Jack Ma, the founder and executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, and US president-elect Donald Trump met at Trump Tower in New York City on Jan,9th 2017, with Trump calling it a "great meeting" and Ma saying the meeting was "very productive"

    "We had a great meeting, and a great, great entrepreneur（企业家）, one of the best in the world, and he loves this country, and he loves China," Trump said. "Jack and I are going to do some great things."

    The two met with reporters briefly after the meeting, and said they discussed plans to create 1 million US jobs by allowing US small and medium-sized businesses to sell to China through Alibaba's platforms.

"We're focused on small business," Ma told reporters. And he had complimentary words for Trump: "I think the president-elect is very smart, he's very open-minded to listen. I told him my ideas about how to improve trade, especially to improve small business, cross-border trade."

    "We also think that the China and USA relationship should be strengthened — should be friendlier," Ma said. "The door is open for discussing the relationship and trade issues."

    The meeting comes in tensions between China and the incoming Trump administration(政府). Trump has repeatedly criticized China for its economic policies and accused the country of "stealing jobs away" from the US.

Trump also has said he may raise tariffs(关税) on Chinese goods sold in the US.

    These days I am on my very best behavior whenever I leave the house. If I am wearing pantyhose(连裤袜), I double-check to ensure there is no hole on it. I drive thoughtfully as if I'm being tested for a license. I won't even allow myself to frown when another driver is blocking my path.

    My kids have noticed my fear in public. "Why are you looking all around, Mum?" they asked.

    "You can't be too careful," I said. "Every single person around us is hiding one of cell phone cameras. They are glad to catch somebody doing something stupid or embarrassing. Then they'll put it on YouTube and a million people will see. I'm not taking any chances."

    "But I don't think anyone is interested in filming you putting on your lipstick for a YouTube video." answered one kid.

    "Oh, really? Don't count me out so quickly." I said.

    Actually, in some cases, I am all for public shaming. For example, I admire the cleverness of the man who put up a website where he posts photos of cars and license numbers of people who occupy two parking spots. And I take secret pleasure in photos of politicians with their fingers in their noses. Throwing light on bad behavior can awake the sleepy conscience(良知).

    But what about the poor guy who has already had a bad day at work and then loses his temper at a rude store clerk? What about the woman whose only crime is a terrible judgment error at the hairdresser? Do they deserve to have their images uploaded onto the Internet for all the world to see?

    None of this is new, of course. Allen Funt pioneered the art of catching people during unguarded moments back in the 1940s with "Candid Camera". But there's a difference. On "Candid Camera", people are set up in staged situations, such as riding in an elevator that goes sideways. And they must give permission before they enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame. Now we are a nation of Allen Funts. This can't be a good thing.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence.

    They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (教授) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test.

    Right after they came into the classroom, the professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it.

    Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression. The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, "How many of you have completed all five questions?" No hand was raised. "How many of you have answered four?" Still no hands. "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats. "One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class kept silent. The professor said, "That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice." Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, but remember, your education has just begun."

    The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

    who doesn't love sitting beside a cosy（舒适的）fire on a cold winter's night ? Who doesn't love to watch flames (火苗) curling up a chimney ? Fire is one of man's greatest friends, but also one of his greatest enemies. Many big fires are caused by carelessness. A lighted cigarette thrown out of a car or train window or a broken bottle lying on dry grass can start a fire. Sometimes, though, a fire can start on its own. Wet hay (草) can begin burning by itself. This is how it happens: the hay starts to rot (腐烂) and begins to give off heat which is trapped inside it. Finally, it bursts into flames. That's why farmers cut and store (贮存) their hay when it's dry .

    Fires have destroyed whole cities. In the 17th century, a small fire which began in a baker's shop burnt down nearly every building in London. Moscow was set on fire during the war against Napoleon. This fire continued burning for seven days . And, of course, in 64 A. D. a fire burnt Rome. Even today, in spite of modern fire - fighting methods, fire causes millions of pounds' worthy of damage each year both in our cities and in the countryside. It has been wisely said that fire is a good servant but a bad master.

More than 400 athletes across a variety of sports, ages and levels of experience were questioned for the study by sports psychology experts from Staffordshire University and Manchester Metropolitan University. The findings reveal that athletes' belief systems—specifically irrational（非理性）beliefs—are related to poorer self-confidence, and in turn, greater competitive anxiety and depressive symptoms.

"Phrases that reflect self-depreciating（贬低）beliefs such as ‘If I lose, I'm a failure' or ‘If I face setbacks, it shows how stupid I am' are warning signs," said the authors. Paul Mansell, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University, said, "Despite the psychological benefits of physical activity, studies frequently report poor mental health in athletes, which may be exacerbated by adversities, such as injury, de-selection, and performance pressure. We investigated athletes' beliefs, how they view stress, their levels of self-confidence and put all this data together to work out what might predict psychological well-being. We found irrational beliefs to be a core reason for symptoms of poor mental health in athletes."

This is the first known study that has examined irrational beliefs, self-confidence, and the psychological well-being of athletes all together. Irrational beliefs are extreme, rigid, and illogical ideas that people hold. For example, a person might believe that they "must" get what they want, or that just because they have failed, they are a "complete failure".

"We can all work to help athletes develop mindsets that help them deal with the challenges of sport and life. By encouraging rational and logical beliefs about performance, we can help athletes to stay healthy amidst the high demands of competitive sport," said Paul Mansell.

The author s propose Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy（REBT）as an effective tool for protecting self-confidence. REBT helps athletes to challenge these self-depreciating beliefs and develop beliefs that are more helpful and healthy. For example, rather than believe "I am a failure if I fail", this might be countered with "Failing is not ideal, but it does not mean that I am a failure".