What's it like to be a twin? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Beth And I'm Beth. Neil In this episode, we're talking about twins. Non-identical, or fraternal twins come from two separate eggs and share half their genes. More uncommon are identical twins, who come from a single fertilised egg and share 100% of their genes. Beth As humans, we're fascinated by twins. When people discover that someone's a twin, they start asking all kinds of questions. What question would you ask a twin, Neil? Neil Oh, probably quite an annoying one. Maybe… "Do you share each other's thoughts?" Beth Ooh! I might ask, "If one of you is hurt, does the other one feel the pain?" Neil Hmm. Interesting. Beth Well, some common questions for twins include: "Do you have psychic powers? Have you ever swapped boyfriends? And do you have the same dreams?" But according to Anand Jagatia, who presented a recent episode of BBC World Service's CrowdScience all about twins… Anand Jagatia …if you meet a twin and you ask them one of these questions, don't be surprised if they roll their eyes at you. Neil Ask a twin about psychic powers and they might roll their eyes – a way of showing boredom or irritation. But nevertheless, twins continue to capture our imagination, and in this episode we'll be finding out why, using some useful new words and phrases. First, I have a question for you, Beth. These days, twins are more common than you might think. In fact, one in every 42 babies is born a twin. But do you know which famous Hollywood star is a twin? Is it: a) Jennifer Lawrence, b) Angelina Jolie, or c) Scarlett Johansson? Beth Ooh, I don't know. I'm going to guess Scarlett Johansson. Neil Well, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. Professor Karen Dillon is the author of a book on twins in American literature and a twin herself. Here, she discusses the good and bad sides of twinship with Anand Jagatia, for BBC World Service programme CrowdScience: Anand Jagatia Being a twin isn't always plain sailing. Karen Dillon Yeah, it is nice – there's never that fear, because you're going through school together, you're sometimes in the same class together, you're making friends together. So, all of those milestones of childhood, in some ways, are made easier for twins. But then the older you get, the more you realise how much people really think of you as a twin rather than as an individual. Beth Twins go through many childhood milestones together. A milestone is an important stage of development, so a childhood milestone could be something like your first day at school. Neil But being a twin isn't always plain sailing – an idiom meaning easy and problem-free. Many twins find it hard to establish their own identity as a separate and unique individual. Beth Our fascination with twins also comes from the age-old 'nature versus nurture' debate: how much of our lives is determined by nature, the genetics we're born with, and how much by nurture, the environment we grow up in? Because twins are so genetically similar, differences between them tell scientists a lot. Neil Here's presenter of BBC World Service programme CrowdScience, Anand Jagatia, discussing this with Helena De Bres, a philosopher at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and – that's right – another twin. Anand Jagatia Yeah, you hear about twins that were separated at birth, grew up in different parts of the world, and they kind of have these eerily similar life courses. And you think, "Gosh! How much choice have I had over the way my life's turned out?" Helena De Bres Absolutely, yeah. There's that really famous case of the Jim Twins, who were reunited at age 39 after being separated at birth, and they just had so many similarities – it was crazy! They both married someone called Linda and then divorced her for someone called Betty. They both named their dog 'Toy'. It was, like, ridiculous! Beth The twins, Jim Lewis and Jim Springer, were separated at birth. The phrase separated at birth can be used to describe two people with strong similarities. Although, in this case the twins were literally separated and adopted by different parents at birth. Neil When the Jims were reunited in the 1970s, everyone was amazed at how similar their lives were. Anand used the adjective eerie, meaning strange in a frightening, mysterious way. And Helena says, "It was crazy," using crazy to mean strange and fantastic. Beth Yes, I think 'strange', 'mysterious' and 'fantastic' describe being a twin quite well. OK. Neil, it's time to reveal the answer to your question. Neil I asked which Hollywood star is a twin, and you said, "c) Scarlett Johansson"… Beth I did. Neil …which was the right answer. Beth Yay! Neil Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with roll your eyes – to move your eyes upwards to show you are bored or annoyed. 📝 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】

The benefits of eating alone Should you eat to live or live to eat?... a question posed by French playwright Moliere in his work 'The Miser'. While eating is functional, and our bodies need the fuel that food provides, dining with friends or loved ones can be a wonderful experience. However, some of us often find ourselves reserving a table for one in a restaurant. But is dining alone really that bad? Maybe not. We all have foods we like and dislike. Maybe it's a pungent cheese or stinky fish. We sometimes hold back on things that may offend the noses of others. When dining alone, we can consume whatever we like, with the added bonus that we might be able to eat more healthily. Often, if you want a salad and your significant other wants some less healthy cuisine, you end up ordering the same. And if you don't get the same, you might end up with food envy as you watch someone chow down on a pizza while you're left holding the lettuce. Have you ever spent too long debating with people which restaurant to eat in or when to meet? If dining solo, you can make the choice depending on your culinary desires at that moment and get your nourishment at exactly the time you're hungry! And why does it have to be a restaurant? You could eat in a park, garden or even your bed – the point is, the choice is yours! That alone time also means it's a time to switch off. According to psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter, a bit of solitude can help your brain to unwind and may help you concentrate more. Finally, for some, dining alone can be a necessity. For those of us who suffer from misophonia, a hatred of sound, that can in some cause PTSD, the noise of someone else masticating can be unbearable. Eating alone can save you from the extreme anxiety that may arise listening to someone smack their lips or the sloshing of saliva in their mouths! So, is eating alone bad? Well, it may not be for everyone, but there certainly are some benefits to it. Try it sometime – you might just like it! 词汇表 playwright [ˈpleɪraɪt] 剧作家，编剧 The Miser [ˈmaɪzə(r)] 《吝啬鬼》（莫里哀创作的喜剧作品） fuel [ˈfjuːəl] 燃料，能量来源（这里比喻食物所提供的能量） reserve [rɪˈzɜːv] 预订，预约 pungent [ˈpʌndʒənt] （气味或味道）浓烈的，刺鼻的 stinky [ˈstɪŋki] 恶臭的，难闻的 hold back on 克制，抑制，忍住 offend the noses [əˈfend] 让鼻子不适，刺鼻（指气味让人难以忍受） dine alone / dine solo [daɪn][ˈsəʊləʊ] 独自用餐，一人食 consume [kənˈsjuːm] （大量地）吃，喝 added bonus [ˈædɪd ˈbəʊnəs] 额外好处，额外福利 significant other 重要的另一半（指配偶或伴侣） cuisine [kwɪˈziːn] 美食，菜肴；烹饪 food envy [fuːd ˈenvi] 食物嫉妒（看到别人吃的美味食物时产生的嫉妒心理） chow down [tʃaʊ] 大口吃，大块朵颐 lettuce [ˈletɪs] 生菜，莴苣 culinary desires [ˈkʌlɪnəri dɪˈzaɪəz] 食物欲望，食欲 nourishment [ˈnʌrɪʃmənt] 营养，滋养，提供营养的食物 switch off 放松，放空，不再关注 unwind [ˌʌnˈwaɪnd] 放松，减压（尤指从工作或紧张状态） misophonia [ˌmaɪsəˈfəʊniə] 恐音症（一种对特定声音产生厌恶或不适的心理疾病） hatred [ˈheɪtrɪd] 憎恨，强烈的厌恶 PTSD 创伤后应激障碍（Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder） masticate [ˈmæstɪkeɪt] 咀嚼，嚼碎（食物） smack one's lips [smæk] （吃东西时）咂嘴 slosh [slɒʃ] （液体）溅，泼，搅动，晃动 saliva [səˈlaɪvə] 唾液，口水 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Just 7000 steps a day cuts health risks, study says If you've got a phone or a fitness tracker, you're probably checking your steps each day. Reach 10,000 and you feel smug. Why? Well, we've been told it's the number to aim for - the threshold for health gains. But a review of previous studies in medical journal The Lancet, involving data on160,000 adults worldwide, suggests a target of 7,000 steps brings plenty of health benefits, too, including reducing the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, cancer and falls. The research found that even modest step counts of 4,000 per day were linked to better health, compared with very low activity of 2,000 a day. For most health conditions, the benefits tended to level off beyond 7,000 steps, although there were additional advantages to walking further for the heart. The review can't prove that daily steps alone reduce the risk of disease. Some of the findings were based on only a small number of studies, but they say encouraging people to track their steps is a practical way to improve their health. And adding a step count target into official exercise guidance could be useful for everyone. 词汇表 fitness tracker [ˈfɪtnəs ˈtrækə(r)] 健身追踪器（用于记录身体健康和活动的可穿戴设备） smug [smʌɡ] 沾沾自喜的，自鸣得意的 threshold [ˈθreʃhəʊld] 门槛，界限，临界值 health gains [ɡeɪnz] 健康益处，健康收获 medical journal The Lancet [ˈlænsət] 医学杂志《柳叶刀》（全球知名的综合性医学学术期刊） dementia [dɪˈmenʃə] 痴呆症，痴呆 modest [ˈmɒdɪst] 适度的，适中的 step count 步数 level off 趋平，趋于稳定 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Why gratitude is good for you Gratitude is more than just saying 'thank you' to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. Gratitude is a deeper appreciation for someone or something that makes us feel a positive emotion. And this positive emotion can be good for our health – our emotional and physical health, as well as the health of our relationships. Let's start by looking at the emotional or mental health benefits of expressing gratitude. There have been many studies, as described in a 2018 paper from the Greater Good Science Center titled 'The Science of Gratitude' , showing that writing a gratitude letter to another person or writing in a gratitude journal, if done regularly, improves mental health. One reason for this, is that gratitude stops us from ruminating on toxic, negative emotions, and writing a 'thank you' letter, for example, shifts our attention so that we focus on positive emotions. But even if we don't share our writing with anyone, like in a journal, the act of completing the exercise alone makes us happier and more satisfied with life. And this gets better with time. As we are essentially training our brain to be more in tune with noticing the positive, after several weeks or months, this becomes more intuitive. And so, the more we express gratitude, the more positive we feel. Gratitude can also make us feel good in our bodies. There are studies linking a gratitude practice to better sleep quality, better eating habits, and reduced inflammation in people who have had heart problems. So gratitude is clearly good for us, but is it also good for the people in our lives? The simple answer is 'yes'. When shared – spoken or written – gratitude is about feeling valued and helping others feel valued too. Feeling valued can help build stronger relationships – be it with family, partners, friends or even colleagues. And that's on top of all the other ways gratitude is clearly good for us. Maybe we should all stop counting sheep or counting calories and start counting our blessings instead? 词汇表 gratitude [ˈɡrætɪtjuːd] 感恩，感激 appreciation [əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃn] 欣赏，感激，感谢 ruminate on [ˈruːmɪneɪt] 反复思考，沉思，沉湎于（尤指令人不快的事） toxic [ˈtɒksɪk] 有害的，令人不愉快的 shift attention [ʃɪft] 转移注意力 be in tune with [tjuːn] 觉察，理解；与…协调一致，与…同步 intuitive [ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv] 直觉的，本能的，自然而然的 inflammation [ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃn] 炎症，发炎 feel valued [ˈvæljuːd] 感到被重视，感到受珍视 on top of 除了……之外（还） count sheep 数羊（常用于缓解失眠） count calories [ˈkæləriz] 计算卡路里（常用于控制体重） count blessings [ˈblesɪŋz] 细数幸事，常怀感恩，知足 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why do we get recurring dreams? According to a study published in Dreaming Journal in 2022, between 50 and 75% of adults have experienced a recurring dream at least once. These tend to be negatively toned, with some common examples including falling into thin air, finding oneself naked, losing one's teeth or failing an exam. and how often a recurring dream recurs really varies from person to person. According to CNN, recurring dreams don't always happen in close proximity to each other. They can pop up multiple times per month or years apart. It might also be the exact same dream coming back over and over, or just a similar scenario or worry. Are there any common patterns in recurring dreams? Like I said, most of them tend to be negative, and they often feel a bit like nightmares. Recurring dreams are usually filled with strong emotions like fear, sadness, anger or guilt. In fact, more than half of all recurring dreams involve some kind of threat or danger. That said, some people do have more positive recurring dreams, which are often euphoric in nature. They might be erotic dreams, or dreams in which a person discovers a new room in their home. What does it really mean to dream about the same thing over and over? Many experts agree that recurring dreams often point to unresolved internal conflicts. Your worries don't just disappear when you go to sleep, they continue to surface in your dreams. During periods of intense stress, the unconscious mind keeps working through your problems even at night. It's a way of processing emotions and preparing for stressful situations by playing them out in advance. If you find yourself having the same dream repeatedly, try to explore what might be behind it. Bear in mind though that it's not always helpful to take the content of the dream literally, as dreams don't follow any universal symbolism. For example, if you often dream about being at work, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a direct link to your job, It might reflect difficulties at work, but it could also suggest that you need to do some personal work on yourself, as if your subconscious was nudging you towards self-development. There's also an important distinction to recognise between recurring dreams and traumatic nightmares. These tend to replay a real trauma exactly as it happened, almost like a flashback. They're one of the most common symptoms experienced by people with PTSD. Are there any ways to stop recurring dreams? Well, understanding your dreams can help reduce or even stop them altogether. It's a way of making sense of what's going on beneath the surface. CNN says that writing about them before bed can be helpful to alleviate negative recurring dreams and stress in general. Just take a few minutes to jot down what's on your mind, what's bothering you, and anything you remember from recent dreams. Noticing patterns and tuning in to how these dreams make you feel can help bring clarity and eventually a sense of release. So if a dream keeps coming back, it might be that your subconscious is trying to tell you something. The real challenge is learning how to listen. There you have it. 词汇表 recurring dream [rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ] 重复的梦，反复出现的梦 negatively toned [ˈneɡətɪvli təʊnd] 带有负面情绪的，带有消极色彩的 thin air 空中，虚空（形容事物突然消失或出现的地方） recur [rɪˈkɜː(r)] 再次发生，反复出现，重现 vary from person to person [ˈveəri] 因人而异 proximity [prəˈksɪməti] 接近，邻近，临近 pop up [pɒp] 突然出现，冒出 scenario [səˈnɑːriəʊ] 情景，场景 That said 尽管如此，话虽如此 euphoric [juːˈfɒrɪk] 欣快的，狂喜的，极度愉悦的 erotic dream [ɪˈrɒtɪk] 春梦，色情梦 unresolved internal conflicts [ˌʌnrɪˈzɒlvd ɪnˈtɜːnl ˈkɒnflɪkts] 未解决的内心冲突 surface [ˈsɜːfɪs] 浮现，显露 unconscious mind [ʌnˈkɒnʃəs] 潜意识，无意识 work through 逐步解决，处理（问题、情绪等） play out in advance 预演，提前进行 literally [ˈlɪtərəli] 字面上地，照字面意思 universal symbolism [ˈsɪmbəlɪzəm] 普遍的象征意义 work on oneself 自我提升，自我完善 subconscious [ˌsʌbˈkɒnʃəs] 潜意识，下意识 nudge [nʌdʒ] 推动，促使；轻推，劝说 traumatic nightmare [trɔːˈmætɪk ˈnaɪtmeə(r)] 创伤性噩梦（通常重现真实创伤经历） replay [ˈriːpleɪ] 重现，重放，回放 flashback [ˈflæʃbæk] （往事，故事）闪回，重现，倒叙 PTSD 创伤后应激障碍（Post-Traumatic Stress Disorde） make sense of 理解，弄明白 beneath the surface [bɪˈniːθ] 表面之下，潜意识层面 alleviate [əˈliːvieɪt] 减轻，缓解 jot down [dʒɒt] 快速记下，草草写下 tune in [tjuːn] 关注，留意，注意 clarity [ˈklærəti] （思路）清晰，清楚，明晰 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Why do we love snacks so much? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Beth And I'm Beth. It seems people around the world are in love with snacks! From old favourites like popcorn and crisps to new inventions like the chocolate sandwich, snacks are big business, with an estimated $1.5 trillion a year spent globally on snacking. Neil Let's listen as British food historian Annie Gray and Argentinian chef Barbara Oievari tell BBC World Service programme The Food Chain what they like to snack on between meals: Annie Gray I like salted peanuts and I love a banana – preferably together, actually. I find that they hit the spot. Barbara Oievari My favourite snack is called 'chipa'. It's a small, round bun made with cassava, cheese, butter, milk and salt. Beth Barbara's favourite snack is a cheese bread called 'chipa', while for Annie, it's the combination of peanuts and banana that hits the spot – an idiom meaning that it's exactly what you want. Neil, what's your favourite snack? Neil Well, I want to say something healthy, but actually, you know, I really love a bag of crisps. Beth Oh, me too! Yeah, crisps are good. Well, whatever you like to nibble on, in this episode we'll find out why we are so in love with snack food. As usual, we'll learn some useful new words and phrases. Neil OK. But first I have a question for you, Beth. According to a recent YouGov survey, which of the following snacks is most popular among Brits? Is it: a) crisps, b) confectionary and chocolate, or c) savoury snacks and biscuits? Beth Well, we both just said crisps so I'm going to say crisps. Neil Well, we'll find out the answer later in the programme. Someone with a professional interest in snacking is Christine Cochran, president of SNAC International, the trade association for the industry. Here, Christine shares her ideas about why we love to snack with BBC World Service programme The Food Chain: Christine Cochran A snack is an affordable luxury, so if you've had a bad day or money is tight, this is something that you can turn to, and I think that is why you see it as so popular. Consumers, especially in the United States, are looking for smaller, more convenient portions. They're not always going to be able to sit down and have three meals a day, right? So, they're eating on the go. And the other thing that you see is this desire for very specific functional ingredients, right? So, mental clarity, gut health, muscle development, these sorts of things. Again, they're nicely packaged in snack sizes. Beth Snacks are often seen as a little luxury, but to be successful, a snack must also be affordable – an adjective meaning not expensive. Neil Snacks which are cheap enough for most people to buy will sell even if money is tight – a phrase used to describe a situation where there's only just enough money to live on. Beth Thanks to snacks, today fewer people sit down to eat a proper meal. Instead, they eat on the go. If you do something on the go, you do it while you're busy travelling or moving around, rather than at home. Neil Many modern snacks target a specific function. For example, an energy drink might claim to improve your gut health or your mental clarity – a term describing a state of mind which is focused and engaged, not dull or foggy. Beth But not everyone is a fan of modern packaged snacks, such as the bags of crisps and chocolate bars which fill our shops. Originally from Argentina, Barbara Oievari, now lives in Florida, USA. Here, Barbara tells BBC World Service's The Food Chain how she encourages her 9-year-old son to choose more natural snacks:： Barbara Oievari Personally, I enjoy cooking and eating more natural, simpler snacks, but of course I can't swim against the current, and if my 9-year-old wants to eat the little baked snacks that have cheddar… ironically, it is something baked with cheese in it, which is similar to what I enjoy – it's just the modern twist. Neil Barbara wants her son to eat healthy, homemade food, although he prefers modern, packaged snacks. Barbara complains she can't swim against the current. The idiom swim against the current means to act differently from other people, often because you do not mind being different. Beth Well, Neil, all those snacks have made me hungry! Now, isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question? Neil Yes, it is. I asked, "According to a recent YouGov survey, which of the following snacks is the most popular amongst Brits? Crisps, confectionery and chocolate, or savoury snacks and biscuits." And the answer was… b) confectionery and chocolate, which 45% of Britons indulge in weekly, according to that survey. 📝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】

4 Tiny Habits to Improve Your Sleep Effortlessly Sleep is the literal recharging of our batteries, but it's often overlooked. We're all guilty of neglecting sleep from time to time, whether that's staying up until 3 a.m. sauntering through the latest video game release or talking about everything and anything with a new partner – we all know how important sleep is, yet we often choose to deal with the consequences of its absence. Matt Walker, a psychologist who has dedicated his career to learning more about sleep, put it this way: "Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent reason." It's time we changed that. Getting a good night's sleep is about getting the little things right – from the activities you do before sleeping to the time you wake up every day. It may sound simple, but as with a lot of things in life, the simple things are often the most challenging to get consistently right. Here are some small tips to help change that. 1. Consistent Wake-Up Times The human body craves routine. Regulating something as biologically pivotal as sleep makes it easier to achieve – your body and mind will find it difficult to calm down if they have no idea when that might happen. So, if you have no consistent wake-up time, it will be difficult to expect an easy start to the day. To put it into context, say you have a daily team meeting every morning at 10:00 a.m. You know it's at 10 every day – your brain and body brace for it. Now, let's say the same meeting is moved – 9 a.m. one day. 2:47 pm the next. It's skipped for three days, and then all of a sudden you've missed the next scheduled one. The constant change would throw away any sense of togetherness and cohesion. You'd start missing things, not just in the confines of the daily meeting, but otherwise too. It's difficult to split your attention if there isn't any regularity. In conclusion, you will get better sleep if you have consistent wake-up times. Even if you go to sleep late, try and wake up at the regular time. Although the temptation is to get as much as possible in one go, sometimes a similar wake-up time followed by a nap later in the day is the best way to get your hours in and stay regulated. 2. Daily Wind-Down Ritual Blue light. You may have heard of it – the dreaded glare that is harmful to your eyes from excessive screen use. It's damaging to your ability to sleep yet, according to the Sleep Foundation – 90% of Americans use a blue-light emitting device during the hour before bed. So, a good place to start when implementing a daily wind-down ritual is to avoid screentime in the hour before bed. Here are some tips to get you started: Listen to some calm, slower music before bed. Much has been made of music's ability to influence our mental and physical state, so experiment with whatever music makes you feel calm. Have a skin-care routine. To induce a relaxed state of being, your body needs to feel at ease. Taking care of your face before you sleep is a powerful, physical way of going through the motions – as if rubbing in some cream or ointment signals, it's time to shut off. Read before sleeping. Reading a book is a tried and tested way to unwind before a night's rest. While you may feel the highs and lows of emotion, the act of reading a non-blue-light emitting text will eventually tire you out. Plus, it's excellent material for your dreams. 3. Optimal Sleep Environment It's all well and good getting your mind and body to relax, but if your sleeping environment isn't geared toward the main goal of a bedroom, then you might have a difficult time getting the rest you need. You may experience difficulty sleeping in extreme conditions. In the height of summer, for example, it can prove challenging to relax when you're sweating in bed. Research into sleep found that 18 degrees Celsius is the optimal temperature for falling asleep. Here are three useful, practical tips for creating the optimal sleeping environment:： One, take a hot shower before bed. The heat from the water creates a 'warm-up effect', whereby your core temperature is forced to drop to cope with the heat on the skin. Two, discard any and all clock faces from the bedside area. Still, if you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, a continued reminder of how much sleep you're losing will push unwanted anxiety and frustration onto you. Three, designate a purpose to your bedroom. When it becomes the place where you do everything, your brain may find it challenging to relax as it hasn't purely associated the room with the main activity it's for – sleeping. So, if you're struggling, spend less time in your bedroom until it's time to sleep. 💡 字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译、以及视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Is boredom the key to creativity? Do you get your best ideas when you are bored, or when you are out doing new things? What should we look for when we want to be more creative? Boredom and stimulus may be opposites, but studies into creativity suggest that actually we might need both. Writing for BBC Culture, Clair Thorp looks at the role that boredom plays in the creative process. Many writers and artists credit being bored with helping them have their best ideas – JK Rowling came up with Harry Potter while on a long train journey. Thorp tells us how some researchers believe that boredom drives our brains to find something to do – leading to creative ideas. So, maybe we should take the advice of the musician Questlove and learn to ignore the distractions that we can find on our phones. However, before we all start planning how to bore ourselves into creativity, Sandi Mann, an academic and author, warns that too much boredom can take away the energy we need for creativity. Many experts talk about the importance of finding new experiences in order to be more creative. Actor and writer Kayode Ewumi recommends getting on a random bus and seeing where you end up or learning a new musical instrument as ways to avoid writer's block. Professor Gerard Puccio, a professor of creativity studies, believes that having to look at new things, or old things in a different light, can force us to make unusual connections and come up with innovative solutions. So, perhaps what we need is a balance – enough stimulus to make us look at things in different ways, and enough boredom to give us the breathing space to work through these thoughts. 词汇表 boredom [ˈbɔːdəm] 无聊，厌倦 stimulus [ˈstɪmjələs] 刺激，激励，促进因素 opposite [ˈɒpəzɪt] 相反的事物，对立面；相反的，对立的 creative process 创作过程，创意过程 credit…with [ˈkredɪt] 把…归功于，认为…具有 come up with 想出，提出（主意、计划等） distraction [dɪˈstrækʃn] 分散注意力的事物，干扰 random bus [ˈrændəm] 随机选择的公交车 musical instrument [ˈɪnstrʊmənt] 乐器 writer's block 写作障碍，创作瓶颈，文思枯竭 in a different light 从不同的角度（考虑某事） unusual [ʌnˈjuːʒuəl] 不寻常的，独特的 innovative [ˈɪnəveɪtɪv] 创新的，革新的，新颖的 breathing space 喘息空间，休整时期 work through 处理，梳理（想法、问题等） 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How can we express ourselves when no one is listening? A general principle of mental health is that the less we are able to express, the more unwell we get. It's when we have to stifle our rage, sadness, or fear that we start to develop secondary symptoms – sleeplessness, paranoia, bitterness, poor digestion – just as our spirits can lighten and our horizons expand once we can find a way to lend outward form to our pains. However, the problem is often one of occasions. We may in theory be ready to say and feel all sorts of things, but our outward circumstances may be highly unconducive to free expression. Perhaps the person we'd like to say something to is dead or they may – just as problematically– be distracted, fragile or frightening. We then make the error of imagining that there can be no point in speaking – and on this basis stifle our emotions to our increasing cost. But this is to miss out on an unexpected quirk of our psyches. What may matter most in many situations is not, as we might think, that the person we need to speak to is actually able to hear what we have to say; but rather that we have a proper, in-depth chance to say it any way. There can be as much benefit in shouting our feelings to a deserted beach, a large pillow or an empty chair as there would be in having a lengthy dialogue with an intimidating parent or an obtuse lover. The best technique in this tradition may be to write a letter that we never send (either because the person in question is no longer alive or because we just have no expectation that what we write could remotely be understood). The discipline of writing a long letter has the effect of galvanising our hitherto confused and disparate emotions and forces our intelligence to lay out our story in a systematic and emotionally logical way. As we write, we turn what might have been an inchoate sob into something intelligible, plausible, compassion-inducing and moving. We go from 'I hate you so much…' or 'Why why why' to a full recap of how we felt, why we suffered and what the legacy of our injury has been. We can be like a grown-up lawyer making a case in a courtroom of adults on behalf of a frightened or muddled child. We can take our absent reader into the details of a story that they refused to see existed and may have done their best to silence. We are giving ourselves an opportunity to feel legitimate in our own eyes. We may realise that the real audience we needed all along was ourselves, because the real sceptic we need to win over and explain our full story to is chiefly and crucially always ourselves. 词汇表 unwell [ʌnˈwel] 不舒服的，身体不适的，生病的 stifle [ˈstaɪfl] 压抑，抑制；扼杀；使窒息 rage [reɪdʒ] 愤怒，暴怒，狂怒 secondary [ˈsekəndri] （疾病、感染等）继发性的，间接的 paranoia [ˌpærəˈnɔɪə] 偏执狂，妄想症 bitterness [ˈbɪtənəs] 怨恨，苦涩，辛酸 poor digestion [dɪˈdʒestʃən] 消化不良 lend outward form [ˈaʊtwəd] 赋予外在形式，以外在形式（表达出来） be unconducive to [ˌʌnkənˈdjuːsɪv] 不利于，无助于 problematically [ˌprɒbləˈmætɪkli] 有问题地，成问题地 distracted [dɪˈstræktɪd] 心烦意乱的，心不在焉的，分心的 fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] 脆弱的，易碎的 quirk [kwɜːk] 怪癖，古怪之处 psyche [ˈsaɪki] 心灵，心理，精神 in-depth [ˌɪn ˈdepθ] 深入的，彻底的 deserted [dɪˈzɜːtɪd] 荒芜的，空无一人的，空旷的 lengthy [ˈleŋθi] 漫长的，冗长的 intimidating [ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪtɪŋ] 令人胆怯的，令人生畏的，吓人的 obtuse [əbˈtjuːs] 迟钝的，愚笨的 person in question 当事人，涉及到的人 remotely [rɪˈməʊtli] 丝毫，根本（用于强调否定） galvanise [ˈɡælvənaɪz] 激发，激励，刺激 hitherto [ˌhɪðəˈtuː] 迄今为止，到目前为止 disparate [ˈdɪspərət] 不同的，不相干的 inchoate [ɪnˈkəʊeɪt] 模糊不清的，刚开始的，未充分发展的 sob [sɒb] 呜咽，啜泣 intelligible [ɪnˈtelɪdʒəbl] 可理解的，明白易懂的 plausible [ˈplɔːzəbl] 合理的，可信的 compassion-inducing [kəmˈpæʃn ɪnˈdjuːsɪŋ] 引人同情的，唤起同情的 recap [ˈriːkæp] 概括，回顾，总结 legacy [ˈleɡəsi] 遗留问题，遗留痕迹，后遗症 grown-up [ˌɡrəʊn ˈʌp] 成熟的，成年的；成年人 courtroom [ˈkɔːtruːm] 法庭，审判室 muddled [ˈmʌd(ə)ld] 混乱的，糊涂的，困惑的 legitimate [lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət] 合理的，正当的 sceptic [ˈskeptɪk] 怀疑者，怀疑论者 🏫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】

Which jobs are most under threat from Artificial Intelligence? Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Artificial Intelligence has transformed how many workers go about their jobs on a daily basis. AI developments are certainly exciting to many people, but there's also a lot of nervousness out there due to the inevitability that AI-based automation will end up replacing some parts of human work in a lot of fields. In January 2024, the IMF issued a cautionary report titled, AI will transform the global economy. Let's make sure it benefits humanity. It suggested that 40% of jobs worldwide will be impacted by AI, a figure that could reach 60% in more advanced economies. Are some of those jobs at risk, then? Given how effective AI tools are at generating text, it's been widely suggested that jobs involving writing could be among those most at danger. So that means web writers, secretaries, translators, proofreaders and journalists, for example. Whether you're using a simple question or carefully crafted prompt, you can save significant time on tasks like research, writing and translation. Of course, that does raise concerns about how reliable AI-generated information is. AI tools don't necessarily verify information when asked a question, and are prone to occasional hallucinations, which you'll remember if you listened to our recent episode on AI Slop. What about creative fields? Well, as you may know, AI isn't limited to text generation. Tools like MidJourney, DAL-E and Adobe's Firefly can create impressively detailed images from simple descriptions. Adobe has also been integrating AI-driven updates into its professional apps like Photoshop. So graphic designers are seeing their roles shift as well, as even people without technical expertise are able to use such tools. What about jobs that require human interaction, like teaching? Well, in reality, teachers were already feeling the impact when AI first gained traction. It can be really tricky establishing whether a student has actually done their assignments on their own, or simply used AI to generate their answers. And yet, AI is becoming increasingly central to education. Pengchen Shi is an Associate Dean in the Department of Computing and Information Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. Talking to the New York Post in January 2023, he suggested that chatbots can easily teach classes at middle school or high school level. The main issues would be occasional bugs and knowledge inaccuracies which could be easily rectified with further model training. Well, how true that is remains to be seen. If your job was mentioned in this episode, don't panic just yet. After all, these are only predictions, and AI is also likely to create a whole host of new jobs, as well as making existing ones easier. Getting back to the IMF report we talked about earlier, it signed off with this more positive outlook: The AI era is upon us, and it is still within our power to ensure it brings prosperity for all. There you have it. 词汇表 inevitability [ɪnˌevɪtəˈbɪləti] 不可避免性，必然性 AI-based automation [ˌeɪˈaɪ beɪst ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃn] 基于人工智能的自动化 IMF 国际货币基金组织（International Monetary Fund） advanced economy [ədˈvɑːnst] 发达经济体 proofreader [ˈpruːfriːdə(r)] 校对员，校对者 carefully crafted prompt [ˈkrɑːftɪd prɒmpt] 精心设计的提示语 verify [ˈverɪfaɪ] 核实，查证，确认 be prone to [prəʊn ] 易于，倾向于 hallucination [həˌluːsɪˈneɪʃn] 幻觉（这里指AI生成虚假或错误信息） AI Slop [slɒp] 人工智能错误信息（指AI生成的低质量、不准确的内容） graphic designer [ˈɡræfɪk] 平面设计师，美工 technical expertise [ˈteknɪkl ˌekspɜːˈtiːz] 技术专长，专业知识 gain traction [ˈtrækʃn] 获得关注，开始流行，逐渐被接受 bug [bʌɡ] （程序、系统等的）故障，错误 inaccuracy [ɪnˈækjərəsi] 不准确，错误 rectify [ˈrektɪfaɪ] 纠正，矫正，修正 a whole host of 大量，许多 sign off with 以…结束，以…收尾 positive outlook [ˈaʊtlʊk] 积极的展望，乐观的态度 prosperity [prɒˈsperəti] 繁荣，兴旺，成功 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Stuck at intermediate level English? Try these tips So, you've reached an intermediate level of English – congrats! You can understand most things about familiar topics and can express yourself in most situations. But maybe you've been here a while, and now you're stuck in what we call the 'intermediate plateau'. Often when we begin learning something, progress is fast and noticeable, but perhaps now it's difficult to see your improvements. Let's see if some new ideas can propel your learning forward. If your study routine mostly consists of flash cards and grammar exercises, it's time to switch it up. In an article called 'The four strands' by Paul Nation, he suggests that while such exercises are important for building a strong foundation, we should also make time for more meaning-focused learning. That means lots of reading and listening, with a focus on gaining knowledge and enjoyment from the topic itself and learning new vocabulary through context clues. That way, you immerse yourself in the language and get a feel for how it's used in the real world. But don't stop there! Next, you've got to actually produce the language in a purposeful way. According to Merrill Swain's 'Output Hypothesis', speaking helps us to notice holes in our knowledge that we can then work on. Speaking also gives us the chance to experiment with language and, following feedback, either correct or maintain it. What about fluency? Fluency is using what you already know smoothly and quickly, without focusing on learning new words. Set a timer and talk to yourself about a topic, then repeat, setting a shorter timer each time. Breaking through the intermediate plateau is tricky. But, the key is not to rely on just one type of activity. Experiment with a well-balanced approach, varied materials, and above all, enjoy yourself, and you'll start seeing incremental improvements that'll send you on your way to master English at a higher level. 词汇表 intermediate level [ˌɪntəˈmiːdiət] 中级水平 be stuck in 陷入，被困在，卡在 intermediate plateau [ˌɪntəˈmiːdiət ˈplætəʊ] 中级瓶颈期（指学习者在达到中级水平后，进步明显放缓的阶段） noticeable [ˈnəʊtɪsəbl] 明显的，显著的 propel [prəˈpel] 推动，推进，驱使 flash card （有单词或图片的）教学卡片，闪卡 switch it up [swɪtʃ] 改变方式，换种做法 The four strands [strændz] 四大要素（指语言学习的四个方面：意义聚焦输入、意义聚焦输出、语言聚焦学习、流利性发展） strong foundation [faʊn'deɪʃ(ə)n] 坚实的基础 meaning-focused learning 意义聚焦的学习（关注语言的意义和使用，而非单纯的语言形式） context clue [ˈkɒntekst kluː] 上下文线索，语境提示 immerse yourself in [ɪˈmɜːs] 沉浸于，全身心投入 get a feel for 感受，体会，初步了解 purposeful [ˈpɜːpəsf(ə)l] 有目的的，有意识的 Output Hypothesis [ˈaʊtpʊt haɪˈpɒθəsɪs] 输出假说（指学习者通过产出，即说或写，来促进语言习得的过程） experiment with [ɪkˈsperɪment] 尝试，试验 fluency [ˈfluːənsi] 流利度，流畅性 timer [ˈtaɪmə(r)] 计时器，定时器 break through 突破，克服，打破 tricky [ˈtrɪki] 棘手的，困难的，难办的 varied [ˈveərid] 多样化的，各种各样的 incremental [ˌɪŋkrəˈment(ə)l] 递增的，渐进的，逐步的 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How can we age well? Phil Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. Beth And I'm Beth. Phil Grey hairs, wrinkles, and poor eyesight are common signs that our body is growing old. Much as we'd like to, we can't avoid ageing, so it's important to stay healthy as we get older. Beth In this programme, we'll be hearing about some new research offering fresh advice on how to stay young at heart, an idiom meaning to keep a youthful outlook on life, whatever your age. And, of course, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well. Phil But 6 Minute English isn't just about vocabulary – we improve your listening skills as well. It could also help you answer my question. The oldest recorded person ever to have lived was a woman who was born in 1875, and lived to the ripe old age of 122. But which country was she from? Was it: a) Japan, b) France or, c) Italy? Beth I am going to say Japan. Phil OK, Beth, I'll reveal the correct answer later in the programme. Ageing is partly caused by the body's cells starting to decay, so you might think we're powerless to stop it. But listen to this good news from Professor Sarah Harper, Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing: Prof Sarah Harper I think the really exciting thing is that even 10 years ago we would have thought: Yes, it's all to do with our cells. Now we understand this relationship between what we call 'cell and society', and we really can make a difference! And in fact, a recent paper just came out which said that 60% of our ageing can be controlled by how we live. Beth Professor Harper says that 60% of ageing is determined by something we can influence, our lifestyle. So, what lifestyle should we choose? Here's Sarah Harper giving more details to BBC Radio 4 programme, 'Inside Health': Prof Sarah Harper You know, there's obviously things like diet, which I think we'll come to, but there's also a positive attitude, and there's been some wonderful twin studies that have been done where you've had twins and they have been able to map them across their lives, and if you're positive, you actually have far greater health in later life than if you're negative. Phil One important factor in ageing well is a positive attitude - feeling hopeful, confident, and focused on the good things in life. This conclusion was based on several twin studies, scientific research which uses twins to study the roles of genetics and environment in human development. In studies, Professor Harper found positive twins stayed healthier than negative twins as they aged. Beth Loneliness can be another problem as we get older. Here, Professor Sarah Harper explains how in countries like Spain, Italy and Greece, regular social interaction helps people age well: Prof Sarah Harper Loneliness can have the same impact as smoking in the statistics. And when we talked about the Mediterranean diet, it's also got two other sides: it's got exercise because these people tend to be outside more because they have that kind of a climate, but also they still tend to live [communal meals]… Absolutely, they have communal meals, they tend to live together more in multigenerational households, that is changing a bit, so there's a whole lifestyle around it. Phil The healthy food, such as fresh vegetables and fish, eaten by people living in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, is known as the Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean cultures have other advantages too, including outdoor exercise, which is easier in warm climates, and communal meals, occasions when people sit down and share food together. Beth Mediterranean people are also more likely to live in multigenerational households, where people from two or more generations of a family live together in the same house. Not everyone can live in the Mediterranean, but it seems a positive attitude and social interaction are two things we can all do to age well. Speaking of which, what was the answer to your question, Phil? Phil OK, well, I asked you about the oldest living person ever recorded. I asked what country they came from, and you said Japan. Well, I can reveal the answer is actually France. A lady in France lived for 122 years and 164 days. OK, let's recap the new vocabulary we've learned about staying young at heart, an idiom which means to think and behave in a youthful way, in spite of growing older. Beth People with a positive attitude feel hopeful, confident, and focused on the good things in life. 📝 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】