Children may learn pew words better when they learn them in the contest of diher words they arejust learning--according to a new research fromthe Univertity of East Anglia Researchers investigated how 18-24-month-olds learn new words—in the context of words they already know weli and those they don't. The findings heip explain how children lean new words and suggest a new way that parents and carers could help boost language development. 

Previous research suggests that when children hear a word they do not know and see an object they have never seen in the context of some objects that they can already name, such as a ioy or a ball, they guess that the new word refers to the new thing. 

Dr. Larissa Samuelson from the university wantted to know if the strength of a child's knowledge of familiar things-how well they know what "cars"or"balls"are, for example--mattered for fearaing new words and remembering them. They asked 82 chil Iren to take part in the study and carry out two experiments among them. And then they got some really surprising findings. 

"We had expected that a stronger knowledge of familiar words would be better for learning new words, but we found the opposite was true. " Dr Samuelson said. "This new study suggests another way we might be able to help boose children's ability to remember new word-object links—by teaching them in the context of other things that they are just leatning. "

It seems counterintuitive, but it is perhaps because the less well-known items don't compete with the new words as much If they learn new words in the context of playing with well-known items such as a ball or book, they don't process the new word as much. 

I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled(摸索) in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches; they had taken those. I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him, "Have you got a light?" He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.

As he came close and lit the match, his eyes unconsciously locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don't know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.

I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension too.

"Do you have kids?" he asked.

"Yes, here, here."

I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.

My life was saved by a smile, yes, the smile—the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear.

If there' s one thing I' ve realized since becoming a male college student, it' s that finding a summer job is nearly impossible. I've applied to so many places and I' ve experienced so many interviews, but I always either get straight-up refusal or never hear from the company again. 

One time, I even called one of the companies multiple times, but the manager avoided me. I was close to giving up. I felt like I was the only one struggling hard. I had a pretty good resume, and I always dressed nicely for my interviews, so why couldn' t I get a job? 

Well, the reason is actually right in front of me—I am a student. Companies generally want students who can work all year long, but most of them aren' t willing to be flexible with schedules. I couldn' t tell you how many times interviewers told me that they were looking for someone permanent. 

I tried looking for jobs marked as temporary ones. And I even once tried to apply through a temporary agency. But it didn' t work. Even if I wanted to work during the school year, none of the companies wanted to hire me because of my limited weekday availability. And despite not knowing if I could juggle (尽量兼顾) both school and a job, I even started to tell interviewers that I would like to work during the school year and give up my weekends. But I had no luck. 

I' m not sure if there are others like me out there. But if you are going through something similar, what I want to tell you is to keep on trying. Despite being rejected so many times, I still applied for any job that I was qualified for. I even started my job search before the semester ended to get ahead. Eventually, I got my ideal summer job. 

I know it' s frustrating, and you may feel like you' ve tried everything—that' s how I' ve felt for a long time. And now, with companies requiring years of experience, it' s even harder to get a job if you' re someone like me. But don' t give up. Keep searching and applying, sign up for sites that send you job offers and look on the university' s website for on-campus jobs.