>Books, money are good gifts
研究:送錢送書最為實(shí)用
Researchers from the National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago conducted six experiments asking people about giving and receiving gifts. They found gift-givers prefer those expected to produce smiles or gasps of joy, but people receiving them prefer gifts that will make them happy over the long-term. When the researchers asked 80 people for their favorite gifts, books and money came out among the top for satisfaction, despite causing little in the way of smiles or squeals. Further analysis of 198 people and 600 Christmas gifts found tools like a cordless drill often get little reaction but provide high satisfaction. Frivolous items like cupcakes produce a good reaction but low satisfaction. Another experiment found gift-givers preferred personalized mugs but people given them preferred less thoughtful ergonomic ones designed to be easy to use.
新加坡國立大學(xué)和芝加哥大學(xué)的研究人員開展了六項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)，詢問人們贈(zèng)送與收到禮物的經(jīng)歷。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，送禮者更喜歡那些能讓人露出笑容或驚喜的禮物，但收禮者更偏愛那些能讓他們開心很長時(shí)間的禮物。研究人員向80人詢問他們最喜歡的禮物時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)，盡管不太會(huì)令人露出笑容或發(fā)出尖叫，書籍與金錢卻在最令人滿意的禮物之列。他們對(duì)198人以及600件圣誕禮物進(jìn)一步分析后發(fā)現(xiàn)，收禮者往往對(duì)像無線電鉆這樣的工具反應(yīng)平淡，但滿意度卻很高。紙杯蛋糕等不實(shí)用物品雖然會(huì)激起不錯(cuò)的反應(yīng)，但收禮者的滿意度卻很低。另一項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)發(fā)現(xiàn)，送禮者更喜歡贈(zèng)送定制的杯子，但收禮者更喜歡雖不貼心但易于使用的人體工學(xué)杯子。

>Flight times extended
航企故意拉長航班時(shí)間
Plane journeys are taking longer than a decade ago, according to a report that claims the change is down to airlines "padding" their schedules to create the impression passengers were reaching their destinations on time. Carriers are adding extra time to flight schedules, in some cases up to 30 minutes, to ensure they maintain punctuality and are therefore less likely to be liable for compensation payouts, the investigation by UK consumer group Which? claimed. Researchers examined average flight times for 125 routes operated by large airlines in 2009 and compared them with last year. They found that 76 routes, 61%, were now slated to take longer. Airlines said their aircraft were flying at slower speeds to reduce fuel consumption and that this allowed them to offer cheaper fares. British Airways also told Which? that air traffic congestion was a factor, with European skies now much busier than 10 years ago.
與10年前相比，坐飛機(jī)出行的時(shí)間變長了。一份報(bào)告聲稱，這一變化是因?yàn)楹娇展纠L飛行用時(shí)，以制造乘客按時(shí)抵達(dá)目的地的印象。英國消費(fèi)者組織Which?進(jìn)行調(diào)查后聲稱，航空公司延長航班的計(jì)劃飛行時(shí)間，有時(shí)多達(dá)30分鐘，以確保能保持準(zhǔn)點(diǎn)，由此，它們對(duì)乘客承擔(dān)賠償責(zé)任的幾率也降低了。研究人員分析了2009年大型航空公司運(yùn)營的125條航線的平均飛行時(shí)間，并將它們與2017年的數(shù)據(jù)進(jìn)行對(duì)比。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，有76條航線，即61%的航線現(xiàn)在的飛行時(shí)間更長了。航空公司稱，它們的飛機(jī)飛行速度變慢是為了減少燃油消耗，這使它們可以提供更便宜的機(jī)票。英航還對(duì)Which?表示，空中交通擁堵也是一個(gè)因素，歐洲空域現(xiàn)在要比10年前繁忙得多。

>Berlin Wall to be 'rebuilt'
德藝術(shù)家擬'重建'柏林墻
A group of artists said Tuesday they're planning to build a facsimile of the Berlin Wall around a downtown Berlin block in mid-October. Visitors of the art installation must buy "visas" online starting at 15 euros. When entering the walled area, they'll have to exchange their cellphones for a smartphone which will provide individual instructions for a tour including documentaries, exhibits or concerts. The artists' group DAU, which is behind the project, says it wants to distribute between 1,500-3,000 "visas" per day. Inside the walled block, there also will be viewing platforms from which visitors can peer outside into Berlin - in contrast to the Cold War platforms where people could peek into East Berlin from the West. The wall will be torn down on Nov 9 - 29 years after the original Berlin Wall came down.
一群藝術(shù)家28日表示，他們計(jì)劃10月中旬在柏林市中心的一個(gè)街區(qū)周圍建造柏林墻的復(fù)制品。前往這一藝術(shù)設(shè)施的游客必須在網(wǎng)上購買"簽證"，起價(jià)15歐元。進(jìn)入這個(gè)圍墻內(nèi)的區(qū)域時(shí)，游客需用自己的手機(jī)換取一部智能手機(jī)，這部智能手機(jī)將為他們提供個(gè)人參觀指南，包括紀(jì)錄片、展覽或音樂會(huì)。此項(xiàng)目背后的藝術(shù)團(tuán)體DAU表示，希望每天發(fā)放1500至3000份"簽證"。這個(gè)有圍墻的街區(qū)內(nèi)還設(shè)有觀景臺(tái)，游客可以從觀景臺(tái)向外眺望柏林——這與冷戰(zhàn)時(shí)期的觀景臺(tái)不同，當(dāng)時(shí)人們可以從西柏林窺視東柏林。這個(gè)柏林墻的復(fù)制品將于11月9日被推倒，這距離真正的柏林墻倒塌已有29年時(shí)間。

>Repellents not working
50款驅(qū)蚊產(chǎn)品無一有效
Fifty mosquito repellent products, including mosquito repellent patches and wristbands, prove to be of little help, said Beijing quality supervision authorities after conducting sample tests recently. Bought from online and offline stores, these new mosquito repellent products, with price tags varying from 5.2 to 66 yuan, all boasted a plant-based formula with a long effective duration for babies and pregnant women. The test result is disappointing. Scientists noted that the dose of citronellol (香茅醛), an oil used for keeping insects away, in mosquito repellent products is the key factor in assessing its effectiveness. Among the 50 samples, 14 of them did not have citronellol, while the rest reportedly had the ingredient but at amounts below the standard.
北京市質(zhì)監(jiān)局近日對(duì)包括驅(qū)蚊貼和驅(qū)蚊手環(huán)在內(nèi)的50款驅(qū)蚊產(chǎn)品進(jìn)行抽樣檢測后發(fā)現(xiàn)產(chǎn)品無一有效。這些新型驅(qū)蚊產(chǎn)品是從線上和線下商店購買的，價(jià)格從5.2元至66元不等，均號(hào)稱采用植物配方，驅(qū)蚊效果持久，兒童和孕婦適用。檢測結(jié)果令人失望?？茖W(xué)家們?cè)赋觯?qū)蚊產(chǎn)品中的香茅醛(一種被用來驅(qū)蟲的油劑)的劑量是評(píng)估其驅(qū)蚊有效性的關(guān)鍵因素。據(jù)報(bào)道，50份樣品中的14份根本不含香茅醛，其他樣品中雖然含有香茅醛，但劑量低于標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

Find more audio news on the China Daily app.