It’s official. Denmark—as well as being the world’s best country to live in for women with the second-happiest people and one of the best healthcare systems in Europe—has the most contented babies. Or, at least, the ones who cry the least. According to research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, Danish, German and Japanese babies cry the least, while British, Canadian and Italian babies cry the most.
“I’m not surprised,” Danish parenting expert and co-author of The Danish Way of Parenting Jessica Alexander tells me. “The first year of a child’s life is considered so important in Denmark. Danish parents are much less stressed because they get good maternity and paternity leave (孕产假). The atmosphere is much calmer and, if mothers are getting more time off, that goes hand in hand with less stress, more contact, more routines and less crying.” She pauses before throwing in a final tip: “Oh, and Danish babies sleep outdoors a lot.”
In Denmark, a woman is given four weeks pregnancy leave followed by 52 weeks of paid leave that can be shared between parents. And Alexander thinks there is another important reason why Danish babies cry less: breastfeeding. “It’s just the done thing in Denmark,” she says of a country that has the world’s highest breastfeeding rates. “In other countries, there are continual discussions about whether you should or shouldn’t breastfeed. In Denmark, breastfeeding has never gone out of style. And everyone does it for a year.”
For Iben Sandahl, Alexander’s co-author, it comes down to the Danish attitude to life in general. “We are an honest and pure people,” she tells me. “We are surrounded by social support and are less likely to become angry, sad or annoyed when our babies are crying. And we are good at embracing (拥抱) all kinds of feelings, so we aren’t scared. Instead, we try to connect with the babies when they cry. It’s how babies communicate and it’s about trying to understand it.”
1. Which of the following can make a baby cry less?| A．An effective healthcare system. |
| B．More company from a parent. |
| C．An energetic busy mother. |
| D．More chances to meet fellow babies. |
| A．something in the milk from breastfeeding can keep babies happy |
| B．Demark is second to none in protecting its females’ rights |
| C．Danish parents’ attitudes to a baby’s first year vary considerably |
| D．breastfeeding is a common and accepted practice in Denmark |
| A．try to figure out what they want |
| B．put them outdoors for a good sleep |
| C．seek social support for guidance |
| D．wait a moment for them to calm down |
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【推荐1】Fish genetically engineered to glow blue, green, or red under blacklight have been a big hit among aquarium lovers for years. But the fluorescent (发荧光的) pet is not restricted to glass displays anymore. The red-and-green-glowing versions, more vivid than normal zebrafish even in natural light, have escaped fish farms in southeastern Brazil and are multiplying (繁殖) in creeks in the Atlantic Forest, a new study shows. It is a rare example of a transgenic animal accidentally becoming established in nature, and a concern for biologists, who worry the transgenic fish could threaten the local fauna (动物群) in one of the most bio-diverse spots on the planet.
In the 2000s, companies saw the potential of the fish as pets. Trademarked as Glofish, they became the world’s first genetically engineered species to be commercially available. Now, they are one of the first to escape and thrive in nature. Early on, environmentalists worried about the possibility, and Glofish sales were banned in some U. S. states such as California and several countries-including Brazil. In 2014, a single Glofish was spotted in canals of Florida. But it had not multiplied, probably because native predators such as the eastern mosquitofish and the largemouth bass ate the intruder, said the biologist who spotted the fish, Quenton Tuckett. Unlike Florida, Glofish thrived in the Brazilian creeks. In 2017 he and colleagues began to survey five creeks in three cities, finding transgenic zebrafish in all of them.
The Glofish are reproducing all year round, with a peak during the rainy season — just as native zebrafish do in Asia. But the transgenic fish seem to achieve sexual maturity earlier than their forebears, which allows them to reproduce more and spread faster. The invaders are also eating well: a diversified diet of native insects, algae, and zooplankton.
Despite Brazil’s ban on sales of the fish, stores all over the country sell them as pets. They may soon colonize other parts of the country. Tuckett says it should be “a wake-up call”. For now, the glowing fish “could be considered little weeds growing up out of the concrete”, Tuckett says, but points out that even little weeds can grow to cause a lot of damage.
1. What is the concern of the biologists?| A．The ecological impacts are unpredictable. |
| B．The transgenic fish could do harm to the local animals. |
| C．The transgenic fish accidentally became established in nature. |
| D．The transgenic fish are more vivid than normal zebrafish in natural light. |
| A．They were kept as pets before the 2000s. |
| B．They were prohibited from sales throughout the U. S. |
| C．They didn’t thrive in Florida probably due to the local enemies. |
| D．They were found in all of the Brazilian creeks in 2017. |
| A．The Glofish. | B．The native zebrafish. |
| C．The largemouth bass. | D．The eastern mosquitofish. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Supportive. |
【推荐2】We all know about the health benefits of swimming. It offers a great workout for the body—it builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. If you don't mind getting wet, it can be fun too. But who would enjoy swimming in water that is ice cold. Well, many people are taking the plunge, based on evidence that it can actually be good for us.
Cold-water swimming—sometimes called wild swimming—involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in gives a short sharp shock to the body, but many participants say they get used to it. A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than that for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise, spending time outdoors and by water improves wellbeing.
There is much evidence, mostly anecdotal, that suggests cold-water swimming has cured certain health conditions. One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a plunge in cold open water. And another swimmer, Sandria Simons, told the BBC “the immersion of your body in cold, salt water, just feeling like you're at one with nature if you like, just feels amazing. ”
But what is it that people are gaining from this chilly experience? Doctors say getting into cold water evokes a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced. It's also thought to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. But there are bigger benefits to this stress-reducing exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps 'cross-adaptation', where one form of stress prepares the body for another. For example? it also helps reduce the stress of exercising at high altitude.
So, if you're convinced that this is for you, take advice: approach it with caution, swim with a friend, and maybe start in the summer, when the water temperatures are higher!
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Swimming and health. | B．Cold-water swimming. |
| C．Reducing stress. | D．A chilly experience. |
| A．The sharp body shock. | B．The benefit. |
| C．The cold dip. | D．The research. |
| A．It brings you close to nature. | B．It cures certain health conditions. |
| C．It has cross-adaptation effects. | D．It's a great physical exercise. |
| A．Start at an early age. | B．Do it immediately. |
| C．Adapt first in cold water. | D．Safety comes first. |
【推荐3】Hundreds of millions of birds die every year from crashing into windows, one of the biggest sources of human-caused bird deaths — far greater than wind turbines (涡轮) and airplane strikes put together. In an attempt to help birds see the windows before it’s too late, people may stick decals (贴纸) or coloured films on their windows — often on the indoor side.But a recent study challenges the effectiveness of this practice.
“Putting these window films on the inside really is not giving you the benefit that you would want for protecting the birds,” says John P. Swaddle, lead author of the new study.
To test the films’ effectiveness, Swaddle and his colleagues applied one of two commercially available (可获得的) films to either inside or outside window surfaces. One film reflected shorter light wavelengths that humans cannot see, and the other reflected longer wavelengths (many birds can see both). The researchers also fixed super-fine nets in front of the windows to keep birds from actually hitting the glass. Both films helped to prevent bird strikes by more than 35 percent when put on the outside surface, the study found — but films on the inside had no benefit at all.
“It’s some groundbreaking work about the differences of what can and can’t work in terms of preventing window strikes from birds,” says George Mason University biologist David Luther.
People usually find it much easier to put films or decals on the indoor side of a window, says Natalia Ocampo-Penuela, a conservation ecologist. For taller buildings, to apply something to the outside, “you need scaffolding (脚手架)...you need to clean the windows extra well for them to apply correctly, and they don’t last as long.”
Swaddle assumes that films placed on the inside don’t effectively stop the reflection of outside light. This might also be the case with decals, although those were not tested in this study, he says.
1. What’s the main killer for human-caused bird death?| A．Wind turbines. | B．Air pollution. |
| C．Window strikes. | D．Airplane crashes. |
| A．Types of films. |
| B．Availability of films. |
| C．Places to put films. |
| D．Wavelengths films reflected. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Confused. |
| A．How long the films will last when put correctly. |
| B．What is needed to clean the windows completely. |
| C．How people apply films to the outside of buildings. |
| D．Why people choose to place films inside the window. |
