【推荐1】If you had asked scientists whether monkeys and chimpanzees (黑猩猩) had a sense of right and wrong before they had a deep study on monkeys, they would have told you that it seemed very impossible.

It was believed that only humans can imagine the future. Some people were told that most monkeys are cleverer than most dogs. Besides, if all dogs seem down when they’ve done something bad, you’d have been told that dogs learn such action so as to please their owners. It doesn’t mean that dogs understand why their owners might be angry at them. It doesn’t mean that animals can think about the future.

Now, however, it appears that chimpanzees and monkeys may be able to think about the future. Santino is a chimpanzee who lives at a zoo in Sweden. It is famous for his bad temper (脾气). Santino dislikes being looked at by visitors and he throws stones at them.

Before visitors walked into the zoo, he must have decided that he needed to be prepared for visiting days. He began collecting stones so that he would be fully ready to throw when people came to see him. The interesting thing was that Santino would only collect stones when visitors were expected. In winter, when the zoo was closed, he didn’t make troubles. Santino’s action is a clear example of an animal planning for the future: It’s also an example of how we ought to (应该) check that “scientific” belief are based on (基于) facts rather than opinions. It seems likely that within ten years, we shall have formed a completely different view of animal intelligence (智力).

Why do we love old book smell?

For people who love reading, there’s nothing better than the smell of an old book.     1    

The paper, ink and glue that are used to make books hold hundreds of chemical compounds (化合物). And one of the compounds found a lot in old books is called “lignin (木质素)”.

Lignin is a compound found in the trees that paper is made from. As a book gets older,     2     and they give off chemicals we can smell.

People like the smell so much.     3     According to a study from University College London, people think the smell of old books is similar to the smell of chocolate.

For the study, scientists created an “old book smell” using fibers (纤维) from a 1928 French book. Seventy-nine people smelled the old book smell,     4     They were then asked to describe it. A large number of people said it smelled like chocolate. Others said it smelled like coffee. This shouldn’t be a surprise: coffee and chocolate also come from materials having lignin.

Lignin might give books their sweet smell,     5     And books today use paper with less lignin. This might let them stay white longer, but won’t make them smell as sweet in the future.

—https://engoo.com

Each year, Lunar New Year is symbolized by one of 12 zodiac animals.

This is based on a story about the Jade Emperor trying to find a way to measure time. He told the animals they were to compete in a race. The first 12 animals to complete the race would be rewarded by having a year named after them. These animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. The last time there was Year of the Rabbit was in 2011. The next one will not be until 2035.

In the story of the Jade Emperor, the rabbit was the fourth animal to complete the race. The rabbit was so confident that he would win that he took a nap allowing three other animals to arrive before him.

In traditional Chinese Culture, Rabbits are quiet and agile（敏捷的）, which suits traditional Chinese aesthetic（审美的）values of being gentle and cultivated（有教养的）. There is a view in Chinese culture that rabbits are smart and gentle. This is shown by the phrase “dongrutuotu”, a Chinese idiom used to describe people who are as smart and agile as rabbits. So it is believed that people who were born in the Year of the Rabbit would have the characteristics including being kind, agile, quiet and responsible.

There is also a legend about a Jade Rabbit living on the moon which is the pet of Chang’e, a goddess widely known in China. This can explain why rabbits are regarded as an auspicious（吉祥的） sign.

In addition, in ancient China, people generally believed that the more children you have, the luckier and happier you will be. This belief makes the rabbit a popular symbol of good luck and fortune, because the rabbit is naturally full of vitality（活力）and fertility（生育能力）.

So, now it’s the rabbit’s turn. Maybe the Year of the Rabbit can bring you good luck!

【推荐2】A man in black clothes jumps high into the air. Sometimes, he carries a red fan. Sometimes, he spreads his arms like wings. When he lands, the crowd cheers loudly. His dance is eye-catching, and many people watch it.

He is a Chinese dancer, Ma Jiaolong. Since 2020, he’s made show videos of himself dancing in London. He has performed at the city’s parks and landmarks like the Tower Bridge. The 36-year-old man has nearly 5 million followers on social media.

Classical Chinese dance mixes martial (武侠) art movements with those of traditional Chinese opera. Ma was interested in the movements of classical Chinese dance and started to learn it at 12. Later, Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy. Since 2019, he has been teaching classical Chinese dance at Goldsmiths, University of London.

One year later, Ma tried teaching at home. But in his small home, he could only make small moves. One day, he took his wife’s suggestion and danced at Greenwich Park, a popular place for tourists. She took videos of Ma. He then edited (剪辑) the video, added music and sent it to friends, who loved it and inspired him to share it online. From then on, Ma made more short videos. As his videos became popular, he received messages from people around the world.

“Now, making and sharing videos has become a part of my life, and, most importantly, a great way to introduce traditional Chinese dance to more people, especially those in foreign countries,” said Ma.

【推荐3】Dancing is popular all over the world. People dance in theaters, in parks or in their own living room. But Yang Liu, a woman in Guizhou, dances in an unusual place. Her stage is a single bamboo pole.

Yang is a performer of bamboo drifting (独竹漂). It is a traditional skill in the girl’s hometown. In ancient times, the local people crossed the rivers by riding on a bamboo pole. Now bamboo drifting has developed into a folk sport.

Yang started to learn bamboo drifting at the age of seven. The bamboo pole is very slippery and it never completely stops moving. Yang fell into the water again and again. But the girl didn’t want to give up. She always got back up on the pole and tried again. She practiced hard every day for three years. Finally, she was able to keep her balance on the pole.

But Yang didn’t just stop there. She wanted to live out her dream of becoming a dancer on a bamboo pole. The girl practiced many difficult movements on the pole. She failed countless times, but she never stopped trying.

Her hard work finally paid off. Now 27, Yang has made a name for herself as a dancer on a bamboo pole. People can’t believe their eyes whenever they watch her performances. Through Yang’s dances, many people now know about bamboo drifting. They have discovered the beauty of this traditional skill.

【推荐3】If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak, and when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.

When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.

If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents may be blamed, and few of us know that it is just his own fault (过错). Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and when they have to remember things, they cannot write them down in a small notebook. As a result, they have to remember days, names, songs and stories, so their memory is being exercised the whole time.

So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practice remembering things in a way as other people do.