Light the Cities of the Future
A previously unlit cycle path in the Netherlands has recently drawn our attention. It has been resurfaced with a material that consists of thousands of shining stones in order to create a well-lit route. The Van Gogh Path, so called after the artist who lived in the town of Nuenen in 1883, combines the traditional with the contemporary in a gesture that acknowledge ledges Van Gingh’ masterpiece The Starry Night, but also shows the way ahead for city lighting. The Van Gogh Path is not a single case; it is not difficult to foresee a time when natural materials could help light the cities of the future.
Why should we care about city lighting? What’s wrong with current electrical city lighting anyway? Well, the problem that it causes is two-fold. First, of course, electrical lighting in most cities comes from non-renewable resources. According to the International Energy Agency, almost 20% of global electricity is consumed for lighting, which is responsible for high levels of carbon emissions. But there’s also the belief that electrical light itself is a form of pollution by destroying our view of the night sky.
From the above reasons, then, it seems wise to investigate other approaches. The city of Glasgow is attempting to use intelligent street lighting to monitor how citizens interact with the urban landscape and minimize electrical consumption and thus emissions. This “Smart City approach” is seen by many as the way of the future, but some designers aren’t convinced. They are pioneering the altogether more original approach of using materials from the natural world in order to replace electrical light entirely. They believe that this new “technology” can one day completely replace microchips and digital systems as we find better ways of making use of the light-producing mechanisms (制) that already exist in the natural world.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________当今社会，我们周围充斥着各种短视频（short video），如辅助学习类，休闲娱乐类，生活技能类等等。短视频已成为高中生获取信息的渠道之一，有些学生认为其大有益处，如获取信息高效便捷，但有些学生认为会带来很多弊端，因为高中生容易沉迷其中。对此请谈谈你的看法，并阐述理由。
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近日，有人大代表提议：为了锻炼学生意志、提高学生身体素质，即使遇到极端天气时，学校不应该随意停课(suspend classes at will)，而是应该在保证学生安全的前提下，鼓励学生继续上课。假如你是学生李明，你对此话题很感兴趣，在学校英文杂志上回应该提议，内容包括:
1)你支持还是反对该提议；
2)结合生活实际给出相应的理由。
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Ways to Stay Motivated
Many distance learners agree that the most difficult part of studying online is staying motivated. Because students must take the initiative to complete their courses completely on their own, without the physical presence of teachers and other peers, many students find it easy to become distracted and discouraged in their work. Don’t let this happen to you-plan ways for yourself to stay motivated before you’re tempted to stray from your books. Use the following motivational tips to stay on task.
Find a friend or relative who has similar interests or who would enjoy hearing about your studies and let them know what’s going on in your classes. You’ll understand the material better when you have a chance to explain it out loud and will be motivated to stay on task in order to keep up with the conversation.
Don’t rely on campus consultant; design your own map of completed classes and post it somewhere that is visible daily. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with watching your goals be accomplished. When times get hard, you can always turn to your chart and see how far you’ve come.
You get rewarded for good credit and safe driving. Why shouldn’t you reward yourself for doing well in your coursework? Whether it be a night on the town, a new dress, or even a new car, setting up a reward system just may be the extra push you need to succeed. If you stick to your system, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________随着人工智能的快速发展，ChatGPT已进入我们的生活，正逐渐影响我们的学习方式和体验，有人认为它会带来诸多便利，也有人心存顾虑。假设你是明启中学的学生王磊，学校贴吧就此话题正在热议，你对此很感兴趣，决定回帖响应。回帖内容应包括：
1. 你是否支持使用ChatGPT；
2. 你的理由。
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Paying Allowances for Completing Chores
The practice of paying children an allowance became popular in America about 100 years ago. Nowadays, American kids on average receive about $800 per year in allowance. But the vast majority of American parents who pay allowance tie it to the completion of housework. Although many parents believe that paying an allowance for completing chores benefits their children, a range of experts expressed concern that tying allowance very closely to chores may not be ideal. In fact, the way chores work in many households worldwide points to another way.
Suniya Luthar, a psychologist, is against paying kids for chores. Luthar is not opposed to giving allowances, but she thinks it’s important to establish that chores are done not because they will lead to payment, but because they keep the household running. Luthar’s suggested approach to allowance is compatible with that of writer Ron Lieber, who advises that allowances be used as a means of showing children how to save, give, and spend on things they care about. “Kids should do chores,” he writes, “for the same reason adults do, because the chores need to be done, and not with the expectation of compensation.”
This argument has its critics, but considering the way chores are undertaken around the world may change people’s thinking. Professor David Lancy of Utah State University has studied how families around the world handle chores. At about 18 months of age, Lancy says, most children become eager to help their parents, and in many cultures, they begin helping with housework at that age. They begin with very simple tasks, but their responsibilities gradually increase. And they do these tasks without payment. Lancy contrasts this with what happens in America. “We deny our children’s attempts to help until they are 6 or 7 years old,” Lancy says, “when many have lost the desire to help and then try to motivate them with payment. The solution to this problem is not to try to use money as a stimulus to do housework, but to get children involved in housework much earlier, when they actually want to do it.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.你是否支持使用ChatGPT;
2.你的理由。
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学校规定，学生在校期间不得使用手机，有的同学认为这是一项非常好的制度，但也有同学不以为然。请谈谈你对这一规定的看法，并给出理由。
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近期，“消失的课间十分钟”问题引发社会持续热议。有些学校规定，学生在课间除了上厕所、喝水之外，不允许离开教室。请对此现象发表你的看法。
你的作文须包括：
1. 简要分析该现象背后的原因；
2. 结合自身经历，谈谈如何“唤醒”课间十分钟。
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Does Reading Improve Health
When thinking about our well being and taking care of ourselves, some things that we should do are harder than others. Reading is one of the easier ones. What follows are a number of ways in which reading can help maintain and improve health.
Reading allows you to de-stress by unplugging and escaping. In one study, reading was found to be as effective as yoga and humor in reducing subjective feelings of stress over a 30-minute period, as well as blood pressure and heart rate. Note that a good old-fashioned book or a dedicated eBook reader is the best way to do this.
Readers may live longer than non-readers. One study found that this was supposed to be due to the effect that reading has on maintaining cognitive abilities over time. In another study of individuals aged 64 and over, those who read at least once a week were less likely to experience cognitive decline than those who did not. At the 14-year mark of the study, and regardless of educational level, those who read more enjoyed greater protection. This effect is maintained into readers’ 80’s.
Bibliotherapy, or the use of various reading materials for the promotion of psychological health, is a well-known aid to mental health treatment. Bibliotherapy can consist of any type of literature and may include self-help books, focused readings, first-hand accounts of others’ experiences, and even relevant fiction. This can be a powerful strategy and has been used successfully to reduce depression, suicidal thinking, anxiety, stress and etc.
The benefits of reading are innumerable and reading is a low to no-cost activity. Cheap and no-cost books are everywhere. Public libraries continue to be one of the most amazing resources. If you aren’t a natural reader, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try.
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