Home to me means a sense of familiarity and nostalgia(怀旧). It's fun to come home. It looks the same. It smells the same. You'll realize what's changed is you. Home is where we ran remember pain, live, and some other experiences; We parted here; My parents met here; I won three championships here.

    If I close my eyes, I can still have a clear picture in mind of my first home. I walk in the door and see a brown sofa surrounding a low glass-top wooden table. To the right of the living room is my first bedroom. It's empty, but it's where my earliest memories are.

    There is the dining room table where I celebrated birthdays, and where I cried on Halloween-when I didn't want to wear the skirt my mother made for me. I always liked standing on that table because it made me feel tall and strong. If I sit at this table, I can see my favorite room in the house, my parents' room. It is simple: a brown wooden dresser lines the right side of the wall next to a television and a couple of photos of my grandparents on each side. Their bed is my safe zone. I can jump on it anytime - waking up my parents if I am scared or if I have an important announcement that cannot wait until the morning.

    I'm lucky because I know my first home still exists. It exists in my mind and heart, on a physical property(住宅) on West 64th street on the western edge of Los Angeles. It is proof I lived, I grew and I learned.

    Sometimes when I feel lost, I lie down and shut my eyes, and I go home. I know it's where I'll find my family, my dogs, and my belongings. I purposely leave the window open at night because I know I'll be blamed by Mom. But I don't mind, because I want to hear her say my name, which reminds me I'm home.

There is plenty of complaints about how social media-texting in particular—may be harming children's social and intellectual development. But a new study suggests that constant instant messaging (IM'ing) and texting among teens may also provide benefits, particularly for those who are introverted (内向的).

British researchers studied instant messages exchanged by 231 teens, aged 14 to 18. All of the participants were “regular” or “extensive” IM'ers. In the U. S., two thirds of teens use instant messaging services regularly, with a full third messaging at least once every day.

The researchers analyzed 150 conversations in the study, and reported the results in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. In 100 of these chats, the study participant began IM'ing while in a negative emotional state such as sadness, distress or anger. The rest were conversations begun when the participant was feeling good or neutral. After the chat, participants reported about a 20% reduction in their distress—not enough to completely eliminate it, but enough to leave them feeling better than they had before reaching out.

“Our findings suggest that IM'ing between distressed adolescents and their peers may provide emotional relief and consequently contribute to their well-being,” the authors write, noting that prior research has shown that people assigned to talk to a stranger either in real life or online improved their mood in both settings, but even more with IM. And people who talk with their real-life friends online also report feeling closer to them than those who just communicate face-to-face, implying a strengthening of their bond.

    Why would digital communication do better than human contact? The reasons are complex, but may have something to do with the fact that users can control expression of sadness and other emotions via IM without exposing emotional elements like tears that some may consider as embarrassing or sources of discomfort. Studies also show that the anonymity (匿名) of writing on a device blankets the users in a sense of safety that may cause people to feel more comfortable in sharing and discussing their deepest and most authentic feelings. The research has shown that expressive writing itself can vent the stress and provide a sense of relief—and doing so, knowing that your words are reaching a sympathetic friend, may provide even more comfort and potentially be therapeutic(治愈的). Researchers also found that introverted participants reported more relief from IM conversations when they were distressed than extroverts did. Susan Cain, author of Quiet wrote recently for TIME: Introverts are often overfilled with thoughts and care deeply for their friends, family and colleagues. But even the most socially skilled introverts sometimes long for a free pass from socializing or talking on the phone. This is what the Internet offers: the chance to connect—but in measured doses and from behind a screen.

    Sheffield

    Lincoln College of English

    Classes for foreign students at all levels.

    3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year course.

    Open all year.

    Small class (at most 12 students).

    Library, language laboratory and listening center.

    Accommodation (住宿) with selected families.

    25 minutes from London.

    Course fees for English for one year are ￡ 1,380 with reduction for shorter periods of study.

    At some point in life, many people suffer a mental problem. While most people get over it, for others it doesn't go away easily.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) says that about 20 percent of children and teenagers across the globe suffer from mental illness. It's thought that the number of children and teenagers with mental illness around the world will increase by half by 2020. It will become one of the main causes of disease, disabilities and even death.

The reason for mental problems among young people may be the increasing pressure in life. Study and relationships have always caused huge stresses for school children. For instance, they experience school bullying(欺凌)and academic pressure.

    In China, the picture isn't bright, either. About 30 million Chinese children and teenagers under the age of 17, or 10 percent of children and teenagers in China, have a mental health challenge, reported China Daily.

    Also, according to China Daily, Chinese people don't seek help with their mental problems. They fear that others will think less of them if they admit that they are in trouble. Many Chinese people are ashamed of their mental problems and mental illness is taboo(禁忌)in any Chinese families.

    In the UK, over three-quarters of young people believe their mental health problems have a social shame and a quarter of young UK people wouldn't ask for help if they developed a mental problem.

    Young people who don't seek help for their condition may be creating problems for themselves in the future. If you feel something is wrong within you – seek help.

Feeling down? Here are three things to try if you feel low.

    Go to a psychology teacher. The teacher will listen to you and offer help – for free!

    Call 800-810-1100. It's the number of a hotline run by the Mental Health Research and Prevention Center. The line is open 24 hours a day.

    Tell your parents and visit the hospital if the situation gets out of control.

    In America, the number of people killed in car crashes in 2016 was above 40, 000 for the first time in a decade, data released on Wednesday shows.

    "Americans believe there is nothing we can do to stop crashes from happening, but that isn't true. We are behind the rest of the developed world in addressing highway fatalities(死亡). We just haven't been willing to do what needs to be done, "said Deborah A. P. Hersman, president of the National Safety Council.

    The National Safety Council data shows a 6 percent increase in deaths in 2018 when compared with 2015 and a 3 percent increase in the number of miles Americana drove in 2016.

    "Motor vehicle fatality numbers have been ringing the alarm for two years, "Hersman said." Unfortunately, we have been blind to the data and the killings on our roadways. If we fail to take action, the death tell will continue to rise. "

    "The trend is clear：After years of progress, highway deaths are heading in the wrong direction, "said Jonathan Adkins, a state safety official.

    The number of people killed reached a record low of 32, 675 in 2014, according to NHTSA statistics. That record followed a fairly steady downward track for the past six years that experts attributed it primarily to safety features that have been built into cars and trucks.

    Safety advances including increased seat-belt use, air bags, anti-lock braking, stability controls and electronic warnings and cameras.

    The bad economy and high gas prices also influenced the reduction in deaths. Now, with unemployment and gas prices both low, more people are driving for work and pleasure trips.

    "It's not just that Americans drive more miles when the economy improves; it's the kind of miles they drive,"said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

    Being attractive isn't usually considered much of a disadvantage in today's world. Actually, there is the endless potential benefit about it, but researchers have found one area that being pretty makes life a challenge securing yourself a boring, low­paying job.

    This stands in contrast to a large body of research that attractiveness, in general, helps candidates in the selection process. For the most part good looks is a blessing. We treat pretty people more favorably in general, often vote for them more in elections, and pay them more in their professions. The research suggests that attractive people may be discriminated against in selection for relatively less desirable jobs.

    Researchers carried out four experiments involving more than 750 participants, including university students and managers who make hiring decisions in the real world. Participants were shown photos of two potential job candidates, one attractive and the other unattractive. Participants were then asked a series of questions designed to measure their opinions of the job candidates and whether they would hire these candidates for a less­than­desirable job.

    The less desirable jobs included a warehouse worker, housekeeper, customer service representative and the more desirable jobs included things like a manager, project director, IT elite(精英). In all experiments where they were asked, participants were significantly less likely to hire the attractive candidate for the less desirable job and more likely to hire the attractive candidate for the more desirable job.

    Ms Lee said, "In the selection decision for an undesirable job, decision makers were more likely to choose the unattractive individual over the attractive individual. Co­author Dr Madan Pillutla said, "It is interesting that decision makers consider others' opinions in their decisions. They thought that attractive individuals would want better outcomes, and therefore would be less satisfied, so they favored unattractive candidates when selecting for a less desirable job."

    The research also suggests the established view that attractive candidates are favored when applying for jobs might be limited to high­level jobs.