Social Media

    Social media can be defined (解释) as web-based and mobile media that are used for people to interact, connect and communicate with each other. It often involves the creation and sharing of content (writing, pictures, and video) that people make themselves, mostly through the Internet.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The first type involves people getting together to work on a project, for example, Wikipedia. Blogs and micro-blogs (such as Twitter) are another type of social media. There are other websites like YouTube that allow people to share content such as pictures, articles or videos.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} These sites allow people to stay in touch with friends, make new ones and join communities. Facebook is an example of this type. Many people like to play games on the Internet and, yes, there are social media games as well. These games allow gamers to interact with each other and play with or against other gamers.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The final type of social media is websites like Second Life, where people can create avatars (化身) and use and create objects, as if they were in the real world.

    Social media are different from traditional media. With social media, many individual people in different places create content.

    Another difference is that people who produce content in social media don't need very special skills.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It takes only a few minutes to write a twitter post, for example.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But whatever you might think, social media is here to stay.

A. World of Warcraft is a good example.

B. And social media content can be produced much faster.

C. In general, there are six different types of social media.

D. Another type of social media are social networking sites.

E. Some people think social media is good and some think it is bad.

F. In traditional media，people need special skills to produce something.

G. Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today's world

                                                                                             Everyday life in Britain

The weather is the most common topic in Britain. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Because in Britain the weather changes a lot. Wind, rain, sun, cloud, snow— they can all happen in Britain.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} At banks, cinemas, shops, bus stops you can always see people in queues. They stand and wait quietly, often for a long time. Each new person stands at the end of the queue—- sometimes in rain, wind or snow. They never complain and they will get quite upset when someone jumps the queue.

    Men always shake hands when they meet.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} They shook hands to show that they didn't have a sword(剑). Now shaking hands is a customer most countries. In Britain you don't shake hands with your friends or family members. But you do shake hands when you meet a person for the first time.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} And they always send birthday cards or presents. There are also other cards like Christmas cards, good luck cards, congratulations on your new baby cards and get well soon cards. They have everything for every important moment.

    British people are very superstitious (迷信的). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are lucky. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The more leaves you catch the more lucky you will be. On the contrary, never open an umbrella in the house and never break a mirror because they mean seven years of bad luck.

A. Shopping is another common topic in Britain. 

B. Another common thing is Britain is queuing.

C. Hundreds of years ago, soldiers began this custom. 

D. In autumn if you catch falling leaves you are lucky.

E. Why do the British talk about the weather so often?

F. They also pay attention to tiny details like your birthday.

G. Never walk under a ladder, and don't walk past somebody on the stairs.

Real-life Room Escape Games

    Real-life room escape games are a type of physical adventure game in which people are locked in a room with other participants and have to use the things in the room to settle a series of puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within a set time limit.

    The game are based on Escape the Room video games, such as Crimson Room and QP-Shot, created by TAKAGISM Inc. By Toshimitsu Takagi in 2005, in which the player is locked inside a room and must explore his or her surroundings in order to escape. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Other inspirations include adventure board games and movies. Real-life room escape games are becoming popular in the United States, Japan, and China. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, some games require you escape prison cells while others require you escape space stations.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Soon, they were exported to North America, Asia and Australia. Examples include the two pioneer companies Hint Hunt and Adventure Rooms.

    The games were so successful that new locations began opening up across China, in cities big and small, according to Want China Times. In the southern city of Shenzhen, for example, the first escape game location opened last August. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} "These real-life escape games can help those who stay at home on their computers and iPads all day to experience real social circles," Tian Xiaochuan, who owns two room escape game stores in Jinan, told Want China Times. Earlier this year, The South China Morning Post said the real-life escape games are a hit among "highly stressed students and overworked young professionals". {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Some players get so involved that they tear down equipment or decorations inside their "prisons", as Zhu Yumeng, chief operating officer of Beijing room escape game store Taoquan told China Daily.

A. Each game adds local themes to settings.

B. And seven new game locations quickly followed.

C. They should also be brave enough to face their fears.

D. Sometimes the excitement becomes a bit much, though.

E. Weekend or day event escape games have been held in some stores.

F. Permanent real life escape games in a fixed location were first opened in Europe.

G. Players must be observant and use their critical thinking skills to escape the room.

I used to roll my eyes many times before I could get up. Recently, things have changed after I read stories like this one, "Getting up early changed my life". Here are the benefits I've seen so far from changing my workout routine.

    I have more energy

    As I said, I've been a sleepy person while I still love sleeping. I now have an extra burst of energy. I'm less weak in the office, and my brain is more attentive and ready to work. Once, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, not even coffee could get me ready for the day. But now a good workout can.

I have more confidence

    The enough energy rolled into more confidence. I feel better after a workout. Also, after getting especially sweaty, I have to take time to shower, of course. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Getting up earlier and using my energy earlier make me so unbelievably ready for bed by the end of the day. My old routine would consist of getting up at the last possible minute before work and being absolutely exhausted to try to fall asleep. Have you ever felt so tired that you can't fall asleep? {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    I have more time

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Now that I've shifted my schedule, I have a little more time after work to take care of myself, whether that's spending time with friends, cooking a healthier meal, reading and studying, or even just watching a movie.

A. I sleep better

B. I'm more consistent

C. It sound ridiculous, but it happens

D. I'd have to skip my workout -in favor of a social life

E. I had a hard time to try to wake up physically and mentally

F. Speaking of that old routine, my days used to consist of work and sleep

G. This means I go through my full morning routine instead of just rolling out of bed

Guilty Pleasures?

You might have heard of the expression ‘a guilty pleasure'—maybe it's the chocolate bar you buy on the way home from work, or the new clothes that you don't really need. It comes from the idea that when we treat ourselves, it can sometimes leave us feeling guilty. Perhaps we don't feel we deserved it, or we don't think it was a responsible way to spend our money. But should we feel like this? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

Perhaps not. Psychologists have suggested that buying things for yourself can make you feel better as it provides an opportunity to take control of your situation. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It may be that as well as lifting your mood, when you buy a treat, you might just be looking after yourself.

Of course, there are also examples of people turning to destructive behaviour when faced with stressful circumstances. People might spend money that they don't have at all or turn to some dangerous addictions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Self-indulgence can be reckless and have negative consequences, while self-nurturing is taking responsible decisions to satisfy our needs and take care of ourselves in ways that don't have a significant impact.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many universities publish guides with advice for coping with exam stress. It's essential to reflect the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurture. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} They also suggest doing things that you enjoy much and are good at so that you can feel accomplishment and to avoid things that may make you feel worse afterwards.

So perhaps, as long as we make responsible decisions, we shouldn't feel guilty about our guilty pleasures.

A. Do we need to have a guilty or clear conscience?

B. Do we really have to feel guilty about treating ourselves?

C. One stress that people may need to deal with is exam stress.

D. Psychologists recommend rewarding yourself for your efforts.

E. So we should keep a balance between self-indulgence and self-nurturing.

F. It can give you social contact and a confidence boost by changing your image.

G. Psychologist Leon Seltzer considers the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurturing.