Pine同学的课程学习报告

按课堂已讲方向整理的课后复习改进版，保留课堂中的 Lego 超预算、游戏本、消费和线上交流等内容，不加入课堂外的新材料。

Describe an item on which you spent more than expected

I'm usually pretty good at budgeting because I only have limited allowance each month. However, I remember one time when I overspent on a Lego set. It was a Hogwarts Castle set from Harry Potter. I really wanted it because I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. I've read the books and watched the movies, so when I saw the castle, I immediately wanted to own it.

At first, my budget was about one thousand yuan, but this Lego set was much more expensive than I expected. It was almost as expensive as a cheaper iPhone. I asked my mom whether I could get an advance on my allowance. My mom said yes, but under one condition: I had to work hard at school and do well.

After that, I worked really hard. I made progress at school, and finally I got the Lego set. It was a huge project, and I spent almost a week finishing it. Although I overspent a bit, I loved every piece of it. Also, the experience pushed me to study harder, which was a plus.

Describe a piece of technology, not a phone, that you would like to own

A piece of technology I would like to own is a gaming laptop. I first saw one when I visited my cousin's home. He was playing computer games on his laptop, and the games looked really attractive. The laptop was smaller than a desktop, so it was more portable. It also had a colorful logo and an RGB keyboard, which looked really cool when he was typing.

I want a gaming laptop because it can support many graphics-heavy games that phones and iPads cannot run well. However, it also has some downsides. It is quite expensive, and when the fan kicks up, it can get super noisy, almost like an airplane taking off. It is also on the heavier side, and the power brick is big, so it is not as portable as it looks.

Why do people buy things they don't need?

I think people often buy things they don't really need because those things make them feel good. For example, snacks, desserts and sweet drinks are not necessary because we already have three meals a day. However, they are high in sugar and very flavorful, so they can be addictive. Also, colorful packages can attract children. Sometimes kids buy the same snacks because of peer pressure.

Is saving money important?

I think it depends on the person. Some people feel safe at the moment and are optimistic about the future, so they are more willing to spend money on themselves. But some older people, like my grandma, have the habit of saving money because they grew up in harder life conditions. They may want to save up for emergencies. So saving money is connected to people's sense of safety and their expectations of the future.

What are the differences between online and face-to-face communication?

Online communication and face-to-face communication are very different. When people talk online, they usually only see an avatar and read text messages. They cannot hear the other person's voice or see their face, so it is harder to build a real and deep relationship. Also, online communication sometimes brings out the worst in people because they may say mean things that they would not say face to face.

Face-to-face communication is more realistic. People are more grounded when they talk in person. They can see each other's facial expressions and hear each other's tone, so they understand the whole picture better. People are also usually more thoughtful and polite in real life. Some people may be more talkative online but shy when they communicate face to face.