Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress.This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress related disorders.

    Until now，psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same “fightorflight” reaction to stress.In other words，individuals either react with aggressive behavior，such as verbal or physical conflict (“fight”)，or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation (“flight”)．However，the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress.While men often react to stress in the fightorflight response，women often have another kind of reaction which could be called “tend and befriend.” That is，they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young (“tend”)，and by looking for social contact and support from others—especially other females (“befriend”)．

    Scientists have long known that in the fightorflight reaction to stress，an important role is played by certain hormones(激素) released by the body.The UCLA research team suggests that the female tendorbefriend response is also based on a hormone.This hormone，called oxytocin，has been studied in the context of childbirth，but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress.The principal investigator，Dr.Shelley E．Taylor，explained that “animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer，more relaxed，more social，and less anxious.” While men also secrete(分泌) oxytocin，its effects are reduced by male hormones.

    In terms of everyday behavior，the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed.They may phone relatives or friends，or ask directions if they are lost.

    The study also showed how fathers and mothers responded differently when they came home to their family after a stressful day at work.The typical father wanted to be left alone to enjoy some peace and quiet.For a typical mother，coping with a bad day at work meant focusing her attention on her children and their needs.

    The differences in responding to stress may explain the fact that women have lower frequency of stressrelated disorders such as high blood pressure or aggressive behavior.The tendandbefriend regulatory(调节的) system may protect women against stress，and this may explain why women on average live longer than men.

    Greece's finance minister says his country's financial situation is “terribly urgent” and the crisis could come to a head in a couple of weeks. Yanis Varoufakis gave the warning after eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the final €7.2bn tranche(援助资金) of Greece's €240bn EU/IMF bailout(紧急援助).

    Ministers said Greece had made “progress” but more work was needed.

The Greek government is struggling to meet its payment obligations（责任）.Earlier, Greece began the transfer of €750m (£544m, $834m) in debt interest to the International Monetary Fund - a day ahead of a payment deadline.

    “The liquidity（资产流动性） issue is a terribly urgent issue. It's common knowledge, let's not beat around the bush,” Mr Varoufakis told reporters in Brussels. “From the perspective of timing, we are talking about the next couple of weeks.”

    Greece has until the end of June to reach a reform deal with its international creditors. Its finances are running so low that it has had to ask public bodies for help. The crisis has raised the prospect that Greece might default（违约） on its debts and leave the euro.

    In a statement, the eurozone finance ministers said they “welcomed the progress that has been achieved so far” in the negotiations,” but added: “We acknowledged that more time and effort are needed to bridge the gaps on the remaining open issues.” Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said there had to be a full deal on the bailout（紧急财务援助） before Greece received any further payments. “There are time constraints(限制；约束) and liquidity constraints and hopefully we will reach an agreement before time runs out and before money runs out.” he said.

    There had been fears that Greece would default on its IMF debt repayment due on Tuesday. However, a Greek finance ministry official was quoted as saying that the order for repayment had been executed（实施） on Monday. Almost €1bn has been handed over to the IMF in interest payments since the start of May.

    It is unclear how the government came up with the funds, but the mayor of Greece's second city Thessaloniki revealed last week that he had handed over cash reserves in response to an appeal for money.

    Wonderful holiday cottages across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are available. When you choose your next holiday cottage, the following may strike your eyes.

    Large holiday cottages for special occasions

    We have over 30 cottages for eight or more people. These are great for celebrations with friends and family. You could head to Devon and stay in one of the county's most important houses, Shute Barton, where we can even provide details of the local cook that can come to the cottage and cook a delicious meal to make your stay even more special. One of our newest cottages is Thorington Hall in Suffolk, and it's the largest in our collection. If you fancy something a little bit different, you can visit the Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage.

    Dog friendly cottages In Cornwall

    Cornwall is a great place for dog walking with miles of coastline and beaches waiting to be explored and our dog friendly holiday cottages are on the doorstep on some of these places. We share just a selection of our dog friendly cottages across Cornwall. Click here to see the full range of dog friendly cottages in Cornwall.

    Easter bank holiday cottage

    We have cottages perfect for a gathering with family or friends if you're looking for some peaceful time away. You could spend the Easter bank holiday weekend in a holiday cottage on the beautiful coast around Cornwall or Pembrokeshire.

    Songbird Hideaway

    This cosy heart-warming cottage is the perfect romantic retreat, situated near the hamlet of Penrhos and close to the town of Pwllheli, featuring appealing views towards Cardigan Bay. Couples can escape the busyness of their everyday lifestyle and enjoy the delights of this compact yet beautifully presented accommodation.

    A new discovery may change how scientists think about prehistoric humans. Human history is more of a war movie than a romantic comedy, at least as far as other animals are concerned; we may be causing one of the planet's great extinction events at the moment. But a recent discovery means humans might not be as destructive as we thought.

    Large animals have a history of disappearing when humans move to their areas. Scientists have long believed that humans simply hunted big animals because people are really good at hunting. For example, scientists thought humans arrived in Madagascar around 4,000 years ago, but only two thousand years later, giant lemurs, giant tortoises and elephant birds disappeared from the island. Many scientists thought humans had something to do with that rapid drop in biodiversity(生物多样性).

    At least, that's what scientists thought until a group of researchers dug up a lot of bones in Madagascar recently. These bones belonged to the elephant bird, a kind of extinct bird that weighed up to 1,000 pounds. The huge bones were covered in cuts that clearly came from a human hunter. The researchers found that the humans had killed the birds 10,000 years ago...Thousands of years before scientists believed humans had come to the island.

    "Our research provides evidence of human activity in Madagascar more than 6,000 years earlier than suspected, which shows that a different extinction theory is required to understand the huge biodiversity loss that has happened on the island." explained James Hansford, one of the researchers. "Humans seem to have coexisted with elephant birds and other now-extinct species for over 8,000 years, clearly with limited negative influence on biodiversity for most of this period."

    If humans lived among large animals for thousands of years without wiping them out, then maybe our species can't wipe other species out. Rather, extinction is more of a habit we've learned. Perhaps we can unlearn it too.

Comparing college entrance exams, there are different needs for admission. The national college entrance examination, or gaokao, is known as the most competitive test for Chinese students. Do students in other countries also need to take a standardized test to get into university?

South Korea holds the College Scholastic Ability Test（CSAT） in November each year. The CSAT plays an important role in the country's education. On test day, bus and subway frequency increases to make sure that students can get to the test sites in time.

Japan is trying to reform its standardized national college entrance exam. In January 2022, Common Test for University Admissions took the place of the National Center Test for University Admissions, which had been adopted since 1990. The new exam aims to put emphasis on the ability of students to discover and solve problems by themselves.

The American College Test（ACT） and Scholastic Assessment Test（SAT） are the two main college entrance exams taken by students in the US. While SAT tests a student's ability to learn, the ACT tests a student's educational development. Both tests normally take place seven times throughout the year. Students can retake the exams for a better score.

In the UK, there's no standardized test for college admission. Instead, each college has their own admission criteria. These criteria often onlyinclude submission of transcripts（成绩单） and participation in an interview. Yet, there are subject-specific exams used by some colleges.

    It's one of the most common questions adults ask children: what do you want to be when you grow up? Although childhood is supposed to be fun, kids also discuss important topics regarding their futures. Now, a new study finds that children who set big goals regarding their future status and education often set themselves up for success as they age. 

    The findings, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, are the first to reveal a connection between life goal development and future success in school or the workplace. Rodica Damian, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston, and other researchers discovered that as children grow up, their goals naturally begin to change. However, as some childhood goals fall away, other goals related to a family stay strong. These include being close to relatives, building more friendships or finding a romantic partner, and even becoming more involved in your community or helping others. 

    During the study, researchers compared how their goals evolved as children moved from adolescence to adulthood and how a person's goals impacted their success in school and as an employee later on. Overall, a child's goals focusing on their education and future status were the most consistent predictors (预测因素) of income in adulthood. Simply put, when a child dreams big about doing well in school or achieving great success as an adult, these goals accurately paint a picture of how successful these children will be. So, the message is simple: dream big and dream of success, kids! Those goals can drive you to success when you grow up! 

    "Our work proves a strong connect ion between a child's life goals, educational achievement, and future occupational outcomes. This information is valuable for parents and educators who can use it to encourage children to set ambitious goals. Additionally, it helps develop strategies to support individuals in achieving their goals and reaching their full potential," Damian concludes.