Winter’s first chill may bring an unwelcome guest: flu outbreaks, a new study says. Researchers looked at data on weather and flu cases in Gothenburg, Sweden, and found that flu outbreaks occurred about one week after the first appearance of cold weather and low humidity (湿度).

“According to our calculations, a cold week with an average temperature below 0°C suggests the start of the flu outbreaks,” said study researcher Nicklas Sundell. He’s an infectious diseases specialist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, which belongs to the University of Gothenburg.

“We believe that this sudden drop in temperature contributes to 5 ‘kick-start’ epidemic (流行病). Once the epidemic has started, it continues even if temperatures rise. Once people are sick, many more may become infected,” Sundell said in a university news release.

The findings support the theory that aerosol particles (雾气粒子) containing flu viruses and liquid spread more easily in cold and dry weather. In northern regions of the world, cold weather is likely a more important factor in flu outbreaks than people crowding indoors during the winter, according to Sundell. “But cold weather isn’t the only contributing factor. The virus has to be present among the population and there have to be enough people susceptible to the infection,” he said.

“If you can predict the start of the annual epidemics of the flu and other respiratory viruses, you can use this knowledge to promote campaigns for the flu vaccine and prepare emergency wards and hospital staff in advance for an increased number of patients seeking care,” Sundell said. He added that the recommendations to try to prevent the flu are the same as in previous years. Get a flu vaccine and remember to wash your hands.

When the body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit(40℃), a person may be suffering from a serious condition called heat stroke. 【小题1】 Besides, one may suffer from heat stroke when he participates in extreme physical activity in a warm environment.

There are some symptoms of heat stroke. The person usually has a high body temperature, usually at or above 40℃. If the stroke is the result of high climate temperatures, the skin will usually be dry and hot. If it is the result of physical exercise, the skin may feel moist, almost clammy(湿粘的). 【小题2】

If heat stroke is not treated, a person may go into shock(休克). 【小题3】 As a result, the blood pressure drops, the nails and lips may turn blue, and the skin becomes clammy. If left untreated, shock may cause organ failure or even death.

There are several ways to treat heat stroke. 【小题4】 One example of treatment includes placing the person in cool water to lower his body temperature. Another cooling technique involves misting cool water over the body and then fanning it off. The evaporation(蒸发) of the water works to cool the person’s body temperature and treat the heat stroke.

【小题5】 For example, wear lightweight clothes that fit loosely on the body. Also, take breaks in a cool area if exercising in warm temperatures. In addition, if the temperatures become increasingly hot, it is best to avoid extreme physical activity.

There is no denying that everyone has felt worried or upset before a contest or sports game. A study in 2000 found that “high levels of anxiety during competitions are harmful, worsening the performance and even leading to dropping out”. An example of this is John Daly, an American golf player who was once one of the best of his time. The great amount of pressure placed on him to win made him extremely anxious. His anxiety reached such a high level that he was unable to complete a tournament and walked off the course in the middle of the round. Over the course of his career, he quit from 49 professional matches due to the anxiety he experienced.

In fact, anxiety can have a number of negative effects and changes to the body, mind and behavior. Anxiety causes your body to tense up and increases blood pressure. When this happens, it becomes more difficult for your body to move fluently and efficiently, meaning actions and movements become unnatural. The terror you experience as a result of anxiety is so overwhelming that it may even lead to body paralysis (瘫痪). An example of this is stage fright, which may be experienced right before a public competition. When feeling overwhelming fear, the athlete may be unable to move, talk or act at all.

Anxiety has a negative effect on not only athletes, but also students and young people, particularly when it comes to tests and exams. This “test anxiety” occurs in 33% of students and can affect their performance in exams and overall achievements. As time goes on, the age at which children suffer from anxiety is becoming younger.

Anxiety leads to the poor academic performance and low scores. This is because the anxiety becomes so overwhelming that you lose the ability to think clearly. It has been proven that students with anxiety score lower on tests than students who do not suffer from anxiety.

Anxiety can also affect students’ willingness to engage in class or participate in class discussions. Again, this can have a negative impact on their performance because they are unable to communicate with the teacher by asking questions. This then leads to confusion and further worry about a task, resulting in additional anxiety. This same worry also applies to peer learning (同伴学习)because this involves sharing ideas with other students. A student with high anxiety is unable to share these ideas, meaning they quit from activities and their learning is limited.

Anxiety reaches such a point that some of the students either refuse to go to school until they are able or drop out completely. In fact, 49% of anxious adults report having left education early and 24% indicate anxiety as the primary reason. After all, how can a person possibly learn something or perform well when their mind and body are in a constant state of terror and worry?