Very often, we have small medical problems that aren't serious enough to require a visit to the doctor’s office. Problems, such as a sore throat or a stomachache, can often be taken care of with medicines available on drug stores. However, many people prefer to treat slight medical problems at home instead of going to a doctor. For a sore throat, it’s certainly easy to stop by a local drug store and pick up a pack of lozenges (含片). But some people prefer to make special drinks, such as warm milk with honey, or lemon juice and honey. Other people like to wash out their mouths with warm, salty water.

Stomachaches can be treated with medicines that are available at local drug stores, but many people first try drinking soda (苏打水) to settle their stomachs. Another more natural treatment is peppermint (薄荷) tea.

Besides the various cold medicines available, many people treat their colds by having a bowl of homemade chicken soup. Others like to drink hot water with lemon and honey before they go to bed.

Many books offer helpful suggestions for the treatment of small medical problems at home and provide useful information about first-aid. In case of a bee sting (蜇伤), for example, they advise that you put mud or a piece of potato directly on the sting or a little vinegar on the skin so the sting will disappear.

Modern medicine has progressed greatly in the past few years, but there are still times when it’s very convenient to rely on good old home treatment.

Confirmation bias(偏见) is our tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs. It also describes how we try to find ways to look at unclear information in ways that support rather than challenge those beliefs — or simply ignore information that contradicts them. 【小题1】

People usually don't engage in confirmation bias on purpose.【小题2】 For example, if you heard that a politician you support was caught in a scandal(丑闻), you might be more likely to believe explanations that make them look less guilty. Meanwhile, people who dislike that politician would probably be more likely to believe stories that make them look worse.

So what can we do to avoid confirmation bias? 【小题3】 This can help us check if we only believe certain things because we never seriously considered other possibilities. It's also easy to surround ourselves with an “echo chamber” of people who think the same way we do—especially on social media.【小题4】 It can help us understand that there may be other ways to see the same issue.

And perhaps most importantly: we have to be careful not to jump to conclusions.【小题5】 We should try to learn more before deciding how we feel about something, even if it's very important to us. But that's often easier said than done.

Big Stuff

Do you know what is the tallest building in the world and where the tallest Ferris wheel is? Have you heard of the world’s steepest roller coaster? Have you seen the biggest monster truck? Here are some of the most huge things on Earth.

A Towering Achievement

Burj Khalifa, a tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the world’s tallest structure. The 162-story building, which opened in 2010, stands over 2,717 feet tall. Seen from above, the tower has a Y-shaped design. Its three tall, narrow wings are joined in the middle. Like the legs of a tripod (三脚架), each wing is supported by the other two.

A Wheel Winner

About 15 miles from the world’s tallest building stands the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai. Also called an observation wheel, Ain Dubai stands 820 feet tall. Each of the 48 cabins can carry 40 people for spectacular views of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Before construction, support columns had to be driven 115 feet down through the earth to reach bedrock.

Extreme Ups and Downs

The world’s tallest roller coaster is Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. At 456 feet, the peak of the ride towers over nearby Jackson, New Jersey. A 500-foot-tall crane was needed to place the final section at the top. Like many weight-bearing structures, the tower makes use of the most stable geometric (几何的) shape, the triangle.

A Monster of a Truck

Designed and built by business owner Bob Chandler, Bigfoot 5 has held the record for the world’s biggest monster truck since 1986. Other trucks, including Bigfoot models, have been designed to perform better in competitions. But Bigfoot 5 still stands above the crowd, thanks to its 10-foot-tall tires. The tires were originally designed for equipment that drives on Alaska’s snowy tundra.