Best Overall: LectroFan EVO Sound Machine
Why You Should Get It
This compact, stylish, and affordable white noise machine is very easy to use. With a timer, a headphone connector, and a large range of sounds, you'll be able to find the right set up for you. That's where it comes in to mask all that unwanted environmental noise—or lack of—so you can get more rest.
Keep in Mind
The device isn't battery-operated, so it'll need to stay plugged into a power source.
It does everything you need it to, and then some, for a very reasonable price. It plays non-repeating digital noise in a range of colors: It has 10 fan sounds, 10 environmental noise sounds—including pink and brown noise, and two ocean soundscapes.
The device is super simple to use, and once you've picked your favorite type of noise, it will be saved in the settings, and the machine will auto play that sound each time you turn it on. The speaker produces a clear and crisp sound, and there's a wide volume range. It also comes with an optional timer you can set between one to eight hours, or play continuously, plus a 3.5mm connector for headphones if your partner isn't quite as keen on white noise as you are.
It's compact enough to travel everywhere with you, and as white noise machines go, it looks pretty good, too. It certainly won't look out of place on your bedside table. You can power the LectroFan EVO via USB or the included A/C adaptor, but it doesn't have an internal battery, so it does need to be plugged in.
Price at time of publish: $35
Product Details: Dimensions: It's 4.7 inches long and 3. 3 inches in height. Its width is the same as its length. | Sound options: 22 | Timer: Yes | Power: Plug-in
For as long as I can remember, my body and I have shared a relationship of discontent. Growing up, I was skinnier than the other kids and at five I was told I wasn't attractive and that I must put on some weight. But no matter how much I ate, I stayed thin for years until adolescence. Then I started putting on weight almost immediately. I remember feeling happy as I began to fill out. However, my joy didn't last long.
I was thirteen when I was first called fat. Friends and neighbours would make jokes on my big size. As I entered my late teens, I had completely lost confidence in my body and, subsequently, in myself. Having failed to live up to conventional beauty standards, I was convinced that if I wanted to be loved, I needed to offer more, doing anything to please everyone around.
I entered adulthood thinking I wasn't "enough"—an idea that was seeded not only by the fact that "skinny" is celebrated, but also by the language associated with accounts of losing weight—self-improvement, discipline—all virtues. Being fat quickly categorizes you as lazy and undisciplined. Consumed by thoughts of the way my body looked, I didn't notice the other ways my body needed attention. I failed to realize, for example, that my period was much heavier and more painful than ever before. Actually I developed a rare disease and later I had two surgeries.
I was always made to feel that my weight was the root of a lot of problems in my life; I have learnt this is not true. After a lot of self-reflection and some professional help, I realized I never learnt to like myself. While two decades of selfhatred cannot be undone overnight, I have taken first steps to acceptance.
I am now much lighter than before, in body and mind. There are days I find voices on social media saying I am too fat to be loved or to be worthy, but I am learning not to focus on that thought for long. As long as I like myself, just the way I am, opinions at the end of the day are just water off a duck's back.
You might have heard someone say that a song changed their life. And maybe you used to hate tomatoes, but now you like it. No one doubts that we change as we grow older. But do we change in major ways? Can we really change who we are? People used to believe we stay pretty much the same throughout our lives, but researchers are increasingly finding that we can and do change in big ways.
Psychologists have identified five dimensions that help us understand someone's personality, which are called the "Big Five." They are: 1. Openness: How open are you to trying new things? 2. Conscientiousness (尽责性): How responsible are you? 3. Extroversion (外向):How friendly, outgoing, and enthusiastic are you? 4. Agreeableness: How caring, trusting, and generous are you? 5. Emotional stability: How calm are you, especially when problems arise? Everyone has different levels of the big five dimensions. For example, Harry Potter has high levels of openness to experience, while Hermione Granger would score high in conscientiousness.
Scientists used to think that each person's "Big Five" stayed the same their whole life, but newer research suggests that the dimensions do change. People who took a personality test as teen-agers scored very differently when they took the same test 50 years later. Three dimensions usually changed more than the others, which are emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. In fact, most adults were more emotionally stable, more conscientious, and more agreeable than when they were younger. Researchers considered this a sign that we mature over time, perhaps learning to get along better with others.
Even though people change over time, the relationship between dimensions often remains similar. For example, someone who was very open to new experiences but who was not agreeable as a teenager was likely still more open to new things than agreeable as an adult. Scores changed, and sometimes changed a lot, but they didn't change randomly.
For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty (协议) to protect biodiversity on the high seas, representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been held back by a confusing patchwork (拼凑)of laws.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. An updated framework to protect marine life in the regions outside national boundary waters, known as the high seas, had been in discussions for more than 20 years, but previous efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly failed. The unified treaty, which applies to nearly half the planet's surface, was reached late on Saturday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the finalization of the text of the United Nations Ocean Treaty, his spokesman said on Saturday. "This breakthrough, which covers nearly two-thirds of the ocean, marks the culmination of nearly two decades of work and builds on the legacy (遗产)of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," a statement said.
Nichola Clark, an ocean expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts called the long-awaited treaty text "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the oceans-a major win for biodiversity". The treaty will create a new body to manage the conservation of ocean life and establish marine-protected are-as on the high seas. Clark said that's critical to achieving the UN Biodiversity Conference's recent promise to protect 30 percent of the planet's waters, for conservation. The treaty also establishes ground rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans.
Treaty negotiations were initially anticipated to conclude on Friday, but stretched through the night into Saturday. The making of the treaty represents "a historic and overwhelming success for international marine protection," said Steffi Lemke, Germany's environment minister.
Brainstorming really can play a role in your studies. It can help open up your imagination. You can brainstorm alone or in a group ； either way can help increase the number of ideas you come up with.
For instance, you can try free-writing. Write your problem at the top of a page. Once you do that, just begin writing. Using this technique can help get your ideas flowing, as well as help you make connections you haven't thought of. When you've spent at least 10 or 15 minutes free-writing or when you feel like you've reached a stopping point, look back over your writing and highlight or circle anything that might be useful.
You can start with your problem in the center within a circle. Use a line to branch off the main idea with another idea. Group like ideas together with lines. Start new branches for new ideas. This technique is also good for making connections, especially since you can represent it visually.
Individual brainstorming is the most effective when you need to solve a simple problem, generate a list of ideas, or focus on a broad issue. In a group, be sure to brainstorm before you get together so you have some time to think. Make sure to avoid criticizing or rewarding ideas» as that can stop people from bringing up ideas and limiting creativity. The leader can throw out a topic or problem , and then the group can bounce ideas off of each other. Will the ideas be good or not too good? The deeper analysis you have made, the higher it should be to fix the problem to your benefit.
A. Analyzing is an important step.
B. You can see different solutions.
C. Taking notes is very necessary.
D. Another way to brainstorm is to make a concept tree.
E. Don't criticize, just write whatever comes to your mind.
F. Group brainstorming is often more effective for solving complex problems.
G. Ask yourself what really matters, then move your daily activities in that direction.
The 13-year-old girl Anna Grace is a volleyball manager a basketball manager, and a theater volunteer, but perhaps her greatest1 is the fact that she has beaten cancer twice.
Anna was first diagnosed（诊断）with a rare type of2 in December of 2019. A softball player at the time, she told her parents she was experiencing muscle 3 in her left arm, only lifting it about eye-level. She had to4 surgery on her left arm.
For the following weekends after the surgery, doctors scanned her5 to make sure she was cancer-free and then in August of 2023, doctors6 a spot on her lungs. She had another7 on September to remove it. Anna said later the first time with cancer, it felt like a learning stage. The second time around, it was a little 8 to accept the news.
And throughout all of this, Anna has had to9 school work and hospital life. Her sufferings with cancer forced her to really10 herself because she was out of school for quite a while. Now she has11 and has straight As. Anna's father, Eric Bartel, said her journey has inspired him to 12 every moment, enjoying time with his loving daughter.
Anna is doing well these days though. She's13 in theater and is a coach's assistant. "When you're on14 you have to keep fighting, "Anna said. "Always live life to the fullest each day. You're loved. Your life 15 ."
Lǎozìhào refers to the old and famous shops, which have always been reliable and trustworthy and still enjoy irreplaceable position in people's minds since long time. Not only do they represent high quality and good reputation, they have also become an indispensable part in (people) daily life.
These famous and time-honored shops eg, Quanjude and Tongrentang, (locate) in Qianmen, the center of Beijing, all have represented the highly developed (commerce) culture of old Beijing.
But these shops are more about businesses; they are also a historical and cultural phenomenon. He has never tasted a roast duck will regret his whole life--such common sayings have made Quanjude a (represent) of Beijing. Many other similar two-part allegorical sayings among the folks have also (vivid) revealed the very characteristics of these old shops.
Nowadays, with the rapid development of economy and fierce competition in modern society, some Lǎozìhào shops have been keeping pace the times and carrying forward their brands through continuous reforms and innovations. That's why they (stand) the test of time and survived in competition, while some others have faded into the history due to their inability (adapt) to the rapid changes in modern social life.
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Hi, everyone.
……
That's all. Thanks for listening.
I remember the day as clear as glass. I was in 6th grade and my teacher had just announced it was a class break, a time we were allowed to eat snacks and move around the classroom. But on that day, I reached a breaking point.
My friend sat across from me. Two classmates who were attention seekers were making fun of him again. They did something mean to him every day: stealing his school supplies, calling his sister ugly, or laughing at his big head. On this day, they were singing a song about him, "Chicken, chicken Josh." They sang endlessly and cruelly. Those words were like a bite of hot pepper to my friend, who turned red with anger and embarrassment, while tears of frustration dropped from his eyes. I could see how hopeless he felt.
Normally, I would just sit and watch it all. I was very shy. I rarely spoke during breaks or raised my hand in class. I was so shy, in fact, that my teacher made me a chart to tick every time I raised my hand. She said I'd receive a prize if I filled it up. But I never did. It didn't help with my shyness; it just made me more self-conscious. But on this particular day, I took a stand. I'd had enough. I stood up and shouted, "Leave him alone!" Silence broke out, all eyes in the room fell on me. But the silence was short-lived as everyone went back to enjoying their break. For the rest of the day, every time the bullies would laugh at my friend during class, I would scream, "Stop troubling him," or, "It wouldn't hurt to be nice."
But these words didn't help. In fact, it made the situation worse: I too became a victim. From that afternoon on, the two bullies began to make up songs about me. They chanted, pronouncing my name in a different dialect to show I was different from them. This mocking and disrespect upset me a lot. I felt helpless.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；2. 请按所给格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
A few weeks later, I spoke to my teacher after class.
……
One day, my teacher finally said, "David, I think it's time to get the principal involved."
