2 . 你校将举办英语演讲比赛，请你以“Be Smart Online Learners”为题写一篇发言稿参赛，内容包括：1. 评价线上学习的优缺点； 2. 提出学习建议。
注意：1. 词数80左右； 2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Be Smart Online Learners

Good morning, everyone! It is a great honor to have this opportunity to make a speech titled

Be Smart Online Learners.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your attention.

3 . Tai chi is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. Now, new research suggests it’s better than more vigorous aerobic (有氧的) exercise for lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension (高血压前期).

In the new study, researchers in China randomly assigned 342 adults with prehypertension to one of two groups. The average age of participants was 49. Roughly half the people participated in guided aerobic exercise, including jogging, climbing stairs, and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hour-long sessions four times a week.

After 12 months, those in the tai chi group saw bigger drops in their blood pressure than those in the aerobic exercise group. What’s more, nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to within normal range, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group. And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop hypertension than in the aerobic exercise group.

So how does tai chi help lower blood pressure? “The practice tends to stimulate more of a response from the Parasympathetic Nervous System (副交感神经系统) or PNS for short.” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, a professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing. The PNS is the network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger.

“The PNS helps us relax everything, and I think it is the response that is lowering blood pressure,” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, “I think it’s also the meditative quality of tai chi.”

The practice is appealing as a form of exercise because it requires little space or equipment. “I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don’t have to own a special gym membership; you don’t have to buy special clothing,” Ruth Taylor-Piliae says. “Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime, anyplace, anywhere. And it does provide that calming, relaxing effect.”

1. What is the main focus of the research in the text?

A．The impact of prehypertension on health.

B．The benefits of aerobic exercise on health.

C．The effect of tai chi on lowering blood pressure.

D．The role of the Parasympathetic Nervous System in exercise.

2. What can we infer about the study from paragraph 2 and 3?

A．Tai chi group gained more benefits.

B．Participants were adults chosen at random.

C．Age and gender were taken into consideration.

D．Aerobic exercise group hardly developed hypertension.

3. According to Ruth Taylor-Piliae, which is the key factor in tai chi’s impact on blood pressure?

A．Responses from the PNS.

B．Increased intensity of exercise.

C．Activation of the nervous system.

D．Requirements of special equipment for practice.

4. What does Ruth Taylor-Piliae think of tai chi?

A．Costly.

B．Convenient.

C．Instructive.

D．Demanding.

5 . The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, "How cute!"

It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the "cute economy" which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to "like" and "share". We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.

The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the "cute economy" are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.

Unfortunately, the price of the "cute economy" comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi

Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the "cute economy" with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the "cute economy". We can also choose not to "like" or "share" images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our "impulses".

1. What is the key to the "cute economy" according to the text?

A．Taking photos of different animals.

B．Cute animals' attractive appearance.

C．Pets' owners' liking adorable pictures.

D．Posting cute animals' pictures on social media.

2. Which kind of cuteness is most likely to be the online pet content?

A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones.

B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner.

C．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing.

D．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby.

3. What is the side effect of the "cute economy"?

A．It will change the animals' nature.

B．It may make the animals not so cute.

C．It will result in a decline in animal population.

D．It may cause health problems to the animals.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Attractive Pictures of Animals	B．Happiness From Pets
C．The "Cute Economy" and Its Price	D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness

7 . Schools need to give students all the tools they need to navigate the world when they graduate. Besides teaching the basics of reading, writing, and arithmatic, teaching about mindfullness, and mental health are important life skills for young people to have. The state of Florida agrees.

Now, public schools in Florida have been required to teach five or more hours about mental health for students in grades 6-12. This new directive was approved by the Florida Board of Education in July and is being carried out as a potential lifesaver.

The new curriculum requires students to learn about the symptoms of mental illness and where to find help if they are feeling depressed or have other issues and even teaches the adolescents how to help their friends and classmates if they see them struggling.

“We know that 50 percent of all mental illness cases begin by age 14, so we are being active in our commitment to provide our kids with the necessary tools to see them through their successes and challenges. Providing mental health instruction is another important step forward in supporting our families,” Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said.

Florida is the third state, following New York and Virginia in 2020, to pass laws that require mental health education in schools. According to CNN, the New York law updated the health curriculum to include mental health for elementary, middle and high school students. The Virginia law required that mental health education be provided for 9th and 10th graders.

These three states in the US are taking bold steps to help youth deal with the intricacy of life as they grow from adolescents into adults. It is a confusing world they face and giving them the tools to navigate it safely is essential. Mental health is something that should be taught in schools in all the US and across the globe.

1. What can the new curriculum bring students?

A．Basic professional skills.	B．The ability to use language.
C．Emotional management skills.	D．Diagnosis of physical diseases.

2. What does Richard Corcoran intend to stress in paragraph 4?

A．The effect of mental illness cases.

B．The content of the health curriculum.

C．The step of mental health instruction.

D．The importance of mental health education.

3. What does the underlined word “intricacy” mean in paragraph 6?

A．Complexity.

B．Purpose.

C．Contribution.

D．Significance.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A technology report.	B．A natural science magazine.
C．An educational website.	D．A government document.

9 . It was a sunny weekend. I had planned to go mountain climbing in the suburbs with Daniel. However, a sudden heavy rain that morning disrupted my plan. Looking out of the window, I couldn’t help feeling a little _________ as the rain poured down.

However, Daniel _________ , “Since we can’t go mountain climbing, why don’t we go to an old _________ in the city? I heard there are many interesting shops and delicious food there.” I thought it was a good idea and _________. We braved the heavy rain and arrived at the old neighborhood. Although the sky was still _________, the old buildings and unique atmosphere of the neighborhood attracted us.

We walked through the narrow streets and admired the _________ shops to both sides. In one coffee shop, we tasted the delicious coffee. _________ a strange figure walked into the coffee shop. He looked _________, whose eyes seemed to be looking for something. Out of _________, we took the __________ to talk to him. It turned out that he was a photographer and he had just lost an important memory card which contained his works of many years. He had been searching for it for a long time, but still couldn’t find it. After hearing __________ his troubles, we decided to help him. We searched around, but in vain. Just when we were about to give up, a little kid __________ to us with a memory card and said he had found it by the roadside. We excitedly took the memory card and after checking it was __________, we gave it back to the photographer. The photographer looked at us gratefully with tears in his eyes. We felt happy that we could help him and it added more meaning __________ this unexpected trip.

This experience made me realize that life always has unexpected surprise and twists. Sometimes, __________ your plan is not a bad thing and it may bring you a more wonderful experience.

1.

A．disabled

B．disappointed

C．disgraceful

D．disturbed

2.

A．suggested

B．claimed

C．answered

D．demanded

3.

A．museum

B．community

C．street

D．neighborhood

4.

A．admired

B．agreed

C．jumped

D．permitted

5.

A．sunny

B．chilly

C．gloomy

D．clear

6.

A．ancient                    `

B．crowded

C．spacious

D．various

7.

A．Gradually

B．Slowly

C．Suddenly

D．Quickly

8.

A．tired

B．excited

C．energetic

D．relieved

9.

A．question

B．curiosity

C．control

D．danger

10.

A．chance

B．measures

C．responsibility

D．initiative

11.

A．about

B．from

C．out

D．into

12.

A．listened

B．talked

C．came

D．pointed

13.

A．grateful

B．correct

C．full

D．useful

14.

A．with

B．up

C．in

D．to

15.

A．changing

B．scheduling

C．making

D．following

10 . I love making art and looking at artworks. I’ve found myself wondering how we gain pleasure from art. And now neuroaesthetics, a combination of neuroscience (神经科学) and aesthetics (美学), may provide an answer.

Neuroaesthetics is a relatively young field of research on what happens in the brain when we make aesthetic assessments. Researchers use brain imaging technique to see which brain areas light up when we view paintings that we consider beautiful. Similar research has been done to understand the “neuronal fireworks” that occur when we look at inspiring sculptures, attractive faces, impressive dance, etc.

But why do we find some art beautiful and other art ugly? According to research, it all comes down to the “aesthetic triad (三元组合)”.

The first part of the triad is sensory-motor. This involves perceiving things like colours, shapes and movements. Movement in art has an interesting role. If you see a painting of a movement, like of a man pulling his arm away after being bitten by a dog, you feel like going through a similar experience. The part of your brain that controls your own movements lights up in response.

Second is emotion-valuation. This is how a piece of art makes you feel, and whether or not you appreciate or enjoy that feeling. The part of the brain related to pleasure is activated in response to something we find beautiful. This system can be affected in fascinating ways, as found by research using transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) (经颅磁刺激). If TMS is applied to a specific part of your brain behind your forehead that is particularly important for decision-making, you suddenly like different kinds of art. Such stimulation produces significant changes in aesthetic appreciation of faces, bodies and artworks.

The third part is meaning-knowledge. This is to do with how we can connect with a piece of art and what meaning we can create in it. Art is deeply personal, because when two people see the same artwork, our perception can create vastly different experiences of meaning. If we find meaning, then we often find pleasure. We also get enjoyment from the knowledge of how something was made. For the images that an artist creates, viewers will probably get far more enjoyment once they know the process used to create them.

Informed by neuroaesthetics, the next time I create my art I will value the process even more, enjoying the activation of the aesthetic triad in my brain as I admire the vivid images that I have created.

1. What does “neuronal fireworks” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A beautiful painting or sculpture.	B．The lighting-up of specific brain areas.
C．An advanced brain imaging technology.	D．The aesthetic assessment of modern art.

2. What effect does movement in art produce on the viewers?

A．Certain part of their brain is activated.	B．Their experience of pain is reduced.
C．Their aesthetic sense is sharpened.	D．Their body reactions are delayed.

3. The application of TMS to the brain described in Paragraph 5 leads to__________.

A．raised memory capacity	B．enhanced painting skills
C．changed artistic taste	D．improved decision-making ability

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To propose an abstract theory of art making.

B．To reveal the beauty of science in an artistic way.

C．To share some personal understanding of artworks.

D．To introduce a new research field for art appreciation.