4 . Young children are significantly more likely than adults to have their opinions influenced by robots according to a new research. The study, conducted-at the-University of Plymouth, compared how adults and children respond to an identical (相同的) task when in the presence of both their peers (同龄人) and robots.

It showed that while adults regularly have their opinions influenced by peers, something also demonstrated in previous studies, they are largely able to resist being persuaded by robots. However, children aged between seven and nine were more likely to give the same responses as the robots, even if they were obviously incorrect.

The study asks people to look at a screen showing four lines and say which two match in length. When alone, people almost never make a mistake but when doing the experiment with others, they tend to follow what others are saying.

When children were alone in the room in this research, they scored 87%on the test, but when the robots join in their score drops to 75%. And of the wrong answers, 74% matched those of the robot.

Professor Belpaeme said, ”People often follow the opinions of others and we’ve known for a long time that it is hard to resist taking over views and opinions of people around-us. But as robots will soon be found in the home and the workplace, we were wondering if people would follow robots. What our results show is that adults do not follow what the robots are saying. But when we did the experiment with children, they did. It shows children can perhaps have more of an affinity (亲和力)with robots than adults, which does pose the question: What if robots were to suggest, for example, what products to buy or what to think?“?

6 . The idea that richer countries are happier may seem obvious. However, in 1974, research by economist Richard Easterlin found otherwise. He discovered that while individuals with higher incomes were more likely to be happy, this did not hold at a national level. In the United States, for example, average income per person rose steadily between 1946 and 1970, but reported happiness levels showed no positive long-term trend; in fact, they declined between 1060 and 1970. These differences between nation-level and individual results gave rise to the term “Easterlin paradox”: the idea that a higher rate of economic growth does not result in higher long-term happiness.

Recent research has challenged the Easternlin paradox, however. In 2013, sociologists Ruut Veenhoven conducted a study using statistics from the World Database of Happiness. Their analysis revealed a positive correlation between economic growth and happiness. Another study found that there is no maximum wealth threshold at which more money ceases to bring you happiness: “If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it.” The study’s findings suggested that every extra dollar you earn makes you happier.

According to psychologists Selin Kesebir, happiness also depends on how your income compares to the people around you. They argue that a country’s economic growth only makes its citizens happier if wealth is evenly distributed. In emerging countries with high income inequality—where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer—average happiness tends to drop because only relatively few people benefit from the economic prosperity. This suggests that governments should consider implementing policies to ensure equal distribution of wealth. The happier people are, the more productive they are likely to become, thus leading to improved economic outcomes at the individual and national levels.

There is continuing debate about the link between wealth and happiness, with arguments both for and against the notion that richer countries are happier. However, it is clear that wealth alone isn’t enough to make us happy. The effect of income inequality on happiness shows that happiness is a social responsibility. We need to remember the positive effects of generosity and building social connections. Perhaps our focus should be less on how much money we have, and more on how we use it.

7 . New York. London, Paris and other big cities are exciting places to live in. There are many interesting things to see and to do. You can go to different kinds of museums, plays and films. You can also go shopping to buy things from all over the world.

Bur there are serious problems in big cities, too. The cost of living is high, and there are too many people in some places of big cities. Every year, many people move to the cities because of the chances to find jobs, to study at good schools, and to receive good medical care. But sometimes these people cannot find work or a good place to live in. Also, too many people in a small space make it hard to keep the cities safe and clean.

Some people enjoy living in big cities, others do not. Before people move to a big city, they should think about the problems of living there.

What are teenagers into and what turns them off? A(n)     1     questionnaire (调查问卷) asked 1,000 senior high school students about their likes and dislikes. According to the results, taking exams and speaking in front of others are among the least popular activities for today’s     2    . Many students like to     3     interesting topics with their classmates but feel     4     or uncomfortable when they have to give a speech in class. Nearly half of the teenagers think that their     5     are too busy. They wish they had not signed up for so many courses and extra-curricular activities.

9 . A recent study from a team of South Korean researchers suggests that eating alone often may lead to poor eating habits and poor food choices. Specifically, the study found that men who ate alone more than twice a week had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and other diseases.

For children, eating with their families is not only about preventing bad results—it is also about developing good ones.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at data from nearly three-quarters of the world’s countries. Among its findings was the fact that students who shared a main meal with families were less likely to skip school(逃学). Children who eat a main meal with their families are also less likely to use drugs and alcohol(吸毒酗酒).

In the report, named “The Importance of Family Dinners”, researchers say that “teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say their parents know a lot about what’s going on in their lives”. They also say that when teens say they feel closer to their parents, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Another study from the University of Montreal found that children who ate with their families experience long-term physical and mental health benefits(好处). These children were physically in better shape and drank fewer sugary soft drinks. These children also seemed to have better social skills and they were less aggressive(好斗的).

Professor Linda Pagani says that mealtimes shared with parents “likely provide young children with first-hand social communication, discussions of social events and day-to-day matters”. She adds that they may likely help the child have better communication skills with others.