Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers（低头族）.

    Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities(身份) bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie in front of a car accident site, and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.

    Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real.

    Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. “the neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.

    But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.

    It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.

    Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York – he in computers, she in special education. "Teaching means everything to us," Tim would say. In April 1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.

    Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton's foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's hometown of Sevier, Tennessee. "I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire," Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk, "as a reminder."

    Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imaginationlibrary.com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.

    The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a look-see. "We didn't want to give the children rubbish," says Linda. The books – reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists and Dollywood board members – included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney's Llama Llamaseries.

    Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than grateful: "This program introduces us to books I've never heard of."

    The Richters spend about ＄400 a month sending books to 200 children. "Some people sit there and wait to die," says Tim. "Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left."

    The last time I visited my eighty­three­year­old mother­in­law, I asked how she was feeling. It's a valid question. She has, after all, had two knee replacements and a liver transplant. She moves slowly to avoid another fall.

    But she hasn't stopped moving. She and my father­in­law attended their first Jimmy Buffet concert this summer. Here's the thing about my in­laws: They never say no to an invitation or a new adventure. If they can make it work, they're willing to try just about anything. When we need them to come to stay with the kids, we have to get on their calendars far in advance.

When asked how she was feeling, my motherinlaw responded, "Well, everything hurts every day. But you know what I've discovered? It doesn't hurt to smile. So that's what I've decided to do... smile at everyone I see. I may not be able to do all the things I used to do, but I can at least brighten someone's day."

    It is such simple wisdom. Moving the focus from what we don't have and from what we've lost to what we can offer others is the difference between living in the dark and radiating light. They inspire us daily.

    The key to a life worth living, I think, is to change our views. You don't have to make great changes. Sometimes change looks similar to everyday kindness. Sometimes change begins with holding the door for a mother with an armful of groceries.

    In theory, the butterfly effect says that the smallest breeze(微风) from a butterfly's wing can change the path of a hurricane halfway. Imagine, then, the possibilities that exist within a single smile.

    As health care costs continue to rise, a growing number of companies are working out programs designed to keep their employees healthy.

    Thomas Chapple is the senior vice president. “It's really important to us because medical costs are going up like crazy, he says. This company spends more than 200 million a year on medical costs for its employees around the country. The best thing we have seen as a way to control the medical cost is individual fitness.”

    We have a fitness center, “Shawn Flaherty, director of public relations for Freddie Mac.,” says, “We have a health benefits plan that encourages people to work out three times a week, get cholesterol (胆固醇) checks, as well as 'not to smoke.' If they do that, it will cost them less for the health benefits.”

    Rachelle Clark works for Freddie Mac. “I feel great. You know the benefit is rewarding. I like to look good and feel healthy. I am just fortunate that I work for the company that provides some type of facility for the employees.”

    While on-site fitness centers are popular, some companies pay membership fees at local gyms for employees. The companies also offer classes such as boxing, yoga and dancing. Employees see those health programs as a valuable benefit.

    Tom Brook exercises five days a week. As a newspaper reporter he has a tight schedule, although Tom says it's not that difficult for him to make time for a workout. “It is great. It is right here where we work,” says Tom, “So everybody gets a chance to use it whenever they want to. I have lost weight and never been in better shape.”

    The programs may not be a magic cure for rising health costs, but they seem to have a positive impact on both employers and employees.

    While Chongqing is most famous for its hot pot, chuanchuan, and noodles, there is one more indispensable, delicious food offered to people in Chongqing: the fish.

    Huguo Hot­Potted Corydoras

    Perhaps Chongqing's best­loved fish restaurant, Huguo Hot­Potted Corydoras has been going for decades and is a can't­miss place for most visitors because of its special flavor. When the pot is served, you will be surprised by its look and stunned by its fragrance. The combination of the great local cuisine and low price makes this a very popular place, particularly in the evening.

    Average price per person: 78 RMB

    Address: No. 62­1, Shangda Tianwan, Yuzhong District (470m from the Gate 6 of Lianglukou Station) Xiang Yu

    Xiang Yu is a Chinese­style restaurant and extremely popular among local people for serving great fish dishes, particularly the signature Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Hot Chili. Since the dish is steamed, the hot chili flavor permeates the flesh.Just use chopsticks to dip a bit of it into the sauce and you'll find its tenderness and robust taste.

    Average price per person: 80 RMB

    Address: F4, Block C, Longfor Shidai Paradise, Changjiang 2nd Road Jipinxuan Beidu Fish Village.

    Established in Chongqing about 20 years ago, all the fish served here is prepared in one of 3 flavors total: hot­spicy, pickled, and tomato.Or, if you're up to try it, you can ask the friendly chef to blend these 3 flavors into one dish.One thing of note: the number of appetizers you get for free depends on how many fish you order.

    Average price per person: 61 RMB

    Address: No. 42, Changjiang 2nd Road, Daping Ran's Bean Salted Fish Hot­pot.

    Serving fish since the 1980's, and maintaining high quality on all terms, the restaurant's reputation has grown among the people of Chongqing. Don't judge this book by its cover, and don't let the modest decoration scare you off, the food is super delicious! The fish is stir fried in oil, which makes the skin crispy and fresh. The dish is also covered with dripping sauces, providing fragrant aromas and strong, lasting flavors.

    Average price per person: 46 RMB

    Address: Opposite of Zaoqin Village, Shipingqiao Street, Jiulongpo District (Near Sanxia Paints Company)

Researchers in Australia recently announced a new device（设备） that absorbs water from air to produce drinkable water. They said it can produce up to 1,000 liters of drinkable water a day, adding that it could be "lifesaving during drought or emergencies". What's more, unlike other water generators（造水机）, their invention works by heating air instead of cooling it.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle call the device the Hydro Harvester. The device absorbs water from the air. Solar energy or heat from other industrial processes can be used to produce hot and wet air. After heating, the air cools, producing water for drinking or watering crops.

The researchers say the device can produce enough drinking water each day for a small rural town of up to 400 people. It could also help farmers keep their crops alive during droughts. Researchers thought their device would be especially useful in Australia because its climate is dry.

More than 2 billion people around the world will benefit from the device. They are in a situation where they do not have access to high-quality water. The device is meant to help alleviatewater shortage and safety.

Studies of the technology will be done in several Australian communities this year. The World Economic Forum （WEF）, a nonprofit group based in Switzerland, says water shortage continues to be a problem worldwide. The WEF said getting water from the atmosphere is a "promising solution that can immediately generate drinkable water using moisture（水汽） in the air". However, the group warns that the technology is costly. It estimates that one mid-sized device could cost between $ 30,000 and $ 50,000. So the group is concerned whether it will be accepted by the public.