1 . Social media is so common in our society that almost everyone is connected to some forms of it, whether it is Twitter, Facebook or even Pinterest. We are in a fast­paced, technologically­evolving society and we are addicted to social media. In fact, we crave (渴望) social media.

    1     We share what we’re doing, how amazingly we did on a test and so on. Simply speaking, we love people knowing what we're doing. It has become a place that can define us.

Our social networks can tell a story about us, and if you’re like me, you want to make sure that the story your Twitter or Facebook tells about you is a good story.     2     How does one ensure a positive online reputation? Here are some tips.

1. Keep it clean:     3     Party photos with alcohol are an absolute no­no. Would you want to have your boss see these photos? Make sure to post contents that you feel positively reflects you, your creativity and your skills.

2. Don’t trust privacy settings: You have a private Twitter account so you can post anything you want?     4     Privacy settings make it harder to see your full account, but it’s not impossible. You shouldn't rely on privacy settings as a way to protect inappropriate (不适当的) content.

3. Ensure you’re polished: Keep it classy (优等的)!     5     Think about what you want people to think of you and go with it.

Like it or not, your social networks reflect you — make sure you look like the shining star that you truly are.

2 . In the weeks leading up to my 18th birthday last year, I was told everything changes when you turn eighteen.     1    

I could vote.

I could get my driver’s license.

I could book a hotel room.

I could get married.

It felt exciting.     2     The second is sixteen because it’s “sweet.” And then there is eighteen. Woo hoo.

I’m about to burst that bubble.

First of all, when I woke up that morning in December, I felt a little rush of excitement and then it ended.     3     I wasn’t a completely new person; I was just a year older. And I was a year older with a load of responsibilities that I would not see coming for a few months.

Over the next few months, I was able to do one of the things that come with being legal. I voted in the New York State primary elections.     4     But it still wasn’t making eighteen as exciting as I thought it would be.

And then I realized: Being eighteen was less about the rights and more about growing up. I was making decisions about when to go out, I was getting more focused on my future and my respect for my parents was growing. I was an adult and I was truly starting to feel it.     5    

So here’s my advice to those about to turn eighteen: Don’t blow it. Accept the responsibility that now falls on you. It’s time to grow up and prepare for the rest of your adult life.

3 . How to Protect Against Undue Influence Online

The potential for undue influence has become increasingly significant in this era of digital interconnectivity. Undue influence can affect our perceptions and influence our decisions. It may even end anger our autonomy (自主) and mental health.     1    

Understand what undue influence is

The first step to protecting yourself is understanding what undue influence is. Undue influence refers to a situation in which an individual or group employs unreasonable control over another person’s behavior information, thoughts, and emotions.     2     Disinformation campaigns, persuasive advertising, and even content designed to cause fear, uncertainty, or dependency may often appear online.

Develop media literacy skills

In an age of fake news, it is crucial to develop media literacy skills.     3     Become a consumer who can tell the quality of information, identify the source, check for credibility, and look for your unconscious assumptions and preferences.

    4    

Delete as much data as you can about yourself. Be mindful of what information you share online, and always ensure that your online activities are secured through reliable sources. Review all policies on platforms, especially “free” ones. If you aren’t paying, then you are the product, as in many cases, they are selling your data.

By including these steps into your digital life, you can protect yourself from undue influence in the online world, ensuring that you can think and act independently, free from ill control.

    5     It is your mind. Only you should control it!

4 . 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.

5 . Resilience (适应力) is the ability to renew from hardship and possibly also grow stronger in the process.     1     When we face difficulties, instead of giving in to desperation, we can choose, as hard as it may seem in the moment, to accept resilience. This means recognizing our own inner strength and determination to overcome challenges.

    2     Of course it forces us to face our fears and doubts. Each time we tolerate a difficult experience, we build resilience, making us better equipped to handle future challenges.

Turning hardest moments into learning opportunities requires self-reflection. When we encounter difficulties, it’s essential to take a step back and ask ourselves tough questions.     3     What can we learn from it? Reflecting on our experiences allows us to gain valuable insights and wisdom. As long as we obtain learning, understanding, and insight from it, they can become gifts and sources of strength and wisdom over time.

Life’s challenges often bring us into contact with the suffering of others. Experiencing hardship can promote empathy for those with similar difficulties. This newfound empathy can lead to a desire to help and support others. Turning our pain into an opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level can be incredibly rewarding.     4    

As irony as this may sound, life would be incredibly boring and possibly meaningless if we had no problems to solve. Difficult moments often require us to think critically and find solutions to complex problems in ways we wouldn’t otherwise.     5     When we encounter obstacles (障碍)”, we are pushed to explore new views, seek creative solutions. Without obstacles, we wouldn’t ever discover what we’re truly capable of and a lot of our potential would be wasted.

6 . Facial expressions give away whether someone is being honest

Wouldn’t the world be such a simple place if someone’s nose really grew when they told a lie? Then we wouldn’t have to spend so much time trying to determine whether people are telling the   truth. Luckily, there are scientific ways to tell if someone is being honest by judging from their facial expressions.     1    .

They’re holding the right amount of eye contact.

Eyes have the power to be extremely telling at times, particularly when it comes to whether people are telling the truth or not. When I think about it,     2    , but it turns out the opposite is true.

Their rate of blinking doesn’t change.

Stay to the eyes for a moment — blinking is a very easy way to detect if someone is telling you the truth. Those who are being honest will maintain a consistent rhythm of blinking as they’re speaking to you.     3    , and then the blinking speed will increase up to eight time faster than normal after the lie has been told.

You haven’t noticed them touching their nose.

    4    . Are they reaching up and touching their nose as they’re speaking? Nose touching is a sign of lying. This is because certain tissues in the nose usually swell when a person is telling   a lie, making the nose itch. If the person hasn’t been touching their nose at all, take this as a good sign.

    5    .

A fake smile could mean something is up. Liars have an “increased activity of the ‘zygomatic major muscles’, located around the mouth,” and it can force the face into a fake smile.

7 . There’s nothing quite like a winter wonderland. When the snow falls and the lakes and ponds freeze over, there’s a certain magical chocolate-box feeling to the world that ironically makes us feel cozy inside. However, it might be different for some of our pets.     1    . Even those animals who don’t mind a frosty walk or a house that’s cooler than usual may need some protection from the elements for their own good. As a pet owner, you’ll undoubtedly make sure that your pets are comfortable and properly winterized.

• Keep the walks brief

    2    . If it gets cold enough for you to need a coat, know that your dog is probably also feeling the chill. Therefore, mind the length of walks when the winter is just coming.

•     3    

If your dog is shivering a lot, it isn’t a bad idea to give them a blanket or a warmer bed. Avoid electrically heated blankets and pads as some pups might not realize when it gets too hot.

• Wrap them up in the right clothes

Make sure the clothes you choose fit them properly and don’t have any dangling bits they could swallow.     4    , if your dog is truly uncomfortable putting on clothes.

• Watch out for dangerous snow

Salt and antifreeze on sidewalks are potentially deadly to pets.     5    . If they are OK with it, put them in booties and avoid problems together.

8 . Build your own first aid kit

Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere, so being prepared for one is important. Having a proper first aid kit in your home is an easy but essential part of good emergency preparation.     1    . Instead of getting such one, you can save money and ensure the kit is personalized to suit you and your family’s particular needs by creating your own.

Pick a good container. One good option is a large, water resistant, rigid or flexible plastic container. This makes the materials inside visible for easy identification and safe.     2    . A handle is ideal out of consideration for that. Regardless of your container choice, clearly identify it, for example, by writing “ FIRST AID” with a permanent marker.

    3    . One should include all of your basic medicinal supplies, such as bandages (绷带), gloves and scissors, while the second one includes medicine. Make sure that the important basic medical tools and medicines are contained in it.     4    . However, when it comes to bandages, wipes and other lightweight items, the more the merrier. And remember that everything is kept in small sealed plastic bags.

    5    . When one of your family is crying about a cut on her finger, you don’t want your home kit buried at the back of a cupboard or lost because it’s not being returned to the same spot after each use. Establish a clearly-defined, consistent spot for it. Let small children know where the kit is located, but place it where they cannot reach it.

9 . Sometimes, we pour in our best efforts, only to see the worst outcomes. It can be frustrating and demotivating, and slipping into a negative mindset is easy.

In the event of failure, it is very tempting to self-blame or self-pity for what happened.     1     Here’s what you can do to make yourself feel good when things don’t work out.

Acknowledge Your Emotions

When things don’t go according to plan, it’s natural to feel disappointed, frustrated, or sad.     2     Recognize your feelings and accept that it’s okay to feel that way. By allowing yourself to experience your emotions, you can process them better and move on.

While it is good to recover quickly, the grieving phase is a necessity you shouldn’t skip. People who deny that they failed and that nothing went wrong only find themselves in more complicated situations and a more fractured emotional state. Feel sad, breathe, take a few walks, and think that acknowledging the issue means 50% of your problem is already solved.

Practice Self-Care

    3     Grab some time to engage in activities that make you happy and relaxed. Take a long bath, walk in nature, meditate, read a book, or watch your favorite movie. When we feel good about ourselves, we are better equipped to deal with life’s challenges.

Surround Yourself with Positivity

Surround yourself with people who inspire you, while being true.     4     You could also join a support group or an online community of like-minded individuals who share your interests.

    5     While you see yourself as a strong person who can handle negativity, it’s best to withdraw from the chaos during recovery. Avoid social media and dealing with colleagues who often trigger negativity.

10 . Poetry has a place in the curriculum of primary schools. It can be taught as part of reading, writing, and language lessons, and it fits easily into classroom themes, projects, and celebrations.     1    . Here are four reasons to teach poetry in the classroom.

Build Reading, Speaking & Listening Skills

The unique thing about poetry is that we often read aloud, repeat often, and share in groups. When children are listening to poems orally, they are building their listening skills     2    . When sharing poems in a classroom, look at, and read them together. Children are strengthening their reading skills and building reading fluency through repeated reading.

Explore Language & Vocabulary

    3    . Children can learn about phonics and letter sounds by listening for and locating rhyming words. A poem can be used to teach vocabulary, sentence structure, parts of speech, and many grammar skills. Poetry also builds vocabulary. Children get exposed to words they have not heard before, and they listen to them in context.

Inspire Writing

Learn about how poems are created and the words they contain. It is the first step in writing.     4    . In poetry, we learn how to put words together to form meaning and context. We learn how to choose the right words to create imagery and effect. Writing poetry is a transferable skill that will help children write in other ways and styles.

    5    

Poetry is a form of expression. Writing it lets us get out our feelings and thoughts on a subject while reading it encourages us to connect and find meaning in our experiences. Poetry can have a positive impact on the social and emotional learning of children. It may offer them a new way of thinking about something. It can put things into words that children may not know how to express otherwise.