4 . A newly published study shows that chess players perform objectively worse and — make more suboptimal (次最优的) moves when there is more fine particulate matter (颗粒物) in the air.

“We find that when individuals are exposed to higher levels of air pollution, they make more mistakes, and they make larger mistakes,” says Juan Palacios, a co-author of a newly published paper detailing the study’s findings.

Scholars have produced many studies exploring the effects of air pollution on cognition. The current study adds to that literature by analyzing the subject in a particularly controlled setting. The scholars used three web-connected sensors inside the tournament venue to measure carbon dioxide, PM2.5 concentrations, and temperature, all of which, can, be affected by external conditions, even in an indoor setting.

To evaluate the matter of performance of players, meanwhile, the scholars used software programs that assess each move made in each chess match, identify optimal decisions, and flag significant errors. During the tournaments, the researchers examined and ruled out alternate potential explanations for the dip in player performance, such as increased noise. They also found that carbon dioxide and temperature changes did not correspond to performance changes. Ultimately, the analysis confirms that the findings are driven by the direct exposure to air particles.

The researchers also found that when air pollution was worse, the chess, players performed even more poorly when under time constraints. The tourmament rules required that 40 moves had to be made within 110 minutes; for moves 31-40 in all, the matches, an air pollution, increase of 10 micro-grams per cubic meter led to an increased probability of error of 3.2 percent, with the magnitude of those errors increasing by 17.3 percent. And while the focus of this particular study is tightly focused on chess players, the findings have strong implications for high-skilled office workers.

6 . Fashion rental has been on the increase for a few years, similar to trends such as up-cycling and charity shopping. It seems likely to be another pandemic related trend, pushing people to think about fashion consumption and sustainable living — a positive to come out of an isolating two years. Maybe more sustainable way of looking and thinking about fashion is the industry’s future.

According to Fashion United, the fashion rental market is “expected to grow more than 10% year-on-year until 2027”. Rental is a positive in the rapidly changing world of fashion. It is not a trend; it is a solution to limiting the unnecessary production and consumption of clothing.

Sue Ingle, owner of Heavenly Hat Hire, says her main customers are “those attending weddings and races”. Discussing the cost of living, she explains how “people are unwilling to pay £200 for a hat they may only wear once”, so paying a percentage of this on a rental is more affordable and therefore more accessible to a wider audience.

Fashion rental is widening its market. Luxury department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods join forces with rental companies to provide designer items on loan. So why go to a smaller business? From purchasing experience, small businesses often have a more personal feel with extra touches, which are not needed but much appreciated. Heavenly Hat Hire invites customers to book an appointment to try on hats. Sue names the hats to give them a more personal feel and loves it when a customer comes in telling her “I don’t suit hats and never wear them”, then an hour later leaves happily with a hat in hand.

If the pandemic revealed anything to the fashion industry, it is that no brand, no matter its scale, is completely secure. We should support the companies thinking about environmental impact and making improvements to become more sustainable. Small businesses providing this as well as exceptional services should get all our support.

Fashion rental is around to fill the gap in your wardrobe when necessary. As Sue says, “We all need to buy less and love what we already have a little bit more.”

7 . It was a cold, sunny December day when I set out for a run in Moab, Utah, with my dog, Taz.

About an hour into my ________ along a remote canyon (峡谷) trail, I hit a patch of black ice (透明薄冰) and then ________ 60 feet into the canyon. I wasn’t paralyzed, but I was in great ________. Taz had managed to ________ his way back to me, so there must be a way out of the canyon, but I couldn’t ________ or even crawl.

I shouted for help and was intent on ________ myself to the bottom of the canyon. Every inch was an effort. It ________ me five hours to go a quarter of a mile. ________, it got so dark that I had to stay where I was for the night, next to a puddle (水坑) of water. At night the temperature dropped below ________. Taz stayed with me, ________ some warmth.The next morning, I couldn’t move at all. I tried to stay ________. The second night in the canyon seemed even ________ and colder. The puddle turned to ice, and I had to ________ it to get water.

On the third day, I felt myself growing weaker. I was coming to terms with the fact that I might ________. In a last ________ , I called Taz over and told him to go and get help. Taz took off through the canyon and I lay there thinking about my family and friends. There was more that I wanted from life.

Taz returned, ________ . Then I heard an engine in the distance. I cried with joy. It ________ that Taz had found a search and ________ team. I was airlifted to the hospital, where doctors found I had lost almost half the ________ in my body. If the rescue team had arrived later, I wouldn’t have ________ it. I was grateful to my faithful friend -Taz.

8 . We all know that unpleasant feeling when we’re talking about something interesting and halfway through our sentence we’re interrupted. But was that really an interruption? The answer depends on whom you ask, according to new research led by Katherine Hilton from Stanford University.

Using a set of controlled audio clips (录音片段), Hilton surveyed 5, 000 American English speakers to better understand what affects people’s perceptions of interruptions. She had participants listen to audio clips and then answer questions about whether the speakers seemed to be friendly and engaged, listening to one another, or trying to interrupt.

Hilton found that American English speakers have different conversational styles. She identified two distinct groups: high and low intensity speakers. High intensity speakers are generally uncomfortable with moments of silence in conversation and consider talking at the same time a sign of engagement. Low intensity speakers find it rude to talk at the same time and prefer people speak one after another in conversation.

The differences in conversational styles became evident when participants listened to audio clips in which two people spoke at the same time but were agreeing with each other and stayed on topic, Hilton said. The high intensity group reported that conversations where people spoke at the same time when expressing agreement were not interruptive but engaged and friendlier than the conversations with moments of silence in between speaking turns. In contrast, the low intensity group perceived any amount of simultaneous (同时) chat as a rude interruption, regardless of what the speakers were saying.

“People care about being interrupted, and those small interruptions can have a massive effect on the overall communication,” Hilton said. “Breaking apart what an interruption means is essential if we want to understand how humans interact with each other.”

10 . If you are thinking of putting your child in a private high school instead of a public one, you should do some research. You will find that most private schools offer some advantages.

One of the most important details of a good high school is small class size. Many public schools might have 30 or even 35 students in each class. However, many private schools limit the size to about 15 to 20 kids per class. This is a good thing because it allows each teacher to offer every student more attention.

Another thing to mention is the interesting classes. For example, while the typical (典型的) high school might only offer Spanish and French as foreign languages, private schools often have several other languages to choose from. This is especially important if your child is actually interested in studying a particular language that is not usually offered. Of course, many colleges also consider the various (各种各样的) classes as a good thing, since they can teach students more different subjects than usual.

Some colleges actually work closely with schools to make sure students are prepared well to get an advanced education. This means that teachers are careful to teach skills that can be used in college. Also, college teachers may be on-hand to talk to students and give them advice. If you think your child could use some help of this kind, which would likely help prepare him or her for college, you should look into schools offering these things.

A simple visit to the website or campus (校园) of a local private high school could give you the answers you are looking for. If you think your child would benefit from and appreciate these advantages, you should start researching. You are sure to find at least one that offers these benefits.