A fire that broke out in an apartment building in Nanjing on February 23 left 15 people dead and another 44 injured. Local     1     said the fire started on the ground floor of the building where several electric bikes were parked.

In China, it is forbidden (禁止) to park or     2     electric bikes in public areas of high-rise buildings. However, violations (违规行为) are common. The management of such electric vehicles has remained a challenge.

The recent tragedy (悲剧) further     3     the safety risks posed by electric bikes in densely populated communities. Data showed that, by the end of 2022, there were 350million electric bikes in China. This means, on average, one out of every four Chinese people has an electric bike. Meanwhile, the number of fire accidents     4     electric bikes has also increased. In 2023, there were 21,000 cases in total, a year-on-year (同比) increase of 17.4%. Some 80% of those fires occurred during charging, with over half taking place at night. About 90% of the deadly fires began in lobbies (大厅), corridors and stairwells (楼梯井).

“For many communities, builders didn’t take into consideration the infrastructure (基础施) for parking and charging electric bikes. Therefore, they often lack a corresponding (相应的) safety plan,” said Yang Zhimin, a Shenzhen official.

The latest incident in Nanjing isn’t the first electric bike fire that has happened in the community involved. Residents     5     a similar one in 2019. That fire, luckily, did not result in any injuries. In 2022, it was reported that over 180 electric bikes were parked overnight in one building. Many residents have     6     voiced concerns over the safety risks posed by these electric bikes.

Following the tragedy, Nanjing authorities announced a thorough (面) review of safety risks. This covers high-rise buildings, commercial spaces (商业区) and other densely populated areas. They aim to     7     high-risk activities, especially those related to electric bikes. Among them are     8     fire evacuation routes, charging electric bikes indoors, and using unsafe wiring (线路系统) for charging.

Other cities across China have also taken action to remove     9     fire hazards. Shanghai has     10     citywide safety inspections of electric bikes in residential areas. On February 25, Huainan in Anhui province issued a notice stressing stricter electric bike management.

“We will work to ensure that all electric bikes in China are parked outdoors,” said the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM, 应急管理部) on February 26.

College Rankings Are Something, but Not Everything

I am always confused when reading statements like “Princeton University is the number one college in the United States.” Are those who attend Princeton inherently brighter than their     1    ? Is Princeton able to produce more geniuses upon graduation?

High-ranking colleges in global education leagues attract greater talent in staff and students, and     2     better facilities, therefore generating more profits. In the United States, however, this virtuous cycle can turn vicious when financially-challenged parents end up spending their life savings on their children’s education, while     3     individuals can simply buy their way in. Besides, these rankings face criticism for potentially influencing colleges to make minor adjustments in     4     to improve their position on the table.

I didn’t care about college rankings for years until I recently saw something different. This past October, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy     5     the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023, which assesses universities worldwide across 55 subjects in five disciplines. It is said to employ a more in-depth     6     to evaluate the performance of universities. And this makes it easier for prospective students to choose the best college for their specific subject. But how much weight should you give to these rankings?

In my opinion, college rankings can serve as a reference, offering a     7     into the reputation and strengths of institutions. However, they should not be the only determining factor for you. There are many aspects to a university education that can only be     8     when you are clear about your goals.

I once taught a three-month program to prepare university students for overseas exchange programs in England. But some of them displayed low     9    . It wasn’t merely due to a language barrier. These individuals seemed to lack communication skills, critical thinking and, more importantly, a     10     of purpose, which might help determine their future academic quality. After all, what lies in the heart of education is “U” .

The world of live action role-playing

For many people, the days of playing make-believe (假扮) ended in childhood. But for some, the game of make-believe lives on in Live Action Role-Playing, or LARP. This is a game where people act out characters in a(n)     1     plot. A gamemaster creates the plot and then puts together an event where people     2     the story. Those who find a particular plot interesting sign up for the event. Then the gamemaster, or the players themselves, make up their characters for the story. At the event, each person comes in costume and behaves as their character.

Although pretty much anything goes in LARP, nearly every event involves players completing a(n)     3     together. A gamemaster writes a goal into the plot and usually prepares challenges for the players. For example, a character may hold up the mission, making it hard to     4     the goal. LARP events can be as long as the gamemasters want them to be. They can last anywhere from a few hours to several days.

The genius of LARP is that each event can be any kind of story. The most     5     ones come from fantasy, historical, horror or science fiction genres (体裁). With such a variety of story types, LARP attracts all kinds of people. Some players enjoy LARP as a(n)     6     to practice creating or costume-making. Other players enjoy the challenge of going into different worlds and using their brains to solve puzzles. There are also those who simply want to have fun and make friends.

One     7     LARP players have is coming out of their LARP experiences and returning to the real world. This is especially common after a long event. Most players experience a “bleed,” which describes parts of their LARP experience     8     into their everyday life. Since all the senses — seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting — are at work,     9     becomes difficult. However, researchers agree that the overall effects of LARP are     10    . People of different backgrounds come together to grow their skills, play and express creativity.

Live Shows are back, and so are street stalls

With the revival of live music gigs in China this year, stalls outside of concert venues have become increasingly popular again across the country.

Vendors offer goods     1     from essentials like water and raincoats to fan merchandise such as bracelets (手镯) and tattoo stickers. They aim to attract the large groups of fans going to the concerts.

The China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA, 中国演出行业协会) reported that in the first half of 2023, the country hosted over 190,000 performances. The number increased by 400.86%     2     with the previous year. These performances have attracted over 60 million music enthusiasts. Another report     3     that China’s performance market would reach 90.3 billion yuan by the end of this year.

“Where there are business opportunities, there is potential for stalls,” said Hu Xiaowu, an expert on urban science. “As more concerts are organized in different cities, many young people have found the chance to sell goods related to the events.“

Zeng Dexiong, a professor of social sciences, believed more people would take     4     of this new wave. This, he said, would probably bring about fierce competition, which in turn would lead to more creativity and     5    .

Sun Ximin,25, set up a stall as a side hustle when a large venue near her home in Guangzhou hosted its first concert in April. There weren’t many stalls back then, and she sold simple hair accessories (配饰).When more vendors gathered outside, Sun had to offer more     6     services, like braiding (编发), to stand out. To attract more customers, she styled her own hair in complex braids.    7    , she offered free Polaroid photos.

For Li Zhenzhen, a 23-year-old citizen of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, success lies in seeking the best location. She found it was more beneficial to locate her stall near a subway station rather than the concert venue’s entrance. She explained that concertgoers are likely to buy the goods on impulse (一时冲动) as they get out of the station. However, as they walk past     8     stalls on the way to the entrance, their desire to purchase wanes.

The rapid development of the street stall economy offers young people flexible opportunities to earn money, Hu noted.

Recognizing this, local governments are now easing     9     to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit. Cities like Beijing and Shenzhen have already     10     policies to support stall operations, setting aside specific areas for vendors.

In the aftermath (余波) of a distressing incident in Chongzhou, a county-level city of Chengdu, where a 2-year-old child fell     1     to a violent Rottweiler attack, several cities across China are strengthening their dog management policies.

An investigation team in Chongzhou said on Tuesday that the kid’s been     2     after being transferred to West China Hospital of Sichuan University for further treatment, though a large     3     of money is in need for her to fully recover. An online fundraising campaign have launched and     4     raised 1.5 million yuan ($205,000) to help the little girl. On the other hand, the dog’s owner, surnamed Tang,     5     with raising prohibited breed of dog, has been caught by the police.

The incident has aroused widespread public     6    . One user on Sina Weibo called for the maximum penalty. “If these incidents aren’t harshly punished, many irresponsible dog owners will continue to neglect their responsibilities.”

To curb such incidents and enhance public safety, numerous regions are releasing strict dog management strategies. Regions like the Ebian Yi autonomous county (自治县) in Sichuan are taking decisive action     7     against unrestrained dogs. Unleashed dogs found in public spaces will be treated as strays and     8     being captured, and owners held accountable for any ensuing consequences. Similar     9     have been launched in Hefei, Anhui province, where unleashed dogs in public areas will face capture,     10     the importance of responsible pet ownership.

College Sportsmen

College sports, especially football and basketball, are a big industry. Nationally     1     teams and television broadcast rights can be worth millions of dollars.

This could be seen as a good     2     all around. Colleges invest in their players and, in return, the schools earn money and attention. The athletes often get a free education. And they gain     3     that might lead to a chance to play professionally.

But critics     4     the morality of a situation where college athletes may seem     5     more as athletes than as college students. Praise is heard for recent improvements in graduation rates. Yet critics say that some players who finish college never really learn anything except their sport.

Getting back to the question of how much college athletes study, a better answer would be: it all depends. The expectations and pressures on athletes     6     from school to school and sport to sport.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association governs college sports in the United States. For the past few years, this organization has been increasing     7     for student athletes. College athletes are required to make     8     progress toward earning their degree. Yet finishing college is not always a     9     for students who are good enough to play professionally.

Fans of American football may remember the     10     New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. Last weekend, he graduated from the University of Alabama. He left that school forty-two years ago to play for the Jets. Now he is sixty-four, but he went back-in part, he says, because he had promised his mother to finish his education.