“Beating is a sign of affection, cursing (骂)is a sign of love.” Many may not expect to hear the words of the old Chinese saying in these modern times—with parents wealthier and better educated than they have ever been—but experts say they still ring true.

    Today, it seems, Chinese parents are more likely to send their children to pre­college military academies in the United States in the hope that some tough love will pave the way to success.

    “Good education doesn't mean letting your children enjoy privileges, especially our boys.” said Song Wenming, an entrepreneur (企业家)in Jinhua' East China's Zhejiang province. “They should be raised in tough conditions to know what to fight for in the future.”

    In August, Song sent his 17­year­old son to Valley Forge Military Academy (VFMA) in Pennsylvania. And he is far from alone, even though it takes a lot of money—around $48,000 per year—to send a child to a strict military school.

    Statistics show that an increasing number of Chinese students have been registering with such academies .

    A few years ago, there were no Chinese students at Valley Forge. Today, there are 28.“All of the Chinese students at Valley Forge came from wealthy families; some of them were spoiled.” said Jennifer Myers, director of marketing and communications at the school.

    Song's only son, Song Siyu, had a rocky start during his first six weeks at the school. The teenager said he went to the school voluntarily but did not expect it to be as difficult.

    Now, three months later, he has perfected the art of taking a bath in 35 seconds, finishing a meal without looking at his food, and making his bed with precision. He can even take criticism, no matter how unreasonable.

    “The training is hard but I know it is good for self­development of individuals.” said Song Siyu. “The endless training and scolding are just ways to build up our character; they are not personal .”But his enthusiasm is not universal. Ten of the 13 Chinese students who joined the academy this year have transferred to other schools. But for those who stick with it, there is a reward for all the hard work.

    TOKYO—Lonely astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) may soon be getting a robot friend from Japan.

    Japan's space agency is considering putting a talking humanoid(有人的特点的) robot on the ISS to watch the work while astronauts are asleep, monitor their health and stress levels and communicate to Earth through the micro­blogging site Twitter.

    Japan's space agency JAXA announced this week that it is looking at a plan to send a humanoid robot to the space station in 2013 that could communicate with the ground through Twitter—primarily feeding photos, rather than original ideas —and provide astronauts with “comfort and companionship”．

    Following up on US NASA's “Robonaut” R­2 program, which is set for launch on the Discovery shuttle next week, the Japanese robot would be part of a larger effort to create and refine robots that can be used by the elderly, JAXA said in a statement.

    Japan is one of the leading countries in robotics and has a rapidly aging society with one of the world's longest life expectancies.

    Improving robot communication capabilities could help elderly people on Earth by providing a nonintrusive(无干扰的) means of monitoring the robot owner's health and vital signs and sending information to emergency responders if there is an abnormality, JAXA said.

    “We are thinking in terms of a very human­like robot that would have facial expressions and be able to talk with the astronauts，” said JAXA's Satoshi Sano.

    The robot was being developed with the advertising and communications giant Dentsu Inc and a team at Tokyo University.

    The NASA project has a human­like head, hands and arms and uses the same tools as station crew members. The “Robonaut” called R­2 is intended to carry out maintenance tasks in the station's Destiny lab.

    NASA says it hopes that humanoid robots could one day stand in for astronauts during spacewalks or perform tasks too difficult or dangerous for humans.

    For now, the $2.5 million NASA robot is limited to activities within the lab.

    A sea turtle named Herman, an octopus called Octavia, and a seal named Lidia all spent this summer at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. But unlike the zoo's other residents, they are not real animals. These creatures are actually huge sculptures and they're made entirely out of plastic trash from the ocean.

    These giant artworks, along with 14 others, are part of a traveling exhibit called “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”. The Washed Ashore project, led by artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, works to raise awareness about the problem of plastic pollution in Earth's oceans.

    More than 315 billion pounds of plastic litter the world's oceans today. Most of the plastic is garbage from towns and cities, as well as trash that people leave on beaches, rainwater, winds, and high tides bring the trash into the ocean or into rivers that lead to the ocean. Once it is under the waves, the plastic begins to break up into smaller and smaller pieces. It often collects in spots called garbage patches, which spread over large areas of the ocean.

    Thousands of marine animals--including whales, sea turtles, and fish--die each year from eating or getting stuck in plastic bags and other items. Plastic pieces can also injure coral and kill sea grass.

    Washed Ashore and other organizations are working to stop that from happening. Since 2010, Washed Ashore volunteers have collected 38,000 pounds of plastic trash from more than 3000 miles of beaches. They helped Pozzi create more than 60 sculptures of marine creatures that were harmed by plastic pollution.

    The artworks on display at the National Zoo include a 20-foot-long coral reef, a 12-foot-long shark, and a 16-foot-long parrot fish. Each one is made from hundreds of pieces of trash like water bottles and sunglasses.

    “These sculptures are a powerful reminder of our personal role and global responsibility in preserving biodiversity(生物多样性) on land and in the sea,” says Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo.

    It is quite natural for all of us to want to preserve and protect the foods we buy. We always think that the best way is by putting them in our refrigerators. However, there are certain foods which should never be placed in the fridge. The foods listed below may surprise you.

    Bananas in the fridge? Because they keep nutrients better outside the fridge, they should never be placed inside the refrigerator. Bananas are better kept on the counter until they ripen. The cold temperatures actually slow down the ripening process of the bananas, while the moisture and darkness of the fridge will only make them go bad.

    Potato should be placed in a cool, dry and dark space. By reason of the cold temperatures of the fridge, it can turn starch（淀粉）into sugar more rapidly. It is also recommended that potatoes be removed from plastic or paper bags they may have been placed in. Also, keep them unwashed, as well as in a well-ventilated cardboard box.

    Placing your onions inside your refrigerator will eventually end up turning them moldy and soft. Unpeeled（未剥皮的）onions should be kept out of plastic bags and fridge. One of the reasons for this is because unpeeled onions require and need air exposure for maximum life. If you have peeled an onion though, then you should keep it in the fridge, in a covered container.

    Believe it or not, placing garlic in your refrigerator will actually cause it to sprout（发芽）. The garlic will also got moldy and even rubbery. Moreover, inside your fridge, the look of the garlic will rarely change. This means you won't be able to tell if it's any good until you finally slice it open.

    If you ever have the desire to break out into song—in the shower, in the car, maybe at your neighbor's karaoke night—you should embrace it whole-heartedly. This ancient art not only makes you feel good, it can also improve your well-being, reduce your feelings of pain, and even extend your life.

    Using your voice to sing, rather than simply carryout a conversation, offers unique benefits because singing affects our bodies. Also, studies link singing with a lower heart rate，decreased blood pressure and reduced stress according to Patricia Preston-Roberts, a music therapist. She uses song to help patients who suffer from a variety of problems.

    Singing, particularly in a group, seems to benefit the elderly particularly well. As part of a three-year study examining how singing affects the health of those fifty-five and older, a Senior Singers Chorus was formed by the Levine School of Music in Washington, D. C. The seniors involved in the chorus, as well as seniors in two separate arts groups about writing and painting, showed significant health improvements compared to those in the control groups (控制组).Obviously, the arts groups reported thirty fewer doctors' visits, fewer eyesight problems, less depression, and less need for medication.

    Even lead researcher Dr. Gene D. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University, was surprised at how big an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health. Cohen said, “The average age of all the subjects was eighty. This is higher than life expectancy. So, if an effect were to be achieved, one would ordinarily expect to see less decline (下降) compared to the control group. The fact that there was so much improvement in many areas was the surprising factor." The seniors also noticed health improvements and they reported feeling better both in daily life and while singing.

    The part of the brain that works with speech is different from the part that processes music. “People seem to enjoy doing something jointly with other people. There are a lot of facts that being socially involved is good for people with dementia (老年痴呆).”Ballard said.

    The arts are showing up as a treatment tool in hospitals across the country. If you are thinking of volunteering, singing at a hospital may be a good choice—not only for the patients, but also for yourself.

Let's be friends!

If you feel that making friends as an adult isn't as easy as it used to be, you're right. Though it becomes increasingly difficult, healthy friendships make a difference in our life. They can help us age better, deal with stress and live longer lives. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Be optimistic

In a 2022 study, researchers found that people who received an unexpected communication, such as a small gift felt more grateful than the senders thought. Not surprisingly, a positive attitude can help us make friends. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If we think we're going to be liked, we will become more likable.
   {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

"Write down the names of three to five people you know but would like to be closer to," suggest experts. Then reach out to each of them: Send a text message, a shared photo, or an article that make you think of them. See if a small action might make a deeper connection.

Branch out

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Nobody gives you all you need. Just a few good mates can make all the difference. A 2020 Study found that those with three to five close friends had higher levels of satisfaction with life.

Practice

After the pandemic （疫情）, many of us forgot how to socialize. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In a 2022 study, participants were required to talk to strangers every day for a week. And what do you know? In the end, people were less worried and more confident.

A. Make a list

B. Send messages

C. Friendships don't just happen.

D. Don't limit yourself to one close friend.

E. Social skills are like muscles—we can work them.

F. Here are tips for making and deepening friendships.

G. But most of the time we don't realize how much people like us.