2 . When you hear that your friend has passed an exam that you failed earlier, how do you react? Do you share in her happiness? If you do, congratulations!     1     Studies have shown that experiencing Freudenfreude can lead to acts of kindness, such as helping others. By celebrating the victories of others, we can bring more success into our own lives.

    2     Sometimes, the disappointment of our own failure can make it difficult to feel happy for others. If we were raised in an environment where winning was strongly associated with self-worth, we may mistakenly interpret someone else’s success as our own failure. Our mental health and overall well being can also affect our ability to share in someone else’s joy.     3    

One method to evoke positive feelings for others is through asking questions. We don’t have to wait for someone else’s good news to practice Freudenfreude. By inviting others to share their victories and genuinely listening to their stories, we can cultivate joy.     4    

Since emotions are contagious (有感染力的), expressing appreciation can also enhance Freudenfreude. We can think of Freudenfreude as something that can be shared when we are experiencing personal happiness.     5     Starting by sharing our own achievements and expressing gratitude can create a sense of shared joy, enhancing Freudenfreude for both parties involved.

3 . Four Ways to Improve Your Mental Health

Mental health is your overall psychological well-being. And while taking care of your mental health can mean seeking professional support and treatment, it also means adopting some new methods to improve your emotional health.     1    It can boost your mood and add to your overall enjoyment of life.

Tell yourself something positive. How you think about yourself can have a powerful effect on how you feel. When we think about our life negatively, we can end up viewing experiences that way.     2     For example, instead of saying “I’m such a loser”, try “I have done my best”.

Focus on one thing at the moment. Being mindful of the present moment allows us to let go of negative emotions from past experiences that weigh us down. Start by bringing awareness to routine activities, such as taking a shower, eating lunch, or walking home. Paying attention to the sounds, smells, or tastes of these experiences helps you focus.     3    

Exercise. Exercise is a powerful antidote (良方) to stress or anxiety. Look for small ways to add activities to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the lift. To get the most benefit, aim for at least 30 minutes a day outdoors.    4    Plus, time in nature proves to be a stress reducer.

    5    Knowing you are valued by others is important for helping you think more positively. Plus, being more trusting can increase your emotional well-being because as you get better at finding the positive aspects of other people, you become better at recognizing your own.

6 . Emotional regulation (情绪管理) is taking any action that changes the intensity of an emotional experience.     1    . It refers to the ability to effectively control our emotions through various approaches. We are expected to manage our emotions in ways that are socially acceptable. There are a number of skills that can help us self-regulate our emotions.

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Emotions happen fast. We don’t think “now I will be angry” — we just suddenly have fires in our eyes and become extremely angry. So the number one skill in regulating difficult emotions is to pause. Take a breath. Slow down the moment between trigger (触发) and response.

Noticing what you feel

An equally important skill involves the ability to become aware of what you’re feeling. Dr. Judson Brewer, MD Ph. D. recommends practices for becoming more curious about your own physical reactions. In what parts of your body are you noticing feelings? Is your stomach upset? Is your heart racing?     3    . Looking into what is happening to you physically can also draw away your focus and reduce the intensity of the emotion.

Naming what you feel

After noticing what you feel, the ability to name it can help you get control of what is happening. Ask yourself: What would you call the emotions you’re feeling? Is it anger, sadness, or disappointment?     4    .

Accepting the emotion

    5    . Rather than beating yourself up for feeling angry or scared, recognize that your emotional reactions are acceptable. Try to practice self-sympathy and give yourself respect. Recognize that experiencing emotions is a normal human reaction.

7 . It is no secret that technology is fast taking up education in almost every part of the world. Most educators will agree that learning is taking a considerable turn-around to welcome digital teaching both in and out of the class.     1     So there is a need to assess these materials to identify suitable and satisfactory ways. That is why, when adopting digital textbooks as an educator or school, you must consider several factors below.

Content Interaction

Is the content in the digital textbook interactive enough? It is a crucial question that needs to get looked into as educators begin fully on digital teaching. As an educational participant, ensure that the 3D images, sounds, videos, and diagrams in the digital content can keep learners engaged for an extended period.     2    

Reliability of Educational Apps

Importantly, if you are an aggressive educator, you will always want the best for your students. Ensure that you choose reliable educational applications that won’t let you down as a teacher.     3     Pedagogue is an application with everything you need to conduct a virtual digital classroom using e-textbooks. It is a fantastic app that would help you master excellent ways to integrate e-textbooks into your classrooms.

Affordability and Accessibility

    4     Besides, easy access to the Internet in educational institutions is a significant aspect to consider when using digital books in schools. Moreover, education apps with digital textbooks should have updated learning content easily downloadable in students’ tablets and smartphones. This way, teaching will get easier leading to comfortable learning by a variety of students.

Modern educators are tasked with ensuring that content delivery is an excellent and fun activity.     5     That is why it is critical to make sure that the digital textbooks we adopt and choose for our students are the best and can motivate critical thinking in our students’ minds.

8 . Would it surprise you to learn that the vast majority of adults—around 75 per cent—tell up to two lies every day?     1    

Why people lie

Over 20 % of lies are told in a bid to avoid other people; 20 % are jokes or pranks; 14 %are told in self-protection; 13 % are attempts to make a good impression; 11 % are told to protect others; and 9% are for personal gain.

How to spot a liar

So, are there any body language giveaways that can help “out” someone who’s lying? Back in 2015, University of Michigan researchers identified some common behaviours among liars, including grimacing(作怪相), looking directly at the questioner in order to appear trustworthy, or looking to the right, and overcompensating by gesturing with both hands.     2    .

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Vocal factors can offer a good clue, too. People who are being deliberately dishonest—or who lack certainty in what they’re saying— tend to speak slower and place less emphasis on the middle of words, according to a previous study.Interestingly, the researchers also found that listeners automatically registered these voice changes as a sign of dishonesty, even when they weren’t being asked to do so.

It’s important to remember though that none of these pointers offer undeniable evidence that you’re dealing with a liar.     4    

How to cope with a liar

Instead of accusing someone outright of lying, try “fact-checking” what they’re saying by asking lots of questions. Deceptive people generally can’t provide specifics and their tales start to unravel(解体). Catch someone out in this way, which at least kickstarts a more honest conversation.

    5    If a friend fakes a headache because they’re afraid you’re going to be angry with them for cancelling a night out, it probably requires a heart-to-heart, rather than an argument. Or ask yourself if you’ve ever done a similar thing to them, and if you have, let it go.

9 . ________

“Practice makes perfect” is a very popular expression. However, can we take this saying literally? Many scientific studies have sought to either prove or disprove this idea. So does enough practice literally lead to perfection, or at least to a level of expertise?

One popular theory is that if a person practises for at least 10,000 hours, they will reach “perfection”—or, in other words, become an expert in their field. This theory was made famous by Malcolm Gladwell in his 2008 best-selling book, Outliers: The Story of Success. He claimed 10,000 hours of practice to be “the magic number of greatness”. He gave the examples of the music group The Beatles and Microsoft co-creator Bill Gates. Although they all seemed to have lots of natural talent, they also clearly put in over 10,000 hours of practice before they became successful.

However, Gladwell’s book has been said by many to be too simplistic and generalising. Gladwell’s work was largely based on research done by Anders Ericsson, who argued that Gladwell misinterpreted his research. Firstly, Ericsson stated that 10,000 hours was an average figure. Some people, for example, needed far fewer than 10,000 hours, and others many more. More importantly, Ericsson said that just practising a lot was not enough; the type and quality of practice was also essential. He went on to explain the importance of “deliberate practice”, which is when a person practises a specific part of a skill in depth rather than practising a skill as a whole. Deliberate practice is said to be much more effective, albeit more tiring.

Despite the theories mentioned above, many other studies argue that practice alone is far from enough. In fact, a more recent study from Princeton University stated that practice only accounted for up to 26% of reaching an expert level. So what are the other factors that contribute to people becoming experts ?

Many people say that natural talent has a large influence on becoming an expert. Another natural factor is physical superiority, which is especially evident in sports. For instance, many baseball players in America have amazing vision that allows them to see the ball much sooner than others do. So no matter how much a “normal” person practises, it is very hard for them to be as good as someone who has natural talent or physical superiority and who also practises.

And how about other factors that go into creating an expert? Many say IQ, personality, attitude, and starting age are decisive factors, too. It is also important to note that becoming an expert doesn't equal instant success. Success also relies on social factors, environmental factors, and even just being in the right place at the right time!

In conclusion, practice may not make perfect, but deliberate practice has been shown to lead to significant improvement. Based on Ericsson's research, here are some tips on how to practise effectively: be motivated; make specific and realistic goals; work outside your comfort zone; be consistent and persistent; ask for others’ opinions; and, of course, get plenty of rest! For those wanting to become an expert in something, remember that being motivated is key—enjoy what you do and follow your passions.