How to argue well with someone you love Whether it starts over a sock left on the floor or a political debate that erupts a little too early at the holiday table, conflict is a part of life. It's not that we argue all the time. It's that these moments can stick with us. Sometimes they clear the air and help us grow. Sometimes they shut us down and leave resentment simmering for years. So it's worth knowing how to argue well. What actually makes something an argument? For starters, we don't really argue with strangers. Sure, voices can rise in traffic, but those clashes are more like letting off steam, lots of grumbling, zero emotional stakes. A genuine argument involves feelings. When there's love in a friendship, family, or romantic relationship, there are bonds, expectations, and vulnerability. Psychiatrist Christophe André describes it this way. In an argument, we stop listening and focus on unloading our frustration and pointing out the other person's faults. In a simple discussion, we want to be right without doing damage. In a true dialogue, we listen because we're trying to reach an understanding or compromise. An argument, he says, is just a conflict that slipped out of control. And while dialogue is ideal, real life means that emotions sometimes take the wheel. Do we really need to tell our loved ones everything? Not always. Being sincere isn't the same as saying every thought out loud. Our emotions are often raw, shifting or distorted by stress and fatigue. Telling the truth is important, but dumping unfiltered feelings onto someone else is more about venting than sharing. That's why some things should be expressed thoughtfully. Boundaries, hurt feelings, misunderstandings and assumptions about shared values. Those help preserve the relationship rather than burdening it. Therapists Nicole and Bernard Priaulx, authors of Arguing Well, describe conflict as a four-step dance. Incubation, explosion, unravelling and resolution. And that last stage matters most. Once the storm passes, we can finally name the deeper issue that was present from the start but couldn't be voiced in the heat of the moment. Can arguing be a sign of love? In a way, yes. Speaking up about what hurts can show investment and care. It means people want the relationship to work, but there's no need to romanticise conflict. Arguing often proves nothing on its own. What matters is how we argue. Do we listen? Do we apologise? Do we show respect? Disagreement should never justify verbal or physical abuse, humiliation or contempt. There you have it. 词汇表 erupt [ɪˈrʌpt] vi. （情感）爆发，突然发生 clear the air 消除误会，澄清事实 shut someone down 使某人沉默，封闭内心 resentment [rɪˈzentmənt] n. 怨恨，愤恨 simmer [ˈsɪmə(r)] vi. （难以控制的感情）酝酿，积聚 for starters 首先，第一点 clash [klæʃ] n. 冲突，争论 let off steam [stiːm] 发泄情绪，释放压力 grumbling [ˈɡrʌmblɪŋ] n. 牢骚，抱怨 emotional stakes [steɪks] 情感投入，情感纠葛 bond [bɒnd] n. 纽带，联系，羁绊 vulnerability [ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti] n. 脆弱，弱点 unload [ˌʌnˈləʊd] vt. 倾诉，吐露（情感、烦恼） slip out of control [slɪp] 失控 take the wheel [wiːl] 掌控，主导，占上风 raw [rɔː] adj. （感情）强烈的，不掩饰的，未经思考的 shifting [ˈʃɪftɪŋ] adj. 多变的，不断变化的 distort [dɪˈstɔːt] vt. 扭曲，使变形 dump something on someone [dʌmp] 向某人倾诉，吐槽，倒苦水 unfiltered feelings [ʌnˈfɪltəd] 未经筛选的感受，直白的感受 vent [vent] v. 发泄，吐露（负面情绪） thoughtfully [ˈθɔːtfəli] adv. 深思熟虑地，体贴地 assumption [əˈsʌmpʃn] n. 假定，假设，设想 incubation [ˌɪŋkjuˈbeɪʃn] n. 酝酿，潜伏期 unravelling [ʌnˈrævəlɪŋ] n. 梳理，阐明，解决 resolution [ˌrezəˈluːʃn] n. 解决，和解 in the heat of the moment 一时激动之下，在情绪激动时 romanticise [rəʊˈmæntɪsaɪz] vt. 使浪漫化，美化 verbal / physical abuse [ˈvɜːbl][əˈbjuːs] 言语/肢体暴力，语言/身体虐待 humiliation [hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃn] n. 羞辱，蒙羞，丢脸 contempt [kənˈtempt] n. 轻视，蔑视 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

What are the evolutionary origins of kissing? Humans do it, chimpanzees do it, even polar bears do it. And now a study has shown that kissing likely evolved about 21 and a half million years ago. The mouth-on-mouth kiss is actually something of a biological puzzle, with no obvious survival or reproductive benefits, so the Oxford University-led team gathered evidence of animals that kiss each other on the mouth and worked out their evolutionary relationship to each other and to humans. This revealed that kissing probably evolved in the last common ape ancestor of humans, chimps and bonobos. The study suggested that Neanderthals probably kissed too, and that they may have smooched with modern humans when the two species lived alongside each other. The researchers hope that the insight will encourage more scientists to gather data that could finally help solve the evolutionary mystery of why we and many other animals kiss. 词汇表 chimpanzee [ˌtʃɪmpænˈziː] n. 黑猩猩 mouth-on-mouth adj. 嘴对嘴的，口对口的 biological puzzle [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˈpʌzl] 生物学谜题 reproductive [ˌriːprəˈdʌktɪv] adj. 繁殖的，生殖的 ape ancestor [ˈeɪp ˈænsestə(r)] 猿类祖先，类人猿祖先 chimp [tʃɪmp] n. 黑猩猩（同chimpanzee） bonobo [ˈbɒnəbəʊ] n. 倭黑猩猩 Neanderthal [niˈændətɑːl] n. 尼安德特人（居住在欧洲及西亚的古人类） smooch [smuːtʃ] vi. 接吻，拥吻 insight [ˈɪnsaɪt] n. 发现，洞察，深刻见解 evolutionary [ˌiːvəˈluːʃənri] adj. 进化的，演变的 🗒️翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Could humans have 33 senses? Many of us grew up learning that humans have five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch – an idea dating back to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. But what if this list is incomplete? A sense is anything that can give your body information about the outside world, and some of these don't neatly fit into the traditional five. Modern scientists estimate there may be up to 33 different senses. One sense that doesn't fit into one of the five boxes is proprioception. This is the sense of where your body parts are in space. Thanks to this sense, you can touch your nose with your eyes closed and walk around in the dark – you know where your legs are without looking. Then there's interoception which helps you sense things inside your body, like hunger and an increased heart rate. And don't take your sense of balance for granted. Balance relies on fluid in your inner ear to help you stay upright – this is what's called vestibular perception. And the traditional five senses might not be as simple as they seem. Touch, the sense we associate with our hands and tactile sensations, also encompasses the sensation of pain, temperature and itch. To perceive the flavours in food and drink, you need a combination of taste, smell and touch to get the full experience – it's not all about the taste buds on your tongue! It is actually smell that contributes most of what we perceive as taste, so when a person suffers olfactory loss, they often can't enjoy food as much, according to a 2022 study published in Foods by Fjaeldstad and Smith. Until recently, philosophers and scientists have studied each of the traditional five senses in isolation, but researchers at the University of London's Centre for the Study of the Senses have more of a multisensory approach – the senses are all working together to create an overall picture. In their 'Rethinking the Senses' project, they found that our perception of salt, sweet and sour flavours is reduced when there is white noise, but our perception of umami is not. This means that sound can enhance flavour, and that umami-rich foods like tomato juice might taste better on a plane. So, perhaps humans are far more sensory creatures than Aristotle ever imagined. From balance and body awareness to the way sound can change flavour, our senses are constantly working together in ways we rarely notice. 词汇表 five senses [ˈsensɪz] 五种感官，五感 proprioception [ˌprəʊpriəˈsepʃn] n. 本体感觉（感知身体各部位在空间中的位置） interoception [ˌɪntərəʊˈsepʃn] n. 内感受（感知身体内部的状态） take something for granted [ˈɡrɑːntɪd] 视某事为理所当然 fluid [ˈfluːɪd] n. 液体，流体；adj. 流动的 inner ear 内耳（控制身体平衡和听力） stay upright [ʌpˈraɪt] 保持直立，保持平衡，站稳 vestibular perception [veˈstɪbjələ(r) pəˈsepʃn] 前庭觉（对平衡和空间定向的感知） tactile sensation [ˈtæktaɪl senˈseɪʃn] 触感，触觉 encompass [ɪnˈkʌmpəs] vt. 包含，包括，涵盖 itch [ɪtʃ] n. 痒；vi. 发痒 flavour [ˈfleɪvə(r)] n. 味道，风味 taste bud [bʌd] 味蕾 olfactory loss [ɒlˈfæktəri lɒs] 嗅觉丧失 in isolation [ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn] 孤立地，单独地 multisensory [ˌmʌltiˈsensəri] adj. 多感官的，多感觉的 white noise 白噪音 umami [uˈmɑːmi] n. （食物的）鲜味 sensory [ˈsensəri] adj. 感官的，感觉的 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What makes a chef stand out? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Becca And I'm Becca. Do you enjoy cooking, Neil? Neil Yes, I do enjoy cooking. I think it's quite relaxing, especially after a busy day. How about you, Becca? Becca I enjoy cooking when I'm feeding other people, but usually after a busy day at work, I don't enjoy cooking for myself. Neil Well, we're talking about cooking today, and most of us can at least boil an egg, but not everyone could make it as a professional chef in a world-famous restaurant. Becca Mmm. Being a top chef requires passion, dedication, and hard work. Many chefs work 15 hours a day, six days a week, and busy kitchens cooking expensive food are very stressful places to work. Neil So, why do they do it? In this episode, we'll hear from one South African chef who started her own award-winning restaurant in the country known as the home of fine dining – France. As usual, we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases. Becca But first, I have a question for you, Neil. The top prizes for any professional chef are Michelin stars, awards given to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. But who is the winner of the most Michelin stars ever? Is it: a) Italian chef Enrico Bartolini, b) French chef Joël Robuchon, or c) British chef Gordon Ramsay? Neil I'm going to say a) the Italian chef Enrico Bartolini, because I went to Italy recently and the food was amazing! Becca Mmm! OK. We'll find out the answer later in this episode. Born in South Africa, chef Chantel Dartnall started her culinary career at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in the exclusive Mayfair area of London. Here, she tells Ruth Alexander, presenter of BBC World Service programme The Food Chain, how it all got started: Chantel Dartnall What happened is I had graduated from the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine and decided to send my CV to all the three-Michelin-star restaurants that I could find at that moment in the Michelin Guide. Ruth Alexander So, you aimed high from the off. Chantel Dartnall I aimed high. The only thing that they could say was no, and what would I lose? I received a call from chef Paul Rhodes to say, "When can you start?" Ruth Alexander Wow. Chantel Dartnall And this, sort of, just catapulted my career. Becca Chantel sent her CV to the world's top restaurants. CV is short for curriculum vitae, a document listing someone's education, qualifications and work experience, which they write when looking for a job. In American English, it's called a résumé. Neil Chantel applied to only Michelin-star-winning restaurants. She aimed high, meaning she was ambitious. Chantel says, "The worst they could do is say no," a phrase which means you shouldn't be afraid of trying to do something because the worst outcome is being rejected. Becca Luckily for Chantel, the answer was yes, and learning her trade in a top London restaurant catapulted, meaning accelerated, her career. Neil At the age of 26, Chantel left London and returned home to open her own restaurant, Mosaic, near Pretoria in South Africa. She'd been inspired by botanical cuisine, the use of edible flowers and herbs to decorate and flavour food. Here, Chantel tells more to BBC World Service programme The Food Chain: Chantel Dartnall When I opened Mosaic in South Africa, I knew I wanted something entirely different and something which diners had not seen. I wanted to have my own signature and to stand out, and I think especially for botanical cuisine in South Africa, it was very much unknown. Neil Chantel developed her own signature. A signature item is something that is typical of, or strongly associated with, a particular person or place. For example, whisky is Scotland's signature drink. Chantel's signature is cooking botanical food. Becca Chantel's Mosaic restaurant is currently at the Château des Tesnières in northern France, where it's listed among the top 200 restaurants in the world. And in 2017, she won the title Best Female Chef in the World. These achievements have helped Chantel stand out – to be more noticeable and better than other chefs. Neil Chantel is still waiting, but surely it's only a matter of time until she wins those coveted Michelin stars. Speaking of which, what was the answer to your question, Becca? Becca Ah, yes, I asked you earlier, "Who is the winner of the most Michelin stars ever?" Neil I said that it was the Italian chef Enrico Bartolini... Becca ...but unfortunately, it was incorrect. Neil Oh no! Becca The right answer is b) Joël Robuchon, our French chef with 31 stars – the most decorated chef in history. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with curriculum vitae, CV, or résumé in American English – a document outlining someone's education, qualifications and work experience, which they prepare when looking for a job. 📝 字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

The year of the fire horse: How 1.5 billion people are ringing in the new year Host: As we gallop into the year of the fire horse, Chinese or Lunar New Year starts today. And for the next 15 days, it's thought that more than one and a half billion people around the world will be marking the occasion. Kerry Allen is our China media analyst. I asked her to explain the significance of the fire horse and why it's the Lunar New Year. Kerry: Every 12 years, you have a different animal in the Chinese zodiac and this is the year of the horse. So state media in China, they've been saying that the horse symbolizes courage, wisdom, perseverance and ambition. So it's generally thought of as a very kind of powerful animal. And the fire horse, because every rotation of the 12 years, you get one of the elements in Chinese astrology, and that kind of dictates the year's energy, personality, fortune, it kind of gives some prospects for that year. And yeah, it's known as the Lunar New Year, because it's not just China that celebrates this holiday period. The period in a way is kind of similar to Christmas. It's a kind of extended period of time where people get together and celebrate. And yeah, they do so not just in China, but other particularly East Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. Host: And I guess being one of the most important holidays for Asians around the world, give us a flavour of the celebrations that will be taking place. And I guess some of the food and the drink that people will be enjoying today. Kerry: People come together with their families. They often have group meals and they exchange gifts. And in China, some people like to give what's known as a Hongbao, which is a red envelope that contains money. You also in China, you have firework shows in some cities on the stroke of midnight to ring in the new year. In terms of food, it depends upon people's specialities and also what country they're celebrating in. But one of the things that people really like to do in China is they sit down and they watch a New Year's countdown show on the Chinese broadcaster CCTV. And you get lots of song and dance performances this year. People have been able to watch not just Chinese singers and actors put on shows, but also Westlife have been performing and John Legend. Yeah, it's a big highlight. Host: Are they performing in Chinese as well? Kerry: No, sometimes they perform in English. But actually Celine Dion in previous years has performed in Chinese. So that was really quite powerful for Chinese audiences to watch. Host: Love that. Can you wish our listeners a Happy New Year in the language? Kerry: Yes, Xin Nian Kuai Le. Host: Love that. I learned Kung Hei Fat Choy when I was younger, so I'll try and go with that one. 词汇表 fire horse 火马年（农历年份，每60年一轮） ring in 迎接，庆祝（新年等） gallop into [ˈɡæləp] 飞奔进入，迈入 Chinese / Lunar New Year [ˈluːnə(r)] 春节，农历新年 Chinese zodiac [ˈzəʊdiæk] 中国生肖，十二生肖 symbolize [ˈsɪmbəlaɪz] vt. 象征，代表 perseverance [ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns] n. 毅力，不屈不挠，坚持不懈 rotation [rəʊˈteɪʃn] n. 循环，轮换，交替 astrology [əˈstrɒlədʒi] n. 占星学，星象学 dictate [dɪkˈteɪt] vt. 决定，支配，影响 fortune [ˈfɔːtʃuːn] n. 运气，运势 prospect [ˈprɒspekt] n. 前景，展望，预期 extended [ɪkˈstendɪd] adj. 长期的，延长的 on the stroke of midnight [strəʊk] 午夜时分，午夜钟声敲响时，零时零分 speciality [ˌspeʃiˈæləti] n. 特色，特产 New Year's countdown show [ˈkaʊntdaʊn] 跨年晚会，新年倒计时节目（这里指春晚） broadcaster [ˈbrɔːdkɑːstə(r)] n. 广播公司，电视台 🌟翻译，pdf及更多文本内容见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可加入【打卡交流群】

Culture Playing the tuba The world's most common vegetable is enjoying a great year Like chips and pancakes? Lucky you They are calling it the Kartoffel-Flut: the potato flood. Germany, the largest producer of spuds in the European Union, is enjoying the biggest harvest in a generation, owing to optimal growing conditions and increased tuber cultivation. Last year's yield was 17% higher than the long-term average. Belgium, France and the Netherlands have also had a bounty. In fact, there are so many potatoes—one farm near Leipzig had a surplus of 4,000 tonnes—that they are being given away. Some 200 distribution points have been set up across Berlin. Gasthaus Mutter Hoppe, a restaurant, had a tonne of taters to dish out; a waitress says they "ran out within days". The Berliner Tafel, a food bank, took 22 tonnes. Schools, homeless shelters and even the zoo have stocked up. If you were to have an abundance of any crop, you would pick the potato. Not only does it store well, but it is filling and calorie-dense relative to other vegetables. It also lends itself to an extraordinary variety of meals. Germans are making potato dumplings and pancakes. The organisers of the giveaway have launched a recipe challenge to inspire Kartoffel cooks, sharing tips for soups, salads and plenty more. As Sam memorably says in "The Lord of the Rings", you can "boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew!" The spud's role in human history is no small potatoes. After the discovery by Spanish conquistadors of cultivation in the Andes, the potato became a staple food worldwide. (Potatoes now feed over 1bn people in more than 150 countries.) Crop failure can have disastrous consequences. After the harvest in Ireland was blighted in 1845, 1m people died and almost 3m emigrated. To avoid famine, in 1756 Frederick the Great of Prussia issued a "potato decree" that obliged farmers to plant potatoes on at least a tenth of their land. Local lore has it that his royal guards protected potato fields so farmers would think it a precious crop. Visitors sweet on potatoes leave them on Frederick's tomb at Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. At the moment they can offer tributes by the armful. 词汇表 play the tuba [ˈtjuːbə] 吹大号 pancake [ˈpænkeɪk] n. 煎饼，薄饼 Kartoffel-Flut [kɑːˈtɒfl̩ fluːt] n.（德语）土豆丰收潮，土豆泛滥 spud [spʌd] / tater [ˈteɪtə(r)] n. （口语）土豆，马铃薯 optimal [ˈɒptɪməl] adj. 最佳的，最适宜的 tuber [ˈtjuːbə(r)] n. （土豆、红薯等的）块茎 yield [jiːld] n. 产量，产出，收成 bounty [ˈbaʊnti] n. 丰收，充裕，产量丰富 surplus [ˈsɜːpləs] n. 过剩，盈余，剩余 dish out 分发，发放，提供 food bank 食品银行，食物救济站 homeless shelter 无家可归者收容所，流浪汉庇护所 stock up [stɒk] 备货，囤货 filling [ˈfɪlɪŋ] adj. （食物）饱腹的，易饱的 calorie-dense [ˈkæləri dens] adj. 高热量的，热量密集的 lend itself to 适合于，适宜于 giveaway [ˈɡɪvəweɪ] n. 赠送，免费分发 mash [mæʃ] vt. （食物）捣烂，捣碎，捣成泥 stew [stjuː] n. 炖菜，炖煮的菜肴 no small potatoes 非同小可，举足轻重 conquistador [kɒŋˈkwɪstədɔː(r)] n. 征服者（尤指16世纪入侵美洲的西班牙人） Andes [ˈændiːz] n. 安第斯山脉 staple food [ˈsteɪpl] 主食，主粮 disastrous [dɪˈzɑːstrəs] adj. 灾难性的，极糟糕的，损失惨重的 blighted [ˈblaɪtɪd] adj. 枯萎的，遭灾的，歉收的 emigrate [ˈemɪɡreɪt] vi. 移居国外，移民 famine [ˈfæmɪn] n. 饥荒 Frederick the Great of Prussia [ˌfredrɪk][ˈprʌʃə] 普鲁士的腓特烈大帝 decree [dɪˈkriː] n. 法令，政令 oblige [əˈblaɪdʒ] vt. 强迫，迫使 sweet on 喜爱，钟情于 tomb [tuːm] n. 坟墓，墓穴 Sanssouci Palace [sænˈsuːsi ˈpæləs] n. 无忧宫（位于德国波茨坦） tribute [ˈtrɪbjuːt] n. 贡品，致敬，敬意 by the armful [ˈɑːmfʊl] 成抱地，满怀地 🔆翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

Is there really such a thing as love at first sight? Have you ever fallen head over heels for someone as soon as you met them? It certainly doesn't happen to us on a regular basis, but it's pretty common for a person to say they've experienced love at first sight at some point in their lives. Psychcentral.com references a survey of over 5,000 adults, which found that 4 in 10 of them had had a love at first sight experience, while psychologist Susan Albers has been quoted by various sources saying that as many as 60% of people experience it. Okay, for those of us who haven't experienced love at first sight, what's it actually like then? Love at first sight is often described as a sudden and exceptional sensation. Our hearts race, we have butterflies in our stomach, we blush and we can't help but smile foolishly. Even if you've never experienced it yourself, you must have seen rom-coms or read love stories in the past. So you know what I mean. And indeed, several scientific studies have suggested that love at first sight might in fact just be a fantasy perpetuated by popular culture shaping our perceptions. In a 2017 study at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, scientists tried to unravel the truth. We know that all the sensations we feel are essentially chemical reactions. When someone experiences love at first sight, they release a flood of adrenaline, endorphins, norepinephrine and dopamine. Adrenaline speeds up the heartbeat during strong emotions, while norepinephrine and dopamine also contribute to the rush of excitement. Doesn't that still count as love at first sight? It's a bit more complex than that. When we feel like we're falling in love with someone at first sight, we might start imagining a grand future with that person, a wedding and then a house and kids as if destiny had brought us together. But the Dutch study I mentioned before says that this might just be a psychological bias known as confabulation. People experiencing love at first sight tend to embellish a romantic narrative that doesn't yet exist. During the study, researchers conducted something akin to speed dating. Participants rated their level of attraction to each other, but even if some felt love at first sight, it wasn't always mutual. So love at first sight is more likely a sudden, strong, physical attraction, which develops into a deep attachment, rather than an overwhelming dose of love, as we might like to think. Why do we feel such intense emotion then? It may be a way to overcome inhibitions in the face of romantic attraction. Experts say that the dopamine released during love at first sight compels us to approach the other person without hesitating. Over time, though, the feeling of romantic love tends to fade due to changes in our brain chemicals. After about two or three years, serotonin really kicks in, countering the notion that love is blind. People who initially experienced intense love at first sight may start noticing flaws in their partner, leading to challenges in the relationship. 词汇表 fall head over heels for [ˈhiːlz] 坠入爱河，深深爱上，神魂颠倒 love at first sight 一见钟情，一见倾心 reference [ˈrefrəns] vt. 引用，参照 quote [kwəʊt] vt. 引用，引述 exceptional sensation [ɪkˈsepʃənl senˈseɪʃn] 非同寻常的感觉，非凡的感受 have butterflies in one's stomach 小鹿乱撞，心里七上八下，忐忑不安 blush [blʌʃ] vi. （因尴尬或害羞）脸红 rom-com [ˈrɒm kɒm] n. 浪漫喜剧，爱情喜剧（romantic comedy 的缩写） fantasy [ˈfæntəsi] n. 幻想，空想，想象 perpetuate [pəˈpetʃueɪt] vt. 使持续，使延续，使永存 unravel [ʌnˈrævl] v. 揭开，弄清（谜团、真相等） a flood of 大量的，涌现的 adrenaline [əˈdrenəlɪn] n. 肾上腺素 endorphin [enˈdɔːfɪn] 内啡肽（有镇痛作用的内分泌激素） norepinephrine [ˌnɔːrepɪˈnefrɪn] n. 去甲肾上腺素（与应激反应相关的神经递质） dopamine [ˈdəʊpəmiːn] n. 多巴胺 confabulation [kənˌfæbjuˈleɪʃn] n. 虚构症（指无意识地用虚构的经历来填补记忆空白） embellish [ɪmˈbelɪʃ] vt. 美化，修饰 be akin to [əˈkɪn] 类似于，近似于 speed dating 速配约会，快速相亲 overwhelming dose of love [ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋ dəʊs] 汹涌的爱意，排山倒海的爱 inhibition [ˌɪnhɪˈbɪʃn] n. 顾虑，拘束，拘谨 compel [kəmˈpel] vt. 强迫，迫使，驱使 kick in 开始生效，发挥作用 flaw [flɔː] n. 缺点，瑕疵，缺陷 serotonin [ˌserəˈtəʊnɪn] n. 血清素（与情绪调节相关的神经递质） 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Why can we see faces everywhere? Are you one of those people that sees faces in inanimate objects? Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have been trying to find out why this is. They have pinpointed a circuit in an evolutionarily ancient part of the brain. It's called the superior colliculus, and it helps us recognise facial features. It triggers movement of the eyes, turning of the head and enables us to detect faces. This study helps us understand face pareidolia – the common psychological phenomenon where the brain perceives illusions of faces in objects, like seeing faces in the clouds, exteriors of houses or even in a slice of toast. A study carried out by Susan Wardle showed that the parts of the human brain that respond to faces are sensitive to the shapes of other objects, and that our visual system is optimised for detecting face-like structures. To test whether the superior colliculus might help in face detection specifically, researchers assembled a collection of images, including faces, biological non-face objects, like hands and arms, and other miscellaneous items. They then showed these images to adult monkeys in their peripheral field and recorded neural responses in the superior colliculus. It was found that detection of faces was much faster and preferred by neurons. This explains how our brains do it. But why do our brains do it? Well, it's mainly for survival. According to Dr Amanda Robinson at the University of Queensland, face pareidolia tells us a lot about how we recognise social cues. We can determine whether the person or thing looking at us is a threat because of their facial expression. Richard Krauzlis, senior author of the study, explained that "quick recognition is a key skill in humans and other primates", such as gorillas and chimps. Additionally, biologists have observed human facial recognition and neural developments among species ranging from dogs, sheep, birds and even some insects. What we know about recognition of faces and expression can further inform research on conditions such as autism, where face detection and recognition are often impaired from early childhood. It also helps us understand why we think we saw a friendly face in the living room wallpaper. 词汇表 inanimate [ɪnˈænɪmət] adj. 无生命的，无生气的 pinpoint [ˈpɪnpɔɪnt] vt. 精准定位，准确指出 circuit [ˈsɜːkɪt] n. 回路，电路，线路 evolutionarily [ˌiːvəˈluːʃənərəli] adv. 进化上，演化地 superior colliculus [suːˈpɪəriə kəˈlɪkjʊləs] 上丘（负责多感觉整合和视觉反射的中脑结构） detect [dɪˈtekt] vt. 察觉，发现，识别，检测 face pareidolia [ˌpærɪˈdəʊliə] 人脸空想性错视（指将无生命的物体看成是人脸的现象） illusion [ɪˈluːʒn] n. 错觉，幻觉，幻想 exterior [ɪkˈstɪəriə] n. 外部，外观，外表 a slice of toast 一片吐司，一片烤面包 optimise [ˈɒptɪmaɪz] vt.使优化，使完善，充分利用 assemble [əˈsembl] vt. 收集，集合，汇集 miscellaneous [ˌmɪsəˈleɪniəs] adj. 各种各样的，混杂的 peripheral field [pəˈrɪfərəl] 周边视野，外围视野 neural response [ˈnjʊərəl] 神经反应 neuron [ˈnjʊərɒn] n. 神经元，神经细胞 primate [ˈpraɪmeɪt] n. 灵长类动物 gorilla [ɡəˈrɪlə] n. 大猩猩 chimp [tʃɪmp] n. 黑猩猩 autism [ˈɔːtɪzəm] n. 自闭症，孤独症 impaired [ɪmˈpeəd] adj. 受损的，障碍的，有缺陷的 wallpaper [ˈwɔːlpeɪpə] n. 墙纸，壁纸 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

How do you say sorry in different cultures? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Beth And I'm Beth. Neil In English there are many ways to apologise, depending on the situation. In formal situations you could say, "Please forgive me," while to a friend you might say, "My bad." And of course there's the most common phrase of all: "I'm sorry." Can you remember a time when you had to apologise, Beth? Beth Erm… Oh, I had to apologise this morning because I stepped on someone's toes on the tube. Neil OK. Well, apologising depends on what you've done, so 'sorry' is fine if you accidentally step on someone's toes, like you did this morning, Beth. But what if you do something really serious, like the Ghanaian journalist, Afia Pokua, who publicly criticised the King of the Ashanti tribe? Here's BBC World Service programme, The Fifth Floor, covering the story: Faranak Amidi I guess it's not every day that you end up offending a king, but let's say you did. Would you know how to apologise to him? Recently in Ghana, a journalist made some comments on television about the King of the Ashanti tribe, and soon she found herself at his palace apologising. Beth The presenter says, "It's not every day that you offend a king." The phrase, it's not every day that, highlights that what's happened is very unusual. So, how do apologies change from culture to culture? Well, that's what we'll be finding out in this episode, along with some useful new words and phrases. Neil Now, I have a question for you, Beth. We know that people from different countries apologise in different ways, but what might someone do to say sorry if they were from India? Would they: a) offer a gift, b) pull their earlobes, or c) bow down? Beth Ooh, I am going to guess c) bow down. Neil OK. Well, we'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme. Let's return to Afia Pokua, the journalist who criticised the King of the Ashanti tribe. Her comments divided opinion in Ghana, but eventually Afia decided to say sorry to the King, following strict traditional rules, that she dress in black and apologise kneeling down on her knees. Beth Afia's story shows the influence of culture on how people say sorry. Let's listen now as three BBC journalists from different countries explain to World Service programme, The Fifth Floor, how to say sorry in their culture: Ahsan Mahmood I would say that Pakistanis generally – they're not really expressive, and we're also very cheeky so what we generally do is we would slide an apology in the middle of a conversation, and then very quickly move on to a new topic so that we don't have to, sort of, be very upfront about it. Liza Fokht In Russia, we also have a tradition called Forgiveness Sunday, which happens on the last Sunday before Easter. The tradition is that you call your family and friends and apologise for any sorrows you've caused. Son Hun We In Korea, the way of saying sorry varies depending on the relationship between the speaker and the listener, due to the complex honorific system in the language. In many cases we say, "Che song ham ni da." This is used in formal situations or with people we don't know well, and we often bow when saying, "Che song ham ni da." Neil Journalist Ahsan Mahmood thinks apologising in Pakistan is different because people are not expressive – they don't usually show what they think or feel. Rather, he says, Pakistanis tend to be cheeky, an adjective meaning slightly rude but in a funny, playful way. Beth In Pakistan, people sometimes avoid being upfront about what they've done. If you're upfront about something, you speak openly about it, so everyone knows your feelings and intentions. Neil Moving now to Russia, the journalist Liza Fokht describes a tradition called Forgiveness Sunday, when people apologise to friends and family for sorrows they have caused. Sorrows are sources of sadness or regret. Beth And finally, in Korea, how you say sorry depends on who you're apologising to. Korea has a complicated honorific system dictating how people above you in the social order should be addressed. Honorific means showing respect and honour to someone. Neil Well, there's a saying that 'sorry is the hardest word', but who knew there were so many ways to say it! Beth Yes. And it's not just words – if you're really sorry, you do something to make things right, like giving a small gift. So, Neil, what do people in India do? What's the answer to your question? Neil Yes. Well, I asked what people in India do to apologise, and what answer did you give me, Beth? Beth I said bow down. Is that right? 📝 字数限制，完整文本，词汇表，翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Why we procrastinate Is your house at its tidiest when you've got a deadline coming up? Do you have a list of jobs that you really need to do, but you really don't want to start doing? Procrastination can mean that we spend more time putting off a job than we'd ever actually spend completing it. Understanding why we do it might help us to understand how to stop doing it. There are different reasons why people procrastinate. Some people avoid tasks if they can relate them to traumatic situations in their past. Sometimes we don't do certain tasks because we're swamped with other things. If people are unhappy about being asked to do something, they might put it off to feel like they are regaining some control. Another common reason for procrastination is just the worry that doing something will be unpleasant or that we will not be able to do it well enough to satisfy ourselves. This last kind of procrastination can be a result of our mindset. People with a perfectionist mindset are likely to have a very rigid idea of what success in a task looks like. This is coupled with being anxious not to fail at that task. Psychology lecturer Annemiecke Apergis-Schoute points out that procrastination can be the result of a struggle between our brain's reward and threat systems. If the threat of failure or discomfort is greater than the potential reward from doing the task, we're likely to avoid it. Cognitive flexibility could help us to avoid procrastinating. If we change the way that we think about a task, it can be easier to start working on it. If we can challenge our expectation of what succeeding could be, and how uncomfortable working on the task will be, it can seem less threatening. Breaking down tasks into small components also makes them less daunting as well as providing a feeling of achievement when each of these steps is completed. It can also be useful to consider what triggers procrastination for you. Having a better understanding of this can help you get things done. 词汇表 procrastinate [prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt] vi. 拖延，耽搁 procrastination [prəʊˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn] n. 拖延，拖延症 put off 推迟，拖延 traumatic [trɔːˈmætɪk] adj. 痛苦的，创伤性的 be swamped with [ˈswɒmpt] 忙得不可开交，应接不暇 regain [rɪˈɡeɪn] vt. 重新获得，恢复 mindset [ˈmaɪndset] n. 思维模式，心态 perfectionist [pəˈfekʃənɪst] n. 完美主义者 rigid [ˈrɪdʒɪd] adj. 刻板的，僵化的，顽固的 be coupled with [ˈkʌpld] 与…结合，加上，伴随 reward and threat systems 奖赏与威胁系统 discomfort [dɪsˈkʌmfət] n. 不适，不自在，不舒服 cognitive flexibility [ˈkɒɡnətɪv ˌfleksəˈbɪləti] 认知灵活性（大脑在不同任务、想法或策略之间快速切换的能力） threatening [ˈθretnɪŋ] adj. 威胁性的，令人生畏的 break down 分解，拆分 component [kəmˈpəʊnənt] n. 部分，成分，部件 daunting [ˈdɔːntɪŋ] adj. 令人生畏的，使人气馁的 trigger [ˈtrɪɡə] vt. 触发，引起 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

At what age do we feel the most lonely? How lonely are you? Sometimes living alone or being in a remote location with nobody around to talk to can give you the feeling of despair and isolation. It's not a great feeling. There's a common stereotype that it's something that affects older people more, but research has found that loneliness is something that can affect us all, whatever our age. There's a familiar phrase that says it's possible to be lonely in a crowd – despite being surrounded by hundreds of people, you think you have nobody to talk to or to connect with and that nobody wants to listen to you anyway. It's probably not true, but loneliness is seen as a big problem for the mental health of the population wherever they live - so much so that the British government even has a minister for loneliness. The BBC recently completed a survey about the topic and it found that people aged between 16 and 24 experience loneliness more often and more intensely than any other age group. Researchers from the University of Manchester who analysed the data, suggested feeling lonely may plague the young because it's a time of identity change - figuring out your place in the world and of learning to regulate emotions. Psychology lecturer and BBC presenter Claudia Hammond says that "it's tempting to conclude that something about modern life is putting young people at a higher risk of loneliness, but when we asked older people in our survey about the loneliest times in their lives, they also said it was when they were young." The issue is certainly being talked about more. And in the UK, the Minister for Loneliness Tracey Crouch has said that "the government now recognises loneliness as one of the biggest health challenges we face." She also said there needs to be a "national conversation" to end the stigma about admitting to feeling lonely. The BBC Loneliness Experiment also found the type of culture you live in has implications for loneliness. People from cultures which tend to put a high value on independence, such as Northern Europe and the US, revealed they would be less likely to tell a colleague about their loneliness. But in cultures where extended family is often emphasised, such as in Southern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, older women in particular were at lower risk of feeling lonely. 词汇表 despair [dɪˈspeə(r)] n. 绝望，失望 isolation [ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃn] n. 孤立，隔离，隔绝 stereotype [ˈsteriətaɪp] n. 刻板印象，成见 be lonely in a crowd 身处人群，却倍感孤独 minister for loneliness [ˈmɪnɪstə(r)] 孤独事务大臣 intensely [ɪnˈtensli] adv. 强烈地，极度地 plague [pleɪɡ] vt. 困扰，折磨，使苦恼 identity change [aɪˈdentəti] 身份转变，身份认同变化 regulate emotions [ˈreɡjuleɪt ɪˈməʊʃnz] 调节情绪 be tempting to [ˈtemptɪŋ] 倾向于，容易会，忍不住想要 national conversation 全国性对话，全民讨论 stigma [ˈstɪɡmə] n. 羞耻感，耻辱，污名 implication [ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃn] n. 可能的影响，牵连，涉及 independence [ˌɪndɪˈpendəns] n. 独立，自主 extended family [ɪkˈstendɪd] （几代同堂的）大家庭，扩展家庭 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What does speed watching do to our brains? More and more of us are consuming digital content at increased speed. Whether it's on social media, watching a Netflix series, or listening to a podcast, speed watching and speed listening are becoming increasingly common. Are there any risks associated with accelerated content consumption, then? Potentially, yes, and it's due to what happens to the brain when you get used to watching or listening to content at accelerated speeds. It can affect a person's concentration, for example. They might struggle to then follow a conversation at a normal speed because the people they are talking to seem to be speaking too slowly compared with the videos they watch at accelerated speed. Indeed, research published in Computers in Human Behaviour in 2025 suggested that speed watching could negatively impact all aspects of memory performance, i.e. attention, working memory, storage and retrieval, elaboration, and metamemorial or metacognitive processes. Meanwhile, a report by CBC News reporter Ashley Fraser asked whether sped-up content was breaking our brains, citing research by University of California researcher Alan Castell. "We found that retention goes downhill when you're listening beyond two times speed. Not so pleasant." In other words, the more we speed things up, the harder it becomes to return to a normal rhythm. Speed watching doesn't cause illnesses, but it may increase anxiety, impatience, and even end up affecting our social relationships, in particular at work. If you do find speed watching useful, you should still take breaks, turn off notifications, put content back to normal speed from time to time, and try as far as possible to do only one thing at a time. The problem is that in reality, the brain doesn't always keep up, and the whole exercise can become counterproductive. Instead of saving time, you might end up losing it. That's because in order for us to learn, we need moments of pause to think and retain information. At normal speed, these breathing spaces exist naturally when someone speaks, but at an accelerated speed, they disappear. There's another possible effect to take into account. A habit of speed watching can make social media platforms even more addictive than they already are. Hassan went on record comparing TikTok to an addicting drug that doesn't require you to think, saying it's easy to start using the platform for just five minutes a day and then end up using it for two hours a day. There you have it. 词汇表 speed watching 倍速观看，加速观看 speed listening 倍速收听，加速收听 accelerated [əkˈseləreɪtɪd] adj. 加速的，加快的 retrieval [rɪˈtriːvl] n. 检索，提取，取回 elaboration [ɪˌlæbəˈreɪʃn] n. 详细阐述，细化，加工 metamemorial [ˌmetəˈmeməriəl] adj. 元记忆的（关于记忆本身的认知） metacognitive [ˌmetəˈkɒɡnətɪv] adj. 元认知的（关于认知本身的认知） sped-up [ˈsped ʌp] adj. 加速的，加快的 retention [rɪˈtenʃn] n. 保留，留存，记忆保持 go downhill [ˌdaʊnˈhɪl] 走下坡路，恶化，变差 impatience [ɪmˈpeɪʃns] n. 不耐烦，无耐心，焦躁 counterproductive [ˌkaʊntəprəˈdʌktɪv] adj. 适得其反的，事与愿违的，产生相反效果的 retain [rɪˈteɪn] vt. 保持，保留，记住 breathing space 喘息空间，休息时间，停顿间隙 go on record [ˈrekɔːd] 公开表态，公开发表意见 addicting drug [əˈdɪktɪŋ] 成瘾性药物，致瘾药物 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

Rethinking dyslexia Phil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. Pippa And I'm Pippa. Are you a big reader, Phil? Phil Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes I go a while without reading anything. What about you? Pippa Well, I really love to read. I read on the train to work all the time. Phil Ah, well, that is a great way to get some reading in, I guess. Pippa Yes and reading, of course, is a life skill – an essential skill which is useful or important in everyone's life. But reading can be a struggle for people with dyslexia – a learning difficulty making it hard for people to read, write or spell. Phil It's thought that around one in ten people in the UK are dyslexic, and many dyslexic children struggle at school, where the focus is on reading and writing. But in this episode, we'll be hearing how dyslexics have other skills which allow them to excel in the workplace. Pippa But first, I have a question for you, Phil. Studies have shown that people with dyslexia have enhanced abilities in certain areas and can excel in creative thinking, problem solving and inventiveness. So, which famous scientist was dyslexic? Was it: a) Stephen Hawking, b) Albert Einstein, or c) Marie Curie? Phil Oh, I think... I think it's b) – I think it's Albert Einstein. Pippa Well, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. Now, the British charity Made By Dyslexia shares online learning tools and works with schools and teachers to raise awareness about the condition. The charity recently collaborated with British celebrities who have dyslexia for this promotional video: Orlando Bloom If you're dyslexic, it's kind of your superpower. It's, like, the way that you think. Richard Branson Our brains – they're wired to, I think, process information differently. Keira Knightley The way I see the world might be different from somebody else, but that's valid. In fact, it's vital. Phil You might recognise some of those voices, including actors Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley and businessman Richard Branson. The message is that, far from being a disability, dyslexia is their superpower – the ability to do something other people can't. Pippa Made By Dyslexia was founded by social entrepreneur Kate Griggs, and Kate co-authored a report showing that empowering dyslexic workers could boost the global economy by billions. BBC World Service programme People Fixing the World met Kate at the report's London launch event, where she explained why being dyslexic can actually give advantages in life, including some exciting job prospects. Kate Griggs If you think about what you have to do as a spy, you have to be reading people really quickly, spotting complex patterns and solving problems really quickly, so you can see whether there's a terror threat. It's natural that dyslexics are brilliant spies. Phil Kate thinks dyslexics make good spies – people who secretly collect information about another country's government or organisations. Why? Because they're good at reading people. To read people means to be able to understand someone's true intentions through their body language and behaviour, rather than their words. Pippa Also present at the London charity event was space scientist and dyslexic herself, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Here, Maggie tells BBC World Service's People Fixing the World how being dyslexic contributes different skills and ideas to her project teams: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock Well, I think it's recognising people's skills and differences. It's about teamwork and collaboration. We do it in science and that's when we reach for the stars, but to do that, we need to know our skills and value all the skills. Phil Maggie thinks that everyone's skills should be valued – or considered important. Dyslexics may struggle to read or spell, but their skills in problem-solving and communication, for example, can be essential for scientific success. Pippa By valuing everyone's contribution, business and science teams can reach for the stars – an idiom meaning to be ambitious and try to achieve something difficult, even if it seems impossible. Phil And talking of reaching for the stars, Pippa, I think it's time you revealed the answer to your question about successful scientists. Pippa Yes, I asked you which famous scientist was dyslexic. Was it a) Stephen Hawking, b) Albert Einstein, or c) Marie Curie? And you were right, Phil. It was Albert Einstein. OK. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with life skill – an essential skill, such as reading or problem-solving, which is useful in everyone's life. Phil A superpower is the ability to do something that other people can't. Pippa A spy is someone who secretly collects information about other countries' governments or organisations. 📝 字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

Sweet tooth hazards Sweet or savoury? What kind of tastes do you like? If like me, you have a sweet tooth, you probably can't resist eating cakes, biscuits or chocolate and will sweeten your tea or coffee with spoonfuls of sugar – delicious! But the taste makes it very easy to ignore the warnings that too much of the white stuff is bad for our health. Consuming sugar is an addiction – the more we eat, the more we want. Today's processed food, like ready meals, is laced with the stuff and many fizzy drinks contain seven teaspoons of sugar in just one can. In the UK, statistics show that sugar consumption is at its highest level in history and the government is trying to get the food industry to cut the amount of sugar in popular products like chocolate bars by 20% by 2020. Of course, sugary food tastes nice, it can help lift our mood, and the glucose in it can give us an energy boost. But there are dangers too: a high-sugar diet is linked to obesity, and being overweight can increase the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. With these warning signs, I have considered changing my diet by replacing sugary snacks with fruit and savoury biscuits – but that's boring, I need my sugar fix! I'm not alone. BBC journalist Radhika Shanghani, has gone one step further. Encouraged by some celebrities and nutritionists promoting a 'zero tolerance' approach to sugar, she gave it up altogether, thinking it would make her healthier. Initially she says, "My first fortnight involves mood swings worse than puberty. I have agonising headaches and feel permanently hungover." These symptoms disappeared but she still found food shopping hard as she was stressing about buying the right things. Her experiment wasn't a success. She eventually sought advice from Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at Oxford University who said: "Lots of people enjoy sugar and gain pleasure from it, so one has to find a balance between enjoyment and eating the right amount." There are health benefits of cutting down sugar, such as improving dental care and reducing weight gain, but there's no need to be obsessive about it. Eating some sugar as part of a balanced diet is fine and exercising will help burn it off. So rather than dealing with your sugar cravings by cutting it out of your diet altogether, why not work on your willpower and learn to say 'no' to a second serving of chocolate fudge cheesecake. 词汇表 hazard [ˈhæzəd] n. 危害，风险，隐患 savoury [ˈseɪvəri] adj. 咸味的，可口的；n. 咸味小吃 sweet tooth 嗜甜，喜好甜食 sweeten [ˈswiːt(ə)n] vt. 使变甜，加糖于 spoonful [ˈspuːnfʊl] n. 一匙，一勺（的量） ready meal 即食食品，速食餐 be laced with [ˈleɪst] 掺有，含有，被混入 fizzy drink [ˈfɪzi] 碳酸饮料，汽水 teaspoon [ˈtiːspuːn] n. 茶匙，一茶匙的量 lift one's mood 改善情绪，提振心情 glucose [ˈɡluːkəʊs] n. 葡萄糖 obesity [əʊˈbiːsəti] n. 肥胖，肥胖症 type 2 diabetes [ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz] 2型糖尿病 sugar fix 解糖瘾，糖分补充，来点甜的 nutritionist [njuˈtrɪʃənɪst] n. 营养学家，营养师 zero tolerance [ˈtɒlərəns] 零容忍政策 mood swings [ˈmuːd swɪŋz] 情绪波动，情绪起伏 puberty [ˈpjuːbəti] n. 青春期 agonising [ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ] adj. 折磨人的，使人十分痛苦的 permanently [ˈpɜːmənəntli] adv. 永久地，长期地，总是 hungover [ˌhʌŋˈəʊvə(r)] adj. 宿醉的，酒后难受的 dental care [ˈdent(ə)l] 牙齿护理，口腔保健 be obsessive about [əbˈsesɪv] 对…过分执着，痴迷于，沉迷于 craving [ˈkreɪvɪŋ] n. 渴望，迫切需要，瘾 willpower [ˈwɪlpaʊə(r)] n. 意志力，毅力 serving [ˈsɜːvɪŋ] n. （食物的）一份，一客 chocolate fudge cheesecake [ˌtʃɒklət ˈfʌdʒ ˈtʃiːzkeɪk] 巧克力软糖芝士蛋糕 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

At what age are we at our smartest? When you reach a certain age, it often feels as though everything is in decline. Your body, your memory, your energy. But what if getting older didn't have to be a purely downward slope? Research has shown that that idea may in fact be a misconception. That's right, your intellectual peak may end up coming much later than you expect. Surely, our most significant intellectual performances happen when we're young, don't they? Well, there's certainly some evidence that suggests our intellectual abilities peak in our 20s. For example, mathematicians are sometimes already seen as being past their prime once they reach their 30s, while various sources suggest that chess players rarely remain at the top of their game after 40. But there is an important catch. That general rule mainly applies to what are known as raw cognitive skills. We're talking about the ability to think quickly, memorize efficiently, and process information at speed. But really, intelligence goes well beyond just that. Two psychology researchers, Giorginiak and Marcin Zajenkowski, chose to take a much broader view of what intelligence really encompasses. They actually examined 16 different psychological dimensions, including reasoning and memory, of course, but also leadership, emotional stability, and organisational skills, traits that had rarely been considered in earlier studies. Jignak was the study's lead author, and writing in the conversation, he said, several of the traits we measured reached their peak much later in life. For example, conscientiousness peaked around age 65. Emotional stability peaked around age 75. So it's fair to say that there's not one single time in our lives when intelligence peaks, but a series of peaks across our lifespan. Overall cognitive ability reaches its highest level between the ages of 55 and 60, far later than most of us would expect. Now, we may not be the quickest at 60, but we're often significantly more organised and emotionally balanced. After 65, cognitive ability begins to decline gradually and more sharply after 75. Why do older people tend to face discrimination in the world of work then? That's not necessarily because older people are less capable, but because of age bias, which can lead to concerns about outdated skills and them effectively being shut out of the recruitment process. There's also the belief among some employers that someone over 55 will not stay with their company long enough to justify recruiting them. There you have it. 词汇表 be in decline [dɪˈklaɪn] 处于衰退中，在下降 downward slope [ˈdaʊnwəd sləʊp] 下坡路，下降趋势 misconception [ˌmɪskənˈsepʃn] n. 误解，错误看法 intellectual peak [ˌɪntəˈlektʃuəl piːk] 智力巅峰，智力顶峰 peak [piːk] n. 巅峰，顶峰；vi. 达到顶峰 mathematician [ˌmæθəməˈtɪʃn] n. 数学家 past one's prime [praɪm] 过了巅峰期，过了黄金时期 chess player 棋手，国际象棋选手 catch n. 隐患，不利条件，限制条件 raw cognitive skills [rɔː ˈkɒɡnətɪv skɪlz] 原始认知能力（快速思考、高效记忆以及迅速处理信息的能力） encompass [ɪnˈkʌmpəs] vt. 包含，涵盖，包括 emotional stability [stəˈbɪləti] 情绪稳定性 conscientiousness [ˌkɒnʃiˈenʃəsnəs] n. 尽责性，认真，责任心 lifespan [ˈlaɪfspæn] n. 寿命，生命周期，使用期限 overall cognitive ability [ˌəʊvərɔːl ˈkɒɡnətɪv] 整体认知能力 emotionally balanced [ɪˈməʊʃənəli ˈbælənst] adj. 情绪平稳的，心态平衡的 discrimination [dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃn] n. 歧视，区别对待 age bias [ˈbaɪəs] 年龄偏见，年龄歧视 outdated [aʊtˈdeɪtɪd] adj. 过时的，陈旧的 effectively [ɪˈfektɪvli] adv. 实际上，事实地 be shut out of 被排斥在…之外，被挡在…门外 recruitment process [rɪˈkruːtmənt] 招聘流程 justify [ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ] vt. 值得，证明…是合理的，为…辩解 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】