2 . Some pickles (榨菜) can sometimes make a meal taste better. Recently, a new type of pickle is being discussed: “digital pickles”. In fact, they are the attractive videos people watch while eating.

The topic received more than 16 million clicks online and about 100, 000 people joined in the discussion. Instead of being with friends and family during a meal, many young people in China are kept company by TV shows or short videos. Many believe that their food tastes better with the “digital pickles”.

Can this habit affect your diet? According to a research paper, you may eat more unconsciously (无意识地). The international research team asked 62 volunteers to follow different eating habits on four different days. Those included eating while looking at the mobile phone, reading magazines and doing nothing else. After analyzing (分析) their diets, the team discovered that eating with a distraction (使人分心的事物) resulted in taking in more calories by about 15 percent.

To explore the reason, the team also invited two groups of people: one group ate while listening to sounds about another person eating and the other listened to those that helped them imagine themselves eating. The results showed that the second group ate less since they were more focused on their meals. When eating with the “digital pickles”, our attention can be attracted, which leads to eating more than expected.

This works not only for eating meals but other demanding tasks as well. A research project led by the University of Sussex, UK, pointed out that activities which require lots of attention cheat many into overeating. The team invited 120 volunteers to do different tasks while providing them with drinks and snacks. “Our study suggests that if you’re eating or drinking while your attention is attracted by a highly engaging task, you’re less likely to tell how full you feel, “one author explained.

Jennifer Jones, a 15-year-old girl, passed     1     in her morning PE lesson after skipping meals and then she was rushed to hospital,     2     (leave) her parents worried about her health. Fortunately, she will make a full     3     (recover) soon. “To reach her target weight, she     4     (struggle) with eating problems over the last few months.” her friend Laura told the reporter: “I warned her that skipping meals is unhealthy, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Jennifer’s case is     5     important reminder of the dangers of the unhealthy weight-loss habits that have become common among teenagers. “These so-called ‘quick-fix methods’ prove to be harmful to teenagers. It is normal for teenagers to be     6     (slight) overweight and there is no reason     7     they should be worried. However, for those who are dangerously overweight,     8     is very important that they try to lose weight properly.” said an expert. She pointed out the significance of having a balanced diet in teenagers’ growth and     9     (add), “What’s more, they should keep regular hours and get plenty of exercise     10     (stay) energetic and fit.”

If a traditional sport bores you, it’s time to try something new! New sports have been refreshing our minds,    1     (improve) brain functions and bringing more joy to physical exercise   For a decade, national fitness     2     (be) a part of the national strategy, aiming to improve people’s overall physical health.

New sports begin to thrive with great attention paid     3     support of national fitness According to a study by Houlang Research Institute     4     attracted more than 1,200 young people to participate, more than 93 percent of people born after 2000 are interested in urban sports.

Why do young people favor new sports? Houlang’s report claims that apart from keeping fit as a type of exercise, many young people pick them up to socialize   allowing them     5     (build) up their social circles. Players tend to have online group chats announcing their usual activities and     6     (simple) sharing their lives

The new sports are also “suitable for taking photos and are less restricted by venues”, Zou Qingling, the CEO of Lvmama,     7     tourism website in China, told China News Service Gathered together through social     8     (medium), people can enjoy new sports at many places in the city, from parks to spacious sidewalks.

The pandemic plays a role in this trend too. Because of the pandemic, people may choose sports that are less demanding on     9     (equip) and can take place at local venues They have also gained a     10     (strong) passion for outdoor activities and healthier lifestyles.

5 . When it comes to team assembly (团队组建), people who are both trustworthy and competent are the most sought after. However, those who are friendly and trustworthy are more likely to be selected than those who are known for just their skill competence and personal reputation, according to a new research from Binghamton University.

“We assume that people are selected for important tasks due to their knowledge, skills and abilities. However, this research suggests that people may often get picked because team members feel comfortable with them,” said Cynthia Maupin, assistant professor of organizational behavior and leadership in Binghamton University’s School of Management. “People may be willing to sacrifice a bit in terms of performance in order to have a really positive team experience.”

Maupin and her colleagues focused on a group of MBA students to conduct their study. Students were randomly assigned to different teams to carry out class projects and assignments. Toward the end of the semester, students were asked to form their own teams. and evaluate why they selected each member of their group.

“To find out how students signaled to others that they might be someone who would be good to team up with in the future, we studied their use of either challenging or supportive voice,” Maupin said.

·Challenging voice: Communicating in a way that challenges the present situation and is focused on new ideas and efficiency.

·Supportive voice: Communicating in a way that strengthens social ties and trust, and builds friendly unity of a team.

The researchers found that students who exhibited both voices were the most in-demand people when it came to assembling teams. However, students who only used supportive voice to exhibit their friendliness and trustworthiness were more sought after than those who only signaled their competence through the use of challenging voice.

Maupin said the findings have major implications(影响) for the workplace. “People should realize the way they speak up can have a strong effect on informal teaming up at a later point and that supportive voice helps establish harmonious relationships and a sense of trust amongst individuals.”

6 . It was a comfortable sunny Sunday. I was going to meet an old university friend I hadn’t seen for years, and was really excited.

My train was running a little late, but that was no big problem—I could text him to say I would be delayed. He would understand. But … where was my mobile phone? I had that familiar sinking feeling. Yes, I’d left it at home.

No mobile phone. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling anxious, on edge and worried when I don’t have my phone with me. In fact, I know I’m not alone: two－thirds of us experience “nomophobia (无手机恐惧症)”， the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

That’s according to a study from 2012 which surveyed 1，000 people in the UK about their relationship with mobile phones.

It says we check our mobile phones 34 times a day, and that 18—24－year－olds, especially girls, are the most likely to suffer fear of being without their mobiles: 77% of them say they are unable to be apart from their phones for more than a few minutes.

Do you have nomophobia?

● You never turn your phone off.

● You frequently check for texts, missed calls and emails.

● You always take your phone to the bathroom with you.

● You never let the battery run out.

It’s funny to think that around 20 years ago the only people with mobile phones would be businessmen carrying their large, plastic “bricks”. Of course, these days, mobile phones are everywhere. A UN study from this year said there would be more mobile phones than people across the world by the end of 2020.

And when there are more phones than people in the world, maybe it’s time to ask who really is in charge? Are you in control of your phone, or does your phone control you?

So, what happened with my university friend? When I arrived a few minutes late he just laughed and said: “You haven’t changed at all—still always late!” And we had a great afternoon catching up, full of jokes and stories, with no desire to check my phone.

Not having it with me felt strangely free. Maybe I’ll leave it at home on purpose next time.

9 . Research shows that isolation (隔绝) is bad for us and connected with certain diseases including depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Yet teenagers look for isolation by using the device of our times — a screen, screens of all kinds. However, in whatever form, screens are addictive (上瘾的), and addictive from an early age. Research has shown that given the chance, six-month old babies prefer screens to real human faces.

Hand in hand with this addiction to screens, we are seeing an increase of teenage mental health problems. Social media claims to be inclusive (包容的)  keeping you connected. But it’s not. It isolates you from real people. Screens have even been described as being poisonous for teenagers.

Psychologist Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University, believes today’s teenagers are “on the edge” of a major mental health crisis and requests, “do anything that doesn’t connect with a screen”. The problem is, she claims, children born between 1995 and 2012 have grown up with a smart phone in their hands, and it has “changed every aspect” of their lives. The number of teenagers who really see their friends very often has dropped by more than 40%since 2000. In 2015, only 56%of 17-year-old went on a date, down from 85%. Modern teenagers are slower to learn to drive, or earn money and spend more time at home. They’re “on their phone, in their room, alone and often depressed”, she says.

Some critics ( 评论家), however, say we should encourage our children to spend more time online. Robert Hannigan, former director of GCHQ, said in August that Britain is badly short of engineers and computer scientists, and encouraged children to develop cyber skill to compete in the digital industry.

I’m not the first to say that social media is worsen than real human communication, and harms mental health. Studies show teens who spend three hours a day online are 35% more likely to suicide (自杀). The suicide rate among girls aged 12 to 14 has more than doubled in a decade.

10 . Recently, the “city walk” has been gaining steam among residents and tourists around China. On social platform Xiaohongshu, data shows that the number of city walk-related topic posts has increased by 700 percent over the past three months, and the total number of interactions has increased by more than 600 percent.

A city walk is a form of urban tourism originating in the UK. Unlike traditional sightseeing, which aims to hit famous attractions and commercial center, usually by vehicles with tense schedules, city walk is about “roaming” around a city on foot, soaking up the atmosphere and finding unusual things that even a resident of the city might not have noticed before. Such walks generally avoid famous scenic spots and shopping centers, and take you to places where you can have real interactions with the local people, eat at small but authentic restaurants, and gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the city.

City walkers are a cast of people who possess intense curiosity. They are eager to engage with the city they are visiting or reside in their own way. By “roaming” on foot, city walkers can better feel the texture and listen to the breath of a place. They seek pleasure more through connection than consumption, which indicates a deep cultural curiosity. For example, in Chongqing, if you don’t take a walk, you can hardly experience the unique geographical charm of the mountainous city. Be it the hutong in Beijing or the Chinese parasol tree district in Shanghai; city walks allow people to see the scenery apart from the scene and uncover hidden knowledge.

The appeal of a city walk lies in the young generation’s changing attitude toward life — pursuing quality leisure time while being occupied with demanding workloads and limited time for exploration. While roaming along the road, you can entirely focus on yourself and listen to your inner voice and care for what you feel, which is a way to love yourself and benefit your mental health. Just like Oscar Wilde once said, “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”