After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.

    One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw：a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him，shouting to their neighbors to call for help，he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.

    The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread, and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.

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    New research suggests that there are only four basic facial expressions of emotion. However, how these expressions are understood might depend on where you are from.

    Research by scientists from the University of Glasgow in the UK has challenged the traditional view of how the face expresses emotions. Many scientists had believed that there were six basic emotions that people from all cultures recognized. These were happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust(厌恶). However, the University of Glasgow's work now suggests that the human face only had four basic expressions of emotions. This is because some pairs of emotions are impossible to tell apart, especially when they are first shown on the face. Fear and surprise, both share wide-open eyes. The facial expressions for anger and disgust also look the same.

    So if our faces are only able to express four basic emotions, how do we communicate much more complex feelings? The study found that the way expressions are understood is different in different cultures. Lead researcher Rachael Jack was studying this because “facial expressions were considered to be universal”, she explained. However, while looking at how people from the East and West recognize different parts of the face, they found that although there are some common features across cultures, the six basic facial expressions of emotion are not recognized universally.

    “We said we don't know what a disgust face looks like in China, so the best way to go about that is to make all combinations of facial movements and show the Chinese people and ask them to choose the ones they think are disgust faces.” With the software they developed, they discovered that in the early stages of signaling emotion, fear and surprise, and anger and disgust, were often confused. Jack explained that this development of facial expressions is related to biology and social situations.

    What has caught people's interest is the cross-cultural aspect of the work. “This study shows which emotions we share, and which are different in different cultures,” Jack said. This finding could help us develop new communication technologies, for example ones that use video-calling programs like Skype. When you talk to someone in Japan in the future, a programme could “read” your facial expressions and then “translate” them for the Japanese person. The Japanese person would see the Japanese facial expression on their screen. In this way, people from different cultures could understand each other better.

    “Educational researchers, political scientists and economists are increasingly interested in the characteristics and skills that parents, teachers and schools should foster in children to increase chances of success later in life,” said lead author Marion Spengler, PhD of the University of Tubingen.” Our research found that specific behaviors in high school have long-lasting effects for one's later life.”

    Spengler and her co-authors analyzed data collected by the American Institutes for Research from 346, 660 U. S. high school students in 1960, along with follow-up data from 81,912 of those students 11 years later and 1,952 of them 50 years later. The initial high school phase measured a variety of student behaviors and attitudes as well as personality characteristics, cognitive abilities, parental socioeconomic status and demographic(人口统计的)factors. The follow-up surveys measured overall educational attainment, income and occupational prestige(声望).

    Being a responsible student, showing an interest in school and having fewer problems with reading and writing were all significantly associated with greater educational attainment and finding a more prestigious job both 11 years and 50 years after high school. These factors were also all associated with higher income at the 50-year mark. Most effects remained even when researchers controlled parental socioeconomic status, cognitive aibility and other broad personality characteristics such as conscientiousness.

    While the findings weren't necessarily surprising, Spengler noted how reliably specific behaviors people showed in school were able to predict later success.

    Further analysis of the data suggested that much of the effect could be explained by overall educational achievements, according to Spengler.

    “Student characteristics and behaviors were rewarded in high school and led to higher educational attainment, which in turn was related to greater occupational prestige and income later in life,” she said. “This study highlights the possibility that certain behaviors at crucial periods could have long-term consequences for a person's life.”

    I think a close friend is someone you get on well with, who helps you when you have problems, who gives you advice, and who always has time for you. I didn't use to have many close friends when I was at school because I was very shy, but now I have several. They are all women. I think it's difficult to have a close friend of the opposite sex（异性）.

—Marie

    I think a close friend is someone who you've known for a long time, and who you still get on with. They have similar hobbies to you so you can do things together. I've got three close friends who I was at middle school with and we often go out together （without our parents of course）. We often go camping, play football, or walk outside in the open air.

—David

    I'm not sure how to answer the question because I don't really have any close friends. I know a lot of people but mainly through work, and the social occasions（场合） when we meet are business dinners, things like that. I think if you come from a really close family, friends are a bit unnecessary. I like spending my free time with my family.

—Richard

    For me close friends are the people you spend your free time with. I go out at weekends with a group of people, and they are all my close friends. They're also people who live near me. I don't think you can have close friends at a distance because you need to be able to see each other often. But I don't think you need to be doing the same things. I mean I'm at school but none of my friends are.

—Anna

Young Adult Groups

    ●Around the World in 80 Books — 9,186 members

    If you love exploring the world through books, you have come to the right place! It all started as a challenge on TNBBC in 2009, and now we have our own group! Challenge participation is not a requirement of joining. Anyone who loves reading books is welcome.

    Website: http: //www.worldinbooks.com

    Rules: Respect each other's opinions and have fun!

    ●Readers That Love Giveaways — 734 members

    This group is for readers that enjoy entering give-aways and finding freebies(免费物)! Follow us for the newestbargain, discounted, and free e-books, as well as new releases and book recommendations. Website: http://www.fireandicebooktours.com

    Rules: Please share your items in the appropriate folders!

    ●Book Loving Kiwis — 706 members

    A group for New Zealand book lovers（and authors）and lovers of New Zealand books（and books in general）. Aplace to share what we're reading, introduce books we have written, and discuss and recommend books. Please recommend us to your friends.

    Website: http://www.kiwisbook.com

    Rules: Enjoy reading! Respect all group members and their opinions.

    ●A Book and a Cappucino — 77 members

    This group is for anyone who likes to read and likes to read at their own pace. It does not matter how much or how little you read. It's just a friendly place to discuss what you're reading and to get ideas for your next read. You can participate as much or as little as you like.

    Website: http://www.bookandcappucino.com

    Rules: Be respectful to all. Everyone has a right to share opinions.