英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等 - 节目列表

Should we eat less rice? Neil Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Beth And I'm Beth. Neil, what type of foods do you often eat? Neil Well, basic things that fill me up – that's sort of bread, potatoes. Beth Well, food like this, which is regularly eaten by many people, is known as a staple. In Britain, bread is a popular staple, but for large parts of the world, there's another food which is number one: rice. Neil That's right. Over half the world's population eats rice as the staple food, especially in Asia. But rice is a very 'thirsty' crop which needs lots of water to grow, and this is becoming a problem because of droughts and flooding caused by climate change. Beth In this programme, we'll be hearing about a pioneering new technique helping farmers to grow rice in the face of a changing climate. As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. Neil But first I have a question for you, Beth. Just now I mentioned that rice is a very 'thirsty' crop – so how much water is needed to grow one kilogram of rice? Is it: a) 1,000 to 3,000 litres? b) 3,000 to 5,000 litres? or, c) 5,000 to 7,000 litres? Beth I'm going to say c) 5,000 to 7,000 litres. Neil Well, we'll find out the correct answer at the end of the programme. Dr Yvonne Pinto is Director General of the International Rice Research Institute, or IRRI for short, based in the Philippines. Here she explains more about the global popularity of rice to BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain: Dr Yvonne Pinto Between 50 and 56 percent of the world's population rely on rice as the principal staple. Now, that's roughly about four billion people, and it is one of those commodities that is grown really extensively, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia. But increasingly the appetite for it is growing in continents like Africa, and of course there are also Latin American and European rice varieties. Beth Rice is a commodity, a produce that can be bought and sold. Like other crops, rice has varieties – different types, for example brown rice, long-grained rice or basmati. Much of the research into rice today is focused on making new varieties that can adapt to the changing environment and grow in conditions of either too much or too little water. Neil Over half the world's population eats rice and there's a growing demand in Africa and Europe too, so clearly there's an appetite, a strong desire, for rice worldwide. Beth So, is it possible to grow rice in a more eco-friendly way? Jean-Philippe Laborde, director of rice company, Tilda, thinks the answer lies in a new growing technique called Alternate Wet Drying, or AWD for short. Neil To grow rice, farmers go through cycles of flooding their fields, or paddies, which then dry out and need to be flooded again. With AWD, measuring pipes are placed 15cm underground so that farmers can check water levels at any part of the field. Normally, rice needs 25 cycles of flooding and drying out to grow, but using AWD this is reduced to 20 cycles, saving farmers water and reducing methane emissions. Here's Jean-Philippe Laborde, telling Ruth Alexander, presenter of BBC World Service's, The Food Chain, how he began his AWD experiment with farmers in India: Jean-Philippe Laborde We've got, last year, 1,268 farmers on board applying this AWD technique to reduce the overall methane emission. Ruth Alexander And how did you persuade those farmers to give it a go? Jean-Philippe Laborde That was quite challenging because obviously the main challenge is, for farmers, the apprehension to lose revenues. They need to see tangible results at the end of the crop… that they're getting obviously something better. Neil Many Indian farmers got on board with Jean-Phillipe's experiment. If you get on board with something, you agree to a plan of action and get involved. In other words, you give it a go – you try doing something to see if it works. Beth As it turned out, the new technique produced tangible results, results which are real and measurable. Using AWD, the amounts of water and electricity needed to grow rice decreased, methane gas emissions reduced, and on top of that, the amount of rice yielded increased… Right, Neil, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question? Neil I asked how many litres of water are needed to grow just 1 kilogram of rice, and the answer was 3,000 to 5,000 litres so thirsty, but not as thirsty as you thought. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme, starting with commodity, a product, like rice, that can be bought and sold. 📝 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 deal with milestone birthday blues When's your next big birthday? How do you feel about that? Do you feel you need to do something spectacular to mark it? Are you excited by the prospect, or dreading the future? We usually think of birthdays as a time to celebrate, but they can also cause stress and worry. Research suggests that this can be even stronger for '9-enders', the 29, 39 and 49-year-olds who are worried about the milestone they are about to reach. What is it that makes a number that ends in zero so daunting? New decades can seem like a fresh start where we evaluate how we are doing. The problem is that many of us look for something to compare with. This might be people that we know or that we follow on social media, or just what we think society expects us to have achieved by a certain age. Any differences can lead us to question ourselves. This links to other stresses that can come with getting older. We might worry that there is limited time to achieve society's expectations. We may also know people from older generations who had health problems at a certain age, and fear that the same thing will affect us. So, what can we do? Psychologists advise a few steps. Many agree that it's important to celebrate or mark your birthday in your own way. Do something you genuinely enjoy to avoid feeling the pressure of having to celebrate in a particular way. Another key piece of advice that psychologists offer is that we should use the opportunity to reflect on our lives, but in positive ways. First, consider what you have achieved recently and record those achievements. Then decide what you want to achieve next, and what steps you can take to get there. Having achievable goals can help give our lives greater purpose. If we can celebrate our successes, set ourselves realistic and achievable goals, and find a way to spend our day that we really enjoy, then maybe we'll find it much easier to deal with those big milestone birthdays. 词汇表 milestone birthday [ˈmaɪlstəʊn ˈbɜːθdeɪ] 里程碑式生日（指具有重要意义的生日节点，如30岁、40岁等） blues [bluːz] 忧郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 spectacular [spekˈtækjələ(r)] 盛大的，惊人的；壮观的 mark [mɑːk] 纪念，庆祝 prospect [ˈprɒspekt] 前景，展望，期望 dread [dred] 畏惧，担忧 9-ender [ˈnaɪn ˈendə(r)] 9字辈（指29岁等即将进入整十年龄的人） daunting [ˈdɔːntɪŋ] 令人畏惧的，令人怯步的 decade [ˈdekeɪd] 十年，十年期 fresh start 新的开始，重新开始 achievable [əˈtʃiːvəbl] 可实现的，可达成的 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

The science behind why fans chant at matches ♪His name is Rio and he watches from the stands♪ was how football fans greeted Rio Ferdinand when he was banned for missing a drugs test. Some football chants are made up on the spot, some have echoed around the same grounds for generations. But scientists think they are a practice that has deep roots in human culture. Every social group ever studied, from the Maori Haka to the Sufi Whirling Dervishes to awkward British people at a wedding, engages in some form of group singing, dancing, and chanting. Why is this? Psychologists have found that when a group of people engage in collective behaviour - like chanting - it has a profound effect on how they think and feel. Group singing's been shown to have a powerful effect on the mood of depressed people. As well as the uplifting music, it seems that synchronising your breathing, heart rate and voice with other people has the remarkable effect of making us feel connected to one another. But of course football fans don't usually feel connected to everyone in the stadium. There are plenty of examples of football chants that are rude, offensive, even racist or homophobic. Though they've historically been a means to abuse players and referees, they can also endorse more positive values like celebrating striker Mo Salah's goals with, ♪If he scores another few then I'll be Muslim, too.♪ Collective behaviour like chanting is, more than anything, a way to express social identity and the values of that group. Like the Liverpool fans chanting, "Justice for the 96" in support of the Hillsborough disaster victims. Chanting at a football match doesn't just bond a group together in love and harmony, there is a dark side to coordinated behaviour. Most armies around the world march up and down in parades. For the past 100 years, at least since the invention of the machine gun, it's been a bad idea to walk slowly towards the enemy in a straight line. So why do soldiers march and chant together? In one experiment, people were asked to put a jar of live woodlice into a grinder. The people who had marched in unison around the car park beforehand threw about 50% more of the bugs into the grinder than those who had walked the same distance but not in a coordinated march. Please note there was actually an escape chute in the grinder and every bug escaped unharmed. This suggests coordinated behaviours can lower people's sense of personal autonomy, and make them more likely to be obedient to aggressive action. And there is a final reason that people might chant at a football match. Writing has only been around for a few thousand years, but we find chants and songs in every pre-literate culture. Even today in India, it's the chanted version of Vedic texts that's seen as the definitive version, not the written form. Perhaps chanting is a call back to those older practises of encoding and sharing cultural knowledge. So next time you hear a thousand people yelling "you don't know what you're doing" to the referee, remember that it's because they're bonding with each other, affirming their social identity and using an ancient technology to record knowledge. And, perhaps, because the referee doesn't know what he's doing. 词汇表 stand [stænd] （运动场的）看台，观众席 drugs test [drʌɡz] 药检，兴奋剂检测 chant [tʃɑːnt] 反复呼喊，吟唱；助威口号 on the spot 当场，立即，在现场 echo around [ˈekəʊ] 流传，传播；回荡，回响 Maori Haka [ˈmaʊri ˈhækə] 毛利战舞（新西兰毛利人的传统战争舞蹈） Sufi Whirling Dervish [ˈsuːfi ˈwɜːlɪŋ ˈdɜːvɪʃ] 苏菲派旋转舞者（苏菲派穆斯林的一种宗教仪式舞蹈表演者） uplifting [ˌʌpˈlɪftɪŋ] 令人振奋的，鼓舞人心的 synchronise [ˈsɪŋkrənaɪz] （使）同步，（使）一致 racist [ˈreɪsɪst] 种族主义的；种族主义者 homophobic [ˌhəʊməˈfəʊbɪk] 恐同的，憎恶同性恋的 referee [ˌrefəˈriː] 裁判，裁判员 endorse [ɪnˈdɔːs] 赞同，支持，认可；宣传，吹捧 striker [ˈstraɪkə(r)] （足球等的）前锋 Muslim [ˈmʊzlɪm] 穆斯林，伊斯兰教徒 Hillsborough disaster [ˈhɪlzbrə] 希尔斯堡惨案（1989年英国足球体育场惨案，96名球迷因踩踏事故丧生） coordinated [kəʊˈɔːdɪneɪtɪd] 协调的，协同 machine gun 机枪，机关枪 a jar of [dʒɑː(r)] 一罐，一瓶 woodlice [ˈwʊdlaɪs] 潮虫，鼠妇，土鳖虫（woodlouse ['wʊdlaʊs]的复数） grinder [ˈɡraɪndə(r)] 研磨机，磨床 in unison [ˈjuːnɪsən] 齐步，一致，共同 beforehand [bɪˈfɔːhænd] 事先，预先 escape chute [ɪˈskeɪp ʃuːt] 逃生滑道；应急伞 autonomy [ɔːˈtɒnəmi] 自主性，自主权 be obedient to [əˈbiːdiənt] 服从，顺从 pre-literate [priː ˈlɪtərət] 无文字的，文字出现前的 Vedic texts [ˈveɪdɪk teksts] 吠陀经文（古印度宗教文献） definitive version [dɪˈfɪnətɪv ˈvɜːʃn] 权威版本；最终版本 encode [ɪnˈkəʊd] 编码，译成密码 bond with [bɒnd] 与…建立联系，与…增进感情 affirm [əˈfɜːm] 确认，证实，肯定 💡 翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

The healing power of journaling For many of us, a work diary is a practical thing. We use them for work to make a note of appointments or meetings, scribbling words next to dates to remind us of something we have to do in the future. But journalling is more about feelings. It's a personal diary, often kept far from prying eyes, sometimes detailing our secrets and desires. But, when it comes to feelings, what are the benefits to writing things down? Sometimes it can be difficult to say exactly what we're feeling. Because of anxiety or frustration, it can be tricky to put your problems into words. For some of us, putting pen to paper and jotting down our thoughts is a much easier process than saying them. But it's not just about the ease of scrawling words. Writing things down can actually help us to formulate ideas, consolidate emotions, and understand our feelings. There's something cathartic about making sense of something that is stressing us, annoying us, or getting us down. Writing a narrative of events or a series of words about what is on your mind can help you to focus, and is comparable to a form of meditation. And journalling isn't just limited to words. Why not include squiggles, doodles or pictures of what's happening in your life? Maybe the thing that is annoying you most could be best summed up by a caricature. In short, journalling is good for your mental health. Another thing to consider is that our memories fade over time. What is clear in our minds today may just be forgotten a few years down the line. Logging what's happening in our lives could trigger memories when we read our diary entries back in years to come, or could act as an insight into our past selves. We can see our development, or be reminded of exciting flashpoints in our lives. The person who was annoying us and you drew a doodle of five years ago may now be a close friend, or something that you were once scared of may now seem funny. So, if you have something on your mind, it might be good to get things written down. And if something exciting happens, writing about it may help you to remember that wonderful time! 词汇表 journaling [ˈdʒɜːn(ə)lɪŋ] 写日记，记日志 work diary [ˈdaɪəri] 工作日志，工作日程簿 make a note of 记录，记下 scribble [ˈskrɪb(ə)l] 潦草地写，匆匆写下 prying [ˈpraɪɪŋ] 窥探的，爱打听的 detail [ˈdiːteɪl] 详细描述，详述 put into words 用语言表达，用文字表达 put pen to paper 动笔写，开始写 jot down [dʒɒt] 匆匆记下，草草写下 scrawl [skrɔːl] 乱涂，潦草地写 formulate [ˈfɔːmjuleɪt] 明确表达，构想 consolidate [kənˈsɒlɪdeɪt] 整理，合并；巩固，强化 cathartic [kəˈθɑːtɪk] 宣泄的，释放情绪的 meditation [ˌmedɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n] 冥想，沉思 squiggle [ˈskwɪɡ(ə)l] 潦草的笔迹，弯曲的线条 doodle [ˈduːd(ə)l] 涂鸦，随手乱画 caricature [ˈkærɪkətʃʊə(r)] 漫画，讽刺画；夸张的描述 log [lɒɡ] 正式记录，记载；日志 trigger memories [ˈtrɪɡə(r)] 唤起记忆，勾起回忆 diary entry [ˈdaɪəri ˈentri] 日记条目，日记内容 insight [ˈɪnsaɪt] 洞察，深刻见解，领悟 flashpoint [ˈflæʃpɔɪnt] 亮点，令人振奋的片段；爆发点 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How to travel without motion sickness During summer holidays, many of us experience the discomfort of motion sickness while traveling by car, coach, plane, or boat. Motion sickness is also known as kinetosis, and it's particularly common in children, but can also affect a lot of adults. According to the U.S. government's MedlinePlus portal, one in three people are prone to it. Symptoms include paleness, cold sweats, dizziness, a feeling of discomfort in the upper stomach, nausea, and headaches. If you're affected, no doubt some of those unpleasant sensations will be familiar. The condition can also be exacerbated when encountering mountain roads, waves, or air turbulence, depending on your mode of transport. What's more, it can hit both passengers and drivers just as badly. What causes motion sickness? It's actually down to a conflict between the moving things we see in front of us and our body's immobility while seated, which the inner ear perceives as stillness. Going around a corner is a perfect example. This contrast triggers a response from the brain. The inner ear plays a key role, and particularly the vestibule, which is our balance organ. All of this sees the body struggle to adapt. What can I do to prevent motion sickness? Well, it's best not to travel on an empty stomach as low blood sugar levels can make it more likely to occur. Whatever kind of vehicle you're in, try to focus on the horizon to reduce the conflict between the senses and the inner ear. Fresh air on your face can help. As well as staying hydrated, you can even allow yourself a sugary drink. Here are a few vehicle-specific tips to also bear in mind. In a car, you want to ideally sit in the front seat, look at the horizon and avoid reading. On a train, if possible choose a seat facing the direction of travel. On a boat, stay on deck if you can and choose a cabin in the middle of the boat, where there's less motion. On a plane, seats near the wings will provide a more stable experience. What should I do if I start experiencing motion sickness? If you're a passenger in a car, ask your driver if you can get some fresh air as soon as possible. Take the opportunity to lie down for a bit if you can. Some experts also recommend essential oils like peppermint, tropical basil, and lemon zest to counter nausea. You can mix all three with a carrier oil like sunflower oil, or use them individually. Simply apply a few drops to your wrist and inhale as needed. They're only suitable for adults, though, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid them. You can also find motion sickness bracelets, which aim to stimulate a specific acupuncture point. But their effectiveness has been called into question as it's not been proven that they prevent nausea. There you have it! 词汇表 motion sickness [ˈməʊʃn ˈsɪknəs] 晕动症，运动病（指晕车、晕船、晕机） coach [kəʊtʃ] 长途客车，大巴 kinetosis [ˌkɪnɪˈtəʊsɪs] 运动病，晕动症 portal [ˈpɔːt(ə)l] 门户网站，入口站点 be prone to [prəʊn] 易于…的，有…倾向的 paleness [ˈpeɪlnəs] 苍白，脸色苍白 cold sweat [swet] 冷汗 dizziness [ˈdɪzinəs] 头晕，眩晕 upper stomach [ˈʌpə(r) ˈstʌmək] 上腹部 nausea [ˈnɔːziə] 恶心，反胃，呕吐感 exacerbate [ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt] 使恶化，加剧，加重 air turbulence [ˈtɜːbjələns] 空气湍流（可能会导致飞机晃动或颠簸） immobility [ˌɪməˈbɪləti] 不动，固定性 inner ear 内耳（控制身体平衡和听力） vestibule [ˈvestɪbjuːl] 前庭（内耳中负责平衡的部分） low blood sugar levels 低血糖水平 stay hydrated [ˈhaɪdreɪtɪd] 保持水分充足，及时补水 deck [dek] 甲板（船或飞机上的） cabin [ˈkæbɪn] 船舱，机舱，小木屋 wing [wɪŋ] （飞机的）机翼 essential oil [ɪˈsenʃl] 精油，植物精油 peppermint [ˈpepəmɪnt] 薄荷，薄荷糖 tropical basil [ˈtrɒpɪkl ˈbæzl] 热带罗勒 lemon zest [ˈlemən zest] 柠檬皮屑 counter [ˈkaʊntə(r)] 对抗，缓解，抵消 carrier oil [ˈkæriə(r)] 基础油（用于稀释精油的油） sunflower oil [ˈsʌnflaʊə(r)] 葵花籽油 wrist [rɪst] 手腕，腕关节 inhale [ɪnˈheɪl] 吸入，吸气 breastfeed [ˈbrestfiːd] 母乳喂养，哺乳 bracelet [ˈbreɪslət] 手环，手镯 acupuncture point [ˈækjupʌŋktʃə(r)] 穴位 be called into question 受到质疑，被提出疑问 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

How extreme endurance shapes mental strength Jared Magrath(Channel Swimmer): Your body starts to eat itself because it starts to run out of fuel and it starts to eat its own fat. You start to be like: 'Why am I in this water? This is just insane. Why am I doing this? ' And it just got really, really spiralling negatively. It's all about that mental side of it. So, just pushing yourself: 'Okay, you can go a little bit further. Keep going. Keep going. ' Everything else is going to be easy because I've done, I've swum in freezing cold water. You know, it doesn't faze me. Dr. Carla: You know it's going to hurt at some stage. Yet you are willing to expose yourself to that pain. What's really unique about endurance performance is that kind of element of:'How do I manage my thoughts? ' There's so much time to think, so when those kind of demons might arrive, how do you manage those demons? Some people undertake extreme endurance activities because of something that they have control over. They have a very clear reason, and it's because they want to do it. They enjoy the exercise. They enjoy those challenges. When we think about managing pain, they just love it. You know, when we think about reflecting on reasons why we're doing it, having that kind of intrinsic motivation that comes from within, managing those negative thoughts, the perseverance, the grit to keep going. But also, yes, I might feel uncomfortable, I feel tired, but I can push through that, can be types of things that can be really helpful in other areas of life. Kevin Murphy(Channel Swimmer): I'm Kevin Murphy. I'm known as 'King of the English Channel'. I've swum the channel 34 times. Within that 34, there are actually three doubles and 28 singles. People want to challenge their human frailties. I know I can beat the demons in my head, which say: 'You can't do this'. I know I can beat those. Jared: You could literally get like a kilometre away from France and the current will just change and you'd be swimming stationary and you've got to be okay with swimming another six hours. Kevin: I was never a great swimmer. I was never very fast, and I was never especially fit. And yet I'm in the Swimming Hall of Fame. Now, how can that be? Well, it's because I had that willpower, that mental toughness, to be able to carry on. And that's what I try to instil in all the swimmers that I train. Swimming the channel – you actually go way, way beyond what you think are your limits. It's, it's not really a physical thing, so much as a mental thing. Jared: You had to swim for a long time before you got, kind of, any food. I just remember being really miserable. It was about seven, eight degrees. Putting my face in the water, it just felt like it was burning. I'd be so frozen I couldn't move my hands. Kevin: What you take away from a channel swim is that mental toughness, that self-belief. You also take away a physical development of your body. I had an artery that ruptured. Because my heart was so strong and so big, a much bigger muscle than normal, because of the swimming, that's why I'm here. I wouldn't have survived otherwise. Dr. Emily: If we know that we've been able to overcome hard times, we've been able to push through some of those difficulties, then we know we can do it again. What motivates us is very different for each individual person. In terms of extreme endurance activities, it's an opportunity for individuals to test their limits, and to see where their boundaries are. Jared: My next challenge is probably going to be my business or going on to do another sports swim. And so if you think about life, take that kind of mental attitude saying, you know, 50% of life is just, just saying that you can do it or you will do it, but you just have to believe it. 词汇表 Channel swimmer [ˈtʃænl ˈswɪmə(r)] 海峡游泳者（指横渡海峡，如英吉利海峡等的游泳运动员或爱好者） spiralling [ˈspaɪrəlɪŋ] （形势）急剧恶化，螺旋式上升（或下降） faze [feɪz] 使慌乱，使担忧 demon [ˈdiːmən] 心魔，灰暗心理，颓废心理；恶魔 undertake [ˌʌndəˈteɪk] 从事，进行；承担，负责 extreme endurance activities [ɪnˈdjʊərəns] 极限耐力运动（指对体能、耐力和毅力要求极高的运动或挑战，如越野跑，高山攀登，横渡海峡等） intrinsic motivation [ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk] 内在动机，内在驱动力 perseverance [ˌpɜːsəˈvɪərəns] 坚持不懈，不屈不挠，毅力 grit [ɡrɪt] 毅力，勇气；沙砾 push through 克服，坚持完成 frailty [ˈfreɪlti] 脆弱，虚弱；弱点，缺点 stationary [ˈsteɪʃənri] 静止的，固定的，不动的 Swimming Hall of Fame 游泳名人堂 willpower [ˈwɪlpaʊə(r)] 意志力，毅力 mental toughness [ˈmentl ˈtʌfnəs] 心理韧性，意志力 instil [ɪnˈstɪl] 逐渐灌输，逐步培养（思想或态度等） artery [ˈɑːtəri] 动脉；干线 rupture [ˈrʌptʃə(r)] （体内组织等）破裂，断裂，裂开 💡 翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What's the key to turning strangers into friends? We're sometimes not too sure how we get into good friendships. It seems to happen rather mysteriously: we talk of somewhat randomly clicking with people. Trying to plan for this sounds like cheating. But there is something at the heart of many friendships that seemed important to identify and in a way to get good at: vulnerability. It's too easy to assume that what makes us likable, are our strengths our accomplishments, the things we're proud of. Certainly this impresses, but it isn't what draws others to us. We get close to someone the more, they, and we find ourselves able gracefully to depart from the official story of what human beings are like, and can start to show the awkward truths which underlie the cheerful facade. These are the truths with which we've been lonely for too long. How unlike normal sexuality our sex lives actually are; how full of envy are our careers are proving; how unsatisfactory our family can be; how worried we are, all the time. Revealing any of these things places us in great danger. Others could laugh; social media would have a field day. That's the point. We can only get close by revealing things which would, in the wrong hands, be capable of inflicting appalling humiliation on us. Friendship is the dividend of gratitude, that flows from acknowledgement that one has offered something very valuable to someone. Not a fancy present, but something even more precious: the key to one's self-esteem and dignity. It's deeply poignant that we should expend so much effort on trying to look strong before the world. When, all the while, it's really only ever the revelation of the somewhat embarrassing, sad, melancholy and anxious bits of us that are what makes us endearing to others and can transform strangers into friends. 词汇表 click with [klɪk] 与…合拍，与…投缘 vulnerability [ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti] 脆弱性，易受伤性，弱点 likable [ˈlaɪkəbl] 可爱的，讨人喜欢的 gracefully [ˈɡreɪsfəli] 优雅地，得体地 depart from [dɪˈpɑːt] 偏离，背离 facade [fəˈsɑːd] 表面，外观；（建筑物的）正面 sexuality [ˌsekʃuˈæləti] 性，性行为，性观念 unsatisfactory [ˌʌnsætɪsˈfæktəri] 令人不满意的，不尽如人意的 have a field day 大做文章，大肆渲染 in the wrong hands 落入他人之手，被不怀好意的人利用 inflict appalling humiliation on [ɪnˈflɪkt əˈpɔːlɪŋ hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃn] 给…带来极大的羞辱，使…颜面扫地 dividend [ˈdɪvɪdend] 回报，回报物 gratitude [ˈɡrætɪtjuːd] 感激，感恩 fancy [ˈfænsi] 华丽的，精致的 self-esteem [ˌself ɪˈstiːm] 自尊，自尊心 dignity [ˈdɪɡnəti] 尊严，自尊 poignant [ˈpɔɪnjənt] 令人心酸的，令人感慨的 revelation [ˌrevəˈleɪʃn] 揭露，袒露 melancholy [ˈmelənkəli] 忧郁的，悲伤的 endearing [ɪnˈdɪərɪŋ] 惹人喜爱的，可爱的 🏫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】

Do you need to declutter your home? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Georgie And I'm Georgie. Do you live in a neat and tidy home? Or is there stuff everywhere? If your room is filled with heaps of clothes and piles of books, you may have a problem with clutter – things in your home which take up space in an untidy, disorganised way. Neil Clutter is a common problem. In fact, clutter was the topic of a recent episode of BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman's Hour. Here's presenter Nuala McGovern reading a message from one listener: Nuala McGovern Some of you have been in touch already to share your thoughts and experiences when it comes to clutter. Here is one: "The clutter in my house is actually starting to affect my mental health. I can't think or work anymore, so much so it woke me at 4 a.m. this morning and I felt a strong urge to tidy. I have given myself a week as I cannot take it anymore." Georgie So, Neil, do you have a problem with clutter? Neil Well, I don't have a problem with clutter, but I live with children and there is clutter everywhere, and it drives me mad. Georgie Oh, that's so annoying. Neil How about you? Georgie Yeah, I don't have a problem with clutter. I would describe myself as a minimalist. I don't have very much stuff. Neil Ah, very efficient! Georgie Yes. So, we don't have a problem with clutter, but if you do, there's a simple solution: decluttering – or throwing away some of the unused stuff filling our homes. But deciding what to keep and what to throw away is not so easy, so in this episode we'll hear some advice on keeping your life clutter-free, along with some useful new words and phrases. Neil But first, I have a question for you, Georgie. Decluttering was popularised by Marie Kondo's best-selling 2011 book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and there's still lots of interest today. So, how many Instagram posts can you currently find under the hashtag 'declutter'? Is it: a) 2.6 thousand, b) 2.6 million, or c) 26 million? Georgie Hmm, I'm going to go in the middle and say b) 2.6 million. Neil OK. We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. As well as social media, decluttering has become popular with television shows, including the BBC's Interior Design Masters. Here, one of the show's judges, Michelle Ogundehin, tells BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour why she thinks clutter is such a problem: Michelle Ogundehin Visual clutter is more exhausting than we realise. It's not just stuff. Our brains are constantly processing our surroundings, so they have to work overtime if they're surrounded by chaos. So, if you feel drained or exhausted at home, it could be your clutter. I mean, we know that homily 'clear space, clear mind'. And I promise you that when you clear away the stuff that has no purpose in your life, you will feel better, lighter, uplifted, energised! Georgie In a cluttered room, our brains work overtime, meaning they work extra hard to make sense of the disorder, leaving us exhausted. Work overtime also often means work longer than your set hours. Neil Getting rid of clutter makes us feel uplifted – cheerful, happy and more positive. It sounds simple, doesn't it? And there's even an expression in English: 'clear space, clear mind'. So, why do many of us find it hard to throw stuff away, even things we rarely use? Georgie One reason people put off decluttering is the time it takes. Plus, it can be emotionally disturbing deciding what to keep and what to throw away. But don't worry, says professional organiser and host of The Declutter Club podcast, Ingrid Jansen. The answer is to go slow, as she explains here to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour: Ingrid Jansen You have to do decluttering slowly but surely: one drawer, one cupboard at a time. You can't go in all guns blazing. You can't go… and that's what we hear all the time: "This weekend, I'm going to sort out my whole room of doom." And after two hours in, they will look around and go, "What have I done? There's more chaos than there was before!" because they've bitten off [too much that] more than they can chew. Neil When it comes to decluttering your home, it's best to do things slowly but surely – in a gradual but reliable way which will achieve the result you want. Georgie It's a mistake to try to declutter everything all at once, with all guns blazing – an idiom meaning to do things dramatically, with lots of energy and enthusiasm. After an hour or two of this, decluttering becomes physically and emotionally exhausting. You may have bitten off more than you can chew – another idiom meaning to try doing something which is too difficult for you. Neil So, if you want to declutter without stress, remember: break the job down, and go slow. Right, it's time to reveal the answer to my question, Georgie. I asked you how many Instagram posts you can currently find under the hashtag 'declutter'. 📝 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 keep cool...without heating the planet If you want to understand the bind the world faces adapting to climate change, there may be no better example than that of the simple air conditioner. As the world warms and heatwaves become more frequent, and more dangerous, people turn up the AC. It's very effective at cooling buildings and the people inside them. But air conditioners are also power-hungry appliances, with a small unit in a single room using more electricity than four fridges. This is the ever-accelerating feedback loop of air conditioning. Higher temperatures lead to more AC. More AC drives ever higher temperatures, and while this cycle continues, people will suffer from the ill effects of extreme heat. It isn't only about the immediate danger of death or illness during a heatwave either. Higher temperatures can make air quality worse and chronic conditions flare up. Some studies suggest our thinking and decision-making is more sluggish when it's hotter. Extreme heat can leave people poorer, too, as working hours shrink, and infrastructure, like roads and power, become unreliable. One way to address the problem is to simply build a better air conditioner. There are UN-backed initiatives to improve the efficiency of AC, so it uses less power and produces fewer pollutants. But rather than betting on new or better tech, it's also possible to change our approach to cooling and comfort. Humanity lived without air conditioning for much of its history. Some of the most charming aspects of ancient cities, from Mediterranean courtyards to narrow city streets, are actually ingeniously engineered cooling measures that either block out direct sunlight or use cool stones and plants to keep the nearby air pleasant throughout baking afternoons. The picturesque white villages of southern Spain have partly been painted that way because light colours absorb less heat. This often went alongside ways of living that were adapted to the hot weather. Taking a siesta meant avoiding work during the hottest periods of the day. Those who traditionally lived in the desert wore looser, lighter clothing, like robes. Placing a wet towel on the head or neck is common in India. Simply ensuring you know of a cool place to move to during intense heat, like a basement or shaded room, can also help. Our predecessors also developed some clever cooling technologies. Stepwells, an ancient technique that builds small pools of water into a structure, often deep underground, to cool adjacent areas have long been common in India, while across the Middle East, striking towers called wind-catchers that direct cool air towards buildings have been used for centuries. More recently, people have relied on electric fans to circulate cool air, which use very little electricity. Including efficient ceiling fans in buildings would go a long way to reducing the quantity of air conditioning used. Many of these approaches are called passive cooling measures because they don't consume energy. But, in a sense, air conditioning created a different kind of passivity. It allowed people to design frighteningly inefficient buildings and cities full of sealed all-glass skyscrapers and concrete surfaces, and simply cool them down with AC. Reversing this mistake for a warming world requires an active approach – designing buildings, cities and reconfiguring our daily lives to ensure we can deal with overheating before it happens, and treat air conditioning as a last resort. Fortunately, greener, more carefully built spaces for living should have other benefits – from the savings that come with efficient homes to the health and wellbeing effects of plentiful green space and safer outdoor temperatures in towns and cities. Air conditioning is incredibly convenient, but it would be a disaster for the climate if it continues to be the worldwide remedy for rising temperatures. The goal must be to turn air conditioning into a technology of last resort, using the clever green solutions of the past, and adapting the way we live and work in a hotter world. 💡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】

Beating brain fog Do you ever wake up with a fuzzy feeling in your head, you can't concentrate on anything, or find your memory just isn't working as it should? You're not alone. 39% of British people said they suffer brain fog on a regular basis in a FutureYou Cambridge study. But why do we get brain fog, and can we do anything to prevent it? The technical word for brain fog is cognitive impairment. When you have it, you can't think as clearly as you normally can – just as if your brain was actually full of fog. Dr Brennan, a neuroscientist and author, says "Brain fog is different to these short-term disruptions, because it is persistent, occurs regularly and can interfere with the quality of your life, your relationships, and your work". The reality is that no-one knows exactly what causes it, though theories include chemical or blood flow changes in the brain, and low-level inflammation. What we do know are factors that make it worse. Fatigue, for example, is a key contributor to brain fog, making it hard to stay focused. This is because sleep deficiency can change activity in some parts of the brain, which means processing and recalling detail becomes harder. Pain and anxiety can also contribute to it – they interfere with cognitive speed because they are distracting. There are also medical conditions that can make it worse, like long Covid or autoimmune conditions like lupus disease. So, if you're suffering from brain fog, what can you do to fix it? One thing you can do is avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Dr Megan Rossi, the founder of The Gut Health Doctor, told the BBC that "UPFs are often low in essential nutrients like magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and iron, all of which are crucial for brain function and mental clarity". Therefore, we should pack our diets with nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, vegetables and healthy fats. Blueberries are particularly rich in polyphenol and have been shown to improve cognitive function and memory in clinical trials. Hydration is also very important. So, if you feel a bit foggy, try to get more sleep and consider making some changes to your diet. 词汇表 fuzzy [ˈfʌzi] 模糊的，不清晰的 brain fog [fɒɡ] 脑雾（指头脑昏沉、思维不清晰的状态） cognitive impairment [ˈkɒɡnətɪv ɪmˈpeəmənt] 认知障碍 neuroscientist [ˌnjʊərəʊˈsaɪəntɪst] 神经科学家 persistent [pəˈsɪstənt] 持续的，持久的 interfere with [ˌɪntəˈfɪə(r)] 干扰，妨碍 blood flow [blʌd fləʊ] 血流，血液流动 inflammation [ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃ(ə)n] 炎症 fatigue [fəˈtiːɡ] 疲劳，疲倦 contributor [kənˈtrɪbjətə(r)] 促成因素；贡献者 sleep deficiency [dɪˈfɪʃ(ə)nsi] 睡眠不足 recall detail [rɪˈkɔːl] 回忆细节 distracting [dɪˈstræktɪŋ] 分散注意力的，使人分心的 autoimmune [ˌɔːtəʊɪˈmjuːn] 自身免疫的 lupus disease [ˈluːpəs dɪˈziːz] 红斑狼疮（一种自身免疫性疾病） ultra-processed foods (UPFs) [ˌʌltrə ˈprəʊsest] 超加工食品 magnesium [mæɡˈniːziəm] 镁（一种化学元素） omega-3 fatty acid [ˈəʊmɪɡə θriː ˈfæti ˈæsɪd] 欧米伽-3脂肪酸（一种不饱和脂肪酸，主要存在于鱼油、亚麻籽油等食物中） iron [ˈaɪən] 铁元素，铁 mental clarity [ˈmentl ˈklærəti] 思维清晰度，精神清晰度 pack our diets with 在饮食中大量摄入 nutrient-rich [ˈnjuːtriənt rɪtʃ] 营养丰富的 whole grain [ɡreɪn] 全谷物 blueberry [ˈbluːbəri] 蓝莓 polyphenol [ˌpɒliˈfiːnɒl] 多酚（一类植物化合物） clinical trial [ˈklɪnɪkl ˈtraɪəl] 临床试验 hydration [haɪˈdreɪʃ(ə)n] 补水；水合作用 foggy [ˈfɒɡi] 模糊的，不清楚的，头脑昏沉的 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Could van life be a lifestyle choice for you? The last two and a half years have caused a lot of us to reassess our priorities in life. Are we really living our lives to the full? Are there new experiences that we should be trying out? Within that context, an alternative nomadic lifestyle called vanlife has seen a resurgence. It has its roots in the hippie movement of the 1960s, but social media has made it trendy again, and in particular Instagram, where the vanlife hashtag has over 13 million posts. Essentially van life is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, living in a van. It's a minimalist lifestyle, which also grants the freedom to travel and be adventurous. What are some of the coolest things about van life? There are many different reasons for why people choose van life. For some it's simply an adventurous phase, while for others it becomes a longer term way of living. One of the biggest advantages of the van life lifestyle is the sense of freedom, fun and adventure that comes with it. You don't have to commit to a location, you can go wherever you like, and also move on whenever you like. The rise of work from anywhere policies in certain companies may mean you don't have to quit your job either. Van life can help people appreciate a minimalist life, all the while reconnecting with themselves and nature. When you live in a van you don't have space for many non-essential things. That can be challenging at first for those who don't come from a nomadic background, but it allows for self-growth and development. Aside from the deeper, more philosophical benefits, there are practical advantages too. For example, it can be easier to save up money living in a van than living in a house, especially if you come from an area where housing costs are high. How do I know if the van lifestyle is for me? The only way to really be sure is to try it out. While van life seems exciting, it's not for everyone. So if you are interested, the best thing to do would be to rent out a van and get started. Who knows, you might just find it's a perfect lifestyle for you. But be warned, many observers have said that social media posts overly glorify van life, giving a false impression of reality. There's also the matter of being able to afford the initial investment of getting a pre-fitted van, or fitting one out yourself. It's important to think about fuel costs too, and be prepared by having money set aside so that you can actually afford to go on spontaneous adventures as and when you feel like it. Don't forget the practical issues too, like night time parking, internet connection, hygiene, electricity and being able to live in a small space for a long period of time. Think things through carefully before getting started. There you have it. 词汇表 reassess [ˌriːəˈses] 重新评估，重新审视 priority [praɪˈɒrəti] 优先事项，最重要的事 live one's life to the full 过上充实的生活，充分享受生活 alternative [ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv] 另类的，非传统的；可替代的 nomadic [nəʊˈmædɪk] 流浪的，游牧的 vanlife [vænlaɪf] 房车生活，车居生活（指离开固定住所、居住在房车的自由旅行生活方式） resurgence [rɪˈsɜːdʒəns] 复兴，再度兴起 hippie movement [ˈhɪpi] 嬉皮士运动（20世纪60年代的社会文化运动） trendy [ˈtrendi] 时髦的，流行的 hashtag [ˈhæʃtæɡ] （社交媒体上）话题标签 van [væn] 小型货车，面包车（这里指房车） minimalist [ˈmɪnɪməlɪst] 极简主义的；极简主义者 grant [ɡrɑːnt] 赋予（某种权利、自由等） commit to a location [kəˈmɪt] 在一个地方定居 work from anywhere 随处办公，远程办公 reconnect with [ˌriːkəˈnekt] 与…重新建立联系，重新连接 non-essential [ˌnɒn ɪˈsenʃl] 非必需的，不重要的 philosophical [ˌfɪləˈsɒfɪkl] 哲学的，具哲理性的 glorify [ˈɡlɔːrɪfaɪ] 美化，吹捧，吹嘘 initial investment [ɪˈnɪʃl ɪnˈvestmənt] 初始投入，初期投资 pre-fitted [ˌpriːˈfɪtɪd] 预装的，预先安装好的 fit out 改装，装配，配备 set aside 预留，留出（时间、金钱等） spontaneous [spɒnˈteɪniəs] 自发的，心血来潮的 hygiene [ˈhaɪdʒiːn] 卫生，卫生状况 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

An ingenious way to run faster Dr. Emily: I asked these Olympic athletes, some of the world's best runners: 'What are you looking at when you're racing to the finish line?' I thought they would be, sort of, master consumers of their visual world, really paying attention to the people that they were competing against, looking ahead, looking behind. But I was wrong. What they do is that they stay focused on the finish line. And I wondered, can we teach the rest of us, who are not Olympic athletes, to do what these experts do and can that help us improve the quality of our own exercise? Host: Dr. Emily Balcetis designed a study in which two groups had to walk quickly to a finish line wearing ankle weights. The first was the baseline group. They were told to walk as they normally would. The second was the intervention group, who were trained to keep their eyes solely focused on the finish line. Dr. Emily: We said: 'Try not to look around. Imagine there's a spotlight shining just on that finish line, as if you have blinders on and all you can see is where you're trying to go.' Host: Before the task, both groups were asked to estimate the distance to the finish line. The intervention group saw the finish line to be 30 percent closer than the baseline group. And after the task, the intervention group also got there faster. Dr. Emily: Their pace increased by 23 percent, in fact. And importantly, they said it didn't hurt as much. When we used a medical scale where people can report how much exertion did it take out of your body, it hurt 17 percent less. Now, we didn't change anything about the course, so we didn't do anything different to what the actual exercise was, but it changed their mindset. Host: Dr Emily Balcetis' study suggests that visual focus and mental focus are connected. It means that people's perception of exercise can be changed to make it look and feel easier. Dr. Emily: What it does, by narrowly focusing their visual attention, people now thought: 'Oh this this exercise won't be as hard. I think I have what it takes to make it to that finish line really quickly. I believe in myself.' So, that change in visual focus was having a change in their mental focus and their self-appraisals of their ability to do this exercise. What's also cool is that this tactic can work regardless of whether people were coming in already in shape. Host: You may have already used the tactic of narrow visual focus without even noticing it. Dr. Emily: Maybe you practice ballet, maybe you practice yoga. And a lot of the suggestions there for holding balance, being able to maintain positions that aren't natural is by visually focusing on a target. If you don't and you're in ballet, you're going to get dizzy as you're spinning around. If you're doing it in yoga and you don't focus on a target, you're going to fall over. Host: But holding visual focus for long periods can be hard. Dr. Emily: This isn't a strategy that's going to work for the full extent of, let's say, like a five-kilometre run, because it also can be tiring. And if you do it from the very beginning and try to keep that up for the next hour that you're hoping that you can exercise, you're really going to burn yourself out. In fact, what we found is that there's an optimal point to use this narrowed focus of attention. It's when you're feeling like you're fatigued, when you're at that choice point, are you going to throw in the towel or are you going to keep going? And when you're trying to find that last push to literally cross the finish line. Some of the best performers, those that run the fastest, run the furthest, they flexibly switch between a wide visual focus and a narrow visual focus. And you see them narrowing in when they need a little extra boost of energy. A narrowed focus of attention is a tool. Host: But for this tool to work, you need to want to exercise. Dr. Emily: For people who have no goal, whose motivation is at the floor, this tactic didn't work. It's a tactic that can help you achieve what it is that maybe you're just starting out or you're just starting to become interested in, or for something that you've been working really hard at for a long time, but you need an extra little nudge to push you to the next level. Host: When it comes to fitness, your mind can be as important as your muscles. 💡字数限制，完整文本和词汇表，以及翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】