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Minimalism isn't about being boring or getting rid of most of your things and living in empty rooms. It's more about identifying what adds value to your life and brings you joy and parting with things that don't.

Whether you want to start the process of living a more minimalist lifestyle or have already started but are finding yourself stuck, here are some tips to help you.

Be Clear On Why You Want To Live a Minimalist Lifestyle

Getting rid of useless things in your home, workspace and life, in general, can be challenging. Yet, chances are, if you've barely used these items, you won't need them in the future.

Being clear as to why you're doing it can be critical as it'll help remind you of your goal, fuel your motivation and keep you going even when you're feeling overwhelmed. No matter the reason, knowing why you're doing it is the best way to ensure you successfully move towards a more minimalist lifestyle.

Clear Out Responsibly

Opening a garbage bag and clearing out everything you don't want to keep is quick and easy. Yet, someone else could use your items or recycle them. One of the best things you can do is donate your clothes to someone you know or a charity. Lastly, as mentioned before, certain items can be recycled. You should only throw away things you can't sell, donate or recycle.

Get In the Right Mindset

It's about finding joy and gratitude. It's about being satisfied when you need to throw out something old and promoting self-care and loving yourself. The minimalist seeks simplicity, usefulness and clarity with less focus on material possessions and more focus on value in life. Clear the useless things so you can focus on your priorities and goals.

A. That's because it might be hard to part with some of your things.

B. The best way to tidy up is to take it one step at a time.

C. This way, you can get rid of the unnecessary things that burden you.

D. Mindset is key to a "less is more" attitude and lifestyle.

E. Living a minimalist lifestyle can allow us to create a more fruitful life.

F. Perhaps you want to create more space in your home or limit your carbon footprint.

G. You can also organize a big garage sale.

A new study has found that a child's reading speed can be improved by simply increasing the space between letters within a piece of text. The research, led by Dr. Steven Stagg of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), examined the benefits of letter spacing and coloured overlays (颜色标注) among children.

Two groups of children, dyslexic (有阅读障碍的) and non-dyslexic children, were asked to read four texts with either standard or extra-large letter spacing, both with and without a coloured overlay. They were instructed to read the text out loud while being recorded. The recording was used to measure the number of errors they made—specifically missed words, added words, wrong words, and pronunciation—as well as the participants' reading time.

The study discovered that text with increased space between letters provided a benefit for both groups. On average, the dyslexia group showed a 13% increase in reading speed, while the group of non-dyslexic children showed a 5% increase. In addition to improving reading speed, it also resulted in a significant decline in the number of words missed by the children with dyslexia. However, the study found that coloured overlays had no significant impact on reading speed or the reduction of errors for either group.

Dr. Stagg, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at ARU, said: "We believe extra-large letter spacing works by reducing what is known as the ‘crowding effect', which canhamper the recognition of letters and reduce reading speed."

"Our findings strongly suggest that teachers can be confident that all children would be helped by increased letter spacing in reading materials." Dr. Stagg added. "While we found that coloured overlays provided little benefit, we suggest children should be encouraged to use overlays if they find these help their reading. Coloured overlays may not increase reading speeds, but they may extend reading stamina (持久力). Previous research suggests their benefits may not become apparent if reading time is less than 10 minutes and the short reading duration of the tests in our study may have put coloured overlays at a disadvantage."

The last decade saw the rise of the field of "plant neurobiology (植物神经生物学)". That debatable field is based on the idea that plants — which do not possess brains — handle information in ways similar to complicated animal nervous systems. This thinking implies that plants could feel happiness or sorrow or pain，make intentional decisions and even possess consciousness. But the chances of that are "effectively zero". "There's nothing in the plant comparable to the complexity of the animal brain," says Taiz, from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Some plants are capable of complicated behaviors. For example, wounded leaves can send warning signals to other parts of the plant. But plants perform these with equipment that's very different from the nervous systems of animals, no brain required, Taiz argues. He and his colleagues point out methodological faults in some of the studies that claim plants have brain-like command centers and animal-like nerve cells. But beyond the debate over how these studies are conducted, Taiz's team argues that plant consciousness doesn't even make sense from an evolutionary point of view.

"Complicated animal brains advanced in part to help a living being catch a meal and avoid becoming one," Taiz says. "But plants are rooted to the ground and rely on sunlight for energy, an inactive lifestyle that doesn't require quick thinking or outsmarting a predator (捕食者) or the energetically expensive nervous systems that enable those behaviors." "What use would consciousness be to a plant?" Taiz asks. "If a plant worried and suffered when faced with a threat, it would be wasting so much energy that it wouldn't have any left to do anything about that threat," Taiz says. "Furthermore, plants have plenty to do without having to be conscious, too. With sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, plants create the compounds that sustain much of the rest of life on Earth," Taiz points out. "Isn't that enough?"

A rising star from Virginia has secured the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" for his groundbreaking creation — a bar of soap designed to battle against skin cancer. At just 14 years old, Heman Bekele emerged as the victor of the 2023 Young Scientist Challenge, standing out among the ten finalists with his innovative creation known as the Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS).

Bekele's brilliant concept centers on the development of a soap that is not only affordable, but also has the potential to reactivate the body's natural defenders of the skin to stop skin cancer. In Bekele's own words, "Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time." He always has endless passion for biology and technology, and the Young Scientist Challenge just provided him with the perfect platform to display his ideas. Reflecting on his inspiration, Bekele shared that his childhood played a significant role in shaping his innovative thinking. Having witnessed people work tirelessly under the sun, he couldn't help but wonder how many were aware of the risks associated with constant sun exposure.

"I wanted to make my idea not only scientifically exceptional but also accessible to a broad audience," Bekele expressed during an interview with the media. He received invaluable guidance from Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist, who connected him with other scientists to aid him in reaching his ambitious plans.

During his presentation, Bekele passionately expressed his vision of turning the soap into "a symbol of hope, accessibility, and a world where skin cancer treatment is within reach for all."

Over the coming five years, Bekele longs to perfect his invention and establish a nonprofit organization devoted to distributing his innovative creation to more places including undeveloped communities, offering hope and a practical solution in the fight against skin cancer.

What is PayQuick?

PayQuick is a fast payment service for shopping in the biggest supermarket in UK — Tesco. It allows you to add your credit or debit card details to the app so you can use your smartphone to pay for your shopping with just one scan, which means you can go wallet-free in all UK Tesco stores.

What are the benefits?

• Collect your Tesco points automatically

• Pay for your weekly shopping up to £250

• Use PayQuick offline, even with no signal

• Track your spending in Tesco

However, only one qualifying deal per week will collect the extra Tesco points. Additional payments in the same week won't receive extra points. Tesco points will be added to your future Tesco points statement.

How to get your PayQuick?

Available to new customers who sign up by 3rd March 2024, the PayQuick app can be downloaded from the App Store or our official website. Once you have the app on your phone, register your personal details on the app to get an account. Note that for each customer, only one account is allowed and a family shared account will not be acknowledged. Finally, with all the preparation work done, you'll be ready to shop using just your phone.

Plus, there's no need to worry about your bank details being stored on your phone — they're all securely protected in our data centers. So not only is it quicker and easier, it's safer than going shopping with your wallet as well.

The Gratitude Jar

Once upon a time in a small town,there lived a woman named Emily.Emily was known for her warm smile and compassionate heart.Despite facing life's challenges,she carried an atmosphere of gratitude that inspired everyone who knew her.

One day,Emily came across)an old,dusty jar in the comer of an antique shop.Interested, she picked it up and noticed a small label that read."The Gratitude Jar."The shopkeeper explained that the jar was meant for collecting moments of gratitude—tiny notes that captured the essence(本质)of thankfulness.

Excited by the idea,Emily decided to start a journey of gratitude.Each day.before the sun dipped below the horizon,she would sit down with her Gratitude Jar and reflect on the blessings of the day.From the warmth of the morning sun to the laughter of children playing in the park.Emily found joy in the simple things.She set down the joy in different tiny notes and put them into the jar.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months.Emily's jar began to fill with an abundance of notes of gratitude.She was amazed at how her perspective on life had shifted.(Instead of thinking about what she lacked)Emily focused on the richness of what she had—the love of family.the support of friends,and the beauty of the world around her.

One chilly autumn evening,Emily faced an unexpected challenge.The news of a job loss cast a shadow over her sunny disposition.Feeling a mix of uncertainty and fear,Emily sat down with her Gratitude Jar.wondering if she could find anything to be thankful for in such a trying time.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答

As she read through the gratitude notes in the jar,something magical happened.

……

Two weeks after the application,she received a letter for her new employment.

假定你是李华，为推进科普教育.你校英语社团正在开展"学科学.用科学"的演讲活动.请你以"Intelligent Technology Enters Our Life"为题.写一篇演讲稿参加比赛，内容包括：1.智能科技在生活中的应用：2.学习智能科技的作用和意义。

注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；2.可以适当增加细节.以使行文连贯

Dear teachers and students,

……

Thank you!

Yangko,a rural Chinese folk dance with a history(date) back thousands of years, originates from farming life in ancient times.The dance relates to sacrifices to the farmland god when people prayed for a good harvest.As time passed,the(origin)dance developed,taking in various artistic forms and skills,including opera,acrobatics and martial arts,and eventually turned into the type of Yangkois seen today.

 (preserve)this Chinese folk culture,it was included in the inaugural(首批的)items of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.It is(common) performed in northern China during festivals,especially for Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Performances or competitions(organize&in towns and villages to express people's joy and their hope for a better life.

Yangko employs drumming,Suona,dancing and singing.Content is basedfolk stories and legends.Costumes are richly-colored and opera-styled,enabling(character) to be easily identified.During a performance,the actors will dance and sing,following lively rhythms.Highly.skilled and interesting acts such as stilt(高跷)walkingcarrying a wedding sedan chair(花轿)are also included.As a part of traditional Chinese culture, Yangko(concentrate the group consciousness of the Chinese people,and has outstanding historical and cultural value.

Those in the food industry understand the difficulty that comes from working with people.No matter how much you try,some customers are never1 .If you make one mistake,some people are likely to lose2 .This situation took place at a McDonald's in suburban Atlanta.

A customer approached the drive-through window3 .He threw a drink back at the pregnant fast food worker who handed it to him.Most would find that unthinkable.Yet,he felt4 because the drink was not what he wanted.

Bryanna was the5 in this incident.It was so6 to her that she couldn't even figure out what was happening.She was7 and covered in ice and soda.

The customer next in line who witnessed what happened was Feroza Eyed. She 8 the incident via Facebook after things took place."I've never seen anyone9 that way,especially to do that to a pregnant worker,which was just 10 ."

When Feroza approached the drive-through,she11 the fast food worker a cash tip to comfort her.She had yet another12 —set up an online registry for Bryanna's baby.Feroza13 maybe she could raise $300 or $400 for Bryanna to buy something nice.But by 24 hours later people had donated $1,700.Feroza was just obviously going crazy with14 .

Through this,Feroza and Bryanna have become friends.It's jus15 to see such love and happiness.

Challenges are part of life and something we can all expect to encounter at one point or another during our lifetime.We handle challenges differently;some of us choose to face them head-on,while others flee in uncertainty.The following are simple methods and strategies we can all employ to overcome challenges more effectively.

Nike couldn't have said it any better with their slogan,"Just do it!"Some challenges require us to do just that.Grab the bull by its horns and have the courage to conquer it,no matter how unsure we might feel.Some challenges are urgent and require immediate attention,leaving us with no option but to go ahead full-steam.

Educate ourselves.The reason why some issues prove challenging for us is that we aren't familiar with them.The internet,books,forums,etc.,offer platforms where we can research and learn about our challenges to find strategies against them.Knowledge is definitely powerful and essential in conquering anything.

Be persistent.This is what is required to accomplish anything,especially when it comes to overcoming challenges.No matter how difficult our challenges might be,we must be willing to push through and try again and again until we achieve victory over them. 

Ask for help.There are times when we can't go it alone and need others to help us conquer whatever challenges we face.Networking with like-minded individuals who can offer us support,suggestions,and solutions is useful in helping us overcome challenges.

A.Meet them head-on.

B.Adapt a different strategy.

C.It is said that two heads are better than one.

D.If we give up,we allow the challenges to conquer us instead.

E.Therefore,our knowledge and ability to conquer them is limited.

F.Whatever our positions,we all wish to conquer them and move on.