1 . Nostalgia (怀旧) has become increasingly common in our current climate of accelerated, unexpected change. More and more Americans are turning back with longing to what feels like simpler, sweeter times. They collect cassette tapes, manual typewriters even decades-old video games.

Is it a mistake to get too obsessed with the past? Some psychologists warn that too much devotion to the so-called good old days is an escape from reality; it can indicate loneliness or that a person is having a difficult time coping in the present. Psychologist Stephanie Coontz argues that nostalgia distracts us from addressing the problems of modern life and contribute to anxiety, depression , insomnia etc.

But new studies suggest that a modest dose of nostalgia is not only harmless, but actually beneficial. They suggest it helps strengthen our sense of identity and makes us feel more optimistic and inspired. It is also a tool for self — discovery and memories are a psychological immune response that is triggered when you want to take a break from negativity. Interestingly, those happy memories can be particularly beneficial both to kids in their teens and to society's elders. Recalling our childhood reminds us of “the times when we were accepted and loved unconditionally," says Krystine Batcho, a psychologist. "That is such a powerfully comforting phenomenon, knowing that there was a time in life when we didn't have to earn our love." Nostalgia can transform even the most ordinary past into legends which warms the heart and the body. Let's not forget that nostalgia has been a source of inspiration to innumerable American writers. Mark Twain recalled his boyhood, writing, "after all these years, I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then： The white town drowsing in the sunshine of a summer's morning."

So go ahead, daydream a little about your best childhood friend, your first car, a long - gone family pct. As Dr. Sedikides says， "Nostalgia is absolutely central to human experience. "But at the same time, keep these words of wisdom from the great inventor Charles Kettering in mind as well： "You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time. "

2 . There is no such thing as a “safe" level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study.

In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans. The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain's gray matter-regions in the brain that make up "important bits where information is processed," according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford.

“The more people drank, the less the volume of their gray matter,“ Topiwala said via email. "Brain volume reduces with age and more severely with dementia(痴呆症).Smaller brain volume also predicts worse performance on memory testing,“ she explained. "While alcohol only made a small contribution to this(0. 8%), it was a greater contribution than other "modifiable" risk factors," she said, explaining that modifiable risk factors are “ ones you can do something about, in contrast to aging.”

The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health. They found that there was no "safe" level of drinking-meaning that consuming any amount of alcohol was worse than not drinking it. They also found no evidence that the type of drink— such as wine, spirits or beer—affected the harm done to the brain. However, certain characteristics, such as high blood pressure, obesity or binge-drinking, could put people at higher risk, researchers added.

The risks of alcohol have long been known： Previous studies have found that there's no amount of liquor, wine or beer that is safe for your overall health. Alcohol was the leading risk factor for disease and premature death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide in 2016, accounting for nearly one in 10 deaths, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2018.

“It has been known for decades that heavy drinking is bad for brain health," Sadie Boniface, head of research at the UK's Institute of Alcohol Studies, said via email. "We also shouldn't forget alcohol affects all parts of the body and there are multiple health risks. ”

4 . My mother is 92. Unless I have to be out of town, each week I take my mother to do her _______ and visit the doctor, providing _______ and transportation. During the week, however, she likes to go to a nearby store to _______ some small things she needs.

Last week she walked up to the store, but when she went to pay for her groceries, she was _______ about three dollars. The only _______ to pay for the groceries was to take off the _______ she could do without: a bottle of rubbing alcohol (医用酒精) and a bar of soap. By taking off these, she was able to _______ the new total to the amount of cash she had with her.

At this store, people _______ and then go off to the side to _______ their own groceries. My mother was putting her groceries into shopping bags when a ________ came up to her and said, “Here are the things that you ________ .” handing her the rubbing alcohol and the ________ . My mother, who is never speechless, was speechless. She ________ for the woman’s name and address so that she could ________ her. The woman told her it was her ________ .

My mother was so ________ by her gesture that she decided to go back to the store and give the cashier (收银员) a five-dollar bill to keep on hand ________ the same happened to someone else if they didn’t have enough ________ for all of their groceries.

So, whoever you are, thank you for the random act of ________ that not only helped my mother out, but ________ too.