3 . Sharing a bed with a pet at night is a common feature of nighttime routines in the United States. According to a 2021—2022 survey, 43 percent of pet dogs in the United States and 49 percent of pet cats sleep on their owner’s bed. When it comes to the perks of sharing your bed with your favourite furry friend, however, experts are divided.

First, it’s worth noting that the majority of research on the topic of co-sleeping with pets has focused on dogs rather than cats. Mark Fierstein, an internal medicine specialist at NYUL angone Health in New York City, suggests this is because cats may want to play or even purposely wake up their owner. Rabbits or hamsters are also out of the question.

A benefit of sleeping with pets is that the practice may prevent loneliness, Fierstein says. “Often, people who co-sleep with pets report an increased sense of security, companionship, and relaxation,” he notes. “For some people, the dog’s warmth, steady heartbeat, and protective nature can make sleeping with them feel safe and cozy.” This may be especially true of people who are managing trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Leslie Sinn, a psychologist, says according to a survey,60% of PTSD suffers feel calm down if they wake up to see the presence of the dog.

Some research suggests co-sleeping with pets may increase mid-night awakenings for people. “If the owner is a light sleeper, he or she may not do well with a dog or cat in the bedroom,” notes Fierstein. For example, he points out that a dog who snores loudly is not an ideal sleeping mate.

Dogs may also show aggressive behaviour—such as biting. Allowing pets in the bedroom can also expose owners to potential allergens, like pet hair, as well as viruses that cause disease.

4 . Text messaging, or simply “texting”, which allows people to send and receive messages on mobile phones, becomes very popular today.

The advantages of texting are obvious. Texting helps to save money. If you have a few words to greet your families and friends on their birthdays or on some important festivals, sending messages can be cheaper than phone calling. Texting helps to save time. Even if you want to send a message to 100 people, you can do it one second. Texting helps you to “talk” to someone when he is too busy to answer the phone. Texting can also help you to “talk” to someone secretly if you don’t want others to hear what you are talking on the phone. These advantages are so amazing that many people are crazy about it. They hold mobile phones in hands all day long, send dozens of messages each day, and even text while driving or walking.

However, texting has its disadvantages. Junk messages may come into your mobile phone box now and then. When your phone box gets too full, you can’t receive any more messages. You may therefore miss some important information.

What’s more, if you don’t do texting properly, for example texting while driving or walking, it can be dangerous. It can cause injuries and even death. It was reported that about 6,000 people were killed and half a million were injured for this reason each year. In Fort Lee, a small town in New Jersey, USA, three people died because they walked into traffic while texting in 2011. Two researchers at Stony Brook University, New York found that texters are 60% more probably to have an accident than others. When people are texting, they don’t notice other people or things around them. To reduce traffic accidents, all drivers of the UN are now not allowed to text while driving. About 32 countries have passed laws restricting the use of mobile phones while driving.

Texting is a wonderful way of communication. However, only when we use it properly, can we fully enjoy the fun it brings.

5 . Parents do not owe (欠) their children a college education, if they can afford it, they can certainly send them to a good university. But they needn’t feel guilty if they can’t. When children grow up and want to get married, their parents do not owe them an apartment. They do not have the duty to look after their grandchildren, either. If they want to do it, it must be considered a favor, not an obligation.

Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.

One of their obligations is to give their children a sense of personal worth. Children who are always made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly compared with brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so unsure, so afraid of failing that they won’t try at all. Of course, they should be properly corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn from their mistakes by themselves in time. All their parents should do is to trust them, respect them, understand them and give them chances to try and fail. They must learn to stand failure. When criticisms (批评) are really needed, they should be balanced with a smile and a kiss. That is the way children learn.

Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others. Also, it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by deed. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have difficulty laughing and loving.

No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something.

7 . One form of social prejudice (偏见) against older people is the belief that they cannot understand or use modern technology. Activities like playing computer games, going on the Net and downloading MP3s are only for the youngsters. Isn’t it unfair that older people enjoying a computer game should be frowned upon (反对) by their children and grandchildren?

Nowadays older people have more control over their lives and they play a full part in society. Moreover, better health care has let more people in their sixties and seventies feeling fit and active after retirement. Mental activity, as well as physical exercise, can contribute to better health. Playing computer games is a very effective way of exercising the brain. So that’s why grey gamers are often seen now.

When personal computers were first introduced, most older people didn’t believe they would ever get familiar with them. Now computers have been around for a few generations and retired people have gradually become more relaxed about using them for fun. Gamers over 65 prefer playing puzzle games and card games. Kate Stevens, aged 72, says, “I find it very relaxing. It’s not very demanding, but you still need to concentrate.”

Another development that has favored “grey games” is a change in the type of video games available on the market. There’s a greater variety of games to choose from, including more intellectual and complex strategy and simulation (模拟) games. For example, Internet Chess and Train Simulator are among the most popular of these. Train Simulator is based on real — world rail activities. Players can choose from a variety of challengers, such as keeping to a strict timetable and using helper engines during a winter storm.

Some people argue that “grey gamers” simply don’t have the skills required for computer games, and that teenagers are better. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most computer games require the kind of analytical thinking that improves with practice, which means that the “grey gamers” may well be far better than the young. In games where speed is the main consideration, older people would be at a disadvantage because they may have slower reaction. time. On the other hand, “grey gamers” have a preference for slower — paced, mind challenging games.

Did you grow up in one culture, your parents came from another, and you are now living in a     1     (total) different country? If so, then you are a third-culture kid.

Yet many       5     (difficulty) may arise from this phenomenon. Third-culture kids may not be able to adapt themselves completely     6     their new surroundings. Also, they often find it hard     7     (develop) new friendship. Additionally, for a third-culture kid, it is often easier to move to a new country     8     to return to his homeland. For example, after living in Australia for many years, Louis finally returned to the country     9     she was born. She didn’t know anything about current TV shows     10     fashion trends. And she didn’t share the same values as other teens of her age.