1 . Depending on your view, the recorder (竖笛) is an instrument of “incredible functions” or a tool of annoyance that has bothered primary schools for too many generations. But now, it faces extinction, with one of the UK’s top music schools reporting an 80% decline in the number of young people playing it in the last 10 years.

The instrument’s future is so imperilled that the European Recorder Teachers Association is trying to bring it back to life again so it does not go the way of the lute. The ERTA argues that if the recorder was good enough for the Beatles, it has a place in modern music today. Tom Redmond, the principal of Chetham’s school of music in Manchester, said only three of its pupils practised the recorder, compared with 15 a decade ago. “More pupils were taking up the piano or other instruments,” said Redmond. “The ones that became really popular are the ones students spend more time playing alone. With the instruments being more socially or orchestral based, there has been a decline.”

Redmond also said that this problem extended “beyond the recorder itself” and was a mirror of the future of music. “Like removing any plant or animal from an ecosystem, removing the recorder has a huge ripple effect (连锁反应) beyond just the instrument. You need these instruments to create the inspiration for music, and without that, there is less excitement for it and to learn music,” he said. Chris Orton, a recorder tutor and chair of the ERTA, is leading the fight against the instrument’s extinction. He said, “The recorder is increasingly overlooked by students, and yet it has a rich history and incredible attractions. As well as making beautiful sounds, it’s an accessible instrument in that it is low-cost compared to other woodwind instruments, and it’s light and easy to carry.”

2 . Have you ever noticed how much nicer you are to your friends than to yourself?

We comfort our friends and cheer on their achievements, yet we constantly criticize ourselves. We regret making mistakes. We compare ourselves to others. We don’t feel we are worthy enough. It’s endless.

Self-criticism actually serves a purpose. It helps people survive by adapting ourselves to social standards. Follow the standards and you will remain secure; step outside the lines and you will risk potential danger. This is why the negative self-talk is critical—it’s trying to keep you safe.

Strangely enough, as the brain circuit forces us to reflect what we did wrong, it responds with support for our friends. So how can we treat ourselves with the care we give our friends? We start by understanding how self-criticism operates.

When we are not concentrated on something, the brain circuit runs. We passively listen to these negative thoughts which interrupt our ability to focus and sleep. The self-criticism creates over thinking. For example, someone who loses a love done might think, “I’m so down. Why can’t I get over this?” and then, “I can’t handle anything.” When trying to make meaning from self-criticism, we slip into a cycle, which makes us feel we are not enough: not successful enough, not lovable enough, not worthy enough...It convinces us that we will be happy and safe when we achieve something. Yet when we achieve that, our wish to equal the achievements of others finds us some new in security. Nothing will ever be good enough.

Only when we stop the self-criticism can we hear our inner voice. Let go of the desire to “keep up with the Joneses” and then step more fully into ourselves. Next, think about what you would say to friends in a similar situation. It helps us out of the negative cycle and access our caring and supportive side. It is time for us to treat ourselves like we treat our friends.

3 . During the Labor Day Holiday, Zha Liguo, at our guide, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets over Huangshan. He was joined by thousands of followers who enjoyed the views on their phones in what is known as “cloud tourism”. During the holiday, Zha would begin his day with a broadcast of the sunrise at the mountaintop. He then would hike across the grand valley and wait for the sunset with his mobile phone.

Having worked in the tourism industry for two decades, Zha began experimenting with live stream in 2022. His positive attitude, engaging presentation, and high quality filming in particular, have helped him attract 700,000 followers.

Not far away from Huangshan, the Hongcun Village is also exploring new possibilities. In less than a year since the village created an official livestream account, it has gained more than 100, 000 followers.

“In addition to the landscape, we also take the audience closer to local folk customs, such as lantern making and wood carving. Compared with the traditional tour, ‘cloud tourism’ can give them a much deeper understanding of a place,” said a manager of a local tourist agency.

“Cloud tourism” has not only increased the appeal of tourist attractions in Hongcun Village but also boosted the growth of local industries. The sales of products in the scenic zone shot up in live stream shows and at present about 40 local tour guides regularly live stream. The live video streams have also cultivated (培养) a huge potential customer base. “I would love to go to Huangshan in the future,” read a message left in Zha’s live stream.

4 . As a worrying number of youngsters take up vaping (电子烟), the Government has announced a crackdown on laws to stop kids from becoming addicted to the dangerous habit.

Disposable (一次性的) vapes are now set to be banned in the UK as part of the Prime Minister’s new legislation (立法) to “stop youth vaping in its tracks”. Recent research shows that one in five teens has now tried vaping, despite it being illegal for under-18s, and half of those who vape between 18 and 24 do so despite having no history of smoking.

Last year, figures showed the number of adults using e-cigarettes in the UK had risen to the highest rate on record at roughly 4.3 million Brits. According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health, almost 1,000 serious adverse reactions to vapes were logged, including five deaths linked to e-cigarettes in the last decade.

And it’s not just over-the-count er vapes at the center of the country’s vaping crisis — fake e-cigarettes with deadly chemicals have sparked concerns. An investigation by the Mirror in 2023revealed one man’s fears for his life after he suffered a collapsed lung as a result of a fake, unlicensed pack of vapes purchased from a corner shop in County Durham.

Alex Gittins,31, thought he bagged himself a bargain but ended up in hospital just hours later. He said: “I noticed an awful chemical taste in the back of my throat, then five to 10minutes later I felt what was like a stitch. I’m lying in A&E thinking I was going to die.”

A regular vaper was told he had just a one percent chance of survival after being left in need of a double lung transplant. Jackson Allard, 22, underwent the life-saving operation on January 1, putting an end to a series of serious health issues.

Medical expert Stephanie Hansen has voice d concerns about the unknown long-term effects of e-cigarettes. She said: “Vaping or e-cigarette use is relatively new, so we don’t necessarily know a lot of the long-term effects of vaping and that’s honestly one of the scariest things about it.”

8 . People don’t usually become homeless suddenly. It’s a chutes-and-ladders (阶梯状) process. A large new statewide study takes a closer look at the period just before homelessness, by asking a representative sample of almost 3,200 homeless people from all over the state about the dilemma they fell into, and what would have helped.

Some of the findings were unsurprising: in the state with the nation’s largest homeless population, people are unhoused because they don’t have enough money, or have experienced trauma (创伤). A quarter of all survey participants had experienced family violence, and their lives and health get much worse once homelessness strikes. But some of the report’s data run counter to popular perception: for example, most homeless people are not from out of state, contrary to the common belief that homeless people move to California for the weather and policies.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Margot Kushel, says there’s a “doom loop” of homelessness, where people have jobs that don’t cover living expenses, so they lose their homes, and the resulting instability makes it harder to keep their jobs.

Kushel points to really exciting models of homelessness prevention, where in low-income communities, they’ll have subway and bus posters saying, “Are you at risk of becoming homeless? Call us.” These programs might offer anything from cash to finding landlords or roommates. “What was really striking to us was how little money people thought it would have taken,” says Kushel. Most participants suggested that less than $500 a month, or a onetime payment of $10,000, would have kept them housed. Kushel cautions that the vast majority of mental health issues among the study participants are anxiety and depression. It’s likely that the lack of resources results in those conditions, rather than the illness causing the homelessness. “The driving issue is clearly the deep poverty,” Kushel says.

9 . Generally, most people feel delighted when birthday comes, especially children. They count the days and can’t wait to send ________ to their friends, in hope of getting together and enjoying a birthday cake. ________, not everyone is excited about birthday. There are many people out there who never ________ to celebrate it. They find the day as ________ as any other day. Nothing in their routine changes in the name of ________.

This may be common in those who are in their 50’s or older. For some people in this age, life becomes a ________ that is going on and on and at a ________ pace. They feel like losing control of their time and every passing year ________ the fear of dying soon. This is not good as it stimulates negativity. But some people do so and they can’t ________ it. Their birthday is nothing more than ________ news for them.

Some people do not like to come to the notice of others due to any possible reason on this earth. They just don’t want to be the ________of others. You may feel surprised about this nature but they like to remain as part of the crowd. Birthdays are ________ to this feeling as they bring sudden ________ to people.

There is also another part of the population that thinks it is a ________ of money. Their logic is, why lose the hard-earned ________ for the pleasure of three to four hours?