【推荐2】In 2014, UC Berkeley biologist Robert Dudley wrote a book The Drunken Monkey: Why We Drink and Abuse Alcohol, proposing that our attraction to alcohol arose millions of years ago, when our monkey ancestors discovered that the smell of alcohol led them to ripe and nutritious fruit.

Recently, a new study led by Christina Campbell of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) supports this idea, which Dudley calls the “drunken monkey” hypothesis (假说).

In his book, Dudley laid out evidence for his idea, which showed that some fruits known to be eaten by monkeys have a naturally high alcohol content of up to 7%. But he did not have data showing that monkeys or apes preferentially sought out and ate fermented (发酵的) fruits, or that they digested the alcohol in the fruit.

For the newly reported study, the CSUN researchers analyzed the alcohol content in the fruits eaten and thrown away by black-handed spider monkeys at a field site, Barro Colorado Island in Panama. They found that the fruits routinely had alcohol concentrations of between 1% and 2%, a by-product of natural fermentation by yeasts.

Moreover, the researchers collected urine (尿液) from the free-ranging monkeys and found that the urine contained secondary metabolites (代谢产物) of alcohol. This result shows that the animals were actually using the alcohol for energy—it wasn’t just passing through their bodies. “They would get more calories from fermented fruit than they would from unfermented fruit. The higher calories mean more energy,” Campbell said.

The need for the monkeys’ high caloric intake may similarly have influenced human ancestors’ decisions when choosing which fruit to eat, Campbell added. “Human ancestors may also have preferentially selected alcohol-laden fruit for consumption, given that it has more calories,” she said.

Today, the availability of alcohol in liquid form, without the belly-filling pulp of fermenting fruit, means it’s easy to have too much of it. The idea that humans’ natural love for alcohol comes from our primate ancestors could help society deal with the consequences of alcohol abuse. “Heavy alcohol consumption can then be viewed conceptually as a disease of nutritional excess,” Campbell said.

【推荐3】Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or，in summer，they may think it is the heat. However，the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time—about eight hours after you wake up—your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

In many parts of the world，people take naps (小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates，where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional，people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease. Many working people，unfortunately，have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps，employers don't follow it! If you do have the chance，however，here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time，try a short nap — even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.

【推荐1】Dogs are our best friends. That’s especially true after a disaster, such as an earthquake. When buildings fall down, search and rescue dogs help find trapped people. Dogs’ amazing noses can pick up the smell of survivors. Now scientists have developed an electronic tool that does the same thing. It’s taking smell detection(探测) to a whole new level.

The new invention is a sort of electronic nose, which can detect extremely low levels of many compounds(化合物) from people’s skin. This isn’t the first time engineers have developed such an object. Earlier models, however, have been bulky and expensive. They could not detect low levels of target compounds either. The new one is inexpensive and small enough to fit inside hand-held equipment.

The electronic nose can detect extremely slight smell of more than one compound at the same time. "Being able to do this, in such a small object, is the significant discovery," says Sotiris E. Pratsinis, Professor of Process Engineering&Materials Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of   Technology in Zurich. His team tested it in special spaces. They were like the small spaces where people might be trapped. Chemicals given off by the volunteers built up inside. The electronic equipment detected those compounds at unbelievably low levels.

The results were good news for the research team. But they may be not for our four-legged friends, who could soon be out of a job. "Ideally, this technology could replace search and rescue dogs," Pratsinis says.

Stephen Taylor, an electrical engineer, agrees that the new technology has some benefits over dogs. Still, he thinks it may be too soon to have our trusty friends retire. He suspects, "I foresee that such an object could add to the fine work done by the dogs." Taylor also pointed out some potential limitations of the new invention. "E-noses are useful, but can be very likely to be affected by unstable readings and interruption," he says.

【推荐2】Children of all ages gathered it New York City recently for the International Toy Fair Hidden among already Popular toys were new, high-tech educational products. Toymakers are working to create products for improving a child's emotional intelligence These toys reportedly not only hep rise intelligence in children, but also their emotional quotient, or EQ.

At the toy fair, companies showed of their products.

PleIQ is a set of plastic toy blocks. It uses augmented (增强的) reality technology to each words, numbers and other things. Edison Duran, the company director, showed people at the toy fair how virtual images appear on the bocks when they are held in front of a tablet camera. Intelligence includes intrapersonal skills (processes information within one's mind) and interpersonal skills (dealing with other people). Duran said PleIQ builds on both by having children act as teacher or guide to a companion character.

Karen Hu demonstrated an educational robot called Woobo. The robot comes programmed with educational games and activities. Children use its touch screen face to get them started. Toys that work as companions also aid in social development. Hu described how the robot can help a child who suffers from autism (自闭症). “The child can communicate with Woobo and follow some of the instructions Woobo is giving because he thinks of this as a companion instead of a parent or someone else telling him to do certain things.”

Jonathan Erickson, the sales director, showed off a board game called "Q"s Race to the Top. "Kevin Chaja said the game got his 4-year-old daughter to open up. "The biggest thing is her talking. And that's the key of all this-getting her feelings expressed out. Like, 'Hey, what does it feel like to be sad?'"

It remains to be seen whether a game or toy can improve emotional intelligence. But toymakers are doing what they can to help parents in their efforts to raise well-rounded children.

【推荐2】Do you intend to study at an American university? It takes a long time to get accepted at most American schools, perhaps as much as a year. That’s why you should start choosing a school as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to apply to several different institutions, so that you’ll have a better chance of acceptance at one. You should start looking for information now, because the more information you have about each college, the better choice you can make.

There are two good ways to get information you need. One is a general reference (参考) book, called Guide to American Colleges and Universities. The other good source of information is the catalogue (目录) published by each school.

You can study the general guide in almost any American library. This book has many useful statistics, such as the number of students, the average test scores for people accepted to the school, the number of books in the library, and the number of teachers. You can also find the address of each school in this book.

Although the general guidebook has helpful information, some of the facts may be out-of-date. For example, many schools raise their tuition every year. Since you’ll need to know what your education will cost, out-of-date information will not be good enough. Also, schools sometimes change their requirements for entrance. To be sure that you are getting present information, write to the university and ask for its catalogue. The catalogue has more detailed information. For example, the catalogue can tell you if there is a special foreign student advisor, what kind of courses are offered, and what kind of housing is available. Some universities have dormitories, but at others you have to find your own place to live.

With all of this information, you should be able to pick out several good schools.