【推荐1】Mindful weight loss is an approach to losing weight that emphasis being aware of your physical and emotional state about food choices. Research shows that mindful eating can help people reach their target weight more effectively and sustainably than dieting alone. It involves developing a deeper understanding of hunger, cravings (渴望) and emotions related to food, as well as learning to better listen to the body’s need.     1    

The practice of mindful eating starts with paying attention to what you are feeling rather than focusing on restricting calones or avoiding certain foods together. You may be asked questions such as “How hungry am I” or “What am I really craving?” that help you focus on what your body is telling you.     2     This helps you better enjoy your food and stay satisfied longer.

A key component of mindful weight loss is researching healthy foods, understanding portions, and learning about nutrition labels.     3     Keeping track of meals and snacks through journaling for a few weeks can be helpful in getting an idea of what foods are triggering cravings or leading to overeating.

    4     Such feelings can be guilt, stress, boredom or loneliness. Being mindful of emotions can help identify triggers for eating and help create healthier habits.

Mindfulness helps to stay strong in the face of cravings and urges by recognizing them as a part of the weight loss journey and staying focused on reaching goals. Practicing regular mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, yoga or mediation will also help build weight loss over time.     5     With consistent effort, mindful weight loss can lead to improved physical health, mental wellness and overall balance in life.

A．The practice of mindful eating promotes overall health.

B．Becoming aware of mindful weight can help you get there.

C．Therefore, you can make informed decisions about what to eat.

D．Mindful weight loss also includes being aware of emotions related to food.

E．With this knowledge, you can change lifestyle for long-term weight loss success.

F．Mindful weight is a journey towards health, not just a focus on a specific weight.

G．You can also practice mindful eating by experiencing taste, texture, and emotions.

【推荐2】Slowing Down Racing Thoughts

Everyone has moments when their brain suddenly goes messy. When racing thoughts take over your mind, you can’t stay focused, and you feel trapped. How can you keep racing thoughts from controlling you? Here are five tips to try.

Give yourself permission. Racing thoughts are often made worse by the anxiety over having racing thoughts.     1     This gives you a sense of control so you don’t feel helpless. When you put racing thoughts in their proper context, they feel less threatening and easier to manage.

Distract (分心) yourself. As soon as you notice yourself worrying again or thinking about things over and over, make an inside comment on yourself, like “here I go again, with my list of thoughts that never ends”.     2    

Get mindful. Practicing mindfulness can help change your thought patterns.     3     Close your eyes and count to yourself as you take slow, steady breaths. When you reach 10, start over and repeat the process until you calm down.

Get moving.     4     For instance, when racing thoughts strike, do a set of push-ups, do 10 jumping jacks, take a five-minute walk, or do household chores. Also, try to build regular exercise into your life as well as these short bursts of activity. That can help relieve anxiety and stress.

    5     Sometimes it’s best to let racing thoughts run their course; otherwise, they may wander indefinitely. When anxious racing thoughts occur, recognize them, but tell yourself that now is not worry time and you will deal with them later. Then at a fixed time of your choosing, do nothing but explore those thoughts and work through them.

A．Fight for them.

B．Schedule worry time.

C．For instance, try counting your breaths.

D．Exercise is helpful for reducing anxiety.

E．To escape this, allow yourself to experience them.

F．Then do something else, like reading or listening to music.

G．People who struggle with racing thoughts are constantly worried.

【推荐3】How to Make Your Writing Flow?

Writing flow refers to how smoothly text flows from one sentence to the next and one paragraph to another.     1     On the other hand, choppy (不连贯的) writing lacking flow disrupts the reading experience. Luckily, you have the tips below to improve the flow of your writing.

1. Vary your sentence structure.

Using only short, choppy sentences creates a disconnected rhythm that disrupts the flow, while a series of long, complex sentences overwhelm readers.     2     Varying sentence structure keeps readers engaged and create s natural movement from one idea to the next.

2. Use transition words and phrases.

Transition words and phrases act like bridges between sentences and paragraphs. They create logical connections between ideas. Use transitions like “however,” “therefore,” “similarly,” and “in contrast” to glue sentences and paragraphs together smoothly.     3    

3. Structure paragraphs around a central idea.

    4     The supporting sentences in the paragraph should work together to explain, develop, or argue that central idea. This creates cohesion within paragraphs and connects them to each other logically. Use topic sentences to introduce the main idea of each paragraph. Paragraphs structured around a singular focus improve writing flow and readability.

4.     5    

Revisiting writing with fresh eyes makes flaws in flow and transitions more noticeable. Let your drafts rest for a day or two to prevent getting stuck reworking the same passage repeatedly. Approaching writing anew allows you to evaluate flow and smooth out imperfections with distance and objectivity.

A．Don’t leave out the revising process.

B．Let completed drafts rest before editing.

C．The key is to mix sentence lengths to create fluid variety.

D．Place them at the beginning of a sentence or between independent clauses.

E．Flowing writing maintains the continuity of ideas and transitions logically.

F．Each paragraph should have a controlling idea relating to your overall theme.

G．As a writer, it is your responsibility to present your readers with a central idea.

【推荐1】Giant pandas’ patches (斑块) are among the most interesting of mammals (哺乳动物): black ears and eye spots set against a white face. It has dark limbs (肢) and shoulders and a white neck and body.

Scientists have put forward several reasons for the animals’ appearance. They could be warnings. Or they could be used for hiding, communication or eye protection. To find out which ideas were correct, scientists compared the pandas’ fur to the dark and light coloring of 195 other land animals and 39 bear species, and then matched their patterns against environmental conditions and social behavior.

The scientists didn’t find a link between temperature and coat color, but they did find a connection between lighter colors and snow cover, suggesting that the giant pandas’ white markings help hide the animals in snowy environment. Meanwhile, their dark markings may help them in the forest. As a result, pandas evolved (进化) both colors.

But what about the face patches? The research shows that markings on wild animals’ heads are used to communicate and scientists suggest pandas may use their ears to signal warnings to some dangerous animals. The eye patches may help them identify one another.

1. How did the scientists study the pandas’ patches?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By raising questions.
C．By giving examples.	D．By listing numbers.

2. What can we infer (推断) about pandas’ white and dark markings?

A．They change with different temperatures.

B．They can attract the attention of other animals.

C．They will disappear as time goes by.

D．They are a result of matching the environment.

3. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To call on people to protect pandas.

B．To show people’s love for pandas.

C．To introduce the science behind pandas’ patches.

D．To explain the connection between pandas’ appearance and temperature.

【推荐3】Asian short-clawed otters (水獭) can teach each other how to solve puzzles to get food, according to a new study that took place in England. The research also showed that these cute animals have a good long-term memory —they could remember how to solve the puzzles even after several months.

Scientists from University of Exeter observed groups of Asian short-clawed otters in different places. They gave each group a selection of transparent (透明的) containers with meatball treats inside. Each box could be opened by twisting or pulling a particular lid or handle.

To get the food, the otters had to solve the puzzle of how to open the containers. The otters had two attempts at the puzzle several months apart. The researchers found that if one otter cracked the puzzle, its closest friends quickly solved it, too. The findings provide evidence of “social learning”—animals can learn from each other.

The scientists also found that on average the otters solved puzzles 69% faster the second time. It means that they can remember the details of how each puzzle works. “Our study is the first to show evidence of social learning and long-term memory in Asian short-clawed otters, which may be good news in terms of their adaptability and future survival,” said Alex Saliveros, lead author of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

Saliveros says the findings are important, because Asian short-clawed otters are declining in the wild, partly due to overfishing and pollution affecting the crustaceans and small fish they feed on. The discovery that the otters are able to find food in new ways and to pass on that knowledge toothers could be significant to their long-term survival.

1. What task did the scientists set for the otters?

A．Separating one container from another.	B．Finding ways to break the containers.
C．Opening the containers to get the food.	D．Picking out meatballs from different containers.

2. What can be inferred about the otters from Paragraph 3?

A．They had to remember the puzzles.	B．They learned from human society.
C．They solved unfamiliar puzzles faster.	D．They passed on knowledge to others.

3. Why are the findings significant according to Alex Saliveros?

A．Asian otters solve puzzles faster.

B．Findings reveal decline in otter population.

C．Otters have strong physical strength and hunting skills.

D．Social learning and good memory is good for otters’ survival.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．Asian short-clawed otters love puzzles	B．Puzzled otters learn from each other
C．Pollution reduces otters’ food	D．Animals can pass knowledge