👆 Mexican Jays
جیجاق مکزیکی (نام علمی: Aphelocoma wollweberi).
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RWFIB 814. Bird Literally Weighs Its Food Options 👆

👇 RWFIB 815. New Evidence for Comet Sources of Ocean Water
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‍ RWFIB 815. New Evidence for Comet Sources of Ocean Water
شواهد جدید برای منشاء ستاره دنباله‌دارِ آب اقیانوس(ها)
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni391
Earth's surface is dominated by oceans. But where did all that water come from?
Asteroids and comets smashing into the early Earth have long been thought to be a promising source. But measurements of Halley's Comet and five others threw cold water on the idea that comets provided a large share of the oceans. Because the chemical signatures of the comets did not match the oceans. Specifically, the ratio of heavy hydrogen , or deuterium, to regular hydrogen was too high in the comets.
But now astronomers have gotten a glimpse of a comet with a different origin, and it matches the oceans much better. They used the Herschel space telescope to examine Comet Hartley 2, which originated in the Kuiper Belt. Halley and its ilk came from a distant swarm of comets called the Oort Cloud.
At a planetary science meeting last week in France, and in a study in Nature, the researchers announced that Comet Hartley 2 has the same deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio as ocean water.
So maybe comets did play a major role in delivering Earth's oceans. Something to ponder next time you have a day at the beach.
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🟢 #vocabulary :
💫 Asteroid سیارک
💫 comet ستاره دنباله دار
💫 smash /smæʃ/ verb [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]
to hit an object or surface violently, or to make something do this.
(محکم و با صدا) خوردن به، تصادم کردن، برخورد کردن، کوبیدن.
💫 throw cold water on sth.
to be negative about someone's ideas or plans.
measurements of Halley's Comet and five threw cold water on the idea...
رد شدن/کردن/باطل‌شدن/بی‌اثرکردن (نسبت به) ایده ها یا برنامه های کسی. (ریختن آب سردی بر روی چیزی).
💫 signature /ˈsɪɡnətʃə $ -ər/ noun [countable usually singular]
something that is closely related to an event, person, or style.
نشان ویژه، علامت مشخصه، اثر، ویژگی اختصاصی،
💫 glimpse ɡlɪmps/ noun [countable]
a quick look at someone or something that does not allow you to see them clearly.
glimpse of
نگاهی اجمالی.
💫 swarm /swɔːm $ swɔːrm/ noun [countable]
swarm of
گروه، ازدحام، دسته زیاد.

💫 ponder verb [intransitive, transitive] formal
to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about a problem, a difficult question, or something that has happened SYN consider.
He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.
ponder on/over/about
The university board is still pondering over the matter.
ponder how/what/whether
Jay stood still for a moment, pondering whether to go or not.
سنجیدن، اندیشه کردن، تفکر کردن، تعمق کردن

🟢 #collocation :
Earth's surface, is dominated by sth., the early Earth, be a promising source, provided a large share of the oceans, the chemical signatures of the comets, a planetary science meeting, the researchers announced that, play a major role in, Earth's oceans.

👇 RWFIB 816. Champagne Bubbles Key to Taste
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‍ RWFIB 816. Champagne Bubbles Key to Taste
حباب‌های شامپاین کلید طعم و مزه است
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحانی/تمرینی) Apeuni415
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that champagne's bursting bubbles provide aromatic compounds that add to the taste. Adam Hinterthuer reports

Full Transcript:
Let's raise a toast to champagne . And its ubiquitous bubbles. Because new research says the bubbles aren't just tickling your tongue. They're erupting with aromas vital to the taste of the beverage.
A team of (who else) French researchers used mass spectrometry to nose around a glass of champagne. They found that concentrations of certain molecular compounds were higher at the surface of the glass than in the liquid itself. They report the finding in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The scientists say the sea shares champagne's secret. If you've ever enjoyed ocean air, it's because compounds called surfactants are dragged along with bubbles in the waves. When those bubbles burst, the surfactants break into smaller molecules called aerosols that are suspended in the breeze, giving coastal areas their distinctive oceany odor. In essence, a glass of champagne hosts a small version of this process, but the bubbles bring more appetizing aerosols to the surface.
Legend has it that Dom Perignon shouted "I'm tasting the stars" when he uncorked his first bottle of champagne. But it was physics and chemistry, not astronomy, that he was really savoring.
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🟢 #vocabulary :
🍾 raise a toast
to lift your glass (usually containing a drink like wine or cava) and express a wish or desire for success, happiness or other good news.
an act of proposing or of drinking in honor of a toast.
به سلامتی زدن.
🍾 ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ adj
seeming to be everywhere – sometimes used humorously
فراگیر. همه جا حاضر. همه جا موجود.
🍾 tickle /ˈtɪkəl/ verb
1 [transitive] to move your fingers gently over someone’s body in order to make them laugh.
2 [transitive] if a situation, remark etc tickles you, it amuses or pleases you.
غلغلک دادن. به نشاط آوردن،
🍾 mass spectrometry
طیف سنج جرمی
🍾 nose around (something) (also nose about (something) British English) #phrasal_verb [informal]
to look around a place in order to try to find something, when there is no one else there.
: گشتن به‌دنبال چیزی (عموماً اطلاعات مخفی/سری). تلاش برای سر درآوردن از چیزی. سر و گوشی آب دادن.
🍾 surfactants
سورفاکتانت ها. مواد فعال در سطح.
🍾 drag verb
(با آهستگی) حرکت کردن، خود را کشاندن، با سختی حرکت کردن،
🍾 burst /bɜːst $ bɜːrst/ verb (past tense and past participle burst)
[intransitive, transitive] if something bursts, or if you burst it, it breaks open or apart suddenly and violently so that its contents come out.
ترکیدن،
🍾 uncork /ʌnˈkɔːk $ -ˈkɔːrk/ verb [transitive]
to open a bottle by removing its cork.
چوب پنبه بطری را بر داشتن. (چوب پنبه ی) سر بطری را در آوردن.
🍾 cork
چوب پنبه.
🍾 savor (British English: savour) /ˈseɪvə $ -ər/ verb [transitive]
to fully enjoy the taste or smell of something.
مزه مزه کردن. چیزی را با لذت و با آرامش و آهستگی استشمام یا مزه کردن (چشیدن).
🍾 Dom Perignon
یک راهب بندیکتین فرانسوی بود که سهم مهمی در تولید و کیفیت شامپاین داشت.

are suspended in the breeze,
در نسیم معلق هستند

🟢 #collocation :
ubiquitous bubbles, the taste of the beverage, a glass of champagne, the surface of the glass, champagne's secret, ocean air, break into smaller molecules, suspended in the breeze, coastal areas, distinctive oceany odor, a small version of this process, bottle of champagne.

👇 RWFIB 817. Electronic Gifts
هدایای الکترونیکی
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‍ RWFIB 817. Electronic Gifts
هدایای الکترونیکی
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni418
According to the Consumer Electronics Association,
over two billion dollars was spent last year on electronic gifts for America's six million high school graduates. Well, here's some advice for anybody thinking of getting a computer or other big ticket electronic gift for a high schooler about to set off for college in a few months—check the college for info or even products . So says John Campbell, associate vice president for information technology at Purdue. He points out that some colleges or even individual departments may have certain system requirements that gift givers might want to be aware of. For example, some departments may suggest that students don't use a Mac, while others may insist they do. Schools buy in bulk and may offer discounts on computers , as well as printers, software, external hard drives, or even mp3 players. And university computers may be preloaded with software used on campus or configured to connect with specific campus networks. Consumer Electronic Association surveys found that a quarter of all high schoolers want a computer for graduation. The other three quarters presumably want a car and a computer.

#RWFIB Blanks: electronic - computer - products - departments - computers .
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🟢 #RL #SST key points:
✏️ electronic gifts for America’s six million high school graduates.
✏️ getting a computer or other big ticket electronic gift for a high schooler.
✏️ check the college for info or even products.
✏️ system requirements that gift givers.
✏️ Schools buy in bulk and may offer discounts on computers,
✏️ printers, software, external hard drives, mp3 players.
✏️ computers may be preloaded with software.
✏️ configured to connect with specific campus networks.

🟢 #vocabulary
💻 buy in bulk= Bulk purchasing.
خرید عمده
💻 preload verb [intransitive]
پیش بارگذاری. بارگذاری شده از قبل.
💻 set off #phrasal_verb
to start to go somewhere.
set off for
راهی (رهسپار) شدن. عازم شدن، شروع به کار کردن.

🟢 #collocation
electronic gifts, high school graduates, some advice for anybody, getting a computer, a high schooler, individual departments, system requirements, gift givers , offer discounts on computers, university computers, be preloaded with software, specific campus networks.

‍ RWFIB 796. Sports Results Affect Voter Behavior
نتایج ورزشی بر رفتار رای دهندگان تأثیر می گذارد
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni121
Local college football wins before elections upped incumbents' vote totals, and college basketball wins influenced presidential ratings. Karen Hopkin reports

Full Transcript:
When it comes to elections, sometimes we vote with our heads and sometimes with our hearts. But scientists at Stanford say we might also be voting with our pompoms. Because they’ve found that our behavior at the polls is influenced by the results of local sporting events, work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Andrew Healy, Neil Malhotra and Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, http://bit.ly/cURQ2E]

Humans are emotional creatures. And our strong feelings about one thing can spread to another. So the Stanford scientists wondered whether events that are unrelated to government performance might sway the way people feel about their elected officials. And what could be less relevant to the workings in Washington or your state capital than college football?

The researchers looked at the election results from 20 years’ worth of presidential, senatorial and gubernatorial races. And they found that a home-team win before the election gave the incumbent a boost of almost two percentage points. The more beloved the team, the bigger the bounce.

And it’s not just football. In a separate survey, the scientists found that NCAA college basketball results affected presidential approval ratings. So next election day, you might think about practicing a little separation of stadium and state.
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‍ RWFIB 800. Lemur Latrine Trees Serve as Community Bulletin Boards
درختان توالت Lemur بعنوان تابلوهای اعلانات جمعی (عمومی/همزیستگاه) بکار میروند
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni208
Primatologists spent almost 1,100 hours watching lemurs do their business on their designated tree and concluded that urine and glandular secretions serve as posted messages. Steve Mirsky reports

Full Transcript:
People have been leaving messages on bathroom walls for thousands of years. Just google “ancient Roman bathroom graffiti.” But we’re not the only ones to use latrines for information exchange—as two German researchers have confirmed after hundreds of hours watching lemurs pee and poop. For science.

Primatologists Iris Dröscher and Peter Kappeler concentrated on seven sets of pair-bonded members of a species called white-footed sportive lemurs, at a nature reserve in southern Madagascar. Their report is in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. [Iris Dröscher & Peter M. Kappeler Maintenance of familiarity and social bonding via communal latrine use in a solitary primate (Lepilemur leucopus)]

Many animals use the same spots repeatedly to do their business, primates in particular. For these lemurs, a specific tree becomes the urine and feces focal point. And because chemical compounds in their waste transmit information, the so-called latrine tree becomes like a bulletin board to post messages for the rest of the community.

Based on their 1,097 hours of observations, the researchers conclude that urine and glandular secretions left on the tree trunk are the primary message vehicles. Feces mostly just collects on the ground.

Some urine telegrams are probably signals from a particular lemur to the neighbors that he or she is around. But male lemurs upped their latrine visits when potential competitors for females came into their home area. So the frequent chemical messages left on the tree probably say in that case, “Buzz off, buddy, she’s with me.” In lemur.
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🐀 lemur
لمورها گروه ویژه‌ای از نخستی‌ها هستند که تنها در ماداگاسکار و جزایر کومورو یافت می‌شوند.

‍ RWFIB 810. Spit Analysis Reveals Hocker's Age
تجزیه و تحلیل تُف، سنّ تف‌کننده را نشان می‌دهد
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحانی/تمرینی) Apeuni328
An analysis of a person's DNA methylation finds that the number of methyl groups attached to the DNA correlates with the person's age--making saliva analysis a possible CSI tool. Cynthia Graber reports

Full Transcript:
Saliva contains many useful components. Lubricants. Enzymes for breaking down food. And now, compounds that can reveal a person’s age. That’s according to a study in the journal Public Library of Science ONE. [Sven Bocklandt et al., "Epigenetic Predictor of Age"]

During normal development, DNA in your body gets what’s called methylated. Small chemicals called methyl groups bind to the DNA, helping to determine which genes become active. But the patterns of methylation change as we grow older. Which was a clue that measuring methylation might give away age.

The researchers studied DNA in saliva contributed by 34 pairs of male identical twins, ages 21 to 55. They found 88 sites on the men’s DNA where the amount of methylation correlated with their ages. The scientists next verified that finding in 60 men and women, ages 18 to 70.

Then they narrowed in on two genes that had the strongest age-related correlation. And using just that data, they found that they could estimate the ages of their saliva contributors to within five years.

This technique might help in crime scene investigations—recovered saliva could tell the age of a perpetrator. So if you’re worried about anyone knowing how old you are, be careful where you spit.
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➡️ Saliva بزاق دهان

collocation:
the patterns of methylation, The researchers studied DNA, the amount of methylation correlated with their ages, The scientists next verified that, had the strongest age-related correlation, crime scene investigations.

‍ 👇RWFIB 812. Younger Kids Don't Care What's Fair
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‍ 812. Younger Kids Don't Care What's Fair
بچه‌های جوانتر به آنچه عادلانه است اهمیت نمی‌دهند
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni347
Children below the age of about seven were indifferent to whether their playmates shared in a candy giveaway, but older kids were more sensitive about fairness. Karen Hopkin reports

Full Transcript :
If you’ve ever spent time with toddlers, sooner or later you’ll hear the word “Mine!” It’s usually followed by an adult saying, “Now, now, you have to learn to share.” But a study in the August 28th issue of Nature suggests we may be wasting our breath. Because kids in the preschool set have no interest in making sure everyone gets their fair share.

Scientists from Switzerland wondered if, and when, young children begin to consider the welfare of others. So they gathered up over 200 Swiss schoolchildren and a small mountain of candy. And one-by-one they gave each child a choice that goes something like this: I can give one M&M to you and one to one of the other kids. Or I can give one to you—and none to anyone else.

Children who were three or four years old didn’t much care whether or not their friends also got an M&M, or a jellybean or any other sweet. But that attitude changed by the time the kids were seven or eight, when almost 80 percent of them opted to be fair. Okay, that doesn’t exactly make them candidates for a Nobel Peace Prize. But maybe magnanimousness begins with an M…&M (example).
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🍬 M&M
شکلات های دکمه ای شکل چند رنگی
🍬 Jelly bean
آب‌نبات ژله‌ای
🍬 magnanimousness
بزرگواری

👇 RWFIB 797. Cash Rewards Help Dieters
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‍ RWFIB 797. Cash Rewards Help Dieters
جوایز نقدی به رژیم های غذایی کمک می کنند
ریدینگ اپیونی (سوال غیرامتحان/تمرینی) Apeuni122
A study in JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association finds that people who were rewarded with a few hundred dollars for losing a few pounds were much more successful than those who just dieted. Steve Mirsky reports

Full Transcript:
Finally, science has something you can give people that really does help them lose weight: money. Rewarding dieters with a few hundred dollars is effective for promoting at least short-term weight loss. That’s according to a study in the December 10th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers tried two approaches. In one, study subjects got paid if they lost 16 pounds in 16 weeks. In the other, participants invested their own money, which they lost if they didn’t make that same goal. A control group just tried to lose weight without any economic incentive. And the losers are:

Dieters who got paid for losing—53 percent of them met the target. Followed by those who risked their own money—47 percent of them lost the 16 pounds. And the regular old dieters, for whom losing weight was its own reward? Only 10.5 percent of them got to their goal. And that group averaged just a four-pound loss, compared with 14 pounds for the paid dieters.

So, what do you do with the money you win by losing weight? That’s easy: pizza!
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👇🗣🎧🗣🎧 #RL 🗣🎧🗣🎧👇