1 . The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, “How cute!”

It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the “cute economy” which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to “like” and “share”. We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.

The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the “cute economy” are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.

Unfortunately, the price of the “cute economy” comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi.

Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the “cute economy” with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the “cute economy”. We can also choose not to “like” or “share” images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our “impulses”.

Besides the animal zodiac system (十二生肖), Chinese people also show their connection with animals in other ways    1     Paper-cutting in the shape of animals is one of the most common examples.

Paper-cutting is an amazing art. People use scissors cut paper into different shapes of animals, flowers, cut babies and so on. This art just needs simple tools, but it is not easy at all. When we look at the masters to cut paper, it only takes them a few minutes to finish, but for green hands,    2    他们需要练习很长时间。

Paper-cutting has a long history. When it first appeared in around 386, it didn’t attract much attention because of the shortage of paper.     3    这种艺术直到 6世纪才开始流行。With the development of the art, even in royal (皇家的) families ladies were also judged by the ability at paper cutting. In the 21st century,    4     red paper-cutting which means good luck can be often seen in weddings.

Without doubt, all these handwork products can reflect the relations between humans and animals, and even the whole world, and also the wisdom of ancient Chinese people.     5     It’s regretful that fewer and fewer young people show interest in it. Maybe, when the young can understand the real spirit of the art, they will finally fall in love with it.

4 . Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back!

Our 100-word-story competition is your chance to show the world your storytelling talents!

Your stories should be original, unpublished and exactly 100 words — not a single word shorter or longer! Entries are now open and the submission deadline is January 5, 2024. Multiple entries are allowed per person. We are unfortunately only able to consider UK-based entries.

Please ensure that submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number when filling in the form. We may use entries in all print and electronic media.

There are three categories — one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12.

Please submit your stories by 5pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post addressed to:

Reader’s Digest

100 Word Story Competition

Warners Group Publications

West Street

Bourne

PE109PH

The editorial team will pick a short list of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at readersdigest. co. uk on February1, 2024. You can vote for your favourite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize and receive ￡1,000. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be posted online on April 16, and published in our May 2024 issue.

PS: Reader’s Digest is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism.

7 . Winter sports have lots of fun! But you have to know how to be safe.

Keeping toasty warm

You are going skating. You want to prepare your snowballing for the next big fight. But you have to remember to wear warm gloves and boots.

Fun in the sun

Sunscreen (防晒霜) may look funny in wintertime, but don’ t forget to put it on. Sunlight re - flects off all that bright white snow and ice and back onto your face. That’ s why you need to cover up with sunscreen, and lip balm (润唇膏) even if it’ s cloudy outside.

Sled safety

Going down a hill at an amazing speed can be great. But you must be safe when you’ re sledding. When you choose your sled (雪橇), make sure it’ s strong and safe. Never use things from home like garbage - can lids, plastic bags or pool floats for sleighs (雪橇). These are dangerous while you’ re sledding. Also, never use a sled that has any sharp, jagged edges or broken parts.

Also, a bike helmet (头盔) can protect your head.

Make sure the bottom of the hill must not be anywhere near cars or roads. This is important.

8 . If you walk along the streets, you will find children as young as seven years old walking to school or taking the public bus on their own. If you ride a public bus with a baby or young child, you will find at least three people standing up to give up their seats for you. And as a booming town with a young population, Xiamen has a lot to offer young families with kids.

There are lots of places of interest for you to enjoy. The following are some of them.

※A walking adventure on Gulangyu Islet: There you can have a round-the-island trip by fast boat and the Xiamen Underwater World has a dolphin and sea lion performance and brings you an enjoyment of around 400 types of underwater life from around the world.

Opening hours: 08: 00-18: 00 Click the map!

Price: 70 yuan (adults); 50 yuan (children above 1.4m)

※Wild rides at Guanyinshan Water Park: The park has a wave pool, which creates seven types of wave effects. It also has a hair-raising water ride that speeds down…

Opening hours: 10: 00-20:00 Click the map!

Price: 120 yuan per person; 60 yuan(visitors aged above 60 and below 1.4m)

※Xiamen Firefly Park: Last of all, young nature lovers will enjoy the wonder of watching more than 100, 000 fireflies light the dark night in the firefly park. Children will also learn the roles fireflies play in protecting the ecology by controlling the number of pests.

Opening hours: 19: 30-21: 30 Click the map!

Price: Free for children up to 16 years old

Do You Think You Will Have Your Own Robot?

When we watch movies about the future, we sometimes see robots. They are usually like human servants. They help with the housework and do jobs like working in dirty or dangerous places.

Today there are already robots working in factories. Some can help to build cars, and they do simple jobs over and over again.     1     Fewer people will do such jobs in the future because they are boring, but robots will never get bored.

Scientists are now trying to make robots look like humans and do the same things as we do. Some robots in Japan can walk and dance. They are fun to watch. However, some scientists believe that although we can make robots move like people,     2     让它们真正像人类一样思考将是很困难的. For example, scientist James White thinks that robots will never be able to wake up and know where they are.     3     但是许多科学家都不同意怀特先生的观点. They think that robots will even be able to talk like humans in 25 to 50 years.

Some scientists believe that there will be more robots in the future.     4     However, they agree it may take hundreds of years. These new robots will have many different shapes. Some will look like humans and others might look like animals. In India, for example, scientists made robots that look like snakes.     5     If buildings fall down with people inside, these snake robots can help look for people under the buildings. This was not possible 20 years ago, but computers and rockets also seemed impossible 100 years ago. We never know what will happen in the future!