means 超出某人的经济能力，入不敷出 live on the edge 生活在边缘（处于危险或不稳定的状态） rub shoulders with [rʌb]与…交往，接触，有来往（尤指与重要或有名的人） do somebody a disservice [dɪˈsɜː(r)vɪs] 伤害，损害，帮倒忙 overbook your calendar [ˌəʊvə(r)ˈbʊk][ˈkælɪndə(r)] 把日程安排得太满，过多安排日程 tipping point 临界点，转折点，引爆点 downtime [ˈdaʊntaɪm] 休息时间，停工期，停机时间 gossip [ˈɡɒsɪp] 说长道短，说闲话；流言蜚语，闲话 drama [ˈdrɑːmə] 戏剧，戏剧性事件；闹剧，纠葛 take the high road 采取高尚的方式，保持高姿态（以一种更加高尚、正直或成熟的方式来处理问题） trigger event [ˈtrɪɡə(r)] 触发事件，引发事件 build up to 逐步发展到，逐渐导致 proactive [prəʊˈæktɪv] 积极主动的，主动出击的，先发制人的 fall into place 水到渠成，步入正轨，就绪 be everything to everyone 取悦所有人，满足每个人的需求 stay true to yourself 忠于自己，保持真实自我 magnet [ˈmæɡnət] 磁铁，磁体；有吸引力的人或物 repel [rɪˈpel] 排斥，击退；使厌恶 💡 翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How does it feel to die? Host: Death, dying — the inevitable demise of our being. But for most people, death isn't completely instantaneous. So what can modern science tell us about the experience of those very final moments? What does it feel like to die? A very interesting experiment conducted at Imperial College London in 2018 did shed some light on what dying might feel like for human beings. Scientists wanted to investigate similarities between two very different phenomena. On the one hand, near-death experiences or 'NDEs' — the hallucinations experienced by around 20% of people who have been resuscitated following clinical death. On the other, DMT trips — the hallucinations provoked by a pretty hardcore psychedelic drug. So the scientists administered a dose of DMT to test subjects who found themselves promptly and legally off their faces. Then, once they'd returned to reality, the scientists had them describe their experiences using a checklist commonly used to evaluate near-death experiences, and they were shocked to see an incredible amount of commonalities. Both NDE and DMT experiences included sensations like 'transcendence of time and space' and 'oneness with nearby objects and people'. The experience of almost dying, as it turned out, was strikingly similar to a powerful hallucinogenic. When we consider death, we think of it as a grim and boring process. But science asks, 'what if it's psychedelic?' I'm joined by Dr. Chris Timmermann, who led the research at Imperial. Dr. Timmermann, what can this experiment tell us about death? Dr. Timmermann: I think the main sort of lesson I think of the research is that we can find death actually in life, in life experiences. What we know now is that there appears to be a surge of electrical activity. These gamma waves appear to be quite pronounced, and those may be responsible for these near-death experiences. There's also specific regions in the brain, like what we call the medial temporal lobes — areas that are in charge of memory, dreaming, and so on, even learning, which might be related also to these experiences. In a way, our brains are somehow simulating a form of reality. Host: In terms of NDEs, I read it was around 20% of people who have been pronounced clinically dead and come back, report them. Could it be that some people are remembering these and everyone does have an experience like this, or could they actually be quite rare? Dr. Timmermann: It is a strong possibility that there is a lack of recollection because of different reasons. So we see in our experience with the psychedelic DMT, when we give them high doses, there is a part of the experience that is forgotten as well. What I think is going on there is that the experience is so novel. It's so what we call 'ineffable' or difficult to put into words. And therefore, when the experience itself transcends this ability to put things into language, we are also having a hard time recalling it. Host: The science of death is a pretty murky landscape, but what we do know paints a surprisingly optimistic picture. For instance, we know that people who have had near-death experiences often report feelings of peacefulness and serenity and show a long-lasting reduction in the stress associated with death. Research also implies that people tend to lose their senses in a specific order. First, hunger and thirst, then speech and vision. Hearing and touch seem to last the longest, meaning that many people may be able to hand-feel their loved ones in their final moments, even when they appear unresponsive. And one recent brain scan of a dying epilepsy patient showed activity related to memory recall and dreaming, leading to speculation that there might even be some truth to your life 'flashing before your eyes'. Finally, we know from these experiments that the experience of death could involve heightened, possibly hallucinatory consciousness. One last psychedelic journey before the 'nothing times'. 💡字数限制，词汇表、翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why We Love Crunchy Food Georgie Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Georgie. Beth And I'm Beth. Georgie, what do apples, carrots and celery have in common with insects like beetles, crickets and grasshoppers? Georgie Hmm, that's a tough one, Beth. I'm going to say I can fit them all in my backpack. Beth OK. Well, the answer is actually, they're all examples of foods that crunch. There's something very satisfying about the crunch when you bite into a fresh apple, a stick of celery, or even a roasted beetle! Yes, that's right. In some parts of the world, edible insects are crunched too. Georgie Scientist Danielle Reed has been exploring our love of crunchy food for BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain. Danielle Reed A crunch of a fresh apple is nothing better in the world, honestly, to me. I grew up as a small child in an apple orchard and so we could pick them fresh off the tree. And so I have a very nuanced understanding of the different crunches of apples and the different types of apples. And so, yes, I really find that to be one of life's real true pleasures. Beth Danielle says there's nothing better in the world than the crunch of a fresh apple. She uses the phrase, nothing better in the world, to emphasise how much she loves it. Georgie Danielle thinks eating crunchy apples is one of life's true pleasures – an experience she finds enjoyable. But why are we so attracted to crunchy food? That's what we'll be investigating in this programme. Beth But first, I have a question for you, Georgie. Like Danielle, many British people enjoy the crunch of an apple, but according to a 2024 YouGov study, which is the most popular type of apple in the UK? Is it: a) Pink Lady, b) Gala, or c) Red Delicious? Georgie I'm going to say a) Pink Lady, because that's my favourite. Beth Ah, and me! OK. We'll find out the answer later in the programme. As well as the satisfying sound of a loud crunch, the texture of crunchy food is important too. It tells our bodies to get ready for the raw and rough fibre needed to develop our chewing muscles and teeth. And there are other ways in which crunchy food keeps us healthy, as Danielle explains to BBC World Service's The Food Chain. Danielle Reed The first bite of crunch is the most essential bite because, really, when we put something in our mouth, we don't think about it this way, but we have to decide whether we're going to swallow, right? So that first bite gives us a ton of information. I mean, everybody, I think, has had the experience of biting into a mushy apple and saying, "No thank you!" Ruth Alexander So, the crunch is telling us about the quality of food, specifically the high quality of the food. Danielle Reed Yes. Or not – you know, we've also had cases where we've bitten into something that has a crunch and found an eggshell in our scrambled eggs. That's no good! Georgie When we put food in our mouths, we need to know it's safe. A loud crunch means, this food is fresh and OK to eat. The crunching sound gives us a ton of information, meaning a lot of information, about the food's freshness. Beth Nobody likes biting into an apple which is mushy, an adjective meaning soft, because we understand that that means it's bad to eat. Georgie So crunchy food sounds healthy, feels good, and tells our body it's safe to eat. No wonder that when astronauts on the International Space Station were asked what they missed the most, crunchy food topped their list! But apples and carrots are one thing, Beth – it's something else to crunch down on insects, isn't it? Beth Well, not in some countries, Georgie – Zimbabwe for one, where celebrity chef, Dulsie Mudekwa, uses the crunchy texture of beetles, termites, and locusts to convince people to try insect protein as a cheap alternative to meat. And if you think you could never eat insects, listen as Dulsie explains how she changed her mind to Ruth Alexander, presenter of BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain. Ruth Alexander So, are you an insect convert then? Dulsie Fadzai Mudekwa Now I am. I love them as small snacks, just roasted with salt… or what I did with most of them is turn them into flours and meals, so I make them into cakes, biscuits. I grind them together with chicken or beef and then turn them into beautiful sausages, and then that's how I love them. Georgie Ruth asks Dulsie if she's an insect convert, a person who has changed their ideas or way of living, and Dulsie replies, "Yes." She didn't before, but now she loves eating roast insects as snacks, small bits of food you eat between meals. Beth Hmm, they do sound crunchy… but I think I'll stick to apples thanks, Georgie. Georgie Well, speaking of apples, it's time you revealed the answer to your question. Beth Yes, I asked you which was the most popular apple, according to a survey of people in the UK. Georgie I said Pink Lady, didn't I? 📝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】

Clay & Wings: The Macaws' Salt Quest Seven Worlds, One Planet｜South America Warmed by the tropical sun, the Amazon's trees release so much moisture from the surface of their leaves that they create their own clouds. And these, over the course of a year, release up to six metres of rain. The water flows through the saturated forest along 1,000 streams. They eventually unite to form the largest river of them all. The Amazon carries more water than the world's next seven biggest rivers combined. Some sections of its banks are particularly sought-after. Scarlet macaws travel over 50 miles to visit them. Macaw couples bond for life, and may stick together for over 40 years. Pairs return to favourite trees - ones they've known for decades. Parents provide their chicks with fruits and seeds. But they're far from the ocean, and their diet lacks salt. Without it, the chicks' brains and bones will not develop properly. So, someone has to go and fetch it. Many other creatures are looking for the same thing. A clay lick. The earth here may be 40 times richer in valuable minerals than anywhere else in the surrounding forest. Over a dozen species of parrot jostle for space. There's a strict order in who feeds first. Everyone is in a rush to fill up and get airborne. Parents have to carry over five kilograms of clay to their nest before their chicks are ready to leave. Once fledged, these young will follow their parents for up to a year, learning where to find the salts. 词汇表 quest [kwest] （长久而艰难的）搜寻，寻找；追求 the Amazon [ˈæməzɒn] 亚马逊河（世界流量最大的河流，位于南美洲） moisture [ˈmɔɪstʃə(r)] 水分，湿气，水汽 saturated [ˈsætʃəreɪtɪd] 湿润的，饱和的；浸透的，湿透的 bank [bæŋk] 河岸，堤 sought-after [ˈsɔːt ɑːftə(r)] 受欢迎的，备受青睐的 scarlet macaw [ˈskɑːlət məˈkɔː] 五彩金刚鹦鹉，绯红金刚鹦鹉（生活在中南美洲热带雨林的大型鹦鹉；实行终身伴侣制；以水果、坚果和种子为食，会到河岸附近的泥土区进食泥土，以补充矿物质等） bond for life [bɒnd] 终生相伴，终身羁绊 stick together 团结一致，互相扶持，彼此相守 chick [tʃɪk] 雏鸟，幼鸟；小鸡 clay lick [kleɪ lɪk] 黏土盐碱地，泥浆舔食地（指一些动物舔食黏土以获取矿物质的地方） mineral [ˈmɪnərəl] 矿物质，矿物 jostle for space [ˈdʒɒs(ə)l] 争夺空间，争抢位置 fill up 填饱肚子；装满，填满 get airborne [ˈeə(r)ˌbɔː(r)n] 起飞，升空，跃起 fledge [fledʒ]（幼鸟）长出飞羽，变得羽翼丰满 🌍 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

The alternatives to milk Milk, it comes from cows, right? Well, not all the milk you see on supermarket shelves is from an udder. These days we see many plant-based alternatives to dairy, such as oat, pea and soya milk. But why would someone stop drinking their full-fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed cow's milk and trade it for one of these? There are many reasons someone might try alternative milks. Some people believe the alternatives are healthier than milk from cows. Those with lactose intolerance or thinking about becoming vegan might start drinking alternative milks. Also, concerns about the impact of dairy farming on the environment could be a factor. Whatever the reason, there are many alternatives to dairy out there for us to consume. But what are the differences between these other options and regular cow's milk? Soya milk is one common alternative. According to some sources, such as healthline.com, it contains a similar amount of protein to regular milk. It is also lower in calories than some cow's milk, which could be good for those on a diet, and often comes fortified with things like calcium and various vitamins. So, all good? Well, soya is a common allergen, and according to foodallergy.org, is one of the nine foods which cause the majority of allergic reactions. Almond milk is a low-calorie, low-fat drink and is naturally lactose free and has a slight nutty taste. When unsweetened, it also has lower levels of carbohydrates and sugars than some dairy options. However, even when fortified, it doesn't provide the levels of protein seen in soya or regular milk. Then there's coconut milk, which is low in calories and may not affect people with nut allergies as much as other options, but is lacking in protein. Whichever plant-based milk you choose, there are positives and negatives. Dieticians agree the most important thing is getting a healthy balanced diet which won't trigger any allergies and comes with all the minerals and vitamins you need. And at the end of the day, it may just come down to which one you think tastes better. 词汇表 udder [ˈʌdə(r)] （奶牛、奶羊等的）乳房 plant-based [ˌplɑːnt ˈbeɪst] 仅用植物的，植物性的 alternative [ɔːlˈtɜː(r)nətɪv] 替代品，替代物，选择余地 dairy [ˈdeəri] 乳制品；奶制的，乳品的；牛奶场 oat / pea / soya milk [əʊt][piː][ˈsɔɪə] 燕麦奶、豌豆奶、豆奶（豆浆） full-fat / semi-skimmed / skimmed cow's milk [fʊl fæt][ˌsemi ˈskɪmd][kaʊz mɪlk] 全脂、半脱脂、全脱脂牛奶（根据脂肪含量不同分类的牛乳） lactose intolerance [ˈlæktəʊs ɪnˈtɒlərəns] 乳糖不耐受（因缺乏乳糖酶导致无法消化乳糖而出现的不适症状） vegan [ˈviːɡən] 纯素食者，严格的素食主义者（不食用或不使用任何动物产品） protein [ˈprəʊtiːn] 蛋白质 on a diet [ɒn ə ˈdaɪət] 节食，控制饮食 fortify [ˈfɔː(r)tɪfaɪ] 强化，增强；（通过添加某些物质）提升营养价值 calcium [ˈkælsiəm] 钙 vitamin [ˈvɪtəmɪn] 维生素 allergen [ˈælə(r)dʒən] 过敏原，致敏原 allergic reaction [əˈlɜː(r)dʒɪk riˈækʃn] 过敏反应（身体对某种物质过敏时产生的不良反应） almond milk [ˈɑːmənd mɪlk] 杏仁奶 low-calorie, low-fat drink [ləʊ ˈkæləri], [ləʊ fæt] 低热量、低脂肪饮品 nutty [ˈnʌti] 含坚果的，坚果口味的 unsweetened [ˌʌn'swi:tnd] 未加糖的，不甜的 carbohydrate [ˌkɑː(r)bəʊˈhaɪdreɪt] 碳水化合物，糖类食物 coconut milk [ˈkəʊkənʌt mɪlk] 椰奶，椰子汁 dietician [ˌdaɪəˈtɪʃ(ə)n] 营养师，营养学家 trigger allergies [ˈtrɪɡə(r) ˈælə(r)dʒiz] 引起过敏 mineral [ˈmɪnərəl] 矿物质 at the end of the day 最终，到头来，归根结底 come down to 归结为，取决于 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why Beauty Isn't About Looks When we are very concerned about certain of our physical features — a nose that is stubbornly a bit too large, eyes that are slightly too far apart, hair that is not as lustrous as it should be — we miss an overall point about our relationship to our appearance: how beautiful we feel has nothing to do with the objective structure of our face or body. It isn't what we look like that counts; it's how we feel inside. Our self-assessments are in the end solely based on our relative degrees of self-love and self-contempt. There are people of ideal proportions and exceptional beauty who cannot bear what they see in the mirror and others who can contemplate a less than svelte stomach or a no longer so supple kind of skin with indifference and defiant good humour. And at a tragic extreme, there are heart-breakingly fine-looking people who starve themselves to ill-health and eventually die out of a certainty, immune to every logical argument, of their own unsightliness. The issue is not whether we look extraordinary today, but whether or not we were once upon a time, when we were small and defenceless before the judgements of those who cared for us, sufficiently loved for our essence. This will decide whether our appearance can later on be a subject of negligible concern to us or not. The truly blessed among us are not those with perfect symmetry; they are those whose past affords them the luxury not to give too much of a damn whatever the mirror happens to say. The issue is never that of our appearance, it is about our sense of our vulnerability to humiliation. When we meet people who are perpetually sick with worry that they are not attractive enough, we should not rush in with physical compliments; this is only to foster and unwittingly reward an aggravating criterion of judgement. We should learn to spot the wound in their early relationships that have made it so hard for them to trust that they could matter to others in their basic state and that therefore perpetually evokes in them an unflattering self-image. They are not 'ugly' per se, they were — when it mattered — left painfully unloved and ignored to an extent that they are liable never to have recognised or mourned adequately. Their arrival in the world did not delight a few people as it should have done, and therefore need compassion, sympathy and emotional validation far more than they will ever require the tools of outward beautification. Feeling ugly stems from a deficit of love, never of beauty. 词汇表 stubbornly [ˈstʌbənli] 固执地，倔强地；难以改变地 lustrous [ˈlʌstrəs] 有光泽的，光亮的 solely [ˈsəʊlli] 仅仅，唯一地 self-contempt [ˌself kənˈtempt] 自我轻视，自卑 contemplate [ˈkɒntempleɪt] 考虑接受；沉思；盘算 svelte [svelt] 身材苗条的，纤细的 supple [ˈsʌpl] 柔软的，柔韧的，有弹性的 indifference [ɪnˈdɪfrəns] 漠不关心，冷淡 defiant [dɪˈfaɪənt] 挑衅的，蔑视的，反抗的 ill-health [ˌɪl ˈhelθ] 健康不佳，身体不适 unsightliness [ʌnˈsaɪtlinəs] 丑陋，难看 defenceless [dɪˈfensləs] 无防御的，不能自卫的，无助的 essence [ˈesns] 本质，实质；要素，精髓 negligible [ˈneɡlɪdʒəbl] 可忽略的，微不足道的 symmetry [ˈsɪmətri] 对称（性），匀称 vulnerability [ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti] 脆弱性，易受伤害性 perpetually [pəˈpetʃuəli] 永恒地，持久地，不断地 rush in [rʌʃ ɪn] 匆忙行动（而没有充分考虑） foster [ˈfɒstə(r)] 培养，促进，助长 unwittingly [ʌnˈwɪtɪŋli] 无意地，不知不觉地 aggravating [ˈæɡrəveɪtɪŋ] 恼人的 ；使恶化的，加重的 criterion [kraɪˈtɪəriən] 标准，准则 evoke [iˈvəʊk] 唤起，引起（记忆或感情） unflattering self-image [ʌnˈflætərɪŋ self ˈɪmɪdʒ] 不讨喜的自我形象，负面的自我形象 per se [pɜː(r) ˈseɪ] 本身，本质上（拉丁语短语） be liable to [ˈlaɪəbl] 易于…的，有…倾向的 mourn [mɔː(r)n] 哀悼，悼念；惋惜，哀叹 validation [ˌvælɪˈdeɪʃn] 确认，认可，肯定 outward beautification [ˈaʊtwəd ˌbjuːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] 外在美化（通过外部手段改善外貌） stem from [stem frəm] 源于，由…造成 deficit [ˈdefɪsɪt] 缺乏，不足；赤字 🏫翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

How To Schedule Your Day For Optimal Productivity Most people are unproductive because they haven't created a clear plan for their day. This lack of clarity quickly leads to procrastination as the brain doesn't like ambiguity. When you lack clarity on precisely when you're going to do what, your brain will use this moment of ambiguity to talk you out of doing the hard work and do something easier instead (such as watching a funny YouTube video). That's why scheduling your day is so important. "Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity." – James Clear The Power of Scheduling Your Day By pre-determining when you're going to do what, you remove the need for decision-making within the moment as you've already created a precise plan in advance. Psychologists call this an 'implementation intention'. A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology showed that creating such an implementation intention increases the success rate of following through with an activity from 34% to 91%. In other words, by scheduling your day, you're much less likely to procrastinate. That's a big benefit for such a simple routine. By scheduling an activity, you make an appointment with yourself, and you should honour this appointment the same way you'd honor an appointment with other people. How to Schedule Your Day for Optimal Productivity My number 1 rule of scheduling the day is that I schedule my most important tasks for the hours in which I generally have the most energy – and my lesser important tasks for the hours in which my energy tends to be lower. According to research, for most people, the morning is peak energy time (but it differs per chronotype). During your peak energy time, your willpower is stronger and your brain has more energy to focus deeply, think clearly and solve difficult problems with more ease. According to Steve Kay, a professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California, most adults perform best in the late morning when it comes to cognitive work. As I experience this as well, I schedule my 1-3 most important tasks in the morning. This way, I'm a lot more effective and efficient. According to recent research led by Robert Matchock, an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University, most people are more easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m. That's why I schedule my less important tasks such as email, answering comments, phone calls or meetings later in the day – after I've already completed my most important work. Here's a tip: I like to batch produce these tasks (lump them together) so that I can get them done in a time-efficient way, without splitting my focus or letting these tasks get in the way of the tasks that truly matter. Furthermore, I like to use different colors to schedule different type of tasks. For example, my personal appointments are blue, my workouts are green and my work-related tasks are yellow. This way, I quickly see what's coming up next. 词汇表 clarity [ˈklærəti] （思路）清晰，清楚，明确 procrastination [prəˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn] 拖延，拖延症 ambiguity [ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti] 模糊，模棱两可，不确定 talk someone out of 说服某人放弃，劝阻 schedule [ˈʃedjuːl] 安排，计划；日程安排，时间表 pre-determine [ˌpriːdɪˈtɜːmɪn] 预先决定，事先安排 precise [prɪˈsaɪs] 精确的，准确的，确切的 implementation intention [ˌɪmplɪmenˈteɪʃn ɪnˈtenʃn] 实施意图（指提前规划具体行动步骤以提高执行成功率） follow through with 坚持到底，贯彻到底 appointment [əˈpɔɪntmənt] 约会，约定，预约 honour [ˈɒnə(r)] 信守，执行，兑现（承诺或协议） optimal [ˈɒptɪməl] 最佳的，最理想的 peak energy [piːk ˈenədʒi] 精力高峰（指一天中精力最充沛的时段） chronotype [ˈkrɒnətaɪp] 作息类型，生物钟类型（一个人倾向于早起还是晚睡的生物钟特征，如早起鸟、夜猫子） molecular and computational biology [məˈlekjələ(r) ənd ˌkɒmpjəˈteɪʃənl baɪˈɒlədʒi] 分子与计算生物学（分子生物学和计算生物学的交叉学科） cognitive work [ˈkɒɡnətɪv] 认知工作（指需要脑力思考、分析、记忆等的工作） associate professor [əˈsəʊsieɪt prəˈfesə(r)] 副教授（大学教师职称） batch [bætʃ] 批量处理，成批进行；一批，一组 lump together [lʌmp] 把…归并在一起；混为一谈 split one's focus [splɪt] 分散某人的注意力，分心 get in the way of 妨碍，阻碍，干扰 💡 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 Morning light Is So Crucial to Your Health Steve Jones: Sunlight is powerful stuff, perhaps more powerful than most people realise. The perils of living without sunlight are really quite real. In some ways, modern life has driven us back to the Stone Age, okay, when we lived in caves. In the 60s, there were several experiments by French people who went into caves and stayed there. They all began to sleep either for extraordinarily long periods of time or extraordinarily short periods of time, and they couldn't tell the difference. They all said they had severe mood disturbances and depression, so much so that some of them had to leave long before they really had planned to. In winter, we often feel somewhat out of sorts at this time of the year. A lack of sunlight means that your immune system doesn't work as well, your defence mechanisms don't work as well. Arti Jagannath: An effect on mood, increased depression, more metabolic disorders, and all of these things are offshoots of a disrupted circadian clock. It times all of our physiology and all of our behaviour. All of the active sorts of processes are compartmentalised to the day, and all of the restorative processes are kept to the night. The wavelengths that have the most powerful impact are the bluish-coloured ones. Within our eyes, there are these cells that have a pigment that's sensitive to this blue light, that then signals to the body clock to tell it what time of day it is. Steve: Many people don't realise what an artificial life we live. That's because artificial life depends on artificial light. Arti: So by seeking out artificial light, what that is doing is giving your body a time cue that is incorrect. Then you might end up feeling far more alert at night, or a lot more depressed during the day. Your systems within your body tend to desynchronise and so you tend to have a higher incidence of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease. Steve: The World Health Organization sees shift work as a threat to health, and it is. Many British people spend less than half an hour a day in the open air. So it's no good staying inside and looking at the Sun and saying this is doing me good, because it isn't. Arti: So it's probably, on a day like today, about four or five times less light simply being on this side of the glass. A good dose of bright sunshine at any time during the day has a huge impact on elevating mood and general feelings of wellbeing. There was a study at the Broadmoor institute where they looked at the effects of the equivalent of 20 minutes of bright sunshine in the morning on mood. What they found was the bright light had a much greater effect on elevating mood than even some anti-depressants. So our skin's not just a barrier, it's a living organ. When our skin sees sunlight, that is when it starts making vitamin D, which is an essential component of many different signalling pathways in our body. Steve: You can get vitamin D in several ways. You can do what I do, and take a vitamin D pill. A diet of wild salmon and mushrooms and you won't get rickets. But overwhelmingly the best way is through the Sun. Arti: Have meals at the right time, go to bed at the right time, and get out, even if it's freezing, for that daily 20-minute walk and some light exposure. Simply being outside and exposing yourself to light, so that you strengthen your circadian clock is going to have a hugely beneficial impact on health and wellbeing. Steve: Don't retreat into your cave. In other words, when the sun comes out, go out and have a good time. 词汇表 peril [ˈperəl] 危险，危害，风险 Stone Age [ˈstəʊn eɪdʒ] 石器时代（以石器为主要工具的早期阶段） cave [keɪv] 洞穴，山洞 mood disturbance [muːd dɪˈstɜːbəns] 情绪障碍，情绪紊乱 out of sorts [aʊt əv sɔːts] 身体不适，心情不佳 immune system [ɪˈmjuːn ˈsɪstəm] 免疫系统（人体抵御病原体的防御机制） metabolic disorder [ˌmetəˈbɒlɪk dɪsˈɔːdə(r)] 代谢紊乱，代谢异常 offshoot [ˈɒfʃuːt] 衍生物；分支，支流 disrupted circadian clock [dɪsˈrʌptɪd sɜːˈkeɪdiən klɒk] 生物钟紊乱（调节昼夜节律的生理机制失调） physiology [ˌfɪziˈɒlədʒi] 生理学，生理机能 compartmentalise [ˌkɒmpɑːtˈmentəlaɪz] 划分，区分，隔开 restorative [rɪˈstɒrətɪv] 复原的，恢复精力的 wavelength [ˈweɪvleŋθ] （光波、音波等的）波长；（广播的）波段，频道 bluish-coloured [ˈbluːɪʃ ˈkʌləd] 带蓝色的，有点蓝的 pigment [ˈpɪɡmənt] 色素；颜料 desynchronise [ˌdiːˈsɪŋkrənaɪz] 使不同步，失调 diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] 糖尿病 obesity [əʊˈbiːsəti] 肥胖症 cardiovascular disease [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələ(r) dɪˈziːz] 心血管疾病 shift work [ʃɪft wɜːk] 轮班工作，倒班 elevate mood [ˈelɪveɪt muːd] 改善情绪，提升心情 equivalent [ɪˈkwɪvələnt] 等同物，相等物 anti-depressant [ˌænti dɪˈpresnt] 抗抑郁药 vitamin D [ˈvɪtəmɪn diː] 维生素D（促进钙吸收、维持骨骼健康的营养素） signalling pathway [ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ ˈpɑːθweɪ] 信号通路（细胞内传递信号的一系列生化反应） salmon [ˈsæmən] 三文鱼 ricket [ˈrɪkɪt] 佝偻病，软骨症（缺乏维生素D导致的儿童骨骼发育异常） retreat [rɪˈtriːt] 躲避，撤退，退却 💡 翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】