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While a new environment is exciting，the adjustment process can be challenging.Even if everything is going well at the beginning of your new job or school，something unexpected can happen.

The following tips will help you adapt to a new environment more quickly and smoothly.

Ask questions.It is understandable that when you start，you don't want to show you need additional explanation，but you have to remember you are new! You are learning an entirely different process，so there will be things you need to ask to understand. In fact，it has the exact opposite effect.You will not only impress others with your original ideas but also open up opportunities to build relationships across your new team.

Seek out a mentor(指导者). Having a mentor，particularly at the beginning，can make your adaptation much more manageable.This person can be your boss，your professor，or just a friendly classmate or co-worker. And more importantly，they can help you learn some essential things you won't find in the handbook.

Get to know people.Beyond your mentor，make it a priority to find more new friends.It does make a considerable difference.This way，you will feel more connected and a part of things，instead of being an island.This doesn't mean you have to go to every corner and introduce yourself.

Focus on this role. Thinking of how comfortable you felt in your last role means you wish things were the same and second-guess yourself，which can threaten a quick adaptation.Don't look backward.Welcome the new challenges，appreciate the new skills you are learning，and you are sure to be successful in the new role.

A. Doing this won't make you look less intelligent.

B. Comparison usually hurts us more than it helps us.

C. It can be as simple as getting involved in group activities.

D. Don't let your feeling of unfamiliarity be an excuse to stay alone.

E. You can make the change more difficult if you go in the wrong way.

F. They'll field your questions and help you adjust to the culture easily.

G. Focus on identifying how your previously learned skills can benefit you.

If you were a superhero，what would your superpower be？Would you want to fly or be invisible？Or，perhaps，you'd rather have the power to read minds？Wouldn't that be cool?

Reading minds is not as far-fetched as you might think.In fact，researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a wearable device that can actually express a person's thoughts and allow them to talk to a computer—without anyone else hearing.

The device，called AlterEgo，allows a person to control a computer and ask it questions without ever saying one word.When the individual wearing the device thinks of a word or a phrase but does not speak it，AlterEgo picks up the neuromuscular(神经肌肉) signals in that person's jaw and face.AlterEgo sends those signals to a computer，which is programmed to associate them with specific words.

The device is fairly accurate.In a 10-person trial，AlterEgo had a 92% transcription(转录) accuracy.Researchers say that number will increase over time."Our idea was：Could we have a computing platform that's more internal，that combines human and machine in some ways and that feels like an internal extension of our own thoughts？" Arnav Kapur，a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab said.

So what effect could this have on communication？AlterEgo can change the way humans interact with computers，allowing us to silently connect with AI assistants such as Amazon's Alexa，Google's Assistant or Apple's Siri without anyone knowing.If a person is having a conversation and wants to look up a bit of information，they don't have to take out their digital device；instead they can just think of the question.AlterEgo will answer without interrupting the conversation.The device can also help people communicate in noisy situations，such as on a factory floor in the airport.

Plastics sustainability has come a long way in recent years in large part thanks to scientific advances.But even as plastics become more and more environmentally friendly，the world continues to be polluted as many industries rely on them for their widely-used products.

The latest research from Dr Junpeng Wang，assistant professor in UA's School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering，has a method to reduce such waste and clear a scientific pathway to a more sustainable future that can appeal to the rubber，tyre，automobile and electronics industries.

The problem at hand：Synthetic polymers，including rubber and plastics，are used in nearly every aspect of daily life.The advantage of synthetic polymers lies largely in their excellent stability and various mechanical qualities.However，due to their high durability，waste materials made of these polymers have accumulated in the land and oceans，causing serious concerns for the ecosystem.

A promising method to tackle the challenges in plastics sustainability is to replace current polymers with recyclable ones in order to achieve a circular use of materials.

The key in the design of chemically recyclable polymers is to identify the right monomer.Through careful computational calculation，the researchers identified a targeting monomer.They then prepared the monomer and polymers through chemical synthesis，using abundantly available starting materials.

Wang's research group，including polymer science graduate students and a postdoctoral scientist，aims to develop polymers that can be broken down into their components.When the element for breaking them down is absent or removed，the polymers will be highly stable and their thermal and mechanical qualities can be tuned to meet the needs of various applications.

"The chemically recyclable polymers we developed show excellent thermal stability and mechanical qualities and can be used to prepare both rubber and plastics，" says Wang."We expect this material to be an attractive candidate to replace current polymers."

In 1969，watching the landing of Apollo 11 on the Moon on TV from his parents' farm in Canada，Chris Hadfield was amazed and excited.On that day，at only nine years old，Chris made the most important decision of his life：He was going to be an astronaut.

There wasn't even a training program in Canada to become an astronaut；but Chris was determined.He spent a great deal of time studying and fixing engines.After school he joined the Canadian army where he learned to fly many different types of planes.Chris did a lot of research for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) in the United States and had special training.Finally，in 1995，he rode his first rocket into space.

Chris became the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space，and went on a number of space missions throughout his career.The most memorable was his five-month stay on the International Space Station(ISS) as commander，between December 2012 and May 2013.He posted on social media thousands of photos of Earth and videos of himself explaining how things work in zero gravity.His followers could watch him sleeping，brushing his teeth，washing his hands，or preparing "space" snacks in zero gravity，which turned him into a social media phenomenon.

Today，Chris travels the world giving talks about his work.He once said，"Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you，and start moving your life in that direction.Every decision you make，from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight，turns you into who you are tomorrow.Look at who you want to be，and start sculpting yourself into that person.You may not get exactly where you thought you'd be，but you will be doing things that suit you in a profession you believe in.Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become."

First Chinese lanterns were invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty and used as lamps and for the worship of the Buddha.With (them) rich colors and nice shapes，lanterns add to the atmosphere of festivals.In the Tang Dynasty，lanterns were made (show)people's peaceful life and present China as a powerful country.The materials are used for making a lantern are very simple.Historically，bamboo，wood or wire was used for the frame.The shade was crafted from delicate paper or silk.Chinese calligraphy，painting and paper cutting were often used for (decorate) the lanterns.

While first (create) for practical use in the house，the Chinese lanterns eventually became (high) decorative，and a status symbol.Although there is no longer a practical need for Chinese lanterns，they are still made，used，and enjoyed by the Chinese people during festivals.The streets both in big cities  small towns are decorated with red lanterns during festivals.

The Lantern Festival is one of the best (day) to view Chinese lanterns in action.It is always held on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month.The festival is viewed  the end to the Chinese New Year celebrations and it (celebrate) with the release of floating and flying lanterns.

Literature was something I was interested in.At school I was that kid who stuck his hand up to 1  aloud from the Shakespeare play.Over the holidays I would visit the 2  and read literatures.While my generation was playing after school，I was in a ghetto(贫民区) learning to 3 .

I lived then in Lagos.The ghetto landlords had unlimited 4 .They could throw families with all their possessions out into the street.Annoyed，I wrote about 5 .Those pieces were not published.Then it occurred to me to write a story about them.This began my long 6  in the rigorous craft(严谨构思) of the short story.

However，after finishing my Alevels，I had a job working for a paint company. 7 in Lagos was so terrible that it took three hours to get to work.I would wake up at 4 a. m.and write for an hour before 8 work.When I 9 I would sleep and then write till one o'clock.

The first 10  took a year.I got myself 11  from work and bought a typewriter with the severance pay(解雇金). I then worked as a reporter for a news magazine.In the autumn of 1978 I came to London to study.I came really to write.I began 12  and sent the manuscript to many 13 ，who all turned it down.

Then，one morning，a letter came from Longmans' African Writers' Series.I remember giving a cry of 14 .That moment changed everything.I was 19.With the publication of Flowers and Shadows ， the life I was meant to live 15 .

There are some 7,000 languages spoken worldwide，each unique，using different sounds，vocabularies and structures.Charles the Great said，"To have a second language is to have a second soul." This begs the question：Does the language we speak shape who we are? As it turns out，yes.

In societies such as the United States or Western Europe，selfexpression and language precision are valued.Asian cultures，on the other hand，prefer an indirect form of communication.Words like "perhaps" and "maybe" are used more than "yes" or "no". Americanism takes an informal approach to communication.Therefore it's OK to refer to a stranger or the boss as "you". However，the Thai language has 12 forms of the same pronoun，choosing one depends on status.In this way，languages are essential in navigating(导航) any culture，be that our own or otherwise.

People who speak different languages notice different things，depending on the constructs of their mother tongue.Take an accident.In English，it's OK to say："She broke the glass." But in a language like Spanish，you'd probably go with："The glass broke." The same incident produces two different responses.English speakers will remember who's at fault，because their language asks them to，while Spanish speakers are more likely to remember it was an accident.This has real consequences，especially when it comes to crime and punishment.

Professor Jim Cummins has written extensively on mother tongues.For Cummins，the stronger our home language，the easier it is for us to learn others.Of course，research also shows that being bilingual(会说两种语言的) gives people many advantages in life.Linguist Julien Leyre writes that learning another language develops our ability to "understand the mental world of another person，based on the language they use，and how that world is different from our own."

Our mother tongue is central to how we think，what we know and who we are.Like us，languages are living things that change over time and must be cared for to survive.By doing so，we protect not just the linguistic structures or vocabularies we use，but the culture，knowledge and power behind them.

British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums.Over the years，the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide.On February 1,2021，Taylor launched his latest work—The Underwater Museum of Cannes.

"The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help，" Taylor told Dezeen."Ocean ecology has been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades，and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar."

The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages.They range from Maurice，an 80yearold fisherman，to Anouk，a 9yearold student.Towering over 6feettall and weighing 10 tons，the faces are sectioned into two parts，with the outer part like a mask.The mask indicates that the world's oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.

Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue，the seabed was filled with old boat engines，pipes，and other humanmade trash when the project began about four years ago.Besides removing the trash，Taylor also restored the area's seagrass.Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily.The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.

"The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection，" Taylor told Dezeen."If we threw unwanted waste near a forest，there would be a public outcry.But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed."

More mainstream sources of news such as newspapers，radio and TV aren't gone yet，but the Internet is growing and entrenching itself as the preferred source.Here are some of the reasons why the Internet is now the best source of news people have.

Online news is faster and more convenient while on the go.Soon after a major story occurs，it takes a few hours for news channels to report it live on cable.

Social media makes news more relevant.Social media platforms are not just limited to sharing pictures and posting updates about our daily routines. For example，when there is breaking news on the Internet，people can make comments and post their thoughts regarding the event.As a result，they get into a dialogue where different opinions are presented and debated. On the other hand，if you get news from cable TV，you have very limited options to discuss.

You can get news directly from its source.Many newsmakers are already active on the Internet.Since all these newsmakers have an online presence，people can get news directly from the concerned source，public figures，and newsmakers. Their social media presence is verified(证实的) and it is easier to trust information coming from them.

For generation，cable TV is limited to sports and movie channels.They don't sit in front of the TV to watch a news bulletin.There primary source of information is the Internet.This is how they have grown up.It's unlikely they'll move away from digital any time soon.And since this younger generation is the future，digital or Internet news is too.

A. The future is digital.

B. Traditional journalism still holds great value.

C. That is，news doesn't have to be reported to you.

D. This makes everyday news quite relevant for a while.

E. The Internet is quick to judge and demand an apology.

F. However，people can get news faster through social media.

G. More importantly，it is a great way to understand the public's perspective on certain issues.

What if our city streets could act like forests and reduce pollution? Thanks to scientific innovation，roads treated with a new pavement technology can now eat smog and help keep cities cool.Since there is little room for forests in urban areas，where air pollution actually occurs，Pavement Technology Inc.(PTI)，together with researchers from Louisiana State University，came up with an asphalt spray(沥青喷雾) called A. R.A.­1 Ti.

The spray's exact composition hasn't been revealed，but it is known to be based on titanium oxide(二氧化钛)，a component contained in many sunscreens on the market.When ultraviolet rays(紫外线) from the sun activate this chemical substance，light and heat are absorbed and moved apart.Through a chemical process，titanium oxide also breaks down poisonous substances in the air."In good conditions，we can achieve a 60% reduction，" said Michael Durante，PTI's vice president of finance and strategic planning.But the spray is not only meant to address overheating and to remove harmful gases produced by cars.It can also make aging asphalt stronger，preventing breaks generated by severe heat.

These impressive characteristics have encouraged several cities in the US to try out the product.The success stories keep adding up.At Orlando International Airport，taxiway pavements that had been sprayed with the titanium dioxide­based composition have already managed to reduce nitrogen oxide(一氧化氮) rates by half.And in Charleston，the pavement treatment is being used in low­income neighborhoods that have many asphalt­coated roads.

The company suggests that while heat shortens pavement life，their product's components can extend it from five to ten years，which translates the pavements into sustainable roads.And although green spaces are still necessary and cannot be fully replaced due to their multiple environmental and health benefits，innovations like A. R.A.1 Ti are extremely promising.We may expect to see the major benefits it can bring to public health，positively affecting the lives of billions living in urban areas worldwide.

I go out of my way to say "thank you" to my partner frequently，and he's the same way.We were both raised by parents who valued politeness，and more than that，I want to do all those little things that psychologists say help couples stay together.Expressing gratitude is one of those things，so a quick "thanks" seems like an easy one.

But according to a recent study，we're not at all typical.The study looked at over 1,000 recordings of casual conversations among families and close friends.In only about one out of 20 times were expressions of thanks observed.Phrases that meant "thanks" but weren't a direct translation of the word were counted，including physical gestures of thanks.

The researchers looked at a wide variety of people from different places，representing eight languages: Polish，Russian，Italy，English，Murrinhpatha (an Aboriginal language)，Cha'palaa，Lao and Siwu.

The Brits thanked people close to them the most，about 14.5 percent of the time，and close behind them were the Italians at 13.5 percent.The Murrinhpatha came next at 4.5 percent and following them were the Russians，the Polish，the Laotians and the Siwu speakers.The lowest? Well，the Cha'palaa speakers of Ecuador don't have a word for "thank you" at all.

As the linguists explained，"Expressing thanks，in some cultures，is more of a linguistic tradition than a true expression of feelings.In cultures where thanks are less often said，it's because social cooperation is taken for granted，and ‘thank you' isn't really needed or necessary."

The idea that you don't need to thank others because it's assumed that you're appreciative is beautiful.But it is a bit hard for me to accept.So I'll keep saying "thanks" as frequently as I do.But as a frequent traveler，I'll keep in mind to watch the local custom and follow suit.

Alex Elman runs a big business—something hard to imagine after she lost her sight in her twenties.But Elman says that losing her sight helped her focus on finding success.

Elman's father planted a hillside vineyard in Western Massachusetts in 1981.It's where Elman fled during the darkest period of her life.When she was 27 years old，she went blind due to complications from juvenile diabetes(青少年糖尿病) 17 years ago.She recalled，"I hid in my home.I hid in the place，to me，that was the safest place in the world."

Elman is now the founder of Alex Elman Wines，a growing collection of organic wines from all around the world：Chianti from Italy，Torrontes from Argentina.Elman doesn't work alone.Her assistant，a guide dog named Hanley，is something of a wine taster，and quite a beggar.Hanley travels to all of the wineries that Elman does，from South America to Europe.

At first，Elman resisted the idea of a seeingeye dog.Now it's hard to imagine her life，or her business，without him.She said，"When someone tells me something is organic and I don't really believe it because I taste something funny on it，I'll put it in front of his face and if he likes the wine，he'll actually go in and sniff it.If it's not right，he'll turn his head away...He gets in the dirt with me.He scratches around.He makes sure that we see earthworms and butterflies.That's how we know that the soil is actually organic and there are no chemicals."

Elman told CBS News she believes the loss of her vision was a gift.She said，"It allowed me to pay attention to what I thought was important and also to be able to teach people that the broken hang nail is not a big deal，you know what I mean? Don't sweat the small stuff.Don't sweat the big stuff either."

A new group of free employees have been added to a French workforce.So far，a theme park in western France (employ) six birds，more exactly six crows，to collect and deal with garbage—mainly cigarette ends and other small pieces.The birds take the (collect) trash to special bins where they can receive bird food in exchange  putting away the litter.

Park president Nicolas said，"The purpose of employing the crows is to educate people to take on their social (responsible). Since the birds are able to do we are much more able to do than them，we should do this by ourselves."

Crows have long been observed for their various amazing (display) of intelligence.They are one of the (smart) groups of animals on earth，with remarkable problem-solving，tool-making，and deductive reasoning(推理) skills.

In addition to inspiring humans to pick up trash，the clever crows currently (work) at the park are pretty excited to put their intelligence to work.

"It has become exciting game for them，" Nicolas says."They pick up the trash on the ground，and every day they (reward) for what they have done."

Maggie Doyne was 18 when she took a gap year between high school and college.She 1  a few of her belongings and set out to see the world.

Doyne's story began when she worked with 2 children at a school in northern India.One day，she saw a little girl named Hema carrying 3 to and from the village.She earned two dollars a day to support her family.

4 by what she saw，she later found out that there were 80 million children across the globe living 5 Hema.She thought to herself for the first time，"6 the 80 million，what if you just started with Hema？"

That's when Doyne decided to take Hema 7 and pay for her education.But helping Hema wasn't enough for Doyne.There were 8 children without families or homes.So she bought a small piece of land for $5,000 with her babysitting 9 .Her goal was to build 10 for those children."The amazing thing about this work is that it's 11 .Since I can help one kid，why not 10？" Doyne said.

The Kopila Valley Children's Home 12 200 children when it first opened ，and it continues to 13 .Doyne has also opened a school in Kopila Valley.

Maggie Doyne's story is a great 14 that while we cannot solve all the world's problems on our own，we can take the first 15 of solving one problem.

World history has seen three ancient dramas：Greek tragedy and comedy；Indian Sanskrit drama；and Chinese opera.The first two have become historical and only Chinese opera has survived.

Chinese opera took shape in the 12th century.After developing for more than 800 years，its abundant local styles of opera are still enjoying great popularity，of which Qinqiang is one of the most ancient operas.

Qinqiang opera is a thousand-year-old local opera originating in China's inland northwestern region.It has established a unique tradition as an "opera shouted out" with its high-pitched arias(高音唱腔). Li Mei has won a reputation as one of the four greatest Qinqiang actresses.She's also known for her passionate commitment to exploring the theatrical possibilities offered by Qinqiang.

Li Mei and her workmates are halfway through an afternoon rehearsal(排练) and most have broken into a sweat.Singing in a near-whisper，the forty-year-old opera star performs the stylized movements for the leading role—the bitter dead Lady Li Huiniang in Ghost's Hate.

Little wonder that Li Mei is such a powerful presence on stage.She's the greatest contributory actress who's able to interpret a character so persuasively and tell a story so convincingly that European audiences warmly hug this unfamiliar art form.

Li Mei said，"We performed this opera in the Netherlands to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of Holland's National Theatre.We enjoyed a fifteen-minute curtain call and the audiences applauded wildly for a long time.The local press entitled me the ‘Nemesis of the Orient' and the ‘Chinese Venus'. Why is that so？Because they've fully understood what the opera implied—the loyalty towards love，and dead as she may be，her love persists.The reason why this opera was able to touch millions of hearts is that it has a beautiful story presented by a beautiful art form."

Occasions like anniversaries，weddings and reunions call for special event venues(场地). The following places may have a way out.There's no need to spend money creating atmosphere at special event venues.It's built right in!

Hard Rock Cafe Anchorage

415 E. STREET，ANCHORAGE，ALASKA 99501

Events，like great music are born of inspiration.Featuring a 13,600-square-foot facility that will seat 275 guests with private event space，we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional experience with a rock and roll twist for each of our guests.

Business Expo Center

1960 S. ANAHEIM WAY，ANAHEIM，CALIFORNIA 92805

The Business Expo Center is Orange County's premier event venue in Anaheim，California.Our flexible 36,000-square-foot expo center is home to space for conferences，trade shows and celebrations.We pride ourselves on providing a memorable experience with excellent flexibility，services，and cost savings.We won't charge customers for on-site parking and provide high-speed Wi-Fi.

Automobile Driving Museum

610 LAIRPORT STREET，EL SEGUNDO，CALIFORNIA 90245

Centrally located in the South Bay beach community of El Segundo，California，the ADM offers a wonderful venue for private parties and corporate events.Conveniently located 5 minutes south of LAX，right off the 405 and 105 Freeways，the 610 Lairport space has a vintage feel surrounded by our primary automobile collections.We offer several different venues inside and outside our facility for diverse events.To better our service，reservations are needed.

Yamashiro Hollywood

1999 N. SYCAMORE AVE.，LOS ANGELES，CALIFORNIA 90068

Yamashiro Hollywood is a restaurant and therefore，all food and beverages must be handled in house.However，guests are allowed to bring in outside wine and champagne for a corkage fee.

Career and job site LinkedIn released its annual "Emerging Jobs" list.No.1 on the list is artificial intelligence(AI) specialist who figures out things like where makes sense to build AI systems.This is the third year in a row that a role related to AI (top) the list，and the demand (expect) to increase in the future.The pay is very impressive too，with AI roles often (reach) six figures.

There are (opportunity) for AI specialists within many IT roles such as software development，and programming.Some AI specialist jobs are advertised using AI technologies such as speech (recognize)，but are not directly linked to AI.When AI is used outside of academia，it is usually as part of larger projects solving (practice) problems faced by businesses.Therefore，anyone  is interested in a career using AI must be able to offer skills and experience beyond AI.

So what's behind this rapid growth in AI jobs？We're in an (extreme) tight labor market so companies are really looking to hire whoever can get the job done.Learning skills like TensorFlow and Python，as well as throwing yourself machine learning and natural language processing，could help you land the role.

Sometimes we didn't have the strength to face one more challenge.

1  back，I have felt this way several times throughout my life.One dark time 2  above the rest.At the time，I was 26，3  full time，a husband and a father of two.This would be enough to deplete(耗尽) anyone，but my one-year-old son Paul had just had his fourth operation.

After that operation，my wife and I brought him home.4 ，things got worse.I drove my wife and him back to the 5 .The news removed what was left of my spirit.The doctors thought it was a 6 enough issue that they needed another operation.The first thing I thought was，"I don't think I can 7 my son having another operation.I don't have the 8 ". Fortunately，many friends came to encourage us.In the end，my wife and I 9 good news.It turned out that my son had a bad reaction to medicine.But he would be just 10 .

It has been years since that day，but the 11  I learned has stayed with me.When we are 12 ，friends are strong for us.When times are hard，we have a 13  to feel powerless.But it is in these times that we must 14  we need the strength of friends.It is friends who get us through whatever 15  ahead.

Older adults often suffer from mild cognitive impairment(MCI)(轻度认知功能障碍). It is defined as the stage between cognitive decline that comes naturally with aging and the more serious decline in brain performance—dementia(痴呆). MCI affects many aspects of cognition，such as memory，language，judgment and thinking.

Modern treatment for MCI and dementia involve mostly medications that are yet to be proven effective.But there are natural ways for individuals with MCI to improve their condition.Cognitive training，for instance，can help them develop their remaining cognitive skills.Improving their cardiovascular(心血管的) fitness can also lower their risk of further brain damage caused by blockage of blood vessels.

But in recent study，researchers at RMIT University in Australia found yet another way to boost cognitive function without using modern medications.By evaluating clinical evidence presented by multiple studies，the researchers found that traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) can cause positive changes in the brains of adults with MCI.They reported their findings in an article published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA) is a sensitive measure used to evaluate changes in cognitive function.MoCA is often used to test the effects of TCM on people with MCI.The researchers selected a total of 19 studies,16 of which contributed to data analyses.Three studies were placebo-controlled(安慰剂对照)，while nine compared a TCM herb with conventional medication.Three studies combined a TCM with a modern drug，and one study combined a known TCM with cognitive training.In two of the placebo-controlled studies，which lasted for 24 weeks，TCM herbs produced favorable results at the end of treatment.Overall，results suggested that certain TCM formulations can improve MoCA scores by 1.76 to 2.34 points.

Based on these findings，the researchers concluded that TCM herbs，owing to their active components，can improve cognitive function in people with MCI.

Majlis Jonsson is a 73-year-old woman living in the centre of Sweden's capital Stockholm.She leads an active life with her friends，travelling around the city and meeting in coffee shops.However，one issue causes her stress.

Sweden has been steadily moving towards a completely cashless society for a number of years.Cash is now used in less than one in five of all cash transactions(交易) in stores—half the number as five years ago.The law says shops can refuse to accept cash.Life can be hard for those unwilling or unable to adapt to the changes.Not everyone hates cash.Majlis Jonsson is one such person.She must go to a bank in order to pay her friend back for a train ticket bought digitally."I just don't know how to do it."

Niklas Arvidsson，Sweden's leading expert on the payment system，acknowledges that some people are in danger of being left behind，like the elderly."We've also got a problem with smaller businessmen in rural areas where perhaps the telecommunication systems are not working，" he says.

Is Sweden benefiting from all this？According to Arvidsson，it is."Electronic transactions are quicker and cost less in general and make the payment system more efficient." He also points out that "it is a little bit more difficult in general for the people to get away with not paying taxes or making small thefts without cash."

Of course，with an increase in digital transactions，the question of data security comes into play.As we freefall through an increasingly virtual world—and payments over the cloud instead of payments with paper—who has access to our information？It is a global problem with no easy solution.

But Arvidsson remains largely positive about cashless transactions."It's like a virtual infrastructure is being built...if a highway or a railroad has the capacity to bring people in business closer and increase output，the same thing will happen with technology.I really do believe that once the technology genie is out of the bottle，how do you put it back？"