1 . We are in the midst of a battle for our attention. Our devices have affected our brains and destroyed our collective ability to concentrate. Journalist Johann Hair’s new book, Stolen Focus, has just joined the voice s complaining about the great influence of the digital age. His and other recent books reflect a public perception that our focus is under attack.

Indeed, in out new research, we found some clear concerns. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,093 UK adults in 2021. Half of those surveyed felt their attention ans were shorter than they used to be, compared with a quarter who didn’t. And three quarters of participants agreed we’re living through a time when there’s non-stop competition for our attention between a variety of media channels and information outlets (渠道).

There has long been a worry about the threat to attention brought by new cultural forms, whether that’s social media or the cheap paperback sensation novels of the 19th century. Even as far back as ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates complained that the written words created “forgetfulness in our souls”. There has always been a tendency to fear the effects that new media and technologies will have on our minds.

The reality is that we simply don’t have long-term studies that tell us whether our attention spans have actually shrunk. What we do know from our study is that people overestimate some of the problems. There’s no such thing as an average attention span. Our ability to focus varies hugely depending on the individual and the task at hand.

It’s also important not to ignore the many benefits that technology brings to our life. Much of the public surveyed recognized these, so while half thought big tech and social media were ruining young people’s attention spans, roughly another half felt that being easily distracted was more to do with people’s personalities than any negative influence that tech ho logy may or may not have. Also, half of the public believed multitasking at work and switching frequently between emails, phone calls, and other tasks can create a more efficient and satisfactory work experience.

2 . What do you think about when you wait at a crosswalk? What about checking out your friends’ new posts? Chances are, if you’re not visually impaired, you don’t think much about these everyday activities as you’re doing them. But for blind and low-vision(视力低下的）people, these kinds of things can be difficult if the people designing them don’t take steps to make them accessible.

One big problem blind people always face is the assumptions of sighted people about what they can and can’t do. Everette Bacon, President of the Utah chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, says more than once he’s had a stranger grab his arm, thinking he needs help.

“ It’s impressions about blindness that are far more threatening to blind people than the blindness itself,” says Daniel Kish, president of World Access for the Blind.

People’s assumptions about capability(能力）contribute to a low number of blind people working in or studying STEM( science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. People with low or no vision have a lot to offer in these fields. They are just as capable as anyone else at experimenting and making new discoveries.

One tool that provides accessible ways to help the blind interact (互动）with data and scientific equipment is the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2. It reads aloud data from over 70 sensors(传感器）commonly used in science experiments. Cary Supalo invented this device to help students experience hands-on science learning. He has been blind since the age of seven. “ For kids who are blind or vision impaired, before this technology existed, they had to be told what happened,”he says.

Making the world more accessible isn’t limited to inventing a cool new piece of technology, though. If you’re posting a picture on social media, adding a specific description of what’s happening in the picture, called alt text, can help blind people understand your post without having to rely on sight. If you’re building a website, or know someone who is, follow accessibility guidelines.

4 . Many people associate the English language with literature, whether that is poetry, novels or plays. However, for Nathan, English is ________ those writings. It is a device that can give people ________.

Winner of the 2021 Student of the Year Linguist（English）Award, Nathan was born with a stutter（口吃）. As a child, his speech disorder ________ whenever he had to speak in public. "That was when I would get really ________ and lose confidence in my speech," said the college student.

However, even at a young age, he knew avoiding the problem was not a（n）________. Through speech training and discipline, Nathan was able to ________ this barrier, evident from the many awards he has ________ after taking part in debates at his school. Having gained confidence from public speaking, Nathan began volunteering to teach ________ to primary school students from ________ communities. He believes that having a "wealth gap" between your classmates can make you ________ you're inferior（低级别的）. "They really had to find their confidence," Nathan explained, and English was a ________ for the students to build their self-esteem. Nathan hopes people will understand that "your ________ would really be able to shape your identity and individuality".

As a person who once had trouble ________ his opinions, he knows the value of speaking with ________. That is why the language is crucial to him. However, while some may ________ the winner in a Linguist category would want to pursue a career in language, Nathan wishes to follow a ________ in science. Nevertheless, he believes English can be an essential part of that journey, because scientists need language to ________ their findings with the general public. "Scientists are specialized but to make a massive ________, their message must ________ the general public," he explained. "Language is very important to ________ abstract concepts."

5 . Sweeteners(甜味剂)are consumed by millions every day in products like diet soda, partly as a way to avoid weight gain from sugar-but how healthy these substitutes are has long been controversial.

To assess the cancer risk of sweeteners, researchers analysed the data of more than 100,000 people in France who self-reported their diet, lifestyle and medical history in intervals between 2009-2021.

“The participants who consumed the largest amount of sweeteners, beyond the middle amount, had an increased cancer risk of 13 percent compared to non-consumers,” said Mathilde Touvier, research director at France’s INSERM institute.

The study said that a higher cancer risk was particularly seen with sweeteners aspartame(阿巴斯甜)and acesulfame potassium(安赛蜜), used in many soft drinks including Coke Zero. Soft drinks accounted for more than half of the artificial sweeteners consumed, while table-top sweeteners represented 29 percent.

The study found that “higher risks were observed for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers”. Touvier said “we cannot totally exclude biases linked to the lifestyle of consumers”, calling for further research to confirm the study’s results.

The US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK both say that sweeteners do not cause cancer, and they have been authorised for use by the European Food Safety Authority. Michael Jones of The Institute of Cancer Research, London said that the link reported in the study was “not proof that artificial sweeteners cause cancer”.

He said the findings could suggest that “cancer risk may be raised in the type of person who uses artificial sweetener rather than the sweetener itself.”

Thursday’s findings also do not mean consumers should rush back to sugary drinks-a former study found that they were also linked to a higher risk of several cancer types.

6 . “It’s alarming that5 0 percent of species could go extinct in the UK in the near future,” Harvey, 18, told Rustic Pathways, “To fight the ecological crisis, we have to start restoring.” That’s why he and his friend Tom founded the organization Celtic Reptile & Amphibian to breed(培育)endangered native species as to reintroduce them back into the wild.

Harvey’ inspiration was sparked by a trip to a rewilded farm in Devon. Here famous expert Derek has successfully reintroduced beavers(海狸), previously extinct in the UK, and is also breeding wild pigs and cats.

This visit has inspired Harvey to start restoring wild animal populations. But why reptiles and amphibians? Harvey put it simply, “The fact of the matter is, they are food, especially frogs and lizards.” Reptiles and amphibians are food for birds and various other species. They are working on restoring 10 different types of species as to provide food in support of the ecosystem.

During 2020, staying at home due to the pandemic, Harvey and Tom used their weekends and evenings and sometimes all night to build a reptile facility in their backyard. They now do different tasks to better run the facility, including feeding the animals and holding meetings with wildlife biologists.

Harvey has introduced a set of guidelines of International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN)for reintroduction and migration. The guidelines ensure that the reintroduction is as successful as possible, based on a science-based approach.

Now Harvey is taking a gap year before his university education. He wants to get the business to a more self-sustainable level. “Although it’s a small piece of rewilding, we hope the message that Celtic Reptile & Amphibian holds is that we can rewild the world. We must rewild the world and we must do it now,” Harvey added.