【推荐1】Nearly two decades ago when the Google Books Project digitized and freely distributed more than 25 million works, book publishers argued that free digital distribution weakens the market for physical books. However, new research from Imke Reimers and Abhishek Nagaraj reveals that the opposite — increased demand for physical books, through online discovery — could be true.

The two researchers focused on a particular part of Google Books’ digitized works: those from Harvard University’s Widener Library, which helped seed the project in its early days. The condition that enabled their experiment: Harvard’s digitization effort only included out-of-copyright works, published before 1923 , which were made available to consumers in their entirety. The works from 1923 and later were still copyrighted and not digitized.

The researchers analyzed a total of 37,743 books scanned (扫描) between 2005 and2009. They looked at sales for the two years before this digitization period and the two years after , and found clear differences in the increased sales between digitized and non-digitized books. Approximately 40% of digitized titles saw a sales increase from 2003-2004 to 2010-2011, compared to less than 20% of titles that were not digitized. The increase in sales was also found to be stronger for less popular books.

“If a book is readily available online, people may decide that it’s a useful book and want to buy it,” Reimers said. “The ‘discovery effect’, which even increased the sales of a digitized author’s non-digitized works, is a strong driver of increased sales. It’s not a huge jump in sales , but it’s still good news for publishers.”

“And book lovers,” Reimers said, “are known for their preference for physical books, as opposed to digital versions, which could also play a role.” She added ,“Whenever I talk to people about my research on books, at some point they all say,’ I just love the feel of a digitized author’s non-digitized works, is a strong driver of increased sales. It’s not a huge jump in sales , but it’s still good news for publishers.”

“And book lovers,” Reimers said, “are known for their preference for physical books , as opposed to digital versions, which could also play a role.” She added, “Whenever I talk to people about my research on books, at some point they all say, ‘I just love the feel of a book in my hand.’”

【推荐3】Flaubert had it that “one way of tolerating existence is to lose oneself in literature as in an unending party”．It turns out that reading doesn't only help us to tolerate existence，but actually lengthens it.

A recent study by Yale University researchers，published online in the journal Social Science & Medicine，concluded that “book readers experienced a 20 percent reduction in the risk of death over the 12 years of follow­up compared to non­readers”．

The data was obtained from the study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.The study looked at 3,635 subjects，all older than 50，whom the researchers divided into three groups：those who didn't read books，those who read up to 3.5 hours a week and those who read more than 3.5 hours a week.

The findings were remarkable：on average，book readers survived almost two years longer than those who didn't crack open a book.The more the subjects read，the longer they lived，but as little as 30 minutes a day was still beneficial in terms of survival.

Accounting for factors such as education level，income and health status，the study found that those who read more than 3.5 hours weekly were 23 percent less likely to die during that 12­year period.Those who read up to 3.5 hours—an average of a half hour a day—were 17 percent less likely.

“In other words，just like a healthy diet and exercise，books appear to promote a significant survival advantage，” the authors concluded.

Why or how that's_the_case remains unclear；the research showed only an association between book reading and longevity，not a causal relationship.But the findings are not so surprising.Other recent research showed that reading novels appears to increase both brain connectivity and sympathy.

【推荐3】Almost all of us have a friend, who can eat anything and eat as much as an elephant yet never gain weight. So why can your friend get away with eating what he/she wants and not get fat?

First and foremost, it has something to do with Genetics (基因学): high basal metabolic rate(BMR) (高基础代谢率). When we are resting, our body spends some energy for basic activities like breathing and pumping of the heart. So those with high BMR burn more calories at rest as compared to those who have low BMR. As a result, these individuals don’t put on weight despite eating large amounts of foods.

To show that it is true, scientists have experimented on laboratory mice. They gave the mice a special diet with a lot of fat. Some mice gained weight while the other mice stayed thin, even though both groups of mice ate the same amount of food and got the same amount of exercise. Scientists concluded that weight gain seems to be influenced by genetic factors. Armed with this knowledge, they believe it may be possible to develop medicines that can target (针对) the genes and stop people from gaining weight.

Other reasons such as bad eating and living habits as well as illnesses also contribute to weight gain. The study of weight gain is becoming more important as the number of people who are overweight continues to grow.

Current medicines for weight control do not work very well because they can have serious side effects. However, it takes a long time to develop and test new drugs. Therefore, despite this breakthrough in the study of weight loss drugs, scientists and health professionals all agree that currently the best way to control weight gain is to have a healthy , balanced diet and an active lifestyle with daily exercise. This will not only help people avoid becoming overweight, but also help them stay healthy and energetic.

【推荐1】Education has always been a hot topic among parents as it is directly related to the. future of their children.     1     Many of them try to offer their children the best environment.

Competition between parents over children’s education may start from the kind of animated series children watch. For some parents, watching foreign animated shows is better than watching domestic ones.     2     However, this does not mean those watching foreign shows are superior to those watching domestic ones.

Domestic shows have their own advantages. They can help children learn traditional Chinese culture and history.       3     This show was based on one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. By watching this show, children can learn more about the history of the Tang Dynasty and the development of Buddhist culture in China. Foreign shows can open a window for children to gain a better understanding of the outside world. So children ought to be encouraged to watch both as long as the content of the show is beneficial.

    4     For example, children should be encouraged to read both folk tales from China and foreign countries. However, once parents hold views of superiority, the views can more or less leave an influence on their children. Innocent children, influenced by their parents, slowly hold the views hat watching foreign shows is superior to watching domestic shows.     5     Once it is formed in children’s minds, parents’ education can’t be regarded as successful.

【推荐3】This Dad Made His Son Run to School in the Rain

There are endless questions and differing opinions about how to parent. What makes a good parent? Is it better to be more of a paret or more of a friend? How do you keep your kids safe? Out of trouble?     1    

“My son has finally gotten in enough trouble on the bus where he got kicked off the bus for three days because he was being a little bully (欺凌弱小者), which I do not tolerate, and therefore he has to run to school," Bryan Thornhill says in an online video that he is shooting from his car as he follows his 10-year-old son, Hayden, running a mile to school in the rain. “    2     His teachers have approved of his behavior this week." Thornhill adds in the widespread video.

    3     Others see this as a form of extreme parenting along the lines of the “Hot Sauce Mom" of 2011, who recorded herself forcing her 7-ycar-old adopted son to drink hot sauce because he had lied about getting in trouble at school.    4     here was the man in Ohio who punished his 6-year old by chasing her in a mask, and the woman who shaved her daughter's hair off for making fun of a cancer patient.

While Thormhill's choice of discipline doesn't appear to be doing his son any immediate physical harm, the question remains whether this is an effective means of teaching him not to be a bully. "When your child does something like this, the consequence should fit the crime,” psychologist Barbara Greenberg says. “    5     That would mean, for example, apologizing to other kids, or engaging in acts of kindness."