Critical thinking(批判性思维) is trying to improve the way you think. People use critical thinking in every area of life to solve problems and evaluate claims(评估主张).

    Like every other skill, critical thinking takes practice. When a problem comes our way, we need to think critically to decide how to solve it. When we see an advertisement, for example, we should stop and think. Advertisements are made to make people feel certain that they are true, and then people can buy the products. But is what the advertisement says true? Is it making a claim? Or does it only interest us? Critical thinking is important and stops us from making poor choices. In fact, we are using it if we ask questions naturally about what we see.

    Practice makes perfect. While you are growing in critical thinking, you'll become a wiser and more thoughtful person. There are many ways of doing practice. Here are a few.

    Read about a topic people disagree on. Look at articles or books on all sides of the subject. For each side of the subject, think carefully and evaluate it.

    When you see or hear a claim, ask questions about it. Who is making the claim and why?

    Evaluate your own thinking. Where and why do you think uncritically? How can you improve?

    Critical thinking should be part of everything we do. It may help you to succeed at work or school. Make yourself into a habit of critical thinking. Change your thoughts and change your world.

    People in different countries speak different languages. But is there a lanuage that can be understood by everyone in the world ? Emojis might be the first truly universal (通用的) language.

    Emojis are a kind of special language. Pictures are used to put meaning across, A group called the Unicode Consortium is in charge of choosing official (官方的) emojis. It has added new emojis every year since 2014. These new emojis do not come out of nowhere. They come from what people think about, like and care about.

    Emojis can be used to represent (代表) different groups of people. In 2015, emoji faces with different skin tones (肤色) were added. In 2016, different jobs were added, such as doctor, police officer and painter along with female versions of these jobs, This year, emojis of disabled people were added, including emojis of blind people and people in wheel chairs.

    But there is also more to emojis. They can also refer to pop culture and new cultural trends. New emojis in 2019 have included several animals, such as sloths (树懒) and flamingos (火烈鸟). These animals are not very common, but are known to many people. For example, sloths have become popular thanks to the 2016 film Zootopia (《疯狂动物城》). Many fashion designers have included flamingos in their designs in recent years. This animal makes people feel like they're on a tropical (热带) vacation.

    It seems that emojis are a mirror of the world we live in. It will be interesting to see how they change and grow in the years to come.

    Reading makes one wise, but many adults seldom read. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sure. They have work to do. They have families to support. But these are only excuses. The fact is that they haven't got a reading habit. A reading habit isn't something natural. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it's never too late to develop a reading habit.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} A book in rich colors and with simple patterns(图案)such as lines and circles is a good choice for babies of three months old. When they reach six months, they will become interested in simple story books in rich colors.

    When children get old enough to read by themselves, it's necessary to buy books that are both interesting and right for them to understand. Books which are either too easy or too difficult are not good for kids to keep their reading habits.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For kids, parents are their first teachers. So parents should read books to set an example. Children will follow them. Scientists say imitating the adults is a born skill. And it is the most valuable way for children to learn. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

    I'm Kitty. Today the clothes at Xingxing Clothes Store are on sale. So I want to buy some clothes for my grandparents, my parents and myself. Let me have a look. This yellow sweater is at a very good price—only 15 dollars. And it's OK for my grandfather. For my grandmother, I want to buy a pair of black shoes. It's very comfortable (舒适的). How about this blue T-shirt? Oh, my father can wear it to play basketball. And there are many socks in green, yellow, black, blue, red and white. I know my mother likes red very much, so I will buy these red ones. I need trousers, so I will take these blue ones.