3 . In today’s world, it can be challenging to stay motivated and positive. However, one powerful tool that we can use to overcome these challenges is encouragement. Encouragement can make a significant difference in someone’s life.     1     Encouragement can come in many forms, such as words of affirmation (肯定), acts of kindness, or simply showing support. In today’s society, where negativity is common, a little bit of encouragement can go a long way.

One of the most significant benefits of encouragement is that it builds strong relationships. Encouragement creates a positive environment where people feel valued and appreciated. When we encourage others, we are showing them that we believe in them and that we care about their well-being.     2    

Another benefit of encouragement is that it creates a chain reaction.     3     This chain reaction can spread throughout a community, workplace, or family. By building each other up, we create a supportive and empowering environment.

    4     The first step is to be intentional about our words and actions. We can start by offering genuine words, expressing thanks, or simply listening attentively. We can also seek out opportunities to encourage others, whether it’s through volunteering or offering support during tough times. By taking small but consistent actions, we can make a significant impact on the lives of other people.

In conclusion, the power of encouragement cannot be overstated. It has the potential to transform lives, build strong relationships, and create a ripple effect of positivity. By being intentional about our words and actions, we can use encouragement to build others up and create a better world.     5    

4 . Everyone carries a shield（屏障）. Our shields protect what we don’t want others to see, from our embarrassing secrets to our unpredictable feelings.     1     But the problem is that shields can become heavy burdens — easy to put on yet difficult to remove — with terrible effects.

Since shields encourage us to hide negative parts of ourselves, we can start to believe that we aren’t worth showing. We might fear how our friends will judge our struggles or how our families will view our ambitions.     2    

However, we have to remember that we aren’t perfect, nor should we expect to be. We need to find and cure the wounds underneath our shields, but that means we have to let down our guard. We may even have problems we haven’t admitted to ourselves.     3     Even if it seems insignificant, every problem should be acknowledged before it grows. Before being cured, we must know that we need to be cured, and be okay with admitting that.

Knowing this takes bravery and patience, so it’ll be hard.     4     Yet asking for help means admitting our problems to somebody else — it means letting them see what’s behind our shields. To make it easier, we can reveal ourselves to somebody close to us who we trust will understand us and provide personal support. Or, if we fear judgement, we can open up to someone distant but knowledgeable, such as a counsellor or a help line. No matter what, we can find help when we begin searching.

    5     We can be more forgiving of faults so we can become comfortable with ours and encourage others to follow. Most importantly, we can let people know that we are willing to listen and help and make it easier to let down our shields.

5 . Emojis are everywhere. They offer effective and fun ways to interact with others. Used well, they can become an engaging and creative addition to communication.     1    

One well-chosen emoji can replace many words of text.     2     Or a thumbs-up emoji might save you from writing out your agreement to something in full.

    3     And when you can’t hear someone’s tone of voice or read their body language, an image can be particularly helpful for understanding their meaning.

Emojis are clear, colorful, and designed to convey a single message memorably — which has been shown to increase interest and engagement. They stand out among text, especially when the recipient is working quickly or on the move.

Many emojis mean the same thing to everyone, everywhere.     4     For example, a smiling face emoji will let anyone know that you’re happy, whatever language you speak!

Emojis can help you to show your human side, making you seem friendlier and more approachable. What’s more, the brain reacts to images of faces, and to real faces, in a very similar way.

Alongside all the potential benefits of emojis that we’ve listed above, there are also dangers you’ll need to guard against.     5     For example, a red-faced character could be angry, or embarrassed. Like any language, you need to “speak Emoji” with care. If not, you run the risk of creating confusion, conveying the wrong impression, or even causing serious offense.

6 . The only words you need to say after receiving a compliment (赞美) are “thank you”. But you know that's easier said than done.

There are many reasons why you have a hard time accepting compliments.     1     It's a three step process. First, believe what people tell you. If you're still having a hard time taking the compliment, double check. And if it's still hard to accept then you'll have to check yourself.

    2     For example, if you're six feet tall and I say, “Wow, you're tall! ” I'm being honest. I'm five foot nine, so plenty of people are tall compared to me. I'm expressing that subjectively, from my shorter vantage point, you are tall. I'm not saying everyone would agree with me. Just like if I say City of God is a great movie, I'm not saying you have to think it's a great movie.

You have to listen carefully to compliments. It's not always obvious if you're being complimented for something only others can observe. If you are five foot six inches tall, and weigh seventy pounds, I would say you are slim. But if you are comparing yourself to someone who is shorter, and weighs five pounds less than you, you might call yourself plump. In this extreme example, the outside perspective is more accurate than the internal one.       3    

If you're still struggling to accept a compliment, you don't just have to take someone at their word. It can be hard to accept an opinion when it's the opposite of yours, so call in reinforcements. Ask someone else what they think.     4     You can ask two or three or four more people if two isn't enough.

    5     If you mislead or lie to people about your opinions, then it's not surprising that you have a hard time trusting that people's compliments are genuine. Be more honest with people around you, and you'll find it much easier to believe what people say about you.

7 . Waste not, Want not

Today, I live in Manhattan with my husband, Alex. I’m an IT specialist and Alex is a lawyer. Life’s good, but sometimes I look at the way we live it and think of Ellie, my grandmother. Her favorite saying was “Waste not, want not.”     1    . Ellie carefully folded the paper from parcels and washed glass jars to use again. Frank, my grandfather, used old socks and pullovers (套头毛衣) to protect the plants in winter. Nowadays, we go to a garden center to buy special felt for that purpose. Have we all gone mad?

Such economy seems strange, even ridiculous, in our modern throwaway society, where everything is sold in boxes.     2    , but as a selling feature to make us want to buy them. Ellie and Frank would have seen the very idea of a “gift pack” as a cheat.

    3    . The United States produces about 180 million metric tons of waste per year, 70% of which is packaging materials. The average American family uses up six trees’ worth of paper a year.     4    , they would reach to the moon and back twelve times. “We can’t go on like this,” I said to Alex. “Let’s start at home. If everybody starts at home, then this madness will stop.”

    5    . Of course, this meant that we produced a lot of waste, but I was shocked to find that this came to over six kilos per week. “Your grandma Ellie with her ‘Waste not, want not’ was really modern, wasn’t she?” “Not really,” I said. “Ellie and their neighbors were just ordinary, traditional New Englanders. We’ve all gone mad since then.”