2 . Pullman is a superb writer and Seagull is a brilliant communicator. They had a debate after Seagull posted a question on his social media platform: “When you were trying to create an environment for learning, what were your best pieces of classical music to listen to?” He received hundreds of suggestions — and one negative reply, from Pullman: “That’s not what classical music is for. Treat it with respect.”

That did it! Everyone — professional musicians, students, teachers — weighed into the argument, and the majority supported Seagull and were criticizing Pullman.

It’s easy to see why people are annoyed. We all want classical music to be as accessible as possible, especially to the young. If some of them are using Bach or Schubert as a tool to help them study, what’s the problem? They may also develop an attachment to classical music.

So is Pullman ridiculous and supercilious by objecting to classical music being used as background music? At first sight, his idea seems stuffy and extreme. By suggesting that classical music should be “treated with respect” and not used as background music, Pullman seems to be closing classical music of to millions of people.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that he isn’t the first to express concerns about classical music being devalued by becoming too commonplace in today’s technologically shaped world. In Benjamin Britten’s 1964 speech, the composer expressed exactly the same worries as Pullman. Britten suggested, “The true musical experience demands some preparation, some effort, a journey to a special place, saving up for a ticket, some homework perhaps”. In short, it demands as much effort from listeners as from composers and performers.

I don’t agree with such an extreme viewpoint, but I do think it touches on a reality. You will never fully grasp the beauty of classical music if you half-hear it only in the background. That doesn’t necessarily matter. Music can be enjoyed on many levels. What Pullman and Britten are really saying is that, in a drive for “accessibility”, we shouldn’t deny the emotional and intellectual complexity underpinning (构成) much classical music.

6 . Angus Neish dared to hope that his fine-looking cattle, bred at Rodmead Farm in Wilt-shire, would nab a prize at the Royal Bath and West Show last month. The annual fair, held near Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, is England’s oldest and grandest. As well as a fiercely competitive livestock parade, it features Morris dancing, sheep-shearing and a vintage fairground. Its pony-chariot races are second to none. Many contestants performed vigorously before a large crowd. 100,000 turned out for some of the three-day show.

Britons love a fair. No one is sure exactly how many shows there are across the country, but at least 400 days of such rural events happen annually across the country. Roughly one in ten Britons attend them each year. It appears their popularity is rising.

In late June, it was the turn of the Royal Highland Show, near Edinburgh, where 217,000 people—breaking a record set in 2019—rolled up. It is estimated that the event last year boosted nearby businesses by almost £40m ($51m).

Why do people go? Nostalgia (怀旧) is evidently a draw. At Bath and West, as colored flags flapped, visitors formed queues, bought cream teas and listened as a military band played wartime hits. Rural shows also have a purpose. Many fairs were founded to spread the knowledge of new farming technology among rural populations. Some of that mission lives on.

A secondary goal is to better educate those who flood in from towns and cities—urban folk make up a decent share of those who pack the grounds. Some consumers also come armed with powerful knowledge of food supply chains—as well as sometimes picky personal preferences for organic, local, animal-friendly and environmentally sound products. Laura Williams, of the Royal Welsh Show, notes that visitors are “much more invested in farming and interested in where their food comes from” than in years past.

A last purpose, naturally, is for farmers to excel against their rivals in friendly competition. In this respect, Mr. Neish enjoyed an utterly successful day. In a first for Bath and West, his cattle scooped all four of the top prizes on offer in their categories. Such victories do not bring immediate, large financial rewards, but should boost the reputation of his breeding program.

Fashion is always a major indicator of popular trends. The new Chinese style has been selected as one of the Top 10 lifestyle trends in a compilation (汇编)    1     (release) by Xiaohongshu.

Besides adding value    2    design, the new Chinese style is enriching people’s eating and drinking habits. So far, the imported coffee business    3     (embrace) the Chinese style and culture to create a new image for coffee as a lifestyle beverage. For instance, Sexy Tea launched Chinese-style Yuenn & Yang Coffee,     4    struck an instant chord with young people.     5     (similar), a Moutai flavored latte by Luckin Coffee created a stir in the market. The integration of Eastern and Western drinks is not simply a    6     (combine), but a new flavor supported by new materials and processes.

“Amid all these market    7     (phenomenon) sparked by the new Chinese style, cultural consumption has also emerged. Scenes such as traditional Chinese style photography, Hanfu outings, ancient city cultural tourism, the popular new Chinese weddings and related fashion have all become    8     (act).” said Hua Hui, associate professor of the School of Media & Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The inclusiveness of Chinese culture    9    the leading role of Chinese aesthetics (美学) have redefined the contemporary world,     10     (give) it a new dimension and a new status.

8 . Whenever I’ve had a few stressful weeks, I typically schedule a “cooking day”. Working on recipes that I already know builds my confidence; trying out some new ones adds an element of surprise. In the end, I feel satisfied by the products of my work.     1     You can find your own relief in preparing food.

    2     This multisensory aspect of cooking is like a coping tool for stressful situation, the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. It allows you to quickly connect with the present moment by encouraging you to notice five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.     3     You might feel a bit calmer at the end.

Another key feature of cooking is that it’s connected to and shaped by the past. What you choose to cook, and the way you prepare it, might issue in part from the preferences and techniques of your parents, grandparents, friends or partners.     4     This link is part of cooking’s psychological richness and its potential to restore.

Trying new recipes and new ingredients can help you with the creation of new memories.     5     And, if you are wise in your choice of healthy ingredients, the food itself could have subsequent benefits for your psychological wellbeing.

The next time you step into the kitchen and try your hand at a new dish, try to consciously take notice of what’s going on in your mind and in your body, of what sorts of feelings cooking brings out in you.

9 . A team from Newcastle University and Northumbria Uaiversity in the UK has found that the thin, root -like threads produced by many fungi (真菌) can potentially be used as a biodegradable, wearable material that’s also able to repair itself.

In their tests, the researchers focused on the Ganoderma lucidum fungus, producing a skin from branching thin threads, which together weave into a structure called a mycelium (菌丝体). With a little more work, the fragile skins could serve as a substitute for leather, satisfying environmental and fashion tastes.

“The results suggest that mycelium materials can survive in dry and unfavourable environments, and self-repairing is possible with minimal intervention after a two -day recovery period, “write the researchers in their published paper. However, the process used to produce these materials tends to kill off the fungal spores (孢子) hat help the organism regenerate itself.

A new approach involving a mix of mycelia, proteins, and other nutrients in a liquid encouraged the growth of a skin. The results are currently too thin and delicate to be tuned into a jacket. However, the researchers are confident that it’s possible that future innovations could turn it into a tougher skin, possibly by combining layers or plasticizing in glycerol. Crucially, the production process didn’t kill off the fungal spores. Tests on the material showed that it was indeed able to replace holes made in it. The material was as strong as before, though it was still possible to see where the holes had been.

“Due to their functional properties, the ability of this regenerative mycelium material to heal micro and macro defects opens interesting future prospects for unique product applications in leather-goods replacements such as furniture, automotive seals, and fashion wear,” write there searchers.

There’s a long way to go here before you’ll be wearing clothes made out of fungus. The growing and healing processes take several days to happen at the moment for example, something which could be sped up over time.