Yu Xu, one of China's first female fighter pilots who could fly a J-10 jet, died during a flight training in Tangshan in North China's Hebei province on Saturday. Almost all major media outlets have sung high praise for Yu's spirit. People's Daily said: "She died for the peace and happiness of so many families ... The name of Yu and other heroes will be carved not only in stone, but also in the hearts of millions." However, despite being a news hit, a lot of social media platforms still pay much attention to pop stars, no matter their weddings, problematic marriages or just datings. The day Yu died, she did not even make it to the top-10 hot topics on micro blogs.

Some netizens have criticized such people for being too cold to news about heroes who defend our country. They even quoted from the book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, to express their concerns over people being misled by new media while referring to pop stars as "xi zi", a contemptuous(轻蔑的) term used for entertainment stars in the old days.

However, it is unnecessary to shame those netizens who were busy reading about film stars and other celebrities. We live in the age of social and new media, where the celebrities usually draw greater public attention than real heroes. This is partly because the agents(经纪人) of celebrities(名人) are very skilled at using social tools to expand their fan base for commercial gains.

Of course, we should admit the great influence entertainment has on people's minds and it helps the media industry make money. Pop stars do take up a lot of our time, and especially many young people waste their spare energy on them, their new songs, new movies, even rumors about their love life and other scandals. The domestic media industry needs improvement, some entertainment stars should improve their public images, but it is not right to call them "xi zi".

The media may be encouraging people to pay greater attention to celebrities than military heroes, but that does not necessarily mean people pay less respect to heroes than stars. The increasing number of reports about the pilot shows the heroes are worth people's added attention, and they get it.

Empty nest syndrome(综合症) is a phenomenon in which parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home. You might find it difficult to suddenly have no children at home who need your care. 【小题1】 If you have only one child, you might have a particularly difficult time adjusting to an empty nest.

【小题2】 In the past, research suggested that parents dealing with empty nest syndrome experienced a sense of loss that might them easy to experience depression, alcoholism and identity crisis. 【小题3】 When the last child leaves home, parents have a new opportunity to improve the quality of their marriage and restart interests for which they previously might not have had time.

If you’re experiencing feelings of loss due to empty nest syndrome, take action. 【小题4】 This might be an opportune time to explore or return to hobbies, leisure activities, or career pursuits.

Many suggest preparing for an empty nest while your children are still living with you. 【小题5】 They may include family vacations, long talks, and taking time off from work to make special memories. Also, make specific plans for the extra money, time, and space that will become available when children are no longer living at home.

The idea that boys are more interested than girls in computer science and engineering starts as young as age six, according to a new study. That may be one reason why girls and women are underrepresented in these STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professional fields.

The traditional idea that STEM is for boys begins in primary and junior school, and by the time they reach high school, many girls have made their decision not to go after degrees in computer science and engineering because they don’t think they belong (属于) to the fields.

Researchers surveyed nearly 2,500 students from the 1st to 12th grade with different racial and social backgrounds. Most children believed girls had less interest than boys in key STEM fields. Specifically, 63% of the students believed girls were less interested in engineering than boys were, while 9% believed girls were more interested in the subject. Regarding computer science, 71% thought girls had less interest while 14% thought girls had more interest than boys.

These interest styles play out in the job market. According to the official statistics (数据) of the US, while women make up nearly half of the workforce, they account for only 25% of computer scientists and 15% of engineers.

The laboratory experiments gave children a choice between computer science activities. Fewer girls (only 35%) chose a computer science activity they believed boys were more interested in, compared to the 65% of girls who chose an activity in which they believed boys and girls were equally interested.

It’s time for all to be united in sending the message that girls can enjoy STEM just as much as boys do, which will help draw them into STEM activities. Researchers say educators, parents and policymakers can help close these sex gaps (差距) by introducing girls to high quality computer science and engineering activities in elementary school before traditional ideas take root. They also suggest educators who wish to improve girls’ interest in STEM should consider using inclusive programs designed to encourage girls’ sense of belonging in STEM.