【推荐1】“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?” Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago.”

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic-breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? Theanswer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.” In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority.

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The dos and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.

【推荐2】The aggressive spread of market economics and communication technologies—often under the control of Western multinational companies—brings new challenges to local cultures and values in non-Western societies. Sometimes it seems as if a tidal wave of the worst Western culture is creeping across the globe like a giant strawberry milkshake spill oat and over the planet, with a flavor that is distinctly sweet, sickly and apparently homogeneous (同质的).

For some, especially the young, change may mean escape from oppressive traditions. It may also bring new opportunities for cultures to be combined in creative ways. However, there is genuine cause for concern about the rate at which cultures are being worn away in such a globalized world.

Perhaps by far the most important far-reaching effect of cultural globalization is the commercialization of culture, which has a disturbing impact on local people’s existing values. They are increasingly bombarded with new images, new music, new clothes and new values. The familiar and old are to be abandoned. While there was cultural change long before globalization, there is a danger that much will be lost simply because it is not valued by global markets. In West Africa for example, traditional values have been overtaken by Coca-Cola culture which the local people don’t yet have the values to deal with successfully.

Another common aspect of the globalized culture is that it pursues (追求) the same “one size fits all” American ideal. The result of this cultural process of homogenization is that a large section of the world’s population dreams of living like Cosby & Co. or like the characters in any other stereotype American soap opera. In addition, the dream of living a better life causes thousands of people to move to already overcrowded cities whose population has boomed by millions within the last decades. The majority of these new immigrants end up in slums leading to poverty, pollution and misery.

Such gradual aggression against people’s existing values and cultures has a destructive impact on their sense of who they are, what they want and what they respect. It attacks spiritual values and faith traditions. The accumulative (累积的) effect in non-Western societies is a crisis of cultural confidence, combined with the increased economic uncertainty and crime which global integration (一体化) may bring. This creates real problems for social stability» whether it is at the level of nation, community or family.

In conclusion, cultural globalization, or worldwide McDonaldization, destroys diversity and displaces the opportunity to sustain decent life through a mixture of many different cultures. It is more a consequence of power concentration in the global media and manufacturing companies than the people’s own wish to abandon their cultural identity and diversity.

【推荐3】Millions of teenagers are in danger of putting their health at risk by getting hooked on e-cigarettes, experts warn. Leading health researchers say they are “very concerned” by the growing number of youngsters trying the devices.

E­-cigarettes have been marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking conventional cigarettes. But previous research shows e-­cigarettes generate poisonous chemicals similar to those found in tobacco and may harm the lungs and immune system.

Worryingly, researchers at Liverpool University discovered 16% of teenagers who have used e-­cigarettes had never previously smoked. The experts also found e­-cigarettes were “strongly related” to drinking among teenagers. Study author Prof. Mark Bellis said, “Our research suggests that we should be very concerned about teenagers accessing e-­cigarettes. While debate on e-­cigarettes has focused largely on whether or not they act as a gateway to tobacco cigarette use, e-­cigarettes themselves contain a highly addictive drug that may have more serious and longer lasting impacts on children because their brains are still developing.”

Researchers surveyed 16,000 students aged 14 to 17 in the North West of England and asked them about their alcohol and tobacco use. They found that one in five answered yes to the question: “Have you ever bought or tried electronic cigarettes?” More males than females said they had.

Of the teenagers that had accessed e­-cigarettes, 16% had never smoked, 23% had tried smoking, 12% only smoked when drinking, and 14% were ex-­smokers. The research also found teenagers who drank alcohol were significantly more likely to have accessed e-­cigarettes than non­-drinkers.

Among those who had never smoked, it was found that those who regularly have excessive (过多的) drinking were four times more likely to access e­-cigarettes than those who never drink. In all of those that drink, regardless of smoking status, e-­cigarette access was associated with excessive drinking and involvement with violence after drinking. The researchers said their findings suggest that teenagers who use e-­cigarettes are most susceptible to other forms of substance use and risk-­taking behaviors.

【推荐3】A drug used to treat severe bleeding could save thousands of lives for mothers giving birth. A global trial of the drug found it reduced the risk of bleeding deaths during childbirth by nearly one-third. The study involved 20,000 women in 21 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. The trial was carried out by London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The drug is called tranexamic acid(氨甲环酸）. It is low-cost and researchers said it does not cause serious side effects for mothers or babies.

The drug is used to treat mothers for severe bleeding during childbirth, also known as postpartum hemorrhage (产后出血).It is the leading cause of mother’s death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Haleema Shakur is the project director of the trial. She says despite medical advances in many countries, severe bleeding after childbirth remains a big problem in some parts of the world. “It's one of the biggest killers of mothers. In Africa and Asia. about 10 percent of women will end up with severe bleeding. " The drug works by stopping blood clots（血凝块） from breaking down after a mother gives birth. The treatment can prevent the need for doctors to perform surgery to find the source of bleeding.

Shakur said the best results were reported when the drug was given to women as soon as possible after childbirth, “The earlier you give it- so within the first three hours of giving birth—the better the effect is. ”

The next step will be to get the drug where it is needed provide training for doctors and nurses on how to use it. During the trial, women were given the drug in a hospital. But researchers are looking for easier ways to administer the drug so it can be more widely used in small clinics and rural areas.

【推荐1】Before birth,babies can tell the difference between loud sounds and voices.They can even distinguish their mother’s voice from that of a female stranger.But when it comes to embryonic learning（胎教），birds could rule the roost.As recently reported in TheAuk:Ornithological Adrances,some mother birds may teach their young to sing even before they hatch(孵化)。New-born chicks can then imitate their mom’s call within a few days of enering the world.

This educational method was first observed in 2012 by Sonia Kieindorfer,a biologist at Flinders University in South Australia,and her collcagues.Femake Australian superb fairy wrens were found to repeat one sound over and over again while hatching their eggs,When the eggs were hatched,the baby birds made the similar chirp to their mothers—asound that served as their regular “feed me!”call.

To find out if the special quality was more widespread in birds,the researchers sought the red-backed fairy wren,another species of Australian songbird.Firstthey collected sound datd from 67 nests in four sites in Queenslang before and after hatching,Then they identified begging calls by analyzing the order and numberof notes.A computer analysis blindly compared calls produced by mothers and chicks,ranking them by similarity.

It turns out that baby red-backed fairy wrens also emerge chirping like their moms. And the more frequently mothers had called to their eggs,the more similar were the babies’ begging calls. In addition,the team set up a separate experiment that suggested that the baby birds that most closely imitated their mom’s voice were rewarded with the most food.

This observation hints that effective embryonic learning could signal neurological(神经系统的)strengths of children toparents.An evolutionary inference can then be drawn.”As a parent,do you investin quality children,or do you invest in children that are in need?”Kleindorfer asks.”Our results suggest that they might be going for quality.”

Before birth,babies can tell the difference between loud sounds and voices.They can even distinguish their mother’s voice from that of a female stranger.But when it comes to embryonic learning（胎教），birds could rule the roost.As recently reported in TheAuk:Ornithological Adrances,some mother birds may teach their young to sing even before they hatch(孵化)。New-born chicks can then imitate their mom’s call within a few days of enering the world.

This educational method was first observed in 2012 by Sonia Kieindorfer,a biologist at Flinders University in South Australia,and her collcagues.Female Australian superb fairy wrens were found to repeat one sound over and over again while hatching their eggs,When the eggs were hatched,the baby birds made the similar chirp to their mothers—a sound that served as their regular “feed me!”call.

To find out if the special quality was more widespread in birds,the researchers sought the red-backed fairy wren,another species of Australian songbird.First they collected sound data from 67 nests in four sites in Queenslang before and after hatching,Then they identified begging calls by analyzing the order and number of notes.A computer analysis blindly compared calls produced by mothers and chicks,ranking them by similarity.

It turns out that baby red-backed fairy wrens also emerge chirping like their moms. And the more frequently mothers had called to their eggs,the more similar were the babies’ begging calls. In addition,the team set up a separate experiment that suggested that the babybirds that most closely imitated their mom’s voice were rewarded with the most food.

This observation hints that effective embryonic learning could signal neurological(神经系统的)strengths of children to parents.An evolutionary inference can then be drawn.”As a parent,do you investin quality children,or do you invest in children that are in need?”Kleindorferasks.”Our results suggest that they might be going for quality.”Before birth,babies can tell the difference between loud sounds and voices.They can even distinguish their mother’s voice from that of a female stranger.But when it comes to embryonic learning（胎教），birds could rule the roost.As recently reported in TheAuk:Ornithological Adrances,some mother birds may teach their young to sing even before they hatch(孵化)。New-born chicks can then imitate their mom’s call within a few days of enering the world.

This educational method was first observed in 2012 by Sonia Kieindorfer,a biologist at Flinders University in South Australia,and her collcagues.Female Australian superb fairy wrens were found to repeat one sound over and over again while hatching their eggs,When the eggs were hatched,the baby birds made the similar chirp to their mothers—a sound that served as their regular “feed me!”call.

To find out if the special quality was more widespread in birds,the researchers sought the red-backed fairy wren,another species of Australian songbird.First they collected sound data from 67 nests in four sites in Queenslang before and after hatching,Then they identified begging calls by analyzing the order and number of notes.A computer analysis blindly compared calls produced by mothers and chicks,ranking them by similarity.

It turns out that baby red-backed fairy wrens also emerge chirping like their moms. And the more frequently mothers had called to their eggs,the more similar were the babies’ begging calls. In addition,the team set up a separate experiment that suggested that the babybirds that most closely imitated their mom’s voice were rewarded with the most food.

This observation hints that effective embryonic learning could signal neurological(神经系统的)strengths of children to parents.An evolutionary inference can then be drawn.”As a parent,do you investin quality children,or do you invest in children that are in need?”Kleindorferasks.”Our results suggest that they might be going for quality.”

Before birth,babies can tell the difference between loud sounds and voices.They can even distinguish their mother’s voice from that of a female stranger.But when it comes to embryonic learning（胎教），birds could rule the roost.As recently reported in TheAuk:Ornithological Adrances,some mother birds may teach their young to sing even before they hatch(孵化)。New-born chicks can then imitate their mom’s call within a few days of enering the world.

This educational method was first observed in 2012 by Sonia Kieindorfer,a biologist at Flinders University in South Australia,and her collcagues.Female Australian superb fairy wrens were found to repeat one sound over and over again while hatching their eggs,When the eggs were hatched,the baby birds made the similar chirp to their mothers—a sound that served as their regular “feed me!”call.

To find out if the special quality was more widespread in birds,the researchers sought the red-backed fairy wren,another species of Australian songbird.First they collected sound data from 67 nests in four sites in Queenslang before and after hatching,Then they identified begging calls by analyzing the order and number of notes.A computer analysis blindly compared calls produced by mothers and chicks,ranking them by similarity.

It turns out that baby red-backed fairy wrens also emerge chirping like their moms. And the more frequently mothers had called to their eggs,the more similar were the babies’ begging calls. In addition,the team set up a separate experiment that suggested that the babybirds that most closely imitated their mom’s voice were rewarded with the most food.

This observation hints that effective embryonic learning could signal neurological(神经系统的)strengths of children to parents.An evolutionary inference can then be drawn.”As a parent,do you investin quality children,or do you invest in children that are in need?”Kleindorferasks.”Our results suggest that they might be going for quality.”

【推荐2】My sister and I were taught at a very early age to write thank-you letters for birthday and Christmas gifts. We carefully copied addresses from our mom’s address book into our own pretty little books, and a new box of stationery（信笺，信封）was always among my gifts under the tree. We wrote our letters on December 26 at the latest every year. It was an important tradition in our home, and it has turned me into an avid（热情）thank-you-letter writer as an adult.

I still send a great deal of personal mail, and I am extremely interested in all of the trappings of letter writing: unique stamps, beautiful stationery, fountain pens（自来水笔）. I feel a mad rush of satisfaction sticking a stamp on a carefully penned thank-you letter and sending it off in the mail.

Several years ago, I even sent my mom a thank-you letter to thank her for teaching me to count my blessings on paper. Sending letters of thanks out into the world has made me more grateful for the love, support and kindness I receive daily.

My father died when I was twenty-seven. Even then, I found comfort in writing letters of thanks for the gifts of words I received. At a time when all I wanted to do was retreat（退缩）into my own sadness, the act of giving thanks forced me to stay connected to the world and to the lives of the living.

And while it may seem unimportant, my belief in well-written thank-you letters has protected my popularity. Since real thank-you letters are extremely few and far between, my social graces（风度）are considered as a charming difference from other people, and my friends and family always seem truly moved by my efforts.

【推荐3】Research shows students learn better when they’re well nourished. Healthy eating has been linked to higher grades, better memory, faster information processing and improved health leading to better school attendance, according to registered dietitian Elisa Zied, author of Feed Your Family Right. On the contrary, unhealthy eating habits can negatively affect learning. Researchers have studied many areas related to eating and learning.

Skipping breakfast can have a negative impact on learning. A higher percentage of breakfast eaters passed a biology exam in one study of college students. It’s also important to eat a high-quality breakfast. In a study of students between the ages of twelve and thirteen, the average mark increased as breakfast quality improved.

Even with breakfast, the brain can run out of fuel before lunch. In one study of students between the ages of seven and nine, having a mid-morning snack improved memory. The children who ate a smaller breakfast and lunch but consumed a mid-morning snack experienced a smaller decline in immediate and delayed memory. Attention wasn’t affected, however. Zied recommends yogurt with blueberries; this fruit has been proven to be linked to better memory in studies. A hard-boiled egg is also a good snack choice.

Kids who eat healthily are more likely to attend school. Without proper nutrition and adequate calories, students often don’t have enough energy to power the brain, resulting in tiredness and learning problems. In fact, alertness(机敏) improved significantly in students eating breakfast in one study of high school students published in the journal Pediatrics.

A study of public school students published in the Journal of School Health linked high intake of sweetened drinks, such as sugary sodas, to lower scores in math tests. A diet high in junk food and sugary sodas is also linked to childhood obesity, which could result in lower cognitive(认知的) functioning, according to the Yale University research. On the other hand, students with healthy eating habits are less likely to be overweight and more likely to learn well.

【推荐1】China’s Tianwen 1 Mars probe (探测器) conducted its fourth orbital correction on Friday evening, as the spacecraft makes ready for its arrival in orbit around Feb. 10, according to the China National Space Administration.

The name comes from the long poem Tianwen, meaning Heavenly Questions or Questions to Heaven, written by Qu Yuan, one of the greatest poets of ancient China. In Tianwen, this name conveys the Chinese nation’s steady effort in pursuing truth and culture of exploring nature and the universe. CNSA also unveiled ( 发 布 ) the logo of China’s planetary exploration missions, featuring the letter C, signifying China, international cooperation and capacity of entering space.

Tianwen I has flown for 197 days and more than 465 million kilometers on its journey to the planet. It is now around 184 million km from Earth and I. 1 million km from Mars. Depending on the two planets’ orbits, Mars is between 55 and 400 million km from Earth. Mars probe Tianwen I is seen in its first selfies in space on Oct. 1, 2020. The administration also published a black-and-white picture of Mars taken by Tianwen I, the first snapshot (抓拍的照片) from the Chinese craft.

Tianwen I, the country’s first independent Mars mission, was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket on July 23 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, kicking off the nation’s planetary exploration program.

A successful landing would make China only the second nation to place a spacecraft on the Martian planet. China would also be the first to successfully orbit, land and deploy ( 部署) a vehicle in the same mission. According to experts, searching for signs of life on Mars will be the first and foremost scientific goal. China is open and inclusive in the development of its space technology not least because it believes that the exploration of outer space should help build a community with a shared future for mankind.

【推荐2】Both online learning and distance learning require similar online learning tools, but there the similarity ends.

The key difference between them is location. With online learning, students can be together in the classroom with an instructor while working through their digital lessons and assessments. When using distance learning, students work online at home while the teacher assigns work and checks in digitally.

Next, used as a mixed learning technique along with other teaching strategies, online learning will involve in-person interaction between you and your students on a regular basis. On the contrary, with distance learning you’ll likely rely on digital forms of communication such as messaging apps, video calls, discussion boards, and your school’s learning management system.

Both online learning and distance learning are effective teaching strategies, they do have their own distinct advantages.

To start, online learning can increase student engagement with a variety of instructional resources and teaching methods to deliver content in multiple ways. Second, using online learning tools makes it easier for you to differentiate your instruction. When using tools like digital curriculum, you will have more flexibility and control for differentiating your lessons. Finally, online learning is a time saver. Many digital curriculum tools do the heavy lifting for you by providing ready-to-use lesson plans, instructional materials, and assessments. Many online learning tools also automatically grade those assessments and post them to your teacher dashboard.

Compared to online learning, distance learning can continue without disturbance even in events like snow days or the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, distance learning provides greater flexibility for students to work at their own pace and review work as needed. This also ties in with the fact that students can access your course material at the times that work best for them, which is important for students who may have irregular work schedules.

【推荐3】Last year my children gifted me a stainless steel (不锈钢的) coffee plunger (法式按压咖啡壶). I love to start the day with a strong black coffee and couldn't wait to use it. I looked forward to the following morning's coffee making, knowing that I probably wouldn't smash (打碎) this plunger as easily as I had done so often in the past.

But as I poured my first cup of coffee, the plunger spilled (洒出) all over the table. Thankfully no one was around to see my disappointed face! I kept trying, but each morning would see me wiping up the coffee. Then I realized that if I poured very slowly there would be no spilling.

This was at first a very painful experience. My normal practice was to rush through breakfast so that I could get on with my day.

But in time I learned not only to pour slowly but to enjoy the experience: the smell, the taste, and the stillness of a new day.

It prompted (促使) me to reflect upon whether there were other areas of my life I was rushing through. Most of life, it seemed.

I started to leave extra time to do even the most ordinary tasks. When shop owners would apologize for keeping me waiting, I'd say, "Not a problem, I'm not in a hurry." Even hanging out washing became pleasurable when a couple of extra minutes of standing still and listening to the birds singing in the trees around me became part of my routine.

Besides, one of my favorite experiences living in the inner city for many years was sitting on the front doorstep of our home spending time with strangers. We sat on the steps, each of us with a cup of coffee in our hands, listening to each other's stories. It was one of the warmest things about living in a busy city. It was as if the world around us slowed to a pace (步伐) we could both handle.

Stillness and quietness not only slow the pace of life, but also feed the soul, helping us to enjoy the world's small pleasures.