【推荐1】A recent study from a team of South Korean researchers suggests that eating alone often may lead to poor eating habits and poor food choices. Specifically, the study found that men who ate alone more than twice a week had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and other diseases.

For children, eating with their families is not only about preventing bad results—it is also about developing good ones.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at data from nearly three-quarters of the world’s countries. Among its findings was the fact that students who shared a main meal with families were less likely to skip school(逃学). Children who eat a main meal with their families are also less likely to use drugs and alcohol(吸毒酗酒).

In the report, named “The Importance of Family Dinners”, researchers say that “teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say their parents know a lot about what’s going on in their lives”. They also say that when teens say they feel closer to their parents, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Another study from the University of Montreal found that children who ate with their families experience long-term physical and mental health benefits(好处). These children were physically in better shape and drank fewer sugary soft drinks. These children also seemed to have better social skills and they were less aggressive(好斗的).

Professor Linda Pagani says that mealtimes shared with parents “likely provide young children with first-hand social communication, discussions of social events and day-to-day matters”. She adds that they may likely help the child have better communication skills with others.

【推荐2】One of my earliest memories was watching my mum talk on our old phone. I was fascinated (着迷的) that she could talk to someone who wasn’t actually in the room with her.     1    I was wondering how she managed to talk with someone she couldn’t see.

    2     Later, we had mobile phones that could be carried around the room. Then came computers and smart-phones. These days I can send an e-mail around the world in a second. My daughter’s smartphone has a hundred apps and a dozen social media accounts. She stores all of her information in a mysterious place known as “the cloud”, where she can take it out at any time. It seems that we are more connected in this world than ever before.

However, what bothers me is that we rarely associate with (来往) each other nowadays.     3    Instead of looking into the eyes of our loved ones, we stare at our screens. It seems as if the most connected generations are also the loneliest.

Don’t let technology take our time and ruin our life. Make time to meet, to pray and to communicate with each other. Take a walk on the beach with a friend. Have a long conversation with the phones off and the hearts on.     4    

Remember that we are here to love each other, help each other and make this world a better place.     5    But when it can’t, turn it off.

【推荐3】We often hear such statements “I spilled juice, but it wasn’t my fault.”, “I got in trouble at school, but it wasn’t my fault.” Or “I was in a car accident, but it wasn’t my fault.” That “It’s not my fault.” is a go-to response for so many people and especially teenagers.

Parents complain they are tired of the “excuse”. The reason why variations(变体) of “It’s not my fault.” are so popular is that it lets us off the hook from guilt and blame. I’m a fan of not owning responsibility for things that I can’t control. Teens who often say “It’s my fault.” when something bad happens tend to be highly self-critical, perfectionistic and more easier to be troubled by anxiety and depression.

While it is important to recognize a lack of reason to blame oneself, many teens over-rely on “It’s not my fault.” When trying to get them to take responsibility, parents usually attempt to convince their teens that something is their fault. The approach tends to be ineffective and turn into a power struggle. No one wins. A more effective approach can be to stress significant drawbacks to consistently focusing on removing our responsibility with this phrase.

Overuse of the phrase can result in feelings of lack of ability to control their own lives. This sense has been shown to cause low motivation. Besides creating feelings of lack of ability, overuse of “It’s not my fault.” focuses a teen’s attention on what is done as opposed to what needs to be done.

People may not have caused all their problems, but they have to solve them anyway. The example I frequently share with teens is the question of what one will do if he is pushed into a deep lake. One can certainly stay in water, yelling, “It’s not my fault.” However, that won’t get him out of water. He needs to swim to the shore, regardless of the fault.

If you take a proper approach to communicating with your teens, you can help them avoid over-reliance on “It’s not my fault.”.

【推荐2】Female journalists who changed the world

Helen Thomas

Helen was a White House reporter who had a front row seat of history as she interviewed ten American presidents across her career. She was praised for her cruel drive, with one White House press secretary describing her questioning as torture(拷问). Her refusal to hide her strong opinions, even when asking questions to a president, made her one of the best-known journalists in Washington and a rule in her field.

Marie Colvin

The passionate and award-winning American journalist Marie Colvin worked as a foreign reporter at The Sunday Times from 1985 until she died in February 2012, while covering the Siege of Homs(霍姆斯的围攻) in Syria. Marie crossed into Syria on the back of a motorcycle, ignoring the Syrian government’s attempt to prevent foreign journalists from entering the country.

Mary Garber

In 1946, sports journalism was a man's job where female sports writers weren't allowed to enter press boxes. Mary Garber changed that by paving the way for female sports writers. She first covered high school sports and then reported on college athletics. In June 2005, she became the first woman to receive the Associated Press Sports Editors' Red Smith Award, presented annually since 1981 for major contributions to sports journalism.

Ann Leslie

Few reporters have filed stories from more than 70 countries, but British journalist Ann Leslie is considered a unique force in journalism. Because the 73-year-old woman has witnessed and reported on some of the most significant events of the late 20th century. She was there when the Berlin Wall came down, and she lost her shoes in the crush waiting for Nelson Mandela's release.