Four Skills for Applying to American Universities

Recently, many Chinese students plan to study at American universities after high school. But it is very hard for them to apply successfully. 【小题1】.

【小题2】.

Critical thinking is the ability to form your unique opinions on something after analyzing and evaluating (评估) information, rather than totally accepting another person’s point of view. It requires knowledge and view. Try to think independently and logically. Look at things from a different viewpoint.

Academic research ability.

【小题3】. This requires not only willingness to accept something but also an active spirit of exploration. High school students should be able to find problems, review literature and have the basic hands-on ability to research topics. So it’s better to attend academic conferences or programs.

Social responsibility.

Many of the top universities in the US are private. 【小题4】, either from successful social organizations, companies or schoolmates. American universities aim to develop students with a strong social responsibility—having sympathy, caring about the disadvantaged, doing volunteer work, participating in environmental protection. These activities will prove your social responsibility.

Leadership ability.

Those who show leadership in teams seem to have more potential to be successful in the future. 【小题5】, organizing a student association or calling on others to solve practical problems can be good ways to train for becoming a leader.

Probably you grew up with a stop-snacking mom. That is a mom who tells her kids that snacks (零食) are bad. They will make you fat. They will hurt your teeth.

Well, Mom may be right about most things, but she isn’t right about all snacks. There is actually a healthy way to snack. 【小题1】! The right snacks can keep you from eating too much at dinner and keep you from getting fat.

The first rule about snacking is to make your own. Don’t buy snacks that are already wrapped and sold in stores. 【小题2】.

The second rule about snacking is to eat things that take longer for your body to process. Things like bread and crackers (饼干) are processed quickly by your body. 【小题3】, and you’ve got a winning snack.

【小题4】. Especially when you are working, it is easy to mistake being tired for being hungry. And you might not really be hungry at all. Your body might just be trying to tell you to drink some water. Have a bottle of water before you pull out another snack. That might be all you really need.

With one or two snack breaks during your day, you will probably find that you eat less at lunch and dinner. 【小题5】. And eating less is a great way to start losing weight. Sorry about that, Mom.

Taiwan and New Zealand have been praised for the way they handled the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as shutting the doors to the threat of a second wave.

However, none of them are safe from the virus entirely, just like the rest of the world, but so far they have managed to keep the numbers low once the curve was flattened.

【小题1】.

Clear messaging and working together

In New Zealand, the government, under the helm of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, also started closing the borders early and imposing a strict lockdown unlike what Malaysia did.

【小题2】.

If you look at the country's COVID-19 website, you'd see a clear, comprehensive messaging not only about the disease itself but also about mental health, assistance for those facing domestic abuse and more.

There's even a sub-section on the website that explains to children about the corona-virus.

【小题3】.

We're not sure if this is an Asian thing, but Taiwan and Singapore are examples that are using face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

Even before the WHO started encouraging the use of masks and when many countries were still contemplating the move, 【小题4】.

In Singapore, those who venture out without their masks (except while exercising) will be fined SGD300 (RMB 924) for the first offence and SGD1,000 (RMB 3076) for subsequent offences. If still caught refusing to wear masks, they can be put into prison.

In Taiwan, the fine for not wearing a mask on public transportation is NT$15,000 (RMB 2,175).

【小题5】.