Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically and physically.

    Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption（摄入） of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels(标签).

    On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without knowing that we don't have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance（抵制and struggle.

    The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(营养成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.

    Now that we know the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.

    I was a bit of a bookworm as a child.For car journey,day trip or family holiday,many books were always packed to keep me busy.Since then,I've continued reading all kinds of books but I'll always love my childhood favorites.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-timer—Mark Haddon

    This children's mystery novel is interesting,exciting,thought-provoking（发人深省的）,sad and happy all at the same time.The main character is a 15-year-old boy who has autism（自闭症）. The book gives you a window into his world, his thoughts, his hopes and his dreams. It's easy to read and both kids and adults love it.A must-read in my opinion.

    Secret Seven—Enid Blyton

    If you love adventures,this one is for you.The Secret Seven are a group of child detectives who make it their duty to solve crimes.They have many adventures along the way.It's a fun book that you won't want to stop reading. And in fact, there is more than.one book.There's a series of books about the Secret Seven's adventures so if you like the first one, you're in luck.

    Matilda—Roald Dahl

    It's now a film and show at the theatre,but we can't forget the original book.Matilda is about a loveable little girl who is very clever and,like me,loves to read.She goes to school and meets the very scary Miss Trunchbull who tortures（折磨）children,but thankfully makes friends with a kind teacher. The book will have you crying one, moment and laughing the next.

    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—C.S.Lewis

    As a kid I read the book, watched the film and listened to the tape.I really couldn't get enough of the book.It's an exciting story set in a magical land called Narnia. When you're reading it, you'll feel like you're really there.You'll get caught up in the adventures of the four children and the characters they meet.I can't rate it highly enough.

    One of the most efficient ways to achieve peace and speed up economies (经济) is to provide girls with better education and more rights. Today, girls' lack of access (进入) to basic education is getting more serious when it comes to the use of digital (数码的) technology, leaving them far behind boys. And because the world is even more digital, those who lack basic internet skills will find it increasingly more difficult to take part in the formal economy, to get a quality education, and to have their voices heard.

    Since 2013 the global gender gap (性别差异) in male and female access to the Internet has actually increased from 11 to 12 percent. Worse yet, women and girls living in the poorest countries are 31 percent less likely than men and boys to have access to the Internet. In developing countries, some 200 million fewer women than men own a mobile phone, the most common means of internet access there. This digital divide is increasing, and should it continue at the present pace, it is projected that over 75 percent of women and girls will lack internet access and digital skills.

    There are many causes of the digital gender gap. They include girls' exclusion (排斥) from basic education, from specific technology education and high costs of mobile phones and internet access.

    Indeed, one of the so-called reasons why girls may be discouraged from learning how to access and use digital technology is also a groundless one: that girls are simply not good at using technology.

    Without the help of the government, most of the benefits of technological change will be enjoyed only by men, exacerbating gender inequality.

    China now has 52 sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, which was established to safeguard unique and irreplaceable cultural and natural sites around the world. Let's have a look at some of them, which may give you some clues on your next travel plan.

    Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

    The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is located in Lintong county, near Xi'an city, capital of Shaanxi province. A total of 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, chariots and horses, and hundreds of bronze weapons have been unearthed from it. Many state leaders and experts worldwide believe that the discovery of the mausoleum is a major archeological find and can be called the eighth wonder of the world, paralleling Egypt's pyramids.

    Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement

    Gulangyu Island, known in the local dialect as Kulangsu, is located on the entry of the Jiulong River, facing the city of Xiamen. The island was occupied by at least a dozen countries, including Great Britain, France and Japan. As a result, Western culture grew rapidly there in the 19th century, especially music. With such a harmonious blend of Western music and Eastern culture, Gulangyu is naturally referred to as the “island of music”. It is famous for its outstanding musicians and musical instruments.

    Qinghai Hoh Xil

    Hoh Xil, which means “beautiful girl” in Mongolian, is located in the north-eastern end of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve is China's largest and the world's third largest uninhabited area. Because of the high altitude and fierce weather, it is impossible for people to live there, and therefore, it is a paradise for wildlife and home to more than 230 species of wild animals including endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope, which is recognized as the National Class I Protected animal.

    Huangshan Mountain

    Huangshan, known as “the loveliest mountain of China”, lies in the south of Anhui province in eastern China. The scenic area covers 154 sq km, and is famous for its peaks, rocks, pines, clouds and springs. It also has a rich cultural heritage. Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), visited Huangshan twice, and described it in a poem, calling it the best of all mountains in China. Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers.

    Blue Planet II's latest episode focuses on how plastic is having a disastrous effect on the ocean and slowly poisoning our sea creatures. Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, the oceans are drowning in plastic.

    Though it seems now that the world couldn't possibly function without plastics, consumer plastics are a remarkably recent invention. The first plastic bags were introduced in the 1950s; the same decade that plastic packaging began gaining in popularity in the United States. This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.

    We put all these plastics into the environment and we still don't really know what the outcomes are going to be. What we do know, though, is disturbing. Ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.

    And it's not just wildlife that is threatened by the plastics in our seas. Humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. I could understand why some people see ocean plastic as a disaster, worth mentioning to the same degree as climate change. But ocean plastic is not as complicated as climate change. There are no ocean trash deniers (否认者), at least so far. To do something about it, we don't have to remake our planet energy system.

This is not a problem where we don't know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to dispose (处理) of it. We know how to recycle. We can all start by thinking twice before we use single—use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag—when taken collectively, these choices really do make a difference.

    Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic(陶艺)class.

    On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car. I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.

    “Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.

    “No,” I said.

    “We are going to volunteer at a children's shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you.” she explained.

    When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn't stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.

    As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi! You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.

    My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I convey these values to my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.