1 . The huge high rises, loud noises, and masses of people make up a symbolic United States destination and the city millions of people call home. Winding your way through the streets of New York City is an overwhelming and humbling (令人谦卑的) experience.     1     With so much to offer, there is never a boring moment in this energetic city but an appreciation for this urban (城市的) culture.

Walking down these busy streets you are sure to see several different coffee shops where writers with dreams are typing away or perhaps old friends catch up as they drink. Next, there are the classic pizzerias where many love to go to get a slice of New York style pizza. Another city classic are the popular delis, a favorite quick and easy lunch hot spot.     2    

A valued aspect (方面) of the city streets is the artistic attraction they hold. Brushes of color brighten up the modern buildings. The buildings become an artist’s studio where creativity comes to life, beautifying the city and showing social and political expressions.     3     Whether an artist is trying to get discovered, make a living, or simply just sharing their feelings, the air is filled with joy to lift the spirits of the people.

    4     On any given street you can take a taxi with the wave of an arm. You can sit on a subway, feeling the shakes of the starts and stops and hearing the loud sound of the tracks. Yet the most common form of transportation is your own two feet, allowing you to get where you want to go, fast or slow.

There is nothing more American than a street in New York City.     5     They are enjoyed by all those who are there to experience it.

Five outstanding researchers received this year’s L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award at a ceremony in Paris, France     1     Friday evening for their pioneering research in the life sciences. One of the     2     (receive) was Chinese ancient vertebrates (脊椎动物) scientist Zhang Miman.

82-year-old Zhang, also     3    (know) as Meemann Chang, is a palaeontologist (古生物学 家) at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology (IVPP). Many species, such as the extinct fish Meemannia, have been named in honor of her. In 2016, Zhang     4     (give) the Romer-Simpson Lifetime Achievement Award,     5     is the highest prize in vertebrate palaeontology.

“She was appointed for her pioneering work on fossil (化石) records     6     (lead) to a clear understanding of how oceanic vertebrates adapted to life on land.” UNESCO said in a statement. Zhang is the     7     (five) Chinese female scientist to win the award. The other four winners     8    (be) from South Africa, the UK, Argentinaand Canada.

As     9     result of a partnership between French company L’Oreal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science foundation was founded in 1998     10     (encourage) equality in science. Each winner will be awarded $100, 000 as part of their prize.

7 . Camping Tips for Survival

You learn a lot about yourself when you camp. Your patience will be tested when setting up a tent or building a fire. You’ll see food from a whole new aspect.     1     Here are some tips guaranteed to make your outdoor adventure a bit more agreeable.

Make a stove from a beer can.

With a knife, some alcohol and a little bit of courage, you can transform a beer can into a great camp stove that will boil water in 5-6 minutes.     2    

Protect your tent against water with sealant (密封材料).

We did it, and it’s remarkably simple.     3     Getting caught in thunderstorms can easily make your otherwise great weekend a worse one, but it doesn’t have to.

    4    

Lyme disease (莱姆病) is on the rise. I’ve been caught by worms firsthand and know how annoying it can be. Mix up about 40 drops of tea tree oil with around 12-16 grams of water and spray it on. Even if you don’t meet any worms, you’ll smell uncharacteristically good.

Use a rope and a tarp (油布) to create just about anything you’d ever need.

Most people will employ the rope as a line to hang wet clothes and a tarp as ground cover.     5    

If you follow the above tips, you will have a wonderful camping experience.

9 . On New Year’s Day 2023, I had a panic attack at work. Unfortunately for me, that meant in front of millions of people, as I was delivering the news, live, on ABC’s Good Morning America. In the wake of my nationally televised panic, I learned that I had undiagnosed depression. For months, I’d been having trouble getting out of bed in the morning and felt as if I had an everlasting low-grade fever.

Two things changed my mind. The first was the science. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research into meditation (冥想), which has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve recovery after your body releases the stress hormone cortisol (荷尔蒙皮质醇), strengthen the immune system, and relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Studies also show meditation can reduce violence in prisons, increase productivity in the workplace, and improve both the behavior and the grades of schoolchildren.

The second thing that changed my mind about meditation is that it does not necessarily take a lot of the magic stuff I feared it might. Contrary to popular belief, meditation does not have to involve folding yourself into a roll, joining a group, or wearing special dress. The word meditation is a little bit like the world sports; there are hundreds of varieties. The type of meditation discussed here is called mindfulness meditation, which is acquired from Buddhism but does not require adopting a belief system ór declaring oneself to be a Buddhist.

I began my practice slowly, with just five to ten minutes a day, which is what I recommend everyone aim for at the start. I have learned that the less delighted you are by the voice in your head, the more you can make room for entirely new thoughts and feelings to appear. In sum, meditation enables you to tap into what lies beneath or beyond the ego (自我). Call it creativity. Call it your original wisdom. Some people call it your heart.

10 . In terms of teaching, firstly, ChatGPT is like an up-graded version of an intelligent search engine, which greatly improves my efficiency in preparing assessments. For example, I’m currently teaching a Year 4 module Digital Marketing and it’s a very practical module. In the past, I had to spend a lot of time looking for cases and examples related to the course to help students understand it. Now I just need to ask ChatGPT to generate relevant and accurate examples. Secondly, ChatGPT can help improve my teaching. Previously, I often tried to find ways to increase student participation in class, by researching questions, activities, technical tools, as well as methods. However, today I often look to ChatGPT for in-depth advice on this.

In terms of scientific research, given the academic severeness, I actually think ChatGPT can do relatively little at present. The scenes I’ve used ChatGPT for have so far been limited to just a few aspects. Firstly, proof-reading an article. Secondly, summarizing and improving an article. For example, you can import a piece of content and have ChatGPT generate the article’s overall ideas and keywords.

It seems that different universities hold different attitudes toward ChatGPT. The University of Cambridge, for example, allows students to use ChatGPT for purposes other than exams, assignments and papers. Of course, there are plenty of objections.

I think, used in the right way, ChatGPT can be of great help to students in their academic and personal growth. For example, I mentioned using ChatGPT as a smarter search engine and learning tool. ChatGPT can help students review conceptual problems after class and supplement their knowledge. Secondly, students can also use ChatGPT to do more targeted personal pursuits. For example, when applying for a master’s degree, or looking for a job, students can use ChatGPT to conduct mock(模拟)interviews and CV improvements. Note that good questions lead to good answers. Be clear about what you want from this advanced language model and ask questions with a purpose.

By Professor Martin Locket, UCL