Making friends as you age At school you're surrounded by people your own age. Of course you spend a lot of time with them, and so some of the best friendships are forged at school. But later in life, it's easy to lose touch – you work full-time, maybe start a family, and your old friends might be scattered across the country or even the world. A 2016 study in Finland found that after the age of 25, the number of friends someone has falls very quickly, and this number continues to decrease throughout a person's life. So when you're in your mid-to-late 20s, how can you make new friends? Radhika Sanghani, a BBC journalist, tasked herself with making new friends by saying 'yes' to any invitations that came her way. If a colleague asked her for lunch, she didn't shy away from it, and she soon made some of the closest friends she'd ever had. "We all message several times a week often leaving rambling voice notes; we host dinners at each other's houses; and we've all cried on each other at least once (the true mark of friendship)" she wrote in a 2018 article. The website Talk Twenties recommends joining a local class or group, like taking up running or joining a choir. Having something in common gives you something to talk about with your new acquaintances, which will hopefully then translate into meaningful relationships. When you don't have mutual interests with someone, it can be difficult to get past the small talk stage, where conversation can quickly fizzle out, and a class can help avoid this. Nowadays, there are also apps for meeting new people, like Bumble BFF or Meetup. Dr Robert Puff who writes for Psychology Today says solid friendships are essential for two main reasons. One is to help make life more enjoyable, and two is for support in difficult times – to make hardships more tolerable! As we grow up, we can feel like we're not in control of what's happening around us, but we can control our social life, so enrich your life with fulfilling friendships. 词汇表 forge [fɔː(r)dʒ] 建立，缔造，形成 lose touch 失去联系 work full-time 全职工作 scattered [ˈskætə(r)d] 分散的，离散的 Finland ['fɪnlənd] 芬兰 come one's way （机会、好运等）偶然出现，来到 shy away 畏缩，回避 rambling ['ræmblɪŋ] 杂乱无章的，漫无边际的，冗长而含糊的 voice notes 语音消息 take up 开始从事（某项活动） choir [ˈkwaɪə(r)] 唱诗班，合唱团 acquaintance [ə'kweɪntəns] 认识的人，熟人 mutual [ˈmjuːtʃuəl] 共有的，彼此的 small talk 闲聊，寒暄 fizzle out ['fɪz(ə)l] 以失败告终，告吹 BFF (Best Friends Forever) 永远的最好的朋友 solid friendship [ˈsɒlɪd] 牢固的友谊 hardship [ˈhɑː(r)dʃɪp] 艰难，困难 tolerable [ˈtɒl(ə)rəb(ə)l] 可忍受的，过得去的 be in control of 掌控，控制 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How the world learned to love fast food Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. --And I'm Beth. Love it or hate it, there's no doubt fast food is popular. Are you a fast food fan, Beth? --Erm, not really, no. I think sometimes it can be quite convenient, obviously because it's quick, but not really. Well, whatever you think about them, fast food brands like KFC, Domino's and, of course the big one, McDonald's, are incredibly successful. --In this programme, we'll be discussing the global spread of fast food from its beginnings in 1950s America. As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. But first, I have a question for you, Beth. Roughly how many fast food restaurants are there in the UK? Is it: a) 4,000? b) 42,000? or, c) four million? --I'm going to go for b) 42,000. --OK, well later on we'll find out the answer. In the United States, cheap and easy food like hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes have been popular since the 1950s. Listen as Adam Chandler, author of the book Drive-Thru Dreams, which traces the history of American fast food, tells BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain, how it all got started: At the heart of the story of fast food is a very 'anyone can do this' sense. A lot of the company founders didn't have a college degree, who didn't have a high school degree in a lot of instances, didn't come from money, were oftentimes just people who were ready to plug themselves into a system that would work for them. And it did. It made opportunity very, very easy in a time when that was a new part of the American experience. So it was the American dream in a very small way, that became the American dream in a very big way. The rise of fast food reflected the rise of American economic power after the Second World War. When Adam says that this lies at the heart of the story, he means it's the most important part of the story. In the 1950s, when the famous brands we know today were just beginning, anyone with a can-do attitude could sell fast food. A can-do attitude describes someone who is confident and determined to fix problems and achieve results. Which is exactly what happened at successful restaurants like Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's. For many, these fast food brands symbolised The American dream - the idea that anyone in the United States can achieve success through hard work and determination. The success of KFC, McDonald's and the rest wasn't limited to America. Nowadays, you can visit two McDonald's on opposite sides of the planet and eat exactly the same meal. But not every country opened its arms in welcome – the tiny island of Iceland for one. Andie Sophia Fontaine, who used to work in McDonald's, now edits The Iceland Review. Here, she tells BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain, how McDonald's got a frosty reception when it started selling burgers in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. There's been a long-standing burger culture in Iceland. They have their own take on the hamburger wherein they'll use lettuce, and raw cucumbers, and a type of fry sauce - that's called a shalpuborgari, or a shop burger, and that's been around for ages. Yeah, so McDonald's - they struggled to try to maintain a market. The final nail in the coffin was the global financial crisis in 2008/2009. Iceland already had a long-standing tradition of eating burgers – a tradition that had existed for a long time. For example, the shalpuborgari, or shop burger, was a take on – or variation of – the American hamburger. McDonald's weren't as successful in Iceland as they'd been elsewhere. And the global financial crash of 2008 was the final nail in the coffin, an event which caused the failure of something that had already started to go wrong. To this day there are no McDonald's in Iceland, unlike Britain, which reminds me of your question, Phil. --Yes. I asked you how many fast food restaurants there are in Britain. I asked you if there were 4,000, 42,000 or four million. And of course, the answer is 42,000 so you were right, well done! OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with at the heart of, meaning the most important part, or the cause, of something. If you say that someone has a can-do attitude, you mean they are confident to take action, fix problems and deal with new challenges. The American dream is the belief that everyone in the USA has the opportunity to be successful and happy if they work hard. The adjective, long-standing means having existed for a long time. A take on something means a variation, or new way of presenting it. And finally, the idiom, the final nail in the coffin, refers to an event that causes the final end of something that had already started to fail. Once again, our six minutes are up, but why not head over to the BBC Learning English website where you'll find a worksheet and quiz especially for this programme. See you there soon! Goodbye! 📝 翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Current warming 'unparalleled' in 2,000 years From the 'Roman Warm Period' to the 'Little Ice Age' that began in the 14th Century, the past two millennia have seen periods of hot and cold weather that have extended for centuries. As a result, many have argued that the current period of global warming that started with the Industrial Revolution is part of a natural pattern and the human role in creating it has been exaggerated. This new study suggests that is not the case. Scientists reconstructed the major climate events of the past 2,000 years by looking at around 700 records, including tree rings, ice cores and lake sediments. Not one single event affected as much of the world as the present period of warming is now doing. Other scientists who've looked at the study have been impressed by the quality of the research. The scientists involved argue that the new findings debunk many theories put forward by climate sceptics to explain the rise in temperatures, including variations in solar activity. The current period of climate change is mainly down to humans, they argue. Natural causes, they say, are simply not sufficient to explain the warming scene over the last century and a half. 词汇表 Roman Warm Period 罗马温暖期（指公元前250年至公元400年左右欧洲和北大西洋地区异常温暖的气候时期） Little Ice Age 小冰河期（指大约从14世纪到19世纪全球气温相对较低的时期） millennia [mɪ'leniə] 一千年（millennium [mɪ'leniəm] 的复数） the Industrial Revolution [ɪn'dʌstriəl][ˌrevəˈluːʃ(ə)n] 工业革命 exaggerate [ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt] 夸大，夸张，言过其实 reconstruct [ˌriːkənˈstrʌkt] 重现；重建，修复 tree ring 树木的年轮 ice core 冰芯，冰核（指从冰川、冰盖或永久冻土中钻取的圆柱形冰样） lake sediment [ˈsedɪmənt] 湖泊沉积物 debunk [diːˈbʌŋk] 揭露……的真相，证明……是错误的 put forward 提出（想法或计划） climate sceptic ['skeptɪk] 气候怀疑论者（对全球变暖及其原因持怀疑态度的人） variation [ˌveərɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] 变化，变动 solar activity [ˈsəʊlə(r)] 太阳活动 be down to 由…引起或造成 natural cause 自然因素 sufficient [sə'fɪʃ(ə)nt] 足够的，充足的 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

How to feel more in control of your time Time, according to Greek philosopher Theophrastus, is the most valuable thing you can spend. We may want more of it, but we're stuck with the same 24-hour wad every day of our lives. Beyonce's single Ladies was written in no more than 20 minutes. That's one stonking pop banger created in less than 2% of a day. Imagine what you could achieve in the other 98%. The question is, how? Well, how you think about time can actually help you use it more wisely, and could leave you a lot healthier and happier. 1. Make yourself feel time affluent You know that rare feeling of having plenty of time to do what you want? Psychologists call it 'time affluence', and it does a lot for your sense of wellbeing. Bizarre as it may sound, it's possible to make yourself feel more time-rich by handing over some of your hours to others. One study took a large group of people. Some of them helped others in their spare time – doing things like writing letters to cheer up a sick child – while the rest did whatever they liked. The helpers later felt they generally had more free time compared to the rest of the group despite giving some of it away. So rather than bingeing on that box set, do something for someone else. You'll end up feeling it's possible to achieve more in the time you have. 2. You have more time than you think. Now think about all those tiny chunks of your day when your brain isn't doing very much at all. Like going for a run, sitting on a bus, or making a cup of tea. Scott H Young, author of Ultralearning, specializes in making time work better for people. He sees these mini downtimes as chunks of opportunity to use more wisely. So how do you want to use that time? You could try 'productive meditation'. If something's turning out to be a pretty knotty problem, use your daily jog to focus your mind on your surroundings, and your subconscious may find a solution while your mind relaxes. Or while the kettle boils, listen to the sound of the water. Watch steam rising from the spout. Be truly mindful and in the moment. Evidence suggests that when you get back to your desk, you'll get a lot more done in the time you have. "Start creating habits,"Young says. You'll be surprised how much materializes, once you simply start doing things for a few minutes a day." Whatever route you take, bear in mind that several recent studies have shown that trying to fit more in by working longer hours can lead to stress and illness. And nobody wants that. 3. The holiday paradox Psychologist Claudia Hammond suggests that the best way to make free time feel worthwhile is to indulge in the holiday paradox. This says that doing something new sees your brain make an extra effort to remember it. So vary your routine, try new hobbies. Different experiences, however small, will be more rewarding, and when you're looking back on them, your sense of time will be expanded. 4. Time for yourself Did you realize that if you add up sleep (very important), eating and working, most of us have around five hours a day left to do what want to do. So take advantage of it. You could even write a fifth of a novel. John Boyne wrote The Boy in The Striped Pajamas in just two and a half days (not sure how much sleep he got though). Or you could climb to the top of Ben Nevis in five hours. If it was a weekend, you might have time to get down again. But don't be too hard on yourself if you just need that time to chill. A study in 2010 showed that playing computer games or watching TV can restore us emotionally and help us recover intellectually after a hard day. But you've got to buy into the experience totally, and don't feel guilty. Isn't that a relief? 词汇表 be stuck with 陷入困境，不得不面对 wad [wɒd] 一捆，一团，一堆 stonking ['stɒŋkɪŋ] 出色的，绝妙的 pop banger ['bæŋə(r)] 流行金曲 affluent [ˈæfluːənt] 充裕的，富足的 time affluence ['æflʊəns] 时间充裕感 bizarre [bɪˈzɑː(r)] 奇怪的，怪异的 hand over 交出，让与 binge on [bɪndʒ] 沉迷于；大量食用或消费某物 box set（可购买或下载的）电视剧（套装） chunk [tʃʌŋk] （时间的）一段；大部分，一块 ultralearning [ˌʌltrəˈlɜːrnɪ] 超速学习 downtime ['daʊntaɪm] 休息时间，停工期 productive meditation [ˌmedɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n] 高效冥想（指在进行无需太多脑力的活动时集中思考特定问题的冥想方式） knotty [ˈnɒti] 复杂的，难以解决的，棘手的 jog [dʒɒɡ] 慢跑；轻推 subconscious [ˌsʌbˈkɒnʃəs] 潜意识，下意识 spout [spaʊt] 管口，（容器的）嘴 mindful [ˈmaɪn(d)f(ə)l] 正念的；专注的，留意的 materialize [məˈtɪəriəlaɪz] 实现，成为现实 route [ruːt] 路线，方法，途径 bear in mind 牢记在心，记住 holiday paradox [ˈpærədɒks] 假期悖论（指的是回忆度假或经历新奇事物时，对时间的主观感受比实际时间更长） indulge in [ɪn'dʌldʒ] 沉浸于，尽情享受 vary [ˈveəri] 改变，变更，使多样化 rewarding [rɪˈwɔː(r)dɪŋ] 值得做的，有所收获的 take advantage of 充分利用；占便宜 hard on yourself 对自己要求过高，苛求自己 chill [tʃɪl] 放松 intellectually [ˌɪntəlˈektʃuəli] 智力上；理智地 buy into 参与，投身于（某个活动、计划等） 💡 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How do you know what's true? Sheila Marie Orfano | TED-Ed • June 2021 A samurai is found dead in a quiet bamboo grove. One by one, the crime's only known witnesses recount their version of the events that transpired. But as they each tell their tale, it becomes clear that every testimony is plausible, yet different. And each witness implicates themselves. This is the premise of "In a Grove," a short story published in the early 1920s by Japanese author Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Though many know this tale of warring perspectives by a different name: "Rashomon." In 1950, Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa adapted two of Akutagawa's stories into one film. This movie introduced the world to an enduring cultural metaphor that has transformed our understanding of truth, justice and human memory. The Rashomon effect describes a situation in which individuals give significantly different but equally conceivable accounts of the same event. Often used to highlight the unreliability of eyewitnesses, the Rashomon effect usually occurs under two specific conditions. The first: there's no evidence to verify what really happened. And the second: there's pressure to achieve closure, often provided by an authority figure trying to identify the definitive truth. But the Rashomon effect undermines the very idea of a singular, objective truth. In the source material, Akutagawa and Kurosawa use the tools of their media to give each character's testimony equal weight, transforming each witness into an unreliable narrator. Without any hints on who's sharing the most accurate account, the audience can't tell which character to trust. Instead, each testimony takes on a truthful quality, and the audience is left doubting their convictions as they guess who ended the samurai's life. Some might find this frustrating because the plot subverts expectations of how mysteries usually end. But by refusing to provide a clear answer, these two artists capture the messiness and complexity of truth and human memory. Neuroscientists have found that when we form a memory, our interpretation of visual information is influenced by our previous experiences and internal biases. Some of these biases are unique to individuals, but others are more universal. For example, egocentric bias can influence people to subconsciously reshape their memories in ways that cast a positive light on their actions. Even if we were able to encode a memory accurately, recalling it incorporates new information that changes the memory. And when we later recall that event, we typically remember the embellished memory instead of the original experienc These underlying psychological phenomena mean that the Rashomon effect can pop up anywhere. In biology, scientists starting from the same dataset and applying the same analytical methods, frequently publish different results. Anthropologists regularly grapple with the impact personal backgrounds can have on an expert's perception. In one famous case, two anthropologists visited the Mexican village of Tepoztlan. The first researcher described life in the town as happy and contented, while the second recorded residents as paranoid and disgruntled. Experts aside, the Rashomon effect can also impact the general public, particularly when it comes to the perception of complicated world events. For example, following a 2015 security summit between the United States and leaders from the Arab States, media reports about the summit varied enormously. Some stated that it had gone smoothly, while others called it a complete failure. It's tempting to fixate on why we have competing perceptions, but perhaps the more important question the Rashomon effect raises is, what is truth anyway? Are there situations when an "objective truth" doesn't exist? What can different versions of the same event tell us about the time, place and people involved? And how can we make group decisions if we're all working with different information, backgrounds, and biases? Like most questions, these don't have a definitive answer. But the enduring importance of Akutagawa's story suggests there may be value in embracing the ambiguity. 🎬翻译、视频，词汇表和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1" 可加入【打卡交流群】

Why forgetting is good for you? Have you ever bumped into someone and their name just doesn't come to you? Or, you walk into a room and suddenly can't recall why you're there? Being forgetful can be really annoying, sometimes even embarrassing. But what if I told you that there are actually good reasons for our memories fading away? In a BBC interview, neuroscientist Charan Ranganath uses a hoarding analogy. We don't tend to store everything we've ever owned in our house. Similarly, we don't need to store all our memories either. He says, "If we didn't forget anything, we'd be hoarding memories, and you'd never be able to find what you want, when you want it." For example, you don't need to remember the hotel number weeks after you've left the hotel or memorise all the faces you pass on the street. We also need to be able to forget things in order to update our memories with new information. Imagine you get used to the same school timetable or work schedule for a whole year, but the next year, you have new procedures or routines. Your brain needs to be flexible and forget irrelevant details in order to handle the new information. Or, maybe it's been 10 years since you last saw a distant relative. It's likely their face has changed a lot since then, so that memory needs to be updated as well. And, if you've ever been convinced that you know a word, but it just doesn't pop into your head, you're not alone. This tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon may suggest that some things are not fully forgotten, just currently inaccessible. Those with a higher level of knowledge are more affected by this, according to studies such as 'Impact of knowledge and age on tip-of-the-tongue rates', because their brains have to sort through more information to find the word. Memories are sometimes compared to a cliff: once they have crumbled, they are lost and cannot be retrieved. However, in their article 'Forgetfulness: Why your mind going blank can be a benefit', Sanjay Sarma and Luke Yoquinto write that forgetting, it seems, is "less like a cliff slowly collapsing into the sea, and more like a house deep in the woods that becomes harder and harder to find". 词汇表 bump into [bʌmp] 碰见，撞见 come to (someone)（想法或念头）在头脑里冒出，突然想起 recall [rɪˈkɔːl] 回想起，记起 forgetful [fə(r)ˈɡetf(ə)l] 健忘的，记性差的 fade away [feɪd] 消退，渐渐消失 neuroscientist [ˌnjʊərəʊˈsaɪəntɪst] 神经科学家 hoard [hɔː(r)d] 囤积，贮藏 analogy [ə'nælədʒi] 类比，比拟 store [stɔː(r)] 保存，储存 memorise [ˈmeməraɪz] 记住，记忆 timetable ['taɪmteɪb(ə)l] 时间表，行程安排 work schedule [ˈʃedjuːl] 工作安排，工作进度表 routine [ˌruːˈtiːn] 常规，惯例，例行公事 flexible ['fleksəb(ə)l] 灵活的，弹性的 irrelevant [ɪ'reləvənt] 无关紧要的；不相关的 distant relative ['relətɪv] 远亲，远房亲戚 pop into one's head 突然想到，突然产生念头 tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon [fəˈnɒmɪnən] 舌尖现象（话到嘴边却想不起来的现象） inaccessible [ˌɪnəkˈsesəb(ə)l] 难以达到的，不可获取的 sort through 筛选，整理 cliff [klɪf] 悬崖，峭壁 crumble ['krʌmb(ə)l] 崩塌，瓦解，减弱 retrieve [rɪˈtriːv] 重新取回，找回 forgetfulness [fə'ɡetflnəs] 健忘，记性差 go blank （头脑）一片空白 collapse into the sea [kə'læps] 坍塌入海 wood [wʊd] 树林，森林；木材 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Trump blames diversity policies for US air crash What caused a passenger plane and a helicopter to collide in Washington on Wednesday night, killing all 67 people on board? It might seem way too soon to know. The investigation's likely to be long and painstaking, and yet one person is already pretty sure about what was behind it. Donald Trump has been outlining his theories, making sure first to say he'd been shaken by what happened. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. And we are a country of really, we are in mourning. But the US is also a country, Mr. Trump said, where mistakes have been made. He claimed his Democrat predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, had weakened safety measures. And he also blamed the encouragement of people from diverse backgrounds to apply for jobs they shouldn't have, something he claimed had happened at America's Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA's website states, they include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism. All qualify for the position of a controller of airplanes pouring into our country, pouring into a little spot, a little dot on the map. It wasn't exactly an explicit response, but after the President spoke, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board gave a news conference. Geneva Homendy emphasized that the accident required a thorough investigation to determine what had happened. We are all here because this is an all hands on deck event and we're here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation. We are going to conduct a thorough investigation of this entire tragedy, looking at the facts. 词汇表 passenger plane [ˈpæsɪndʒə(r)] 客机，载客飞机 helicopter [ˈhelɪˌkɒptə(r)] 直升机 collide [kə'laɪd]（尤指移动的物体）相撞，碰撞 on board [bɔː(r)d] 在飞机上，在火车上，在船上 painstaking [ˈpeɪnzˌteɪkɪŋ] 艰苦的，费力的，煞费苦心的 be behind it 是…的原因 outline [ˈaʊtlaɪn] 概述，略述；勾勒 excruciating [ɪkˈskruːʃiˌeɪtɪŋ] 极痛苦的，极坏的，糟糕透顶的 of terrible proportions [prəˈpɔː(r)ʃ(ə)nz] 极为严重的，惨重的 grieve for [ɡriːv] 哀悼，缅怀，为…悲痛 be in mourning [ˈmɔː(r)nɪŋ] 处于哀悼中，沉浸在悲痛之中 Democrat [ˈdeməkræt] 民主党人，民主主义者 predecessor [ˈpriːdɪˌsesə(r)] 前辈，前任；原有事物，前身 from diverse backgrounds [daɪˈvɜː(r)s] 多元背景的，来自不同背景的 Federal Aviation Administration ['fed(ə)rəl][ˌeɪviˈeɪʃ(ə)n] [ədˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃ(ə)n] 联邦航空管理局(FAA) hearing, vision, missing extremities ['vɪʒ(ə)n][ɪkˈstremɪtiz] 听力（障碍），视力（障碍），肢体缺失 partial / complete paralysis [ˈpɑː(r)ʃ(ə)l][pə'ræləsɪs] 部分/完全瘫痪 epilepsy [ˈepɪˌlepsi] 癫痫，羊痫风 severe intellectual disability [sɪˈvɪə(r)] 严重智力障碍 psychiatric disability [ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk][ˌdɪsəˈbɪləti] 精神残疾，精神障碍 dwarfism [ˈdwɔː(r)fˌɪz(ə)m] 侏儒症，矮小 controller [kənˈtrəʊlə(r)] 管制员，指挥员，管理者 pour into [pɔː(r)] 源源不断地涌入 explicit [ɪk'splɪsɪt] 明确的，清楚的 chairwoman [ˈtʃeə(r)ˌwʊmən] 女主席，女议长 National Transportation Safety Board 国家运输安全委员会(NTSB) news conference [ˈkɒnf(ə)rəns] 新闻发布会，记者招待会 all hands on deck [dek] 全体出动，全力以赴 leave no stone unturned [ˌʌn'tɜ:nd] 不遗余力，想尽办法 🌟翻译，pdf及更多文本内容见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可加入【打卡交流群】

Wall squats and planks best at lowering blood pressure If you've never planked, it involves holding the starting position for a push-up. A wall squat requires you to hold a sitting position with your back against a wall. Both are isometric exercises, focusing on static strength training. According to a review of trials involving nearly 16,000 people, this type of exercise is the best way to lower blood pressure although all exercise is beneficial. Instead of pushing up the heart rate like running, researchers say it increases tension in the muscles and then prompts a sudden rush of blood when the exercise is over. 词汇表 plank [plæŋk] 平板支撑；做平板支撑运动 starting position 开始姿势，起始位置 push-up 俯卧撑 wall squat [skwɒt] 靠墙静蹲 sitting position 坐姿 isometric [ˌaɪsəʊˈmetrɪk] 等长的，等距的 static ['stætɪk] 静态的，静止的 strength training 力量训练，体能训练 trial ['traɪəl] 试验，试用 lower blood pressure 降低血压 push up the heart rate 提高心率 tension ['tenʃ(ə)n] 张力，拉伸，绷紧度 rush of blood 血液上涌，血液涌动 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

The Penguin Chick's Life-or-Death Test Seven Worlds, One Planet｜Antarctica It's autumn. The chicks have lost their down feathers and they're hungry. They must go to sea for the first time. But now there's a risk of being crushed between blocks of ice. They have to get to the distant icebergs, and so reach the open ocean that lies beyond. And that is easier said than done. A leopard seal, their main predator. It's a giant, three metres long. These icy conditions help it to hunt. The penguins can neither walk nor swim. They have no way of telling where the seal will strike. These are easy pickings. For some, it's time to retreat. But now, it's back to square one. There's no alternative but to run the gauntlet once again. The seal seems to be toying with this penguin. But safety is in sight. The ice floe is near the open ocean. But this penguin is exhausted. Perhaps it's not worth it, after all. 词汇表 chick [tʃɪk] 雏鸟，幼鸟，小鸡 down feather 绒毛，羽绒 be crushed between blocks of ice 被冰块夹击 lie beyond 在…之外，位于…远处的那一边 leopard seal [ˈlepə(r)d][siːl] 豹海豹（一种有着类似豹子斑点的灰色海豹，主要生活在南极水域） predator [ˈpredətə(r)] 捕食者，掠夺者，食肉动物 icy ['aɪsɪ] 冰冷的，结冰的 penguin ['peŋɡwɪn] 企鹅 strike [straɪk] 攻击，袭击，打 easy pickings ['pɪkɪŋz] 唾手可得的猎物，容易得手的事物 retreat [rɪˈtriːt] 撤退，退缩 square one 最初的阶段，起点 alternative [ɔːlˈtɜː(r)nətɪv] 选择，替代物 run the gauntlet [ˈɡɔːntlət] 冒险尝试，迎接考验 toy with 玩弄，摆弄 in sight 在视野范围内，在眼前 floe [fləʊ]（海上的）浮冰块 🌍 更多文本内容、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Are we born to love learning? Are you the kind of person who hated school? Or are you more like Michael Nicholson, who can't stop learning? He currently has 30 degrees including 22 master's and a doctorate! If you're also passionate about studying, you might be a philomath – a person who loves to learn and study. The word comes from Greek with 'phil' meaning 'a lover of' and 'math' meaning 'learning'. Humans are all philomaths to an extent – our brain is hardwired to be curious. We want to learn and understand, partly to make sense of the world but also because of something called neoteny. This is a term that refers to the juvenile characteristics of some animals, including humans, being retained into adulthood. One of these traits is neuroplasticity, which helps our brains stay flexible – this gives us the ability to learn throughout our lives. Many creatures which are genetically close to us, like primates, can't do this and only learn during their adolescence. But for every person who loves learning, there are plenty who can't stand it. Lots of people remember their school days as being boring or even pointless. Why is this? Educational anthropologists have suggested that if a concept or idea is too complex or dull, it becomes harder to link old and new ideas together. If that's the case, we lose motivation and absorb less information. This negative experience of education at school may lead to people avoiding learning opportunities in later life. ­ So, don't let a bad educational experience prevent you learning something new as an adult. Evolution has made us lifelong learners, so take advantage of your biology and discover your inner philomath. Who knows what you could achieve? 词汇表 master's [ˈmɑːstə(r)z] 硕士学位 doctorate [ˈdɒkt(ə)rət] 博士学位 be passionate about ['pæʃ(ə)nət] 对…充满激情 philomath ['fɪləmæθ] 爱学习的人 to an extent [ɪk'stent] 在某种程度上 hardwired ['ha:dwaɪəd] 天生的，本能的 make sense of [ni:'ɒtɪnɪ] 理解，弄懂 neoteny [ni:'ɒtɪnɪ] 幼态持续 juvenile characteristics [ˈdʒuːvənaɪl][ˌkærɪktəˈrɪstɪks] 幼年特征，青少年特征 retain [rɪ'teɪn] 保留，保持 trait [treɪt] 特征，特性 neuroplasticity [ˌnjʊərəʊplæsˈtɪsəti] 神经可塑性 genetically close [dʒə'netɪklɪ] 基因相近的 primate [ˈpraɪmeɪt] 灵长类动物 adolescence [ˌædəˈlesəns] 青春期，青春 educational anthropologist [ˌænθrə'pɒlədʒɪst] 教育人类学家 complex [ˈkɒmpleks] 复杂的，难懂的 dull [dʌl] 枯燥的，沉闷的，无聊的 absorb [əbˈzɔː(r)b] 理解，掌握（信息） lifelong learners [ˈlaɪfˌlɒŋ] 终身学习者 take advantage of [ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ] 充分利用，利用 biology [baɪˈɒlədʒi] 生物学，生理 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How to Make Better Decisions Someone once said that life is just one decision after another, and I agree. Some decisions are small, like what to wear but some are so big they'll affect us for decades to come, like choosing a career. When I'm facing a big decision, I make sure I do three things: free up my brain's bandwidth, give it the fuel it needs and get honest advice from a friend. By eliminating the small choices in life, you save the best of your brain's ability for the really important things. When he was in office, Barack Obama removed one decision from his daily life – what to wear. It was always a grey or blue suit and a white shirt because he knew the science behind decision-making and that by wearing a kind of uniform, he'd save bandwidth for the really important choices. Scientists studying the brain have seen that all decisions, big or small, consume the same amount of energy. A small decision takes the same amount of energy as a big one. So when you need to make really important decisions, like which university to apply to or which job offer to accept, be vigilant about not wasting energy on decisions that aren't going to make a massive difference to your life. Save your brain's bandwidth for things that really matter. Your brain needs fuel to think just as much as your body does to move. Thanks to advanced imaging, we can watch the brain working away more clearly than ever before. It's the most complex and energy-demanding organ we have. If you're very hungry, neurotransmitters can't be produced, which results in communication between the brain's 86 billion neurons breaking down, compromising your ability to think and make good decisions. So when you need to make an important decision, make sure you're not hungry. And I don't mean reach for the biscuit tin. Research shows that drinking plenty of water and having a slow-release carbohydrate breakfast like porridge will help you think clearly. Omega-3 is also a brilliant brain food. You can find it in oily fish and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It doesn't mean you can't treat yourself but do try to give your brain this kind of fuel, too. The final step is to stop the fear of loss dominating your decision-making. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman spent a decade studying human decision-making and found that in big decisions, we're generally more afraid of loss than we are motivated by gain. According to his research, this means we often pick the safest option rather than the one that will have the most positive impact on our lives. Kahneman's got a great tip for getting over this fear of loss: Ask the advice of a friend who's not afraid to drop some truth bombs even if it means your feelings get a bit roughed-up. An objective friend can help you identify the best decision because they're not weighed down by the fear of what could be lost. In the end, the decision is always yours, but it helps to seek this kind of advice. So the next time you're facing a big decision, free your brain from small decisions, give it really good fuel, and seek out a friend who cares more about your future than your feelings. 词汇表 free up 释放、腾出（空间或时间） bandwidth ['bændwɪdθ] 精力，注意力的容量；带宽 fuel [ˈfjuːəl] 能量，（提供能量的）食物 eliminate [ɪˈlɪmɪˌneɪt] 消除，消灭，清除 suit [suːt] 套装，西装 uniform [ˈjuːnɪfɔː(r)m] 制服，校服 consume energy [kənˈsjuːm] 消耗能量 job offer 工作邀请，工作机会 vigilant ['vɪdʒɪlənt] 警觉的，警惕的 make a massive difference ['mæsɪv] 产生巨大的影响 advanced imaging [ədˈvɑːnst] 先进的成像技术（指高级的医学影像技术，如磁共振成像MRI） work away 持续工作或努力 complex [ˈkɒmpleks] 复杂的，难懂的，费解的 energy-demanding [dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ] 高耗能的 neurotransmitter ['njʊərəʊtrænzmɪtə(r)] 神经递质 neuron [ˈnjʊərɒn] 神经元，神经细胞 compromise [ˈkɒmprəmaɪz] 损害，伤害；妥协 biscuit tin [ˈbɪskɪt ˌtɪn] 饼干罐，饼干盒 slow-release carbohydrate [ˌkɑː(r)bəʊˈhaɪdreɪt] 缓释碳水化合物（在消化过程中缓慢分解并持续释放能量，如全谷物和豆类） porridge [ˈpɒrɪdʒ] 燕麦粥，麦片粥 Omega-3 [ˌəʊmɪgə 'θri:] 奥米加三脂肪酸（鱼油中多含，据信有利于人体健康） brain food 健脑食物，健脑食品 oily fish ['ɔɪli] 富含油脂的鱼 pumpkin and sunflower seeds [ˈpʌmpkɪn] 南瓜籽和葵花籽 treat oneself [triːt] 善待自己，犒劳自己 fear of loss [lɒs] 对损失的恐惧 dominate [ˈdɒmɪneɪt] 控制，支配，影响 Nobel laureate [nəʊˈbel][ˈlɔːriət] 诺贝尔奖获得者 drop truth bombs [bɒmz] 直击真相，揭露真相 roughed-up [ˈrʌft ʌp] 被粗暴对待的，被打伤的 objective [əb'dʒektɪv] 客观的，不带个人感情的 be weighed down [weɪd] 受困扰，被拖累，被压垮 seek out 找出，寻找 💡 翻译、视频版和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Which country has the best schools? Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. And I'm Beth. So, Beth, we're talking about the best education systems in the world today. You went to school here in Britain. What do you think of the British education system? Do you think it could be the best? --I think that it's quite good, there's probably a couple of things that I personally would change about it, but I would say it's quite good, but maybe not the best in the world. --Well, in this programme, we're going to be talking about the PISA rankings. The rankings are based on tests carried out by the OECD, that's an international organisation, every three years. The tests attempt to show which countries are the most effective at teaching maths, science and reading. But is that really possible to measure? Well, here is former BBC education correspondent Sean Coughlan talking to BBC World Service programme 'The Global Story'. When they were introduced first of all, that was a very contentious idea, because people said 'how can you possibly compare big countries… how can you compare America to Luxembourg or to, you know, or to parts of China, or whatever?' Sean said that the tests were contentious. If something is contentious, then it is something that people might argue about – it's controversial. So, at first, Pisa tests were contentious because not everyone believed it was fair to compare very different countries. Phil, I've got a question for you about them. So, in 2022, Singapore was top of the reading rankings. But which of these countries came second? Was it: a) The USA? b) Ireland? or, c) The UK? --I think it might be b) Ireland. --OK. Well, we will find out if that's correct at the end of the programme. A common pattern in the Pisa rankings is that the most successful countries tend to be smaller. Talking to BBC World Service programme 'The Global Story', Sean Coughlan tells us that many large countries from Western Europe don't score that highly in the rankings. They're being outpaced and outperformed by these fast, upcoming countries – you know, Singapore, or Estonia, or those sort of places which we don't historically think of as being economic rivals, but I suppose the argument for Pisa tests is, if you want to have a knowledge economy, an economy based on skills, this is how you measure it. We heard that many large European countries are being outpaced by smaller nations. If someone outpaces you, they are going faster than you – at a higher pace. We use the prefix 'out-' to say that someone or something is better at doing something. We also heard that smaller nations are 'outperforming' larger ones – they are performing better. Singapore, Estonia are described as economic rivals to large European nations – that means that they are competing with them, economically. We also heard about a knowledge economy. This is an economy based on service industries that require workers to be highly educated, such as IT, finance or advanced engineering. So, what makes countries perform better in these tests? Let's hear again from BBC World Service programme, 'The Global Story'. Sean Coughlan tells us that those countries that prioritise getting everyone to a certain level do well. We also hear from Rando Kuustik, an Estonian school principal. Countries which make sure that all their pupils get through a certain level of education to a certain standard, regardless of their background, do well. If you are teaching them by different level or abilities, then you are segregating them and we don't want to segregate any people in the world, why we are doing that in the schools? This one of the main things why Estonia is successful. Sean said the most successful systems educate everyone to a particular standard, regardless of their background. If one thing happens regardless of something else, it means that the something else is not important, or not a problem. Rando Kuustik said that Estonian schools do not want to segregate students. Segregate means to separate and keep apart. So, we've just heard about Estonia, but what about your question, Beth? What about those countries? --I asked you which out of the USA, Ireland, and the UK came second for reading in the 2022 Pisa rankings. You said Ireland, and that was the correct answer. Well done! OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this programme about education rankings, starting with contentious - argued about or controversial. If you're outpaced by someone, they're going faster than you are. Rivals are competitors. A knowledge economy is one based on industries that need highly educated workers, such as IT, finance or advanced engineering. If something happens regardless of a second thing, the second thing has no impact on it happening. And finally, if people are segregated, different groups of people are separated and kept apart. 📝 翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】