I remember the first time I suggested screen-free days in our school to some of our student leaders. Jokingly, I said to the group, “What do you think if we go a week without using our laptop s or smartphones?”
They laughed, and one of them said, “No way, Mr. White. They would be too much.” I could feel their worry, and told them that I was only thinking about single screen-free days. Even that idea left them feeling upset.
According to a survey we did, most students in our school spend about six hours a day on screens. Many of my students start their day by checking their smartphones. I often see them looking at their phones when getting off the bus or at parents’ drop-off, they can’t use their own “screens” at school. They usually work on computers at school for at least two hours during the day.
It’s clear that our students spend a lot of time on screens. We do see the benefits of technology. However, we teachers also want to make sure that students have balanced learning and social experiences away from their screens. That’s why we have come up with the idea of screen-free days.
During the course of the year, we have built in several screen-free days that require us to make different plans for our students about how they will communicate with one another and the world around them without “screens”. For some teachers, this means bringing back a valuable lesson plan that has been put off for some time because it is “out of date”. Others have designed something completely new.
Fun activities, for example, card games and room escape (密室逃脱) games, are organized at school. In these activities, students socialize without smartphones and have face-to-face communication without checking on “likes” they’ve got online. These fun activities also make it possible for the whole grade to enjoy the company of their friends with no smartphones.
After our first screen-free day, students mentioned that they were surprised they enjoyed it. Finding ways to help our students connect with one another is important.
While technology is already part of our world, it shouldn’t play such an important role in a learner’s life.
Screen-Free Days
| The | ●To achieve the balance between learning and social experiences ●To | |
| The | In the beginning | ●Student leaders ●They felt upset even though they were told I just |
| During that activity | ● A valuable lesson plan will be ●Fun activities make students | |
| After that activity | Surprisingly, they found the | |
| Although technology is important, there is no need to | ||
These days schools don’t allow students to bring mobile phones to schools. Many parents are worried. How can they connect (连接) with their kids? Well, smart watches may be the answer to their worries. Smart watches are like small computers. They usually tell time and count a person’s steps. Most smart watches connect with smart phones and they let the users make calls, and send and receive messages. Often smart watches have microphones (麦克风) and speakers. Some even have cameras.
Children are too young to have a mobile phone, so many parents buy smart watches for them. They are less worried because they can call their children at any time through smart watches. Also, many smart watches have GPS trackers (追踪器) where their children are, so they know if everything is OK.
But now some groups in Europe say many smart watches are not as safe as what we think. Some watches allow more than parents to track where the children are. They also allow anyone to send the children a message. People can also control the watches from far away to watch and listen to the children. To be safe, anytime a smart watch makes a call or sends a message or GPS information—the information should be processed (数据处理). So no one else can get the information.
1. 请回答问题。Why are many parents worried?
2. 请把文中划线句子翻译成汉语。
3. 请从文中找出与下面所给句子意思相近的句子。
Children are so young that they can’t have a mobile phone.
4. 请给短文拟一个恰当的英文标题。
5. 请结合自身实际回答问题。
What do you think of smart watches?
3 . My biggest regret in 2023 was my relationship with my smartphone. The screen time report showed I spent more than five hours a day on it. While some of the time was for activities that enrich my life or are unavoidable: work, family messages, reading the news and staying in touch with friends, the total amount troubled me deeply flip phone.
In 2024, I made a big change—I traded my smartphone for a basic flip phone which can only make calls and send text messages. I bought it online for only $30. At first I missed my smartphone. But as time passed, I got used to the flip phone and even grew to like it. It is more durable since the screen is better protected and it doesn’t need to be charged (充电) as often—it can last for over a week!
However, there are some limitations. To type a text message, I have to repeatedly press buttons (按钮) on the keypad. Also, I can’t open Internet links on it, which means I’m missing out on the Internet and its countless pleasures and benefits. Some people doubted I could manage without certain common apps, let alone having the world’s knowledge at my fingertips.
True, not having the smartphone and its apps can be inconvenient at times. For example, one day, when I visited a public charging station, I found that I couldn’t charge my electric car without using a smartphone app. Additionally, I used to depend on online maps to go anywhere over 15 minutes away, but now I have to search for directions beforehand and remember them.
Even with the challenges, I found it refreshing to disconnect from the Internet. In the past few months, I was able to focus on the tasks, people, and world before my eyes instead of a phone screen. I read four books and spent more time with my family.
I even noticed I’d lost the habit of checking my phone every now and then.
“Our health is competing with many of these services and companies that are fighting for our time, energy and attention,” said Matthew Buman, a professor at Arizona State University. I told him about my solution — a basic flip phone. He said it probably made my mind feel more free and feel as if I had more time, but that “in our society, it’s hard to keep that in the long term.”
1. How much time did the writer spend on the smartphone every day in 2023?2. According to Paragraph 2, what change did the writer make in 2024?
3. What trouble did the writer have at a public charging station one day?
4. Would you like to follow the writer’s example? Why or why not? (Please give two reasons.)
My 100 Days Without a Mobile Phone
When was the last time you left home without your mobile phone? Can you imagine yourself living a month, or even a year without checking your mobile phone from time to time?
As a busy modern person with lots of social connections, plans and responsibilities, I just cannot afford to not be in touch with the rest of the world. Staying connected to other people is a big part of my life. However, sometimes it can be bothersome (恼人的).
One day I discovered I was terribly tired out. I tried turning notifications (通知) off. But the fear of missing out something important made me check the phone more often than before. So, I simply stopped using my phone. Well, to tell the truth, it was not simple at all. For the first couple of days, I had a big fear that all of my friends would soon forget about me. When I had a free moment, I had no idea what to get myself distracted (分心的) with, and the worries mixed with boredom kept bothering me.
However, after three weeks without a mobile phone, I started noticing changes— changes which I liked, and which drove me to not just continue the experiment, but in fact to reorganize some of my habits.
First of all, I noticed that I became much more focused (专注的). Before, doing something, I would often find myself wondering what was going on online. After a month of staying away from my mobile phone. I found that the urge (冲动) was already not that strong and that my ability to focus improved.
I discovered that the world is a beautiful place. Before, I would look at it through my camera mostly: take a photo, post it, get some likes. Now, I saw beautiful people walking around and I sensed the seasons change. I could understand the actual beauty of the world, and I did not need anyone else to prove the value of this beauty through likes or shares. Now, as 100 days have passed, I can say that the experiment was worth it. I am planning to stay away from my phone for as long as possible.
1. What made the writer check the phone more often than before?2. When did the writer start noticing his changes?
3. What does the writer plan to do with his phone after the experiment?
4. How did the writer discover the beauty of the world? List two sides.
5. Would you like to follow the writer’s example? Why or why not? (Please give two reasons)
From TV to New Media
A recent report said that China’s TV usage dropped from 70 percent to less than 30 percent in 2022. Also, TV sales dropped from 48.94 million in 2019 to 36.34 million in 2022. So why do we watch less TV? Here are some interviews with some students.
“I seldom watch TV mainly because of the boring advertisements.” Song Ruiqi from Zhejiang said, “They always show up when a show or a movie is halfway through its run. So my family and I hardly turn on the TV at home.”
He Liyan from Jiangsu believes that mobile phones or computers can easily meet our needs for watching videos. TVs often have hidden fees and complex (复杂的) interfaces. These problems have led to situations where young people aren’t interested in them, while the elderly find them difficult to use.
“We have a busy day, leaving us with little time to watch TV. Also, the TV shows we enjoy are different from the ones our parents like. In my family, I can hardly get a chance to control the remote when they sit on the sofa.” said Zhang Linhui, Guangdong.
“Different from traditional TVs, which require us to be at home to watch, video websites can be seen anytime and anywhere.” Wang Hexuan, Sichuan, added, “Besides, their bullet-screen (弹幕) function allows people to express their opinions. This experience is a pleasure that traditional TV watching cannot provide.”
| Title: From TV to New Media | |
| Since fewer people in China are watching TV at home, the TV sales number is | |
| The advertisements that The problems like hidden fees and complex interfaces reduce people’s interest. Different viewing habits may TVs require people to be at home to watch and have no bullet-screen function. | |
| Conclusion | New media are becoming more popular in China. Unlike traditional TVs, they have many |
What did people do to communicate in ancient times? Here are some very interesting answers to this question.
Alphorns (阿尔卑斯长号角) were once used to communicate in the mountains in Switzerland. They are very long and they are very heavy, too. So, alphorns are hard work to blow. Then why use them? Well, they make a loud sound which travels much further than the human voice. Herdsmen (牧民) used them to call cows in the distance for milking. At sunset, alphorns were also used to send a message down to villagers that all was well. These days, they’re mostly used as musical instruments.
The people of La Gomera, an island in Europe, have their own special way of sending messages from mountain to mountain. They use a whistled (口哨的) language called el silbo, which comes from their language Spanish. Whistling can be heard within five kilometers, which means it can be used across much greater distances than shouting. El silbo can be used for all kinds of messages, including greetings and announcements. El silbo is used a lot less than it used to be, but primary school students in La Gomera have to learn it.
Did you know it’s also possible to send messages without making a noise? This is called visual communication, and it includes the use of flags and even smoke. Long ago, soldiers along the Great Wall China used smoke as a warning. If they noticed the enemy from their signal (信号) tower, they lit a smoky fire. When soldiers in other towers saw the smoke signal, they lit fires too. In this way, messages about the enemy’s arrival could travel as far as 800 km in just a few hours.
Title:Ways | Places | Features |
| Alphorns | Switzerland | ▶They are heavy and long. ▶People have difficulty ▶Nowadays, they are usually used as an instrument. |
| El silbo | La Gomera, a | ▶The special whistling carried various information. ▶Primary school students in La Gomera are required to learn the whistled language. |
| Smoke | the Great Wall China | ▶Smoky fires were used to ▶The signals |
Some parents complain that their children’s teachers are giving students homework on phones. It means they have to offer their children phones or can’t refuse their children’s request to use their phones. Some parents say children don’t usually finish their homework in time on phones. Instead, they spend much time on online games, WeChat Moments and TikTok. They even use phones to cheat in the exams. Parents are worried about that. Now things have changed much this term.
“Primary and high school students will not be allowed to bring phones to schools,” announced the Ministry of Education of China on Monday.
According to the notice, primary and high school students are required not to bring their phones into schools. If they do need to bring phones to schools, they have to ask their parents if they can first and come to schools with a written request from their parents.
The notice said that if the students bring their phones to schools, they have to hand their phones to teachers when they arrive. The phones will be kept together by the teachers. And they should not be allowed into classrooms.
There are some main points in the notice. Teachers are not allowed to give students homework on phones, and they are not allowed to ask students to finish their homework on phones, either.
For communication between parents and students, schools should set up public phones and teacher hotlines, it added.
The notice is to protect students’ eyes, make sure they put their hearts into study and prevent them losing themselves in online games.
| No | |
| Parents’ worries | *Children don’t usually finish their homework *Children spend much time in using phones. *Children even use phones to |
| The New Notice | *Primary and high school students are required not to bring their phones into schools. *Teachers are not allowed to give students *The |
My 100 Days Without a Mobile Phone
When was the last time you left home without your mobile phone? Can you imagine yourself living a month, or even a year without checking your mobile phone from time to time?
As a busy modern person with lots of social connections, plans and responsibilities, I just cannot afford to not be in touch with the rest of the world. Staying connected to other people is a big part of my life. However, sometimes it can be bothered (恼人的).
One day I discovered I was terribly tired out. I tried turning notices off. But the fear of missing out something important made me check the phone more often than before. So, I simply stopped using my phone.
Well, to tell the truth, it was not simple at all. For the first couple of days, I had a big fear that all of my friends would soon forget about me. When I had a free moment, I had no idea what to get myself distracted (分心的) with, and the worries mixed with boredom (无聊) kept bothering me.
However, after three weeks without a mobile phone, I started noticing changes — changes which I liked, and which drove me to not just continue the experiment, but in fact to organize some of my habits again.
First of all, I noticed that I became much more focused (专注的). Before, while doing something, I would often find myself wondering what was going on online. After a month of staying away from my mobile phone, I found that the urge (冲动) was already not so strong and that my ability to focus improved.
I discovered that the world is a beautiful place. Before, I would look at it through my camera mostly: take a photo, post it, get some likes. Now, I saw beautiful people walking around and I felt the seasons change. I could understand the actual beauty of the world, and I did not need anyone else to prove the value of this beauty through likes or shares.
Now, as 100 days have passed, I can say that the experiment was worth it. I am planning to stay away from my phone for as long as possible.
1. What made the writer check the phone more often than before?2. List the writer’s feelings when he stopped using phone for the first couple of days.
3. When did the writer start noticing his changes?
4. What does the writer plan to do with his phone after the experiment?
5. Would you like to follow the writer’s example? Why or why not? (Please give two reasons.)
9 . Huawei, a big technology company, has made another big step in the phone industry with its latest product, the Mate 60. This phone is special because of its self-developed chip (芯片). The chip that Huawei made alone says a lot about how much they care about making new tech, and how much they understand about what technology will be like in the future.
Huawei Mate 60 is a really good phone. It has a large screen that makes it easy to use and see. The phone is also very fast, allowing you to run many apps at the same time without any problems. Another great thing about the Mate 60 is its battery which can last for a long time on a single charge. Overall, the Huawei Mate 60 is a great smartphone that offers a lot of value for its price.
Making phones has been hard for Huawei because of some problems they’ve had. However, instead of giving up, Huawei worked harder and developed their own chip, which made them a stronger competitor in the tech industry. The release (发行) of Mate 60 has made people notice Huawei’s hard work. It shows Huawei’s energy and skills in making new technology. The success of the Mate 60 has opened new doors for Huawei all over the world. We hope Huawei can impress us with some more creative products.
1. Why is Huawei Mate 60 special?（不超过5个词）2. What will Huawei probably do in the future?（不超过10个词）
3. As a teenager, what can we learn from Huawei?（不超过10个词）
10 . Mobile phones have a bad influence on young Chinese students’ sleep and memory, according to a recent study.
The study is based on (以……为依据) a survey of 2, 298 students aged 6 to 18. It found boys are more dependent (依赖的) , but girls are more likely (可能的) to use their mobile phones before they sleep than boys. 4.The more students use mobile phones before they sleep, the longer it takes for them to fall asleep. So they will not sleep well, which leads to a poor memory.
In 2021, the Ministry of Education stopped all primary and middle school students from bringing mobile phones to schools. If they want to bring mobile phones to schools, they need to hand them in to their teachers during school time.
Yu Yi, father of a primary school student in Changsha, Hunan Province, she has a smartwatch if she needs to reach us,” he added.
5.年轻的学生很容易对手机产生依赖, so the intervention (干预) from parents is necessary.
1. Are boys more likely to use their mobile phones before they sleep than girls?
