英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等 - 节目列表

What is hobby dating? Perhaps you've already experienced that awkward feeling on a 1st date when you don't really know what to say to each other. Having a drink or going to a restaurant are great activities, but they don't always add much to the conversation. So if you run out of questions, you're often just left staring into each other's eyes and hoping for an opportunity to arise so that you might make a quick getaway. But this might be soon a thing of the past, with the rise of the hobby date. In other words, a date organized around an activity. What does this involve? The idea is to introduce your date to something that you already enjoy and share the experience together. This can take completely different forms depending on each person's taste. It might be a cultural outing to a museum, a hike in nature, an arts and crafts class or even a cookery lesson. The idea is to choose an activity that you love or are curious about, and then invite your partner to take part in it with you. Let's say you book a beginner painting course. It's fun, creative, and creates an opportunity for you to have a shared experience, and so, as well as creating a new memory together, it also allows you to see your date in a different context to the usual 1st date venue. Didn't this already exist before? Yes, hobby dating is not new, but it has seen a surge in popularity, and that might be down to COVID. During the various confinements, many people experimented with new activities as a way of keeping themselves busy and passing the time. But although the lockdown ended, our interest in our new hobbies continued. Namie Walkland, the vice president of Bumble in Europe, noticed that before the pandemic, the norm was to meet up in a bar or cafe, but that nowadays, people are keen to share their interests from the get go. Consequently on Bumble, the dating app, you can now indicate what your hobbies are. So whether you're into cookery, photography, or crafting, you can share your interests with your potential partner and hopefully avoid those awkward 1st dates. Do some activities stand out? Yes and no. It depends on the country and the kind of place people are meeting, in cities, cultural events are very popular, and those living in nature, choose more sporty events. In the USA, hobbies such as DIY, arts and crafts, and board games have seen the biggest rise in popularity. There you have it. 词汇表 getaway [ˈɡetəweɪ] n. 逃离，逃离，脱身 hobby date 爱好约会（以共同兴趣活动为主的约会方式） outing [ˈaʊtɪŋ] n. 短途旅行，外出游玩 arts and crafts 手工艺，工艺美术 cookery [ˈkʊkəri] n. 烹饪，烹调 venue [ˈvenjuː] n. 场所，聚会地点 surge in popularity [sɜːdʒ] 人气飙升，迅速走红 be down to 归因于，由于 confinement [kənˈfaɪnmənt] n. 封锁，禁闭，限制 pass the time 消磨时间，打发时间 lockdown [ˈlɒkdaʊn] n. 封锁，禁闭 norm [nɔːm] n. 常态，规范，惯例 be keen to [kiːn] 热衷于，渴望 indicate [ˈɪndɪkeɪt] vt. 表明，标示，显示 stand out 突出，显眼，引人注目 board games 棋盘游戏，桌游 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Can you learn to love the foods you hate? Neil Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Becca And I'm Becca. Neil, are there any foods that you used to really hate in the past but now don't mind? Neil Yes, actually. There's a Japanese food called umeboshi which, when I first tried it, I really didn't like. But after a while, I got used to it and actually, now, I really love it. How about you? Becca A similar story to me with olives. I used to really hate olives but, as I've grown older, I've also grown to love them. Neil Well, in this episode, we'll be learning from food experts about why there are some foods we just hate, and whether it's possible to learn to love them. OK, the question for you, Becca. What word means to have a fear of new things, such as trying new foods? Is it: a) aerophobia, b) claustrophobia, or c) neophobia? Becca Well, Neil, I'll go for c) neophobia, because neo sounds like 'new'. Neil That's clever thinking but let's see. Now though, back to food. Some experts have said that we can teach ourselves to like new things. Ruth Alexander asks Dr Dana Small of McGill University where our dislike of certain foods comes from in this BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain. Ruth Alexander Are food dislikes learned or genetic, hard-wired in some way? Dr Dana Small Ah, both! So, there's many reasons why you can dislike a food. For example, you could, via genetics, smell coriander or taste coriander differently. Uh so, that's genetic. But there's also a really strong learning component. Becca Dana explains that how we taste or smell something can be different depending on our genetics. However, how we taste or smell something can also be learnt. Neil Ruth asked if a dislike for certain food is hard-wired, and Dana confirmed that this is sometimes the case. The adjective hard-wired describes automatically thinking or behaving in a particular way, for instance, because it's genetic. Becca And Dana says that you could taste food differently to others via genetics. The preposition via means by the way of or by the use of. For example, I get to work via a train. Neil So, there are lots of different reasons why we dislike some foods, but can we change that? Let's listen to Dietitian Claire Thornton Wood explaining on the BBC World Service programme, The Food Chain. Claire Thornton Wood One of the really good techniques that we might use is something called masking, where you dip a food that you don't like into something that you do like. For those parents who really say they like everything, we actually get chocolate-covered insects and we offer those and actually people do eat them and try them. And I think it's the concept that it's an insect, but usually they find that once they eat it, there isn't anything inherently unpleasant about it. It's a little bit like eating just a bit of crunchy chocolate. Becca Claire uses masking. Masking is the act of stopping something from being seen. In Claire's clinic, she masks the disliked foods with something that is liked. Neil Yes, and what parents usually find out is that the food they dislike isn't inherently bad. The adverb inherently describes something that exists in a way which is natural or essential. So, insects aren't inherently unpleasant to eat, some of us think they are because the concept of eating them could be strange to us culturally. Becca We talked about how people sometimes fear trying new food. Claire talks about where these fears might come from. Claire Thorton Wood For instance, just say that you had eaten prawns in the past and you had become unwell from eating them, you know, you had what you call a dodgy prawn. There's a good chance that you might actually associate that with eating the prawn and think, oh, I don't want to eat the prawn again because it's going to make me unwell. So, that's a sort of fear-based avoidance. Neil Claire said that you're likely to have a fear of a food if you've had a bad experience with it. She uses the example of eating a dodgy prawn, which would make you unwell. If something is dodgy, it's generally bad or has a bad reputation. But when we talk about food, it could mean that it's undercooked, old or has been left out, therefore making you sick. Becca In fact, we may avoid dodgy things. To avoid is to keep away from something. So, avoidance is the act of keeping away. Now, Neil, that reminds me of the question you asked earlier. Neil Ah yes. I asked you what word means to have a fear of new things, and you answered c) neophobia. And, Becca, I'm pleased to say your answer was correct! Becca So, my thinking was right! That's great. Now let's have a recap of the language we've learnt in this episode, starting with hard-wired, which describes automatically thinking or behaving in a particular way, because of genetics, for example. 📝 字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

How birth order could affect your health Host: Birth order has fascinated scientists for decades, with questions over whether it affects traits like intellect and personality. But new research suggests it could actually impact your health. A study involving more than 10 million Americans found associations with everything from anxiety to autism. One of the authors is Ben Kramer from the University of Chicago. He spoke to Shaun Ley. Ben: Siblings act as a natural experiment because they share genetic data, but we know they have different environments. However, when we compare siblings to one another within family, we can control for anything that they share by virtue of being in the same family, like household socioeconomic status, shared parental genetics, and parenting style. Shaun: Around 400 or so medical conditions which you looked at, I think 150 showed an association with birth order. Can you explain that? Ben: We can't claim causality. We can only claim that there is an association between a lot of diseases and birth order. These are population-level associations, not individual predictions, but it helps us see different patterns in large data sets. The allergy results are a strong example of the biological validity of the data set, and that later-born children have lower odds of allergic rhinitis, food allergy, and asthma, which typically fits the idea that early microbial exposure from older siblings may shape immune development. Another striking finding is that substance abuse had significant excess in the second born child. So there may be some sort of first born influence on the second born child in terms of using and abusing substances. Shaun: One of the examples that you quote in this research is that older children or the oldest child in a family might be statistically more likely to suffer from diseases like psychiatric illnesses, for example. Is there any explanation of why that might be or any factors you can rule out? Ben: A plausible biological explanation is that first pregnancies may physiologically be different from later ones. The maternal immune system and placenta are adapting to pregnancy for the first time and later pregnancies may benefit from biological memory which could modestly affect early brain development. Shaun: Do you think this kind of research could eventually provide something really quite helpful for parents when they're bringing up families of multiple children? Ben: These large data sets are really good for looking at patterns and from those patterns we can kind of do deeper dives into even different variables relating to the siblings, like how age gap might affect disease. And once confirmed, they can lead to real-world intervention, talking about how certain behavioral aspects of raising a child might lessen the burden of certain incidents for disease. 词汇表 autism [ˈɔːtɪzəm] n. 自闭症，孤独症 sibling [ˈsɪblɪŋ] n. 兄弟姐妹 genetic data [dʒəˈnetɪk] 基因数据，遗传数据 by virtue of [ˈvɜːtʃuː] 由于，凭借，因为 household socioeconomic status [ˈhaʊshəʊld ˌsəʊsɪəʊˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈsteɪtəs] 家庭社会经济地位 parenting style [ˈpeərəntɪŋ] 养育方式，育儿风格 causality [kɔːˈzæləti] n. 因果关系，因果性 population-level adj. 群体层面的，人口层面的 validity [vəˈlɪdəti] n. 有效性，正确性 odds [ɒdz] n. 可能性，几率 allergic rhinitis [əˈlɜːdʒɪk raɪˈnaɪtɪs] 过敏性鼻炎 food allergy [ˈælədʒi] 食物过敏 asthma [ˈæsmə] n. 哮喘，气喘 microbial exposure [maɪˈkrəʊbiəl ɪkˈspəʊʒə(r)] 微生物暴露 striking [ˈstraɪkɪŋ] adj. 显著的，引人注目的 substance abuse [ˈsʌbstəns əˈbjuːs] 物质滥用，药物滥用 psychiatric [ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk] adj. 精神病的，精神病学的 rule out 排除，消除 plausible [ˈplɔːzəbl] adj. 貌似合理的，可信的 pregnancy [ˈpreɡnənsi] n. 怀孕，妊娠 physiologically [ˌfɪziəˈlɒdʒɪkli] adv. 生理上，生理学方面 maternal [məˈtɜːnl] adj. 母体的，母亲的，母性的 placenta [pləˈsentə] n. 胎盘 modestly [ˈmɒdɪstli] adv. 适度地，轻微地 bring up 养育，抚养 dive [daɪv] n. 深入探究，投入，钻研 variable [ˈveəriəbl] n. 变量，可变因素 age gap [ɡæp] 年龄差距 confirm [kənˈfɜːm] vt. 证实，确认 intervention [ˌɪntəˈvenʃn] n. 干预，介入 lessen [ˈlesn] vt. 减轻，减少 🌟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】

World's longest coastal path opened by King Charles Its length isn't what makes the path special, says Natural England's Neil Constable, who led the project. For him, the important thing is it means you can now reach the coast anywhere in England, turn left or right, and follow the sea for as long as you like. Creating the route has taken 18 years, an act of parliament, and extensive planning and construction. More than a thousand miles of new path have been built, with upgrades such as boardwalks and bridges. New legal provisions mean the route can also adapt to climate change, shifting inland as erosion and rising seas reshape the coastline. 词汇表 coastal path [ˈkəʊstl pɑːθ] 沿海步道，海岸路径 act of parliament [ˈpɑːləmənt] 议会法案 extensive [ɪkˈstensɪv] adj. 广泛的，大量的 upgrade [ˈʌpɡreɪd] n. 升级，改善 boardwalk [ˈbɔːdwɔːk] n. （沿海滩的）木栈道，木板路 legal provisions [ˈliːɡl prəˈvɪʒənz] 法律条文，法律规定 shift inland [ʃɪft ˈɪnlənd] 向内陆迁移 erosion [ɪˈrəʊʒən] n. 侵蚀，腐蚀 reshape [ˌriːˈʃeɪp] vt. 重塑，改变…的形状 coastline [ˈkəʊstlaɪn] n. 海岸线 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

How micro-dramas could revolutionise our viewing habits Streaming video platforms have given filmmakers massive budgets and allowed them to make creative and artistic films and series free of the restrictions of cinema or broadcast time slots. But, maybe, just maybe, not everyone wants a three-hour long work of creative genius. Minute-long micro-dramas are taking the entertainment market by storm. Perhaps most people are looking for something that they can squeeze into their everyday life. Micro-dramas cater perfectly for this need. It's not just that you can watch them on your phone, they're made for it. They're shot in vertical format, so you don't even have to turn your phone round to start watching. Series are split into as many as a hundred short episodes, so they can fit into any spare downtime that you have. For this to work, it needs a new kind of programme. US tech company Quibi tried to use traditional Hollywood stars, and collapsed in less than a year, taking $1.75 billion dollars' worth of investment with it. Chinese start-up companies took a different approach, focusing on low-cost production and using analytics data and AI analysis to identify exactly what gets the audience to start watching, and then how to make the next episode feel unmissable. Billionaires, breakups and bust-ups: those are the key themes that get the audience watching. There isn't much room for nuance or slow-build character development in a micro-drama, but what is needed is drama. Rather than a subscription model, monetisation in the world of micro-dramas is often based on a freemium model. You can see enough episodes to get you hooked for free. But you need to buy credits to find out how the story ends. This means that dramatic cliffhangers are a commercial tool. These dramas are increasing in popularity around the world. There is also great potential to make money from advertising as audiences are highly engaged. After China, the US has become the biggest micro-drama market. Could it be that soon most of the drama we watch is on our phones in those minutes we find between our other daily tasks? 词汇表 revolutionise [ˌrevəˈluːʃənaɪz] vt. 使革命化，彻底改变 streaming [ˈstriːmɪŋ] n. 流媒体播放，在线播放 filmmaker [ˈfɪlmˌmeɪkə] n. 电影制作人，电影导演 massive budget [ˈmæsɪv ˈbʌdʒɪt] 巨额预算 broadcast time slots [slɒts] 播出时段，播送时间档 micro-dramas [ˈmaɪkrəʊ ˈdrɑːməz] n. 短剧，微短剧（单集时长极短、竖屏观看的剧集） take…by storm 席卷，风靡，大获成功 squeeze into [skwiːz] 融入，挤进，塞进（时间或空间） cater for [ˈkeɪtə] 迎合，满足（需求） vertical format [ˈvɜːtɪkəl ˈfɔːmæt] n. 竖屏格式，纵向形式 split into [splɪt] 分成，分割为，拆分为 downtime [ˈdaʊntaɪm] n. 空闲时间，休息时间 collapse [kəˈlæps] vi. （人或企业）崩溃，垮掉，倒闭 start-up [ˈstɑːt ʌp] adj. 初创的，启动阶段的 (data) analytics [ˌænəˈlɪtɪks] 数据分析，分析技术 unmissable [ʌnˈmɪsəbəl] adj. 不容错过的，非看不可的 breakup [ˈbreɪkʌp] n. 分手，关系破裂 bust-up [ˈbʌst ʌp] n. 激烈争吵，决裂 nuance [ˈnjuːɑːns] n. （感情等的）细微差别，微妙之处 slow-build [sləʊ bɪld] adj. 缓慢铺垫的，逐步发展的 subscription [səbˈskrɪpʃən] n. 订阅，订购 monetisation [ˌmʌnɪtaɪˈzeɪʃən] n. 变现，盈利化 freemium [ˈfriːmiəm] n. 免费增值模式（基本服务免费，高级功能收费） get someone hooked [hʊkt] 让某人上瘾，吸引住某人，使某人入迷 credit [ˈkredɪt] n. 积分，点数，代币 cliffhanger [ˈklɪfˌhæŋə] n. 悬念，扣人心弦的结尾 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What is cultural appropriation? Think of Katy Perry in her video for This Is How We Do, Madonna in a traditional Berber outfit at the 2018 VMA Awards, or Adele with her hair in bantu knots to mark Notting Hill Carnival. That's right, we're talking about cultural appropriation in today's episode. It's a practice which has caused regular controversy in the world of pop culture. Most often, white artists are accused of using ideas, symbols or other items which come from non-Western minority cultures. The definition of cultural appropriation itself is somewhat controversial, with many saying it is often misapplied by the general public. Its meaning has evolved over time to have negative connotations. It's problematic when someone belonging to a dominant community uses cultural elements from an oppressed people for their own artistic or commercial benefit. In 1976, art historian Kenneth Kutz Smith wrote one of the first essays to discuss cultural appropriation. He didn't actually use the term itself, but brought together the ideas of class appropriation and cultural colonialism. I don't understand the issue. What's wrong with mixing cultures? It can be okay to mix several cultures, as long as it is a true exchange and not a one-way street. In the case of cultural appropriation, the minority culture doesn't have the choice of accepting or refusing. In some cases, the original meaning of cultural items isn't respected, or the elements are used in a way that reinforces stereotypes. Concept applies to more or less the entire cultural landscape. In recent years, designers and fashion creators have also come under fire for supposed cultural appropriation. High-profile shows have seen white models sporting dreadlocks or wearing African wax prints. Meanwhile, at the same time in the fashion world, black models are underpaid or struggle to find work at all, so it's not an exchange on any level. Another historical case would be rock and roll. A style of music which was taken from black musicians in the 1950s, the white-dominated music industry chose to promote white artists instead, with Elvis being the most famous example. It's tough on modern-day cultural figures to have the weight of history on their shoulders, isn't it? What could they do differently? In such cases, one solution would be to create a kind of positive cultural appropriation. Why not collaborate with artists from the culture in question and come up with something creative rather than a cringeworthy imitation? It's possible to respectfully borrow elements from another culture with the intention of sharing ideas and diversifying one's understanding. There you have it! 词汇表 Berber outfit [ˈbɜːbə(r) ˈaʊtfɪt] 柏柏尔服饰（北非传统民族服装） bantu knots [ˈbæntuː nɒts] 班图结（源自非洲的传统发髻造型） Notting Hill Carnival [ˈnɒtɪŋ hɪl ˈkɑːnɪv(ə)l] 诺丁山狂欢节（伦敦年度加勒比文化庆典） cultural appropriation [əˌprəʊpriˈeɪʃn] 文化挪用（强势群体采用弱势群体文化元素的行为） controversy [ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi] n. 争议，争论 minority [maɪˈnɒrəti] n. 少数族裔，少数民族 misapply [ˌmɪsəˈplaɪ] vt. 误用，滥用 connotation [ˌkɒnəˈteɪʃn] n. 内涵，含义，隐含意义 problematic [ˌprɒbləˈmætɪk] adj. 有问题的，造成困难的 dominant [ˈdɒmɪnənt] adj. 主导的，占优势的，强势的 oppressed [əˈprest] adj. 受压迫的，受压制的 bring together 结合，融合（不同元素） class appropriation [əˌprəʊpriˈeɪʃn] 阶级挪用（统治阶级挪用被统治阶级的文化元素） cultural colonialism [kəˈləʊniəlɪzəm] 文化殖民主义 one-way street 单行道，单向行为（指只有一方受益的交流） reinforce stereotypes [ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs ˈsteriətaɪps] 强化刻板印象 more or less 或多或少，大致上，几乎 come under fire 遭受批评，受到抨击 supposed [səˈpəʊzd] adj. 假定的，所谓的，据说的 high-profile [ˌhaɪ ˈprəʊfaɪl] adj. 备受瞩目的，高调的 dreadlock [ˈdredlɒk] n. 脏辫（一种将头发缠成绳状的发型） wax prints [wæks prɪnts] n. 蜡染印花（非洲传统印花布料） underpaid [ˌʌndəˈpeɪd] adj. 报酬过低的，酬不抵劳的 rock and roll 摇滚乐 cringeworthy [ˈkrɪndʒwɜːði] adj. 令人尴尬的，让人难堪的 borrow [ˈbɒrəʊ] vt. 借用，借鉴，引入 diversify [daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪ] vt. 使多样化，丰富 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

The future of food Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Pippa And I'm Pippa. Many of us don't think twice about where the food in our kitchen comes from. One trip to the supermarket and we can buy anything we want, whether that's fruit grown in South America, tomatoes from Spain or rice flown in from Asia. Do you know where the food you buy comes from, Neil? Neil I try to pay attention and buy stuff that's locally produced, but actually, sometimes I don't really look. How about you? Pippa I actually have a calendar on my kitchen wall, which tells me which fruits and vegetables are grown at what times of year. Neil The reality is that the supply of fresh food to the UK is fragile. The UK imports around 40% of its food, and this supply chain can easily be disrupted by wars, shortages and, increasingly, by climate change. In fact, the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently reported on the importance of food security – the term for having a reliable enough supply of affordable, healthy food to feed everyone. Pippa In this episode, we'll be investigating the issues affecting food production in the UK. Neil But first, of course, Pippa, I have a quiz question for you. I mentioned that Britain imports 40% of its food from other producers, mostly in Europe. But which European country does the UK import the most food from? Is it: a) France, b) the Netherlands, or c) Ireland? Pippa Hmm. I've seen the Netherlands on a lot of food packaging in the UK, so I'm going to say b) the Netherlands. Neil OK. Well, we'll find out if you're right later in the programme. According to the UK government's recent report, there are many issues affecting Britain's food supply: geopolitical conflicts like those in Ukraine and Iran, droughts and water shortages, loss of biodiversity caused by climate change... the list goes on and on. Here, climate reporter Mark Poynting discusses the report's conclusions with BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme. Mark Poynting And it really draws on scientific research to come up with what it calls a reasonable worst-case scenario for how biodiversity loss could affect UK security. And its conclusions are really quite stark. The first line of the report says, "Global ecosystem degradation and collapse threatens the UK's national security." Pippa The report describes a worst-case scenario where Britain runs out of food. A worst-case scenario is the worst possible thing that could happen in a particular situation. Neil Mark says the report's conclusions are stark – an adjective which in this case means obvious or severe. Pippa Another problem with food security relates to climate change. Carbon emissions from food production make up around a third of all greenhouse gases, from the diesel used to drive tractors, to fertilisers, to cows and sheep producing methane. Emma Pinchbeck is the chief executive of the UK's Climate Change Committee. She spoke about this problem with BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme. Emma Pinchbeck The biggest chunk of emissions from agriculture comes from simply having livestock on the land. That's the bit of the puzzle that we need to think about going forward. And in the way that we've thought about it, for every cow or sheep we take off the land, we put on something else. And what that does overall is it makes farmers and landowners part of the solution to climate change, not the problem. Neil Livestock – that's farm animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs – contribute most of the carbon emissions from agriculture. Moving towards a sustainable food supply involves reducing the amount of meat and dairy we eat in favour of non-animal protein such as beans and lentils. Pippa Encouraging farmers and consumers to move away from meat is a piece of the puzzle, according to Emma. A piece of the puzzle means a part of the solution to a problem – in this case, the twin problems of food security and climate change. Neil Emma says it's important to think again about how farmland is used. For every cow or sheep taken off the land, something else, such as a fruit tree or vegetable crop, is put in its place. That way, farmers become part of the solution, not the problem – an idiom meaning that if you are not actively trying to fix a problem, you are helping it continue. Pippa Lots of ideas to chew over there, Neil. But now, isn't it time you revealed the answer to your question? Neil My question was, "Which European country does the UK import the most food from?" And you said b) the Netherlands… and you were absolutely correct, Pippa. It is the Netherlands. The UK imports £7.6 billion worth of imports, especially vegetables and dairy. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with food security – the situation where a country has a reliable enough supply of food to feed its population. 📝 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】

What can magic teach us about the brain You've probably seen the impossible happen, or at least thought you have. When a magician makes a card disappear, or throws a ball into the air, only for it to vanish, it seems that they are using amazing powers. But the magic isn't happening on stage. It's actually all inside your brain. These illusions work because of essential processes that happen in our brains. Our senses provide an enormous amount of information about our surroundings. Our brains have evolved ways of prioritising what's important. We tend to notice the things that are most significant and remember those which have most meaning for us. What we perceive that we see or remember that we saw is actually a mental image. These mental processes are exploited by illusionists to trick us into perceiving things in a particular way. In one famous trick, a ball is thrown into the air twice and caught and then vanishes into thin air on the third throw. This third throw is actually just a hand movement. Our brains predict that the ball will leave the magician's hand so we think we see it. The same process makes a dog run for a stick when we pretend to throw it. During a magic show, we are often manipulated to think that we have a freer choice than we actually do. Magician-turned-psychologist Gustav Kuhn highlights how a performer's gaze can direct our attention towards some things and divert it away from others. Even babies naturally tend to follow where someone is looking. Kuhn has become a researcher using the techniques behind different magic tricks to see what we can learn about how the brain works. He's even teamed up with a toy manufacturer to produce magic sets that explain our mental processes. Understanding these could be important because while magicians use these deceptions to entertain us, others use similar approaches to mislead us or spread disinformation. 词汇表 magician [məˈdʒɪʃən] n. 魔术师，变戏法的人 vanish [ˈvænɪʃ] vi. 消失，突然不见 illusion [ɪˈluːʒən] n. 错觉，幻觉，假象 prioritise [praɪˈɒrətaɪz] vt. 优先处理，确定优先顺序 perceive [pəˈsiːv] vt. 认为，感知，察觉 mental image 心理图像，脑海中的画面 exploit [ɪkˈsplɔɪt] vt. 利用，开发，发挥 illusionist [ɪˈluːʒənɪst] n. 幻术师，魔术师 trick someone into 诱使/欺骗某人做某事 vanish into thin air [ˈvænɪʃ] 凭空消失，化为乌有，消失得无影无踪 manipulate [məˈnɪpjuleɪt] vt. 操纵，控制，摆布 magician-turned-psychologist 魔术师出身的心理学家，从魔术师转型为心理学家的人 gaze [ɡeɪz] n. 凝视，注视，目光 divert [daɪˈvɜːt] vt. 分散，转移（注意力），使转向 magic tricks 魔术技巧，戏法 team up with 与…合作，联手 toy manufacturer [ˌmænjʊˈfæktʃərə] 玩具制造商 magic sets 魔术套装，魔术道具组 deception [dɪˈsepʃən] n. 欺骗，骗术，骗局 mislead [ˌmɪsˈliːd] vt. 误导，使误入歧途 disinformation [ˌdɪsɪnfəˈmeɪʃən] n. 虚假信息，假消息 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Why we run from the love we crave One of the most perplexing of all our behaviours is our tendency – in relationships – to flee from the warmth and affection it is so natural for us to want. In the face of someone who seems to like us very much, who smiles tenderly at us whenever we walk in the room and is interested in the details of our lives, some of us may respond in an extremely counterintuitive way: by feeling nauseous and (in time, probably) running away. To understand this kind of emotional avoidance, we might draw an analogy with food. Let's imagine someone who grew up in an impoverished setting with a severely restricted diet: they had no option but to get used to only the smallest meals. The only way to survive was to need nearly nothing. Their digestive system, having adapted to scarcity, cannot process the richness before them. The very sight of a full plate may generate anxiety; they may fall ill in the face of the plenty they had so long desired. So too in love, those among us who grew up in households where affection was severely rationed may principally have learnt to want very little from other people. When a partner expresses immense interest in our day, we may feel suffocated rather than cared for. When someone wants to spend every evening together, we can feel trapped rather than wanted. When our lover expresses admiration, we can experience inadequacy rather than satisfaction. Our discomfort is a central legacy and indicator of our deprivation. If we can accept that our condition isn't a sign of evil but simply the result of a certain sort of melancholy upbringing, we may develop the courage one day to explain the situation to a partner (and first, of course, to ourselves). We can, without shame, teach our beloved that the kindest thing they might be able to do for us is not to be too kind to us or at least not too soon; the most generous thing would be not to be too abundant. We want their love for sure, but we require it in very small doses and not all at once. We are going to need time on our own, there shouldn't be too many hugs, compliments should be spaced apart. Understanding why love has to be titrated like this helps to move our other partner away from feeling insulted, and then getting angry and perhaps resorting to pejorative descriptions of our avoidant condition (like commitment phobia or fear of intimacy). At the same time, the more we can we understand the genesis of our sense of being overwhelmed, the more we stand eventually to perceive that our caution has outlived its uses. We may be able to bear the ecstasy and plenitude of mutual love, we may no longer need to protect ourselves so assiduously against what nourishes and heals us. 词汇表 crave [kreɪv] vt. 渴望，热望 perplexing [pəˈpleksɪŋ] adj. 令人困惑的，费解的 flee from [fliː] 逃离，逃避 affection [əˈfekʃn] n. 喜爱，爱意，情感 tenderly [ˈtendəli] adv. 温柔地，体贴地 counterintuitive [ˌkaʊntərɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv] adj. 反直觉的，与预期相反的 nauseous [ˈnɔːziəs] adj. 感到恶心的，厌恶的，想作呕的 avoidance [əˈvɔɪdəns] n. 回避，逃避 draw an analogy [əˈnælədʒi] 打比方，作类比 impoverished setting [ɪmˈpɒvərɪʃt] 贫困的环境，匮乏的成长背景 digestive system [daɪˈdʒestɪv] 消化系统 scarcity [ˈskeəsəti] n. 匮乏，缺乏，不足 rationed [ˈræʃənd] adj. 定量配给的，限量供应的，匮乏的 principally [ˈprɪnsəpəli] adv. 主要地，根本上 immense [ɪˈmens] adj. 巨大的，极大的 suffocated [ˈsʌfəkeɪtɪd] adj. 窒息的，被压抑的 inadequacy [ɪnˈædɪkwəsi] n. 不足，缺乏信心，不胜任感 legacy [ˈleɡəsi] n. 遗留，遗产，后遗症 indicator [ˈɪndɪkeɪtə(r)] n. 指标，标志，指示物 deprivation [ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃn] n. 匮乏，缺失，剥夺 melancholy [ˈmelənkəli] adj. 忧郁的，悲哀的 upbringing [ˈʌpbrɪŋɪŋ] n. 成长经历，成长环境 beloved [bɪˈlʌvɪd] n. 爱人，心爱的人 in small doses [ˈdəʊsɪz] 以小剂量，少量地 be spaced apart [speɪst] 间隔开，分散开 titrate [taɪˈtreɪt] vt. 滴定，逐渐调整 resort to [rɪˈzɔːt] 诉诸，依靠，采取 pejorative [pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv] adj. 贬损的，轻蔑的 avoidant [əˈvɔɪdənt] adj. 回避的，回避型的 commitment phobia [kəˈmɪtmənt ˈfəʊbiə] 承诺恐惧症 fear of intimacy [ˈɪntɪməsi] 亲密恐惧 genesis [ˈdʒenəsɪs] n. 起源，发生，根源 outlive its uses [ˌaʊtˈlɪv] 不再有用，过时 ecstasy [ˈekstəsi] n. 狂喜，入迷，陶醉 plenitude [ˈplenɪtjuːd] n. 丰盈，充足，丰富 assiduously [əˈsɪdjuəsli] adv. 刻意地，刻苦地，勤勉地 nourish [ˈnʌrɪʃ] vt. 滋养，养育，培养 🏫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】

Does being happy make us less likely to get sick? Laughter is the best medicine, so the old saying goes. But is there actually any truth to that? Could we be less likely to get sick when we're in a positive frame of mind? Well, psychoneuroimmunology research has shown that chronic stress, anxiety, and depression all weaken the immune system. And the main culprit is stress hormone cortisol. When levels are too high, it disrupts sleep and undermines immunity, affecting our mood and more broadly, our overall health. So it's fair to say that being happy really does have an impact on your health, because it puts you in a more settled emotional state, which helps the body hold up better. How does that work? What does happiness actually do to the body? Well, in concrete terms, someone with a run-down immune system is more likely to pick up one cold after another, along with infections or digestive problems, and to feel constantly exhausted. So psychotherapy may be beneficial for overall well-being, in addition to mental health. Research by Finnish private healthcare company Turvistalo found that even brief psychotherapy visits reduced their clients' mental health-related sickness absence from work by 45%, while also reducing it for other sickness absence by 19%. And there's no shortage of other studies out there suggesting a direct link between happiness and physical health. Better mental health also helps reduce the risk of conditions like diabetes, cancer and infectious, inflammatory and degenerative diseases. One study, published in Frontiers in Medicine in October 2025, looked into data gathered between 2006 and 2021 from 123 different countries. It found that there's a specific threshold of life satisfaction beyond which wellbeing begins to offer protection against chronic illness. The researchers took into account a wide range of factors, including pollution, alcohol consumption, obesity, urbanization, and even levels of corruption. Their findings showed that the link between well-being and mortality is clear, but only once life satisfaction rises above a score of 2.7 out of 10. Can happiness offset the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle? No, unfortunately. And the researchers behind the Frontiers in Medicine research were very clear on that point. So you can't drink excessively, ignore your weight, and simply expect life satisfaction to make up for the damage. Happiness can help reduce the risk of falling ill to some degree by supporting the immune system. But it can't heal disease. There you have it. 词汇表 frame of mind [freɪm] 心态，心境，心情 psychoneuroimmunology [ˌsaɪkəʊˌnjʊərəʊˌɪmjuːˈnɒlədʒi] n. 心理神经免疫学 immune system [ɪˈmjuːn] 免疫系统 culprit [ˈkʌlprɪt] n. 罪魁祸首，元凶 stress hormone cortisol [ˈhɔːməʊn ˈkɔːtɪsɒl] 压力激素皮质醇 undermine [ˌʌndəˈmaɪn] vt. 削弱，逐渐损害 immunity [ɪˈmjuːnəti] n. 免疫，免疫力 settled emotional state 稳定的情绪状态 hold up 支撑，维持，保持良好状态 in concrete terms [ˈkɒŋkriːt tɜːmz] 具体来说，具体而言 run-down [ˌrʌn ˈdaʊn] adj. 衰弱的，疲惫的，状态不佳的 digestive [daɪˈdʒestɪv] adj. 消化的，与消化有关的 psychotherapy [ˌsaɪkəʊˈθerəpi] n. 心理治疗，精神疗法 sickness absence 病假，因病缺勤 diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] n. 糖尿病 infectious [ɪnˈfekʃəs] adj. 传染性的，感染的 inflammatory [ɪnˈflæmətri] adj. 炎症性的，发炎的 degenerative [dɪˈdʒenərətɪv] adj. （疾病）退行性的，衰退的，恶化的 threshold [ˈθreʃhəʊld] n. 门槛，阈值，临界点 alcohol consumption [ˈælkəhɒl kənˈsʌmpʃn] n. 饮酒，酒精摄入 obesity [əʊˈbiːsəti] n. 肥胖，肥胖症 urbanization [ˌɜːbənaɪˈzeɪʃn] n. 城市化，都市化 corruption [kəˈrʌpʃn] n. 腐败，贪污；堕落 mortality [mɔːˈtæləti] n. 死亡率，死亡；必死性 offset [ˈɒfset] vt. 抵消，弥补，补偿 make up for 抵消，弥补，补偿 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Is convenience weakening our brains? We all know the feeling. You have a big, difficult task to complete, but your phone is on the desk next to you, teasing you with endless distraction opportunities. What's happening on social media? What's going on in the news? Who's messaging me? This constant bombardment of information through our screens, coupled with a tendency to outsource even basic tasks to technology, might be making us unhappier and more resistant to difficult tasks. Is 'friction-maxxing' the answer? Humans like to choose the path of least resistance to conserve energy, but actually, tasks that require more effort often feel more meaningful. Friction-maxxing is a new trend which aims to rebuild our tolerance for inconvenience. In a basic sense, this involves adding more 'friction' to tasks so that they require more time, effort or patience, which, in theory, leads to greater feelings of satisfaction and reward. A series of experiments carried out in 2012 by researchers Norton, Mochon and Ariely found that when people built their own furniture, they had a greater sense of their own competence and pride in their creations. Our brains operate on a 'use it or lose it' principle, says Gloria Mark, psychologist and author of book 'Attention Span'. To keep new brain neurons alive, we must keep using them by continuing to do effortful tasks. If we rely too much on technology, we risk weakening our mental skills. Many of us use GPS apps to direct us around a city, but overusing these apps appears to be reducing our natural sense of direction, according to a study published in the Scientific Reports journal by Dahmani and Bohbot. On the other hand, studies show that cognitively stimulating activities which require more patience, like reading, doing puzzles and learning an instrument, can preserve our brain function as we age. Some are unconvinced by the 'friction-maxxing' trend. Psychologist and author of 'The Distracted Mind', Larry Rosen, believes it's too hard to resist the convenience technology provides. The trend doesn't hurt, says Gloria Mark. "If people are putting in effort, it makes them more intentional and thoughtful." Perhaps by taking the easy route, we're missing out on some of life's enjoyment. 词汇表 tease [tiːz] vt. 逗弄，招惹，诱惑 bombardment [bɒmˈbɑːdmənt] n.（信息等）连珠炮似的攻击，轰炸，轰击 be coupled with 与…相结合，加上 outsource [ˈaʊtsɔːs] vt. 外包，把…交外办理 be resistant to [rɪˈzɪstənt] 对…有抵抗力的，抗拒…的 friction-maxxing [ˈfrɪkʃn mæksɪŋ] n. 阻力最大化（一种通过增加任务难度来提升满足感的趋势） friction [ˈfrɪkʃn] n. 摩擦，阻力，阻碍 resistance [rɪˈzɪstəns] n. 阻力，抵抗力 conserve [kənˈsɜːv] vt. 保存，节约，保护（能量等） tolerance [ˈtɒlərəns] n. 容忍，耐受性，承受力 competence [ˈkɒmpɪtəns] n. 能力，胜任，技能 'use it or lose it' principle “用进废退”原则（指大脑神经元若不持续使用就会退化） neuron [ˈnjʊərɒn] n. 神经元，神经细胞 effortful [ˈefətfʊl] adj. 费力的，需要努力的 sense of direction 方向感 cognitively stimulating [ˈkɒɡnɪtɪvli ˈstɪmjuleɪtɪŋ] 认知刺激性的，对大脑有激活作用的 puzzle [ˈpʌzl] n. 谜题，智力游戏 be unconvinced by [ʌnkənˈvɪnst] 对…持怀疑态度，不被…说服 intentional [ɪnˈtenʃənl] adj. 故意的，有意识的，有目的性的 take the easy route [ruːt] 选择轻松的方式，走捷径 miss out on 错失，错过（机会、乐趣等） 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Brown spots reveal Antarctic penguin problem In order to survive the cold, emperor penguins must remain on platforms of sea ice for long enough every year to replace weather-beaten feathers with new waterproof coats. Little was known about what is called catastrophic moulting until researchers at the British Antarctic Survey looked at satellite pictures of the frozen continent and spotted brown smudges. They realised they were mounds of feathers. But global warming is now rapidly changing Antarctica. Satellite images show that after summer sea ice shrank dramatically in 2022 and 23, there were fewer smudges, suggesting many penguins had died in West Antarctica. There is hope that some move to safer ice, but it is another sign of how climate change is endangering some of the world's most vulnerable animals. 词汇表 Antarctic [ænˈtɑːktɪk] adj. 南极的 emperor penguin [ˈempərə(r) ˈpeŋɡwɪn] 帝企鹅（现存最大的企鹅） weather-beaten [ˈweðə(r) ˌbiːtn] adj. 饱经风霜的，历经风雨的 waterproof coats [ˈwɔːtəpruːf kəʊts] 防水外套，防水大衣 catastrophic moulting [ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk ˈməʊltɪŋ] 灾难性换羽（企鹅等鸟类在短时间内一次性换掉全身所有羽毛的过程） continent [ˈkɒntɪnənt] n. 大陆，洲 smudge [smʌdʒ] n. 污迹，斑点，斑块 mounds of feathers [maʊndz əv ˈfeðə(r)z] 堆积如山的羽毛，成堆的羽毛 endanger [ɪnˈdeɪndʒə(r)] vt. 危及，使遭受危险 vulnerable [ˈvʌlnərəbl] adj. 脆弱的，易受伤害的 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】