Even Very Young Children Can Be Depressed

If you doubted it, I would introduce you to Susan, who came to my office and talked constantly about her “bad feeling”. Susan     1     (lose) interest in her favorite activities, stopped playing with her friends, and told her parents that she wanted to be dead. She’d spent more time in the school nurse’s office than in her classroom.

Susan was six years old and     2     (suffer) from depression. Proper treatment helped Susan recover. Without it, she might still be an unhappy child, alone and in pain.

The risk for depression does tend to increase as we grow older. Depression in young children is rare but real. Rene Spitz, a     3     (note) psychological researcher, found that infants who were in an institutional orphanage after World War II refused to eat and eventually died     4     they weren’t held by their caretakers. Children have an innate need     5     (hold) and comforted. If those needs aren’t met, then even very young children can fail to thrive and may become sick and die.

Approximately 1% of preschoolers experience depression; they often have great difficulty expressing their feelings, because not all of their language skills     6     (develop) sufficiently. Instead of expressing their feelings in language, the depressed preschool children are likely to show emotions by exhibiting significantly aggressive, fearful, or crying behavior.     7     most preschool children may get angry if they’re hungry, sleepy, afraid     8     their parents go away, or fail to get Daddy to buy them the latest toys, these behaviors are often carried to extremes of intensity and frequency in depressed children.

Although a diagnosis of clinical depression is rare in preschool children, there are times when it is appropriate. In most cases, the child who     9     (experience) significant frustrations resulting from the death or absence of a parent, has witnessed or been victims of violence, or has had a significant health problem     10     has interrupted normal emotional or physical development. I find preschool children to be more resilient (适应力强的) than older children in dealing with these events, as long as they have a supportive parent and receive timely treatment.

In recent years, China has been working hard to improve living conditions in rural areas through a program called the New Rural Development Initiative.    1     goal of this initiative is to improve infrastructure (基础设施), modernize farming practices, and enhance the overall quality of life for those     2     (live) in the countryside.

One important aspect of the initiative is the improvement of rural infrastructure    3       includes the construction of better roads, bridges, and watering systems     4     (improve) the efficiency of transportation and agricultural activities.

Another key focus is the promotion of modern agricultural    5     (technique). By introducing advanced farming methods and technologies, such as organic farming and the use of

machinery, farmers are able to increase their productivity and income     6       damaging the environment.

Furthermore, the initiative emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional culture and heritage in rural communities. Efforts    7     (make) to regenerate local traditions, which not only enriches the cultural     8     (diverse) of the countryside but also creates new opportunities for cultural tourism and sustainable development. The initiative also aims to enhance the living environment in rural areas through the restoration of traditional houses     9     the construction of public facilities.

Through the initiative, China is working hard to create a more prosperous (繁荣的) and     10     (harmony) countryside, providing its rural residents with better opportunities and an improved quality of life.

Your Cat Might Not Be Ignoring You When You Speak

Every cat owner has a story to tell of being blanked by their cat. We call to our cat, it turns away, and some of us might be left     1     (wonder) why we didn’t get a dog. But your cat may be listening after all. More than that, it     2     (care) more than you may think.

A study by French researchers     3     (publish) last month in the journal Animal Cognition found that not only do cats react to what scientists call cat-directed speech — a high-pitched (高音的) voice similar to     4     we talk to babies — they react to who is doing the talking.

“We found that hearing their owners using a high-pitched voice, cats reacted more than when hearing their owner speaking normally to another human adult,” said Charlotte de Mouzon, an author of the study. “But it actually didn’t work when it came from a stranger’s voice.”

    5     studies involving dogs, analyzing cat behavior is difficult, which is part of why humans understand them less. Cats are often so stressed by being in a lab     6     meaningful behavioral observations become impossible. And forget about trying to get a cat     7     (sit) still for an M.R.I. scan (核磁共振扫描) to study its brain function.

So the researchers for the latest study went to the cats’ homes and played recordings of different types of speech and different speakers. At first, there was concern from Dr. de Mouzon and her team for lack of reaction from the cats, but upon analysis of the film recordings, delicate reactions     8     (notice). “It could be just moving an ear or turning the head to the speaker or even freezing what     9     were doing,” Dr. de Mouzon said.

In the study, there were a few cases     10     cats would approach the speaker playing a voice and meow. “In the end, we had really clear gains in the cat’s attention when the owner was using cat-directed speech,” Dr. de Mouzon said.

Japan’s decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea has reduced the confidence of Chinese travelers    1    (want) to visit the country, and is expected to deliver a “heavy blow” to Japan’s tourism industry in the long term, experts and academics said.

Ignoring regional and international concerns about the safety of its decision, Japan began dumping    2    (treat) radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean on Aug 24.

As one of the major sources of tourists to Japan, China announced on Aug 10 that group tours would be resumed to the country, along with77 other overseas destinations.

Travel portal Trip.com Group said that as of Aug 17 searches for group tours to Japan exceeded    3    for Thailand and Singapore — the traditional top choices for Chinese travelers.

Travel agencies and industry insiders had also forecast that Japan would see a surge in the influx of Chinese travelers for the upcoming    4    (nation)Day holiday, which runs from Sept 29 to Oct 6 this year.

Trip.com said that as of Aug 17, bookings to Japan for the holiday had seen    5    five-fold month-on-month increase.     6    , news about the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water has raised concerns among Chinese travelers heading to Japan,    7    (especial) regarding their personal health and food safety.

Xu Xiaolei, Chief Brand Officer of CYTS Tours Holding Co in Beijing, said that the company    8    (see) routine changes in bookings and    9    (cancel) for travel to Japan. Nevertheless, he warned that travelers may be taking a “wait and see” approach ahead of the holiday.

“Many travelers to Japan, especially young people, want to enjoy the seafood. Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water may have a greater influence on these young travelers,” he said. “We will adjust our tour products to cater for our    10    (client) needs and follow-up the situation in Japan.”

He said he expected tourism to Japan would experience some fluctuations in the next two or three months.

Seeing Math on the Page

Math and literature are probably two of the subjects that bring students headaches. However, scientists wonder     1     the beauty of math can be found in literary works. Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections between Mathematics and Literature, a book published recently by UK mathematician Sarah Hart,     2     (present) some interesting thoughts about "three". She argues that the beauty of this number is indeed evident in many works of western literature and languages in general.

‘Three’ is the minimum number     3     a two-dimensional shape can be defined. For example, three sticks can create a triangle, a stable structure. Many common phrases are in three words, such as “ready, set, go”. Being the first things kids may learn, some nursery rhymes have a word     4     (repeat) three times, such as “row, row, row your boat”. In stories, there are usually three main characters, such as Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Harry Potter series. For a series of novels, there are usually three books     5     four, according to Hart.

Why is it always the third son who behaves differently from his two older brothers, thus     6     (win) the princess? “The reason for this,” Hart explains, “ is obvious. We require two repetitions to get to know the pattern,     7     the breaking of the pattern in the third character can surprise or amuse us.”

Similarly, another study by researchers at the University of Vermont also connected math and storytelling. They analyzed more than 1, 300 fiction books and arranged for 10, 000 words from the books     8     (rate) by 50 participants on a happiness scale of 1 to 9. Then the ratings     9     (categorize) into different graphs, which showed how the readers' emotions changed while reading. It turned out that each story fit perfectly into one of six basic graphs, a mathematical pattern.

“The idea that one would     10     choose between mathematics and literature is something of a tragedy, ”Hart says, “The two fields are fundamentally linked”.

I received an email from a reader who asked, “Why do some friendships end, no matter how much you want them to last?” She referred to     1     (see) the question in one of my articles, Mystery of Friendship. As I wrote in it, I don’t think easy answers exist as to how friendships start, why some turn into lifetime     2    , and why some end. Although I’ve tried answering the first two questions in other articles (To Have A Friend and Be A Friend), I still get surprised by friendships that endure and disillusioned by those that slip away. Even so, I’ll try to offer some insights here as to why friendships end.

My simple answer is that friendships end because the situations     3     friends are in or even the friends themselves change. First, the realities friends face may change. The decision to relocate     4     a new school or job cannot help but affect a friendship. Likewise, if a friend is in an accident, develops an illness, or loses someone close, these cannot help but affect a friendship. Does a friendship need to end because of these changes? No, but it’ll require adjustments that one or both friends     5     not be willing to make.

Second, the friends themselves may change. A significant reason why friendships often end     6    friends are apart for an     7     (extend) period of time (for summer camp, college, etc.) is that one or both of the friends change. I think it     8     (hurt) less when both friends change, because then the breakup is more often mutual and so both friends get closure by both deciding to let go and move forward in their lives without each other. What tends to hurt most is when just one friend changes. One friend might change social circles, become involved in new social organizations, start to date, get a pet, or take on some other venture that consumes more time and passion. Again, a friendship can endure these changes,     9     one or both of the friends for some reason decide not to invest the time and energy involved in the adjustment period. In this situation, breakups may not be mutual and so one or both friends feel betrayed and end up with bitter memories about     10     was a precious friendship to them.

Buy Now, Pay Later Spending

Buy now, pay later(BNPL) spending is expected to rise to record levels this holiday season. With so many young “buy now, pay later” shoppers already in debt from this short-term financing tool not requiring interest, questions emerge: Why do these shoppers use such a tool? And what risks does it pose to their budgets in the months     1     (come)?

The many Generation Z and millennials (typically around 40 years and younger) tend to use this short-term financing,     2     allows them to buy items and pay for them over time. Offered mostly by financial technologies, BNPL allows these customers to pay back their purchases     3     interest and with the first payment usually made at checkout. The most common “buy now, pay later” plan is     4     customers make four equal payments and pay off the debt in six weeks. It’s been a lifeline for some people, such as a university student     5     weekly income is not big enough. “BNPL provides consumers with flexible payment options so they     6     manage spending,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. That is of great importance for many consumers, especially     7     with a tendency to purchase higher-cost items.

However, since BNPL     8     (appear), warnings from experts have come into our view. They have been indicating that it’s financially unhealthy to form such a spending habit. According to New York Federal Reserve economists, BNPL may encourage debt to increase over time,     9     (influence) a consumer’s ability to meet non-BNPL commitments, or users to over extend themselves. Users should also note that     10     interest is not charged on the loan, they’ll be hit with late fees for missed payments, which can add up quickly, says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

You might not know yourself as well as you think. According to a new study, people are relatively accurate judges of only some of their behaviors.     1     most previous studies on how well people know themselves have been done on long-term personality traits, this new study probes how well people understand     2     they are acting from one moment to the next. Researchers asked participants to wear audio recorders that automatically activated every 9.5 minutes between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m. to record 30 seconds of audio. These participants were then emailed surveys four times a day     3    (ask) them to recall how outgoing, agreeable, or conscientious they were during a particular hour of the day. The study used data from 248 participants, all of     4     answered questions about their behavior for two consecutive weeks and wore the audio device for one of those weeks.

Six laboratory assistants rated each participant’s audio clips     5    (see) how their observations compared with people’s assessment of     6    . The six assistants were generally in agreement with one another about how the people they were observing     7    (act). Further, participants’ ratings of their own behaviors agreed with observers’ for how outgoing and how conscientious they were being. But the agreement between participants and outside observers was     8    (small) for agreeableness. Some of this discrepancy could be because the observers used only audio clips, and thus could not read cues     9     body language, but there are probably other explanations,     10     people should be able to hear when a participant is being kind versus being rude. The weak agreement between how participants thought they were acting and what observers heard could be because people would rather deny rude behavior.