The hottest TV drama in China – “Nirvanain Fire” or “Langya Bang” has just ended. Millions of people waited every day after midnight for the latest (two) episodes. Are you one of them? What is the story about? Why the show is so popular?

  “Nirvana in Fire” is based on an Internet novel by author HaiYan, who was invited to pen the screenplay for the television adaptation. The 55-episode series, set in a fictionalized kingdom, weaves together two storylines — one about a betrayed general's revenge and the other about princes fighting for the throne.

    The series was put on screen on Sep. 19th, and the number of Internet views exceeded 140 million times the next day. Only during the week of National holiday, the number increased by 1.6 billion.

    It's now the hottest Chinese TV show with a very high score of 9.3 on Douban. (The classical TV drama, Journey to the West, produced in 1986 is with the same score). Previous and recent costume dramas such as “The Journey of Flower” and “Yun Zhong Ge” only scored 6.4 and 3.5.

    Drawing comparisons to “The Count of Monte Cristo”, the story revolves around a gifted young man named Lin Shu, whose father serves as a general. Already a high-ranking military officer by his teenager years, Lin Shuenjoyed a close friendship with Prince Xiao Jingyan and was even engaged to Princess Nihuang.

   At age 17, however, Lin Shu's life turned upside down when his father's army was framed and destroyed by a foxy political rival. LinShu escaped death, but due to the poisoning, his body became weak and frail, and he lost his martial arts abilities. From then on, his face was pale and his fingers always ice-cold.

    After twelve years, Lin Shu returned to his country's capitalwith a new name, Mei Changsu, and a new identity, the leader of the Jiang ZuoAlliance. He then became the strategic adviser for his friend, Prince Jingyan, who had been exiled(流放) by the king. Despite the efforts of Prince Xiao Jingheng and the crown prince to win the throne for themselves, Mei Changsu succeeds in paving the road for his friend to take over as king, as well as the avenging the injustices dealt to histroops many years before.

    I first came across the concept of pay-what-you-can cafes last summer in Boone, N.C., where I ate at F.A.R.M (Feed All Regardless of Means) Café. You can volunteer to earn your meal, pay the suggested price($10) or less, or you can overpay—paying it forward for a future customer's meal. My only regret after eating there was not having a chance to give my time. So as soon as Healthy World Café opened in York in April, I signed up for a volunteer shift(轮班).

    F.A.R.M and Healthy World are part of a growing trend of community cafés. In 2003, Denise Cerreta opened the first in Salt Lake City. Cerreta now runs the One World Everybody Eats Foundation, helping others copy her pay-what-you can model.

    “I think the community café is truly a hand up, not a handout,” Cerreta said. She acknowledged that soup kitchens(施粥所) have a place in society, but people typically don't feel good about going there.

    “One of the values of the community café is that we have another approach,” she said. “Everyone eats here, no one needs to know whether you volunteered, overpaid or underpaid.”

    The successful cafés not only address hunger and food insecurity but also become necessary parts of their neighborhood – whether it's a place to learn skills or hear live music. Some teach cooking to seniors; some offer free used books. Eating or working there is a reminder that we are all in this world together.

    My 10 am—1pm shift at World-Healthy-Café began with the café manager — one of the two paid staff members. Our volunteer crew wasn't the most orderly, but we managed to prepare and serve meals with a lot of laughs in between. At the end of my shift, I ordered my earned meal at the counter, together with other volunteers. After lunch, I walked out the door, with a handful of new friends, music in my head and a satisfied belly and heart.

Sharon，Aged 22

    The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself．Besides, I don't know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night．It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.

Frank, Aged 21

    I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day．You will probably love it．I know I did．You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable．Good luck!

Eddie，Aged 20

    When I started high school I was really nervous too，especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone．I suppose the best advice would be to just relax．The first couple of days can be a little bit hard，but things will become easier before you know it.

David，Aged 19

    I'm not going to lie．The first day is kind of frightening(令人恐惧的)．But you'll get used to it．Don't be afraid of anyone；upperclassmen will pick on(刁难) you more if you let them know you're afraid．Just take it easy．Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly．After the first week it's really not bad at all．Don't worry.

    Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding.

    We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue (疲惫) and performance fatigue. In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel. Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones. The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.

    Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them in alphabetical (按字母顺序), never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day's work with the difficult task of essay-writing. Experience proved that the rule works.

    Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle. Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can — then let the unconscious take over.

    When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica (《大英百科全书》), I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after day I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable.

    One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Then, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep.

    An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind. In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind provided correct at every step. Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing.

    Human beings, I believe, must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired.

    Mary went out at night. She never forgot the night when she met a robber many years ago. That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted until two o'clock in the morning. Without company Mary walked along the quiet street.

    Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. "Good evening, lady," the man said in a low voice, "I don't think you wish to die here."

    "What do you want?" Mary asked.

    "Your earrings（耳环）. Take them off!"Slowly Mary's eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar（领子）of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground.

    "Take them and let me go." She said. The robber looked at her only feeling uncertain. He saw the girl didn't care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more. So he said, "Give me your necklace."

    "Oh, sir. It's not worth much. Please let me keep it."

    "Stop rubbish. Quick!"

    With shaky hands, Mary took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to one of her friends.

    The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings.

    Li Hua is currently studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.

    Introduction

    A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150, 000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.

    Basic Security

    Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when youleave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddlesleave（车座）.

    Locks

    Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.

    Marking

    Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.

    Registration (登记)

    There are a number of security companies who will help mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.

    Finally

    Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its maker, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.