1 . The hustle and bustle(喧嚣)of life, walking back and forth from the ideal to reality, and the inner confusion hidden behind a social mask-these daily experiences are recorded by Chinese youths in lines of poetry online. Recently, 124 Bilibili internet users shared their works in a poem collection.

One blogger on Xiaohongshu who goes by the nickname Gehuaren is one such poetry lover. The twenty-something girl not only writes poems as a form of entertainment in her spare time, but also improvises(即兴创作)poems for others at night markets in Yunnan. As a street-stall poet, Gehuaren often writes pieces of poetry quickly based on themes from customers. Once the poem has been completed, she refuses to change her work because she feels her poems reflect her first reaction. For her, everything in the world, no matter trivial or significant, can serve as her poetic inspiration. “A glass, a tree in the dawn or a person who once talked with me…these all could become themes for my poems,” said Gehuaren.

With free writing with a regular rhythm and broad themes, her poems strike a chord with many young people online, helping her gain over 190, 000 followers. Many have made comments “I feel healed by your poems because I can find beauty from unnoticeable things and in turn, slow down to reflect on my life.”

Apart from poetry, various means such as vlogging and photosharing can be used to record moments of daily life. But young people consider poetry to be the best way to express them. “Taking photos or vlogging can just show the object or emotions in real life. Yet poetry, which can be used to excite the imagination, shows the beauty of daily life, ”an 18-year-old said. So when he is inspired by the beauty of daily life, the boy writes it down into lines of poetry and then shares them with his friends on his WeChat Moments.

No matter why young people write their unique brand of poems, they are attempting to take every moment in lives seriously, face their lives bravely and actively express themselves.

3 . Someday, you may no longer need to brush your teeth by hand. Instead, billions of nanoparticles(纳米颗粒)could automatically do all that work for you. The nanoparticles are very tiny. Magnets(磁铁)can make them move. If you set up a magnet in just the right way, says Ed Steager, “You can arrange them into any shape you want.”

Steager is an engineer at the University of Pennsylvania. Together, he and his colleague Hyun Koo found a way to form the nanoparticles into long, skinny bristles(鬃毛), a lot like the ones on a toothbrush. But these bristles shape-shift to fit whatever surface they encounter. They can even squeeze between teeth.

The scientists tested the robotic bristles in the lab. But the device isn’t yet ready for people to use. The magnets and nanoparticles will need to fit comfortably and safely inside a person’s mouth. The researchers are working with a company to accomplish this safely and effectively. But if these inventors can perfect the device, a lot of people will benefit, especially the disabled.

The tooth-cleaning robot works thanks to two magnets. One goes on each side of the teeth. The nanoparticles sit in a water-based solution between the magnets. All of this may fit into something the size and shape of a mouthguard, though the researchers haven’t settled on a design for the device yet.

As a bonus, the nanoparticles also kill those harmful bacteria in the mouth. The water-based liquid that holds them contains a substance commonly added to toothpaste(牙膏)and mouthwash. It kills some bacteria on its own. But when these nanoparticles react with it, powerful germ-killing substances get created.

The new device is just a proof of a notion. The researchers still need to turn it into a product that people will want to use. It must fit comfortably and safely in people’s mouths. It can’t draw too much power or cost too much. “There’s a lot of engineering to get from here to there,” says Steager. But, as Melo says, “every good idea needs to have a start.”

4 . The Negative Impacts of Volunteer Tourism

Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an increasingly popular form of altruistic travel. Its appeal lies in being an experience that allows visitors to feel good by being a part of some kind of meaningful change. But despite good intentions from participants, volunteering abroad has been the target of heavy criticism over the past few years.

Voluntourists only have a limited amount of time, and the ability to change the systems and provide support for the places they visit. Being volunteers, they also simply don’t have the skills to do so. And they can sometimes inadvertently perpetuate unhelpful and even patronizing(自视高人一等的)ideas about the places they visit. A number of studies have shown that volunteer tourism can have negative impacts, ___________benefiting the local communities.

*Unskilled labor creates more work

Previously, volunteering opportunities were often___________to skilled professionals, but this is not the___________of volunteer tourism. Anyone can become a voluntourist, which brings a series of problems. Though___________, they are often unskilled, especially when it comes to work such as construction and digging. This can often lead to locals being forced to take on the added responsibility for rebuilding homes and schools that would have been___________inadequate.

*Volunteers take local jobs

In the meantime, this takes jobs away from locals who would have been paid to do the same work. It also prevents them from learning or being taught the skills that could then be used to___________the community. As a famous proverb says, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” The time and efforts of volunteers could be better___________making local communities more economically independent and self-sufficient, allowing them to improve___________even after they depart.

*There is no long-term commitment

Lots of communities do need the help and assistance of volunteers, but what are they able to address in the few short weeks of their “___________”? Most places tend to benefit more from long-term engagement, and often the largest number of meaningful volunteers come from the communities themselves, rather than from____________eager to fix things. While short-term volunteers can do a lot of good, it is often so only when they have skills and training that____________the specific needs, such as medical aid, construction, conservation, teaching, or even religious work; as well as having experience doing the required work and with different cultures.

* There is a lot of focus on__________the volunteer

Voluntourism tends to place a lot of emphasis on the volunteers, sometimes even at the expense of the community they are looking to help. Travel companies attract individuals with promises of____________but immediately-rewarding experiences. This, in turn, can lead to large numbers of volunteers who, instead of helping create a change, can actually____________local communities from becoming more economically independent due to their very presence.

What Can We Do Instead?

Short-term volunteers, especially students, also need to be given the opportunity to explore various different cultures and destinations. But they should take the time to learn about the socio-cultural backgrounds of the places they visit. Short-term placements thus become more about experiences and____________exchange, where they may gain knowledge and respect other cultures, rather than go on trips that “help the poor”.

This kind of cross-cultural engagement can do a lot of good in a world that is increasingly leaning towards violence and xenophobia.

5 . In the city of Lyon, hundreds of the world’s finest chefs gathered on 26 January for the funeral of Paul Bocuse, the man credited with the creation of innovative cuisine (菜肴). Meanwhile, in branches of the Intermarche supermarket across France, shoppers were _________to get hold of one-kilogram jars of Nutella, on special offer at just €1.41, down from about €4.50. One branch shifted 400 jars in 21 minutes. Videos showed shoppers stuffing jars of Nutella into bags. Some customers came the night before the promotion to _________the Nutella pots in other places in order to prevent them from being taken. Shoppers broke items in their _________ for the treat.

Thus, a dirty secret is uncovered: France has fallen in love with cheap, fast food. It’s tempting to think that perhaps France should _________its bright self-image along with the master.

McDonald’s, the leader of all things unpalatable (令人讨厌的) yet delicious, opened its first branch in France in 1972, but it operated so badly that the company _________from the country soon. In 1979, McDonald’s returned and succeeded by going _________, which extended far beyond renaming its food. It _________identified the French preference for eating at table or in family and made sure the environment of its outlets was the same to comfort as to speed. Since then, France has grown to become McDonald’s most profitable market outside the US, with more than 1, 400 branches at the end of 2016. Burger King, _________, came in waving stars and stripes high and left with its tail between its legs in 1997 though it returned in 2012 with a far more _________strategy. None of this has gone exactly unnoticed, especially when fast food __________traditional restaurants in 2012, leaving traditionalists angrily waving their ham-and-butter baguettes (法式长棍面包) at the newcomers.

Nutella has had a(n) __________ride in France. Developed in post-war Italy at a time of cocoa rationing (定量配给) and hazelnut glut (榛子过剩), the Ferrero company’s spread was an instant __________when introduced in France in the 1960s. Half of all French families have it on their breakfast table, and for adults it has come to represent a taste of childhood. Such is the __________that one French couple were prevented from naming their daughter Nutella only by legal act.

If there is a(n) __________in Nutella, it is its ingredient, whose production has been linked to deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats, pushing the French government to impose a special “Nutella” tax on products from palm oil. France’s Super U supermarket chain, a rival to Intermarche, has already __________palm oil from its own-label products, and the pressure on the big brands to do the same is likely to increase.

6 . Self—acceptance leads to happiness

Finding acceptance is a natural desire of most people. When we are young, it is important to us to be_________by a group and to be seen as “cool” by our peers. To do this, we will often adopt the views and interests of the group_________develop our own.

Over time, _________, we have the opportunity to learn to accept ourselves. People who have done this are confident in their true abilities; they do not feel the need to create a facade(虚假的外表) to_________other people. They are concerned with whether their actions produce_________results rather than with how they are seen by others.

Less secure people are quite different. Instead of finding security in themselves, they look for other people to provide it. This kind of person_________agrees with everything others suggest, for fear of having their own ideas_________. Arrogant or defensive people are also usually insecure; in an attempt to hide their_________, they belittle or blame others.

Secure people do not_________when faced with a difficult situation; they say “I can” rather than “I can’t”. Knowing that each day is an opportunity to use their talents to acquire good health, good friendships, and great happiness, they always put their best foot forward. __________people do not judge others, nor do they judge themselves. They can__________ the differences between themselves and other people.

Recognizing the details that we cannot change about ourselves is also a sign of personal__________. We cannot change our height, so why waste energy complaining about being__________? Our energy would be better spent on more constructive projects. Instead of__________personal characteristics we are not satisfied with, we ought to focus more on what we are good at.

Such expressions as “love thyself” and “to thine own self be true” are about self-acceptance and confidence, as well as honesty and morality. We should consider them to be good advice, and treat them as__________showing the way to happiness within.

7 . Turning soil, pulling weeds, and harvesting cabbage sound like tough work for middle and high school kids. And at first it is, says Abby Jaramillo, who with another teacher started Urban Sprouts, a school garden program at four low-income schools. The program aims to help students develop science skills, environmental awareness, and healthy lifestyles.

Jaramillo’s students live in neighborhoods where fresh food and green space are not easy to find and fast food restaurants outnumber grocery stores. “The kids literally come to school with bags of snacks and large bottles of soft drinks,” she says. “They come to us thinking vegetables are awful, dirt is awful, insects are awful.” Though some are initially scared of the insects and turned off by the dirt, most are eager to try something new.

Urban Sprouts’ classes, at two middle schools and two high schools, include hands-on experiments such as soil testing, flower-and-seed dissection, tastings of fresh or dried produce, and work in the garden. Several times a year, students cook the vegetables they grow, and they occasionally make salads for their entire schools.

Program evaluations show that kids eat more vegetables as a result of the classes. “We have students who say they went home and talked to their parents and now they’re eating differently,” Jaramillo says.

She adds that the program’s benefits go beyond nutrition. Some students get so interested in gardening that they bring home seeds to start their own vegetable gardens. Besides, working in the garden seems to have a calming effect on Jaramillo’s special education students, many of whom have emotional control issues. “They get outside,” she says, “and they feel successful.”