1 . How to Deal with FOMO in Your Life

FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” is becoming increasingly common and can cause significant stress in your life. It applies to anything from a party to a promotion at work and affects just about anyone. It always involves a sense of helplessness that you are missing out on something big.

    1     However, while it has been around for centuries, it has only been studied during the past few decades, beginning with a 1996 research paper by Dr. Dan Herman.

With social media becoming popular, FOMO has become more obvious. As more research on FOMO is conducted, we are getting a clearer picture of how it affects us.     2     Aside from feelings of unhappiness, fear of missing out can lead to greater involvement in unhealthy behaviors. For example, the same study in Computers and Human Behavior found that FOMO was linked to distracted driving, which in some cases could be deadly.

Moreover, one study found that the fear of missing out was linked to a greater smartphone and social media usage.     3     They create a platform where things, events, and even happiness seem to be in competition, which may lead you to wonder what you are lacking. Greater engagement with social media can make us feel worse about ourselves and our lives, not better.

    4     Feelings of loneliness are our brain’s way of telling us that we want to connect with others and increase our sense of belonging. Unfortunately, social media engagement is not the way to accomplish this—you might be running from one bad situation right into an even worse one.

Rather than trying to connect more with people on social media, why not arrange to meet up with someone in person? Making plans with a good friend, or doing anything social that gets you out with friends can be a nice change of pace.     5    

2 . An Incredible Journey

Ian William Halliwell was born on the 24th of April 1958, in Wigan UK. Just like most people have dreams, so did Ian.

Ian started playing Golf in 1972 and has been a keen golf player throughout his life. He participated in golf tournaments in many countries, dreaming of trying to get in the Senior Tour. But life has other plans.

In 1996, Ian was diagnosed with a brain tumor on his left side. As a result of the disease, his right-side hearing was lost. The talented player had to put a hold on his passion for a while. However, he knew he would come out stronger. In 1997, after going through two major surgeries, Ian recovered from the deadly illness.

But another disease completely turned his life over. In 2006, he suddenly had a stroke (中风) which was so critical that it ended with him being severely disabled to the extent that the doctors told him that he might not walk ever again, let alone playing Golf.

Upon realizing that he has lost the chance of playing the Senior Tour, he was heartbroken. But it wasn’t powerful enough to destroy the high-spirited individual. Ian took it as a challenge. He not only decided to start writing but also creating stroke awareness and promoting Golf for the disabled.

With the optimistic thinking of “A disability is not an inability,” Ian became a part of the British Inclusive Golf, which works to bring together the disabled and non-disabled players and create golf-related events.   

Ian has donated a large number of his life earnings to The Stroke Association. While spending a huge deal of time creating vast funds for the organization, Ian has played a huge role in enlightening others on how his recovery was aided by Golf, promoting the affected ones to make sure of the effective sport.

Ian has authored the book “The Social Golfer,” published in 2008. The book has successfully raised a total of £ 20,000, which the former golf player has donated to The Stroke Foundation. Ian also wrote “Living the Dream,” published in 2012. The book was an extension of the journey of his recovery, intending to inspire the readers.

Ian is a man of bravery. How he fought to recover from the deadly illness, followed by the stroke, is nothing but an incredible journey that is an inspiration to people.

The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise. However, its role in learning     1     (debate) by teachers and students. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and     2     (potential) harmful. But the internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. Students value the flexibility and accessibility     3     (offer) by digital education. Educators should welcome these advantages.

Xu Yuanchong dedicated his career to building     1     (bridge) among the world’s Chinese, English and French speaking people. He devoted     2     (he) to literary translation for more than 60 years, primarily     3     (focus) on English translations of ancient Chinese poetry. Xu was awarded the “Aurora Borealis” Prize     4     September 10th in 2014 for Outstanding Translation of Fiction Literature, one of the highest honors that celebrate excellence in international translators.

5 . Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默症) in 2013. With Mary’s condition slowly _______, her doctor told her heartbroken 44-year-old son Sean not to fear. “Being _______ and happy, the Alzheimer’s might make progress”, the doctor said. Taking the doctor’s advice, Sean decided to make a trip with his mom to Nepal.

Sean was _______ when Mary started walking and talking again during their trip—even learning new words. He said, “I thought Alzheimer’s was just a decline, but when we got to Nepal she started to _______.”

Seeing the great _______, Sean was determined to keep _______ with her mom for the next 18 months. Mary got to _______ a festival of color in the Himalayas, climb across mountains in Italy, and feel the sand beneath her feet at the tip of South Africa.

People thought Mary would be a _______, but for Sean, it was the least he could do for the mother he loved so much—who had always _______ to others throughout her life. He said: “She was the best thing in my life. Unconditional ________ is a thing you don’t get often, and she always gave it, even though she had a tough life.”

7 . Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture (湿气) in the air, a new technology they say could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change and in the future of medicine.

As reported in Nature, the laboratories of electrical engineer Jun Yao and microbiologist Derek Lovley at UMass Amherst have created a device they call an “Air-gen,” or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere.

“We are literally making electricity out of thin air,” says Yao. “The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7.” Lovley, who has advanced sustainable biology-based electronic materials over three decades, adds, “It’s the most amazing and exciting application of protein nanowires yet.”

The new technology developed in Yao’s lab is non-polluting, renewable and low- cost. It can generate power even in areas with extremely low humidity such as the Sahara Desert. It has significant advantages over other forms of renewable energy including solar and wind, Lovley says, because unlike these other renewable energy sources, the Air-gen does not require sunlight or wind, and “it even works indoors.”

The Air-gen device requires only a thin film of protein nanowires less than 10 microns thick, the researchers explain. The bottom of the film rests on an electrode, while a smaller electrode that covers only part of the nanowire film sits on top. The film adsorbs water vapor from the atmosphere. A combination of the electrical conductivity and surface chemistry of the protein nanowires, coupled with the fine pores between the nanowires within the film, establishes the conditions that generate an electrical current between the two electrodes.

The researchers say that the current generation of Air-gen devices are able to power small electronics, and they expect to bring the invention to commercial scale soon. Next steps they plan include developing a small Air-gen “patch” that can power electronic wearables such as health and fitness monitors and smart watches, which would eliminate the requirement for traditional batteries. They also hope to develop Air-gens to apply to cell phones to eliminate periodic charging.

Yao says, “The ultimate goal is to make large-scale systems. For example, the technology might be incorporated into wall paint that could help power your home. Or, we may develop stand-alone air-powered generators that supply electricity off the grid. Once we get to an industrial scale for wire production, I fully expect that we can make large systems that will make a major contribution to sustainable energy production. The Air-gen is just the beginning of new era of protein-based electronic devices”.

In a world that seems ever more likely to suffer from stress and anxiety, it’s so incredibly important for children to learn     1     to switch off. We want children to let off steam, to relax and unwind and they do this so well through play. As children enter their school years, they can start to feel pressure     2     mainly comes from school and academia. Thankfully, playgrounds are a great way for them to play, interact and enjoy themselves. As they become more     3     (physical) active, their mental health and wellbeing improve as well.

9 . Broken Bones Don’t Get in the Way of a Big Break

Matt Shilcock lives to dance-and he will break his bones to prove it.

Shilcock, 33, was born with osteogenesis imperfect (成骨不全症). It is effectively inevitable that bones in his body will break. Shilcock was in a wheelchair as he grew up in Adelaide, until the determined teenager _________ it when he turned 15.

He said, “I just felt like being in a wheelchair was stopping me from being able to participate in things, so if I don’t take it to school, that’s going to be the start of some kind of _________.”

He admits the decision led to “complications”. “I definitely lost _________ of how many bones I’ve broken,” he said. “If you experience something enough it becomes your norm.”

Having a regular day job was never going to happen _________ dance occupied Shilcock’s mind.

“I _________ took up dancing because it was just cheaper than physiotherapy. As I started to gain more confidence and competence moving my body, _________ injuries and coming back from injuries and learning my physical potential, just the _________ that came with that was really addictive,” he said.

And so he began a career on the stage, with an 18-month acting course progressing to his first dance show in 2010 with the Restless Dance Company. He had gone from project to project for a decade before _________ the big one, a mentorship (顾问) with the acclaimed Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) last year.

Shilcock has turned his hand to choreography (编舞). He said he has given himself permission both to _________ or be great, when audiences judge his choreographic work.

It is the start of a gradual transition out of dancing that he admits will be __________ for his body to take.

In 1999, a National Geographic Society team used GPS technology to come up a height of 8,850 meters. But in 2005, a Chinese team reported a height of 8,844.43 meters    1    it did not include the mountain's snow top.

A Nepal government team of climbers and surveyors climbed Everest in May 2019 .The team used GPS and satellite equipment to measure the peak and snow    2     (deep) at the top of the mountain . Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Nepal later that year. The leaders of the two countries decided they should agree    3     an official height.