Task reminder: Highest-value Reading task. Select the best word from each dropdown. Check part of speech first, then collocation. No negative marking — always make a selection.

1. The Arctic and Climate Change

The Arctic is warming approximately four times faster than the global — select —averagemeannormrate, with profound — select —implicationsconsequenceseffectsimpacts for sea ice, permafrost, and biodiversity. As Arctic sea ice — select —retreatsmeltsshrinksrecedes, it exposes darker ocean water that — select —absorbstakesreceivesholds more heat than ice, creating a feedback loop that — select —acceleratesspeedsincreasesintensifies warming further. Thawing permafrost also releases stored methane and carbon dioxide, adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and potentially triggering tipping points beyond which change becomes self-sustaining.

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2. Behavioural Economics

Traditional economics — select —assumedbelievedheldsupposed that people make rational decisions to maximise their self-interest, given the information available to them. Behavioural economics — select —challengesquestionsdisputescontests this model by drawing on psychology to show that human decision-making is — select —systematicallyconsistentlyregularlypredictably influenced by cognitive biases, social norms, and emotional states. “Nudge” policies — — select —designedcreatedbuiltcrafted to make beneficial choices the default option without restricting freedom — have been — select —implementedintroducedappliedadopted by governments worldwide to encourage organ donation, retirement saving, and healthier eating.

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3. The Gut-Brain Axis

The gut and brain are — select —connectedlinkedjoinedtied by a bidirectional communication network known as the gut-brain axis, involving neural, hormonal, and immune — select —pathwayschannelsroutesconnections. The enteric nervous system — often — select —describedcallednamedreferred as the “second brain” — controls digestive function — select —independentlyseparatelyautonomouslyalone of the central nervous system. Research — select —suggestsindicatesshowsimplies that disruptions to gut microbiome composition may influence mood, anxiety, and cognitive function, opening new avenues for treating mental health conditions through dietary and microbiome interventions.

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