How Hollywood controls our minds

One moment we’re laughing, and the next, we’re biting our nails or jumping
behind the sofa. We know movies aren’t real, so why do we experience such
strong emotions when we watch them?
A Psychologist Jeffrey Zacks answers this question in his book “Flicker: Your Brain
on Movies.” According to Zacks, it’s natural to copy emotions that we see. We smile
when we see another person smile – even when that person is an actor in a movie.
And because our bodies and minds are connected, our actions influence our feelings.
Smiling makes us feel happier. When we start feeling stressed, we breathe fast.
When a character on screen does something embarrassing, we feel a little
embarrassed, too.
B In fact, the emotions we feel in a movie are sometimes stronger than the feelings
we experience in real life. Why? In real life, Zacks explains, we can usually control
our environment. We can choose what we look at or listen to. We can stop talking to
someone or move to a different place. In a movie, it isn’t possible to do that. The
director controls everything that we see and hear.
C Like chefs, who add sugar and salt to food, directors add emotional effects to their
movies to make the experience more intense. They control the cameras so that we
see through the eyes of one character. They use warm or cool colors to make us
feel happy or sad. And of course, music is very important. Think of any famous movie
scene. Now imagine it without the music!

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 Strict teachers: your opinions
Strict teachers are good teachers. Do you agree?
If teachers let students make a lot of noise in class, it’s really difficult to concentrate.
Some people in my science class are always talking really loudly and making a mess.
The teacher just lets them. It’s impossible to ignore them, but I can’t say anything – in
my school, people tease you if you say you like studying. It’s the teacher’s job to
make them be quiet.
Gemma, 17, U.S.
I think people learn well if they feel happy and relaxed, not when they’re stressed or
frightened of doing something wrong. Our math teacher is really strict, and we aren’t
allowed to talk in class. If we make a mistake, she threatens to make us stay after
school. My English teacher is much more easygoing, and I think I learn better in her
classes.
Maxime, 16, France
Some people say that school rules are only appropriate for young children, but I don’t
agree. All groups of people need rules – including adults – and someone needs to
make people follow those rules. That’s why societies need police officers! If teachers
are too easygoing, students start behaving badly. It’s human nature!
Ralf, 17, Mexico
In my opinion, people are happier to follow rules if they’re allowed to make them. Our
science teacher lets us make the class rules at the beginning of the school year. We
agree what we are allowed and not allowed to do. Then, we make a contract, which
the teacher puts on the wall. If someone breaks a rule, she just stands next to the
contract and smiles. We usually do our best in her class, not because she’s strict, but
because she treats us like adults.
Holly, 16, South Africa

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 No more ads!
Casey, Saint Paul
My sister is eight years old and she’s always asking my parents for things that she’s
seen in ads online. In some countries, like Norway, companies aren’t allowed to
advertise to children under twelve online. I think it’s a good idea to ban advertising for
children and I think all companies should do this in the future. Do you agree?
Tomás, Belmont
It’s not fair that dishonest ads are allowed, and I don’t think we should let companies
make ads that are dishonest. But I think honest ads for children are OK. In 2015,
66% of children aged 3 to 14 in the United States used the internet. That’s a lot of
people! If companies stop selling products to children, they’ll lose a fortune. The
internet is an amazing invention, but if you want websites to be free, you’ll need to
accept the ads.
Paige, Augusta
Tomás – you say that companies use dishonest ads, but how do you define “honest”?
When I was seven, I saw an ad for “magic” shoes and I totally believed it. If
teenagers and adults see an ad with special effects, they’ll know that it isn’t real. A
young child has an active imagination and may not understand that. It was in an ad,
so it must be true, right? For me, letting children believe something and then be
disappointed is the same thing as lying to them.
Ryan, Concord
If children never see ads, how will they learn not to trust them? When I was about five
or six, I saw an ad on a cereal box for a “free” plastic dinosaur, and when my mom
said I couldn’t have it, I got really upset. She explained that it wasn’t free because
you needed to buy eight boxes of cereal, and I didn’t even like cereal – or dinosaurs!
It’s important for children to learn about marketing techniques or they might make
bigger mistakes when they’re older.

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 The teenage health blog
How to be a healthier teenager
1 Get outside.
If you like going for a walk, you should download a fitness app to track your steps.
Set yourself a challenge. How many steps can you do every week?
2 Get strong.
You should try to work out twice a week. There are a lot of free videos online, so you
don’t have to pay for a gym. It’s great for building your strength.
3 Don’t stress.
Stress can cause headaches, stomachaches, and sometimes even make you feel
sick. You have to make sure you take time to chill out. Try some meditation
techniques, and spend time with people you love. Laughing is good for you, and
sleeping well is essential to reduce stress. Did you know 13–18-year-olds should get
at least eight hours of sleep each night?
4 Choose a healthy diet.
You don’t have to eat just fruit and vegetables, but you should try to eat at least five
servings a day. Most people don’t have to take vitamins because five servings a day
should contain everything you need!
5 Stay away from sugar!
Now doctors are saying it can cause serious illnesses. You should remember that a
lot of food contains sugar, not just junk food. Even “healthy” food like yogurt and
health bars. You should research the food you eat. Is it really healthy for you?

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 Why I [heart] the emoji
I’ve just read an article saying that language is at risk because young people
are using emojis. I completely disagree! In today’s post, I’m going to explain
why.
Emojis are useful. When we communicate, we don’t only use words: we also use
body language. We laugh, we cry, and we hug each other. In writing, especially in
short messages, feelings are often more difficult to communicate. Emojis are like
body language – they can show that we’re teasing someone or laughing at a joke
they’ve just made. Emojis help us get along better. Using pictures and codes to
communicate isn’t new – people have done that for thousands of years. In about
30,000 B.C.E., people used to paint pictures on the walls of caves. When people
started writing, in about 3,000 B.C.E., they used symbols based on pictures – for
example, Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Much later, in the 1800s and early 1900s,
people used to send telegrams. Shorter telegrams were cheaper, so people invented
codes and abbreviations so they could use fewer words.
In 1993, text messaging arrived. Text messages didn’t use to be easy to type, and
there used to be a 140-character limit, so people invented emoticons like :-) and
abbreviations like LOL (which means “laughing out loud”). In 1998, Shigetaka Kurita,
a Japanese designer, invented emojis. At first, you could only use emojis on a few
devices, but most smartphones and tablets could read them by 2011, and they
quickly became popular.
Of course, we need words to communicate exactly what we want to say. We haven’t
stopped using them yet, and I don’t believe we will. We still need words to make up,
break up, and fall in love with each other. But when we use emojis and words
together, we understand each other’s feelings better. How can that be a bad thing?

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 Simple pleasures
When we’re busy and stressed, we often forget to appreciate the little things in
life. What are the simple pleasures that make you smile?
Darius, 15
I’ve always loved putting on new socks because they feel really soft and smooth. I
don’t know why, but they never feel like that after you wash them. I also love it when
I’ve just cleaned my room. It’s easier to relax when everything is clean and fresh.
Noelia, 14
I like smelling things – usually food – that I haven’t smelled since I was little. My
family is from Buenos Aires, but we moved to the U.S. when I was four, and I haven’t
been back to Argentina since then. Last week, I visited a street food market, and
someone was selling empanadas. They smelled exactly like the empanadas my
grandma used to make.
Harry, 16
Have you ever woken up, thought it was the morning, and then realized it wasn’t? It
happened to me last night. I woke up and heard rain outside. Then I realized it was
only 3:00 a.m. and I could stay in bed for four more hours. There’s nothing better
than lying in a comfortable bed when you don’t have to get up!
Tamsin, 15
Finding things you think you’ve lost is a great feeling. A few months ago, I lost my
favorite bracelet. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Then I had a dream that it was under the
sofa. The next morning, I went to look, and it was there! Finding money you didn’t
know you had is awesome, too. Last week, I found $10 in some old jeans and I used
it to buy ice cream for my friends. That made me happy!

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 The importance of empathy
“What makes us happy?” Most psychologists agree that strong connections with the
people around us are crucial for happiness. However, they say that it isn’t only our
relationships with our family and friends that matter. We also tend to be happier if we
live in communities where people care about each other and give each other a hand.
The philosopher Roman Krznaric claims that in many countries, like the U.S., people
are losing these connections. They might be richer than they used to be, but they
don’t know their neighbors’ names. According to Krznaric, the well-being of all human
societies depends on empathy. If people had more empathy, Krznaric says, they’d be
happier and there would be fewer social problems. So would we learn to be more
empathetic if we practiced? Krznaric believes that we would and suggests some
ways that everyone can develop empathy:
1B
We often spend our time with friends and classmates who are similar to us. Of
course, we need to be careful when meeting strangers, but we can learn a lot from
people with different experiences.
2
These are great ways to imagine what the world would be like if we were older, came
from another country, or lived in a different period in history.
3
It’s easy to look at someone or hear their accent and think we know who they are.
We’re usually wrong! Focus on what you share, not on the differences between you.
4
If you didn’t ever try surfing, sushi, or samba, you wouldn’t know if you liked them.
Trying new things helps you understand other people’s interests.
5
Really listen to what other people say. However, also remember that a conversation
needs two people. Express your feelings, too.

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 Hi Jacob
I’ve just finished my first month at my new job. It’s a great organization, and I love the
work.
And guess what? The sales manager asked me if I wanted to visit the head office in
Prague. Of course, I said yes! So, I was there last week. Prague, if you didn’t know, is
the capital of Czechia. I think it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The team was welcoming and so creative. I spent a day with the most successful
designer in Prague, which was really interesting. We exchanged a lot of ideas. They
told me that they were working on a new social media campaign. They asked me
what I thought of it and if I would do the graphics. I’m so excited!
In the evenings, I hung out with the team. They told me Prague was an exciting city
for young people. And they were right! On my last day, the team organized a trip to
Prague Castle. It’s the largest castle in the world and it was built in the tenth century.
It was incredible.
I loved the trip so much that I asked the managing director if I could visit again. He
told me that he liked my designs and that I would be a good addition to the Prague
team!
Maybe I’ll move to Prague. I hope so!
Mason told me that you were a developer now and you were really enjoying it.
Sounds awesome!
Tell me your news.
Emily

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 Emotional Moments: Competition Winners!
Can you remember a time when you felt super-stressed, really frightened, or
really embarrassed about something? Readers have shared their stories for a
chance to win two movie tickets. These are our three winners!
A Abbie
Playing bass guitar was my favorite hobby when I was younger, so my friends
suggested joining a band. I saw an ad for a bass guitar player. I messaged the band,
and they invited me to an audition. On the day of the audition, I arrived very early
because I wanted to have enough time to prepare myself. But the person before me
was late for their audition, so I had to play immediately. Suddenly, I felt very stressed
about it! I played really badly. It was the worst fifteen minutes of my life. But the most
surprising thing? They liked my audition, and now I’m in the band!
B Marcos
I have a twin brother, Pedro. We look the same, but he’s really into sports, and I love
gaming and music. I’ve never forgotten our eighth birthday. We got lots of presents,
but there was one huge present. I guessed it was for both of us. Then my dad said,
“Open it, Pedro.” I was so jealous! He opened the present, and it was … a bike! I
didn’t like cycling anyway, but I was still annoyed. I wanted a big exciting present, too.
My mom says I was upset about it for a week!
C Keira
I remember my 15th birthday party. It was my first party without adults – and without
my older brother. I was really excited. There was a lot of food, and everyone was
dancing. Then, toward the end of the evening, I heard my brother’s voice. He was
shouting, “I LOVE this song!” I ran into the living room, but I was too late. My brother
and his friends were already dancing! Everyone else left very quickly. I was so upset.
I didn’t speak to him for a month!

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 devices @ school
A Jon Smyth, Denver
At my school, we aren’t allowed to take devices into the classroom. The teachers
make us put our phones in a special locker. It’s a good system. I often need my
phone on the way to or from school, but no one needs a phone in class. We’re there
to study, not to chat!
B Sara Cotter, Vancouver, Canada
We use tablets and phones in our French class. There are a lot of great apps for
language classes. Our teacher lets us use a dictionary app. Once, we took pictures
with our phones and we talked about them in French. We also need tablets in
science to watch experiments. Devices are useful in school, but we need rules about
their use.
C Mateo Quintana, Santa Fe
Phones distract everyone, so I think it’s better for your phone to stay in your
backpack. But they’re also important in case of an emergency. I mean, what if a
parent needs to send their kid an urgent message? Phones and devices are a normal
part of life outside school, so why can’t we use them, like at recess?
D Faye Greene, Cheyenne
In the past, phones were a problem at my school because of bullying. People could
do things like take an embarrassing picture of you and post it on social media. And
students were always comparing phones, and they teased anyone with old or cheap
phones. So the principal made a rule that no one is allowed a phone at school.
School’s easier now without these devices.

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 April Fools’ Day
A few years ago, I received an e-mail invitation: Have you ever smelled flowers
on your computer? No? Google it! With Google Nose BETA you can enjoy
millions of smells from around the world. What do wild roses smell like?
Google knows – try Google Nose!
I smiled and shook my head: “That can’t be true.” But when I read a description of its
database of 15 million smells, I quickly changed my mind: “This invention might be
real. Google is the world’s largest media company.” I clicked on the link to the Google
Nose page. I put my nose near the screen and I breathed in slowly. There was no
smell at all. I was confused. Then I made the connection and I started to laugh. The
date was April 1.
The day has different names around the world – Americans call it April Fools’ Day, in
France it’s Poisson d’Avril (April Fish), and in Brazil, April 1 is Dia da Mentira (Day of
Lies). The equivalent in Spanish-speaking countries, Día de los Inocentes (Day of the
Innocents), is on December 28. People play jokes on friends and family – and media
companies often play jokes, too. Google plays jokes every April Fools’ Day. Did you
hear about the version of Google Street View called Google Street Roo? That was a
plan to take pictures of the Australian continent with 3-D cameras on wild kangaroos.
People believed it, but it was just another April Fools’ joke.
Google wasn’t the first, and they won’t be the last company to play April Fools’ jokes.
Perhaps the best was a B.B.C. documentary on British TV in 1957. It was about
farmers in Switzerland and their spaghetti trees. In the video, the farmers were taking
spaghetti from trees. After, thousands of people asked the B.B.C. how they could
grow their own spaghetti trees. The B.B.C. said: “Put a piece of spaghetti in a can of
tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

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 Have your say
A Yeah! If you’re a video-gamer, you might think go-karting looks easy – but it isn’t!
It’s a very physical sport, and drivers are always really tired after a race. My coach
always says, “You get out what you put in.” I work out five days a week because
drivers need strong arms and hands. I sleep for nine hours a night. This helps me to
concentrate during races. I have to be careful about what I eat, too. The night before
a race, I eat a lot of fruit. On the day of a race, I need energy, so I eat pasta.
Adriana Santos, Fortaleza, Brazil
B Totally agree. I’m a triathlete, so I have to ride a bike, run, and swim, all in one
race. Riding 40–50 km isn’t a problem, and I’m good at running, but I don’t like
swimming. Swimming in a pool is fine, but triathlon races are normally in “open water”
– that means swimming long distances in the ocean, a lake, or a river. Yuck! Still, I
train every day because “practice makes perfect.” It takes a lot of time to be an elite
athlete!
Sara Holwill, Newcastle, Australia
C You have my sympathies! I’m on the state high-diving team. Three mornings a
week, we meet at the pool at 7:00 a.m. to practice. I go to bed early and always sleep
well, but I still hate getting up early. But you know what they say, right? “The secret of
getting ahead is getting started.” I don’t have to eat anything special, but we always
have a hot chocolate after diving – we need to warm up after 15–20 dives! I work out
at home three days a week – and I do ballet! Balance and concentration are
important for high divers and ballet dancers.
Tyrone Parks, Aberdeen, South Dakota

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 The Adidas and Puma story
The argument that lasted 60 years
As young brothers, Adi and Rudi Dassler used to get along well. They both
loved sports, but they had very different personalities. Adi was quiet and hard-
working. 0b
In 1920, Adi started making sports shoes at home, in the small town of
Herzogenaurach, Germany. Adi was a brilliant designer, but he needed help to sell
his shoes. So four years later, his brother, a talented salesman, joined the company.
They called it Dassler Brothers Shoes. 1 It made sneakers for Olympic athletes –
including the American athlete Jesse Owens. In 1936, Owens won four Olympic gold
medals while he was wearing Dassler Brothers sneakers. Suddenly the Dassler
brand was world-famous.
At that time, both brothers lived in the same house with Rudi’s wife, Friedl, and their
young children. In 1937, Adi fell in love with and married Katherina Martz. Now there
were two families living together. 2
Then in the early 1940s, the brothers argued and stopped speaking. No one knows
exactly why, but in 1948 they decided not to work together anymore. 3 The workers
had to decide: did they want to work for Adi or Rudi? The same year, Rudi started his
own company, just 500 meters from the house they used to share. He called it Ruda
(from Rudi and Dassler), but soon he changed the name to Puma. A year later, Adi
started Adidas (from Adi and Dassler).
The brothers never spoke to each other again, and their argument divided their
town. 4 The town even had two different soccer teams – one wore Puma shoes, and
the other wore Adidas! But in 2009, the companies decided to make up. They played
a game of soccer together – 61 years after the brothers stopped speaking!

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 The brain: our sixth sense
Humans have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. We get 80%
of our sensory information through our eyes, so sight is our most important
sense. The second most important is hearing. Our other senses are nice to
have, but it would be hard for the human race to survive without sight and
hearing.
Erik Weihenmayer has been blind since he was 14, but that has never stopped him
from doing the things he loves. He first tried rock climbing when he was 16, and since
then he’s climbed hundreds of mountains. In 2001, he became the first (and only)
blind person to climb Mount Everest! Now, Weihenmayer climbs with the help of
technology called the BrainPort that helps him to “see” the environment and objects
around him. The BrainPort sends basic images from a video camera, via a micro-
processor, to a pad on his tongue. Electrodes on this pad form shapes. The tongue
feels the shapes, and the brain then transforms the information into simple pictures.
The idea of the technology is that we “see” with our brains, not just with our eyes.
The BrainPort allows Weihenmayer to do things that used to be impossible – he can
walk, “see” a ball, and play ball games with his children. He can also climb without
help from others.
Craig Lundberg lost his sight when he was 21 and, like Weihenmayer, Lundberg has
continued to live an active life. Since losing his sight, he has run a marathon,
completed a 550-km bike ride, and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro! Lundberg was one of
the first people to try the BrainPort, and he was excited about how the device might
improve life for blind people. He was able to identify objects, read words, and walk
without help when using the BrainPort.

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 Sleep well
Imagine never sleeping
Thái Ngoc, a Vietnamese farmer, says he hasn’t slept since 1973. He works on the
farm while his family sleeps at night. However, doctors say Ngoc hasn’t really been
awake for 50 years. No one can stay awake for that long. The world record-holder for
staying awake is Tony Right from the U.K. He stayed awake for 264 hours – that’s
eleven days! He found it very hard.
What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?
Adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night, and teenagers need around nine
hours. Research shows that if you only sleep for four to five hours, you are more
likely to get sick (for example, catch coughs and colds) because tiredness makes
your immune system weaker. If you don’t sleep enough, you can also get headaches,
it can affect your eyes, and it can make you eat too much. Scientists found that tired
people prefer fast food over healthy food, and they eat around 549 more calories per
day than people who sleep well. All of this can affect your mood, and many teenagers
who don’t get enough sleep can feel angry and miserable.
How to sleep better
Do you sleep at least seven hours per night? Start a sleep diary and check. If you
don’t sleep enough, try going to sleep at the same time every week night. Avoid
drinking coffee and sodas with caffeine in the evening because the caffeine keeps
you awake. And don’t use phones or tablets just before going to bed because the
light from the screens stops you from feeling sleepy. If you feel really tired during the
day (and you’re at home!), try taking a nap. A short sleep of about 20 minutes can
help your body. For teenagers, the best time to nap is from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

15
 The sky’s the limit
0
Davi’s first idea came to him while he was shopping for school supplies. He said it
took a long time visiting several stores, and the stores didn’t have what he needed.
So he designed an app for selling school supplies online, and at the age of 13, he
launched LIST-IT. It sold every school item you could imagine. His start-up was an
instant success, and at the age of 18 he sold LIST-IT for an incredible R$600 million!
Now he shares his entrepreneurial message with audiences all around Brazil, from
teenagers to grandparents.
1
Gitanjali has invented a device that can detect lead (a poisonous metal) in drinking
water, and she’s developed an app that uses AI (artificial intelligence) to detect
cyberbullying. The famous U.S. magazine Time named her their first ever “kid of the
year,” at the age of 15. She said her goal wasn’t only to create her own devices to
solve the world’s problems, but also to inspire others to do the same.
2
Maya has always been interested in fashion. She began by making headbands and
scarves from old clothes. At the age of 10, she learned HTML and built her own
website to sell her clothes. Now she’s in her 20s, and her company, Maya’s Ideas,
has customers all around the world. She has a nonprofit, Maya’s Ideas 4 the Planet,
which helps women in developing countries. She’s also written a book about being a
young entrepreneur.
3
Omari started cooking family meals at the age of seven, before trying out new recipes
and sharing them on his YouTube channel. Not long afterwards, he started his own
company, Dipalicious, which makes spicy “vegan” (completely plant-based) snacks.
Omari met the manager of a local food market and asked him if he could have a
restaurant there when he was older. The manager decided there was no reason to
wait! So Omari opened a restaurant that sells his favorite vegan food “to go.” Now
he’s a celebrity cook on a TV show, and Omari McQueen’s Best Bites Cookbook is a
bestseller. What are Omari’s hopes for the future? “I want a food bus, so my dad
could drive in it, and I could sell my meals all around the world."

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 European colonization in the Americas
In the 15th century, China and India were the richest parts of the world. In 1492,
Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain across the Atlantic. He was hoping to reach
Asia, but instead, he arrived on an island in the Caribbean, between North and South
America. Before this, nobody in Europe knew these continents existed.
There were already 60 million Indigenous people living in the Americas. Some lived in
big cities like Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. Others belonged to smaller
groups. The Indigenous people who lived where Columbus landed were the Taíno.
They called the island Ayiti, but Columbus named it La Isla Española (“The Spanish
Island”), which later became Hispaniola. This was not the last time Europeans gave
their own names to someone else’s land.
At first, the Taíno welcomed the Spanish. “They became marvelously friendly to us,”
wrote Columbus in his diary. The Taíno were happy to trade, but the Spanish wanted
more. Columbus demanded a basket full of gold from every adult. His men cut off
the hands of anyone who could not give them the gold. The Taíno fought back, but
soon began dying from diseases brought by the Spanish.
As the Spanish reached new parts of the Americas, diseases traveled with them.
Even the great Inca Empire fell to Spanish soldiers after smallpox (a serious disease)
spread through its lands. By 1600, 56 million Indigenous people were dead, mainly
from European diseases but also from violence. This was one tenth of the world’s
population at the time.
The Spanish, along with the Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch, colonized the
Americas and grew rich. The Europeans used this wealth to colonize other parts of
the world, such as Africa, Australia, India, and parts of China.
Europeans enslaved over 12 million Africans and forced them to work in their
American colonies.
Enslaved Africans resisted racist European rule, and sometimes were able to escape
to join surviving Indigenous communities and fight against the colonizers.
Indigenous and Black people in the Americas have experienced centuries of violence
and discrimination, and the legacy of colonization is still mostly ignored today.
However, many people are now calling for this history to get the attention it deserves.
Workers remove a statue of Christopher Columbus in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the
U.S., in 2020. Governments have removed statues of Columbus across the
Americas, as people discuss the legacy of European colonization.

17
 English and its role in the world
A In 1500, only a few million people spoke English, and they mostly lived in the
British Isles. During the British Empire (16th–20th century), Britain started colonies in
many countries around the world. The British often forced the local people to learn
and speak English. This meant that in many places indigenous languages had
a lower status. Christian missionaries from Britain often taught English as a way of
spreading their religion.
In the 17th century, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Britain all had colonies in
North America. Britain ended up being the dominant colonizing power in North
America, so English became the language of the United States of America when
it gained independence from Britain.
After the Second World War, when the United States became the most powerful
country in the world, English became the world’s lingua franca. It is now the main
language of international politics, business, science, medicine, international
transportation, and technology.
B Today, about 1.5 billion people (20% of the world’s population) speak some
English, but it is the first language for only around 360 million. Besides the United
Kingdom and the United States, English is the first language for most people in
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. English is an official or semi-official language in
over 70 countries, including India, Singapore, and Nigeria, where it plays an
important role in government, business, and education.
C In addition to British and American dialects, there are Canadian, Australian,
New Zealand, South African, Indian, Singapore, and Malaysian ones. In Jamaica,
most people speak Jamaican Patois. This is a mixture of English and languages of
West African origin. When Jamaica was a colony, Jamaican Patois had a lower status
than English. That’s why English became the language of government, the law, and
education.
D The internet was developed by English-speaking scientists, and early on, over
80% of online content was in English. In recent years, content in other languages has
grown, for example, in Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic. Only 25% of online content is in
English today, but that is still more than any other language. American movies, music,
and TV shows, which have been popular worldwide for decades, can now be
accessed on the internet. We can also see the English origins of new technical words
in other languages. Internet is just one!
E Being fluent in English helps people access more information and connect with
others all over the world, so it is not surprising that it is the foreign language most
people study.

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 Memory The brain: use it or lose it
We exercise our body to make our muscles stronger and healthier. Our brain is like a
muscle, too. It needs exercise and it gets stronger with practice. When people study
hard and learn new things, their brains change and connections grow. On the other
hand, if you don’t use your brain enough, it doesn’t grow new connections. As the
saying goes: “Use it or lose it.
How memory Works There are two types of memory:
Short-term memory: these memories last about 30 seconds. Your brain can only
remember about seven short-term memories at once. Long-term memory: these
memories can last all of your life.
A 4 How do we form memories?
The multi-store memory model is an illustration of how the brain makes memories.
First, your sensory store gets information from your senses, especially sight,
hearing, and touch. If you don’t pay attention to this information, you lose it. If
you pay attention to it, the information goes into your short-term memory. It lasts
for about 30 seconds in your short-term memory, and then you lose it, unless you
“rehearse” the information. Examples of rehearsal are repeating the information to
yourself, or seeing, hearing, or feeling it again. Rehearsal helps the information to
stay in the short-term memory and then go to the long-term memory. Information in
the long-term memory stays for a long time. When you remember something, it
goes from the long-term to the short-term memory while you are using it.
Train your brain Anyone can train their brain to remember more.
Here are four ways:
B Our visual memory is strong. Connecting a memory to an image makes the
memory stronger:
• When you try to remember something, imagine yourself where you were
when you made the memory.
• To remember a person’s name, try to connect their name with a strong
image.
C To remember things like phone numbers or shopping lists, make a fist with your
right hand for 90 seconds. When you need to remember that information later, make
a fist with your left hand for 90 seconds. Why? Because the left hand connects to the
right side of the brain where we remember things.
D Reading aloud helps you to remember facts better than reading silently. This is
because you make a visual memory and a hearing memory of the information.
E Don’t try to remember a long number like 4657869705 as ten different numbers.
Divide it into pairs: 46 57 86 97 05. It is easier to remember five “chunks” than ten
separate numbers because our short-term memory can only remember about seven
items.

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