【推荐1】Several decades ago, educators in the USA began to call attention to a national problem: most students leave American schools without the mathematical skills needed for jobs or for higher education. This was especially true for female and minority students. The Educational Testing Service reported that, in an international survey, American teenagers had the lowest math scores.

This situation has been defined as “innumeracy”, or the inability to grasp the basic idea of mathematics. Mathematicians, teachers, and scientists were alarmed by these findings. They looked for the reasons and decided that, in addition to poor education, there are many psychological blocks.

Embarrassment about not knowing math can lead to fear in the classroom. Fear can lead to silence because students do not want to draw attention to their lack of knowledge. As a result, those students fall further and further behind. Low visibility in the classroom has not always been recognized as a silent call for help.

Math educators decided to try to change that. Math reform is beginning with the educators themselves. Teachers are now being trained to recognize and to help students work through “math anxiety” — the roadblock on their way to gaining competence in mathematics. In addition, math textbooks are being updated to help students understand that math is not a sort of foreign language of numbers. Math is a tool that helps us to analyze patterns and structures, and to discover relationships.

Traditional computing skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are still being taught, of course. However, there is added emphasis on logical thinking and creative problem­solving, to which there may be several equally valid solutions.

【推荐2】There are many things we remember from our childhood—the games we played, the music we listened to, but what about earning pocket money? This was our first ever wage for completing tasks such as tidying our bedroom or sorting the laundry. Our reward was a handful of coins that we safely hid away. But now, it seems parents’ attitude to handing out cash is changing.

There was a time when cash was king—it was the main currency for financial deals. These days, though, using credit or debit cards, or making contactless payments, are the most convenient ways of paying. So where does that leave handing over pocket money? Research has found that 84% of British parents currently give notes and coins to their children— typically an allowance of £7 a week.

But banks predict that by 2028 only one in ten deals will be with cash, and that is something that today’s children will have to deal with. One particular issue is that children may not understand the value of cash because they never see it. Parents face difficult choices too— finding a new way to transfer pocket money, or maybe not bothering to pay it at all.

Giving children lessons about finance at school is important. Children should be provided with financial literacy at an early age. That is vital to ensure proper money management skills later in life, such as setting a realistic budget, responsibly managing credit and debt, saving for unexpected expenses. The UK’s Money and Pensions Service advises parents to get children started with money as young as possible. Sarah Porretta from the service told the BBC that for parents who no longer carry cash, “The trick is to go and get some cash, just so your children have the opportunity to interact with them. Talk about what you are doing with money. If you are paying with a card or with a phone, talk to children about that and link it back to those coins they have handled.”

But, of course, many of the goods that young people want to buy—such as add-ons for a computer game—only allow digital deals. This has led to a number of apps being set up that allow children to track and spend their hard-earned pocket money and parents to transfer money electronically and monitor their child’s spending. Banks also suggest setting up accounts for older children which gives them a cash card to use. But whatever method a parent chooses to adopt, they need to teach their kids that money doesn’t grow on trees!

【推荐3】Because of the financial crisis in the US and UK, college students are beginning to struggle to find ways to pay their tuition fees and accommodations.

Recently, two major US student loan (贷款) lenders, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase, announced they were leaving the student loan industry altogether. Because banks currently have a lack of credit, they are reluctant to offer students low-interest loans that need a several-year wait for any return of interest.

In the US, many undergraduates fill up their financial needs with a private loan, although the majority can get government-funded loans. In the 2015-2016 academic year, $ 17 billion in private student loans was used to finance higher education. The lack of private funding has yet to be covered and will hit many US students hard.

Across the Atlantic, UK students have been less troubled by the crisis. Most undergraduates in the UK cover their university expenses with government-funded loans and grants. Their biggest concern is a sudden increase in student rent.

Most young professionals now rent houses, since 80 percent of UK mortgage schemes (按揭计划) have disappeared—a direct result of the credit crisis. This has boosted the house rent market.

In large cities, UK students are paying almost 6.5 percent more in rent than the previous year. Figures from the UK organization Accommodation for Student show students in big cities such as London paying an average weekly rent of $ 203.

Yet, despite students’ suffering, the number of this year’s university applications is expected to grow. During economic slumps, people regard further education as a way to survive tough job market.

【推荐1】We all love to take photographs. It's a simple way to snap a special moment, an amazing view, or just to show off your artistic skills. And it's great to look back through your photo albums and share memories with your friends. In fact, they show a snapshot（快照）in time. This hasn't really changed since the invention of photography in the 1830s. But one thing that has changed is the equipment we use.

For many years, we have used traditional cameras to take our pictures with. Our images were taken onto camera film which was then processed into negatives from which photos were printed— a lengthy process. And we've had a range of cameras to choose from— from the simple compact camera to more advanced single lens reflex, or SLR cameras.

But the biggest change has come with the development of digital devices. This has made taking photo quicker and easier. It's enabled us to take a snap and review our pictures instantly. We've been able to deal with them in post-production, using software on our computer. And of course, we've been able to share them like never before— particularly on social media.

Of course, now we have the smartphone— a phone that is, well, smart because it can take photos and sometimes very good quality ones, and we can share them easily. So does that mean the traditional camera will eventually become outdated? Figures from Japan show how the market is shrinking: shipments of compact digital cameras from companies like Olympus, Canon and Nikon were down 39 percent year on year.

But Phil Hall, editor of Tech Radar magazine, told the BBC that while people are swapping their compact cameras for smartphones, "manufacturers are looking at the more higher-end cameras, high-end compacts, DSLRs, which are the ones you can attach lenses to, mirrorless cameras. In this sense, there's nothing to worry about."

【推荐2】I was in the garden with Augie, my grandson, watching the bees. “How do they make honey?” Augie asked. “Actually, Augie, I don’t know,” I replied. “But, Grandmom, you have your phone,” he said. For Augie, holding a smartphone almost means knowing everything.

During my childhood I was crazy about a powerful device（设备）that transports the user to an alternate reality. I spent most of my waking hours on it, unaware of the world around me. The device was, of course, the book. Over time, reading hijacked（控制）my brain, as large areas once processing the real world adapted to processing the printed word. As far as I can tell, this early immersion（沉浸）didn’t prevent my development, but it did leave me with some illusions（幻想）– my idea of romantic love surely came from novels.

Many parents worry that “screen time” will damage children’s development, but recent research suggests that most of the common fears about children and screens are unfounded. There is one exception: looking at screens before bed really disturbs sleep, in people of all ages. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) used to recommend strict restrictions（限制）on screen exposure（暴露）. Last year, the organization examined the relevant science more thoroughly and changed its recommendations. The new guidelines emphasize that what matters is content and context, what children watch and with whom.

New tools have always led to panicky（紧张不安的）guesses. The novel, the telephone, and the television were all declared to be the End of Civilization, particularly in the hands of the young. Part of the reason may be that adult brains require a lot of focus and effort to learn something new, while children’s brains are designed to master new environments naturally. New technologies always seem disturbing to the adults attempting to master them, and transparent and obvious – not really technology at all – to those children like Augie.

When Augie’s father got home, Augie rushed to meet him and said in excitement. “Daddy, Daddy, look,” he said, reaching for my phone. “Do you know how bees make honey? I’ll show you…”

【推荐3】There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us tide through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.

How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.

I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?

Laughing is essential to keeping your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.