Improve your memory

    Some people often complain about their poor memory. Actually there are several ways to keep your memory sharp. This article will show you some simple tips.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you say these things, you begin to plant the thought in your mind and it may become true. Tell yourself you can remember anything as long as you put your mind to the task. You  will see an improvement in your memory.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you have trouble remembering phone numbers or other blocks of numbers, it can be really helpful to try this method. If you remember them in smaller groups, like two or three digits (数字), it will also be much easier to remember the numbers.

    Be sure to see a doctor if you are really losing your memory. A poor memory can be a sign that you are in low spirits.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Playing games also helps improve your memory. Any type of games that involves(涉及) remembering things is wonderful.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Try and remember it when you have nothing better to do. A useful tip for anyone interested in games is to often work on solving word puzzles and similar types of games.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Not only will your memory probably improve, but you will also have a great deal of fun.

A. Remember numbers in small groups.

B. Stop telling yourself you have a weak memory.

C. Take a right attitude.

D. If you don't like games, you can go over a list of "to do things".

E. If so, treating it could be the key to getting your memory back.

F. If you don't know your condition, you cannot treat it!

G. Such games use the same skills needed to remember facts and help keep the mind sharp.

    In an unmanned supermarket,a customer waits to pay.With the use of advanced digital payment technology, including biological recognition and in-depth learning,the man leaves in a minute.There's no cashier in the store.At a large university,students use a hand-scanning machine that authorizes their entry into the gym.Those people are using “smart machines” which identify people by their physical characteristics.These new devices use fingers,hands, faces,eyes and voices.Some machines may even use smells.This new technology,called biometrics,gets information from parts of the body.

    In the past,biometric machines were used mainly in government agencies or in prisons.But now that the cost of the technology is lower,these machines are starting to be used everywhere,from border services to schools.

    Some people,however,are concerned that these machines will mean the destruction of personal privacy.They worry that the machines will get personal information about them.“I know it seems like these machines are invading our privacy,but actually,biometric machines help to protect it,”says Jay Tarkett,who works at a company that develops the machines.“They can be used instead of passwords on a computer,for example.They can also identify criminals at airports.So,really,they help to promote public safety,and all the information stored is kept confidential by  the machine itself.”

    Some people don't like the idea of using fingerprints because they associate them with criminals,and feel like they are being accused of something.In addition,they don't work for some people,such as bricklayers,who wear down their fingerprints.Yet,face recognition does work well because the subject doesn't really have to do anything.To cash a check at a bank,for example,the customer has to do nothing more than look at a machine similar to an automatic teller.If the face matches the picture kept on fie,the customer gets the money with no problems.The need to carry identification with you from place to place,then,would all but cease.

    It has been found that the hand scan works well in the college gym.Before this machine was used,students at the college entered the gym using cards similar to credit cards.The problem was that students often lost or forgot their cards.With the hand-scanning machine,however,the problem was solved right away.

    But the machines are still new,and there can be problems.For example,voice recognition works on the phone, but it is not precise,and can be tricked.Another constraint（限制）we notice,with machines that use face recognition in particular,is that they can be fooled if people color their hair or gain a lot of weight.However,this particular problem may be solved by a new type of technology that scans a person's iris,the colored part of the eye.It can even identify the person from a few feet away,recognizing a customer as he or she approaches the ATM.

    They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, there is one lady who believes that it's actually chocolate. At 102 years of age, she's living proof.

    According to Boonville, Indiana's Eunice Modlin, a daily dose of chocolate has been the key to a long and healthy life. Specifically, two pieces of dark chocolate. It's not just Eunice who believes this.

    Many scientists have attributed the sweet to health benefits such as lower chances of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

    However, researchers believe that Eunice might be overlooking the fact that she has never smoked or drunk alcohol in her long life, and that chocolate might not be the significant cause of her longevity.

    "There are so many other factors to her long life and chocolate isn't the only one," nutritionist Vanessa Rissetto said. "Genes, her diet in general…are probably the main reasons."

    At any rate, Eunice is still alive and kicking. With four children, seven grandkids, 14 great-grandkids and 11 great-great grandkids, this lady has a big family.

    It must be noted that Eunice was also very athletic, being an archer in her 20s .Amazingly, she has lived through tough times such as the Great Depression and World War II .Also, the healthy blood runs through the veins of other family members. Eunice's brother is also still alive, at 101 years of age.

    No matter what you might think, Eunice's consumption of chocolate can't be ignored. In 2015, a BMJ study showed that a daily treat of one small bar would give the consumer 23% less chance of having a stroke (中风).

    What is in the sweet that makes it so beneficial? Apparently, cocoa beans have flavonoids, plant nutrients that have useful antioxidants (抗氧化剂).

    "Not all chocolate is created equal," Rissetto warns. "Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk chocolate, and white chocolate—which does not actually contain chocolate—is not a good source of flavonoids."

How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings

    Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical（经验的，实证的） basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused and lead to relaxation.

    Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room's ceiling affects how people think. Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.

    In additions to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant's ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention.

    Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off  academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.

    Recent study on room lighting design suggests than dim（暗淡的） light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.

    So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. "We have a very limited number of studies, so we're almost looking at the problem through a straw（吸管）," architect David Allison says. "How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? That's what we're all struggling with."

    Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats, or homelands, are disappearing.

    Traditional migration (迁徙) paths take birds through countries that are not protecting the places for birds to stop, rest and feed. The scientists studied the migration or flight paths of almost 1,500 species. They decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas.

    The major danger for migratory birds is development. Buildings and pavements have covered the places where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another. One of the scientists who worked on the study says "Many of these important places have been lost to land reclamation because of urban, industrial and agricultural land expansion".

    The problem, according to scientists, is that many of these small birds die along their migration paths because they don't have a safe place to feed and rest. There is no place to restore (恢复) their energy for the next part of their journey. Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time in protecting land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds. One species that doesn't exist now is the Eskimo curlew. "Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species," one of the scientists says.

    The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopping areas for birds that pass through their boundaries. For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.

    One scientist who is not connected with the report tells Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds.

    He says small changes, like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of the areas birds would be likely to use, could make a big difference.

    Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA team received its famous name? All NBA teams have an interesting story or a history behind their names. Some of the names reflect the city's culture or history, others came from previous owners and many were selected through "Name the Team" contests.

    For teams like Los Angeles and Utah, the names were not always a reflection of the city. Even though Los Angeles has no lakes, the Laker name has been a city treasure for almost 40 years. Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1948, team officials chose the name for its direct relationship to the state's motto, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes." The team name went unchanged after moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

    Because Utah's team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz. In 1974, New Orleans club officials chose the name to represent the city for its reputation as the "jazz capital of the world." The name stayed with the team even after finding a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979.

The Chicago Bull's original owner, Richard Klein, named the team the Bulls. He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless, and never quits. Klein, who founded the club in1966, believed these qualities were necessary for a championship team and hoped his Chicago athletes would live up to the team name. A belief that Bulls—winner of the six NBA championships have definitely followed.

    In 1967, the Indian Pacers selected their team name in a different way from most other teams. Their decision was based on what they wanted to accomplish in the NBA. Team officials chose the Pacers name because the organization wanted to set the "pace" in professional basketball.