There’re lots of articles in which writers like me leave social media and report on how their lives have transformed. I swore I wouldn’t add to it. But here I am, writing about it. And I’m doing so because it didn’t change my life in quite the way that I expected or many of these essays promised it would.
I genuinely enjoyed Twitter. The problem was that I loved it a little too much. I’d find myself checking it when I should be working, running late to my daughters’ school events because I tried to fit in a quick glance or staying up far too late surfing vast oceans of information, tired and barely interested but unable to resist it.
In November, my friends encouraged me to drop my Twitter habit, at least for a little while. My life was overfull, and this was something I could cut out. I followed, though hesitantly and with a little bit of unwillingness, because I trust my friends and their wisdom.
I went from being on it nearly every day to being off it for two months now. Being offline didn’t make my life that joyful. But there is one way that leaving Twitter has benefited my life and my mind. The times when I checked Twitter were often the transition points in my day: when I waited in line or to pick up my kids from school. Freeing up those seemingly inconsequential moments has been transformative. These moments are nothing I really considered before and I even didn’t notice their departure when I began going online. Leaving them unfilled has changed how I walk through time. I may wave to a neighbor; I may feel gratitude or delight. I may notice that I feel tired or lonely. But this, too, is part of the gifts of these small moments.
Our days, which are so full of work and thinking, of disappointments and confusion, must have moments when nothing much is happening, moments when we get no input, no videos, no opinions.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．The author’s life was disturbed by the overuse of Twitter. |
| B．The author followed the friends’ advice without hestitation. |
| C．The author shared the same idea with other writers about Twitter. |
| D．The author’s interest in the information online drove him to check Twitter. |
| A．Unforgettable. | B．Unimportant. | C．Tough. | D．Boring. |
| A．To persuade readers to block Twitter. |
| B．To show the influence of social media. |
| C．To share an unexpected benefit of staying offline. |
| D．To raise doubts about the promised effects of being offline. |
| A．Free up Small Moments | B．No Twitter, No Trouble |
| C．Take a Moment to Reflect | D．Small Changes, Big Differences |
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It may sound risky, but many teens stay within their own social circles to find rides, and don’t branch out beyond friends when asking on Twitter just like me, but to some young people, especially those taking longer trips, stranger danger is less of a concern.
“I think the digital connection of young people is really key, because younger generations grew up sharing things online, sharing files, photos, music, etc, so they have been very used to sharing,” said Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College.
The sharing economy got big during the recession（经济衰退）, allowing people to access more goods and services using technology and even to share cost. And that technology, for me, is what the car was for my mom, a gateway to more freedom.
According to the researchers at the University of Michigan, 30 years ago, eight in ten American 18-year-olds had a driver’s license compared to six in ten today. So it’s not that surprising that on my 16th birthday I wasn’t rushing to get a license but an iPhone.
“Driving, for young people, does mean they have to disconnect from their technology, and that’s a negative. So if they could sit in the passenger side and still be connected, that’s going to be a plus,” Schor continued.
To me, another plus is that ridesharing represents something, something much bigger than trying to save money. I see it as evidence that people still depend on each other. My generation shares their cars and apartments the way neighbors used to share cups of sugar. For the system to work, some of us still need our own cars. But until I get my own version of the silver Super Beetle, you can find me on Twitter.
1. The American teens like me, prefer to possess an iPhone as a birthday gift because ______.
| A．it is most fashionable and cool |
| B．they are bored with driving cars |
| C．they are fond of being connected |
| D．it is much cheaper than a car |
| A．young people will sit waiting to be contacted by reading a passage |
| B．sharing economy is bound to be responsible for the recession |
| C．young people tend to share a car with strangers by means of Twitter |
| D．being connected via technology comes first for young people |
| A．Twitter, an Awesome Website |
| B．Cars or iPhone |
| C．Teens Use Twitter to Thumb Rides |
| D．Cool Teens on the Go |
【推荐2】Viruses, worms, Trojans!
Once you decide that you need good antivirus software, the first thing to do is to see whether your computer already has an antivirus program pre-installed.
First ask friends and colleagues for their recommendations.
| A．After that, go to the Internet to read several reviews of antivirus software programs |
| B．If there is an antivirus program already installed in your computer, be sure to uninstall it before installing your new software |
| C．Many programs' Web sites allow you to download them for a trial period |
| D．If you use the Internet at all, or if you ever borrow a floppy disk from anyone, you almost certainly need to have antivirus software |
| E．If your computer already has an antivirus software program, check to see if it is activated |
| F．It seems that there is always something in the news about these invaders that make your computer "sick" |
| G．After that, go to Programs on your Start menu and looking for an antivirus software program |
【推荐3】
Khan Academy is a website providing a free education for any person. The website includes more than 4,000 short teaching videos about many different subjects. Every month, over 7 million people go to the Khan Academy website to watch its videos.
Khan Academy began with one man named Salman Khan. As a young man, Khan got a degree from Harvard Business School and began to work in business.
In 2006, Khan used the Internet to help his young cousins, who lived far away, with their mathematics schoolwork. He drew numbers and pictures on the website to teach them. After a time, he put his videos onto the website YouTube, where his cousins could watch them any time they wanted. But Khan noticed that other people were also watching his videos on YouTube.
By 2009, the number of people watching his videos on YouTube was getting very large. Khan decided to make the videos his job instead. So he officially began Khan Academy, providing videos on mathematics and other school subjects.
People did not have to pay to watch the videos. But they could give Khan money if they wanted to support (支持) his work. Some people did give Khan small amounts of money, but he was still having a hard time. Later, a woman told Khan that Bill Gates uses Khan Academy for his kids. After that, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation began giving money to Khan Academy. In 2010 Google gave the website money too, wanting Khan to translate his videos into the world’s most common languages. Today, people can see Khan’s videos in many different languages.
Some people think that Khan Academy will be the way more and more people learn in the future. Teachers can use it in their classrooms. Khan believes that Khan Academy will never, and should never, replace a school. But he believes teachers and students can use it to make schools better.
1. What can one get from Khan Academy?| A．Video-making methods. |
| B．Free learning information. |
| C．Any help with the schoolwork. |
| D．A good number of beautiful pictures. |
| A．in 2006 |
| B．as a student |
| C．to satisfy the needs of learners |
| D．under the influence of his cousins |
| A．It will play an active role in school teaching. |
| B．It can replace teachers in classrooms. |
| C．It can replace a teaching school. |
| D．It’s the future of education. |
【推荐1】Growing up in suburbia, yard work was punishment. I’d take almost anything else. I didn’t like being outside, and I especially didn’t like bugs or dirt.
When I left home at 17 with a backpack of belongings, I figured my gardening days were behind me. There were no yards to work in—only concrete! The concrete jungle that awaited me seemed like a welcome escape from the outdoor chores that had once felt like a sentence.
It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I, thinking it was the adult thing to do, brought home a small daisy (雏菊) in a pot to put on my fire escape. Less than 24 hours later, a squirrel (松鼠) arrived and dragged it away, pot and all. That’s New York for you! I took it as a sign and didn’t try any more plants in that apartment.
When I married, my wife and I bought a house in outer Brooklyn. There was enough room to have a garden if we wanted one. We decided to see if we could grow anything, mostly for the novelty factor. Much to my surprise, digging in the dirt felt like fun and totally not a chore! In the early mornings, I would bend down to inspect the soil waiting for the plants to appear. Watering at dusk, I whispered to the baby plants, expecting them to keep growing. The plants kept the neighborhood squirrels fed and provided a place for bumblebees to nap. I felt a rush of power and excitement.
As the flowers and vegetables bloomed, I noticed something in me was growing as well. Since running away from home as a teenager, I’ve always done my best to build a shelter for myself wherever I was living. I hung pictures on the walls. I built new holiday traditions with friends. I painted the walls bright colors. But it always felt like maybe that deep connection to a particular space was missing. In gardening, I finally found this new layer of depth. I guess you could say I was putting down roots.
There is an inspiring, self-care practice in the time and energy it takes to plant, water, and wait and wait to see if the magic happens. It’s the act of growing that I find the sweetest.
What are you growing?
1. How does the author interpret his departure at 17?| A．As a necessary step for growth. | B．As a great relief. |
| C．As an escape from social expectations. | D．As a bittersweet transition. |
| A．There was a shift in his perspective. | B．He regarded a squirrel as a bad sign. |
| C．He began to miss the days before 17. | D．A sense of responsibility grew in him. |
| A．A colorful life. | B．Friends’ respect. |
| C．Creative ideas. | D．A sense of belonging. |
| A．their own sources of growth | B．the importance of gardening |
| C．the output of the growing plants | D．their favorite flowers and vegetables |
【推荐2】I am a Canadian artist living in Victoria. My work focuses on peace. My art helps me find answers, or at least deal with some of the worrying realities of the modern day.
My trips into Baghdad standing for peace caused huge stress to my family and me. It took a few years before I was able to come to accept that whole experience and work out how to continue to work as an artist. I put my energy into creating natural art facilities that awoke a sense of peace in myself and others. I set up my first project in a large field, using a simple mother and child design. I later did two similar, small works, one in Scotland and the other in Baghdad.
I wanted to create something more permanent（永恒的）, however, and so I created the Peace Image in Hudson’s Hope. It can’t be seen very well on the ground these days, because the locals just loved riding over the large piles of dirt. I don’t mind that at all. The Peace Image still turns up well from the air and on Google maps though.
For more than 50 years now, I’ve felt pleased to be able to express myself through my art. In the autumn of 2013, I was encouraged to lead the creation of a Peace Garden art project at Woodwynn Farms in Central Saanich. After everything we had been through, it was such a gift to work closely with my wife, Elizabeth Wellburn, a talented artist. It was and still is a labour of love.
1. What made the author suffer from great pressure?| A．His lack of enough money. | B．Some worrying realities. |
| C．The failure of his first project. | D．His strong support of peace. |
| A．To produce a more lasting thing. | B．To raise people’s awareness of peace. |
| C．To make people remember him. | D．To satisfy local people’s requirement. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Discouraged. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Confident. |
| A．An Artist Concentrating on Peace Design |
| B．The Life Story of a Canadian Artist |
| C．Artistic Works Meaning a Labour of Love |
| D．An Unforgettable Experience |
【推荐3】Recently I bought a book about signposts. Signposts aren’t very interesting, you’re thinking. Well, that, of course, depends on whether you happen to be lost! Ancient travelers would have been grateful for these when settlements were smaller and further apart. In winter, the ability to reach shelter for the night could be the difference between life and death.
One of the very earliest way-marks discovered is in Cumbria. Dating from Roman times, it had lain fallen until 1836, when a farmer ploughing his fields came across a sandstone shaft (碑文). There are other stone posts that have stood by roadsides for centuries. It wasn’t until 1697 that an act was passed declaring that guide-stones must be built.
This applied to remote parts of the country where there might be confusion as to which path led to the nearest market town. Later, with the appearance of the Royal Mail, the number rose still further. Nowadays many of these early road signs are designated (指定) as Listed Monuments.
“How times change!” Lucy, an enthusiastic walker, to whom I loaned the book, exclaimed.
“I suppose now we all rely far more upon mobile phones to guide us.”
“Yet they aren’t perfect. Whenever I go out, I prefer a map. I never have to worry about running out of battery.” “I’m always grateful to whoever is placing way-markers along the route,” she added, “I suppose that however sure we are, a little outside confirmation is always welcome.”
Lucy is quite right there. Life itself can offer us a great many choices of path, and sometimes it isn’t easy to know if we’ve chosen the best one.
Perhaps when it comes to gratitude, we should also include thanks for those people who appear in our lives when we most need them — either giving us gentle warning that we might be heading in the wrong direction, or reassurance that we are on the right track. After all, we’d be lost without them!
1. What does the underlined word “these ” in the first paragraph refer to?| A．Signposts. | B．Abilities. | C．Settlements. | D．Shelters. |
| A．The market trade. | B．The act passed in 1697. |
| C．The discovery of the sandstone. | D．The appearance of the Loyal Mail. |
| A．Popular. | B．Outdated. | C．Imperfect. | D．Helpful. |
| A．To choose right tracks. | B．To live a colorful life. |
| C．To have a grateful mind. | D．To offer practical choices. |
