3 . If exercise seems like a great idea but you can never keep up a routine, it’s worth thinking about your exercise “mindset” — defined by psychologists as attitudes that shape our behaviour and reality. Research evidence is mounting that identifying some of our most habitual beliefs and replacing them with more adaptive ones can revive our ability to keep ourselves healthy.

“Whether they’re true or not, mindsets have an effect,” says Dr. Alia Crum. “They change what we pay attention to, what we’re motivated to do, how we feel emotionally about what we’re doing and what we decide to prioritize (优先处理).” For instance, maybe you’ve tried to shame or scare yourself into going to the gym by reconsidering the health risks of not moving. Or perhaps you’ve aimed to get active by thinking of the long-term positive aspects of exercise: exercising regularly is 1.5 times more effective than taking medicine in easing depression, stress and anxiety.

In contrast, thinking about exercise in all-or-nothing terms — “I need at least 30 minutes or there’s no point” — is the enemy of consistency. You want to use the mindset that “any and all movement is worth it, and everything counts,” says Dr. Michelle Segar, a researcher at the University of Michigan. Even a quick walk in the middle of a busy day is good for your well-being. If that doesn’t agree with your perfectionist tendencies (倾向), consider whether those tendencies have worked for you. Though strict standards may help some people, for many others they backfire, creating a cycle of failure.

Besides bringing flexibility (灵活性) to how you view your movement, changing your “why” for getting active can also help keep up motivation. Rather than seeing workouts as a way to lose weight, it can help to focus on more immediately pleasant reasons to do it, like clearing your mind or feeling less stressed.

Regarding the process of exercise as something that’s attractive makes a difference. The key is to focus on the pleasure that exercise can bring, and then pick an activity that is actually rewarding.

5 . In September, when UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay visited Zhoukoudian in suburban Beijing, which is famous for the discovery of Peking Man living between 700,000 to 200,000 years ago, she was full of praise for the structure that successfully protected Yuanrendong Cave from an unusual rainstorm in July.

The cave in the central area of the site has so far revealed the remains of 40 individuals. The structure protects the site from the weather, including heavy wind, snow and hail, and its design fits in with the surrounding environment, Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said at the 2nd World Cultural and Natural Heritage Forum in Beijing on Nov. 17 and 18. “It provides a reference for the protection of precious cultural relics, and suggests measures for helping heritage sites respond to the influence of climate change.”

Organized by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the Auspices of UNESCO(Beijing), and the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation among others, the forum brought together some 50 professionals to discuss the protection and sustainable (可持续发展的) development of heritage sites. Scholars stressed the influence of climate change on heritage sites, and offered suggestions for how to solve the problem.

“Entering the 21st century, climate change has been the subject of in-depth discussion by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Questions like how to balance between humans and nature, how to respond to natural disasters caused by climate change, and what new challenges this brings to World Heritage Sites, are worth consideration,” says Qin. “Solving the problem requires us to unify, making full use of advanced technology, such as space and digital technologies, and jointly developing risk prevention and response plans,” he adds.

6 . Four villages in China were named Best Tourism Villages 2023, an award by the World Tourism Organization(UNWTO). They are Xiajiang village from Zhejiang province, Huangling village from Jiangxi province, Zhagana village from Gansu province and Zhujiawan village from Shanxi province. The decision was announced at the 25th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday local time.

Xiajiang village

Located in East China’s Zhejiang province, it has earned a striking spot for its unspoiled natural beauty and a unique cultural heritage that spans from traditional folk culture to historical “red culture”. This picturesque corner of East China is now witnessing waves of tourists. A 140-kilometer lakeside track weaves through the amazing setting, giving riders the chance to bury themselves in the natural beauty of the Qiandao Lake area. This inviting experience attracts cycling enthusiasts from all over the world.

Huangling village

Set in a mountainous region with terraced fields(梯田), forests, and rivers, Huangling village is famous for its breathtaking natural scenery, traditional architecture, and the preservation of ancient customs. Its ancient houses are characterized by whitewashed walls, black-tiled roofs, and carefully carved wooden elements. These architectural features provide a glimpse into China’s rich history and cultural heritage.

Zhagana village

The village has also been named as a globally important agricultural and cultural heritage site by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Zhagana is located at an altitude of 3,000 to 3,300 meters and is surrounded by mountains, with the highest peak reaching 4,500 meters. The steep mountains and old Tibetan-style houses make up a “grand stone palace” or an ancient city built by natural rock walls. It has changed from a closed mountainous village to a scenic spot where tourists can enjoy a slow and leisurely life.

Zhujiawan village

Zhujiawan village covers an area of 126 square kilometers with over 1,200 species of animals and plants. The village has 25 intangible cultural treasures, including the Zhashui Fish Drum and traditional brewing(酿造)practices. Additionally, it is home to 17 tangible cultural relics, such as ancient Qinling Mountain houses, time-worn road remains and the historic Xiaoyi Hall site. In recent years, Zhujiawan village has made full use of its ecological strengths to develop tourism. During this year’s tourist peak season, Zhujiawan Village is receiving over 15,000 visitors daily.

7 . New York Times best-selling author Susan Casey travelled globally, joining scientists and explorers on dives to the deepest places on the planet. She takes us on an interesting journey through the history of deep-sea exploration, from the legends of the ancient world to storied shipwrecks we can now reach on the bottom. Throughout this journey, she learned how important the deep is to the future of the planet, and how necessary it is that we understand and protect it. The Underworld is Susan Casey’s most beautiful and thrilling book, a wonderful show of the natural world.

Event location: The lecture and book signing (签名) will be held at the Linda Hall Library,5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

Event time: Thursday, January 14th,7:00 pm-8:00 pm

Book signing: Hard copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event courtesy of Rainy Day Books. A book signing will immediately follow the lecture.

Admission package (admits one)

Click to order tickets through the Kauffman Center. Admission is $40.00 plus Kauffman ticket fee and includes one hardcover of the book and one admission ticket. Reserved seating.

Please note: Attendees (参与者) will receive their books as they arrive at this event. Your electronic ticket will be needed for event entry and to receive your hardcover of the book as you arrive.

Disclaimer (免责声明): All Rainy Day Books Author Event sales are final and non-refundable.

9 . The most powerful hurricane in the year was crashing into coastlines in Virginia. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue planned to take the 21 dogs, affected by the disaster, to a ________ in South Carolina, which became crowded as people near the coast were evacuating.

Mirah Horowitz is the head of Lucky Dog in Arlington, Virginia. “It’s a double ________,” she said. Her group found it hard to help the dogs as well as drive them from Virginia to South Carolina ________ a seven-hour trip. Then they have to put dogs in wooden boxes and bring them to the Washington, D.C., area. Finally, they had to make sure there were enough families to ________ the dogs.

The group tried to ________ more dogs from South Carolina over the weekend. They were going to hold an adoption (领养) event on September 8 at the shelter in the Washington, D.C., area. Horowitz and her colleagues decided to take some dogs and emailed ________ that night looking for families to adopt the dogs. “We had to find people to take those animals between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.” Horowitz said. ________, they were getting many replies until 2 a.m. from people who were willing to help, after hours of ________ waiting.

Lucky Dog was also talking to an animal shelter on the island of Grand Bahama in the Bahamas. That was where the hurricane had caused the most ________ so far. The workers there did not know the dogs’ situations. ________, they heard reports of heavy flooding that had ________ the shelter. Horowitz’s group also has a helicopter which is ready to offer flights to ________ some emergency supplies.

Horowitz said, “I really ________ the help from those families. It feels nice to save animals from areas ________ by severe weather and it is ________ to make all the efforts.”

Exciting action, excellent organization and touching stories of athletes made the just finished 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou a huge success,     1     will benefit the host city and growth of Chinese para sports.

The whole world was     2     (amaze) by the high standards of the event as well as the improvement in the living conditions of people with     3     (disable) with the help of para sports in China. They     4     (live) better lives now thanks to para sports.

The Hangzhou Asian Para Games attracted over 3, 000 athletes from 44 countries, making it the     5     (large) one in the history of the Asian Para Games.

Organizing such     6     big event that went off smoothly     7     losing quality was not easy at all. The organizers will ensure the future use of all the facilities,     8     will keep building more so that more disabled people can enjoy sports.

At the Games, Team China won 521 medals,     9     (include) 214 gold medals. It’s said that it is the most successful Asian Para Games that     10     (hold) so far.