【推荐1】Cookie is a hero! This pet parrot’s courage was celebrated in a news article after he saved his teenage owner when a fire broke out in their home in Wales. The bird flapped its wings and squawked (尖声高叫) to warn Ben Rees of the fire. He fled, Cookie died. There are many stories of animals keeping humans out of harm’s way. But the relationship between species hasn’t always sounded so friendly and selfless.

From 1911 to 1986, canaries (金丝雀) were traditionally taken down British coal mines to alert workers to the presence of poisonous gases. If the animals got sick, humans knew to leave the area. Today sniffer dogs are used by the police and the military to locate drugs, landmines and even dead bodies.

The gratitude to animals, which bring us companionship and even rescue us, contributed to making the modern concept of animal rights popular. The idea can be traced back to 19th century England. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was created in 1824 and is still going strong today.

Local groups in different countries have focused on issues on their own area. Spanish animal rights activists, for example, have engaged in a campaign to ban bullfighting. And the animals don’t have to be powerful bulls or cute birds, cats and dogs to avoid suffering. What about pythons (巨蟒) and iguanas (蜥蜴)? They have rights too, according to the group People for the Treatment of Animals.

【推荐2】No matter where you go, you’ll notice something special about the trees — the fact that their bottoms are painted white.     1     Generally speaking, the purpose of whitewashing is mainly to protect the tree from the sun, weather and insects. Let’s go in-depth to learn more about whitewashing and its usefulness.

Firstly, whitewashing can block (阻挡) the sun. The UV rays are harmful to trees as they burn their bark (树皮) and damage the inside layers.     2     In other words, once you whitewash your young trees, their trunks’ surfaces won’t get dry as easily anymore.

    3     Because white paint can reflect the strong sunlight and help trees remain cool in extremely hot weather, which allows trees to spend more time on transpiration (蒸腾作用) and growing their fruits. Additionally, when trees are cooler, they have less stress, which makes it possible for them to exchange gases a bit longer.

Many types of trees are likely to be infected by some insects. In fact, insects can destroy trees, in spite of their hard bark. Therefore, people whitewash trees using paint and water.     4     The paint itself prevents insects from climbing up the tree and entering inside through the cracks.

Therefore, if you have any young trees in your garden, you should consider whitewashing them regularly.     5    

【推荐3】The origins of this website, tasmanian-tiger. com, go back to 1978 when we, Buck and Joan Emberg, saw two Tasmanian tigers. We called the Department of Parks and Wildlife people and were told not to tell anyone. They said everyone would then be going through the bush tiger-hunting (猎虎). We accepted what they said. Then we found what we thought might be tiger droppings near our house. Excitedly we took them to Hobart, our capital city, and presented our “prize” to an official. He took the droppings and threw it carelessly into a drawer. The result of that action, of course, was the destruction (破坏) of any scientific evidence. This is where we began to feel that something was wrong. Did they really care about saving the animal... If it existed? In short, we and people like us were told to keep it quiet.

Later, we thought we found some tiger prints.The local newspaper published the story and, like most people who admitted they saw a tiger in the wild,we received no respect. That’s why we began to set up the website. Now we can use new technologies and are hopeful in proving the animal’s existence before the animal’s home is threatened.

【推荐1】Coffee grown worldwide can date back to the ancient forests of Ethiopia. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered coffee bean after he noticed that after eating the fruits from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night. Coffee trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.

Coffee was hardly known in Europe before the 17th century. The Venetians were the first people to bring coffee into Europe. The first European coffee houses started opening in Italy around 1645. In the following 100 years, at least 3000 coffee houses were operating in England. It was the coffee houses of England that started the custom of tipping waiters and waitresses. In a short time, coffee and coffee houses spread throughout Europe. In 1822, a Frenchman Louis Bernard Rabaut invented a machine which forced the hot water through the coffee grounds using steam instead of merely letting it drip through. The first espresso machine (咖啡机) had been born.

In the coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta. Arabica originates from the coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia. It represents about 70% of the world’s coffee production. Arabica coffees bring the highest prices on the world market. Meanwhile, these coffee trees require additional care and attention. Robusta is primarily used for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean. It can produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine. The Robusta tree is more resistant to disease, which makes it easier and cheaper to grow.

To preserve coffee beans’ fresh roasted flavor as long as possible, you can store them in an air-tight container (容器) at room temperature. Coffee beans can be beautiful, but avoid clear containers which will allow light to influence thee taste of your coffee. Exposure to air is bad for your beans. If you do freeze your beans, be sure to use a truly air-tight container.

【推荐2】Blue-light-blocking glasses are supposed to reduce the effects of short-wavelength light from our smartphones, computer screens and LED lights: namely, eye strain (疲劳) leading to poor sleep and possibly cataracts and macular degeneration (白内障和黄斑变性). They can range from under $15 all the way up to several hundred dollars. But do they really work?

Dr. Elizabeth. Esparaz, an ophthalmologist and lifestyle medicine specialist based in Cleveland, Ohio, says the science that manufacturers share to promote these glasses can be confusing. For starters, blue light isn’t just about tech devices, and it’s not always bad. “The sun gives off a much higher intensity of blue light than, human-made devices, of course, and it’s actually beneficial,” says Dr. Esparaz. It helps our mood, alertness and sleep-wake cycle.

However, blue light at night is not a good thing: It suppresses the release of melatonin (褪黑激素). “Melatonin helps regulate our circadian rhythms and makes, us sleepy,” says Dr. Esparaz.

So, in theory, blue-light-blocking glasses should help people who watch movies in bed or read from a. table at night to avoid sleeplessness. Indeed, a 2021 review from the University of Oklahoma that looked at 24 previous studies found people affected by sleep disorders, jet lag and shift work fell asleep faster after using these glasses.

As for eye strains, an Australian study of 120 people in 2021 showed that those wearing the glasses did not experience less eye strain than those using clear glasses. And a 2018 review study, also by Australian researchers, concluded. that. there was insufficient evidence. to show that they prevent macular degeneration.

“These glasses aren’t going to be harmful,” says Dr. Esparaz, so people who find them effective should keep using them. But, she adds, a lack of standardization in the industry means there’s no way to know if one pair is better than another.

You can always activate the blue-light-blocking function on your devices and limit screen 18time before bed. To help reduce eye strain, Dr. Esparaz suggests taking breaks and using eye drops.

【推荐3】Anyone who’s lived through middle school knows those years can be particularly challenging. Some researches show youths across the U.S. are struggling with mental health. The physical health benefits of bike riding have been well-documented. Wilson, a researcher at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and his co-authors carried out a new study to see if taking part in a cycling program could result in measurable changes in mind for teenagers.

The study involved more than 1,200 students, ages 11 to 14. Students participated in a cycling class for at least three days a week, for a period of 6 weeks. They learned cycling safety and practicing skills outdoors while raising their heart rate and just having fun. The students completed standardized questionnaires before and after the program designed to measure their health.

“We know cycling can benefit the body. Our research shows how it benefits the mind and social relationships as well. Bike riding can be an ideal activity for adolescents because of the benefits it offers,” said Wilson.

“Cycling engages several parts of brain function. You are looking at your hearing, you’re balancing, you’re navigating and turning. Oftentimes, you’re doing it with someone else, so there’s the positive effect of company or group activity,” said Allan Reiss, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

While exercise has powerful mental health benefits, it’s not universal. For example, previous research has shown that teenage girls are at higher risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety than boys. The current study found that, while middle school girls reported increased well-being after participating in the cycling program, that increase “may just reach the kind of baseline level for male students,” Wilson said. And other aspects of healthy living are also important, noted Wilson. The study found that teenagers who didn’t limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day, or who got less than the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep, saw less improvement in their well-being, he said.

【推荐3】Sherlock Holmes is an imaginary private detective created by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 1880s. Doyle's stories about the detective have been turned into movies and television shows.

Sherlock Holmes has a powerful memory method. In a recent BBC television series, he uses a memory technique called a “mind palace” or “memory palace”. In one show, for example, Holmes has been severely wounded in a shooting and searched in his mind for ways to survive. He visits rooms in his mind palace, looking for helpful memories. In one room, he finds his childhood dog, and the memory helps calm the detective.

The memory palace idea is neither Doyle's nor BBC's creation. The method for remembering has existed for thousands of years. Many language educators today teach their students how to use the method to improve their language skills.

But what exactly is a memory palace? It is a physical space that you know well, such as your home, or a school you attended, and that you can picture in your head. You then imagine placing anything you want to remember inside the memory palace, such 8s words, phrases, facts, or even the order of events.

But there are three keys to making a strong memory palace: emotion, movement and connections between the object and something permanent. Imagining things in a humorous or crazy way improves your ability to remember them. Connecting images to actions or something permanent in your palace will create lasting memories.

Now, let's try this technique to remember the materials for a pizza; flour, water, tomato sauce, and cheese, First, put down these words on cards. Then close your eyes and picture you entering your bedroom. However, it has been taken up by cups that are filled with flour, water, tomato sauce and cheese. They are watching a cooking show on your bed. Frightened by your entry, they jump up and knock each other down. Once they have got mixed, they explode and cover your bed with a huge delicious pizza!