Some primary schoolchildren have been raised in homes with more green space around. They are likely to come with larger volumes of white and grey matter in certain areas of the brain. These differences are associated(关联) with beneficial effects on cognitive function (认知功能). This is the main conclusion of a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

    The study was performed among 253 schoolchildren in Spain .Lifelong exposure(接触) to green space in the living places was recorded—using the information on the children's addresses from birth up through to the time of the study. Brain structure was studied using 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Working memory and inattentiveness(注意力不集中)were graded with computers.

    “This is the first study that shows the association between long-term exposure to green space and brain structure.” Says Dr. Payam Dadvand, the leading researcher of the study, “Our findings suggest that exposure to green space early in life could result in beneficial structural changes in the brain.”

    The findings show that long-term exposure to greenness is positively associated with white and grey matter volumes in several parts of the brain. Some of them are related to higher scores on cognitive tests. Moreover, larger volumes of white and grey matter in those parts might lead to better working memory and less inattentiveness.

    Exposure to nature has been thought to be necessary for brain development in children. Another study of 2,593 children shows that children in school with more green space have a greater increase in working memory and a greater decrease in inattentiveness.

    Humans are believed to be tied to nature.  Playing in greener areas offers children opportunities to search and learn. Accordingly, green space is thought to prompt important exercises in discovery, creativity and risk taking. These exercises in turn positively influence brain development.

    Dr. Dadvand's study suggests how such structural changes could bring about the beneficial effects of green spaces on cognitive development, it also adds to the proof that suggests the lasting effects of early life exposure to greenness on our health and the benefits of increasing greenness in cities.

    Further studies are needed to prove the findings in other populations, settings and climates. And researchers need to examine differences according to the nature and quality of green space.

 Hello! My name is Anna Smith. Anna is my first name. Smith is my last name. I am from England. I am in China with my parents now. I am thirteen years old. I'm in PEP Middle School in Hangzhou. I like reading books. They are my good friends. My school number is 0628. My telephone number is 929-3155. Call me, maybe we can be good friends.

 This is Peter Qin. He is thirteen, too. Peter and I are good friends. We are in different schools, but we can meet each other after school. He often helps me with my Chinese. He likes playing sports.He can play basketball very well.His E- mail address is peter 743@ hotmail.com.

 Ms. King is my Chinese teacher. She is a nice lady. I often ring her at 390—7632 to ask for help. Gina is her daughter. She is a lovely girl. And she is in Harvard Primary School. She is a book- lover, too. In her room, you can see her books everywhere— on her bed, on the desk and in the bookcase.

China launched (发射) the Shenzhou ⅫⅠ spaceship on October 16, 2021. Zhai Zhigang, Wan Yaping and Ye Guangfu will spend six months inside the Tiangong space station. They carried out the lastest Shenzhou ⅫⅠ mission. It will be the longest space journey by Chinese astronauts. Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut like them? How did they get there?

Health is important. To be an astronaut, you need to be very healthy. Good eyesight, a strong heart and lungs are important. You'd better not have other small problems. For example, a decayed tooth (龋齿) could get worse in space and bring trouble to astronauts. You can't have scars (伤疤) either. They may split (裂开) in space.

Become stronger with hard training. In China, you must be a great pilot before you can be an astronaut. You must fly more than 600 hours without accidents. You'll start training when you become backup (预备的) astronaut. It's very difficult. For example, you need to build your muscles as strong as professional athletes by running, swimming and doing pull-ups. You will also wear a 200-kilogram suit and so tasks underwater for six or seven hours without eating or going to the toilet. This is like doing tasks during a spacewalk.

Learn science. Knowledge is important as well. Astronauts take 60 courses to get ready for a mission, including math, English, spacecraft design, physics and so on. So they will know what to do when emergencies (紧急情况) happen during the mission.

How long will the astronauts stay in space this time?

All the parents, there is a five-day sale in the store. Look at this ad (广告), please!

STORE KRS

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SALE 8/26-8/30

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