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Most young people are always on their phones, which may upset many people. 1 , a group called Girl Scouts are receiving 2  for setting up their first walk­in clinic for elderly people, who have difficulty understanding how to 3  the secrets of their smartphones. 

Each teen spent at least an hour of one­on­one time with their oldsters. Based on their 4  knowledge, each Girl Scout was assigned to 5  different aspects of Android and Apple phones. 

Some of the oldsters actually wanted to take part in ecommerce(电子商务), and needed help to 6 a payment account on their smartphones while others simply had 7 when learning how to send messages to their family members. "I was teaching this older woman how to 8 , and the first thing she did was to send a message to her daughter, "one of the Scouts said. "How 9 it was! It just made me feel really, really happy. "

In addition to arranging group lessons for all of the seniors to 10  together at the end of the clinic, the youngsters even printed out brochures and guides for the seniors to take home in case 11  seniors would encounter problems with their smartphones in the future. 

The eighth graders earned their "Silver Award"for their job. After experiencing the 12 of their project, the girls hope to organize more 13 in the near future. "Those girls were just great, "said Nancy, a greatgrandmother who once 14 the clinic. "They were ready for us and had a very mature attitude about answering our questions, and they 15 the praise. "

We've all been there: those times you need to argue your point of view to someone who you know disagrees with you. You immediately go to your keyboard and start to type out that 280character tweet, the Facebook reply, or a paragraphslong email. Surely the reason, logic, and strong power of your written words will convince whoever disagrees with you to see your point of view. But new research suggests a different idea.

That research was conducted by Juliana Schroeder, assistant professor of University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues. In Schroeder's study of almost 300 people, participants were asked to watch, listen, and read arguments about subjects they agreed or disagreed with. They were asked to judge the character of the communicator and the quality of the argument. Schroeder's team found that the participants who watched or listened to the communicator were less dismissive(抵触的) of their claims than when they read that communicator's same argument.

The idea for her study came from a newspaper article about a politician. One of her colleagues read a speech that was printed in a newspaper from a politician with whom he strongly disagreed. The next week, he heard the exact same speech playing on a radio station. He was shocked by how different his reaction was toward the politician when he read the speech compared to when he heard it. When he read the statement, the politician seemed idiotic, but when he heard it spoken, the politician actually sounded reasonable. 

So in the workplace, speaking to someone in person often involves nothing more than walking a few doors down to their office. And that's exactly what you should do if you need to convince that boss or colleague of why your blueprint for the company or project is the right one.

Only as a last way should you try to communicate with someone who you disagree with over social media. Twitter's limited text allowance and social media users' short attention make arguing your point an uphill battle.

For many people, going a few hours without your smartphone can feel like a lifetime. Now, one expert claims that humans are becoming so dependent on technology that we're actually merging(融合) into it.

Speaking at the Fast Company European Innovation Festival, Professor Yuval Noah Harari, a historian at the Hebrew University claimed that it's becoming more and more difficult to tell where humans end and machines begin. He said, "It's increasingly hard to tell where I end and where the computer begins. In the future, it is likely that the smartphone will not be separated from you at all. It may be embedded in your body or brain, constantly scanning your biometric data and your emotions. "

During his speech, Professor Harari highlighted how humans have affected our environment over time, and suggested that now may be the time to affect ourselves. He said, "Humanity has always remained constant. If we told our ancestors in the Stone Age about our lives today, they would think we are already the Creator. But the truth is that even though we have developed more wonderful tools, we are the same animals. We have the same emotions, the same minds. The coming revolution will change that. It will change not just our tools；it will change the human being itself. "

If we do manage to merge with machines, Professor Harari suggests it could open the door to setting up civilizations beyond Earth. He added, "Life will be able to break out of planet Earth and no longer be confined to this flying rock. "

While Professor Harari's claims may sound farfetched(牵强的), he isn't alone in his vision of a machinehuman world. Back in 2017, Elon Musk claimed that humans should merge with machines, or risk becoming irrelevant. He said, "Over time I think we will probably see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence. "

Every day, a lot of people move house. With a newfound appreciation for space and air, it may suddenly have seemed as if a new kind of life was possible. . Here's some expert advice on how to build a new community.

Ask people you already know if they could introduce you to anyone in the location to which you are moving. Posting on social media is probably the easiest way to tap your friends' friends. It increases the chance that there's someone you will get along with.

Don't expect friends to magically appear

. People really need to take the initiative to go out there and meet people and not assume that friends are just going to fall into their lives. As people become familiar to us, we like them more, and it's completely unconscious.

Be open to a broader range of people

You have spent a lifetime narrowing your social circle to those you really care about, but the chances are you're not going to meet new best friends in your new area instantly. When it comes to friendships, having close friends is one of the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing. But even having brief interactions with people in general benefits us. .

Don't despair

Remember to maintain preexisting friendships, so that you're not feeling lonely and disconnected while developing new relationships. . But people don't realize that if they put themselves out there, the process can go faster than they think. It really makes a difference if you're willing to attend different events；you can really change your social life.

A. Make a public appeal

B. Put some work in before you move

C. Quality is best, but quantity still does something

D. It can take a long time to build up new friendships

E. But now the pandemic has made it harder to connect with strangers

F. It doesn't necessarily mean you made the wrong decision in moving

G. We tend to think friendships happen naturally and that's a huge misconception

The Tiangong space station is a space station being constructed by China. The construction of the station is based on the experience gained from its pioneers, Tiangong­1 and Tiangong­2. The first module(舱), the Tianhe core module, was launched on April 29, 2021, followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and two more modules to be launched by 2022. 

According to China Manned Space Agency(CMSA), which operates the space station, the purpose and missions of Tiangong space station are listed as：breakthroughs in key technologies such as permanent human operations in orbit, long­term autonomous spaceflight of the space station, life support technology and development of technology that can aid future deep space exploration. 

The Tianhe Core Cabin Module(CCM) provides life support and living quarters for three crew members and provides guidance and navigation(导航) for the station. The module also provides the station's power. The station is equipped with a small kitchen for food preparation and the firstever microwave oven in the spaceflight, so that astronauts can always have hot food whenever they need. 120 different types of food, selected based on astronauts' preference, are stored aboard.

China's intention to build its own space station was amplified(增强) after NASA refused Chinese participation in International Space Station in 2011. On February 22, 2017, CMSA and Italian Space Agency(ASI) signed an agreement to cooperate on longterm human spaceflight activities. The agreement holds importance due to Italy's leading position in the field of human spaceflight with regard to the creation and development of the International Space Station and it shows Italy's increased expectations of China's developing space station program. Tiangong is also expected to host experiments from many other countries.

Plants don't have ears or a central nervous system, but new research out of the University of Missouri has demonstrated that they might still have the ability to "hear". More specifically, plants have been shown to exhibit an immune response to the mere sound of a hungry insect.

For the study, researchers played the sound of a caterpillar chewing to a group of plants, which caused slight vibrations(振动) on the plants' leaves. The plants were able to recognize these vibration patterns as danger, and responded by mounting the appropriate immune response. In other words, it appears that plants can "hear"themselves being chewed on.

Researchers assume that plants achieve this remarkable ability thanks to proteins that respond to pressure found within their cell membranes. Vibrations cause pressure changes within the cell, which can change the behavior of the proteins；however, additional study will be required to confirm or deny this theory. 

Once researchers identify the exact mechanisms at play in this process, it could lead to advances in crop protection. Farmers could potentially learn to use sound to cause a plant's natural chemical defenses against insect threats, rather than turning to poisonous chemicals.

"We can imagine applications of this where plants could be treated with sound or genetically engineered to respond to certain sounds that would be useful for agriculture, "said study author Heidi Appel.

The study adds to the growing list of ways that plants have been shown to sense their environments. They are not the boring organisms that many people assume they are. For instance, some plants are able to communicate with each other and signal upcoming danger to their neighbors by releasing chemicals into the air. Plants can respond to light (think about sunflowers) and temperature. Some can even respond to touch, such as the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草), which snaps shut when an insect stimulates its hairs. 

Banff National Park is home to an amazing wildlife population. But the busy Trans­Canada Highway that cuts through the park is a hazard to the lovely animals. To address the problem, Banff first put up wildlife fencing on either side of the highway to discourage animals from entering the busy road. Then, since 1996, six wildlife overpasses and 38 underpasses have been opened to help the animals cross the highway in safety. 

I was fortunate to visit Banff's Red Earth Overpass with Trevor Kinley, the project manager of Parks Canada. He told me that so far, they had documented 10, 000 safe animal crossings on this overpass alone.

"Some animals have learned how to use the crossings much more quickly than others. Black bears are the fastest learners, followed by deer. Wolves and lions take the longest to work out how to use them, "Kinley said, laughing. "But those animals that are slower to adapt are usually more capable and determined to figure out the safest way to cross those overpasses and underpasses. "

There is some criticism(批评) that channeling so much wildlife into a few bridges and tunnels is like making a trap for the animals, offering big animals an easy meal on either side. "But research has shown that this is not the case, "Kinley assured me. "There are no more killings around the crossings than anywhere else in the park. "

Walking over the Trans­Canada Highway and then walking underneath through one of the tunnels, I was amazed to see the fresh tracks of black bears, wolves, deer and many kinds of smaller animals. Somehow, I was so happy to see all these animal footprints, knowing that all this wildlife was passing safely under and over the longest road in Canada. 

Hopefully, the success of the wildlife crossings in Banff will continue to inspire similar solutions around the world, where human pressure on wildlife continues to grow. 

How to Show Emotion

If anyone has ever told you to "open up more"or "show some emotion", you may wonder what they really meant. It's easy for us to get caught up in our own little worlds and hide what we're feeling from other people. . But if you can open up more to others, you'll see how rewarding it is to connect on a deeper level.

. Relax and think through your feelings as they come to you. Whenever you feel something, take a second to sit with what you're feeling. Think about how you feel and let the emotion wash over you naturally.

Name your emotions as they come to you. Giving your feeling a name makes it easier to understand. Once you're comfortable with a feeling, give the emotion a name. Are you anxious about something? If you don't feel anything particularly moving, are you bored or content? This process will make you more self-aware. .

Maintain a journal for your feelings. One way to help you to open up emotionally to others is to keep a daily journal. . Every day, write down a paragraph or two about your day and how it makes you feel. This will help you track your feeling over time and put you more in tune with yourself. 

Engage in fun activities to share experiences with others. Do things you enjoy with people you love to share positive emotions. Dedicate one night a week to go out and grab dinner with your family. , or go on a 20-minute walk every day. Being emotionally available and sharing how you feel is a lot easier when you have fun with the people you care about. 

A. Push yourself to share every day

B. Take a minute to process emotions

C. Take a cooking class with your partner

D. Open up and get used to sharing how you feel

E. It will also help you express what you're feeling

F. Treat it as a special space for you to open up and be honest

G. Sometimes, we don't even realize we're being guarded or hiding our feelings

One of the UK's largest architecture firms, Foster＋Partners, has revealed plans for a new "city within a city"in Vietnam. The new 290-acre district will be built around long rows of trees and greenery in Ho Chi Minh City, according to Foster＋Partners in a press release.

Called "the Global City", the project, including high-and low-rise residential buildings and public housing in addition to schools, a shopping mall and medical facilities, is set to complete within four years. Surrounded by two waterways, the community will comprise five different neighborhoods connected by a central park and wide streets, as well as a series of pedestrian(行人) bridges.

According to Toby Blunt, a senior partner at Foster＋Partners, the firm took over the overall master plan but was tasked with enhancing its combination with nature, while increasing pedestrian connectivity between the different neighborhoods. 

Foster＋Partners'studio head Gerard Evenden emphasized the number of green spaces in the plan, including parks, courtyards and gardens. "The design seeks to strike a balance between biodiversity and human well-being, "he said, calling it a sustainable master plan for the future.

The district's design references the architectural traditions of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly noted as Saigon, through the use of brick and wood. The southeastern city enjoys fame for its wide mix of styles, from French Colonial(殖民时期的) landmarks like the Saigon Opera House, to concrete modernist apartment blocks and contemporary additions to the skyline, like the lotus flower-inspired Bitexco Tower.

Foster＋Partners, founded by celebrated British architect Norman Foster, is famous for eye-catching projects including the Hearst Tower in New York. 

"The Global City"is one of several futuristic master plans that the firm has developed in recent years, with its team currently working on various planning projects designed to regenerate old urban areas or create new sustainable communities in densely populated cities.

Parents, teachers and caregivers have long suspected the magic of storytelling to calm kids. Researchers have now quantified the physiological and emotional benefits of a well-told tale. 

"We know that narrative has the power to transport us to another world, "says Guilherme Brockington from Brazil's Federal University. "Earlier research suggested that stories help children process and regulate their emotions—but this was mostly conducted in a laboratory, with subjects answering questions while lying inside functional MRI(磁共振成像) machines. There are few studies on physiological and psychological effects of storytelling in a more commonplace hospital setting. "

So investigators working in several Brazilian hospitals split a total of 81 patients aged 4 to 11 into two groups, matching them with storytellers who had a decade of hospital experience. In one group, the storyteller led each child in playing a riddle game. In the other, youngsters chose books and listened as the storyteller read them aloud. Before and after these sessions, the researchers took spit samples from each child, then asked them to report their pain levels and conducted a free-association word quiz. 

Children in both groups benefited measurably from the interactions：they showed lower levels of cortisol—the stress-related hormone(激素)—and higher levels of oxytocin, which is often described as a feel-good hormone. Yet kids in the storytelling group benefited significantly more：their cortisol levels were a quarter of those in the riddle group, and their oxytocin levels were nearly twice as high. Those who heard stories also reported pain levels dropping almost twice as much as those in the riddle group, and they used more positive words to describe their hospital stay. 

The study demonstrates that playing games or simply interacting with someone can relax kids and improve their outlook but that hearing stories has an especially dramatic effect. "The researchers really tried to control the social interaction component of the storyteller, which I think was the key, "says Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University, who was not involved in the new research.

Next, the investigators plan to study how long these effects last, along with storytelling's potential benefits to kids with particular illnesses such as cancer. For now Brockington says the results indicate storytelling is a low-cost and extremely efficient way to help improve health outcomes in a variety of settings. Mar agrees. "It's very promising and feasible, "he says, "and possibly generalizable. "

Laurie Horam never thought of himself as musical. At home, his dad never listened to music, while one of his boarding school teachers labelled him tone deaf. But last month he started to play the harmonica(口琴) on the streets of Bradford. People clapped, danced and threw coins into his case for the local food bank. Horam caught himself thinking, "How, at the age of 79, do I come to be playing music to people on the streets? "

The question preoccupied him, because, some years ago at a family gathering, Gavin, his eldest son, said, "You know what, Dad? It can't be coincidental. We must have got our musical abilities from you. "Horam has three sons and they cover a range of instruments. He was surprised. "There can't be music in me, because I can't play! "he said.

Eight years ago, Horam, a retired civil servant, was on his way back from a trip with his family. Gavin stopped at a music shop. He walked out and said, "Here you are. I bought this for you, Dad. It's a harmonica. I'll try to show you how to play a bit. "

They went to a session at their local pub. Gavin played the guitar and Horam sat in the corner with his harmonica, trying to make a sound that no one would hear. After six months, he was invited into the group. He discovered a talent for improvisation(即兴表演), responding to a note within a millisecond without batting an eyelid. "I don't play by ear. I play by heart. "Actually, Horam says, "My harmonica plays me—how I feel, what I am, what I've been. "

Music has enriched life with friendship and made Horam feel"part of something much bigger"than himself. "At a time when the circle of life might be shrinking, mine is expanding, "he says. "Maybe we never know completely who we are or what we can do. "

Could you imagine a world  everyone looks the same or has the exactly same hobbies or interests? As such, Global Diversity Awareness Month is a great way to celebrate diversity(多样性). During this time, people from all over the world celebrate what (make) us different and unique. 

Everyone has their own way of viewing things, which (shape) by their individual experiences and world view they carry with them. When dealing with an issue, different approaches can generate (creative) and innovation, instead of everyone contributing the same thoughts and conclusions. To put it (simple), our diversity and inclusiveness(包容性) are our biggest strengths. 

Learning about other cultures will help (we) better understand ourselves and the society as a whole. We can do this by watching foreign films or listening to music from other countries. Local cultural art exhibits are worth (visit), too. Also, invite our friends and family to dinner, which can open our mind new ideas and customs and delicious food! There's no doubt that diversity and inclusiveness make our world better place. It is important that we connect with other people, learn from them and their cultures, and make an effort (appreciate) those differences.

Earlier that evening, my mother called, telling me that my brother died in a car crash. I stumbled(跌跌撞撞地走) around the house 1  what to put into the suitcases. My husband, Larry, and I had been packing for moving to New Mexico. The house was in a total 2 . 

I tried to hold my tears. I 3 picked things up and put them down. I couldn't 4 . What I'd heard on the phone echoed(回荡) through my head.

Larry phoned a few friends. 5 , someone asked to speak to me. "If there is anything I can do, let me know. ""Thank you, "I replied. I didn't know what to 6 .

The doorbell rang and I rose slowly for the door. It was Donna. 

"I've come to clean your shoes, "she said. 7 , I asked her to repeat. "When my father died, it took me 8 to get the shoes cleaned and shined for my father's 9 , "she said. I hadn't even thought about shoes.

Shoes were gathered. Donna 10  herself on the floor and got to work. The love in the act 11  my tears. Watching her 12  on one task helped me pull my 13  into order. Laundry first, I told myself. One by one, the jobs fell into place. 

Now whenever I hear of an acquaintance's loss of a loved one, I think of one 14 task that suits that person's 15 . If the person asks, "How did you know I needed that? "I'd reply, "Because someone did that. "

People living in informal settlements across the world often go to dangerous lengths to secure clean water and electricity. Now, Henry Glogau, a New Zealand-based architectural designer, has created a striking skylight(天窗) that can provide both safely. 

In Chile, around 110, 000 families live in around 800 informal settlements often built around farther parts of the larger cities. In these remote, informal settlements, electricity as well as water isn't reliably available. Besides, many Chileans in informal settlements also board up their windows for privacy and security, limiting the amount of natural light. This means that even during the day, informal homes can be difficult places to meet, work or study.

Glogau's design aims to use Chile's abundance in two natural resources—seawater and light—to create the skylight that can help solve the problem.

During the day, the skylight is powered by a small solar panel, with the center part of the skylight also functioning to desalinate(淡化) seawater via the evaporation and condensing(蒸发和冷凝) process. Water can then be tapped from the skylight to be used for consumption. 

However, during the night, when light is in even more demand, the skylight can continue to function. The salt generated from the desalination process is stored within special tubes containing special metals. The salt reacts with these metals to create twelve "salt batteries"which can continue to power the skylight, thus providing lighting for living, work and study.

Currently, the skylight is being tested in informal settlements in Antofagasta, Chile. However, informal settlements aren't unique to Chile. According to the United Nations, around 1 billion people live in informal settlement conditions, with roughly 370 million in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 238 million in sub-Saharan Africa and 227 million in Central and Southern Asia. Naturally, not all of these have access to seawater, but products such as the Solar Desalination Skylight can still point the way to providing necessities that can help improve living conditions and opportunities, at an affordable cost.

This year, it felt as if every good movie was also an argument for why movies matter. They reward your attention, engage your feelings and respect your intelligence. 

Petite Maman(Céline Sciamma)

The death of a grandmother, the sorrow of a parent, the acquisition of a new friend—these ordinary experiences, occurring in the life of an 8-year-old girl, provide the basic structure of this spare, perfect film. Whether it's best described as a modern-dress fairy tale, or a low-tech time travel fantasy is up to you. What's certain is that the performance of the cast causes maximum emotional impact. (Coming to theaters. )

Summer of Soul(Questlove)

This documentary about a series of open-air concerts in Harlem in 1969 connecting impressive performances with interviews with musicians and audience members, is a shot of pure joy. But the film is more than a time capsule: It's a history lesson and an argument for why art matters, and what it can do, especially in time of anxiety. (Streaming on Hulu. )

Bring Your Own Brigade(Lucy Walker)

This documentary about California wildfires of September 2021 is also, almost by accident, an exploration of the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The picture Walker paints is complicated, partly because that's the way people are: panicked, generous, stupid and brave. The movie is hardly optimistic, but its open-mindedness provides a buffer against despair. (In theaters. )

The Velvet Underground(Todd Haynes)

Like"Summer of Soul", this documentary revisits the music of the 1960s in a spirit that is more historical than just recalling the past. Rather than gathering present-day musicians to celebrate their ancestors, Haynes concentrates on the Velvet, a band, and on the artistic scene that inspired them. In particular, he focuses on their connections to the experimental cinema that boomed in New York. (Streaming on Apple TV＋. )

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox(春分), as the fourth term of the year, starts on March 20  ends on April 3 this year. 

The Spring Equinox signals the equal (long) of the day and night time. The day of the Spring Equinox is  the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in (gradual) longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that (date) back to 4, 000 years ago. People practice this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. It (believe) that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future. 

The Spring Equinox is  good time to fly kites. In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. So (pray) for good health, they wrote their medical issues on a paper kite. When the kite was  the air, people would cut off the string to let the paper kite float away, (symbolize) the flying away of diseases. 

Whether it is a relaxing walk or a power one, taking a walk usually only lasts a small duration of time. This was not the 1  for Tom Turcich, though. 

On April 2, 2015, Tom decided to walk around the world by himself. It wasn't a 2 thought. His childhood friend died 3 at the age of 17 due to a jet ski accident. 4 by how short life was, he was fueled by a strong 5 to live every day to its fullest.

Tom's walk 6 as a lone journey. But quickly, he found himself missing 7 on the road. And so, while making a stop in Austin, Texas, he 8 Savannah, a rescue puppy. Since then, the pair have been making their way across borders, continents and seas, 9 25, 000 miles in all.

Traveling always has some ups and downs. Tom 10  numerous unexpected delays along the way. He was 11  due to severe weather in Panama and became very ill in Scotland. Also, he had no 12  but to wait out pandemic lock downs in many countries. But on the 13  side, he met many kind people and 14  the beauty of nature in different parts of the world. 

Tom 15  something few people have succeeded in, which he believes helped him gain a much larger understanding of the world. 

You may never know why the email will arrive and reasons offered for your rejection might be the real ones—or not. Bosses have always spied on their employees, then judged them. Now the rise of the online self means the employer's eye can travel still farther.

Even before the pandemic, research found that 28% of large companies had turned down applicants after carrying out such checks. And it is becoming more popular: Reed Screening, a large agency, was asked to run over a third more social-media checks in December this year than a year earlier. This month the government gave the practice approval when the Department for Education said schools and colleges "should consider carrying out an online search as part of their due diligence(尽职调查)".

The way screening works is simple: Any"problematic"behaviours will be marked with a red flag. There are laws governing such online screening. David Erdos, head of the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law, says that companies are supposed to warn candidates before screening their social media and tell them that they have the right to hold back permission. Some companies follow these rules, but others may not. As for the right to refuse, it is hardly practicable. "Who on earth is. . . going to be that person who says, ‘Hang on a minute. I'm not happy about that？'"asks Mr Erdos. "That itself is likely to be a red flag. "

All agree that the spread of online screening is alarming, as it is so unforgiving. People may be unable ever to be free of their online past, says Mr Erdos. As indeed some footballers, recently punished for comments made almost a decade ago when they were but teenagers, have found to their cost. 

Those within the industry think laws should be tightened, with punishment for illegal act. In the meantime, being very careful is advisable. In talks to university students, Mr Erdos warns them what companies will do to their social media when they apply for jobs. "They are universally terrified, "he says. And rightly.

Marissa Sumathipala, a student at Broad Run High School outside of Washington, D. C. , was practicing with her recreational figure-skating team when she crashed with another skater. Her head hit against the ice heavily. Everything went black. 

Up to that point, Sumathipala's entire life had centred around her sport—her daily schedule, exercise routine, even her diet. She had hopes of making the 2018 Olympic team. The fall on the ice would change everything, including her direction.

Sumathipala had a brain injury and it ended her skating career. Symptoms lasted for years. Her memory felt unclear at times. She'd find herself dizzy, sick, or exhausted. Sumathipala consulted doctors, so many that she "lost count". But no one had answers.

Sumathipala began to realize that there was so much unknown about the brain. She set out to find the answers herself, a path that would eventually bring her to Harvard University, where she'd concentrate on the human brain. Throughout her four years, Sumathipala homed    in    on brain science. She worked with the McCarroll Lab at Harvard Medical School, helping develop a new method for sequencing synapses(神经突序列) in the brain, which are crucial for memory and learning. Even as an undergraduate, her colleagues were so struck by how mature her thinking already was about science that she quickly became a trusted and valued member of the lab.

Also, Sumathipala competed with the Harvard Figure Skating Club all four years. She helped increase its membership and introduced new skaters to the sport she still loves. "I spent a long time struggling with my identity, "she said. "Growing up I was just a skater and then, when I got injured, I had to rebuild my identity. Then I was a scientist. Now, I identify as being both a skater and a scientist. "

Reflecting on her years at Harvard, Sumathipala said one of the things she's most grateful for is seeing how things have come full circle for her.

Convincing teenagers to put down their phone and dig in the flowerbeds may seem like a long shot. But if provided the opportunity, the right tools and encouragement, they might find they love gardening.  Many plants can grow in containers. Here are some benefits of gardening for teenagers. 

Whether flowers or vegetables, caring for plants helps teenagers develop responsibility. They also gain a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence as they raise new green shoots into full blooming beauties. Teen gardeners will get to experiment and learn what is best for each plant, experiencing the benefits of their efforts over time. 

Gardening is good for psychological well-being. Gardens have been shown to reduce stress and depression, as well as promote productivity. Taking a break from electronics and social media can also improve teenagers' attention. Research shows that spending just a few minutes outdoors, surrounded by grass, trees, and other plants can boost a teenager's ability to focus and concentrate.

Outdoor time promotes exercise. Gardening offers fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. Sowing seeds, planting seedlings, and deadheading flowers require movement which translates to some exercise. Teenagers are likely to become so absorbed in their work that they don't even realize the physical aspect of gardening.

Growing food encourages healthier eating habits. Teenagers that grow their own food are more likely to enjoy eating healthily. Tasting the fruits of their own efforts often inspires them to eat more of the items they grow themselves. Teaching teenagers about the nutritional benefits of the plants they grow will empower them to make wise and tasty food choices for life. 

A. Plant care builds up responsibility. 

B. And gardening doesn't need much space.

C. A sense of responsibility matters to teenagers. 

D. Plants are often used as a tool to help improve mental health. 

E. Parents may find that their couch potato enjoys growing actual potatoes. 

F. These benefits are especially good for teenagers who avoid physical activity. 

G. And harvesting is an excellent way to help teenagers know the source of their food.