Forcing waiters and waitresses to survive on tips from customers rather than normal wages is a pointless, crude, and unique American custom that, in the past several years, a handful of progressive restaurant owners have attempted to do away with. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, is about to join their ranks and has announced that he plans to gradually stop tipping at the company's 13 restaurants.

    What, exactly, is wrong with tipping? As Brian Palmer has explained, more or less it's everything. To start, leaving a waiter's pay in the hands of customers has a feeling of classism (阶级歧视). And in theory, handing restaurant customers the power to tip is at least supposed to motivate better service. This fails in practice because humans turn out to be pretty arbitrary (随意的) about their tipping behavior. Research has shown that the amount diners tip has very little to do with their level of satisfaction. All of this doesn't encourage waiters and waitresses to do anything but turn over as many tables as possible.

    Tipping is also very unfair to kitchen staff. The law allows restaurants to divide tips between front-of-the-house workers like waiters, hosts, hostesses, and bartenders (调酒师), but not cooks. This creates a system in which the people serving the food in a restaurant can earn more than the people preparing it.

    One of the most fascinating parts of Meyer's move is that, unlike some restaurant owners who have taken an anti-tipping stand, he won't simply add a standard extra charge to diners' bills. Rather, Union Square Hospitality Group means to raise menu prices enough to fully cover the cost of a meal. If Meyer manages to move away from tipping at all without hurting his profits, it would almost certainly set the stage for others to follow suit.

    Do you ever wonder why trees begin to bud (发芽) earlier in some cities? Scientists finally found the answer but it's not very pleasant. New science suggests a relationship between light pollution and the timing when trees produce buds, which signals the arrival of the spring season.

    Light pollution is defined by the Lighting Research Center as the unwanted consequence of outdoor lighting such as street lights. Excessive (过多的) man-made light at night results in disturbed natural cycles, and also prevents the observation of stars and planets at night. But its effect on the environment goes beyond that.

    By studying some trees, researchers found out that trees that are more exposed to artificial lighting at night bud up to 7.5 days earlier than those at the natural nighttime setting. And they found out that light had a more significant effect than temperature when the buds came out. The early budding may cause problems for insects, which feed on leaves, and the birds which then feed on them in turn. Professor Richard, who helped lead the research, explained that more than the budding of trees, the study implies the danger to the balance of the ecosystem. “At the moment, caterpillars (毛毛虫) are timed to hatch to make the most of the opportunities to feed on freshly budded leaves, and birds hatch in time to feed on the young caterpillar,” he said.

    Migratory (迁徙的) birds are also negatively affected by light pollution. The glare might confuse them and make them lose their flying sense. The phenomenon might explain why some birds accidentally knock into buildings.

    Such results stress the need to pursue studies that aim to measure the effect of light pollution. If the issue were left to continue, it is estimated that by 2100, spring would begin almost a full month earlier than it does today.

Famous Modern Chinese Buildings

    Beijing International Airport

    The first place most visitors see when they arrive in China is Beijing International Airport. The airport was constructed in the 1950s. It has an indoor garden, a children's playground, and over 70 food businesses in Terminal 3 alone.

Shanghai World Financial Center

    Completed in 2008, SWFC took over 10 years to complete due to financial shortages and construction delays. Since its completion, it has won countless architectural awards.

    Tourists are welcome at SWFC's viewing platform, which at 474 meters above ground is the world's highest closed viewing platform.

    The Water Cube

    It was constructed for use during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Now visitors can express surprise at the architecture of the building. They can enjoy the indoor atmosphere as well.

    Among the offerings of the Water Cube are a restaurant and bar, a shopping area, and Water World, a family water park

    The Bird's Nest, Beijing

    It was designed mainly for the 2008 Summer Olympics. It can hold up to 80,000 people and has been used for a winter theme park. Nowadays, its main income is as a tourist attraction. It draws more than 20,000 tourists every day.

    National Center for the Performing Arts

    It was completed in 2007. The building is surrounded by a man-made lake, requiring guests to enter via an underground hallway. It is home to an Opera Hall, Music Hall, and Theater.

China Small Group Tours

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    View the soaring city skylines and feel the pulse of modern Shanghai

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    Tour Route 2: 11 Days Private Bejing – Xi'an – Chonqing – Yangtze River Cruise – Yichang – Shanghai

    Tour Highlights:

    Must-see sights in China－the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors

    Try biking on the Ming Dynasty City Wall of Xi' an, or tour by electric car

    Enjoy the Three Gorges scenery on Yangtze River & feel totally relaxed

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    Tour Route 3: 12 Days Private Beijing – Shanghai – Xi'an – Guilin – Yangshuo – Guilin – Hong Kong

    Tour Highlights:

    Must-see sights in China－the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors

    Experience the Bund, classical garden, modern and old in contrast in Shanghai

    Feel the lively atmosphere & explore busy markets freely in Hong Kong

    Walk into a local family, learn to cook Chinese food & dine with the hosts in their home

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    Tour Route 4: 12 Days Private Beijing – Xi'an – Chengdu – Guilin – Shanghai

    Tour Highlights:

    Must-see sights in China－the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Giant Pandas

    Come to Chengdu，the hometown of giant pandas to visit and observe the cute creature

    Cruise on the meandering Li River & admire Guilin landscape

    Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home

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Upon the release of the publication "The Mountain People" by the American ethnologist Colin Turnbull in the year 1972, he characterized the subjects of his study—a Ugandan tribe known as the Ik—as "a populace devoid of affection." Turnbull, after a period of two years spent in observation, concluded that the Ik exemplified the primal tendencies of mankind: deceit, larceny, and a callous indifference to the suffering of others. However, when Athena Aktipis and her associates from the Human Generosity Project delved more profoundly into the matter, they discovered a society that engaged in the communal sharing of all resources. "Turnbull's observations coincided with a calamitous famine in Uganda. What he witnessed was merely a reflection of the dire circumstances that arise when individuals are gripped by hunger," Aktipis remarks. Yet, her research team uncovered that, despite the oppressive conditions they faced, the Ik held in high esteem the act of mutual assistance whenever it was within their means to do so.

Aktipis posits that the phenomenon of selflessness is more pervasive and advantageous than the field of evolutionary social science has historically acknowledged. "The prevailing assumption was that individuals are inherently inclined to act solely in their own interests or those of their kin," she states. By examining the distinctive and unselfish behaviors that have enabled nine communities across the globe to persist, the scholars from the Project aim to demonstrate that humanity is indeed capable of extensive collaboration.

The Maasai populace in Kenya offers a principal illustration of the Project's findings. They depend on reciprocal friendships to secure necessities such as sustenance or hydration during times of scarcity, with no expectation of reciprocation. Similarly, in the distant locale of New Mexico, while individuals frequently render aid in the transportation of livestock and receive support in kind, they will also provide assistance gratuitously in instances of adversity, such as personal injury or the bereavement of a cherished one.

Aktipis is convinced that the theoretical models she has refined through the study of these communities can be broadly applied to any interdependent systems. Her overarching ambition is to devise social-welfare frameworks that offer sustenance to all members of society. Take, for instance, the market-driven insurance models prevalent in the United States: They are priced according to individual risk factors, including health profiles and geographic location, which results in millions of Americans being priced out of coverage. In contrast, a system founded on the principles of communal support and pooled financial resources would distribute the burden equitably during collective trials, such as natural catastrophes and pandemics.

Tricks to become a patient person

Here's a riddle: What do traffic jams, long lines and waiting for a vacation to start all have in common?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. They're all situations where we could use a little extra patience.

In the digital age, we're used to having what we need immediately and right at our fingertips. However, research suggests that if we practiced patience, we'd be a whole lot better off. Here are several tricks.

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Thankfulness has a lot of benefits. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. It can also help us practice more patience. "Showing thankfulness can foster self-control," said Ye Li, researcher at the University of California.

Make yourself wait

Instant gratification (满足) may seem like the most "feel-good" option at the time, but psychology research suggests waiting for things actually makes us happier in the long run. And the only way for us to get into the habit of waiting is to practice. Start with small tasks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} or wait 10 extra minutes before going for that cake. You'll soon find that the more patience you practice, the more you start to apply it to other, more annoying situations.

Accept the uncomfortable

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. When we experience something outside of our comfort zone, we get impatient about the circumstances. You should learn to say to yourself, "This is merely uncomfortable, not intolerable (无法忍受的)." You'll then gradually become more patient.

A. There is one answer

B. Keep a balanced state of mind

C. Practice showing or expressing gratitude

D. Attach importance to process and method

E. Put off watching your favorite show until the weekend

F So many of us believe being comfortable is the only state we will enjoy

G. Research shows it makes us happier, less stressed and even more optimistic