When you go to watch a sport, you don’t just go to see the athletes. Many people also eat popcorn and hot dogs. People sing songs and hold signs. They watch cheerleaders and make jokes. You can do all kinds of things when you watch sports.

Mascots (吉祥物) are another big part of sports. A mascot is a team’s symbol. For example, if a team is called the Dragons, then their mascot is a dragon. If a team is called the Cowboys, then their mascot is a cowboy.

At many sports games, there is a live mascot. This is a person who wears a mascot costurne. For example, a mascot for the Dragons would wear a dragon costurne. Usually, these costurnes look very silly, and they don’t look real at all.

A mascot’s job is to make the sport more fun, and to make the fans more excited. Different mascots do different things. Some of them dance and sing songs. Some of them wave flags. Some of them do very unusual things, like having races around the field.

Some people like mascots, and some people don’t like them. The people who like mascots say that they make the game more fun. They also say that fans are too serious sometimes, and mascots are important because they help fans relax. People who don’t like mascots say that they make it hard to focus on the game. They say that when a mascot is dancing and singing, it’s hard to watch the game.

Mascots are getting more and more popular. New mascots are coming out all the time. Some of the new mascots become popular, and some retire very quickly. It doesn’t matter if you love mascots or if you hate them. These days, they are a big part of modern sports.

If you feel stressed at school, what can you do to make yourself happier? Some may eat their favorite food or listen to some music. Others may go for a walk or get some exercise. A new study found another great way to lower students’ stress—playing with dogs.

Scientists studied 105 students between the ages of eight and nine. 35 trained dogs and their trainers also took part in the test. The children were divided into 3 groups. The students in the first group spent 20 minutes with a dog and its trainer. They watched the trained dogs perform and even played with them. They did this twice a week for 4 weeks. The second group spent the same amount of time (时长) doing exercise to relax. The last group did neither of these things.

During this time, the scientists recorded the students’ cortisol levels (皮质醇水平). Cortisol is a stress hormone (激素). The more stressed you feel, the more cortisol you will have in your body. What did the scientists find? Both the second and third groups showed rises in cortisol levels. The first group, however, showed no big increase. And the children in this group had the lowest cortisol levels right after playing with the dogs.

According to the study, students enjoy playing with dogs, and it helps them become happier. The stress hormone falls over time this way, which is good for students’ health. But here comes the next question: Is 20 minutes of playtime with a dog the best amount of time? Scientists are going to keep working to find out the answer.

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