【推荐1】Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging.     1     As a result, some people may notice that it takes longer to learn new things; they don’t remember information as well as they did, or they lose things like their glasses, cellphones or other small items. These are usually signs of mild forgetfulness, not serious memory problems.

    2     For example, medication side effects, vitamin B12 shortage, alcoholism, tumors(肿瘤) or infections in the brain can cause memory loss. A doctor should treat serious medical conditions like these as soon as possible.

Emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety or depression, can make a person more forgetful. For instance, someone who has recently retired or who is coping with the death of a relative or a friend may feel sad, lonely or worried.     3    

The confusion and forgetfulness caused by emotions are usually temporary and go away when the feelings fade. The emotional problems can be eased by supportive friends and family.     4     Treatment may include counseling, medication or both.

If you’re concerned that you or someone you know has a serious memory problem, talk with your doctor.     5     Health care professionals can recommend ways to manage the problem or make suggestions on treatment or services that might help you out.

【推荐1】What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed? You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.

We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes （猩猩）have this ability, too. Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos （倭黑猩猩）,which are closely related to humans.

The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.

However, researchers said that not all bonobos were able to comfort others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans （孤儿）whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, malting them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.

"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse al comforting others,” Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph. "Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others.” This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others .

【推荐2】Population data for European mountain birds have been for the first time combined in a recent study, with worrying results: the abundances of mountain-specialist birds has declined by as much as 10% in the 2000s.

Ecological communities in mountain areas include species not found in any other habitats. These species are also very susceptible to climate change, as global warming is reducing their liveable habitats. In principle, species may relocate further up the mountains, but closer to the top their habitat inevitably shrinks.

According to the new article, the abundance of European mountain birds has in fact declined in line with climate change projections.

The recently released study examined the population trends of 44 bird species in the 2000s in the mountain and fell regions of Fennoscandia, Great Britain, the Alps and the Iberian Peninsula. A decline was seen in 14 of the observed species, while eight of them saw significant increase.

“On average, population decline among the species studied was 7% over the 13-year research period, making the situation of mountain birds distinctly worse compared to, for example, European forest birds, whose numbers did not change during the same period,” explains Aleksi Lehikoinen, an Academy of Finland research fellow at the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus (part of the University of Helsinki), who headed the study.

The situation is the direst for species that only inhabit mountain regions and are unable to live in other European environments. For these species, known as mountain specialists, the numbers dwindled by as much as 10% during the monitoring period.

【推荐2】Students at Monument High School are participating in a unique activity called the Independent Project. The program is an “alternative” school that’s completely run by students—no teachers, parents, or adults are allowed—and they’re in charge of deciding their entire courses. What these teens study in the classroom and their homework are all entirely up to them.

Students aren’t taking this lightly—instead of reacting irresponsibly to the freedom to design their own studies, they’re eagerly grasping their own interests by writing poetry collections, learning instruments and taking flight lessons.

“I think the more choices we have in our schools, the more students we will help develop into the kind of citizens that we need,” Principal Marianne Young explains. “And that it’s okay for you to need a little bit of a different approach from mine.”

The only structure to the program is this: On Mondays students come up with questions that interest them about one of their school subjects, and then they spend the rest of the week researching and coming up with potential conclusions to these inquiries. On Fridays, they present this information to their classmates.

Teens express their satisfaction with the program because it accommodates different kinds of learners, even those who don’t always succeed in a traditional academic sense.

“I have dyslexia(阅读障碍), so it’s very hard for me to read, write and do those sorts of things. School has always been a big problem for me,” one student named Sergio explains. “If not for this program, I don’t know if I’d be graduating—I don’t know where I’d be right now. I think this has really been my savior and got me through the last two years of high school.”

【推荐3】Art therapy（治疗）involves the use of creative techniques such as drawing, painting, coloring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones. With the guidance of an art therapist, clients car "decode" the nonverbal messages in these art forms, which lead to a better understanding of their feelings and behavior so they can resolve deeper issues.

Art therapy helps people explore their emotions, relieve stress. improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cope with a physical illness or disability. No artistic talent is necessary for art therapy to succeed, because the therapeutic process is not about the artistic value of the work, but rather about finding associations between the creative choices made and a client's inner life. The artwork can be used as a springboard for reawakening memories and telling stories that may reveal messages and beliefs from the unconscious mind

As with any form of therapy, your first session will consist of your talking to the therapist about why you want to find help and learning what the therapist has to offer Together, you will come up with a treatment plan that involves creating some form of artwork. Once you begin creating, the therapist may, at times, simply observe your process as you work, without interrupting. When you have finished a piece of artwork—and sometimes while you are still working on it-the therapist will ask you questions of how you feel about the artistic process, what is easy or difficult about creating your artwork, and what thoughts or memories you might have had while you are working. Generally, the therapist will ask about your experience and feelings before providing any observations.

Art therapy is founded on the belief that self-expression through artistic creation has therapeutic value for those who are healing or seeking deeper understanding of themselves and their personalities. Art therapists are trained to understand the roles that various art media like color can play in the therapeutic process and how these tools can help reveal one's thoughts, feelings, and psychological disposition.