Best friends may be priceless but the cost of keeping the relationship alive is £23,870.

    According to a study, a BFF (best friends forever) does not come cheap with devoted friends spending £4,679 on birthday presents alone over a lifetime. And while it costs nothing to be a shoulder to cry on, big-hearted Britons go the extra mile and spend £168 on pick-me-ups(提神物品) to get their mate through a rocky patch (艰难时刻)like the breakup of a relationship.

    There's a further £242 spent on presents to show how much they mean from gifts bought on holiday to treats for no reason. And distance does not break up a close friendship as BFFs spend a whopping(巨大的) £18,000 on travel to see each other despite being miles apart because of university, jobs and marriage.

    The study by cashback site TopCashBack found on average BEFs who marry can expect £431 spent on them and a further £283 on gifts when they have children. And they can rely on their pals to help out when they move houses as they will obtain £127 worth of housewarming presents and takeaways(a kind of food).

    The survey based on a friendship lasting 40 years found more than eight in ten adults with a BFF felt their friendships were worth every penny.

    TopCashback spokesperson Natasha Smith said: “Those friendships which stand the test of time are often the most important in our lives. However, they come at a cost. From train tickets once a month to flights and a new dress for a wedding on the Italian coast, the price paid for having a best mate can soon add up. But when we asked people to compare their friendship with the financial investment(投资), only 14% thought their friendship was equal to their investment with the vast majority thinking it was worth more."

    Are you interested in students in other countries? Do they also have so much homework like you? What do they do in their spare time?

    On April 8, a report came out on the lives of high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the US. It surveyed around 6200 students from the four countries last year. You will find the answers to many of your questions in this report.

    Who study hardest?

Chinese students spend the most time studying. Nearly half of Chinese students (48.65%) spend more than two hours on their homework every day. That's much more than students of the US (26.4%), Japan (8.2%) and South Korea (5.2%).

    Who sleep most often in class?

Japanese students fall asleep in class most often. About 45% of them said they sometimes sleep in class. In South Korea, it's 32%; in the US,21%; and 5% in China.

    Who are the most distracted?

    American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted. 64.2% said they chat with friends in class; 46.9% said they eat snacks in class; and 38.9% said they send emails or read storybooks in class.

    What do they do after school?

    In their spare time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students go out to play with their friends. Most Japanese students do physical exercise. Most Korean students watch TV.

    Welcome to Hawks Cay Resort

    Centrally lying between Miami and key west, Hawks Cay Resort offers the perfect union of solitude and convenience. Here you can enjoy the best qualities of the Caribbean-clear green waters, endless sunshine, excellent fishing and diving chances, and fresh seafood.

    THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING

    Hanks Cay lies in the middle of the Florida Keys on the quiet island of Duck Key. The resort is just over an hour's drive from Key West attractions, and only minutes from the village of Marathon where you'll find the Seven-Mile Bridge, the Marathon Turtle Hospital, shopping changes and more.

    GETTING TO HAWKS CAY RESORT

    By Land

    Drive the Overseas Highway, awarded one of America's most scenic roads, as you travel across historic fishing bridges, and admire the blue and green water of the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay. Hawks Cay centrally lies only 90 miles by car from Miami and 130 miles from Fort Lauderdale. Cars can be rented from Marathon Airport, lying just a few miles from the resort.

    By Air

    Daily flights are offered into nearby Miami, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Key West International airports. Hawks Cay is proud to partner with the Marathon Jet Center, lying just 9 miles from the resort, offering lights and private jet service.

    Fly direct to Marathon International Airport from Fort Lauderdle, Miami, Marco Island and Naples for as low as $222 per person one way. Flight time is approximately 38 minutes.

    By Sea

    Hawks Cay can easily be reached via the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. Hawks Cay's full-service marina features fees for ships up to 110 feet, and all the boating and fishing supplies you'll need during your stay in the beautiful Florida Keys.

Confidence Comes From Treating Others As Equals

    There's been recent discussion over Chinese attitudes toward foreigners, caused by another quarrel between a foreigner and a taxi driver. According to the studies described in the Oxford Handbook of Chinese Psychology, Chinese have lower self﹣confidence compared to Westerners. Yet does the result still apply to the Chinese people today？

    Yes and no. For the moment, different attitudes toward foreigners can still be found in China's society, with some displaying low self﹣confidence like "Foreigners are awesome （令人敬畏的）, and Western countries are awesome. We should respect them and be as polite as possible, and shouldn't let them look down on us, " and a few unfriendly opinions such as "Some foreigners are rude and disrespectful, and their level of civility （礼貌） is far behind China."

    Chinese used to be lacking in self﹣confidence. It might start from the modern history, after the failure in the Opium wars, and the following humiliation （耻辱） of being bullied （被欺负） and brought to their knees by Western guns. And the dark history is still to some extent affecting our mentality （心态） today.

    For some time, the Western world represents the best of everything in some Chinese eyes. But our state of mind is gradually changing. When asked "What makes you feel proud of your country？" in school classes in China, answers vary from the World Expo to the Olympic Games, from athletes to astronauts, from the mushrooming skyscrapers to busy metropolises, which have all filled us with growing self﹣confidence.

    While answering the question "Since China is so good today and Chinese people are more confident, why are an increasing number of Chinese emigrating abroad？" Zhang Weiwei, a professor at Fudan University, replied that at least 70 percent of Chinese migrants （移民） become more patriotic （爱国的） after leaving their home country, no matter whether they have become a naturalized citizen of another nation or not. Such result and experiences are much more convincing and have better effect than dozens of "patriotic education" classes.

    There is no reason for us not to be self﹣confident. We live in the world's second﹣largest economy. Chinese net financial assets per capita （人均纯金融资产） and the purchasing power of people have seen a sharp rise, with more and more people starting to purchase works of art, instead of only necessities. These all indicate a rising standard of life and self﹣confidence.

    Nevertheless, the point of the changing attitudes toward ourselves or other countries is not realizing other nations are better or worse than China, but treating them like how we treat our fellow Chinese. That is what confidence means, not being condescending （屈尊）, not worshiping, but looking each other in the eye with trust and respect.

    In my memory, winters always used to be really unpleasant. You had to bundle up just to keep warm when you went outside. You were often cold, wet, slip on the ice, and you'd arrive home to an ice-cold house. And that would mean turning on the heating and waiting. It's a miracle you didn't get cold to the bone.

    Fortunately, things don't have to be so challenging any more. Technology, engine ring and design have advanced giving us new solutions to old problems. It means dealing with winter needn't be like skating on thin ice.

    With a smart thermostat (温度自动调节器), our homes can be warm when we need them to be. Many models feature smartphone apps that allow you to control temperature remotely, so we can warm up the house before we arrive home. According to techradar.com, Tado's model features voice control, while the Nest 'leans' your habits and automatically heats the home for you.

    Clothes have been given an upgrade, too. Electronic thermal jackets, sweaters and coats heat up when you turn them on. What better way to keep warm in the dead of winter? At the touch of a button, or through an app on our phones, the clothing generates heat from elements placed inside. Many models offer three levels of heating which stay warm for over 12 hours. .

    Finally, there is the clothing for the head, beanie s and Earmuff, that feature speakers included in the fabric using Bluetooth technology so we can listen to our favourite music or, in some cases, have a phone callusing the in-built microphone. All while keeping the head warm and avoiding a cold.

    For many, the thought of winter used to be enough to make their blood run cold. But using technology, life needn't freeze up. With the right solutions, there's no reason why winter can't be really, really cool.

    On a recent trip to the island of Newfoundland, Canada, my husband asked our talkative cab driver what made him most proud to be a native.

    "Our generosity and hospitality (好客)" he replied in a strong local accent. "If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, someone will stop to help. People here are kind like that." His answer rang in my mind during that ride with my husband and teenage kids, as we headed out to explore on the first day of our vacation.

    Little did I know we were about to experience some of that remarkable Newfoundland kindness for ourselves. We met Alma that same morning at the start of a long hike. Our teenagers hurried ahead, and as we walked behind, admiring the scenery, two women in sunglasses and summer hiking equipment stopped. They'd heard us discussing different routes, and then asked if we'd like suggestions. They looked to be in their 40s, and were both enthusiastic to share their local expertise.

    We listened eagerly, taking mental notes, until one of the women asked, "You have a car, right?" I explained that there were no cars available during our week on the island, so we had to rely on cabs instead.

    "Oh no," she said, "you need a car." And then, as casually as if offering a piece of chewing gum (口香糖), she said, "Take mine!" My husband and I just smiled in disbelief, dumbfounded.

    "Why not?" she insisted. "You need a car to get to know all these places."

    "But you don't even know us," I said.

    "That doesn't matter," she continued with absolute determination.

    Surprised, I looked over at her friend, who shrugged and said, "That's Alma."

    Forty minutes of talking later, my family climbed into Alma's car. We spent the rest of our vacation discovering different areas of this beautiful island. But it wasn't the groups of whales we saw, or the vast areas of woodland, that made this place so memorable. Instead, it was the act of kindness from a complete stranger that made us realize how special Newfoundland really was.

    Next year, there's no doubt where we'll be taking our summer vacation. Who knows what act of kindness we'll meet then?