1 . Ask any business leader what big challenges they face and it’s likely that skills and labor shortages will be high on their list. They’re concerned about how to develop the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Future of Jobs Report 2023, organizations across all industries identify skills gaps and an inability to attract talent as the key barriers preventing industry transformation.

There’s a potential solution to all of this: a “skills-first” approach. The new report, Putting Skills First: A Framework for Action, launched during the World Economic Forum’s Growth Summit, finds that switching to a skills-first mindset can directly benefit over 100 million people globally who’re currently under-utilizing their existing skills, because they’re under-employed in their current job or because they’re unemployed. The analysis, which covers 18 economies, finds workforce under-utilization ranges from 4% of the working population in Thailand, to 7% in the US, 13% in France, 27% in Brazil and 43% in South Africa.

A skills-first approach focuses on a person’s skills and competencies rather than on their qualifications or job history, so that what someone can do becomes far more important than which university they went to. Crucially, this focus on skills continues long after the worker has been hired, with an emphasis on continually developing their abilities right through their career.

Making skills a priority is fairly advantageous. For businesses, taking a skills-first approach dramatically increases the potential pool of talent from which they can draw on. For individuals, it provides access to good jobs that offer skills building, career progression and higher earning potential which they’d otherwise have been excluded from without the right qualifications.

Delivering such ground-breaking change requires more than simply the involvement of HR teams. It’ll require the commitment of CEOs and policy-makers at the highest level to drive it through. So far a company in UK has introduced a range of degree apprenticeship (学徒制) programs which enable applicants without a degree to gain one while working at the firm. The organization is also developing new career paths to ensure it has the right skills to meet the changing needs of the economy.

2 . We know it can be hard to put your phone to bed before you sleep. However, if you’re trying to improve your sleep, you really should ditch your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Luckily, our experts can help.

Scientific evidence suggests that the blue light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer, and TV suppresses (抑制) your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙) that plays an important role in your sleep cycle. Melatonin release in the evening helps you relax before bedtime. A 2013 study that analyzed technology use and sleep patterns with data from a National Sleep Foundation poll found that using devices like phones was tied to more sleep disruption than electronics that aren’t interactive.

Many of us use the excuse that our mobile devices serve as our wake-up calls, or keep them nearby to use meditation apps. If you want to use your phone as an alarm, consider setting it a couple of hours before you turn in for the night, and then setting the phone itself to bedtime mode for the rest of the evening.

Here’s another groundbreaking idea: You could get a real alarm clock. After reviewing them at Reviewed, we recommend the Sharp Dream Caster. Not only is it easy to set a wake-up time, the clock includes white noises and rain noises to help you sleep, plus a number of volume settings to pick what works best for you.

But an alarm clock won’t help you avoid doom-scrolling through social media. Take things a step further by avoiding using electronic devices. You can try reading a book (one made of paper), taking a bath or drinking a cup of chamomile tea.

Finally, if you want to keep up your meditation practice screen-free, consider the Morphée. It looks like a little music box and comes with a variety of breathing exercises and soundscapes to help you get to sleep.

3 . Every morning in a city in Indonesia’s far east, sleepy teenagers can be seen walk slowly and with heavy steps through the streets on their unwilling way to school.

It is not a scene from some sci-fi movie but a controversial experiment to get the day off to a much earlier start for the sleep-deprived (缺乏睡眠的) teens. The pilot project in Kupang has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools start classes at 5:30 am.

Authorities say the project is intended to heighten children’s discipline. According to parents, though, their children are worn out by the time they get home. Schools in Indonesia generally start between 7:00 and 8:00 am. Teens in their school uniforms are now walking down dark streets or waiting for motorcycle taxis to get to school on time.

“It is extremely difficult and they now have to leave home while it’s still completely dark. I can’t accept this, for their safety is not guaranteed when it’s dark and quiet.” Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, said, whose daughter Eureka now has to wake up at 4:00 am to get ready and ride a motorbike to school. “Now every time Eurek arrives home she is exhausted and falls asleep immediately.”

At least one scholar seems to agree.

“It has no connection with the effort to improve the quality of education,” Marsel Robot, an education expert from Nusa Cendana University. “In the long run, sleep deprivation could endanger the students’ health and cause a shift in behaviour. They will only sleep for a few hours and this is a serious risk for their health. This also will cause them stress and they will release their stress by acting out.”

A 2014 study published by the American Academy of paediatrics (儿科学) recommended that middle and high schoolers start classes at 8:30 am or later to allow enough time for sleep. The Kupang rule change was also challenged by local politicians, who demanded the government cancel what they called a baseless policy.

5 . I ran into a friend a few days ago and greeted him in the familiar way. He gave the usual _____________ --“I’m doing fine”, but he _____________ two words “I guess” to the beginning of his greeting. That totally changed the meaning. His _____________ expression matched the two added words._____________, he wasn’t doing well. So I dug a little deeper and found he really was _____________ with some big issues.

In today’s world of fast and quickly _____________   social media, we are given the _____________ that the people there have near perfect lives. Look at anyone’s personal blog and you’ll see all these fun pictures and comments. Much of what we see is the good _____________. Of course there is really nothing wrong with that, but it can make a lot of people feel or _____________ that their own lives are full of challenges and various problems, ______________ self-pity and depression.

The ______________ is that nobody’s life is perfect. Just looking from the outside, you might be ______________ thinking that other people are doing much better than you. If you look on a deeper __________, you will see that the surface view can be very ____________ . That is because most of us don’t show our problems but prefer to show our ____________.

So, don’t admire other people’s near perfect sides any more. No matter how ______________ their lives look from the outside, they have their problems and ______________ too. Try to understand yourself better and ______________ the self-pity or feelings of “not as good as other people”. It can make your depression ____________ . Even better, you can see yourself in a(n) ____________ angle and have higher self-esteem(自尊).

9 . At most universities, core (核心) curriculum or general education is required, whether that is two or more courses in core academic subjects. These core academics consist of mathematics, science, history and English, which are used to provide students with a broad range of academic knowledge and aid in their individual development.

However, are these courses more beneficial or harmful to students? Based on studies from across the district there is a gap between the necessities and burdens of general education courses. According to an article by Best Value Schools, students sometimes discover a hidden passion for a field of study while taking general education courses. Although this may be true, many students consider the program as “a collection of courses without connection, consistency or meaning”. The negative concept of these courses could possibly be connected to the fact that many students don’t actually obtain these skills.

Many schools have been working to improve their core curriculum program by developing the adoption of mission, goal and outcome statements. Some University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) professors have recently been requiring students to take self-assessments and complete assignments based on how to develop critical thinking, communication and cooperation skills, as well as apply them within and outside of the classroom. It is through these channels of self discovery that students can often find their passions, which can possibly lead to choosing a major.

Typically, one-third of first-time college students change their major within the first three years. Major changes can be for a variety of reasons. It can be associated with a dissatisfaction in coursework. It can also be due to the discovery of a major which simply fits a student better. General education classes can play an important role in helping to make this discovery. Though students’ opinions vary on the importance of core curriculum, the basis of the program should be taken into consideration. At the same time, institutions should continue to work towards developing more authentic ways to provide a sense of importance and pride in the program to aid in student learning and the development of real-world skills.

Originally known as the Imperial University of Peking, Peking University was established in 1898. The     1     (establish) of the university marked the beginning of higher education in China’s modern history. In modern history of China, it was a center for progressive thought and was influential in the birth of the New Culture Movement, May Fourth Movement and many other     2     (significance) events.

Today, Peking University     3     (place) by many domestic university rankings among the top universities in China. Peking University is one of the best academic     4     (institution) in China and the world. The university lays emphasis     5     both teaching and scientific research. It has made great efforts     6     (improve) the undergraduate and graduate education, and maintain its role as a leading research institution,     7     makes it attractive to many students home and abroad. Peking University has educated many famous Chinese figures, such as Zhong Nanshan and Tu Youyou. Peking University was ranked     8     (sixteen) globally by Times Higher Education in 2021.

Peking University’s library is one of the largest libraries in the world,     9     (contain) over 8 million volumes. In addition, the university is especially famous for its campus environment     10     the beauty of its traditional Chinese architecture.