1 . “You’re so smart!” This encouraging response to children’s math performance is commonly heard. Recently, a new study, conducted by the University of Georgia, found that encouraging children with responses related to their personal characteristics or inborn abilities might weaken their math achievement over time.

Parents who make comments connecting their children’s performance with personal qualities like IQ are using what’s referred to as person responses. In contrast, parents who connect their children’s actions, such as efforts or strategy use, to their performance are using process responses.

For the study, researchers asked more than 500 parents to report on how they responded to their children’s math performance and their math beliefs and goals. Children were divided into two groups across a year to measure their math achievement.

The results show that parents who view math ability as changeable are more likely to give process responses focused on their children’s strategy use and efforts rather than their IQ or other personal qualities. In contrast, parents who believe math ability is unchangeable and that math failure can’t be constructive give more person responses. Parents with high expectations for their children give both responses. While responses focused on strategy and efforts are not related to any achievement results, children who receive more responses about their personal qualities — especially, related to failure — are more likely to avoid harder math problems, show higher levels of math anxiety, and score lower on math achievement tests.

Because person responses mean poor math change in children over time, researchers suggest parents limit this type of responses at home. Another recommendation for parents is to think about their own beliefs and goals for their kids and examine how these might lead them to respond in person or process ways. Simply telling parents to avoid talking about math ability may not be enough. Focusing less on how children perform and more on their strategy and enjoyment of math might be a more effective way to encourage children.

We Should Shoulder the Responsibility

7 . The exact location in France where Dutch master Vincent van Gogh painted his last work of art has been discovered.

A Dutch researcher figured out that a scene described in the artist’s last work, Tee Root, was visible on a postcard showing a man standing next to a bicycle on a back street of the village Auvers-sur-Oise. Van Gogh spent the last weeks of his life in the village. Helpfully, the card even included the name of the street.

Researchers were given a unique glimpse into the famous painter’s final hours. He was at work right up to the end.

Wouter van der Veen, scientific director of the Van Gogh Institute in France, made the discovery. While stuck at home, van de Veen used the extra time to organize the numerous files and documents on van Gogh, including images such as the old postcard from Auvers-sur-Oise. One day in late April, he saw the card on his computer screen and it suddenly struck him that he was looking at the location of Tree Roots. Next to the man and his bicycle, roots and trees are clearly visible. He took a virtual trip down the site using Google’s Street View.

“Villagers know the spot and the main tree root well, even giving it the name ‘the elephant’ because of its shapes,” van der Veen said. “It was really hiding in overt sight.”

The discovery provides tourists with an extra reason to visit Auvers-sur-Oise. “They travel a lot just for one reason — to walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh. Now they can stand at the very place where he painted his last painting,” van der Veen said. “And that’s a very moving thing for a lot of people. So I’m very happy to be able to share that with all those who love van Gogh.”

8 . For a special and friendly international experience, you may choose to study in Canada. Here are just a few ways that a Canadian study abroad program benefits you.

    1    

If you wish to be in front of computer and information technology, then Canada might just be the right place. There are many high-ranking universities all over the country.

Beautiful wilderness and lively cities.

    2    You can hike, climb mountains, ski, or even visit a beach on the west or east coasts. The campuses alone provide plenty of activities, sports, and clubs for students to participate. Besides, you can also experience many different foods, music, and activities the cities offer.

Safe and friendly environments.

There is a saying that Canadians are some of the friendliest people in the world, and you will probably find this to be quite true. Canadians are friendly to all peoples, the country itself is quite safe, and there is a relatively high standard of living.     3    

Life-changing professional experience.

Many Canadian universities offer professional experience in the form of internships(实习期的工作) with various companies.     4    While not all internships are paid, you may be able to find options(选择) to work and study in Canada if you need to earn some money.

Good memory.

Whether you live with a host family or with students of the same age on a college campus, you are likely to have an effect on the people you meet while studying abroad.     5     Whatever happens, you probably will never forget the experience you acquire while studying in Canada.

9 . For many people, the ring of a cell phone isn't a welcome sign that someone is thinking about them. Instead, it's a moment of fear that signals the beginning of an uncomfortable, and potentially full-of-anxiety exchange．Not surprisingly, psychologists regard some of this newfound social anxiety as a result of the rise in text communication．

Despite our phones being available all the time, we tap out(敲打出) most of our correspondence(通信)．It makes sense: Why worry about seeking the right word, or stuck in an awkward conversation when you could craft, edit, and rewrite the perfect message?

“Anxiety over the possibility of talking on the phone has increased as our culture has moved away from verbal(口头的) communications and in the direction of texting, emailing, social media comments, and other written communications,” says Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist at Boston University．“Typing as opposed to talking is really different because when you text or email or post a comment, you have time to think and edit．That’s different from face-to-face conversation where it happens in real time and, if you make a mistake,it's out there．”

Hendriksen says that uncertainty is at the root of all anxieties, and phone calls are full of uncertainty．In person, you know the context of what someone is doing before you start a conversation．When you stop by a coworker’s desk to ask them a question, you can quickly see whether they’re busy． When you call someone, you have no idea what they’re doing．With texts or email, you typically don’t expect an immediate response, so the person can reply at their own pace．In comparison, cold calling someone seems as rude as showing up at their house unannounced．

Hendriksen says you may start to associate the phone with feeling incompetent or embarrassed, so you avoid making calls to prevent feeling that way again. The problem is, the more you avoid talking on the phone, the worse your anxiety around it gets．So how can you get it?

10 . An 8-year-old therapy dog(治疗犬) named Moose was among the graduates at this year's virtual graduation ceremony at Virginia Tech — and this good boy has a lot to celebrate．

Moose, who came to Virginia Tech in 2014, received an honorary doctor's degree in vet medicine, the university said．He is one of four dogs who work at the school's Cook Counseling Center, serving as working therapy animals and ambassadors for merrtal health awareness．

The Labrador retriever has aided in more than 7,500 counseling sessions(心理治疗课程) and over 500 outreach events in his six years at Virginia Tech, according to his owner Trent Davis, the coordinator of animal-assisted therapy and a counselor at the center．

Recently, Moose has faced a challenging few months after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer just a week after his birthday in February．The pup began radiation, chemotherapy and other therapies and has been given a positive result．

In 2019, the cute pup was honored with the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Hero Award, an honor given to an animal that has performed “a heroic act of service or provides daily outstanding service for humans．”

“Moose loves you if you're super smart, and he loves you if you got an F．He loves you if you've been in the hospital, and he loves you if you're a sports star,” Davis said of the honor．“Moose doesn't care if you have a mental health concern．He doesn't care if you got an A or a B or if you didn't get into college…That's got a magic to it．”

When Moose isn't working, he enjoys swimming, playing a classic game of tug of war, and most of all, eating．