【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.”

What are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happens 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 LintonHigh School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话).    1    , which are just as follows.

    2     Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, troubles at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicer the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the 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? The answer 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”.    3    

Gossip can also have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act.

    4     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 do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

    5     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1】Pioneers like Harvard social ecologist Stephen Kellert were among the first to champion modern biophilic design. Kellert believed that weaving nature into living and workspaces is important for good physical and mental health.

Humans are born to be attracted by nature, Kellert noted. His theories include access to natural light, air, water, and plants. Using materials such as wood and stone, biophilic designs help humans to feel closer to nature.

Biophilic designs can be seen all over the world. Examples include the Changi Airport in Singapore, with its forest garden and world’s largest indoor waterfall fed by rainwater, and the Swedish Mirror Cube Tree House Hotel, mainly made of used plywood. Incredible biophilic homes include One Central Park in Sydney, apartment blocks featuring hanging gardens on the outside. The buildings recycle their own water and a suspended(悬浮的) mirror system reflects(反射) sunlight down onto gardens below.

Putting biophilic design to work for society could prevent millions in healthcare costs, with one study estimating annual savings of $93 million in the US alone. Hospital design has long been influenced by access to sunlight and views of nature. Modern buildings like the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore are closely related to their surroundings. The hospital channels outdoor air to cool the inside, and uses reflective sunshades to direct light to brighten wards and save energy.

The aim of these designs is to stress the human connection to nature by fitting buildings into the local environment. But how do we bring biophilia into our homes? Start with house plants. New smart home apps can also provide nature experiences such as birdsong and a forest image on the ceiling, helping people to create a restful space indoors.

But perhaps the best way to change society with biophilic designs is to start with schools. Children learn better and feel more relaxed in biophilic settings. So the Children and Nature Network is working with schools to create green schoolyards for better physical and mental health and to increase opportunities for outdoor learning. Biophilic designers are bringing nature into classrooms through natural patterns, shapes and colors.

【推荐3】Mail carriers will be delivering some good news and some bad news this week.

The bad news: Stamp prices are expected to rise 2 cents in May to 41 cents, the Postal Regulatory Commission announced yesterday. The good news: With the introduction of a “forever stamp,” it may be the last time Americans have to use annoying 2-or-3-cent stamps to make up postage differences.

Beginning in May, people would be able to purchase the stamps in booklets of 20 at the regular rate of a first-class stamp. As the name implies, “forever stamps” will keep their first-class mailing value forever, even when the postage rate goes up.

The new “forever stamp” is the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) answer to the complaints about frequent rate increases. The May increases will be the fifth in a decade. Postal rates have risen because of inflation (通货膨胀), competition from online bill paying, and the rising costs of employee benefits, including healthcare, says Mark Saunders, a spokesman for USPS.

The USPS expects some financial gain from sales of the “forever stamp” and the savings from not printing as many 2-or-3-cent stamps. “It’s not your grandfather’s stamp,” says Mr. Saunders. “It could be your great-grandchildren’s stamp.”

Other countries, including Canada, England, and Finland use similar stamps.

Don Schilling, who has collected stamps for 50 years, says he’s interested in the public’s reaction. “This is an entirely new class of stamps.” Mr. Schilling says. He adds that he’ll buy the stamps because he will be able to use them for a long period of time, not because they could make him rich — the volume printed will be too large for collectors. “We won’t be able to send our kids to college on these,” he says, laughing.

The USPS board of governors has yet to accept the Postal Regulatory Commission’s decision, but tends to follow its recommendations. No plans have been announced yet for the design of the stamps.