【推荐1】Laughter is so important to humans that people can recognize it, even if they belong to a different culture or speak a different language. Humans also think of laughter as a way to connect and bond. What about other animals?

Scientists are studying if animals laugh to find out if there is a connection between laughing and playing. The work won’t just help us understand animals better, but it could also help us understand how humans changed over time to laugh the way we do now. Sasha Winkler, a graduate student at UCLA, works with small monkeys. These monkeys would play together by chasing each other. One day, Winkler noticed a sound the animals made during the play. The monkeys sounded like they were out of breath. Then, Winkler read and reviewed research written by other scientists studying animals. And he found out that many animals laugh so that their play partner knows they are having fun. This is important because animal play can sometimes look like fighting. During the play, some animals also make a “play face”, giving an expression like a smile to show that they are happy.

But animal laughs are not quite the same as human laughs. When compared to human laughs, animal laughter can sound very different. When some birds play, they make a purring (低鸣) sound. Humans may have started off panting like some monkeys do, but over time laughter became the sounds we use today.

One big difference between human laughs and animal laughs is that humans laugh much more loudly. Most sounds animals make during play are very quiet so they can only be heard by the animal they are playing with. But for humans, loud laughter is a sign that we’re part of a group. It’s really fascinating that so many animals use sounds during play. And those sounds are for reasons similar to why humans make sounds.

【推荐2】Man’s relation with animals is very old. They can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. Man is the best creation and measure of all things. However, his kinship with animals is well established. Darwin believed that man has evolved from monkeys. Thus, they are our ancestors.

The friendship between man and animals is more reliable and lasting. Man’s friendship with man may not last long, but it is of permanent nature with the domesticated and pet animals. Domesticated creatures are never ungrateful. They will never turn hostile. That’s why they have been so useful to mankind and live in perfect harmony with us.

In western countries cats are very popular as pets, for they kill rats and other rodents and make a good constant company. Dogs are kept for protection and safety. They are matchless in faithfulness and loyalty. They help in hunting, in rearing sheep and in protecting properties. They also help in detecting and tracking thieves and criminals. They are trained for many other purposes as well, including being good guides and rescuing services.

Horses are domesticated, for they’re well-known for their speed, strength, faithfulness and an unerring road sense. They are dependable friends both in war and peace. Similarly, elephants have been great and reliable friends of mankind from immemorial times. An elephant is very intelligent, brave, faithful and hardworking animal. Being an intelligent animal, it never forgets both the acts of kindness and acts of wrongdoing.

Donkeys, camels, yaks, bullocks are the beasts of burden. They serve us in a way that none can do. Similarly, the cow is raised for its milk, dung and hide. In western countries cow-meat is also eaten with relish. But in India cow is worshipped by the Hindu as mother and a symbol of holiness, care, affection and innocence. Monkeys are widely used in the discovery of medicines. Whenever a new medicine is discovered, it is first tried on them.

Really, these animals are great and reliable friends of ours, without which life would have lost half of its charm and usefulness. We should always be kind to them.

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【推荐3】Green Is Good

Planting and growing things offers a lot more than fresh vegetables and flowers. Working in a nice outdoor space can help you stay refreshed, promote your creativity and enrich your leisure activities.     1    . There are more advantages.

Providing a fun workout

It’s wonderful to get out in the garden on a beautiful day to give it a tidy. Planting seeds, pulling up weeds, moving pots, pushing a lawnmower, and other gardening tasks actually provide a whole-body, moderate-intensity workout for people, especially for adults.     2    , which might keep you in motion longer than traditional exercise.

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Having dirt under your fingernails may be a sign of poor hygiene. but scientists say it could also be a mark of good health. Thanks to beneficial bacteria found in soil, gardening may boost your immune system, helping you get sick less and fight off infections easier.

Nourishing your spirit

    4    . According to an experiment conducted by NASA, scientists found that planting and nurturing seeds, even in small pots, lifted astronauts’ moods and eased their stress in the severe environment of outer space. And if gardening can do that for astronauts, it should be more than good enough for those of us who watch them on TV.

Increasing coordination and strength

Hand and finger strength, flexibility and coordination are essential for everyday tasks like opening jars, carrying packages and picking up children.     5    . Therefore, make good use of gardening as an ideal approach to enhancing your coordination and strength.

【推荐3】If work is leaving you exhausted, try turning off your phone at lunchtime. A study found that people who played on their phones during their lunch breaks were more tired in the afternoon than those who went for a walk or read a book. This may be because they used up more mental energy. Whatever the reason, researchers said employees should be aware of the effect and that employers should consider introducing the “digital detox”.

For the study, some 425 men and women were asked how they spent their lunch breaks and how they felt at the time and afterwards. Roughly half said they spent their breaks on digital devices such as smartphones, while the others enjoyed activities such as chatting to a friend or going for a walk. Both groups said they felt they had got away from work during lunch. However, those who had played on their phones didn’t feel rejuvenated afterwards. They were more likely to say they felt “used up” and “burned out” as the day went on.

The researchers said that multitasking on a smartphone by, for example, listening to music while writing an email, can be mentally exhausting. Even something as seemingly simple as reading the news on a phone takes up more brainpower than reading the same information in a newspaper because of the energy needed to ignore the various links embedded (嵌入) in the article and the advertisements that constantly appear.

The researchers wrote in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, “If employees don’t handle tiredness properly at break time, they will be exhausted by their job demands. Organizational interventions (干预) such as ‘digital detox’ and awareness in employees about the negative effects of smartphone breaks are necessary for employees to find effective relaxation.”

【推荐2】Actor Justin Baldoni once remarked that “Girls are weak, and boys are strong”, a message that has unconsciously influenced millions of children, including himself. As a child, Justin desperately sought acceptance from others, causing him to pretend to be strong when he was weak and confident when he was insecure. But is this a healthy way to live?

Unfortunately, some people believe so. They propose to “prevent the feminization of male youths” and request that schools hire more physical education teachers to cultivate manliness in students. However, this idea has sparked a heated debate online, with many arguing that it reinforces gender stereotypes.

But what exactly is manliness, and why is it so controversial? At its core, “manliness” refers to qualities traditionally associated with men, such as strength, courage, and emotional control. However, these seemingly admirable qualities can be taken to unrealistic extremes. Boys are human and should not be blindly asked to control their emotions “like a man” as it can lead to long-term psychological damage.

As an educator with years of experience teaching in China, I believe that physical education is essential for students, not just for physical fitness but also to develop lifelong skills such as leadership and communication. However, focusing solely on manliness as a reason for doing so is misguided. It is unnecessary for all boys to build up their muscles, but it is crucial that they learn to be strong on the inside. Boys should be allowed to cry and show their vulnerability without fear of judgment.

Instead, schools ought to prioritize imparting essential life skills and values to students, rather than reinforcing outdated stereotypes. As the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV put it, “Education is not simply about cultivating men and women. It's more important to develop a willingness to take responsibility.” It is time to move beyond harmful gender norms and embrace a more open and diverse approach to education.