Sticking to a vegan diet might sound difficult, especially with many popular dishes containing meat or other animal products. Yet in recent years, veganism (素食主义) has become one of the fastest-growing lifestyle trends in the world. According to HuffPost, more than 3 million people in the United States are vegans. In the UK, about 542,000 people have chosen veganism over the past decade.

What is driving this growth in veganism? One reason may be that people want to protect the environment. Producing meat and dairy products is known to be stressful for the environment. According to a 2013 study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, global meat manufacturing causes about 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This figure is higher than all the world’s cars, trains and planes combined. According to BBC News, another reason is that many of today’s young people believe it’s wrong to kill animals for food.   Jess Murray, 22, a student at University College London, said she chose to become vegan when she realized that eating animals is a choice people make, rather than something we must do to survive. “Becoming vegan was an ethical(伦理的) decision,” she told the Guardian.

For many people, veganism simply means eating no meat, cheese or eggs, but going animal-free also applies to fashion and manufacturing. For example, leather is used to make shoes and clothing. Every year more than a billion animals, from cows to horses to snakes, are killed to make leather products from their skins. Now, many brands are looking for other materials. The sports brand Puma, for example, has made shoes out of pineapple leaves. Tesla, the US car maker, is said to be removing animal-based leather from its seats. Earlier this year, US singer Lady Gaga created the vegan makeup brand Haus Laboratories. On the brand’s Instagram account, it says: “Cruelty-free and vegan, because we love animals and you.”   So, if you’re interested in protecting animals and saving the environment, you might want to give veganism a try.

Many on the Mountain

We often see people waiting in lines at supermarkets, theatres and amusement parks. Surprisingly, some people even have to wait in line at the summit (顶峰) of Qomolangma in the Himalayas.

The best time to climb the Himalayas is during the months of April and May, as well as some days in September and October. "In these periods of recent years, the path contains rocks and deep crack from melting ice due to the warm weather, which make expeditions up the mountain more dangerous," said Apa, an experienced Nepalese guide. During this year's climbing season, crowds of climbers became stuck in a long line near the summit. The line is above the mountain's highest campsite—about 8,000 meters above sea level.

However, most people can only spend a few minutes at the summit without extra oxygen supplies. Twenty-one mountaineers have died in the Himalayan mountains so far this year, according to Gripped, a magazine dedicated to mountain climbing. Eleven of these climbers died on Qomolangma.

This death count marks a four-year high. Overcrowding, inexperience and poor weather have been the most common causes of death, USA Today reported.

After these tragedies, one question remains: Why do so many people risk their lives to climb the mountain? The answer differs from climber to climber. Studies suggest that people who take risks tend to perceive themselves differently than people who avoid risky activities. But for adventurers who are drawn to the Himalayas, reaching the summit of Qomolangma is a lifelong dream, according to Discovery News.

"Qomolangma is like a light to bugs that attracts people once they hear about it. It represents the ultimate for many people," US mountaineer Alan Arnette said. Technological advances have also encouraged more people to climb the mountain. People can get high-tech safety equipment more easily than before. And with the internet, climbers know better than ever about how to reach the summit safely, Yahoo Travel noted.

Everybody knows how important it is for students to get a good night’s sleep every night. They aren’t able to do their best unless they sleep well. Most experts agree that the proper number of hours is eight, and this has been accepted as common sense（常识）for as long as I can remember. However, I was young once and I know that most of you get much less sleep than that — and sometimes this affects your schoolwork.

I read an article in a teachers’ magazine recently. They did a research of 848 students in Wales. Worryingly, the results suggested that teenagers are facing a new problem. They may go to bed and get up at proper times but a growing number wake up in the middle of the night, not to use the bathroom or have a snack（点心）but because of FOMO   — the fear of missing out!

According to the article, schoolchildren suffer because of an increasing trend（趋势）to wake up during the night to check social media. Afraid of missing a message or chance to take part in a discussion, teens wake up at all times of the night to go online and join up with social groups. All this happens when they should be sound asleep.

The report gives some worrying numbers. 23% of 12 to 15-year-olds wake up nearly every night to use social media. Another 15% wake up at night once a week for the same reason. As a result, one in three students are constantly tired and unable to do well at school.

So, I’d like to ask you to be responsible when it comes to social media. Be brave and turn off your phones and computers at night. The world won’t end and your social media will be waiting to greet you in the morning. I give you my word that you won’t have missed anything important.