An Extension of the Human Brain

       Other people can help us compensate for our mental and emotional deficiencies (欠缺)，much as a wooden leg can compensate for a physical deficiency. To be exact, other people can extend our intelligence and help us understand and adjust our emotions. When another person helps us in such ways, he or she is participating in what I've called a “social prosthetic (义肢的）system.” Such systems do notneed to operate face-to-face, and it's clear to me that the Internet is expanding the range of my own social prosthetic systems. It's already a big bank of many minds. Even in its current state, the Internet has extended my memory and judgment.

        Regarding memory: Once I look up something on the Internet, I don't need to keep all the details for future use—I know where to find that informationagain and can quickly and easily do so. More generally, the Internet functions as if it were my memory. This function of the Internet is particularly striking when I'm writing; I'm no longer comfortable writing if I'm not connected to the Internet. It's become natural to check facts as I write, taking a minute or two to dip into PubMed, Wikipedia, or other websites.

        Regarding judgment: The Internet has made me smarter in matters small and large. For example, when I'm writing a textbook, it has become second nature to check a dozen definitions of a key term, which helps me dig into the core andunderstand its meaning. But more than that, I now regularly compare my views with those of many others. If I have a “new idea,” I now quickly look to see whether somebody else has already thought of it, or something similar—and I then compare what I think with what others have thought. This certainly makes my own views clearer. Moreover, I can find out whether my reactions to an event are reasonable enough by reading about those of others on the Internet.

        These effects of the Internet have become even more striking since I've begun using a smartphone. I now regularly pull out my phone to check a fact, watch a video, read weibo. Such activities fill the spaces that used to be dead time (such as waiting for somebody to arrive for a lunch meeting).

        But that's the upside (好处). The downside is that in those dead periods I often would let my thoughts flow and sometimes would have an unexpected insight or idea. Those opportunities are now fewer and farther between.

    No matter what type of business you run, it has to deal with things that go wrong from your customer's point of view. Complaints can be a great source of information for organizations to make corrections as well as further improvements. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    You should listen actively to what the customer has to say by maintaining comfortable eye contact. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.It's important for you to know that your apology must appear sincere to the customer, and not an empty excuse. And also you should show the customer you've accepted the responsibility and provide him with choices or assure the customer you'll do something about his complaint.

    Talk with the client and discover the best means to resolve his problem. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In this case it's important to let your customer know an estimation(估计) of how long it will take to take action on his complaint.

    A simple “thank you” is one way to let the customer know you appreciate the time and effort they've taken to inform you about a problem with your company's service or product that you need to know about.

    Create a procedure for recording different types of customer complaints. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Listen to your customer's complaints and you can improve your service.

B. There will be times when you'll be unable to resolve the issue immediately.

C. When receiving a complaint, you should apologize for the failure the customer has identified.

D. They are a valuable source of information to determine various root causes that need to be addressed within your company.

E. So it's important to learn to deal with customer complaints efficiently.

F. Don't feel ashamed of the failure in your service or products.

G. You should also show your customer that you do understand him by giving full attention.

How to Age Well

    Getting older is inevitable, but you can slow the decline of aging with smart choices along the way. From the foods you eat and how you exercise to your friendships, it all has an effect on how fast or slow your body ages.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Lose just a little bit of weight.

    Small changes in body weight can have a big impact on health risks.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}While we'd love to lose our extra pounds, it's easier to start with a 5 percent weight loss goal and keep on.

Avoid processed meat.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}A number of studies have found associations between eating a lot of processed meats and poor health. Other research has implicated processed meats in a higher risk for cancer. But there was no increase in risk associated with eating unprocessed red meat.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The best eating strategy for aging well is to skip processed foods and drinks. That will immediately reduce added sugars from your diet. Once you cut out packaged foods, you will start eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish and whole grains.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Meanwhile, invest in a new pair of walking shoes, a gym membership or a delicious healthy meal with your family and oilier loved ones. All of those are likely to do much for your emotional and physical health.

A. Skip packaged foods.

B. Save the money you would spend on rich food.

C. And the good news is that it's never too late to get started.

D. This has been shown in numerous studies to be good for you.

E. There's some evidence that vitamin B12 is good for the aging brain.

F. Losing just 5 percent of your body weight has been shown to reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease.

G. Processed meals like hot dogs and sausages have been salted, cured or smoked to improve preservation.

    Good learners can inspire students or anybody to learn well. Here are some characteristics of good learners.

    Good learners are curious. They wonder about all sorts of things, often about knowledge beyond their areas of expertise(专长){#blank#}1{#/blank#} Finding out about something they didn't know satisfies them for the moment, but their curiosity is addictive.

    Good learners don't give up easily. A few things may come easily to learners but most knowledge arrives after effort{#blank#}2{#/blank#} They try to search out new information. They read, analyze, and evaluate the information they've found. Then they study more and work at what they don't understand.

    Good learners know that a lot of learning isn't fun. The journey to understanding generally isn't all that exciting{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Others need a tiresome attention to detail, and still others need periods of intense mental focus. Your backs hurt, your arms and legs get tired, and your coffee gets cold.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There's always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied with how much they know about anything. They are pulled around by questions—the ones they still can't answer, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them like day follows night with the answers bringing daylight.

    Good learners share what they've learned. Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they've learned{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Good learners can also explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to leaving what they've learned with others.

A. Good learners stay positive.

B. They write about it, and talk about it.

C. They love the discovery part of learning.

D. Good learners never run out of questions.

E. Some knowledge can broaden our views.

F. Good learners are willing to put in the time.

G. Some learning tasks require boring repetition.

    In your life, sometimes you may be asked to speak in front of a large group of people. Although it sounds a little scary, even those with stage fright can speak successfully to the group with adequate preparation.

    Practice your speech before the big day. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If possible, practice the speech in front of a friend or family member to get used to saying it to real people. If you feel you must have note cards, limit the amount to about three cards. This will force you to keep your speech concise and help you keep your eyes focused on your audience.

    Remember why you've been invited to speak. If you're battling fear over speaking to a large group of people, keep your mind on the fact that you were selected for this important role. The speech organizers must have seen something valuable in you or your expertise. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Remember that fear of public speaking is very common. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Most of the people in the audience would be feeling the same fear and stress that you do in your position. Knowing this may make you feel better.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} What you say should be tailored to why you're there and who you're speaking to in order to avoid sounding general. If speaking to a charity group, mention the good work certain specific individuals have done for the cause. If speaking at a business conference, briefly state why you want to help these people.

    Keep eye contact with the crowd. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Pick one person in each section and look at him while you're speaking. After each important point in your speech, switch your focus to another section. When you focus only on one person at a time, the size of the crowd isn't as frightening.

A. A good memory is really helpful.

B. Show appreciation to your audience.

C. Mention your audience in your speech.

D. The more you have it memorized, the better.

E. In fact, it's normal to feel nervous or stressed out before a big speech.

    Kids and Food: Advice for Parents

    It is important for parents to know how to help their kids eat healthy. Here are a few easy ways:

    Parents control the supply lines. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Though kids may keep asking for less nutritious foods, parents should decide which foods are regularly provided in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the fridge at home.

    Say goodbye to “clean-plate club”. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Lots of parents grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that way doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they are full. When kids feel full, they're likely to overeat.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Food preferences(喜好) are developed early in life, so try to offer different kinds of food. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. Parents may need to serve a new food on several different occasions(时机) for a child to accept it.

    Food is not love. Find better ways to say “I love you.” When foods are used to reward kids and show love, they may start to turn to food when feeling worried or unhappy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Kids do as you do. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example.

    Choose nutritious food, eat at the table, and don't forget breakfast.

A. Start them young.

B. Rewrite the kids' menu.

C. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself.

D. Offer praise and attention instead of food treats.

E. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough.

F. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them.

G. Let kids choose what to eat and how much of it they want.