4 . What color of wearing do you like? Do you know “dopamine dressing (多巴胺穿搭)”? It’s one of the most talked about fashion trends (时尚趋势) for 2023. However, is there any science behind this?

“Dopamine dressing” came out from the book Dress Your Best Life. American fashion psychologist (心理学家), Dawnn Karen wrote this book in 2020. In the book, dopamine dressing is about wearing colorful clothing to get more dopamine.

Dopamine is a chemical in our brain. This kind of chemical makes people feel good. Our brain gives it out when we eat delicious food, play with our pets, listen to our favorite songs, after we exercise or when we win a game.

According to Science Focus Magazine, there are studies that show a relationship between the colors of the clothes we wear and how we act and feel. One study found that wearing red can bring better physical performance. It also showed bright colors can make people feel active. One more study showed that wearing green can help people relax because it is the color of nature. Yellow, the color of summer and warmth, can bring people happiness. But there are some problems with these studies, as people from different cultures have different ideas about dressing and colors.

In a word, “dopamine dressing” shows that we can wear colorful clothes to get more dopamine and feel good. Dressing is more than just a trend. It’s also a way of showing ourselves. So, next time you’re getting dressed, think about which colors will bring out your best self.

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5 . Harbin, located in northeastern China, is known for its freezing cold winters and fantastic ice sculptures (雕塑). Over the years, the city has changed itself into a popular tourist destination (目的地), attracting visitors from all over the world to its Ice and Snow Festival.

According to He Jing, the director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Harbin’s popularity is not just a coincidence (巧合), but the result of a year of careful preparation. Since the beginning of 2023, the city has been developing plans to improve the tourism industry and attract attention from various social media platforms (平台). She said, “We put ourselves in the shoes of tourists. We pay special attention to the comments (评论) under social media platforms. Whatever the tourists complain about, we take action to improve at once.”

To “rescue” tourists who are not used to cold weather, Harbin has set up many heated places for them and provides free hot drinks. Local frozen pears are cut into flower shapes for tourists. The city even placed a large artificial (人工的) moon above the Saint Sophia Church for tourists to take photos. He Jing said, “We want to make visitors feel comfortable and respected.”

Touched by these “small details”, tourists share their heartwarming moments online, attracting more tourists to the city. This winter, Harbin received over 3 million tourists, generating 5.9 billion RMB. Hope more visitors will experience the city’s charm and warmth.

The drum has existed in Chinese civilization for thousands of years and has a deep spiritual meaning which is more than a kind of musical instrument. Confucius regarded the “Drum Dance” highly. It is also the origin of the Chinese phrase “guwu” which means “embolden” (大胆) in English.

The drum was mentioned in Chinese history in the Pottery Age. The Zhou dynasty set up the drum music institution that was responsible (负责的) for the management of officers known as “drum men” and developed a complete drum music system. From then on, drums came to be used in ancient Chinese practices such as sacrifice (祭祀), military (军事), labor (劳动) and other activities.

In ancient China, agriculture was the main form of production and drums were considered indispensable (不可或缺的) for a good harvest. Since the sound of drums echoes that of thunder, it was believed that playing drums could attract rain. So the instrument was used to pray for good weather and to “communicate” with them.

Drums also played a part in the war. Because of a strong resonance effect (共振作用), the drum’s sound could go very far while increasing fear in the heart of the enemies. So the drum was used as a military booster for a long time.

In the Tang and Song dynasties, the society was developing fast and drums were widely used. The national band, drama, folk art, song and dance, boat racing, lion dance, festival gathering and labor competition were all together with the beats of drums. The sound of drums became synonymous (同义的) with celebrations, filling hearts with joy.

Different types of Chinese drums exist today. For example, “Taiping Drum” is used to express hope for peace and prosperity while “Ansai Waist Drum” is meant to show the spirit of the Loess Plateau (黄土高原) and the heroic character of farmers in Northwest China. Kaifeng has “Pan Drum”, and Luochuan of Shaanxi Province is known for its “Bie Drum”.There are also some cheerful and time-honored drum dances such as “Fengyang Flower Drum” in Anhui Province and “Fishing Basket Flower Drum” in Jiangsu Province.

In a word, drum culture reflects (反映) the stability (安定) and prosperity (繁荣) of Chinese society. For thousands of years, Chinese people have always been expecting peace and satisfaction.

9 . Roger Federer, a world-famous sports star, quit (放弃) the 2020 Olympic Games to deal with his knee problem. It was a hard decision because no one wanted to be a quitter. But finding the courage to let go can be good for you.

Nothing is fun all the time. Never giving up doing something difficult teaches us important skills like perseverance. However, learning to let go when things aren’t right is important too. Maybe your heart isn’t in playing the piano any more, or you only play football because your friends do and you want to try a different sport instead. Making the decision to walk away can make you have more free time and energy to spend on something you really enjoy. In fact, studies show that not paying much attention to the goals you can’t reach or don’t really want can build up your confidence and help you lead a happier and healthier life.

But how can you know it’s time to stop or move on? Eric Bean is an expert in sports psychology (心理学) who helps athletes and teams understand their feelings. He says, “Quitting is never a matter of black and white.” He suggests thinking carefully about why you aren’t enjoying something any more. Is it because you’ve argued with a teammate or can’t get on with a new art teacher? Talk about this with an adult or a friend who you trust. That can help you decide whether you should stick or quit.

Quitting doesn’t completely mean giving up, though. For example, playing an instrument might be more fun if you want to take away the pressure of exams. If you decide to give up an activity, Bean suggests picking up another where you can still enjoy things like teamwork, creativity, and exercise.

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When ChatGPT came out, Olivia Lipkin, a copywriter in San Francisco, found herself with less and less work to do. Last April, she was fired with no explanation. She realized the reason when hearing managers talking about how using ChatGPT was at a lower cost than having a human writer. Eric Fein had worked in a writing company for ten years. He became jobless last March because of ChatGPT. He said to his boss that ChatGPT couldn’t write with his level of creativity. His boss said he understood, but he would have to pay more to Fein than using ChatGPT.

AI systems like ChatGPT could replace (替代)hundreds of millions of jobs in the future. And for those who write social media posts and ads, the effect is already here. However, experts say that even the best AI systems can’t match the writing skills of a human. It doesn’t have a personal voice or style. Besides, it often gives the wrong answers.

Indeed, companies that have replaced human workers with ChatGPT have run into trouble. CNET, a technology news site, once used Al systems to write articles. The results, however, were full of mistakes. And the U.S. National Eating Disorders Company once replaced its helpline workers with robots. But it had to stop using the technology after the robots gave people harmful advice.

After being replaced by ChatGPT, Fein and Lipkin didn’t give up. Fein has decided to be an air-conditioning technician(技师), a job that AI can’t do. And Lipkin now works as a dog walker. She says, “People are looking for the cheapest solution, and that’s not a person-it’s a robot.”