【推荐1】One recent night， while I was leafing through its pages of an old journal， my eyes met a quote by the British writer Graham Greene that I had marked， “A prejudice had something in common with an ideal.”In other words， ideals—general descriptions of people's expectations of themselves and others—can often lead us to unreasonable ideas.It got me thinking about how we often allow ourselves to generalize about groups of people.We like to stereotype people by the color of their skin， the year of their birth or any other related factors.

I grew up in a multi-racial corner of America.The different groups were often subject to narrow stereotypes：Jewish people were“greedy”， Mexicans were“poorly educated”， and Asians were“good at math”.These labels were taught to us from a young age.They wormed their way into our belief systems， harming how we came to see others.It made me sad growing up to see people repeat these stereotypes as if they were true.The rush-to judgment of people breeds a culture of discrimination.

You can also see these over-generalized descriptions being made against today's Chinese people.Whether it be a lack of interest or worry among mile millennial being described as “monkish”， or“dad-fashion”which has given the“greasy middle-aged men”tag.stereotypes always seem to gain a foothold in the consciousness of our society.But these generalizations do real harm as these myths may become part of the wider population.

It's about time that we， as a society， walked away from generalizations and stereotypes.I leave you with the words of Martin Luther King Jr.from his famous“I Have a Dream”speech：“T look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin， but by the content of their character.”By reserving judgment and really getting to know the individual you might just find your irrational ideas have no foundation.

【推荐2】Strange it may sound, this is a true story about a lesson of honesty happening between a lucky thief and a worthy professor.

Once a thief won a lottery ticket but left it at his crime(犯罪) scene when he stole a suitcase from a professor. To his great surprise, his victim, who picked up the ticket and took the prize money of ￡25 000, managed to get in touch with him in order to return him the case. The robbery took place when John Smith, a math professor was changing a tyre on the motorway. The thief happened to pass by. He appeared to be a warm-hearted guy and stopped “to help”. When the professor found his suitcase in the car missing, the thief had driven off as fast as he could. The professor picked up the dropped ticket on the floor and put it in his pocket before driving home.

John Smith didn’t realize it was a winner until he knew the lottery results on TV. He got the prize money and began a battle with himself silently in his heart. At last,he decided not to keep the money although he just had been robbed of his suitcase by the owner of the ticket. He set out to advertise in newspapers and on radio for finding the owner, “ Don’t be surprised that I’m trying to find the man who robbed me in order to returned him the ￡25 000—a lottery win. Please meet me without telling me your real name if you don’t want to. ”.

Later John received tens of hundreds of calls from people around the country trying to trick him into handing them the cash. But he didn’t arrange to meet the right person in the park until he recognized the voice. The robber, was moved into tears when he returned the suitcase. “Why didn’t you keep the money? ”he asked, not believing what was happening. The honest professor replied simply, “Because it’s not mine.” With these words, he walked off,spurning the thief’s offer of a reward.

【推荐3】What do you want to be when you grow up? My answer has always been a vet.

We didn’t have pets growing up because my mother was scared of animals. She passed on some of this fear to me. It’s not common you find someone who’s scared of animals but wants to be a vet. Still, I knew this is what I wanted.

Vet school was nothing like I had imagined. Within the first few weeks, any fears I had about being a vet vanished (消失). In the fourth year, we were introduced to surgery. I loved it. Stitching (缝) wounds was like a satisfying game of Tetris (俄罗斯方块), where all the pieces fit beautifully together to make something broken whole again. It solidified my belief that this was the right fit for me.

These were the most challenging and rewarding two years of my life, and before I knew it, they were over. I was officially a veterinary surgeon (兽医). Surprisingly, I felt empty after I finished. Why wasn’t I excited to move on? I had completely forgotten to think about what comes next. I panicked! I felt as if I had spent the last decade of my life writing exams and working crazy hours only to come out on the other side, completely clueless.

There were so many options to choose from. I could start a clinic, work at another practice or even pursue further studies. It was my father who suggested I travel to gain some perspective. I hesitantly decided to spend some time in New Zealand with my aunt who also happens to be a vet.

New Zealand was beautiful! I finally had a chance to think about what I wanted. One of the vets there allowed me to observe their practice. Working with vet nurses really stood out for me. We don’t have vet nurses in India! It is a blessing (幸事) to have such experienced and dedicated individuals as a part of your support system. After a whole year of what felt like aimless wandering (徘徊), this experience helped me decide I wanted to work overseas.

So, to all the other confused vets out there who haven’t figured things out: It’s completely okay to feel confused and lost! Most people feel the same way at some point in their careers. Don’t be afraid to try new things even if you feel difficult or impossible.

【推荐1】My phone is no longer mine. Has this happened to anyone else? Perhaps this was how my own mother felt when she picked up the wall-mounted (固定在墙上的) phone that could reach any room in the house, only to hear my voice chatting with my friend. Remember those days when we all shared one home phone? As a child, I would frequently visit a friend whose mother lived on her phone. I would wait and wait to make a call to my parents to ask for a ride home. Sadly, even though I am now a woman who is far closer to 40 than to 30 , I am still waiting to use the phone.

My husband and I are Generation Xers, fighting our way through a world filled with TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter. We've tried to search through the latest parenting advice from experts and medical research available on the use of screens by young children. Finally, we agreed that 13 was the best age for our children to gain access to these technological wonders.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The world changed, and so did my phone. While during the lockdown, my phone acquired Zoom, Marco Polo and countless other apps that allowed my children to connect with their friends. All of our family, my husband and I included, were longing for meaningful connections with friends. So I arranged Zoom meetings for my kids, and then my phone began to disappear for hours as they shared Marco Polo videos back and forth with their friends.

Even though I'm frequently annoyed because my phone has walked off again, my heart is ultimately full. My kids and I are sharing. We're learning to co-exist, to set boundaries, and to think of each other first. Because of my phone, I'm involved in my kids "lives, I know their friends, their habits, their favorite apps and photos they have taken. Sharing my phone may be difficult, but it's rewarding; it builds another layer of connection between us.

Practical tips to stay fit for Spring Festival

The Spring Festival is here and lots of people may not only ruin their usual diets, but also gain a few extra pounds.    1    . Excessive eating is claimed to be the main cause for the additional weight gain, but it is also due to lack of physical activity and exercise. A lot of individuals out there tend to set aside their fitness routines during the holidays since they believe that they do not have enough time to perform their workouts. And because they feel guilty after   the holiday season,   most   of   the   gyms   and   fitness   centers   are   packed   with   fresh   members.     2    . Here are several useful tips that might help you.

Eat before heading out. It is best that you eat something before heading out to visits, trips or family dinners. You will no longer be tempted to eat a lot or overindulge yourself since you have already eaten.

Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast! Even though it can be tempting to skip on certain meals, believing that it will make up for the treats you consumed in the previous day, don’t do it because it will only lead to counterproductive results.

    3    . Alcohol, coke or other juices will only add more calories to the ones you already ate!

Make the holidays a family affair. Plan outdoor activities where everyone is involved. Even a tour at the shopping mall will burn a lot of calories and keep the children entertained.

You’d better distribute your meals evenly throughout the day, and do not eat everything at once.     4    . Eat your dinner earlier and have a nice walk before going to bed.

These tips will help you avoid gaining weight during the holiday, and will also allow you to enjoy yourself and have a great time with your loved ones. So there you go!