It happens every spring. Flowers come out everywhere on the same day. But how do plants “know” when to flower?

For years, it has been a difficult question for scientists. But a US research group may have finally answered it—the secret lies in a protein(蛋白质)called FKF1. This helps plants to know when the days become long and when they get short. Then they can tell the seasons are changing.

    Researchers found the FKF1 protein when they were studying a plant called Arabidopsis(拟南芥). It is sensitive(敏感的)to sunlight, and can be made active by sunlight.

    Plants produce this protein every day in the late afternoon all year. If there is no light at this time, for example in winter when the sun goes down early, the protein won't be active. But when spring comes and the days get longer, the FKF1 protein can be made active by day light and the plants “know”it is time to flower. “If there is light in the late afternoon, plants will know that the days are getting longer and that it is the best time for flowers to come out,”explained Takato Imaizumi, leader of study. But when conditions are poor for growing, such as during autumn or winter when the weather is cold and days are short, plants won't flower.

    Although researchers have only studied how the FKF1 protein works in the Arabidopsis, they believe that it is the same with many other plants, including crops such as rice and wheat. This could be useful to the agricultural industry.

    "If we can control when flowers come out, we might be able to increase crop production,”Imaizumi said.

    In today's world of modern science and medicine, a more traditional treatment is once again becoming popular -- animal friendship.

    It is now well-known that people with problems such as heart disease or cancer live longer and get better more quickly if they have pets. Keeping pets lowers blood pressure and makes people less worried. Animals are increasingly important in treating older people who have memory loss(损失) and other brain problems. These people often feel nervous and upset. Activities with animals help them improve their physical condition and also give them joy, entertainment and loving friendship.

    Here is a case that shows the benefits of animals. John was a six-year-old boy. He had no physical problems. He just refused to talk. His older cousin, Ned, had a parrot called Sally, and John used to visit it. When he arrived, Net used to say, “Hi, John!” We all know parrots copy what they hear. After a few visits, Sally began saying “Hi, John!” When John came into the room. Then, one day, John turned to the parrot and replied “Hi, Sally!” Staying with the parrot encouraged John to begin talking.

    Another use of animal helpers is in schools. In some cases, they are used to teach children to get on and share with others, and even to teach them about animals.

    If you want to know more about animal helper programs, you can get in touch with organizations like Riding for the Disabled or do a search about animals on the Internet. You don't have to be an animal trainer or a doctor to join in.

根据短文内容选择最佳答案。

    A myth is something that is not correct, but many people believe. There are a lot of myths about the human brain.

    One of the biggest myths is that we only use 10 percent of our brains. The next part of the myth is that if we can learn to use the rest of our brains, then we'll be much smarter. People say this all the time, but it's absolutely not true! The truth is that although we don't know everything about the human brain, we know that each part of it has an important function (功能). Modern scientists think the "10 percent myth" ridiculous(荒谬的).

    The other most popular myth is about being "right brained" or "left brained". According to this myth, people who use the right side of their brains are more artistic and creative. People who use the left side of their brains are better at math and science. This is as popular as the 10 percent myth, and it's also wrong. In 2013, a study at an American university examined the right brain and left brain myth. According to the study, we use both sides of our brains equally (相等地).

    It's true that we use different parts of our brains for different things. We use our left side for language more, and our right side when we need to pay attention. But there is no evidence (证据) that creative people use the right side more, or that scientific people use the left side more.

    We've talked about myths, so let's look at a few interesting facts about the brain. First of all, the brain feels no pain. Second, about 75 percent of the brain is made of water. It's also the fattest organ in your body. Here's another interesting fact about the brain. Around the time you turn 18 years old, it stops growing.

Young star shines

Over the years, skilled Chinese players have been doing very well in table tennis. Now, young athletes from Generation Z are becoming the stars of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Born in 2000, Sun Yingsha has been given the nickname "Little Devil" by her fans. When she was little, Sun was sensitive to the sound of a table tennis ball hitting the ground. "I felt I had some talent," she told China Daily. 

When Sun first joined the reserve squad (预备队) of the national table tennis team, she was excited. Becoming a world top player like her idol Zhang Yining has always been her dream. 

However, there have been challenges along the way. She took part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and it was there that she faced huge losses. "I was not well- rounded enough to win the gold medal in the women's singles," Sun said. 

Sun believes that life is always full of ups and downs. "Determination and courage can make a good athlete," she said. "What keeps me going are the goals and dreams I set for myself,"

At the 2023 Singapore Smash, Sun won the women's singles, the women's doubles and the mixed doubles, becoming the first athlete to get three gold medals at the tournament (锦标赛) . Looking at the world ranking website, you can see Sun's name at the top of the women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. 

When talking about younger table tennis players, Sun encourages them to keep their love and stay focused. "If you truly love table tennis, I hope you can hold on to it," she said. 

This winter holiday, my family and I went to Beijing for a trip. We went to many places of interest. My favourite one was Peking University. 

Peking University is one of the best universities in China. We walked into the school from the east gate. There are many traditional buildings in the university. The most famous is the Boya Pagoda (博雅塔) built in 1924, it is a great example of the traditional Chinese building style. 

We then walked to the Weiming Lake with a long history. The lake is another popular place in the university. The word "weiming" means"without being named" in Chinese. Many students like to walk around the lake. During the winter, the lake is frozen. Students can walk or skate on the lake. 

As we walked around the school, we saw some modern teaching buildings, classrooms, libraries and labs. There are also museums in the university. We really enjoyed the beautiful campus (校园) and the rich history of Peking University. 

I hope I will study in Peking University when I grow up. 

On a recent Saturday morning, an excited crowd gathered together on San Francisco's waterfront.  They were watching in amazement as bubble (气泡) artist Kurth Reis slowly drew a large bubble from his bucket (桶) and released it into the air.  Several minutes later, the bubble suddenly popped.  A little girl in the crowd jumped and clapped.  She turned to Reis, eager for another show.  The "bubble man" had succeeded once again in bringing a little bit of joy to others.  

The 49-year-old traveled a rocky path to his new "job".  In 2018, Reis, then a deliveryman, had a serious motorcycle accident.  The man had several operations.  Each time he woke up after an operation, he felt like he had been "reborn".  Following 88 days in the hospital, he felt ready to start a new life.  In 2020, COVID-19 fled his city with sorrow.  Reis thought about what he could do to help make people feel happy again.  He turned to soap and learned to make large bubbles.  

Last year, Reis began performing his art form in parks across San Francisco.  People started to call him the "bubble man".  Some of them give him tips, but the man says he doesn't care about the money.  Reis feels that his art is useful in more important ways.  Not long ago, a woman spoke to him after watching one of his performances.  She told him that she had been very sad ever since her father's death.  Seeing his "joyful" bubbles, however, made her feel much better.  

 "I can't save the world.  I'm not trying to," Reis says.  "But by making some bubbles, I can put a smile on somebody's face. "