How can I wake up refreshed every morning? Some people believe they simply can't function in the morning until they've had a cup of coffee. Others seem to be grumpy every morning, as if they've got out of the wrong side of the bed. Of course, a poor night's sleep can be the cause, whether it be down to stress, not getting to bed early enough, drinking, or other physical conditions like sleep apnea. Psychological factors can also come into play, like a lack of motivation in your job or relationship issues. What's the best way to wake up? Anne-Marie Imafidon is a former child prodigy, MBE, mathematician and president of the British Science Association. Earlier this year she came up with a formula for the perfect way to wake up as part of a poll commissioned by Kellogg's. Based on the habits of 2,000 British adults, the routine involves waking up at 6.44am, doing 21 minutes exercise from 7.12 onwards, then taking a shower of exactly 10 minutes and finally having an 18 minute long breakfast. While it is incredibly precise, the formula can be personalized to find the best way for you to get out of the right side of bed. The hard part is then sticking to the routine day in day out. That all sounds pretty complicated. Even if you're not that methodical, the most important thing to remember is that you need a transitional period between sleep and getting up. Other tips include airing your bedroom and stretching out to improve blood flow and bring your body temperature back up. It's important to get morning light exposure to suppress the production of sleep hormone melatonin and instead stimulate the production of other hormones like serotonin and cortisol, which our bodies use to wake us up. Secretion is at its highest between 6 and 8am. Lastly, going for a walk or doing yoga can also help loosen you up slowly. Basically, you want to get your body out of sleep inertia. What about having a lie-in to get extra sleep? That might seem like a good idea, but long lie-ins don't actually compensate for a sleep deficit at all. Instead, they disturb our circadian rhythm. It's important to wake up around the same time every day as far as possible. Even when having a weekend lie-in, it's best to get up no more than an hour later than usual. If you're a frequent snoozer, you should resist going back to sleep, as you're depriving yourself of the cortisol secreted when you first wake up. Try putting your alarm clock or smartphone out of arm's reach so you have no choice but to get up. The main takeaway is that it's a good idea to create your own morning routine and do the same before going to bed. These two transitional moments of the day are often neglected but can make a real difference in helping us feel great in the morning. There you have it! 词汇表 grumpy [ˈɡrʌmpi] 脾气暴躁的，易怒的 get out of the wrong side of the bed 下错了床（指早上起床时心情不好） be down to 归因于，是…的结果 sleep apnea [ˈæpniə] 睡眠呼吸暂停 come into play 起作用，发挥作用 child prodigy [ˈprɒdədʒi] 神童，天才儿童 MBE 大英帝国勋章（Member of the Order of the British Empire） mathematician [ˌmæθəməˈtɪʃn] 数学家 formula [ˈfɔːmjələ] 公式，方案，方法 poll [pəʊl] 民意调查，投票 commission [kəˈmɪʃn] 委托，委任，任命 onwards [ˈɒnwədz] 从…起，向前，继续 day in day out 日复一日，天天如此 methodical [məˈθɒdɪkl] 有条理的，有条不紊的 transitional period [trænˈzɪʃənl] 过渡时期，过渡期 suppress [sə'pres] 抑制，压抑 hormone [ˈhɔːməʊn] 激素，荷尔蒙 melatonin [ˌmeləˈtəʊnɪn] 褪黑素（调节睡眠的激素） serotonin [ˌserəˈtəʊnɪn] 血清素（影响情绪等的神经递质） cortisol [ˈkɔːtɪsɒl] 皮质醇（参与调节睡眠觉醒周期的应激激素） yoga [ˈjəʊɡə] 瑜伽 loosen you up 使放松，舒展身体 sleep inertia [ɪˈnɜːʃə] 睡眠惯性（刚醒来时的昏沉状态） lie-in 睡懒觉，赖床 compensate [ˈkɒmpenseɪt] 补偿，弥补 sleep deficit [ˈdefɪsɪt] 睡眠不足，睡眠亏欠 circadian rhythm [sɜːˈkeɪdiə] 昼夜节律，生物钟 snoozer [ˈsnuːzə(r)] 按掉闹钟继续睡的人 deprive of [dɪˈpraɪv] 剥夺，使丧失 secrete [sɪˈkriːt] 分泌（激素等） takeaway [ˈteɪkəweɪ] 要点，关键信息 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

The Need to Be Alone in a Social World Because our culture places such a high value on sociability, it can be deeply awkward to have to explain how much – at certain points – we just need to be alone. We may try to pass off our desire as something work-related: people generally understand a need to finish off a project. But in truth, it's a far less respectable and far more profound desire that may be driving us on: unless we are alone, we feel at risk of forgetting who we are. We, the ones who are asphyxiated without periods by ourselves, take other people very seriously – perhaps more seriously than those in the uncomplicated ranks of the endlessly gregarious. We listen closely to stories, we give ourselves to others, we respond with emotion and empathy. But as a result, we cannot keep swimming in company indefinitely. At a certain point, we have had enough of conversations that take us away from our own thought processes, enough of external demands that stop us heeding our inner tremors, enough of the pressure for superficial cheerfulness that denies the legitimacy of our latent inner melancholy – and enough of robust common-sense that flattens our peculiarities and less well-charted appetites. We need to be alone because life among other people unfolds too quickly. The pace is relentless: the jokes, the insights, the excitements. There can sometimes be enough in five minutes of social life to take up an hour of analysis. It's a quirk of our minds that not every emotion that impacts us is at once fully acknowledged, understood or even – as it were – truly felt. After time among other people, there are a myriad of sensations that exist in an 'unprocessed' form within us. Perhaps an idea that someone raised made us anxious, prompting vague impulses for changes in our lives. Perhaps an anecdote sparked off an envious ambition that's worth decoding and listening to in order to grow. Maybe someone subtly fired an aggressive dart at us, and we haven't had the chance to realise we are hurt. We need some quiet time to console ourselves by formulating an explanation of where the nastiness might have come from. We are far more vulnerable and tender-skinned than we're encouraged to imagine. By retreating into ourselves, it looks as if we are the enemies of other people, but our solitary moments are, in reality, a homage to the richness of social existence. Unless we've had time alone, we can't be who we would like to be around our fellow humans. We won't have original opinions. We won't have lively and authentic perspectives. We'll be – in the wrong way – a bit like everyone else. We're drawn to solitude not because we despise humanity but because we are properly responsive to what the company of others entails. Extensive stretches of being alone may, in reality, be a precondition for knowing how to be a better friend and a properly attentive companion. 词汇表 sociability [ˌsəʊʃəˈbɪləti] 社交性，社交能力，好交际 pass off as 把…伪装成，冒充为 asphyxiate [ˈæsfɪksieɪt] 使窒息，使闷死 uncomplicated ranks 容易的群体（这里指社交中轻松自如的人 ） gregarious [ɡrɪˈɡeəriəs] 爱交际的，合群的 empathy [ˈempəθi] 同理心，共情 indefinitely [ɪnˈdefɪnətli] 无限期地；不确定地 heed [hiːd] 注意，留心 tremor [ˈtremə(r)] （身体或声音的）颤抖 legitimacy [lɪˈdʒɪtɪməsi] 合法性，合理性 latent [ˈleɪtnt] 潜在的，潜伏的 melancholy [ˈmelənkəli] 忧郁，悲伤 robust [rəʊˈbʌst] （观点等）强硬的，强有力的 flatten ['flæt(ə)n] 摧毁，抹杀；弄平 peculiarity [pɪˌkjuːliˈærəti] 特点，特性；古怪，怪癖 well-charted appetites [tʃɑːtɪd ˈæpɪtaɪts] 被充分探索的渴望 unfold [ʌnˈfəʊld] 展开，发展，呈现 relentless [rɪˈlentləs] 不间断的，持续强烈的 quirk [kwɜː(r)k] 怪异之处，怪癖，怪事 a myriad of [ˈmɪriəd] 无数的，大量的 sensation [senˈseɪʃn] 感觉，感受；知觉 unprocessed [ˌʌnˈprəʊsest] 未处理的；未加工的 vague impulses [veɪɡ ˈɪmpʌlsɪz] 模糊的冲动，隐约的念头 anecdote [ˈænɪkdəʊt] 趣闻，轶事，传闻 spark off [spɑːk] 引发，触发 decode [ˌdiːˈkəʊd] 揣摩，解读；解码 fire an aggressive dart at [əˈɡresɪv dɑːt] 向…发起猛烈攻击，强烈抨击 console [kənˈsəʊl] 安慰，抚慰 nastiness [ˈnɑːstinəs] 恶意，不友善的行为 tender-skinned [ˈtendə(r) skɪnd] 敏感的，娇嫩的；脸皮薄的 retreat into oneself [rɪˈtriːt] 躲进内心世界；退隐，离群索居 solitary [ˈsɒlətri] 独处的，独居的；孤独的 homage [ˈhɒmɪdʒ] 敬意，崇敬 solitude [ˈsɒlɪtjuːd] 独处，独居；孤独 responsive [rɪˈspɒnsɪv] 反应迅速的，积极反应的 entail [ɪn'teɪl] 需要，牵涉，使必要 extensive stretches of [ɪkˈstensɪv stretʃɪz] 长时间的；大面积的 precondition [ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃn] 先决条件，前提 attentive [əˈtentɪv] 体贴的，留心的 🏫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】

Tea and coffee for hectic life Let's face it – most of us can't resist a cup of tea or coffee sometimes. They're a perfect pick-me-up and comforter. But there are alternative beverages, so why have we chosen these as our go-to drinks to soothe our hectic lives? And which one is superior? Let's start with tea – it's the second most consumed drink in the world. For many – especially the British – having a 'cuppa' is a daily ritual. The caffeine contained in it helps wake you up in the morning, and throughout the day we'll make a brew to distract us from our work or to be sociable. And according to some scientists, habitual tea consumption can have some health benefits. Andrew Steptoe, a professor from University College London's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, told BBC Food that drinking black tea "may speed up recovery from the daily stresses in life… but we do not know what ingredients of tea were responsible for these effects on stress recovery and relaxation". Coffee is tea's 'trendier' rival. Its popularity has grown over the years, and this is reflected in the number of coffee shops we see around – places to hang out, do business or catch up with friends. Coffee can taste great and can be served in many ways, but it's sometimes how you have it that can be seen as a status symbol or the preserve of hipsters! Of course, it gives you a strong caffeine hit – roughly double of that contained in tea. However, too much can lead to anxiety. Sleep scientist Matt Walker told the BBC that caffeine can decrease the amount of restorative deep sleep you have. But some scientists say drinking coffee – and green tea – can also be good for us. Researchers at Osaka University linked drinking a daily cup of coffee with a lower risk of death among both stroke survivors and healthy people, while drinking seven or more cups of green tea was associated with a lower risk of death among both heart attack and stroke survivors. So, whether we turn to coffee or tea for its taste, its image or as a lifestyle choice, it could be a lifesaver! 词汇表 pick-me-up 提神饮料，提神物品 comforter [ˈkʌmfətə(r)] 起安慰作用的人或物 alternative beverages [ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv ˈbevərɪdʒɪz] 替代饮品 go-to drinks 首选饮品，常备饮品 soothe [suːð] 缓解，减轻（疼痛、压力等） hectic [ˈhektɪk] 忙碌的，繁忙的 superior [suːˈpɪəriə(r)] 更好的，更胜一筹的 cuppa [ˈkʌpə] （英式口语）一杯茶 daily ritual [ˈrɪtʃuəl] 日常仪式，例行公事，习惯 caffeine [ˈkæfiːn] 咖啡因 make a brew [bruː] 泡茶，煮咖啡 sociable [ˈsəʊʃəbl] 合群的，好交际的，善于社交的 habitual [həˈbɪtʃuəl] 习惯性的，惯常的 epidemiology [ˌepɪˌdiːmiˈɒlədʒi] 流行病学 ingredient [ɪnˈɡriːdiənt] 成分，原料 trendy [ˈtrendi] 时髦的，流行的 rival [ˈraɪvl] 竞争对手 hang out 聚会，一起玩；闲逛 catch up with 与…叙旧，了解的近况 status symbol [ˈsteɪtəs] 身份象征，地位的象征 preserve [prɪˈzɜːv] （某人或某团体的）专属领域，独有活动 hipster [ˈhɪpstə(r)] 潮人，赶时髦的人 restorative [rɪˈstɒrətɪv] 有助于恢复的，恢复精力的 stroke survivor [strəʊk səˈvaɪvə(r)] 中风幸存者 lifesaver [ˈlaɪfseɪvə(r)] 救命物，救星 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Can 'degrowth' save the planet? Phil Hello, and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil and today we have Hannah joining us again from BBC podcast, What in the World. Welcome Hannah. Hannah Hey Phil, it is so great to be back here. So, I'm wondering, do you do things that you think are good for the planet? Phil I try, but I don't think I do enough. So, maybe I cycle more than I drive, and I try to recycle things, but I should be doing a lot more. Hannah But some people think that to deal with climate change, we can't just rely on individuals. Phil, it's not up to you and me. We need to actually change the way our economy works. And this is an idea called degrowth, and we've been investigating it at What in the World, and we're going to learn more about it today. Phil But first, our quiz question. World leaders promised in 2015 to limit global temperature rises. But what was the limit they agreed to? Was it: a. 1.5C, b. 2.5C, or c. 3.5C? Hannah I think I know this one, Phil. I think it's 1.5C. Phil OK. We'll find out the answer later in the programme. So, Hannah, you've been researching degrowth – what does that mean? Hannah Well Phil, traditionally governments have always wanted to grow the economy. More money, more jobs and more stuff. But degrowth is a different way of thinking about things. Some people say that to tackle the climate crisis we need to stop our economies from growing. We need to stop using and making more and focus on using fewer of the Earth's natural resources. The people who support the idea of degrowth, are often called degrowthers. Phil Right, OK, so degrowthers argue we should make and use less stuff. Hannah Yes, mostly. It's a little bit more complex than that. And I spoke to BBC journalist Alvaro Alvarez, who told me more about the idea. Alvaro Alvarez So, degrowth is not saying that we need to reduce everything. It's saying that we need to decrease some elements of our production that are not beneficial. An example of those elements would be fast fashion, private jets, the beef and meat industry. So it's not about decreasing everything. Phil Alvaro says that degrowthers believe we should reduce some elements of production. An element of something is a part of something. Hannah And according to Alvaro, these elements of production are not believed to be beneficial. If something is beneficial, it is useful or good. Phil One example of a kind of production that degrowthers disagree with is fast fashion. Fast fashion refers to clothes that are made very cheaply and quickly, so that customers can afford to buy new outfits more often. Hannah Exactly. And before we go any further, many economists do not think that degrowth is a good idea. Some of them argue that it would create more poverty. And some economists believe degrowth would actually make it harder to solve the climate crisis. Phil For example, Professor Sam Fankhauser, an economist at Cambridge University in the UK, spoke to you on What in the World. And he argues that degrowth could limit innovation. Sam Fankhauser I think degrowth underestimates the power of innovation. Degrowth underestimates the need for investment that we need in new technology and in new solutions. And degrowth underestimates the social, sort of, feasibility of what they propose. Hannah So, Professor Fankhauser thinks that degrowth underestimates many things, such as innovation. If you underestimate something, you don't understand the true importance or size of it. Phil Another factor that Professor Fankhauser says is underestimated by degrowthers is the feasibility of social change. Feasibility means the possibility that something can be achieved. It comes from the adjective feasible. For example, I could say that I think it's feasible for us to finish this podcast in six minutes. I think that we can do it! Hannah Well, Phil, we're going to have to get a move on. I think it's time to hear the answer to your quiz question. Phil I asked how much world leaders agreed to limit global temperature rises to. The answer is 1.5C, which scientists believe is needed to stop the worst impacts of climate change. Hannah I got it right! OK, so let's recap some of the vocabulary we've learned, starting with degrowth, which is the economic idea that we should use and make less stuff. Phil An element of something means a part of something. Hannah Beneficial means useful or good. Phil Fast fashion refers to clothes that are made cheaply and quickly, so that people can buy them more often. 📝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 'tapping therapy' could help calm your mind There is a simple therapy that could ease anxiety, stress, and reduce the impact of traumatic memories. It's called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT for short, and involves using your own fingers to tap pressure points in your body. And while it sounds a bit like pseudoscience, it actually combines some well-established techniques, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and acupuncture. Numerous studies have now found that tapping specific pressure points can help with mental health, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Tapping combines the sensations we feel in our body with what we feel in our minds, our emotions. If we can pinpoint exactly where in the body we're feeling anxious, tapping can help us to understand and hopefully even change that emotion. Here's how it works. It helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol, reduce pain, and it could even cause epigenetic changes in genes linked to stress. Researchers think it works because it helps to stimulate the body to release beneficial chemicals. When you feel well, but have a history of anxiety, it can be useful as a preventative measure too, which can train your body to anticipate feeling calmer. You can tap the parts of the body where you feel anxious, Perhaps it's your brain, or stomach, or the top of your head or neck. In a therapy session, you might be encouraged to first describe a traumatic event, then combine tapping with some positive words of encouragement or self-acceptance, so that the bodily sensations that come from tapping become associated with a positive mindset. Saying statements such as, even though I'm feeling anxious, I deeply accept myself while tapping, can reframe anxiety into a state of acceptance. You can tweak the statement to whatever applies best to you and feels especially challenging right now. Doing so helps us to safely process any anxiety that's been building up. It could also create new brain connections as well as regulate our nervous system into a state of greater calm as we continue to experience a positive relationship between the mind and body. 词汇表 tapping therapy [ˈtæpɪŋ ˈθerəpi] 敲击疗法（通过敲击身体部位来缓解心理压力的疗法） Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) 情绪释放疗法（一种结合身体敲击和心理调适的疗法） tap [tæp] 轻敲，敲击，轻拍 pressure point 压力点，穴位；血压点 pseudoscience [ˌsjuːdəʊˈsaɪəns] 伪科学 well-established [ˌwel ɪˈstæblɪʃt] 确立的，成熟的 cognitive behavioural therapy [ˈkɒɡnətɪv bɪˈheɪvjərəl ˈθerəpi] 认知行为疗法 acupuncture [ˈækjupʌŋktʃə(r)] 针灸，针刺疗法 post-traumatic stress disorder [ˌpəʊst trɔːˈmætɪk stres dɪsˈɔːdə(r)] 创伤后应激障碍（PTSD） sensation [senˈseɪʃn] 感觉，感受 pinpoint [ˈpɪnpɔɪnt] 准确找出，精确确定 cortisol [ˈkɔːtɪsɒl] 皮质醇（一种压力激素） epigenetic [ˌepɪdʒəˈnetɪk] 表观遗传的 gene [dʒiːn] 基因 preventative [prɪˈventətɪv] 预防性的，预防的 anticipate [ænˈtɪsɪpeɪt] 预期，提前准备 self-acceptance [ˌself əkˈseptəns] 自我接纳 reframe [ˌriːˈfreɪm] 重新定义，重新构建 💡 翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why sad music heals our hearts What would life be like without music? Songs and tunes fill our lives, affecting our emotions, bringing back memories and sometimes making us dance. There is a song for everyone and for every occasion, but it seems that it's sad music that moves us most. Sad music certainly does its job in making us depressed, emotional, and causing us to sob – it's something we might listen to after a break-up, for example. And a recent study has shown why some people are hooked on sad music. Professor David Huron from Ohio State University conducted the research and looked at the difference between people who love to listen to sad music and those who can't stand it. He told the BBC radio programme The Why Factor that it comes down to a natural hormone called prolactin. He says: "as you might have guessed from the name, it's associated with 'lactation' from breast-feeding. When people cry, they also release prolactin. And, there are circumstances in which prolactin seems to have this comforting effect." It seems that people who like sad music are maybe getting too much prolactin, or more than is normal, and when they hear sad, downbeat music, it gives them a good feeling. But if prolactin isn't released, or there isn't enough of it, some people find that sad sounds don't help to cheer them up. Previous research by Durham University has also suggested that listening to sad music can trigger pain and sadness; but it can also provide comfort and even enjoyment. A high number of people they surveyed were cheered up by listening to supposedly sad songs. Though the feeling may not be exactly the same as happiness, it may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort. So, reacting to sad music on the radio may have nothing to do with the melancholic sound of a string quartet or a singer who's got the blues, but rather a natural chemical reaction taking place in our bodies. Maybe that explanation is music to your ears if you're wondering why you've be listening to Adele on repeat! 词汇表 tune [tjuːn] 曲调，旋律 move [muːv] 打动，触动（情感） depressed [dɪˈprest] 情绪低落的，沮丧的 sob [sɒb] 抽泣，呜咽 be hooked on [hʊkt] 对…上瘾，着迷于 come down to 归结为，本质上是 hormone [ˈhɔːməʊn] 荷尔蒙，激素 prolactin [prəʊˈlæktɪn] 催乳素 lactation [lækˈteɪʃn] 泌乳，哺乳 breast-feeding [ˈbrest fiːdɪŋ] 母乳喂养，哺乳 comforting [ˈkʌmfətɪŋ] 令人安慰的，使人宽心的 downbeat [ˈdaʊnbiːt] 低调的，悲观的 supposedly [səˈpəʊzɪdli] 据称，据说 melancholic [ˌmelənˈkɒlɪk] 忧郁的，悲伤的 string quartet [strɪŋ kwɔːˈtet] 弦乐四重奏 the blues [bluːz] 蓝调音乐；忧郁，沮丧 music to your ears 好消息，中听的话 on repeat [rɪˈpiːt] （音乐、视频等）循环播放 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why do we experience revenge bedtime procrastination? Ever find yourself staying up late, not because you're tired, but because you didn't get enough free time during the day? Maybe you're doom-scrolling, binge-watching, or doing anything to reclaim a sense of control before bed. If so, you might be experiencing revenge bedtime procrastination. Coined in 2014 by researchers at Utrecht University, the term describes people who sacrifice sleep to regain autonomy in their lives. When the day feels out of their control, they push back bedtime in defiance, even at the cost of their well-being. Why do we reclaim free time at night instead of during the day? According to clinical psychologist Marion Blick, this behaviour traces back to China, where employees working under their intense 9-9-6 schedule, 9am to 9pm, six days a week, had no choice but to carve out leisure time late at night. But it's not just overworked professionals. A 2019 Polish study published in PLOS One found that students, and women in particular, are more prone to this habit due to having less discretionary time during the day. When your schedule is packed, night time becomes the only window for personal enjoyment, even if it means paying the price the next morning. And why is this a problem? Doctors will tell you over and over again, sleep isn't optional. When you consistently cut back on rest, consequences add up. Chronic fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and increased stress are just the beginning. Over time, sleep deprivation can lead to more serious health issues, including anxiety, depression, a weakened immune system, cardiovascular disease and even obesity. How can you break the cycle without falling into the work-eat-sleep routine? Start by setting a regular bedtime and sticking to it. Knowing how much time you have before bed helps you manage your evening better. However, avoiding sleep procrastination isn't just about bedtime. One key solution is making space for small breaks during the day so you don't feel the need to steal back time at night. And then there's the biggest culprit. Screens. The HuffPost warns that while we may start out watching or scrolling to unwind, the effect is often the opposite. Excessive screen time raises stress levels and delays sleep even further. Finally, listen to your body. Itchy eyes, a heavy neck, yawning or suddenly feeling cold. These are all signs that your body is ready for rest. So next time you're tempted to start another episode or scroll just a little longer, ask yourself, is it really worth the revenge? There you have it. 词汇表 doom-scrolling [duːm ˈskrəʊlɪŋ] 无休止地刷手机（常指浏览负面新闻或信息） binge-watching [ˈbɪndʒ ˌwɒtʃɪŋ] 刷剧，狂看 reclaim [rɪˈkleɪm] 重新获得，收回，取回 revenge bedtime procrastination [rɪˈvendʒ ˈbedtaɪm prəˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn] 报复性熬夜，报复性睡眠拖延症（指因白天缺乏自由时间而反抗性地推迟睡觉的行为） coin [kɔɪn] 创造（新词），首次使用 regain autonomy [rɪˈɡeɪn ɔːˈtɒnəmi] 重新获得自主权，夺回自主权 push back 推迟，延迟 defiance [dɪˈfaɪəns] 反抗，违抗；蔑视 9-9-6 schedule 996工作制（早上9点到晚上9点，一周6天） carve out [kɑːv] 挤出（时间等），创造，凭努力获得 be prone to [prəʊn] 易于，有…倾向，容易遭受 discretionary time [dɪˈskreʃənəri] 自由支配时间，自主时间 packed [pækt] 挤满的，排满的（日程等） pay the price 付出代价 optional [ˈɒpʃənl] 可选择的，可有可无的，非强制的 consistently [kənˈsɪstəntli] 一贯地，持续地， chronic fatigue [ˈkrɒnɪk fəˈtiːɡ] 慢性疲劳（长期存在的持续性疲劳感） irritability [ˌɪrɪtəˈbɪləti] 易怒，烦躁 sleep deprivation [ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn] 睡眠不足，缺觉 weakened immune system [ˈwiːkənd ɪˈmjuːn ˈsɪstəm] 免疫力下降 cardiovascular disease [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələ(r) dɪˈziːz] 心血管疾病 obesity [əʊˈbiːsəti] 肥胖，肥胖症 make space for 为…腾出（时间或空间） culprit [ˈkʌlprɪt] 罪魁祸首，元凶 unwind [ˌʌnˈwaɪnd] 放松，休息；展开 itchy [ˈɪtʃi] 发痒的，瘙痒的 yawning [ˈjɔːnɪŋ] 打哈欠 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Boost Your Productivity, Embrace the 'Hard Stop' One reason why mountaineering can be so dangerous is because of the sunk cost fallacy. The idea that just because you've invested time and effort in something, that's reason enough to stick with it. Once you've traveled a long distance, it's easy to downplay obstacles like bad weather or slow progress. In 1996, eight people died during a trek to the top of Mount Everest. That's why mountaineers have started using stop rules to ensure they get home alive. For example, if we haven't made it to checkpoint D by 3 pm, we turn around, no matter what. Establishing terms like these, force them to override the emotions that arise in the heat of the moment. Personally, I won't be climbing the world's tallest mountain anytime soon. But, I do employ stop rules or hard stops throughout my work day. Having them in place boosts my productivity and keeps me focused on my goals. One strategy I recommend is time blocking. The process of blocking off time on your calendar to work on your most important projects. It saves you from a common trap of administrative creep which happens when innocent-looking tasks, such as responding to a message on Slack or quickly processing your email inbox, take much longer than expected. Before you know it, the best hours of your work day are gone. And you don't remember what you spent them on. When you start each day by blocking off time for at least one important task, two things happen. First, you activate Parkinson's law which states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. You'll somehow find a way to get all the administrative stuff done in the time that remains. And second, your focus will improve. Planning your day makes it painfully clear just how little time you actually have. That's a good thing because you understand what's at stake. As a result, you take your time block seriously. You turn off notifications, close your office door, and focus on that one, most important task to get it done. Stock traders often set hard stop rules like if the stock price drops more than 10 percent, I'll sell immediately. This prevents the sunk cost bias from pushing them to hold on too long. It allows them to act fast and minimize losses by preventing a drawn-out analysis while prices drop. Our productivity can be like stock prices. We often keep telling ourselves that we'll improve tomorrow. But have no clear thresholds to trigger action. Hard stops help us focus on the work that matters and protects us from one of our biggest roadblocks ourselves. 词汇表 mountaineering [ˌmaʊntəˈnɪərɪŋ] 登山运动，登山 sunk cost fallacy [sʌŋk kɒst ˈfæləsi] 沉没成本谬误（因已投入成本而不愿放弃某项无益行动的不合理决策倾向） downplay [ˌdaʊnˈpleɪ] 淡化，贬低，对…轻描淡写 trek [trek] （徒步）长途跋涉，翻山越岭 Mount Everest [ˌmaʊnt ˈevərɪst] 珠穆朗玛峰（世界最高峰） checkpoint [ˈtʃekpɔɪnt] 检查站，检查点 override [ˌəʊvəˈraɪd] 压倒，推翻，不顾（情感、意愿等） in the heat of the moment 在一时激动下；在盛怒之下 stop rule / hard stop 止损规则/硬止损法（指预先设定的停止某项行动的明确标准或时间点） time blocking [taɪm ˈblɒkɪŋ] 时间块规划（在日程表中预留特定时间段处理特定任务的时间管理方法） block off 预留，划出 （时间等），封锁，隔断 administrative creep [ədˈmɪnɪstrətɪv kriːp] 行政事务蔓延（指琐碎行政任务逐渐占用过多时间的现象） innocent-looking [ˈɪnəsnt ˈlʊkɪŋ] 看起来无害的，外表单纯的 inbox [ˈɪnbɒks] （电子邮件的）收件箱 Parkinson's law [ˈpɑːkɪnsənz] 帕金森定律（指工作会自动膨胀，占满所有可用时间的现象） at stake [steɪk] 利害攸关，在危急关头 stock trader [stɒk ˈtreɪdə(r)] 股票交易员，证券交易人 minimize losses [ˈmɪnɪmaɪz ˈlɒsɪz] 最大限度减少损失，将损失降到最低 drawn-out [ˌdrɔːn ˈaʊt] 持续很久的，冗长的，延长的 threshold [ˈθreʃhəʊld] 阈值，界限，起点 roadblock [ˈrəʊdblɒk] 路障，障碍物 💡 翻译、视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why Do We Second-Guess Our Past Decisions? The business of living can be complicated by a particularly exhausting habit: our tendency to question our judgements with the passage of time. What had originally seemed like a clear-cut and soundly-based decision can – after a few weeks or months – come under fresh scrutiny, and inspire intense doubt, regret, shame, insomnia and at points, hurried attempts to reverse a decision. For example, a few months ago, it seemed absolutely right to end our relationship. We had the partner's faults clearly in view and we were certain that these made any sensible plans for the future untenable. But now we're no longer so sure. We've been on a few dates and they didn't go too well. We've been by ourselves a lot and as we've been doing the laundry or walking around the park, we've started to remember how funny and clever, sweet and tender our ex could be. Or, last summer, we knew we didn't have a particularly good time at the beach side resort and vowed to stick to a cooler climate next time. But since then the weather has turned very cold and just recently, we're finding ourselves curious about returning south next year. Or we told ourselves that we were fully done with a particular career. But we've been reflecting on matters since and happened to bump into an old colleague last week – and are now wondering whether we shouldn't maybe make another attempt. Or a friend from university has suggested a meal. We found them rather self-centred and dull when we last saw them a decade ago, but they sounded sparky in their invitation and we've agreed to meet them for lunch near the station next week. In such instances, it can be useful to keep a broad principle in mind. The further away we stand from the moment when we took a decision, the more our judgement is likely to be clouded and corrupted. And this is because of a feature of our minds that – in most areas – serves us extremely well: our capacity to let go of pain. The very faculty that means we can effectively mourn the death of a pet or a loved one or get over a bankruptcy or endure a drop in income also means that we are likely to revise our views of an ex we worked very sensibly to eject from our lives or that will know within five minutes of remeeting an acquaintance that they are as maddening as they ever were. We pick apart and dissolve our judgements because we cannot keep a clear eye on the powerful incentives we come under to do so; because we don't notice how indigestible certain truths have become. We abdicate to doubt under intolerable, irrepressible degrees of loneliness and sadness, isolation and confusion. Of course, we're going to start to question our views of our ex's strengths and weaknesses after seven weekends substantially on our own being humiliated on dating apps. Of course, we won't remember our friend's dispiriting character when we would so love to have a flourishing social life. When we wake up and wonder if we have been unfair or hasty, the sternest, most reasonable part of us should know to grab the controls and ask whether a revision to our views is likely to be accurate or simply convenient. Despite all the pressures we are under to believe otherwise, we should place our faith in the wisdom of a well-worn dictum: trust what you knew then, not what you feel now. 词汇表 second-guess 质疑，重新判断，事后批评；猜测 with the passage of time 随着时间的推移 clear-cut [ˌklɪə(r) ˈkʌt] 明确的，清晰的 soundly-based [ˈsaʊndli beɪst] 有充分依据的，基础牢固的 scrutiny [ˈskruːtəni] 仔细检查，详细审查 inspire [ɪnˈspaɪə(r)] 引发，激起（某种情感或反应） insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] 失眠（症） reverse [rɪˈvɜː(r)s] 推翻，撤销（决定等） untenable [ʌnˈtenəbl] 站不住脚的，难以维持的 tender [ˈtendə(r)] 温柔的，体贴的 beach side resort [rɪˈzɔːt] 海滨度假村 vow [vaʊ] 发誓，立誓；许愿 bump into [bʌmp] 偶遇，撞见 self-centred [ˌself ˈsentəd] 以自我为中心的，自私自利的 sparky [ˈspɑːki] 活泼的，有生气的 cloud [ klaʊd] 使模糊，蒙蔽（判断力等） corrupt [kəˈrʌpt] 破坏，损害（判断力、品行等） let go of 放下，放弃（对过去的执着） faculty [ˈfæklti] 能力，才能，官能 mourn [mɔːn] 哀悼，悲伤 bankruptcy [ˈbæŋkrʌptsi] 破产，倒闭；彻底失败 revise [rɪˈvaɪz] 改变，修正（观点、看法等） eject from [ɪˈdʒekt] 从…中驱逐，剔除 acquaintance [əˈkweɪntəns] 熟人，相识的人 maddening [ˈmædnɪŋ] 令人恼火的，使人发狂的 pick apart 拆开，撕碎；严厉批评，挑剔 dissolve [dɪˈzɒlv] （信念、关系等）瓦解，解除，溶解 keep a clear eye on 看清，清楚地认识到 incentive [ɪnˈsentɪv] 动机，诱因；刺激，激励 indigestible [ˌɪndɪˈdʒestəbl] 难以接受的；难以消化的 abdicate to [ˈæbdɪkeɪt] 屈服于，让位于 intolerable [ɪnˈtɒlərəbl] 难以忍受的，无法容忍的 irrepressible [ˌɪrɪˈpresəbl] 无法抑制的，难以控制的 substantially [səbˈstænʃəli] 大大地，相当程度地 dispiriting [dɪˈspɪrɪtɪŋ] 令人沮丧的，使人气馁的 flourishing [ˈflʌrɪʃɪŋ] 丰富的，繁荣的，兴旺的 hasty [ˈheɪsti] 仓促的，草率的 stern [stɜːn] 严厉的，严格的，坚定的 well-worn [ˌwel ˈwɔːn] 老生常谈的，陈旧的 dictum [ˈdɪktəm] 格言，箴言，警句 🏫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】

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】