As less people choose to make sugar paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is committed to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (keep) the art of sugar painting alive.

    Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After {#blank#}3{#/blank#} mine closed down, Li turned{#blank#}4{#/blank#} housing decoration, until he {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in.

    Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could make a {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(vary) of sugar paintings. A sugar painting is made with {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(melt) brown or white sugar. Craftsman {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(normal) paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup(糖浆). When the sugar cools down, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} appears is a piece of sugar art.

    I am a junior in high school. There is a lady at my school {#blank#}1{#/blank#} job is to hand out call-slips(索书单) and prevent students from leaving campus {#blank#}2{#/blank#} permission. Before today I had never seen her smile.

    The other day my friends and I were eating in the cafeteria {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I saw her walking around. When she came closely to us I could see that she was crying. She pulled out a tissue and quickly wiped her eyes. I thought to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} that this lady was so under-appreciated that she needed {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (praise) for all her hard work. So I wrote a note {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) that the students appreciated everything she did and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} her contribution to our school made a difference in all of our lives. I signed it “Some thankful students” and slipped it into {#blank#}8{#/blank#} envelope. Then I realized I didn't even know her name. I asked all of my professors but nobody knew her name. I finally went to ask the lady at student services and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (tell) that her name is Kathy. I brought her a bunch of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (color) sunflowers and taped the envelope to it. I brought the flowers to school and left them in her office. I believed I would see her smile soon.

    Did you know that what you think you like and don't like is often the result of false beliefs? As humans, we tend to be {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (easy) influenced when it comes to liking or disliking something, and we're happy to have our existing beliefs confirmed. But once these beliefs became fixed, we often lose our ability to be {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (object) and we don't like to have our ideas challenged.  Generally speaking, human beings are not good at taking a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (balance) view of things. For instance, we unconsciously start to listen for and select information that {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (match) our beliefs and turn a blind eye to information that doesn't, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (reject) it out of hand. We don't always like to accept new information that doesn't match up with what we already believe.

    As a result, we often don't even consider the reasons behind {#blank#}6{#/blank#} opposing point of view. Instead, we look for evidence that confirms {#blank#}7{#/blank#} we had already thought, and which conforms to our own point of view. We're more likely {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (give) meaning to information that matches the beliefs we already have. In other words, we are biased (偏见) towards certain information. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} can come as a shock when information we {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (trust) is actually exposed to be untrue.

    Is there such a thing as being "over-protective"?

    I can honestly say that my answer to that question {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(change) dramatically(戏剧性地)since I became a parent.

    Before the birth of my daughter, I taught at{#blank#}2{#/blank#}private school, often viewing my students as over-protected, worrying  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}would happen when they went on to middle schools.

    Some did fine, and some did not. Some needed constant pats on the back, words of  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(inspire) and extra support, which I {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(happy) gave. Others were content on their own, needing little {#blank#}6{#/blank#} no interaction(互动)with their teacher.

I'd always supposed their parents were over-protective, for they were the ones that still walked their  {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(five) graders into the classroom and met them at the school gate.

    Admittedly, I laughed at those parents, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(think) their children would never learn to be  {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(independence) if they didn't let go just a little. Then I had my own daughter. The moment I looked at her little face, I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(know) I'd do everything in my power to protect her and make sure she always felt safe!