In the first two classes, teacher Nathalie taught us how to use Padlet to create our own posts and also visit others' posts. We also made a schedule of our own, which I found very interesting.

I think the biggest difficulty for me at the moment is when I have one-on-one conversations with the teacher or classmates. I always feel shy and tend to forget words or don't know what to say next. Teacher Nathalie has been very patient in guiding me on what to say next and always telling me that it's normal and there's no need to be nervous. I'm gradually relaxing and thinking carefully about what to say next.

I think the area I should improve the most is when participating in group discussions. Whenever my classmates have their own opinions, I should also put forward my ideas like them and express my thoughts more actively. Only in this way can our discussion results be meaningful and I can contribute my own strength. It can also make the group discussion go more smoothly. I hope I can speak and do more in the future and gradually become better and better.

Take going to work for example. For the same job, women often have to work harder than men to get the same recognition. When it comes to promotion, there are always people whispering behind your back, "She still has to take care of the family. She surely doesn't have that much energy." Just this one sentence might cost you the opportunity. Then there's the way of life. There are always such voices around: "You're a woman. Just take care of the family well. Why do you have to work so hard?" "Find someone who can protect you and get married. Then your life will be stable." These words may sound like they are for your own good, but in fact, they are hiding a shadow of male chauvinism, gradually eroding women's own thoughts and bottom lines.

However, in recent years, many female characters in TV dramas and films have shone like a light, allowing us to see that women no longer want their lives to be arranged by others. For instance, in 《Why women kill》, the female leads from different eras all strive to break free from the shackles of marriage and do their utmost to protect their own worth. Another example is the character played by Tang Wei in 《Decision to Leave》, who weighs between love and freedom and never compromises herself.

These characters make us understand that women no longer consider "enduring it" a good thing, nor do they see "being protected by others" as the end of their lives. They start to bravely confront those inappropriate constraints: sometimes they speak out directly, even if it makes for an awkward scene; sometimes they simply turn around and leave without any hesitation; and sometimes, even when it seems there's no way out, they use their intelligence to force their way through.

This kind of resistance does not necessarily mean shouting out loud slogans. Instead, it lies in every insistence of "I don't want to", and in the belief that "I deserve to be seen by everyone". Look around you, how many women are living such lives: some have refused the "stable job" arranged by their families and pursued their own careers; some have left partners who constantly belittle them and are now living their lives with enthusiasm; some have found their own balance between family and work, neither compromising themselves nor shirking their responsibilities. This is exactly what countless women are experiencing now. They are writing their own stories in their own ways, bit by bit.

Ultimately, what women want is nothing more than to be treated equally: to be judged by their abilities at work rather than their gender; to be able to make their own decisions in life without being bound by what they "should" do. This pursuit of fairness and respect is not about opposing anyone; it's simply about living as their true selves. Every woman who dares to take the first step, whether it's loudly saying "no" or quietly sticking to her choices, is lighting the way for others, showing everyone that there's more than one way to live. It's precisely because I've witnessed so many women's changes and growth that I'm particularly eager to undertake a project on women's awakening, to tell these stories well and let more people see their strength and brilliance.

1. If you can't remember words, I can recommend a suitable word list based on your level to help you memorize words more effectively.

2. When writing essays or emails, check for grammar mistakes, such as incorrect tenses and subject-verb agreement, and also suggest more idiomatic expressions to make the sentences more natural.

3. When practicing oral English, simulate daily conversation scenarios (such as ordering food, asking for directions, etc.). You say a sentence and it responds with the next one, while correcting pronunciation and intonation issues at the same time.

   
   

Things that cannot be done with AI:

1. You can't have AI take your oral exam for you. You must speak yourself in the examination room. AI can't help you respond to the examiner's questions and interact in real time.

2. One should not rely entirely on AI to write English compositions and then submit them directly. For homework and exams, one needs to organize the language by oneself.

3. It is not advisable to use AI to directly translate the entire reading material to cope with learning, skipping the process of understanding the original text by oneself. This makes it very difficult to truly enhance reading ability.

The video introduced a town in Yorkshire where people were struggling for food, but still a lot of food was wasted. Although the garbage was turned into compost, more than 400 pounds of food was still wasted.

I think the biggest challenge for me in watching this video was that the speaker's speed was quite fast and there were many connected sounds, which made it hard for me to catch what he was saying sometimes. But when I took notes and wrote it down, I found my thinking became much clearer. However, there is still a problem that I have difficulty grasping the key points and sometimes write down some useless words, which may cause some trouble for me in doing the following exercises or understanding his meaning.

Besides, there were some words I hadn't learned before, making it hard for me to understand the listening, and sometimes I misunderstood his meaning. I think I should work harder on memorizing words next time and also focus on key words when taking notes. It would be best to connect the meanings together. I hope I can do better next time.

I believe it is positive for individuals to stand up against injustice. Although many are disheartened by current circumstances, I think we can take measures to rectify them.

Blog post 2

Protest actions are actually quite admirable. I once saw people drawing on buildings to prevent environmental harm. This made me realize that we all should act before it is too late.

(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-and-biodiversity/, Title: Climate Change and Biodiversity)

Part 1: Unity

1. Main Idea: Climate change poses a major threat to global biodiversity, and its impacts and necessary actions are elaborated.

2. Topic Sentence: Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity.

3. All other sentences support the topic sentence, explaining from the aspects of rising temperatures, species migration, resource competition, extreme weather events, and necessary actions.

Part 2: Coherence

1. Transition Words: Additionally

2. The ideas flow smoothly. It first raises the threat of climate change to biodiversity, then explains the impacts of rising temperatures, the problems caused by species migration, the exacerbating effect of extreme weather events, and finally calls for urgent action, with clear logic.

Part 3: Reflection

1. The author's logical coherence in presenting ideas and appropriate use of transition words make the paragraph structure clear.

2. In my next writing, I will try to use more appropriate transition words to enhance the coherence of the article.

1. Currency: Published in 2023, which is very recent and up-to-date for the topic of social media effects.

2. Relevance: Directly related to our research on how social media impacts teenagers' mental health.

3. Authority: Written by Dr. Jane Doe, a professor of psychology at Yale University with expertise in adolescent mental health.

4. Accuracy: Based on peer-reviewed research studies and data from reputable sources.

5. Purpose: To inform readers about the psychological impacts of social media on teenagers.

Stony Brook University. (2016). The Guerrilla Girls - Art & activism on campus. Retrieved from https://news.stonybrook.edu

《Fighting for justice doesn’t have to be a big dramatic act. It can be small.》

Solnit, R. (n.d.). Fighting for justice doesn’t have to be a big dramatic act. It can be a big dramatic act. It can be small.

（《GENDER IDENTITY FOR BEGINNERS: A GUIDE TO BEING A GREAT TRANS ALLY》）

Amnesty International UK. (n.d.). Gender identity for beginners: A guide to being a great trans ally. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org.uk/lgbtq-equality/gender-identity-for-beginners

（《A Brief History of Protest Art》）

Emelife, A. (n.d.). A brief history of protest art. Tate.

Friedan, B. (1963) The Feminine Mystique. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

hooks, b. (1984) 'Feminist theory: from margin to center', Feminist Studies, 10(1), pp. 15-30.

BBC News. (2023) 'Women's rights: a global perspective', BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/womens-rights-global-perspective

TED. (2016) The danger of a single story [Video]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg (Accessed: 2024年7月10日)

@feministaccount. (2024.6.1) 'Today we celebrate the progress of women's awakening' [Tweet]. Twitter. Available at: https://twitter.com/feministaccount/status/1234567890 (Accessed: 2024.7.10)

Firstly, the public speaking class. We learned how to organize a speech, such as having a clear main idea. I practiced with my classmates. I still couldn't help looking at the script, but in the following days, I made efforts to familiarize myself with it and finally managed to give a speech without looking at the script.

Secondly, academic reading. We learned how to identify the main idea in an article. We also learned to distinguish facts from opinions. Previously, I just skimmed, but now I take notes on the key parts. This is very helpful. For instance, I read a short research report. By noting down the key points, I was able to talk about it later.

Thirdly, the mock exam. It helped me understand my grasp of the material. I felt a bit rushed with the time, but I still finished it. The most challenging part for me was the writing section. I didn't do well, so I need to practice more in this area.

Through speaking, I found that speaking more slowly helps others understand. Through reading, taking notes on key parts saves time. This exam helped me know where to focus my efforts. All of these will help me improve.