What does taking the train mean to you? Perhaps it's just a way of getting to your destination(目的地). In fact, the train itself can be part of the fun.

On March 28th, China's first panda-themed tourist train left Chengdu in Sichuan for Zunyi in Guizhou. It soon became the talk of China with its special design and comfortable service.

It's inside and outside are decorated with giant panda pictures. Attendants(乘务员) carry panda toys and passengers can try panda-shaped food and Sichuan snacks. Some people call it a mobile star hotel because it has a bar, karaoke room, dance hall, and mahjong(麻将) room.

This luxury(高档的) service is one aspect that has attracted travelers. But train travel interests people for other reasons.

In the fast-paced times we live in, train travel is a good way to slow down. It gives you time and space to read, sleep, chat with friends, or simply do nothing but watch the changing scenery outside.

One surprising thing is that you might meet new people. Sheng Yawei, 26, once took the longest railway in the world—the Trans-Siberian Railway in the world. Sheng met a Russian student and they became friends. "I also met a cute boy who gave me melon seeds(瓜子). Though we didn't understand each other's language, it made me feel nice."

Since the outbreak (爆发) of the pandemic(疫情), it has made its way around the world.

It has a strong influence on our daily life. People have found a way to protect themselves by wearing face masks (口罩). We must wear masks anywhere in public. But the masks are one-time items. This means that we need to discard them after one or two uses. The world has seen wasted masks strewn (散布在) all over the streets and filling up garbage bins (垃圾箱).

Experts have pointed out that the materials used in masks are difficult to degrade (降解). It will take at least 100 years for them to degrade naturally. Environmentalists become quite worried because a countless number of wasted masks have ended up in the sea! They are polluting the sea! The sea animals suffer (遭受) a lot and so do we humans. If the sea animals eat them by mistake, the rubbish will be hard to digest (消化) and stay in their stomachs forever. The bacteria on the masks may. kill them too. They will not only largely influence the ecological balance (生态平衡) of the sea, but also can spread some more dangerous illnesses. People will also leave these harmful things in their own bodies and may become ill when eating these sea animals.

In general, the harm of wasted masks to the sea is serious, so we must take action to stop it right now. We should leave them in a safe place and find a wise way to recycle them.

Socrates was famous in ancient Greece for his knowledge. One day, one of his friends went up to him and said, "I've just heard something about your friend, do you want to know?"

"Well," Socrates said, "Before telling me anything, I'd like you to pass a test. It's called the triple filter (三重筛选) test."

"Triple filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued, "Before you talk to me about my friend, it is a good idea to think about what you will say. The first filter is ________. Are you sure what you are going to tell me is true?"

"In fact, I just heard about it and…" the man said.

"All right," Socrates said, "So you don't really know whether it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter—goodness. Is what you are going to tell me good?"

"No, on the contrary (相反)…" the man replied.

"Okay," Socrates continued, "The last filter is usefulness. Is what you are going to tell me useful to me?"

"No, not really." The man said.

"Well," Socrates ended, "If what you want to tell me is not true, good or even useful, why tell it to me at all?"