WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England-many people are confused by what these different names mean. So what is the difference between them, if any? Getting to know a little bit about British history will help you solve this puzzle.

In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England. Later, in the 18th century, the country Scotland was joined to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland was added to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the UK, which resulted in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the shortened name: “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. People from the UK are called “British”, which means the UK is also often referred to as Britain or Great Britain.

The four countries that belong to the United Kingdom work together in some areas. They use the same flag, known as the Union Jack, as well as share the same currency and military defence. However, they also have some differences. For example, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have different education systems and legal systems. They also have their own traditions, like their own national days and national dishes. And they even have their own football teams for competitions like the World Cup!

The United Kingdom has a long and interesting history to explore, which can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by evidence of four different groups of people who took over at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, came in the first century. Some of their great achievements included building towns and roads. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century. They introduced the beginnings of the English language, and changed the way people built houses. The Vikings came in the eighth century, left behind lots of new vocabulary, and also the names of many locations across the UK. The last group were the Normans. They conquered England after the well-known Battle of Hastings in the 11th century. They had castles built all around England, and made changes to the legal system. The Normans were French, so many French words slowly entered into the English language.

There is so much more to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make your visit much more enjoyable. The capital city London is a great place to start, as it is an ancient port city that has a history dating all the way back to Roman times. There are countless historic sites to explore, and lots of museums with ancient relics from all over the UK. The UK is a fascinating mix of history and modern culture, with both new and old traditions. If you keep your eyes open, you will be surprised to find that you can see both its past and its present.

4 . TikTok has pushed a new safety update to its app that allows parents to take more control of their teenager’s accounts, as social media companies come under increasing pressure to make their platforms safer for children.

The company said that its Family Pairing now enables parents to turn off comments on their children’s videos entirely or limit them to friends only. Parents whose accounts are linked to their kids will also be able to set their accounts to private ones, turn off the search function for content or users, and limit who can see which videos their children have liked.

The Family Pairing lets parents see how long their children are spending on TikTok each day and limit the content they can see.

TikTok allows children to register (注册) and create an account if they’re over the age of 13. All they need to do is provide their date of birth. However, because TikTok doesn’t require registrants (注册人) to prove their identities, some children under 13 have registered by lying about their age, according to U.K. regulator Ofcom (英国通信管理局)

Alexandra Evans, head of child safety public policy for TikTok in Europe, told CNBC that Family Pairing has “put itself in parents’ shoes”since it was launched. “If we’re thinking of it as a toolbox, we want to offer more tools,” she said on a video call ahead of the announcement.

In the family,     1     (heat) arguments and cold silences are very common between     2     (teenager) and parents. Such family tensions     3     (cause) by teenagers’ physical changes, such as     4     (develop) at a different rate to your friends and shooting up in height or getting left far behind. Besides, it can be a big headache     5     (balance) teenagers’ developing mental needs.     6    , teenagers can take action to improve the situation. For example, they can communicate with their parents     7     (regular) and honestly.     8     such healthy communication, teenagers can learn when to back down and when to ask parents to relax their control. In fact,     9     is quite normal to struggle with the stress that parent­child tensions create. The stormy period will not last and everything     10     (turn) out all right in the end.

Last week, I visited Luoyang but met a kind and caring guide, who left the deep impression on me. In the way, she told us a lot about this old city. Not only we know about the city, but we were invited to eat various special snack. Unfortunately, I got my left foot seriously injuring. It was horrible painful when I walked. Seeing I have difficulty walking, she came to my assistance. Accompanied by her, I returned back to the bus to wait for other tourists. I was really grateful for his kindness.

    1     (hero) come in different shapes and sites. Some are born to give others a hand. Then there are the people who just happen to be in the right place at the right time. That was the case for John Underwood.

A storm broke near his home     2     a cold evening. Underwood was heading over to help his sister when the roads were flooded. He saw some other drivers get     3    (stick), so he got out of his truck to help. “My belief is that if I have the ability to do good, then I should do it. There should be no excuse.” he said. Underwood wasn't out of his vehicle long before he heard a cry, “Someone was screaming, “My parents, my parents!” Moments later, a 12-year-old boy ran up to Underwood,     4    (say) his parents were trapped and asked for help. The Hammonds went to get things from the basement when the walls failed     5    (bear) the weight of rain and fell down, and they couldn’t escape. Worse still, the water was rising fast. Time was of extreme significance, so Underwood took action at once. Any inappropriate action could add more dangers. Luckily, Underwood had experience     6     a contractor (承包商). “Digging a hole in the living room floor, I knew it's a safe way." He said.

With physical strength,     7    (patient), and a lot of bravery，Underwood saved their    8    (life). He said he did what anyone would do, but that’s not necessarily true. It's hard to put yourself in a dangerous way to rescue another. That's    9     the American Red Cross honored him. Ann Otto, who was in charge of the 23rd Annual Acts of Courage Awards, said the Awards should go to heroes like Underwood who have acted    10     (courage) and selflessly in a time of emergency.

Around twenty years ago, I was going through hard times. I couldn’t find a    1    (satisfy) job. To my shame, I had to drive a school bus    2    (make) ends meet. One afternoon, while    3    (drive) through a suburban neighborhood, I was so sad that I kept asking    4    (I), “Why has my life become so hard?

What’s wrong with the world?” Then I pulled over the bus to drop off a little girl. As she passed, she    5    (hand) me a pretty earring, saying she found it on the floor and I should keep it in case the owner came to look for it. In the evening, the owner did come to look for her earring.

When I gave it to her, she got excited and said    6    (excited), “Thanks, you are a real gentleman.” I told her that she should thank the little girl    7    had found it. She said, “Yes, and you are a good driver, too. What a lovely world    8    is!” Then she left with satisfaction. I    9    (touch) by her words. I had thought something was wrong with the world just because of my poor condition. In fact, nothing was wrong with the world. I should change my attitude    10    life.