2 . Everyone likes to feel that he or she is special. Unfortunately, many of us grow up believing that we’re not special at all. We wish that we could be better at sports or more attractive. We wish we had nicer clothes or more money. Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, we believe we’re not good enough just as we are. In the movie, the Scarecrow wishes that he had a brain. The Tin Man wishes he had a heart, and the Lion wants courage. In the end, each of them realizes that he already has what he needs.

Most parents want us to be the best we can be. They sometimes try to encourage us to do better by comparing us to others. They mean well, but the message we often get is that we’re not good enough. We begin to believe that the only way we can be special is by being better than someone else, but we are often disappointed. There will always be someone out there who is better than we are at something. There are plenty of people around who may not be as smart as we are but who are better at sports. Or they may not be as good looking, but they have more money. So it is unfeasible for us to be better than everyone else all the time.

Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, we all want. what we believe will make us better people. What we don’t realize is that often we already have inside us the very things that we seek. Parents sometimes forget to tell us that we are special, that we are good enough just as we are. Maybe no one told them when they were growing up, or maybe they just forgot. Either way, it’s up to us to remind. them from time to time that each of us, in our own way, is special. What we are is enough.

3 . ①Have you ever thought about what’s more important, looking fashionable or feeling comfortable? You might have noticed many people choosing style over comfort and some even go to extremes(极端)to follow fashion. But we should remember: being fashionable isn’t everything. It’s more important to be healthy.

②Some people believe that they need to be a certain size to look good. So, they start extreme diets(日常饮食) that are not good for their health. They might not eat meals or eat too little, which can make them feel sick. Is it a healthy way to live?

③Also, many girls wear shoes with very high heels. They might think high heels make them look taller. But these shoes can actually hurt their feet and make it hard to walk comfortably, and it can increase risks of falls. Some even wear tight(紧的) clothes that influence blood circulation(循环), making it hard to breathe. Should we put fashion over comfort and physical health?

④Besides, some boys and girls spend a lot of time and money changing their hair color. The material they use is usually harmful to their health. To make their hair straight or curly, they also use tools that are hot enough to burn their hair. But using these tools too often or at very high temperatures can make the hair dry or even burnt. Is it really worth it to risk our health, spending so much time and money?

⑤So, let’s rethink what’s really important. Is it fashion or is it our well-being? Clothes or hairstyles don’t tell us anything about a person’s character. Instead of spending a lot of time choosing clothes, we could use that time to do fun things with friends. And instead of following extreme diets let’s eat properly and exercise regularly. Remember, your worth is not decided by your appearance, but by who you are as a person.

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4 . Since March, BBC journalists have been visiting schools across the country to teach students how to find out fake news. The visits have included up to 1,000 middle and primary schools. They follow a year-long study by BBC. The study found that nearly half of 12 to 15-year-olds find it difficult to tell fact from fiction on social media.

Fake news refers to news stories that you see on TV or the Internet that are partly or completely false. Some of the stories may have some true facts, but still include some lies. Fake news is sometimes created to get clicks and increase profits. Sometimes it is written to get attention or make people think in a certain way.

For example, a nuclear leak at the Fukushima power plant in Japan in 2011 caused an unexpected reaction in China. Fear buying of salt happened in many countries overnight after false news stories saying that iodized salt can protect against radiation. The stories added that sea salt produced in the future might not be safe to eat, as it could be polluted by the leak.

Fake news has had a bad influence on the media industry and society. It may influence public opinion and cause fear or anger. People may also lose trust in the media and become confused about realistic topic and events, BBC said.

Do you know if it’s false? Here are some tips for finding out fake news.

1. Check the information that comes from. Reliable sources include main stream media like CCTV and authoritative organizations like the United Nations.

2. Be careful about headlines. The headlines of fake news stories are often catchy.

3. Check the data. You can probably trust it if the numbers are from a national or international office report.

7 . At noon, the Tongxin Cafeteria near the Jing’an Temple downtown has a queue that exemplifies its multi-generational popularity. The menu, with over 60 dishes rotated daily, is liked by a series of tastes.

“Compared with food ordered for lunch online, this place is much better.” said Chen Luo, an accountant from a nearby office building. Chen, who lives alone, formerly depended heavily on delivered meals ordered online until her parents raised concerns about the nutritional value and what they called “bad food materials.”

Cooking for herself is too time-wasting, she said. “I used to spend two hours cooking and washing dishes, only to eat for 10 minutes,” Chen said. “The nearby community canteen (餐厅) is a perfect solution. These cafeterias, once known as ‘senior canteens’, were originally built to provide healthy meals at affordable prices to older folks who might not be getting enough nutrition at home. From 2019 to 2021, the Shanghai government set a goal of building 200 new community canteens, bringing the total at the end of last year to 1,608.

A basic meal with one meat dish and two vegetables costs less than 20 yuan (US$2.70), far cheaper than prices in mainstream downtown restaurants. And all meals are prepared on site with fresh materials. The government supports these cafeterias—sometimes with rent-free space; sometimes with reduced water and electricity charges.

Li Jiajun, the manager of a local community canteen, said the prices of the dishes are 20 percent lower than popular market rates because of the government assistance. His canteen provides elderly diners from 10:30—11:30 am and 4:30—5:30 pm. Apart from those hours, people of all ages are welcome.

Li said cafeteria managers are required to maintain detailed records, including 48-hour food samples and daily uploads to food safety platforms. This approach ensures the paths of all materials. Some community cafeterias have become so popular that they appear on WeChat and other lifestyle sharing platforms.

8 . Hangzhou Asian Games are defined as a great success. For 16 days over 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions across Asia competed over 480 events, broke 13 world records and shared unforgettable moments in Hangzhou. It is worth mentioning that in this 19th edition of Asian Games break-dancing and e-sports made their debuts as official medal sports.

In Asia, e-sport games are more popular than traditional sport, making it the leading region for e-sports and, within Asia, China is undoubtedly the region leader as well as the largest e-sports market in the world, accounting for “34% of global industry income in that category, Asia combined takes 53%”, says Niko Partners in their market research reported by MIT Technology Review.

Within China, e-sports are run like any popular sport and have been for a long time: there are regional clubs, each with its home stadium; competitions featuring different levels of talent make it possible for the industry to evaluate the players (and also for the players to make a living); and in recent years, star players have even been marketed like celebrities, attracting crazy fan groups.

For the first time in history, the Asian Games included e-sports as medal-earning event, with over 20 countries competing in seven e-sport games making it the “highest-stakes mobile game match that’s ever been played” according to MIT Technology Review: “Of all the competitions taking place, e-sports is the only one in which arena(竞技场) tickets were sold on a lottery(抽签) basis because of skyrocketing demand. There were over 5 million lottery buyers for all the e-sports events; each had a 0.5% chance of getting a ticket.”

The reason for such popularity has been identified in the drive of the major Chinese tech companies promoting the rise of mobile gaming in China and making the e-sports more accessible to people who don’t have computers or consoles(游戏机). The popularity of e-sports is particularly intense among young people, for this reason brands like Disney or Nintendo are recruiting companies like Tencent to make their mobile games.

There is a     1     (grow) concern over how much sugar kids are taking in through sugary drinks. A 2020 study in America     2     (collect) data from a survey which offered information on 8,400 children between the ages of 2 and 19. Researchers have found that one in five children don’t drink any water the whole day, and they take in     3     (much) calories (卡路里) from sweetened drinks than kids who drink water.

Those extra calories can add up, according to Asher Rosinger, lead study author and director of the Water, Health, and Nutrition Lab at Penn State. “     4     you need to remember is that an extra 3,500 calories means gaining one pound in weight,” Rosinger says, “So if you’re not burning up those extra calories, then over a month, you can     5     (probable) gain a pound.”

Sugary drinks may lead     6     childhood fatness, bad teeth and other     7     (disease), some of which could only be seen on old people before, such as Type 2 diabetes (糖尿病).

However,     8     new study doesn’t prove that drinking less water encourages kids to drink more sugary drinks. But kids     9     (advise) to drink water so they don’t replace it with other drinks     10     are less healthy.