Can weather really affect our mood? Now, beyond the obvious inconvenience of getting caught in a downpour, many people believe that bad weather directly affects their mood and health. And some people are more sensitive than others. These individuals are known as weather sensitive. How do you distinguish between weather-sensitive people and the rest of the population? Experts say that weather sensitivity refers to physical or psychological sensitivity to weather changes. For example, studies from Canada and Germany have shown that fluctuations in humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure can trigger migraines, fatigue, joint pain, dizziness, and even depression in weather-sensitive people. However, these reactions vary widely and depend on the individual. They seem to be most prominent in people with adrenal gland or thyroid fragility. Grumbling about the bad weather is a long-standing British pastime, but in reality, weather-sensitive individuals make up only a small fraction of the population, estimated between 2 and 4%. This chronic condition has well-defined symptoms and is partly explained by a decrease in the secretion of happy hormone serotonin. Are you saying that for most people the weather has no impact at all on their mood then? Despite popular belief, no study has definitively proven that weather affects our mood. The real explanation is likely a simple one. Bad weather tends to make us go out less, thereby leading to us having less social interactions and being less physically active. Staying indoors all day can lead to feelings of sadness and gloom, which can become a vicious circle and self-fulfilling prophecy. You might notice a correlation between rainy weather and feeling down and mistake it for causation. That kind of observation can easily bias our perception, causing us to ignore other positive or negative personal context which might be affecting our well-being. What's the best way to deal with feeling down in bad weather then? Ultimately, it's not the weather itself, but the light that has a direct impact on our bodies. Light regulates our biological and seasonal clocks, helping our brain adjust serotonin levels in response to changes. A lack of serotonin can lead to anxiety, mood swings, insomnia and other issues. In other words, to boost your serotonin levels, make sure to get outside and get some fresh air. Even if the weather isn't ideal, you still need to expose yourself to sunlight. It's also important to go out, see friends, exercise and generally enjoy yourself as far as possible, even when it's raining. There you have it. 词汇表 downpour [ˈdaʊnpɔː(r)] n. 倾盆大雨，暴雨 weather-sensitive people 天气敏感人群（对天气变化反应更敏感的人群） weather sensitivity [sensəˈtɪvəti] 天气敏感性（对天气变化产生的生理或心理敏感反应） fluctuation [ˌflʌktʃuˈeɪʃn] n. 波动，起伏 atmospheric pressure [ˌætməsˈferɪk] 气压，大气压力 migraine [ˈmiːɡreɪn] n. 偏头痛 joint pain [dʒɔɪnt] 关节疼痛 dizziness [ˈdɪzinəs] n. 头晕，眩晕 prominent [ˈprɒmɪnənt] adj. 显著的，突出的 adrenal gland [əˈdriːnl ɡlænd] 肾上腺 thyroid [ˈθaɪrɔɪd] n. 甲状腺；adj. 甲状腺的 fragility [frəˈdʒɪləti] n. 脆弱，虚弱 grumble about [ˈɡrʌmbl] 抱怨，发牢骚 long-standing adj. 长期存在的，由来已久的 pastime [ˈpɑːstaɪm] n. 消遣，娱乐 a small fraction of ['frækʃ(ə)n] 一小部分的，少量的 chronic condition [ˈkrɒnɪk] 慢性病，慢性病状 well-defined [ˌwel dɪˈfaɪnd] adj. 定义明确的，清晰的 secretion [sɪˈkriːʃ(ə)n] n. 分泌；分泌物 happy hormone [ˈhɔːməʊnz] 快乐激素（指能让人产生愉悦感的激素，如多巴胺、血清素，催产素，内啡肽） serotonin [ˌserəˈtəʊnɪn] n. 血清素（一种神经递质，与情绪调节密切相关） physically active [ˈfɪzɪkli] 身体活跃的，积极运动的 gloom [ɡluːm] n. 忧郁，沮丧；昏暗 vicious circle [ˈvɪʃəs] 恶性循环 self-fulfilling prophecy [ˌself fʊlˈfɪlɪŋ ˈprɒfəsi] 自我实现的预言（个人预期引发相应行为，使预期成真的现象） correlation [ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃn] n. 相互关系，关联 causation [kɔːˈzeɪʃn] n. 因果关系，起因 bias one's perception [ˈbaɪəs][pəˈsepʃn] 使认知产生偏差，扭曲认知 biological clock [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl] 生物钟，生理钟 seasonal clock [ˈsiːzənl] 季节钟（调节季节性生理变化的机制） mood swing [muːd swɪŋ] 情绪波动，情绪起伏 insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] n. 失眠（症） expose oneself to [ɪkˈspəʊz] 使自己暴露于，使自己接触（光线、环境等） 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Did a civilisation exist on Earth before humans? Beth Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Beth. Phil And I'm Phil. Beth Phil, do you believe there's life on other planets? Phil Well, there's a lot of other planets, so yeah, I think there must be. Beth Yeah, I agree. Well, it's a question that interests American astrophysicist Adam Frank, who discussed it with his colleague Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Institute for Space Studies. Here, Adam recalls their conversation for BBC World Service programme CrowdScience: Adam Frank We know that there's been no other civilisation on Earth, and he stopped me and said, "How do you know that?" And my jaw just dropped down to the floor. Phil Adam's jaw dropped – an idiom for when someone looks shocked and surprised. Could there have been a technologically advanced civilisation before us, here on Earth? Beth It may sound weird but this idea has a scientific name. Here is Caroline Steel, presenter of BBC's CrowdScience, to explain: Caroline Steel The Silurian hypothesis proposes that if there was a technologically advanced civilisation hundreds of millions of years ago, we wouldn't be able to find traces of it. Phil A hypothesis is an idea which explains how something happens and can be tested to find out if it's correct. In this episode, we'll be discussing the Silurian hypothesis: the idea that a technologically advanced civilisation existed before us on Earth but vanished without leaving a trace. Beth But first, I have a question for you, Phil. Human civilisation is thousands of years old but the planet itself is much older. So, how old do scientists think the Earth is? Is it: a) 3.5 billion years, b) 4.5 billion years, or c) 5.5 billion years? Phil I'm going to guess c) 5.5 billion years. Beth OK. Well, we will find the answer out later in the programme. To believe a technologically advanced civilisation existed on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago, most people would probably want evidence. We have evidence about other species from the past, such as the dinosaurs, from fossils – the remains of prehistoric plants or animals that have been preserved in rock for a very long time. Phil But according to Adam Frank, fossils won't help prove the Silurian hypothesis, as he explains here to BBC World Service programme, CrowdScience: Adam Frank Most things are not fossilised. It's only a tiny fraction of Earth's life that has ever become fossilised. So, imagine that you have a 10,000-year-long civilisation, which is a blink of the eye for geology – that's too short to really create a lot of fossils. Beth Adam argues that only a tiny fraction – meaning a very small amount – of life on Earth has turned into fossil. Phil In geological time, even a 10,000-year-old civilisation is the blink of an eye – an idiom meaning a very short period of time. In other words, older civilisations might have existed on Earth but not for long enough to leave fossilised evidence. Beth However, not everyone is convinced by Adam's ideas. Evidence of our own civilisation, including plastics and man-made materials like concrete, is already being layered into the Earth's crust, and these are going to last a very long time. So, surely a technologically advanced civilisation from prehistory would have left similar marks. Phil Well, here's Adam Frank again, answering these objections on BBC World Service programme, CrowdScience: Adam Frank What happens is somebody else will pick up on their work, either affirming it and showing new evidence for it or pushing back on it, and once you get to, like, 20, 30 or 40 papers, then you have a consensus. You're like, "OK. We've really, really looked at this and now we know." Beth Adam welcomes new evidence, even evidence which contradicts his ideas, as part of the scientific method needed to prove a hypothesis right or wrong. It's how scientists form a consensus – meaning a general agreement – about the issue. Phil Personally, I think the idea of prehistoric civilisations on Earth is so mysterious, it's OK to keep an open mind. Now, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question, Beth? Beth I think it is. I asked you, "How old do scientists think the Earth is?" You said, "5.5 billion years," and I'm afraid you were wrong, Phil. It's 4.5 billion years. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt, starting with the idiom my jaw dropped, which is used to say someone looks very shocked and surprised. Phil A hypothesis is a suggestion that's proposed to explain something, which can then be tested to see if it's true. Beth Fossils are the remains of prehistoric plants or animals that have been preserved in rock for a very long time. Phil A tiny fraction of something is a very small amount of it. Beth The idiom the blink of an eye means a very short period of time. Phil And finally, a consensus is a general agreement. 📝字数限制，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】

Is crying good for us? What makes you cry? Being moved by a soppy or sad movie, waving a loved one off, or getting emotional after splitting up with your partner can all cause tears to roll down our faces. We all have the power to cry, but is that a good thing? When you think about it, shedding tears from your eyes is an odd thing to do. But it seems to be an automatic reaction when we get sad, upset or even when we're very happy. What triggers this reaction differs from person to person. However, the feeling is the same – your cheeks puff up, your eyes tighten and before you know it, tears are streaming down your face. Some of us may sniffle a little while others might cry like a baby – and some people suggest that it's women who cry more than men. A study in the UK in 2017 found that women admitted that they cry 72 times a year. This was, on average, more than men. Writing for the BBC, Adam Rutherford says "according to pretty much every study done, women do cry more than men, and this result has been consistent since we've been looking." But does this mean men don't get as upset or emotional as women, or are they just more embarrassed about showing their true feelings? The debate continues. One place where we experience emotional and tearful outbursts is in the workplace. This can be somewhere where emotions run high – someone might be stressed, their workload might be too much, and, as therapist, Joanna Cross told the BBC, "crying is often a build-up of frustration and undealt-with situations and it's a bit of a final straw moment." She describes how someone might start weeping when they're just asked to make a cup of tea because, "actually that's often a backlog of situations." But crying in the office or elsewhere can be cathartic: it can actually make you feel better. Maybe it dissolves or clears the negative or sad feelings you've had. Bawling your eyes out shows others how you feel, so perhaps it's a crying shame that more of us, particularly men, don't cry more often. 词汇表 soppy [ˈsɒpi] adj. 煽情的，伤感的，催泪的 split up (with) [splɪt] 分手，断绝关系，离婚 shed tears [ʃed] 流泪，落泪 odd [ɒd] adj. 奇怪的，反常的，不寻常的 puff up [pʌf] 鼓起，膨胀 stream down your face [striːm] （泪水、汗水等）顺着脸颊流下，从脸上淌落 sniffle [ˈsnɪfl] v.（尤指哭泣或感冒时） 抽鼻子；抽泣 cry like a baby 像婴儿一样大哭，放声大哭 consistent [kənˈsɪstənt] adj. 一致的，始终如一的 tearful [ˈtɪəfl] adj. 含泪的，哭泣的，流泪的 outburst [ˈaʊtbɜːst] n. （情感的）爆发，突发 emotions run high 情绪高涨，情绪波动大 workload [ˈwɜːkləʊd] n. 工作量，工作负担 build-up [ˈbɪld ʌp] n. （问题、压力等）累积，积聚，逐渐增加 undealt-with [ˌʌnˈdelt wɪð] adj. 未处理的，未解决的 final straw [strɔː] n. 最后一根稻草，使人最终崩溃的一击 weep [wiːp] v. 哭泣，流泪 backlog [ˈbæklɒɡ] n. 积压的工作，未办的事务 cathartic [kəˈθɑːtɪk] adj. 宣泄情绪的，解压的 dissolve [dɪˈzɒlv] vt. 化解，消除（情绪等） bawl your eyes out [bɔːl] 痛哭流涕，号啕大哭 it's a crying shame 真是遗憾，太可惜了；太不像话了，真不应该 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why the moon is still such a mystery It is our constant companion. Influencing many aspects of our culture, thought and being. Ever-present in design, art, music, science, technology, religion, but what is the Moon? It depends who you ask. The ancient Mesopotamians would speak of Nanna, the god of the Moon and creator of all things. While a present-day cosmologist might describe the stabilising influence of our Earth's tilt. And most of us picture the Moon as being closer than it actually is. Hmm, quite a squeeze for a textbook. Strangely, the Sun is 400 times further away from the Earth than the Moon and is 400 times its size. This means that, viewed from the Earth, they appear to be exactly the same size. Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov described this natural quirk as 'the most unlikely coincidence imaginable.' These correlations didn't go unnoticed by early star-gazing cultures. Notably, 108 is an auspicious number for Hindus who count 108 marma points, or sacred places in the body. Many believe the Moon affects our bodies. We know its push and pull affects the tides and we are organic creatures made largely of water who evolved in an ecosystem reliant on this celestial neighbour. What about the Moon's effect on our state of mind? The word lunacy is derived from the Latin word lunaticus, meaning moonstruck. Statistics do show a consistent rise in crime rates around a full moon. Scientists prefer to attribute this to convenient light levels for the plying of nefarious activity. And it's not only our minds in question — the perceived connection between fertility and the cycles of the Moon goes back a long time. Perhaps that's just because the lunar and menstrual cycles correlate so closely. In the ancient world, the Moon was generally personified as man with the shift to female deities and ideas happening more recently, relatively speaking. If the Moon is female, there has been no shortage of historical characters trying to fathom her mysteries to harness this elusive beacon of the natural world. And the Moon's many faces continue with some seeing her as a harbinger of doom. The Maori people call the Moon Hina, the man-eater, who was the bringer of death. Then there's the melancholic reflective Moon. Around the turn of the 18th Century, as we adjusted to the brave new world of science and discovery, artists became increasingly focused on our place in the natural world. Paintings from the likes of Caspar David Friedrich and Joseph Wright of Derby turned to the Moon as a central theme — often with small human figures, their backs to the viewer in quiet reflection. Finally, in July 1969, we successfully landed two men on the Moon and we discovered what she'd been silently gazing upon for all this time. So what is the Moon? Male, female, a life support system, or a bringer of death? Inducer of madness, a conspiracy, a symbol of peace? What if it's all these things? Embodying all the light and shade of human experience. It seems the Moon is whatever we choose to see — a constant reflection of us. 词汇表 ever-present [ˌevə ˈpreznt] adj. 无处不在的，始终存在的 Mesopotamian [ˌmesəpəˈteɪmiən] n. 美索不达米亚人；adj. 美索不达米亚的 cosmologist [kɒzˈmɒlədʒɪst] n. 宇宙学家，宇宙论者 stabilising influence [ˈsteɪbəlaɪzɪŋ] 稳定作用 tilt [tɪlt] n. 倾斜，倾斜度，倾角 quirk [kwɜːk] n. 奇事，怪事，巧合 correlation [ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃn] n. 相互关系，关联 star-gazing [ˈstɑː ɡeɪzɪŋ] n. 观星，天体观察 auspicious [ɔːˈspɪʃəs] adj. 吉祥的，吉利的 Hindu [ˈhɪnduː] n. 印度教教徒；adj. 印度教（人）的 marma points [ˈmɑːmə] 玛尔马点（印度传统医学中认为人体的神圣部位） sacred [ˈseɪkrɪd] adj. 神圣的，庄严的 push and pull 推拉作用，引力 celestial [səˈlestʃl] adj. 天体的，天上的，天空的 lunacy [ˈluːnəsi] n. 精神失常，疯狂 moonstruck [ˈmuːnstrʌk] adj. 发狂的，疯狂的，迷乱的 ply [plaɪ] vt. 从事，经营（某项事业或交易） nefarious [nɪˈfeəriəs] adj. （活动）邪恶的，不道德的 fertility [fəˈtɪləti] n. 生育能力，繁殖力 menstrual cycles [ˈmenstruəl ˈsaɪklz] 月经周期，女性生理期 correlate [ˈkɒrəleɪt] vi. vt. （使）相互关联，相关 deity [ˈdeɪəti] n. 神，神灵，女神 fathom [ˈfæðəm] vt. 理解，弄清；探索，探究 harness [ˈhɑːnɪs] vt. 利用，掌控，驾驭 elusive [ɪˈluːsɪv] adj. 难以捉摸的，难以理解的 beacon [ˈbiːkən] n. 指路明灯，灯塔，信标 harbinger of doom [ˈhɑːbɪndʒə][duːm] 厄运的预兆，不祥之兆 man-eater [ˈmæn iːtə(r)] n. 食人者，食人动物 bringer of death [ˈbrɪŋə] 死亡的使者 melancholic [ˌmelənˈkɒlɪk] adj. 忧郁的，忧伤的 reflective [rɪˈflektɪv] adj. 沉思的，深思的 gaze (upon) [ɡeɪz] vi. 凝视，注视 inducer [ɪnˈdjuːsə(r)] n. 引诱者，诱导物 conspiracy [kənˈspɪrəsi] n. 阴谋，密谋 embody [ɪmˈbɒdi] vt. 体现，包含 light and shade 光明与阴暗；明暗，光影 💡 视频、翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Does our personality change when we speak in another language? When it comes to what proportion of people speak more than one language, estimates vary, but the general consensus is that at least half of the world's population do so. If you're bilingual, you may well have encountered a fascinating phenomenon. A new personality seems to emerge when you switch languages. What exactly do you mean by a new personality? In March 2017, Quartz ran an article on this idea, written by Nicola Prentice. Prentice included accounts from a number of multilingual people, including Margarita, a Russian-American immigrant who fled the Soviet Union to escape antisemitism at the age of 19. Margarita revealed that when she speaks Russian, she feels guarded, reserved and uncomfortable. However, when she switches to English, she describes herself as curious, outgoing and free. Margarita is far from the only person to have experienced the phenomenon, and there have even been studies on the subject. A 2008 report published in the Journal of Consumer Research saw researchers observe Hispanic women conversing in English and Spanish. The results were telling. The women appeared more extroverted and confident when speaking Spanish. Scientists use the term frame-shifting or perspective change to describe this phenomenon, which is rooted in the perception of the culture associated with the language being spoken. For example, Russian-American immigrant Margarita associated English with freedom, having decided to flee her native country. Are you saying we're not necessarily more at ease in our own native language? Exactly, but it is still a crucial factor for this simple reason. The more at ease we are with a particular language, the more likely we are to exhibit extroverted traits while using it. Nathan Joel Young is a lecturer at the Center for Research on Bilingualism at the University of Stockholm. He's quoted in a February 2023 article on thelocal.se as saying, it's about how you think about the place where that language is from, or where you are getting that experience of the language. For example, home, work, TV. So alongside the cultural aspect, there's also the consideration that the language we use at work or at home may be associated with different facets of our personality. Clara Skogmir-Marion, an expert in the social aspects of bilingualism, is also quoted in the same article. Her view is that it's not necessarily a complete personality shift, but more of an adaptive phenomenon, which can also be observed in certain other life situations like moving to a new country. There you have it. 词汇表 consensus [kənˈsensəs] 共识，一致意见 bilingual [ˌbaɪˈlɪŋɡwəl] 双语的；双语使用者 account [əˈkaʊnt] 描述，叙述 multilingual [ˌmʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəl] 多语言的；多语言使用者 Russian-American immigrant [ˈɪmɪɡrənt] 俄裔美国移民 Soviet Union [ˌsəʊviət ˈjuːniən] 苏联（1922-1991） antisemitism [ˌæntiˈsemɪtɪzəm] 反犹太主义，排犹主义 guarded [ˈɡɑːdɪd] 谨慎的，提防的，有保留的 reserved [rɪˈzɜːvd] 拘谨的，含蓄的 Hispanic [hɪˈspænɪk] 西班牙裔的；西班牙裔人士 converse [kənˈvɜːs] 交谈，谈话 telling [ˈtelɪŋ] 显著的，有力的，说明问题的 extroverted [ˈekstrəvɜːtɪd] 性格外向的，外向型的 frame-shifting [freɪm ˈʃɪftɪŋ] 框架转换（语言或认知领域的术语） be rooted in [ˈruːtɪd] 植根于，源于 flee her native country [fli] 逃离祖国，出国避难 bilingualism [baɪˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm] 双语能力，双语现象 facet [ˈfæsɪt] 方面，部分 adaptive [əˈdæptɪv] 适应的，有适应能力的 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Doomscrolling: Why do we do it? Sam Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Sam. Neil And I'm Neil. Sam Have you heard the expression doomscrolling, Neil? It's when people spend a lot of time reading, or 'scrolling', a mobile phone or computer screen in order to read negative news stories - stories full of doom. Neil I hate to admit it, but I do sometimes doomscroll. Sam Well don't feel too bad, Neil, because you're not alone. Research from the University of California found that people all over the world doomscroll, regardless of culture. What's more, there may even be evolutionary reasons why we're attracted to bad news. Neil In this programme, we'll be investigating why we feel compelled to look at, and even seek out, bad news. And, as usual, we'll be learning some new vocabulary, as well. Sam But before that I have a question for you, Neil. Doomscrolling is a very modern idea which is only possible with the 24/7, non-stop cycle of news reporting. So, according to international news agency, Reuters, what has been the top global news story of 2023 so far? Is it: a) The war in Ukraine? b) Increasing prices and inflation?, or, c) Prince Harry's autobiography? Neil I think the answer is an issue that's affecting everyone - inflation. Sam OK, Neil. I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme. Now, it might be true that the non-stop news cycle makes doomscrolling possible, but that doesn't explain why we do it. Anthropologist Ella al-Shamahi thinks the answer may lie in human evolution. Here she outlines the problem for BBC Radio 4 programme, Why Do We Do That? Ella al-Shamahi We go searching out for bad news, looking for things that will make us feel ick inside. And so many of us do it. Is it a result of 24/7 doom on tap on our phones? Or, is it some kind of compulsion that comes from somewhere way, way back? Sam Reading bad news stories makes us feel ick - an informal American phrase which means feel sick, often because of something disgusting or disturbing. It's a feeling caused by the fact that, thanks to the internet, now we have the news on tap - easily available so that you can have as much of it as you want, whenever you want. Neil But Ella thinks that's not the whole story. There's another theory: way back in human history, when we lived in caves, it seemed everything could kill us, from wild animals to eating the wrong mushroom. Knowing what the dangers were, and how to avoid them, was vital to our survival, and from an evolutionary perspective, survival is everything. As a result, we humans naturally pay attention to the negative stuff, something Ella calls 'negativity bias'. Sam But while cavemen only knew what was happening in their local area, nowadays we know the bad news from all over the world. Here's Ella again, discussing this with her friend, TV presenter, Clara Amfo, for BBC Radio 4 programme, Why Do We Do That? Ella al-Shamahi Before it would be like, I don't know, I'm assuming you'd go to the neighbour's cave and they'd only know… the bad news from… that particular mountain. Whereas now, it's like, 'Let me tell you about the really bad information and situation that's going on in some island somewhere…'. It's just the good news doesn't make up for it… Clara Amfo It really doesn't, and I think trauma's romanticised, really. 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger', 'this is a test'. I think we're conditioned to believe that negative experiences shape us more than joyous ones. Neil Reading bad news from around the world can depress us, and Ella thinks that the little good news we do hear doesn't make up for the depressing news. To make up for something means to compensate for something bad with something good. Sam Good news is hard to find. In fact, Clara thinks society has romanticised bad, traumatic news. If you romanticise something, you talk about it in a way that makes it sound better than it really is. Connected to this is the saying, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger', meaning that by going through difficult experiences in life, people build up strength and resilience for the future. Neil Maybe it's best to stop doomscrolling altogether, but with so much bad news pouring into our mobile phones every day, it's not easy. Sam OK, it's time to reveal the answer to my question, Neil. I asked you what news agency, Reuters, considers the top news story of 2023 so far. Neil And I guessed it was b) inflation. Sam Which was… the correct answer, although there's still plenty of time for 2023 to bring us more doom, hopefully along with a little positivity too. OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned from this programme about doomscrolling - spending lots of time reading bad news stories on your phone. Neil Feeling ick is American slang for feeling sick, often because of something disgusting or disturbing. 📝 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 talking to strangers 'It's good to talk', so some people say. When I commute into London, there are certainly plenty of people conversing on their mobile phones – sometimes too loudly – discussing and sharing personal details with a friend. For me, it's strange that they talk as though the person is sitting next to them, when they don't even acknowledge the person who is actually sitting beside them. Many of us spend part of each day surrounded by strangers, whether on our daily commute, or sitting in a park or a cafe. But most of them remain just that – strangers. However, new evidence has shown that plucking up the courage to strike up a conversation might be good for our health. Nicholas Epley from the University of Chicago and Juliana Schroeder from the University of California are behavioural scientists. They looked at this silent relationship and whether solitude is a more positive experience than interacting with strangers, or if people misunderstand the consequences of distant social connections. They found that many people feel uncomfortable and intimidated talking to others and their research suggested that when we make an initial conversation, "we consistently underestimate how much a new person likes us." It seems we carry a negative voice in our head telling us all the things that could go wrong and why someone wouldn't want to converse with us. Their research involved an experiment with a group of Chicago commuters and found that "every participant in our experiment who actually tried to talk to a stranger found the person sitting next to them was happy to chat." From this and other research, the conclusion is that connecting with strangers is surprisingly pleasant and it has a positive impact on our wellbeing. Gillian Sandstrom, a social psychologist from Essex University in the UK, told the BBC that "people are in a better mood after they reach out and have a conversation, however minimal." It's true that talking can make you feel happier and happiness can lead to better mental health. However, if you're an introvert, the thought of speaking to someone new might make you anxious. But the American research found "both extroverts and introverts are happier when they are asked to behave in an extroverted manner." So maybe, if you're a loner, it's time to come out of your shell and make some small talk with a stranger – it could be the beginning of a new friendship. 词汇表 commute [kəˈmjuːt] 通勤，上下班往返 converse [kənˈvɜːs] 交谈，谈话 pluck up the courage [plʌk] 鼓起勇气 strike up a conversation [straɪk] 开启一段对话，开始交谈，搭话 solitude [ˈsɒlətjuːd] 独处，独居；孤独 distant social connection 浅层社交关系，弱社交连接 intimidated [ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪtɪd] 胆怯的，害怕的，畏缩的 consistently [kənˈsɪstəntli] 一贯地，始终如一地 underestimate [ˌʌndərˈestɪmeɪt] 低估，看轻 reach out 主动联系，主动交流 minimal [ˈmɪnɪməl] 极小的，极少的，最低限度的 introvert [ˈɪntrəvɜːt] 内向的人，性格内向者 extrovert [ˈekstrəvɜːt] 外向的人，性格外向者 loner [ˈləʊnə(r)] 独来独往的人，独行侠 come out of your shell [ʃel] 变得不再自闭，走出舒适区，融入外部世界（用来鼓励某人变得开朗起来，不再害羞或内向） small talk 闲聊，闲谈，寒暄 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What foods accelerate ageing? We all know that eating a balanced, nutrition-rich diet is one of the best ways to support healthy ageing. While ageing is a natural and inevitable process, the foods we choose can either help us slow its effects or speed them up. Some foods protect our cells, while others can do real harm, accelerating the ageing process both inside and out. And the number one enemy for your skin is sugar. It raises blood sugar levels, which leads to a process called glycation. What is glycation? This happens when sugar molecules bind to proteins in your body. This creates compounds that build up over time and cause damage. According to nutrition experts, these glycation end products can make tissues stiffer, leading to chronic disease, cardiovascular issues and accelerated ageing. They're also responsible for increasing wrinkles and dulling your skin tone, leaving it looking yellowish and tired. Limiting fast-digesting sugars like those in sweets, pastries and white bread can help you avoid these effects and keep your skin healthier for longer. Are there other foods to avoid? Yes, and this time we're talking about a whole category of foods, processed fats. These include margarine, palm oil, fried food and deli meats, staples of many ultra-processed products. These fats are often cheaper and more readily used by manufacturers, but can wreak havoc on your health. The World Health Organization, WHO, warns that these fats can clog arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks and early death. Cutting down on processed fats is a smart move for both your overall health and your skin's longevity. What about salt? Salt is another one to watch out for. While it is an essential mineral, too much of it can dehydrate your cells, causing wrinkles and making your skin look fatigued. Reducing salt in your diet can help your skin retain its elasticity and vitality. And alcohol? Alcohol has a similar effect. Drinking more than two glasses a day can dehydrate and damage cells, both inside your body and in your skin. Over time, this can lead to premature signs of ageing, from dryness to fine lines. Is there any good news? Yes, many foods help fight ageing. These include red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, leafy green vegetables such as cabbage and oily fish such as sardines. There you have it. 词汇表 nutrition-rich [njuˈtrɪʃn rɪtʃ] 营养丰富的 cell [sel] 细胞 blood sugar level 血糖水平 glycation [ɡlaɪˈkeɪʃn] 糖化，糖化作用（指糖分子与蛋白质等结合形成糖化产物的过程） sugar molecule [ˈmɒlɪkjuːl] 糖分子 bind to [baɪnd] 与…结合，绑定到 compound [ˈkɒmpaʊnd] 化合物 build up 积累，积聚，增进 stiff [stɪf] 僵硬的，不易弯曲的 cardiovascular [ˌkɑːdiəʊˈvæskjələ(r)] 心血管的 wrinkle [ˈrɪŋkl] 皱纹，褶皱 dull your skin tone [dʌl][təʊn] 使肤色暗沉，使肤色失去光泽 yellowish [ˈjeləʊɪʃ] 微黄色的，发黄的 pastry [ˈpeɪstri] 油酥糕点，点心 processed fats [prəˈsesft fæts] 加工脂肪 margarine [ˌmɑːdʒəˈriːn] 人造黄油，人造奶油 palm oil [pɑːm] 棕榈油 deli meat [ˈdeli] 熟食肉类（如火腿、香肠、熏肉等） staple [ˈsteɪpl] 主要成分，主要产品，主食 ultra-processed [ˌʌltrə prəˈsesft] 超加工的 wreak havoc [riːk ˈhævək] 造成严重破坏，肆虐 clog arteries [klɒɡ ˈɑːtəriz] 堵塞动脉 mineral [ˈmɪnərəl] 矿物质，矿物 dehydrate [diːˈhaɪdreɪt] 使脱水，使失去水分 retain [rɪˈteɪn] 保持，维持 elasticity [ˌiːlæˈstɪsəti] 弹性，弹力，灵活性 vitality [vaɪˈtæləti] 活力，生命力 premature [ˈpremətʃə(r); ˌpriːməˈtjʊə(r)] 过早的，提早的 fine line 细纹；微小的差别 raspberry [ˈrɑːzbəri] 树莓，覆盆子 blueberry [ˈbluːbəri] 蓝莓 leafy [ˈliːfi] 多叶的，叶子茂密的 oily fish [ˈɔɪli] 油性鱼类（富含Omega-3脂肪酸的鱼类） sardine [ˌsɑːˈdiːn] 沙丁鱼 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Our Need for Connection One of the cruellest aspects of mental illness is that it strips us of any ability to believe that other people might be suffering in the way we are. We aren't being wilfully egocentric or arrogant; we are condemned by our illness to a feeling that we are uniquely pitiful, uniquely unacceptable, uniquely awful. The central legacy of mental illness, and a major contributor to our suicidal impulses, is a feeling of exceptionalism. We start to run away from other people. Gatherings become impossible – for we grow preemptively terrified of the presumed invulnerability and judgmentalness of those we might meet. We can't possibly make small talk or concentrate on what someone else is saying, when our heads are filled with catastrophic scenarios and an intrusive voice is telling us that we should die. There seems no compact or acceptable way to share with old friends what we have been going through: they knew us as chatty and optimistic. What would they make of the tortured characters we have become? We start to assume that no one on Earth could possibly know – let alone accept – what it is like to be us. This is especially tragic because the central cure for mental illness is company. Our disease denies us access to precisely what we most need in order to get better. In 1891, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler exhibited "The Disappointed Souls". Five figures are pictured in varied states of dejection. We don't know quite what has gone wrong in their lives, but Hodler's talent invites us to imagine possibilities: a marriage here, a social disgrace there, a depression, a feeling of overwhelming anxiety… However awful the individual stories might be, the true horror of the painting emerges from the way each crisis is unfolding in complete isolation from its neighbours. The disconsolate figures are only millimetres away from one another, but they might as well be in other countries. No fellowship seems possible in this insular hell. Sadness has wrapped each sufferer up in a pitiless sense of their own singularity. Hodler wasn't painting any one scene, he intended his work as an allegory of modern society as a whole, with its absence of community, its lonely cities and its alienating technologies. But in this very depiction lies the possibility of redemption. We will start to heal when we realise that we are in fact always extremely close to someone who is as wretched as we are. We should hence be able to reach out to a similarly broken neighbour and lament in unison. We should learn to come together for a very particular kind of social occasion whose whole focus would be an exchange of notes on the misery and lacerations of existence. In an ideal gathering of the unwell, in a comfortable safe room, we would take it in turns to reveal to one another the torments in our minds. Each of us would detail the latest challenges. We'd hear of how others were going through sleepless nights, were unable to eat, were too terrified to go outside, were hearing voices and had to fight against constant impulses to kill themselves. The material would be dark – no doubt, but to hear it would be a balm for our stricken lonely souls. Ideally, we would keep meeting the same people, week after week – so that our lives would grow entwined with theirs and we could exchange mutual support as we travelled through the valleys of sickness. We would know who was in particular difficulty, who needed tenderness and who might benefit from an ordinary-sounding chat about the garden or the weather. It isn't possible that we are as alone as we currently feel. There are fellow creatures among the seven billion of our species. They are there – but we have lost all confidence in our right to find them. We should dare to believe that a fellow disappointed soul is right now sitting next to us on the bench, waiting for us to make a sign. 🏫字数限制，词汇表、翻译，视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

What happens when your job is just too boring? We all know that having too much work and too much stress can lead to burnout, but did you know that the opposite can also be a problem? Have you ever felt that your job was too easy and that everything was just a bit too boring? If so, you might be suffering from rust out. Rust out happens when there isn't enough challenge to motivate you to keep going in your job. Without some challenge, it can be hard to feel growth in your role. If a job has lots of repetitive and monotonous tasks, it can make it hard to see the purpose of a role. Having a lower level of responsibility at work than before can also make it harder to feel fulfilled in a job. This can affect people who have taken time out from their career for family or personal reasons. If you think that you might be suffering from rust out, then there are a number of signs to watch out for. You might dread finding your schedule each week and not seeing anything stimulating on it. It might be that you often find yourself clock-watching at work, willing the time to pass. Focus and motivation can drop, leading you to get less done than you had before, or to make more mistakes. You may start to feel apathetic and disengaged towards your job. These feelings can lead to anxiety and depression which can then spread from work into people's personal lives. Finding yourself suffering from rust out can sometimes be an opportunity. Some experts suggest that self-awareness is key. By taking some time to realise what you are really looking for in work and life, you can take steps to re-discover your motivation. Setting yourself goals and allowing yourself to try new things can help you find a new purpose. Considering what you really need for a job can also lead you to find a new one that's better suited to your goals in life. 词汇表 burnout [ˈbɜːnaʊt] 职业倦怠（因长期工作压力过大导致的身心疲惫状态） rust out [rʌst aʊt] 职业钝化（因工作缺乏挑战性、过于单调而导致的工作热情减退状态） repetitive [rɪˈpetətɪv] 重复的，反复的 monotonous [məˈnɒtənəs] 单调乏味的，一成不变的 take time out 暂别，抽出时间 watch out for 留意，提防，当心 dread [dred] 害怕，畏惧，担心 stimulating [ˈstɪmjuleɪtɪŋ] 激励人的，振奋人心的，激发热情的 clock-watch [klɒk wɒtʃ] （尤指盼着下班）不停地看表，紧盯时间 motivation [ˌməʊtɪˈveɪʃn] 积极性，动力，动机 apathetic [ˌæpəˈθetɪk] 冷漠的，无动于衷的，漠不关心的 disengaged [ˌdɪsɪnˈɡeɪdʒd] 疏离的，脱离的，不投入的 self-awareness [ˌself əˈweənəs] 自我觉察，自我意识，自我认知 re-discover [ˌriːdɪˈskʌvə(r)] 重新发现，再次找到 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Battle with the King of Storms: Super Typhoon Ragasa Host: With wind gusts of 200 kilometers per hour and torrential rain, Ragasa has been called the worst storm of the year. And it's now approaching our correspondent Laura Bicker, who's in Zhuhai on the Chinese coast. Laura Bicker: There have been mass evacuations. Around 400,000 people have been evacuated right across this densely populated province. This is a province where most of the things that are made in China come from huge factories. And in Shenzhen, that's a major technology hub. So that's one of the other concerns. The rainfall is another concern. We're expecting here around a month's worth of rain in just a few days, and it's falling on already saturated ground after previous storms in the last month. Red alerts have been issued in mountain regions for landslips, and people are being urged to stay inside if possible. We're seeing a lot of people heeding that advice. For those who are not, I'm watching right now the police patrolling the streets with their sirens and megaphones, telling people to stay inside. We are actually just in the lobby of a hotel, so we're not really outside, we're just in the lobby of the hotel, but still you can feel those gusts of winds and see the huge swathes of rain that are battering this coastline. Host: Absolutely, it sounds like you're really in the thick of it despite being indoors, as you say. Now, the region is used to storms, but does it feel like they're getting worse? Laura Bicker: Well, I think that's one of the concerns of China's weather experts. They're monitoring all of this carefully, and they have said in recent years that the typhoons are increasing in intensity. This one they're describing as the king of storms. I think what's also really evident since I've been here in the last two days is China's preparedness for these kind of events. They really take it very seriously. Local neighbourhood watches go around telling restaurants to close for the day, making sure that families have somewhere to go. Every building that's above 10 floors everyone's evacuated, low-lying areas are evacuated. It's all very smooth, very organized, so they are very used to this. And perhaps now that, certainly, when you see your climate warnings from China's meteorological administration, this is something that they may have to get used to more of in the future. Host: Laura Bicker reporting. 词汇表 Super Typhoon Ragasa [taɪˈfuːn rəˈɡɑːsə] 超强台风“桦加沙” wind gusts / gusts of winds [ɡʌsts] 阵风，狂风（短时间内突然变强的风） torrential rain [təˈrenʃl] 倾盆大雨，暴雨 mass evacuations [mæs ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃnz] 大规模疏散 evacuate [ɪˈvækjueɪt] （从危险的地方）疏散，撤离，转移 densely populated [ˈdensli ˈpɒpjuleɪtɪd] 人口稠密的，人口密集的 technology hub [hʌb] 技术中心 saturated ground [ˈsætʃəreɪtɪd] 浸透的土地，饱和的土壤 red alerts [əˈlɜːts] 红色警报（最高级别警报） landslip [ˈlændslɪp] 山体滑坡，塌方 urge [ɜːdʒ] 敦促，力劝 heed the advice [hiːd] 听从建议 patrol [pəˈtrəʊl] 巡逻，巡查 siren [ˈsaɪrən] 警笛，警报器 megaphone [ˈmeɡəfəʊn] 扩音器，喇叭 lobby [ˈlɒbi] （酒店、办公楼等的）大堂，大厅 swathes of rain [sweɪðz] 大片的雨水，雨幕连绵 batter [ˈbætə(r)] 猛烈冲击，连续猛打，肆虐 coastline [ˈkəʊstlaɪn] 海岸线 in the thick of 处于…的核心地带，深陷于（形容身处事件最激烈、最关键的场景中） monitor [ˈmɒnɪtə(r)] 监测，监控，密切注视 intensity [ɪnˈtensəti] 强度；强烈，剧烈 neighbourhood watch 社区巡逻队，邻里守望组织 low-lying areas [ləʊ ˈlaɪɪŋ ˈeəriəz] 低洼地区，地势较低的地区 meteorological administration [ˌmiːtiərəˈlɒdʒɪkl ədˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃn] 气象局 🌟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】

Do our tastes change as we get older? Think back to when you were a kid and there was a type of vegetable you simply wouldn't go near let alone eat. It might have been broccoli, brussel sprouts or spinach for example. Or perhaps another type of food like seafood, which now as an adult you actually quite like. Or can tolerate at least. It's not a coincidence. There are scientific explanations for why our taste preferences evolve with time. What tastes do children actually like most then? Sweet and salty in particular. And it's possible that this is due to evolution. In concrete terms, human history has led us to be wary of bitter tastes and to seek out sweet tastes instead. That's because sugary foods are seen as attractive for their energy content, whereas bitterness is linked to substances found in toxic products. Hence the negative association and our inclination to avoid it at an early age. Another explanation is that children live in different sensory worlds. To use the words of biopsychologist Julia Minella, as quoted by Discover magazine in March 2022, a lot of researchers think that children have a hypersensitive sense of taste. No doubt the fact that young children start out with 10,000 taste buds has something to do with it. A number which halves by the time we reach adulthood. Does this hypersensitivity decrease with age then? Indeed it does, and that process starts as early as in our teenage years. Our sensitivity to bitterness diminishes, we have less of a preference for sweet and salty foods, and our tastes become more complex as our senses of taste and smell evolve. Our brain starts perceiving flavors differently as we develop our taste experiences. Taste buds die and regenerate approximately every 10 days, but as we age they don't regenerate at the same rate. That's why you see a gradual loss of appetite and food enjoyment in older people. Do other factors play a role in changing our food preferences? In general, our sense of smell gets less sensitive with age, which alters our perception of flavours. Taking certain medication, like those for high blood pressure for example, can also alter our taste. And as you've no doubt heard in recent years, certain viruses like COVID-19 can affect our senses of smell and taste. Think back to our episode on anosmia, which refers to a loss of smell. The equivalent term for a loss of taste is agusia. Finally, dysgusia is a taste disorder characterized by a bitter or metallic taste in the mouth. It can change a person's sense of taste to the extent that they suddenly stop liking a type of food they used to love. There you have it. 词汇表 broccoli [ˈbrɒkəli] 西兰花，花椰菜 brussel sprouts [ˈbrʌsl spaʊts] 抱子甘蓝，球芽甘蓝 spinach [ˈspɪnɪdʒ] 菠菜 seafood [ˈsiːfuːd] 海鲜，海产食品 taste preferences [ˈprefrənsɪz] 口味偏好 in concrete terms [ˈkɒŋkriːt] 具体来说，具体而言 be wary of [ˈweəri] 对…保持警惕，提防 sugary food [ˈʃʊɡəri] 含糖食物，甜食 bitterness [ˈbɪtənəs] 苦味，苦涩感 negative association [əˌsəʊsiˈeɪʃn] 负面联想，负相联 inclination [ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃn] 倾向，偏好，意愿 sensory world [ˈsensəri] 感官世界（指与我们的感觉器官相关的现象和体验） biopsychologist [ˌbaɪəʊsaɪˈkɒlədʒɪst] 生物心理学家 hypersensitive [ˌhaɪpəˈsensətɪv] 高灵敏度的，非常敏感的 taste bud [bʌd] 味蕾 hypersensitivity [ˌhaɪpəˌsensəˈtɪvəti] 高灵敏度，超敏反应 sensitivity [ˌsensəˈtɪvəti] 灵敏度，敏感性 diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] 减少，降低，逐渐消失 regenerate [rɪˈdʒenəreɪt] 再生，重新生长 loss of appetite [ˈæpɪtaɪt] 食欲不振，食欲减退 sensitive [ˈsensətɪv] 敏感的，灵敏的 perception of flavour [pəˈsepʃn][ˈfleɪvə] 味觉感知，风味感知 equivalent [ɪˈkwɪvələnt] 等同物，对应物 anosmia (loss of smell) [əˈnɒzmiə] 嗅觉丧失 ageusia (loss of taste) [əˈɡjuːziə] 味觉丧失 dysgusia (taste disorder) [dɪsˈɡjuːziə] 味觉障碍（指口中出现异常味觉，常伴有食欲减退） metallic [məˈtælɪk] 金属的，含金属的 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】