1. Nathan Short, a sixth-form student at Pittville Community School in Cheltenham, will leave school far behind by next

1. Nathan Short, a sixth-form student at Pittville Community School in Cheltenham, will leave school far behind by next August. During the coming summer, he won’t be hanging out with his friends in town. Instead, he will be camping in a tent 5,000 meters up Mount Everest. By then, his body will have adapted to the freezing temperatures and high altitude, and his team will be waiting for the right time to start climbing to the mountain’s summit. If everything goes well, Nathan and five friends will then attempt to reach the top of Mount Everest. The weather on Everest is unpredictable, so they may have to wait for weeks before attempting the climb or could start in July − it’s uncertain. However, Nathan is fairly sure that by the end of August, they will reach the mountain’s summit or fail. One thing is for sure: everyone in Cheltenham will closely follow his journey.

2. Did you know that people perceive colors differently? Some individuals, known as tetrachromats, can see more colors than the average person, while others, called bichromats, see fewer colors. This is significant because colors can influence how you feel and behave.

If a boy in your class wears pink jeans to school tomorrow, it will likely surprise you. You probably won’t have your next lesson in a red classroom either. Our emotional response to colors depends on our individual identities and cultural backgrounds. For example, many cultures dress little girls in pink and little boys in blue, which influences our preferences or aversions to these colors as adults. Additionally, the significance of colors can vary across different regions, with red symbolizing ‘danger’ in Europe and ‘good luck’ in China.

Artists understand that paintings with warm reds and yellows tend to sell better than those with cool greens and blues because warm colors evoke excitement and can be stimulating. On the other hand, blue, often seen as a cool color, helps us relax, while yellow tends to make people feel happier and may even facilitate a speedier recovery, which is why hospital walls often feature warm, yellow hues.

When choosing a football shirt, consider that players in red shirts tend to feel more confident and perform better than those in blue shirts, according to a recent documentary. Professional athletes also tend to give higher ratings to players wearing red jerseys.

Not all animals can perceive colors, but humans, monkeys, and birds can do so quite well. This ability may be linked to our shared dietary preference for fruit, as ripe fruits often change color, signaling their readiness to eat.

3. Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your recent email and the photos you sent. I’ve never had the chance to try BMXing or gymnastics, but they both sound like a lot of fun! My favorite hobby is surfing. It can be challenging at first, but being outdoors on a sunny day is fantastic.

Starting out with surfing can be a bit scary, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing, but it gets easier with practice. There are surfing clubs along the coast, and I really enjoy it. I’m also quite into fitness, so at school, I’m part of the gymnastics club. We use the weights room once a week during lunchtime, and I usually go for a run once or twice a week after school.

By the way, please send me some pictures of your new BMX bike. I enjoyed seeing the pictures of your house. You’re lucky to have a solar-heated swimming pool in your garden. We have one in our village as well, but ours is quite small and not as relaxing since it’s near the main road.

Best regards,
Radmilla