1 . Imagine you need milk, so you go to the grocery store to pick some up, only to find there are dozens of options. These days, you have to make a decision on not only the percentage of fat you want, but also what source you want your milk to be coming from: cows, soybeans... You have no idea what milk to pick. There are so many choices that you are confused.

This phenomenon is known as the paradox (悖论) of choice and it is becoming a concern in the modern world, where more and more options are becoming easily available to us. While we might believe that being presented with multiple options actually makes it easier to choose one that we are happy with, and thus increases consumer satisfaction, having too many options actually requires more effort to make a decision and can leave us feeling unsatisfied with our choice.

The idea was popularized by American psychologist Barry Schwartz when he published his book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less. Schwartz, who has long studied the ways in which economics and psychology intersect (交叉), became interested in seeing the way that choices were affecting the happiness of citizens in Western societies. He identified that the range of choices that we have available to us these days is far greater than that people had in the past; however, consumer satisfaction has not increased as much as traditional economics theories might expect.

Schwartz identified that the paradox of choice carries the most consequence for people that are maximizers. Maximizers, unlike satisficers, are concerned with making the best choice instead of simply making a choice that they are happy with. When there are many options available to maximizers, it becomes harder for them to determine which is the best, which can cause them to feel a great deal of regret after they have made a choice.

Instead of believing that freedom of choice is unlimited, Schwartz advocates that the role of psychology and behavioral economics should be to find the kind of limitations on freedom that can lead to the greatest level of happiness within society.

5 . A special spelling event called “The Big Dictation” took place in the famous Champs-Elyseés street of Paris. The event was organized by a writer named Rachid Santaki, who is often called “Monsieur Dictee”, or “Mr. Dictation”. He came up with the idea of large groups of people participating in dictations (听写) back in 2013, thinking it could help people in France get better at reading and writing.

Over 50,000 people applied to join in the special spelling event. In the end, around 5,000 people, aged 10 to 90, were chosen to take part.

A large “blackboard” was set up for the event near a famous monument (纪念碑), the Arc de Triomphe. Three celebrities were there to play the part of the teacher, and read the dictation texts out loud. A total of 1,779 desks were set up in the street to be used in each of three different dictation sessions, each of which had a different theme, including classic French literature, contemporary French literature, and writing about sports.

Ten-year-old Samson thought the dictation was too quick and he couldn’t finish. Another young student agreed. “It was impossible!” he said. “The dictation was for adults.” Even adults found it hard, reporting that it caused “stress and worry”. One retired woman was pleased that she had only made two mistakes.

The organizer said the event wasn’t just about getting all the words right, but something that could bring people together. Another goal of The Big Dictation was to break the Guinness record for the largest dictation event ever. The previous record was set in 2018 at France’s national stadium, Stade de France, with 1,473 people taking part. It’s not clear if the event on the Champs-Elysees managed to beat the record. But even if it didn’t, The Big Dictation will be remembered by the people of Paris for a long time.

6 . Yellowstone, WY

No other place on earth is like Yellowstone National Park. The huge, natural conservation attracts all visitors with its mountains, valleys, springs and forests. With challenging hikes into the backcountry as well as wheelchair-accessible wooden boardwalks, the wonders of Yellowstone are for everyone in your family. Bring a tent and get here early to take advantage of the affordable campgrounds.

Durango, CO

Durango and its nearby mountains attract people in any season, and you can bring your family there anytime. In warm months, you’ll find everything from hiking to white-water rafting (漂流). In winter months, the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of the best winter train rides in the country. Purgatory Ski Resort is less expensive and less crowded than its Colorado competitors like Aspen, but with equally great slopes (山坡).

Outer Banks, NC

The Outer Banks separate the mainland from the Atlantic Ocean. The open-sea beaches, state parks and sunken-ship diving sites make them a popular holiday destination. The area positively marks in history: Roanoke Island was the site of England’s first settlement in the New World; Orville and Wilbur Wright took their famous first flight at Kill Devil Hills and the pirate (海盗) Blackbeard fought his last battle at Ocracoke, which may entertain both the adult and the kids.

Bandera, TX

Go to the real grass farm outside of San Antonio, for some Western-themed fun. Whether you’re dying to try horseback riding or just hoping to relax in a place where kids can entertain themselves, this farm has you covered with plenty of fun outdoor activities for the whole family including fishing, horseshoes, and playgrounds for golf, basketball, tennis, volleyball and even pickleball.

7 . The annual Redhead Days Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, drew thousands of red-haired people from around the world in August, 2023. The three-day event is a celebration of red hair, a feature only shared by only 1%-2% of the global population. And although redheads can be found all over the world, the numbers are higher for people from the north of Europe, where the rate (比率) is between 2% and 6%.

For many attendees, like 30-year-old Scottish Liam Hunter, the festival is an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging and self-acceptance. Hunter, who has experienced bullying (霸凌) due to his hair color, expressed a sense of satisfaction and unity at the event. “I don’t feel alone anymore. I feel together, a part of something,” he said.

The event, which attracted about 5, 000 redheads from various countries, offered a range of activities including painting workshops, make-up and skincare knowledge, photo shoots, musical performances, and speed-meet events.

Interestingly, the festival’s start was somewhat accidental. Bart Rouwenhorst, an artist and the event’s organizer, placed an advertisement in the local newspaper in 2005 seeking 15 red- haired models for a painting project. Surprisingly, he received responses from 150 individuals. Although Rouwenhorst is not a redhead himself, he decided to organize a group photo with all the respondents. The gathering got much attention and was considered a success, leading the organizers to establish it as an annual event.

Now the festival serves as a special stage for redheads to celebrate their differences, develop a sense of community, and raise awareness about the challenges they face, such as bullying and increased sensitivity (过敏) to the sun. It also provides an opportunity for non-redheads to learn about and appreciate the uniqueness of red hair.

8 . Including a healthy diet and exercise in one’s busy schedule isn’t that easy. Yet Martina Laird, 31, managed to do so.

I’ve always loved power walking. I was in theatre in Stratford a few years ago and used to walk along a disused railway line. The sights are beautiful and it was so relaxing a type of walking meditation (沉思) with headphones on. I find gyms terrible and boring. I can’t see the point in getting a personal trainer. I don’t like the idea of having someone beside me while I exercise.

I don’t own a car, which means I walk everywhere. It really keeps me fit. I’d love to get a mountain bike. Bristol, where we film, has so many hills that cycling back from work each day would be an amazing exercise on its own.

I love fine food, but I don’t eat red meat or dairy products (奶制品). Cutting out bread has also made an amazing difference to my health. I have so much more energy. I always stick to healthy food and make my own juices for breakfast. When it’s freezing cold, I make my soups and take them to work. But I’m not perfect. I have my days of reaching for the biscuits. I also like to eat candies in the evening. They have left a bad influence on my teeth. I really want to stop and I’m giving it a try.

I’m really happy with my health and I’m about 75% happy with myself. But like any woman, I still a little admire that other 25%. As a woman in this profession, you can’t help comparing yourself to your workmates. There’s some pressure to be thin on TV, but I’m a role model and I don’t want to put out the message to young viewers that being underweight is healthy. You can only make the most of what you’ve got.

9 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make

Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.     1     , keep these things in mind to help you increase your chances of running success.

·Doing too much too soon

One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine     2     .

·     3    

Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.

·Not wearing the right equipment

    4    , it’s important that you wear properly for your workouts. The most important piece of equipment for running is a good pair of running shoes, so be sure to do some research before you purchase a pair. Visit a running specialty store and ask an employee to fit you for a shoe.

•Running through pain

    5     If something hurts when you run, you need to stop and treat the pain. Remember: It doesn’t make you less of a runner if you listen to your body to keep it healthy.

10 . Many say artificial intelligence is the biggest invention since the Internet. The sudden rise of large language models like ChatGPT has fueled the publication to a higher level—AI will be the common language the world speaks and humans can build the Tower of Babel again. With the technology in hand, it seems spending thousands of hours to master a different tongue is simply a waste of time.

Duolingo’s co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn has a different opinion. He said it’s still worthwhile for people to learn a new language despite the rapid advancement of AI powered translation technology in the past decade. “Computers are better than humans playing chess. And there are more people playing chess now than there’s ever been,” said von Ahn. “People just want to do certain things even if computers are good at it.

According to Duolingo’s research, the majority of new language learners agreed learning a new language could make travelling a better experience and more fun; and 80 percent think learning new languages will inspire them to be travelers with an adventurous spirit.

Luis von Ahn co-founded Duolingo in 2011, which offers customized learning exercises, immediate feedback and gamification(游戏化). The platform provides equal access with over 40 languages to everyone who wants to learn. Last year, the company even rolled out sessions for its first dialect language——Cantonese. The app attracted many Mandarin learners as well. Their primary motivation to try the language was for “intellectual development,” according to the company.

Duolingo has applied AI technology to the language learning platform since day one. With a powerful AI tool, it can provide conversations based on previous exchanges with the user to make language learning more natural. The AI can understand the sentences and react to the input from learners to keep the conversation going.

The goal for the language learning app for von Ahn himself, is to operate on par with a human tutor. He said Duolingo is already as effective as study in a classroom. “I think with AI, we’re getting closer and closer to being as good as a one-to-one human tutor,” he said.