Can eating a chocolate bar every day really prevent age-related memory loss? No. But a new research shows that large amounts of flavones, substances found in cocoa, tea and some kinds of vegetables, may improve age-related memory failure.

    Dr. Scott Small is a professor of neurology (神经病学) at Columbia University in new York City. He is the lead writer of a research paper describing the effects of cocoa flavones on brain activity. His study involved 37 volunteers aged between 50 and 69. Researchers gave them a high-level flavones drink made from cocoa beans or a low-level flavones drink. For a period of three months, some subjects got 900 milligrams of flavones a day. The others got 10 milligrams of flavones each day. Brain imaging and memory tests were given to each study subject before and after the study. Dr. Small says that the subjects who had the high-level flavones drink showed much improvement on memory tests.

    The researchers warn that more work is needed to be done because this study was performed only on a small group. Dr. Joann Manson is the lead researcher of a four-year study involving 18,000 adults. This study will use flavones capsules(胶囊). The study subjects will be divided into two groups and will take two pills per day. The capsules used will all look the same. But one group's capsules will contain flavones, while the other group will take capsules made of an inactive substance, or placebo

    Dr. Manson says it's not necessary for people to start eating more chocolate, because a person would have to eat a huge amount of chocolate to get the same level of flavones given to the rest subjects. He adds many manufacturers have planned to remove the flavones from their chocolate products. Similarly, Dr. Manson says a cocoa-based flavones extract(提取)may be developed in the future But he says that more studies are needed to see how much flavones is good for our health.

    In the professional or career world, a gap year is when one stops their formal work life to pursue other interests. However, today gap year refers mostly to a year taken between high school and college.

    During this gap year, American students engage in advanced academic courses, extra-academic courses and non-academic courses, such as yearlong pre-college math courses, language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships(实习), sports and more.

    British and European students, however, take a much more vacation style approach to the “Gap Year” by generally working for 3-6 months and then traveling throughout the globe for the remaining time before college begins. This is intended to expand the mind, personal confidence, experiences, and interests before college.

    Let's look at the gap year in the following countries:

Denmark

    Denmark has tried to limit the number of students who take a year out, punishing students who delay their education to travel abroad or work full-time. In 2015, it was announced that fewer students than before had taken a year out.

India

    In India, the practice of taking time out after high school education, popularly called a drop year, has been on a quick rise in recent years, primarily students deciding to enroll in coaching institutions to prepare themselves for rigorous(严格的)college entrance examinations. However, using that year for travel is still not common.

Republic of Korea

     In republic of Korea, gap year is defined as time for the youth to think about directions of their lives by going through gap year programs such as voluntary activity, career exploration, education, having a relationship, internship and enterprise while he/she pauses studying.

United Kingdom

    In the United Kingdom a year out is a common choice before university, again to travel or volunteer, gaining life experience. All universities seem to welcome gap year applicants, no different from going straight to university from previous education.

    One evening at a busy crossroads, I noticed a sister struggling to keep her little kid under control while she talked on the pay phone. She wanted him to stay still next to her, but he wanted to run and play by the road, close to rushing buses and taxis. One could sense the woman's frustration, that she was pulled in too many directions: She was angry at the person on the telephone and shouting at the younger that she would “snap（折断）his leg” if he moved again. As I waited for the traffic light to change, the child began to complain and struggle to free himself from the woman's grasp. She dropped the phone, seized（抓住）the neck of his tiny. T-shirt and gave him a back-hand blow across the face that I know made his little head spin.

    The light changed, and passers-by continued on their way. But I stood there, fixed to the pavement. I knew this extremely upset woman would carry through on her threat of violence to the child. Before, I had wanted to get close to her and offer to watch the youngster while she dealt with the troubling situation on the phone. Now I wanted to comfort the little boy. I also wanted to speak to the sister to calm her and to caution（告诫）her, as I wish someone had cautioned me when I was passing my pain on to my daughter and causing her emotional suffering. But I was chicken. I thought, she may think I'm out of line, or I may be her next target.

    Often I've thought about that child and the many others abused（虐待）by adults. I wonder how they will internalize（使……藏在心底）their pain, and if it will crush their spirits. Will this little boy grow up to be an abusive man? Will he be gloomy（阴郁的，沮丧的）and withdrawn（孤僻，内向的）? Will he find it hard to communicate with women, with other men? Or will he survive and be sensitive, caring and determined not to continue the cycle?

    There is too much cruelty（残忍）in the world, too much cruelty between people. I tremble at the increasing verbal（言语的）bitterness and violence among Black girls, and among young mothers trying to discipline their children. This behavior isn't class-or age-related: I hear sharp words from Black women from all walks of life who are overworked and stressed out and have grown impatient. At times I, too, become impolite to others, or, like the sister on the phone, strike out at（抨击）those closest to me.

    Often we're tired because we've made the wrong choices. Young girls who still need mothering are loaded with children. We sisters easily get hurt and annoyed when we don't compromise with our own sense of self. Our personal fulfillment requires knowing what is best for us, setting our boundaries（界限）and keeping them undamaged. We will always be asked to do more than we are comfortable doing. When we know our boundaries, we can decline comfortably. People—and we ourselves—will act in ways we don't like. But they, like us, are still worthy of love.

    Whatever irritates（激怒）us about a person should be examined. Is the person reflecting behavior in us that needs to be changed? Often, when I find people irritating, I find they mirror something about me that I need to correct.

    What's needed in our personal relationships is a return to gentleness and tolerance（容忍）. We must allow one another our learning experiences. Just as violence results to violence, verbal violence—the hard words and sharp tones we use to release inner stress—adds to the distance between us.

    What we people of African root must do to become, and continue to be strong begins with love, sensitivity and our ability to work together. We Black women have these spiritual resources in abundance（丰富）. Now we must encourage them to create a peaceful place—for ourselves, our children, our men.

    A Scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.

    By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation early were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible.

    Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn't show up on an IQ test.

    The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists' concerns. But brain theory can't explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant person.

    Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people's success, brain ability measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as "character".

    EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one's ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the ingredients for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ accounts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.

    While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse.

    More than a hundred years ago, two boys were fishing in a small river. They sat in a heavy-bottomed boat, each holding a long, bent pole in his hands and eagerly waiting for "a bite". When they wanted to move the boat from one place to another they had to push against a long pole into the bottom of the stream.

    "This is slow work, Robert," said the older of the boys. "Yes, Christopher, and it's hard work, too." answered Robert. "I think there's some better way of moving a boat."

    Christopher advised rowing it and Robert promised to make some paddles (桨). The next day Robert's aunt heard a great noise in her house. The two boys were there, busily working. "What are you making, Robert?" she asked. He told his plan. His aunt laughed and said, "Well done! I hope you'll succeed."

    After much work, they succeeded in making two paddle wheels. They were very rough, but strong and usable. They fixed each of these wheels to the end of an iron rod (长杆) which they passed through the boat from side to side. The rod was bent in the middle. When the work was finished, the old fishing boat looked rather strange, with a paddle wheel on each side. The boys lost no time in trying it. One of the boys could guide the boat while the other turned the paddle wheels.

    That night when Christopher went home, he told his father a wonderful story. "Robert Fulton planned the whole thing," he said, "and I helped him make the paddles and put them on the boat." When Robert Fulton became a man, he didn't forget his experiment with the old fishing boat. He kept on thinking and working, until at last he succeeded in making a boat with paddle wheels that could be run by steam. He's now honored as the inventor of the steamboat.

    How do young children learn to have good values? How can parents teach their children about the importance of kindness and patience? At a time when more and more parents worry about the violent images(暴力形象) their children see on TV, some are turning to fairy tales(童话).

    It is believed that fairy tales have a great influence on children because they describe the two sides of good and evil(邪恶) very clearly. When children hear the stories, they learn to care about others' feelings. In each tale, they can see that there are many different kinds of people in the world and that we all have a choice about what kind of person we want to be. We can choose to do good actions, rather than bad ones, in our lives.

    What kind of values can children learn from fairy tales? In The Princess and the Pea(《豌豆公主》), a poorly dressed girl, who insists she is a princess, is given a difficult test by the Queen. When she passes the test, we learn that her dream comes true because she stays true to herself. In The Little Mermaid(《小美人鱼》), the mermaid, who lives under the sea, wishes to be with the humans on land. Through her experiences, we learn about the importance of living with and accepting other cultures. In Pinocchio, a wooden puppet(木偶) turns into a boy when he finally learns how to tell the truth.

    Teaching values is the reason most often given for encouraging children to read stories. These fairy tales can teach children lessons about human relationships that are accepted around the world for many countries. This might be the reason why they have been around for so long and will not disappear any more soon.