1 . Millennials (千禧一代) who conduct “forward-looking financial strategies” tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives. Following a budget, saving money and shopping less have benefits “beyond the bound of personal finance”, according to a new study out of the University of Arizona.

For the study, researchers collected data from 968 young adults born between the years 1981 and 1996, starting when they were freshmen in college (ages 18-21). They followed up with the same students when they were seniors, and then two years later (ages 23-26). The study participants answered questions about materialism, their own personal finance strategies such as budgeting and any pro-environmental habits they followed. Students were also surveyed about their mental health, including how satisfied they were with their lives and how they’d rank their personal well-being.

“People who save money report better overall wellbeing. including less psychological pain, ”Sabrina Helm, study author tells CNBC Make It. “And people who buy less and consume less show less depressive symptoms, so there’s a positive mental health effect.”

Not surprisingly, the money-saving strategies improved people’s financial satisfaction too. “It gives you peace of mind. ”Dr. Helm says. “If you’re able to put something aside for worse days, and manage to live within your means, it has clear positive effects on mental health.”

Certain sustainability efforts also have a similar impact on people’s health and happiness. For example, researchers found that the students who consumed less to help the environment were happier than those who simply bought more “green” products. Although many people have been socialized to see products as solutions, simply reducing the number of things you use or buy might be the better tactic for your mental health, Dr. Helm explains.

“It’s normal to geta product to cope with all sorts of things,” Dr. Helm says, “but that contributes to climate change.” Luckily, there are concrete tips to “step back from the consumerist approach”, she adds. For example, she suggests keeping a weekly purchase diary and creating a shopping list.

2 . My son Darcy, 10, begged “No more needles”, tears rolling down his cheeks. Seeing him so _______ broke my heart. Darcy had a surgery and the needle would provide a blood transfusion (输血). It looked like the _______ was successful, but Darcy only got sicker.

Darcy often asked, “Mom, when can I see my _______?” “Soon, sweetie,” I’d reply. But with a weak immune (免疫的) system, it was _______ for him to return to school. At first, my words seemed _______ but as the months passed, I watched as Darcy became _______. While he was in hospital, his friends were enjoying their lives without him. I could _______ he was giving up.

I consulted the school about _______ Darcy’s education in the hope of creating more _______ for him and I got the reply “If he’s well enough”. At that point, I wondered if this had happened to thousands of kids around the country. __________, a year later, Darcy got better enough to go back to school!

One day, I talked with some friends, who had __________ kids too. We all agreed that there should be a way to keep them in the classroom __________ with their mates, even if they can’t __________ be there. Later, we got to know some sort of robot, which could just __________ the need. I then became a fundraiser and finally launched a national pilot program. A mother’s pure love now __________ to all children.

3 . Stories of immigrants attract me a lot, especially the life stories of Italians who have come to America since the 1700s. In each of these stories I see elements of my own story, that of leaving my birthplace and family and creating a new life in a different culture and in a different language.

The child of Italian immigrants and an award-winning scholar of Italian literature, in the book My Two Italies Joseph Luzzi struggled to create or find his own identity from an early age. Even more problematic for him was “which” Italy to “choose,” the one he inherited(继承) from his family, poor and linked to old traditions and customs he finds rude and somewhat cruel, or the one he finds in literature and art books that show him a country with a modern literary culture.

The choice becomes even sadder as in his professional life he becomes a scholar of Italian literature and culture. He describes episodes of his youth that show the clash between the first and the second generation immigrants that are both funny and tragicomic(悲喜剧式的). These episodes highlight the daily customs his parents brought from their hometown that are in conflict with Joseph’s desire to “fit in” the American culture. Joseph’s visits to Italy as a student and then as a scholar deepen the divide between his two Italies and highlight his quest for identity.

The author’s personal changes are full of quotes and comments on the cultural and political landscape of Italy. I find that his insights on contemporary Italian cultural and political phenomena are particularly interesting. In this book, Joseph touches or comments in depth about several issues concerning Italian life, such as the relationship between dialects(方言) and the official “Italian” language, and the Southern “question” or the uneasy interaction between Northern and Southern Italians.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is personal, moving, educational and entertaining. I hope you will enioy it too!

4 . As thrift was introduced into mainstream pop culture, young people started going to thrift stores for cheaper, fashionable finds. Gen Z consumers state that sustainability is an important factor while making buying decisions. Many choose to shop for a second-hand or resale item of eco-friendly products. Thrift shopping may have once been on the to-do list of people in poverty. But now a rise in eco-conscious thinking has caused young people to pop to thrift stores.

However, scientists recently have come to realize such trendy sustainable practices could actually be less rosy than expected.

Actually, the root of this sustainability dilemma is not only assessing what you use in your life, but the overconsumption. “Buying piles of second- hand clothing doesn’t help to build a sustainable future or challenge our addiction to shopping whenever we want them,” says Anna Fitzpatrick, a project coordinator at the Sustainable Fashion’s Centre. In some cases, the very existence of second-hand stores can give us a false sense of guiltlessness. Fitzpatrick adds, “we can clear out our entire wardrobe by leaving what we don’t want at a second-hand store with the hope that it’ll be put into good use. Instead of buying less, we trick ourselves into thinking we can shop our way out of the problem by donating again and again.”

While shopping second-hand may seem like fun, or even an adventurous activity for fashion lovers, it’s absolutely essential for people of limited budget. With thrifting reaching new levels of popularity, a great many people are noticing a rise in prices at their local thrift stores. This can influence those who rely on the used market for everyday wear.

“Actually, they aren’t shopping in second-hand shops to be sustainable or cool—they’re doing it out of necessity,” says Fitzpatrick. So, when you walk into a thrift shop or really any store, it’s important to ask yourself whether it is necessary. While buying second-hand used to be economical and sustainable, it’s now about consumption and staying on trend. Just remember, when it comes to your wardrobe, less is more helpful for society and the planet.

5 . When romantic partners argue over things like finances, jealousy, or other interpersonal issues, they tend to employ their current feelings as fuel for a heated argument. But thinking about the future helps overcome relationship conflicts, according to a University of Waterloo study just published online in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Alex Huynh, a doctoral candidate in psychology is the lead author of the study, which he published with Igor Grossmann from the University of Waterloo, and Daniel Yang from Yale University.

Previous research has shown that third-perspective reasoning can be a positive strategy for reconciliation (调解) of interpersonal struggles. Huynh and his collaborators investigated whether similar benefit can be induced by simply thinking about the future. Study participants were instructed to reflect on a recent conflict with a romantic partner or a close friend. One group of participants were then asked to describe how they would feel about the conflict one year in the future, while another group was asked to describe how they feel in the present.

The team examined participants’ written responses through a text-analysis program for their use of pronouns — such as I, me, she, he. These choices of pronouns were used to capture participants’ focus on the feelings and behaviour of those involved in the conflict. Written responses were also examined for forgiveness and reinterpreting the conflict more positively, both of which implied the participants’ use of reasoning strategies.

The researchers found that envisioning future relationship affected both participants’ focus on their feelings, and their reasoning strategies. As a result, participants reported more positivity about their relationship altogether, especially when study participants extended their thinking about the relationship a year into the future.

“Our study demonstrates that adopting a future-oriented perspective in the context of a relationship conflict — reflecting on how one might feel a year from now — may be a valuable coping tool for one’s psychological happiness and relationship well-being,” said Huynh.

6 . While some critics claim that history curricula (课程) teach unnecessary content, others argue that these curricula need to be more comprehensive. Despite ongoing debates about content, one universal truth remains: strong history curricula are necessary for developing the productive citizens of tomorrow.

The greatest academic value that history curricula provide is not the recall of important dates and names. Rather, understanding the historical inquiry process is the most important component. This process teaches students how to become critical thinkers and understand the dynamic nature of the telling of history.

Through strong history curricula, students are shown both a variety of primary and secondary sources and are taught to critique them. This is where the historical inquiry process begins. Students not only begin to analyze and ask questions about the content, but they also learn about the author’s credibility and potential bias (偏见). Students are then able to contextualize the information they learn and can think more critically about historical con text and those who tell it.

With this framework, students can then understand the causal relationship between human nature, values, philosophy, actions, and their consequences. It teaches students to recognize recurrent themes and lessons that are necessary to understand modern society. Most importantly, it teaches students to develop a healthy skepticism (怀疑论) when presented with information today because our actions are history in the making.

Forty years ago, renowned scholar James Fitzgerald argued that no education is complete without the teaching of historical inquiry. He believed that the only way to move forward in life is to understand what’s behind us.

Today, this principle still holds true. Students take both the factual knowledge and the historical inquiry skills they learn in the classroom and apply them to real world circumstances. Throughout their lives, students who are taught with strong history curricula will take the lessons they learn from our predecessors and become involved, active, productive citizens who want to create a history that tomorrow’s students will be proud to learn about.

7 . Rescuers in Jersey said on Sunday after an all-night search that there was no hope of survivors from an explosion that flattened a three-story apartment block. At least three people were confirmed killed in the accident early Saturday in the Channel island’s port capital St Helier, following a suspected gas leak. “We have three confirmed deaths and it’s fair to say we expect to find more,” police chief Robin Smith told a news conference, saying that around 12 residents remained unaccounted for. “It is with sadness that I am confirming that the search-and-rescue operation has been moved to a recovery operation,” he said.

The phase involved a “painstaking search of the debris” which could take weeks, Smith said, adding that a gas leak was the ‘likely” cause. Aided by sniffer dogs and experts from southern England, Jersey emergency workers had searched the rubble (瓦砾)overnight.

Fire chief Paul Brown confirmed that firefighters were called out to investigate the smell of gas on Friday evening, more than seven hours before the explosion. But in vain. He admitted that something had gone “horribly wrong”, considering the subsequent disaster, but insisted that Jersey islanders could still have confidence in his service. Jersey’s gas supplier, Island Energy, said it was working with the fire service to understand what happened.

Like many others in St Helier, Jersey’s Chief Minister Kristina Moore said she was awoken by the explosion. “Across the island you could hear this extraordinary sound,” she told the BBC. “It’s unthinkable news, so we’re all absolutely shocked and really worried about the people who are involved and about those whose lives have been lost.”

The incident caps a tragic week for Jersey, a British Crown dependency not part of the United Kingdom, whose economy relies on banking, tourism and fishing. “We must call on the collective strength of the island community,” Moore said.

8 . It is lunchtime. At a long table inside a restaurant, some young people sit together over lunch. There is less conversation than you might expect from a typical group of friends: a boy seems to talk only to himself, and a girl looks anxious.

These young people met through a program organized by the nonprofit Actionplay, where young people with autism work together to write and stage a musical. Each Sunday, they work and have lunch together. “You meet other people just like you,” says Lexi Spindel. “That was the first time my daughter had a friend,” says Lexi’s father. “That never happened before Actionplay.”

For decades, scientists have supposed people with autism don’t have or need friends. A new research is forcing a rethink of those long-held beliefs. Autistic people report they want friends. One significant barrier to friendships is common people’s opinion that autistic people are not interested in connecting with them. Appearing uninterested, however, is not always the same as being uninterested. An autistic child looking uninterested in games may in fact be overcome by the noise. And behaviors like clapping hands repeatedly are a way to manage their anxiety and uncertainty, not a sign of their low social interest.

For some autistic people, friendships develop through experimental programs. In a program Lerner developed, participants play a game called Gibberish. where teenagers must interpret each other’s intentions without using real language. The point is not to get it right. but to attend to what the other person is doing in a way that creates opportunities to connect.

Lerner’s ideas were inspired by a moment 16 years ago after he established a small camp for children with autism called Spotlight. On the second day an l1-year-old boy ran up and pulled his clothes. “Lerner, Lerner, where did you find these kids?”

“All over the place,” Lerner answered. “Everyone wants to come to camp, just like you.”

“This is the first normal group of kids I have never met.” the boy said.

10 . As the world has changed,so has education. Since 2018, Nelly Cheboi and her non-profit TechLit Africa have been bringing computer technology into schools in Kenya, helping students join the digital world, and unlock their potential. With its own software programs, curriculum (课程) and teacher training programs, this non-profit hopes to change Africa.

In 2012, Cheboi received a scholarship to College in Illinois that changed her life. She grew up in poverty in rural Kenya, watching her mother struggle to support her family alone. Cheboi had no experience with computers before moving to the US to study. She hand wrote papers and then struggled to type them out on a laptop computer. Somehow she fell in love with computer science and began a career in the field.But she did not lose sight of her origins. “As an undergraduate, I invested all of my income from various campus jobs into my community back in Kenya,” she said on the TechLit Africa website. But soon she wanted to do more for it and that is how TechLit Africa began.

Cheboi recalled how her background helped her understand how important technological knowledge could be for children living in poverty. She built a school with the idea of bringing computer science as part of kids’ curriculum growing up. But she found that it was going to be really hard to impact as many people as possible, because it was so hard to fund raise. Then in order to reach more students,she introduced computer training to existing schools. Cheboi physically dragged over 40 recycled computers that had been donated to them by various tech companies to Kenya in suitcases.

Now, since the non-profit has grown, it works with various companies that help them clean the donated computers of data and send them to Africa. TechLit Africa runs its own curriculum with its own software programs in 10 Kenyan schools,and the hope is to increase to 100 throughout Africa by next year. The students love learning about computers,and in turn are gaining skills that will help them make use of their talents into a way out of poverty.