2 . After 18 years of devotion to rhythmic gymnastics, Fanni Pigniczki claimed the gold medal on the international stage. The 23-year-old Hungarian topped the podium (领奖台) not just once but twice!

In a remarkable display of skill and determination, she secured victories in both the individual all-around and Ball at Chengdu Sport University Gymnasium. “It was an amazing feeling to see the Hungarian flag rising up,” Pigniczki said after the medal ceremony. At the Chengdu games, Hungary has secured three gold medals, with Pigniczki, the country’s only rhythmic gymnast then, responsible for two of those. But it was not without a sense of regret — her errors in the concluding pose denied her a medal in another round. Pigniczki vowed to learn from that setback. “I need to improve my stability in the coming training.” she said.

Actually, this positive attitude should be credited to her psychology background at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest. This major benefits her athletic pursuits, helping her to better manage her emotions. “I have learned to stay calmer and think less during competition. I have also learned that I need to relax and concentrate on the ‘now’ of competition,” added Pigniczki.

“When I was a kid, I tried all kinds of activities like swimming, basketball, and ballet. Seeing the sparking outfit, I fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics instantly. But what truly attracts me is the feeling of readiness in the sport, as I could always improve more.” she said. It is this feeling that has motivated her to set numerous records for Hungarian rhythmic gymnastics. Her outstanding performances at the 2021 European championships earned her a spot at the delayed Tokyo Olympics. Pigniczki became the first Hungarian rhythmic gymnast to grace the Olympic stage since Viktoria Frater at the Sydney 2000 Games. At the Olympics, she finished 20th in the qualification round for the individual all-around. Last year, she continued to make history by becoming the first Hungarian to claim a World Cup medal in rhythmic gymnastics.

Her role in inspiring the next generation of gymnasts was recognized in May when she was honored with the Smart Scoring Shooting Star award.

3 . Low and no motivation can be a sign of a serious problem like depression or anxiety. Are you experiencing long-term anxiety? Everything you need to do can leave you to feel scary and hard because you are constantly thinking of what could go wrong.     1     Especially, now! The following tips can be your solution.

Don’t “eat the frog.”

The idea of eating the frog refers to doing the task you are least motivated to do first. Ask yourself, “    2    ” For example, if you’d like to go for a run but you can’t get yourself to do that, then going for a walk is better than staying in bed. But if you’re feeling low, trying to do your hardest task first can lead to you not getting out of bed.

    3    

Plan to work on a high-priority task for 90 minutes, then take a break. Would you like to take a walk or lie out in the sun? Would you like to browse swimsuits for a vacation you have coming up?    4     If you wait to choose what you will do for your break until you are already exhausted from a period of focused work, you may not make a very satisfying choice. When you choose in advance, you are likely to make a more rewarding choice.

Fuel yourself

Understand how fuel influences your personal concentration, focus, and motivation. Test out what works for you. For example, try eating a high-protein yogurt and see if that gives you the little boost you need.     5     Small improvements can be hard to notice if you are not paying close attention. Consider structured self-experimentation like trying a strategy every day for a week, then no days for a week, and comparing.

4 . On February 7th 1997, some Japanese whale hunters caught 10 orcas (虎鲸) in a small bay near Taiji. The hunters were not interested in killing the orcas but rather in catching them for sale. Five of the orcas were sold and _________ off to different whale research centers in Japan; the other five were _________ back into the ocean.

The Japanese whale hunting soon became a hot news called “Taiji Five” and spread around the world quickly. People’s _________ poured into the Japanese authorities to make the whale research centers return wild whales to the ocean; in UN, protests against whale hunting _________ 52 countries to support the proposal. However, all these actions were _________ by Japan. Two of the whales died just a few months after being caught; a third died in 2004. Today, only two of the five caught whales still remain _________.

This hunting of wild whales is just one of the many _________ to whales in our oceans today. Not only are the oceans full of chemical waste from our factories, but noise pollution from ships is _________ as a more serious danger to the life of whales and other sea creatures. _________ the chemical and noise pollution, there is a very real possibility that whale hunters may soon be able to legally begin their business again. In March 2009, the International Whaling Commission met to discuss the possibility of throwing out the whaling ban (禁令). Therefore, the greatest threat to whales’ safety is humans actually. If wild animals are not __________, the next species to go extinct is humans.

5 . Whether exploring distant universe or dashing about a fantasy world, virtual reality has immersed humans in extraordinary places. Now, it seems, mice will be able to join us.

Researchers have developed a pair of virtual reality “goggles” that can bring the mice into various situations, from navigating mazes (导航迷宫) to experiencing the threat of natural enemies.

With a pair of lenses (镜片) and screens mounted on stands either side of a mouse’s head, the recently updated version of “goggles” provides each eye of mice with a 180-degreefield of view. The researchers placed the animals on a treadmill (跑步机) in front of a large screen displaying a digital scene, with their heads fixed to monitor the brain activities. This not only allows mice to see the virtual environment in 3D and gets rid of visual clues of the lab, but offers a way to present virtual images from above —for example, of a hovering hawk. This stimulation causes mice to freeze or flee the same as they react in real environment to survive a hungry bird attack in the wild. When the mice froze, activity from neurons (神经元) in their brains involved in navigation suggested they were in a different location from where they actually were. “It was as if they were thinking about where they would rather be — a safe, covered location up ahead.” Dombeck said, adding such results might help explain how imagination arises in the brain.

The team are also working to identify neurons involved in forming memories when mice navigate a maze, as well as which connections between them are improved to form memories. Answering these questions will help us understand how our brains know where we are in the world around us, how we form memories of those experiences, and ultimately how those memories are degraded in neurodegenerative diseases.

6 . Weddings are one of life’s biggest celebrations, and they are observed in just about every country and culture on the planet. Here are some wedding traditions from around the world.

Scotland

Scottish weddings usually feature the handfasting ceremony. During the ceremony, the bride (新娘) and bridegroom each hold a piece of cloth. These are carefully wound around the couple’s joined hands. When they pull their hands apart, the pieces become tied into a knot (结) — a symbol of the new union.

Germany

Guests at a German wedding get to see an interesting sight: the newly married couple — still dressed in their suit and wedding dress — cutting a length of a tree in half with a two-person saw (锯). In this way, they show their ability to work as a team to face any challenge they will meet in life.

Norway

A Norwegian wedding cake is made up of progressively smaller layers of iced cake rings, which give the cake the shape of Christmas tree. The inside is empty and has gifts or even a bottle of wine. The bride and g room lift the top ring of the cake, and the number of layers that stick to it is said to represent the number of children they will have!

England

Brides in England typically wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” for their big day. The modern practice comes from a traditional English song, and the things themselves represent protection, cheerfulness, good luck, and purity, respectively.

Though the customs might vary, the feeling remains the same. Across the world, weddings are times to celebrate love, happiness, and family.

7 . A New York mother and daughter have earned their college degrees together on the same day, carrying out a_______dream for both of them.

With her toddler in tow, Tanisha Wiggins, 36, walked across the stage alongside her mother, Barbara Wiggins, 58, at their college, Onondaga Community College in New York. They were both awarded _______in human services.

Tanisha dropped out of college in 2007, _______from depression. Years later after receiving_______health care, she was on her feet again. In 2021, Tanisha and her mother were_______to college together. It was her mother’s_______and the desire to set a good example for her children that helped her_______the finish line. “We are finally here,” Tanisha hugged her mother, with tears of_______springing up in the eyes. “Yes, honey!” Barbara replied in a _______ voice, “We made it!”

“My mom proved everyone________that thought she wouldn’t be able to do it. She really got through it at her age. Now with tutoring and________, she went every single day and never stopped. It didn’t________what the weather was, she went.” she told ABC(American Broadcasting Company).

Barbara was working as a doula(产妇陪护) before enrolling in college, and________her General Educational Development(CED). “Although the experience was________, blessed. I convince efforts always ________.” Barbara summed up in her graduation speech.

9 . Ever wondered why your partner is up with the lark (百灵鸟) while you are happily sleeping till noon? It could be thanks to Neanderthal genes, according to a new study.

Scientists comparing ancient DNA with the genetics of modern humans discovered a “striking trend”, said John Capra, an epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the University of California in San Francisco. The researchers found that the Neanderthal genes that remain affect the body clock —increasing tendency to be a morning person.

Neanderthals lived at higher latitudes (纬度) than our ancestors who migrated from Africa — further away from the equator, with the days longer in summer and shorter in winter. “The gene that makes people early risers likely enables more rapid alignment (协调一致) of the circadian clock (生物钟) with changing seasonal light patterns,” Dr Capra said, “when Neanderthals were able to make the most of daylight hours to hunt.”

Scientists have previously explored how the circadian rhythms of insects, plants, and fish have developed depending on latitude. But that hasn’t been well studied in humans. There searchers wanted to see whether there was a genetic reason for differences in circadian rhythms between Neanderthals and modern people, and found 16 variants (变异体) associated with greater “morningness”. They suspected that as Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans mated, people today could have followed Neanderthal “circadian variants”.

To test this, scientists analyse the genetics of several hundred thousand people from the UK Biobank and found many of the variants that affect sleep preference. “Most noticeably, they found that these variants increase morningness,” the researchers said. This is consistent with what has been found in other animals that have adapted to living at a high latitude, as Neanderthals did.