1 . Dillon Helbig, 8, is in second grade. He lives in Idaho. Late last year, he wrote a Christmas adventure story. He drew pictures for it. He filled up 81 pages of a red-covered notebook. Once he finished, he came up with a plan. He brought the notebook to the library. He put it on a children’s picture-book shelf (书架). Nobody saw him do it.

The book’s title is “The Adventures of Dillon Helbig’s Crismis.” It is signed “by Dillon His Self.”

Dillon later told his mother what he’d done. They went back to look for the book. It was gone. His mother called the library to ask if anyone had found it.

Alex Hartman runs the library where Dillon left his book. “It was a secret act,” Hartman said, laughing. He and the staff (职员) had found and read the book. Hartman read it to his 6-year-old son, Cruzen. Cruzen laughed and said it was one of the funniest books he’d ever seen.

The library staff agreed that Dillon’s book should be in the library. The story was good. It was fun to read. So Hartman asked the Helbigs if the library could put a bar code (条形码) on the book. That would allow others to check it out. The answer was a happy yes.

A local news channel reported on Dillon’s story. After that, more and more people wanted to read his book. By late last month, there was a list of 55 people waiting to check it out. Often, if a book has a long waiting list, the library buys a second copy. They can’t do that with Dillon’s book. But Hartman is talking to Dillon’s mom about making it into an e-book to share. The book even won a prize. The library gave Dillon its first Whoodini Award for Best Young Novelist.

7 . With video meetings, taking selfies (自拍) and posting on social media, it’s easier to see one’s own image online. And for some people, this can lead to feelings of appearance dissatisfaction. In the past few years, screen time has increased for both adults and children. What’s worse, recent research suggests that the video and photo images we see of ourselves are distorted (扭曲的).

One study found that those who spent more time comparing their appearance during a video call experienced lower appearance satisfaction. This study also found that people who used more photo-editing features in video chat were more likely to compare themselves with others and spend more time looking at themselves on video calls.

A 2023 study found that discomfort with one’s appearance during video meetings led to an increased attention to appearance, which in turn led to poor work performance. Researchers also suggest that appearance dissatisfaction is connected with boredom in online meetings. The research reports that this could be due to negative attention to oneself and worry about being looked at or being negatively treated based on appearance.

If you find yourself criticizing (批评) your appearance every time in a video call, it may be time to be intentional about paying more attention to what other people are saying instead of looking at your own face.

When it comes to helping others who have difficulty with appearance dissatisfaction, it is important to care more about the person’s qualities beyond appearance. When viewing yourself or your partners on video and social media, try viewing the person as a whole and not as parts of a body.

Reducing screen time can make a difference as well. Research shows that reducing social media use by 50% can improve appearance satisfaction in both teens and adults. When used in a right way, video chatting and social media are tools to connect us with others, which finally is a key piece in satisfaction and well-being.

8 . Many youngsters in China enjoy gathering a couple of good friends and taking a relaxing walk through the streets, which is a popular form of visiting a new city, that is, Citywalk. They can follow a special urban route (路线), exploring old building, drinking a cup of coffee, or eating local snacks. It can be a special guided trip for a small group of people, or simply a relaxing walk for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous tourist attractions and big crowds to get a more interesting experience of the places you visit.

In China, the Citywalk trend (趋势) is spreading from big cities like Beijing and Shanghai to other cities, encouraging more people to take part. Xiao Yiyi is a young visitor from Changsha exploring new possibilities while traveling. Recently she tried six Citywalk routes to walk in different cities and posted them on her social media account, with the aim of sharing experiences to “walk in open-air museums”.

Citywalk not only offers a way for young people to interact with a city but also provides an opportunity for people who share the same interests and ideas to easily make friends. Xiao Yiyi said her group usually includes a few or so people and her trips last around half a day.

Even though Citywalk is a new trend, industry insiders say that its future possibility is huge. It is offering a beneficial change to travelers as they can better choose the experiences that suit their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk gives an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more professional service to meet ever-changing market needs.

Escape to a New Life describes the Welsh countryside as a beautiful and peaceful place and its people as very caring and happy. The series director believes that this is what young people want today. She says the success of the series is because teenagers want a happier and healthier life away from the     1     of homework and exams. She thinks this series offers a form of getting out of their fast and     2     live.

However, many parents and teachers are     3     about the effect this is having on young people. Parents report that their children are just watching this series and doing nothing else, using Escape to a New Life as a(n)     4     for not finishing homework, or refusing to     5     for exams.

10 . Many years ago, we came across a dog at an animal shelter ( 收 容 所) while looking for a companion (同伴) for our dog, Bear. This dog seemed to be meant for us and we _______ him, so we took him home. We thought the _______ name for the new dog was Bear Junior, and so it was.

Bear Junior would wake me up every morning at 4: 30 a.m. to go for a _______. He’d touch my face with his nose and I would soon _______. I once had to _______ for two days after an illness. My wife got up to _______ him for his morning walk. He held a sit-down strike (罢工) next to me and _______ to move. It worked.

Bear Junior felt it was his _______ to help all who needed it, no matter where he went.

One day, I took Bear Junior to the dog park. We had just started our walk when a small dog was barking (吠叫) for _______. We could see a big dog cornering him. Bear Junior went into ________, placing himself between the two, facing the big dog. I shouted, “Bear Junior! This is not your ________!” But he refused to let anything ________ until the owners were able to take control.

One winter, I was playing with Bear Junior in the snow. Across the street, an elderly lady ________ on a block of ice. Bear Junior ________ me, ran across the street, and sat right against her side. She used his collar (项圈) to pull herself up. Two days later, she came to our door with dog goodies to ________ Bear Junior.