1 . Island life is one of those things you dream about. Here are four beautiful small islands to consider for your next vacation.

Washington Island, USA

Although with fewer than 700 residents, the island is home to Schoolhouse Beach, known for its clear water and smooth, rounded limestone rocks-one of only a handful of such beaches in North America. Tour the island on the Cherry Train, climb the lookout tower, or rent a bike and cycle the miles of empty roads. Retire for the night at the Hotel Washington & Studio, a landmark inn with a history of over 100 years.

Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda

There’s a good chance birds actually outnumber humans on the small island of Barbuda. Mostly undeveloped and completely unspoiled, the beaches are famous for silky white and pink sand, stretching as far as the eye can see. There’s only a handful of resorts and restaurants, mostly plain beach bars, but make sure to stop by Uncle Roddy’s, which serves up cold drinks and some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever find.

Grand Manan Island, Canada

While you won’t find any palm trees here, Grand Manan still offers a relaxed pace. Connected to mainland New Brunswick by ferry, the small island is home to charming villages, and the Swallow Tail Lighthouse-the second-most photographed lighthouse in all of Atlantic Canada. Take a whale-watching cruise (巡游), surf on the Bay of Fundy (home to the highest tides in the world), or just sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Key West, USA

Located at the end of the famous Florida Keys, Key West has a fascinating history. Tennessee Williams is said to have written the first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire here. Ernest Hemingway spent many a night in the bars of Old Town, now a historic district filled by wood-frame buildings. Take in the island’s famous lighthouse, photograph some of the free-running chickens, then settle in for the daily Sunset Celebration on Mallory Square.

2 . Starting March 1, 2020, people in Luxembourg no longer have to pay to ride public transportation. The country has made all of its trains, buses, and trams(电车) free to ride.

Luxembourg is the first country to give riders a free pass. Luxembourg only has about 600, 000 people. But the country has a big traffic problem. Around 200, 000 people come into Luxembourg from the countries around it every day for work. The problem is worst in the capital, Luxembourg City. Only 110, 000 people live there, but about 400, 000 more come to work there every day. During rush hours, some trips that should normally take 30 minutes can take an hour or longer.

The government of Luxembourg hopes that by making transportation free, many more people will start taking buses, trains, and trams instead of driving. This would cut down on traffic. And they hope this will help Luxembourg pollute less, too. The government also wants to make it easier for poor people to get around. Before the free system, a single ride cost about 2, and a yearly pass cost 440. The new law only affects regular seating. Riders who want to go first class must still pay.

Some people doubt the measure. People in Luxembourg really like their cars. The country has 662 cars for every 1, 000 people, while the average in the European Union is just 468 cars for 1, 000 people. Some people believe that the country's transportation system simply isn't ready for huge numbers of new riders. What they are concerning is that without more money coming in from riders, it could be difficult for the country to improve its system. However, the government's plans call for spending 3.9 billion between 2018 and 2028 to improve its train system. The country also plans to make its bus system better, and make it easier for people from other countries to park their cars and catch a ride into the country.

6 . The sudden death of the 23-year-old female emplovee of Pinduoduo has sparked a heated debate, with many criticizing the overwork culture. Three experis share their views. Excerpis (节选) follow:

This case should inspire society to reflect on how to better protect employees’ rights in the digital era. The relevant clauses in the Labor Law cannot be specifically applied to charge internet companies suspected of violating laborers' rights and interests.

The blurring (模糊) of the line between social and economic activities in the digital era makes it difficult to define fixed working hours.

Lawmakers should find out the new factors affecting labor relations due to the rapid development of internet and communications technology. This can pave the way for law-making on working hours in the digital era. “996” working schedule is against labor laws.

More than one year ago, it was shocking to hear e-commerce tycoons (巨头) Liu Qiangdong and Jack Ma publicly support the "996" working schedule to push their employees to work harder. A growing number of companies have been using different methods to exercise ever-increasing control over their employees.

To correct the situation, it is vital that the country bring in specific law on internet enterprises, especially in terms of labor contracts and work schedules, and make it clear that the “996” working schedule is illegal.

Work pressure and long working hours can seriously affect workers' physical and mental health, making. them more easily hurt by occupational and stress-related diseases.

But it is difficult to prove that a person dies of overwork. Only a person who dies at the workplace or of a sudden illness within 48 hours of getting off work is considered a victim of work.

China should issue guidelines explaining in detail what leads to death due to overwork.

7 . Zhang Ying, 23, could have been a news host after four years studying broadcasting and talk show hosting at the university. So could Du Xintong. Instead of just becoming talking heads on TV, they decided to use their knowledge to help millions of children with speech disorder to find their own voices. They co-founded Voice Changer，which offers language rehabilitation（复原）for teenagers in China through online and in-person service platforms.

According to Zhang, each child needs to finish at least one three-month course, which consists of three 40-minute sessions a week. The length of the overall training program is dependent on each child's condition upon their evaluation.

“When we are teaching in-person courses, the parents cannot accompany their children. The children may feel a bit nervous in a strange environment, but they soon get used to it and start to enjoy the training,” she says.

They also launched a mini program on WeChat that provides online services for families of children with speech disorders-parents can upload their child's information and recordings to the self-testing tool and get a report. As well as online speech therapy（治疗），there are also online courses for parents，including guidance for speech therapy at home.

“We insist that parents should accompany their children when taking online courses as they need to play the role of both teaching assistant and desk mate,” she says.

There are only 10. 000 speech therapists in China, many of whom are not full-time. Unlike common volunteer work, to be a speech therapist volunteer, complex training is required before services can be offered.

“Speech therapy is a complex subject which requires knowledge, including training in education, psychology, linguistics and so on,” Zhang says, adding that their team has developed a training system for the volunteers to grow into professional speech therapists. They prefer to employ college students majoring in related subjects. such as broadcasting, linguistics, Chinese languages and literature or special education.

9 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms (节气). The Spring Equinox (春分), as the fourth term of the year, starts on March 20 and ends on April 3 this year. Here are things you may not know about the Spring Equinox.

Swallows flying north

The ancient Chinese people divided the fifteen days of the Spring Equinox into three “hou’s”, or five-day parts. As the old saying goes, swallows fly back to the North in the first hou; thunder cracks the sky in the second hou; lightning occurs frequently in the third hou. It vividly reveals the climate feature during the Spring Equinox.

Egg-standing games

Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that dates back to 4,000 years ago. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

Flying kites

The Spring Equinox is a good time to fly kites. In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. To pray for health, they wrote their medical issues on a paper kite. When the kite was in the air, people would cut off the string to let the paper kite float away, symbolizing the flying away of diseases.

Eating spring vegetables

Eating spring vegetables during the Spring Equinox is a commonly practiced custom in many regions of China. Spring vegetables refer to seasonal vegetables that differ from place to place. The ancient teachings in the Chinese classic, Huangdi Neijing, suggest that people eat seasonal foods to help preserve health and bring good luck.