1 . The case for and against social media

Is social media harmful to teenagers?     1     Social media sites have been blamed for most of the world’s social problems from feeling disconnected and lonely to having difficulty forming meaningful relationships. Yet, many of us feel a need to use social media because it offers something we cannot find elsewhere, despite knowing the downsides.     2    

An argument for social media claims it can strengthen social bonds by facilitating relationships with people in different geographical areas. For example, social media has helped old school friends to get back in touch after many years without contact.     3     These are real benefits of using social media.

    4     The argument used by many people is that interactions on social media are no substitute for face-to-face communication. When you are out with friends how many times do they check their phones? for example.     5     Research highlights it is far more satisfying to physically laugh out loud in real life rather than to replace the act with a typed representation of laughter such as “haha” or “LOL”.       

Ideally, we should have enough self-control to be able to limit our use of social media, enjoying the benefits it can bring.

3 . The Rise of “China-chic”

Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.     1    . “China-chic” is rising, but what is it?

The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.     2    . In 2018, Chinese sportswear band Li-Ning presented its Wu Dao (the principles of Taoism) collection at the New York Fashion Week. It featured bright red color and Chinese characters. More brands have since followed, heralding (预示) the early period of guochao.

    3    . This was a period when applications of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology hit the market one after another. Domestic tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and DJI made headlines.

In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.     4    .

Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.     5    . Seen from a broader perspective, guochao mirrors the rise of China, a country eager to make its presence felt globally. Guochao is a style, but more importantly, it transmits culture and values.

4 . Have you ever had this kind of childhood memory: a family sits together casually, drinking and tasting tea after lunch or dinner?     1    

After being spread to different parts of the world,     2     Now tea has finally received top-level global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind. On Nov. 29, “traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China” was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of the knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations (茶园) as well as the picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking, and sharing of tea, noted UNESCO.

    3    The most commonly used skills ranging from shaqing (杀青) to xunzhi (窨制). Chinese tea is divided into mainly six categories: green, black, yellow, oolong, white and dark. All of them follow their own processes for tea making. Practices of greeting guests with tea are shared among multiple ethnic groups and provide a sense of identity and continuity.    4    It means boiling tea at a stove — a social tea activity popular among young Chinese people.

Weilu zhucha is a replacement in the cold seasons for the camping craze. Sitting around a stove, boiling some tea, people chat, admire the scenery and immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture by boiling tea together in person. “    5    Whenever we want some snacks, we sit around a stove and boil tea,” an Internet user commented.

5 . How to Survive in the Woods

Getting lost in the woods can be a scary situation. Whether you’ve got lost on a hike, your car broke down on a wilderness road, or any other reason, surviving in the woods is difficult.     1     Here are some tips on how to get out of the woods.

Don’t panic. Panicking can cause you to make poor decisions and affect your judgment. If you’re going to get out of the woods, you need to have a clear head.     2    

Avoid using too much energy.     3     Try not to sweat or use too much energy by doing things like running around and screaming for help if you’re by yourself. Save as much energy as you can for doing things like building shelter, fire, and searching for water.

    4     If you become lost in the woods for whatever reason, people will look for you at your last known location. Trying to find your way out can make you more lost and make it harder for anybody to find you. Stay in one location for a better chance at being rescued.

Signal your location with smoke signals. Build a fire and add a bunch of green leaves or pine needles to create a lot of smoke. Take a large branch with green leaves on it and cover the fire for 3-4 seconds to stop the smoke from escaping.     5     Repeat the process to form a line of clouds of smoke in the sky.

7 . Need more excitement in your life? Maybe it’s time to take up an extreme sport!

    1     Each year they are becoming more and more popular.Some examples of extreme sports include base jumping, ice climbing, cave diving, and...cheese rolling?!

No one knows exactly how it started, but Cooper’s Hill Cheese­Rolling Race is an annual event that has taken place for over 100 years.The name comes from Cooper’s Hill where the “sport” takes place, just outside the village of Brockworth, England.

    2     A wheel of cheese is thrown down a hill while a group of people chase after it, trying to be the first to catch it or reach the bottom of the hill.The cheese weighs just over 3kg and picks up a lot of speed travelling down the very steep slope(斜坡).     3     And if you come second or third you’ll receive ￡10. Incredibly, the event has become so popular that people travel from all over the world to take part—even from as far away as Canada and Australia.

But what makes the sport so extreme, and why has the local government tried to ban the tradition? Injuries—and lots of them.The hill is so steep that it’s not actually possible to run down it.    4     Ambulances arrive at the event before the race even starts in preparation for all those who will need a trip to the hospital.Go to YouTube and search for “Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling” to see the event in action.    5     Maybe you will want to have a try someday.

9 . Britain is divided into different areas. Britain is one of the most diverse nations in Europe with over 250 different languages being spoken in London alone. With such a various culture, adapting to it can be a challenge for anyone.     1    .

Forget the stereotypes (陈旧观念). Many of the long-formed stereotypes simply have nothing to do with Britain today. Don’t think that everyone enjoys drinking tea or beer. Abandoning some old ideas of people and culture will allow you to be more open-minded and easily get into the culture.

    2    . Britain is made up of different regions that have their different traditions and languages. Understanding different cultures will help you avoid making mistakes.

Get used to small spaces. Like all European nations, Britain does not have the luxury of space. Houses, apartments and cars are all smaller.     3    .

    4    . Always apologize for knocking into someone, even if it is his fault. Respect people’s personal space and always wait in line. Bill Bryson’s book Notes from a Small Island is filled with useful tips.

Accept the jokes.     5    . Kidding, teasing, and “taking the mick” are all ways to describe making fun of someone but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Playing tricks on someone is a common way to show affection. As Britons usually put it, “You never make fun of someone you don’t like.”