【推荐2】There is no magic method for living longer and better. But a certain character makes getting older a lot more meaningful: having an open mind and heart.

David Starbuck, an archaeologist (考古学家), continues digging up history in New York despite a diagnosis (诊断) of cancer. Last August, a doctor told 70-year-old David Starbuck he had cancer, and that he had only six months to one year to live. David had a ready comeback. “I would prove that the doctor wrong and live for years,” he says. “It's the stubborn (固执的) ones who survive. We, archaeologists, are like that. I live for whatever I will discover next.”

For the past three decades. David has devoted his life to the dig of one of North America's most important eighteenth-century sites. Fort Edward, near Glens Falls, New York. You might think that the archaeologists would be satisfied resting on their laurels. “A lot of archaeologists never want to retire,” he says. “We are programmed toward the love of discovery.” In addition to directing yearly digs at Fort Edward and nearby Rogers Island, David keeps busy writing research reports and laying the groundwork for what he hopes will become a visitor-friendly site at Fort Edward. “Some people have families to live for,” he says. “I live for archaeology.” David has published almost twenty books and been written up in newspapers and magazines.

“Archaeologists are storytellers,” he says. A single small artifact (手工艺品) can tell us about a whole world from the past. “It's no longer abstract history. You are connecting with someone from hundreds of years ago.” Finding and sharing these moments keeps David alive-physically and spiritually. “The best site,” he says, “is always the one you are

【推荐1】Primary and junior-high school students and their parents across the country have seen some changes since the new school year started on September 1. Students have less homework, and their parents no longer need to correct the homework of their children. At the same time, the number of after-school tutoring institutions for primary and junior-high school students is reducing. These changes are the result of national guidelines to ease the burden(负担）of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students during the nine years of compulsory education(义务教育）.Known as the“double reduction”policy(双减政策），the guidelines were issued at the end of July,and took effect this semester.

The policy is an important step in China's boosting of more well-rounded educational practices. In addition to providing compulsory education, China is also working to develop an education system that enables young people to create a moral, intellectual, physical and mental grounding. China's education system had become increasingly exam-oriented(应试教育）in recent decades due to the desire of achieving high scores in high school and the college entrance examinations. In addition, the extracurricular tutoring companies,most of which privately funded, were producing social anxiety in the name of creating a better future for children. Each of these factors contributed to an excessive burden on primary and junior-high school students, and made education a results-oriented tool serving short-term interests, endangering the entire education system and even the mental health of the future generations.

The policy of easing study burden aims to help education recover its essential purpose with schooling as the cornerstone of the system, social education as the supplement and family education as the foundation, so as to better educate high-caliber talents for the country.

The policy may bring back well-rounded education; however, the motivation to receive and offer exam-oriented learning will last as long as exam scores remain the standard for entry to high schools and colleges. There is still a long way to go for China to change fromexam-oriented to well-rounded education.

【推荐2】Google made waves recently by announcing its new program, “Google Career Certificates,” a collection of courses designed to help participants get qualifications in high-paying, high-growth job fields without attending university. The courses take about six months to complete and will cost much less, compared to a traditional college education.

The response was huge. The article has been shared thousands of times and has caused thousands of comments. Most of the feedback has been extremely positive. Those who commented included professionals, employers and especially students who were happy to see an alternative to what many consider a broken educational system — one leaving many burdened with student debt for years while unprepared for the real world. With less time, the program can better equip graduates for the jobs they are seeking with practical and necessary skills.

What Google is offering isn’t exactly new. In some ways, the alternative resembles other traditional types of training like professional education or apprenticeship (学徒制) programs. The difference since Google is a household name, its certificate can be easily recognized and accepted across companies and industries - much like a degree from a major university.

Not all the feedback I received was in praise of Google’s initiative. Many readers expressed concern that not enough employers would value Google’s certificate program. One even described it as money racket (敲诈). So to ensure other companies to follow its lead, Google has established an association for employers to tap into the program and is currently inviting more to join. But still some readers leveled the criticism that there are certain lessons taught in higher education that you simply can’t get in other places.

In the end, I don’t think Google’s program will completely replace college education. But I do think it’s a step in the right direction — a separate path for students who are looking for something different than traditional higher education.

【推荐3】As a parent, you must have a lot of concerns about the various skills you would like your child to get. Music is one of them.     1     On the other hand, it is great for a child’s overall development if he or she has an interest in learning music.

    2     The concentration helps them with their grades. Their learning and communication skills will be better than others of their own age. They also develop lots of confidence and self-esteem.

Another advantage of your child to learn music becomes apparent only at a later stage.     3     It can be very beneficial and many top musicians have a very early exposure to music and connect this with their later success.

You can start when your child is only a baby, by exposing him or her to a wide range of music at home.     4     And you could sustain your child’s interest by having both of you singing together.

Some parents start their children on a musical instrument(乐器) as early as 3 years of age. This is great if the child is having a good time, especially when a child’s brain has a wonderful capacity for mastering new skills. It goes without saying that you should not have to drag your child to lessons. You can be assured that nothing productive will come out of it.     5    

If you start your child on music lessons by the age of 5, taking care to encourage him or her and not to push him or her, your child will grow up into an accomplished adult with a well-rounded personality.

【推荐2】“I WANT A MOUSE!” said my grandma. She was 80 years old and sounded quite determined. She was a very enthusiastic reader. In her later years, she had to deal with the language of the digital age. I can only imagine her bitterness at constantly meeting the sentence, “Find more information at the click of a mouse.” And so now you understand why my grandma wanted a mouse.

According to the WHO, the number of people over 60 years will nearly double between 2015 and 2050. We live in glorious times of fast-changing technology. It seems as if we have a million passwords to remember, and a lot of settings to navigate. People who lose some memory ability as they grow older may be disadvantaged. Digital citizenship is a real skill. Mobile apps are like an appendage (附属品) to everything we do. Even our basic needs can be met at the click of a button. This is a real struggle for old folks who did not grow up glued to their screens!

I am sure grandma would say, “At the click of a button, I wish to call, read and watch — without having to spend so much time navigating.” Phone manufacturers and mobile app developers, of course, should take note. It will be of great help to the older people if the settings are more self-explanatory, with few fancy technical terms that require a separate dictionary to understand.

My grandma’s trouble might bring back some memories for you. Remember when you had your grandparents take you on a long winding walk, stopping at every flower, butterfly or an ant under a rock, and patiently listening to your countless questions along the way. They gave you the gift of their patience and time in your curious, exploratory childhood. Now it might be time for you to give them the gift of a little time and patience in return as they click and navigate to where they want to go in a digital world. It’s the old folks’ turn to ask the questions.

【推荐3】To be honest. I’ve been missing the online shopping experience in China since I moved to the US four years ago. So when I noticed Shein becoming mainstream in the US over the past few years, I though, Great! I finally have a Taohao replacement! So I went on my first Shein journey in August 2022.

But somewhere along the way, I started questioning why I enjoy this particular kind of shopping, and also what it means for an e-commerce platform to offer endless deals.

To be fair, there are Shein purchases that I’ve really enjoyed, like a $2 nylon watchband that feels better than my original Apple Watch band. I also think people should be able to choose quantity and price over quality, because the idea of demanding that people only buy premium products feels unrealistic.

But as it turns out, I’ve finally started to see through the illusion (错觉) of Shein-like platforms. To get these occasional incredible deals, you are encouraged to shop much more than is necessary or even reasonable. This illusion has worked for a long time and for a lot of people, including me! But it’s become harder and harder to ignore the environmental consequences of my purchases, and the ways in which platforms trick people into buying more and more.

And I don’t think I’m the only one experiencing that awakening. Broadly speaking, I think society is slowly but surely shifting toward recognizing the climate impact of mass-produced cheap goods. While these conversations have yet to happen as widely and furiously in China, companies like Taobao and Shein will inevitably have to answer the question of whether their business model is sustainable for everyone—or only for themselves. So where are they beading from here? There’s certainly a lot of soul-searching for the industry to do.

And I’m doing some soul-searching of my own.