【推荐1】Bad news for people who frequently use the emoji(表情符号): It is no longer cool.

In recent weeks, two generations have been debating in videos and comments on Tik Tok over the symbols of millennial(千禧一代) culture that are now considered uncool by Generation z (born after 1996). The symbols include the popular laughing crying emoji that some millennials (born in the 1980s), including me, use hundreds of times a day, or more.

“Face with Tears of Joy”, the official name for the laughing crying emoji, is currently the most-used emoji on Emojitracker, a website that shows real-time emoji use on Twitter.

“What’s wrong with the laughing crying emoji?” one user asked in a Tik Tok comment. Another responded, “It’s so off.” In a different video, a woman says she’s cut back on using it after learning kids don’t.

“I use everything but the laughing crying emoji,” 21-year-old Walid Mohammed told CNN Business. “I stopped using it recently because I saw older people using it, like my mom, my older sisters and just older people in general.”

For many Generation Zers, the emoji has become a popular replacement for conveying laughter. It’s the visual version of the slang phrase “I’m dead” or “I’m dying”, which means something is very funny. Other acceptable choices—the emoji officially called “Loudly Crying Face”, or just writing “lol” (laughing out loud) or “lmao”.

“Tears of Joy was a victim of its own success,” said Gretchen McCulloch, the author of “Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language”. “If you express digital laughter for years and years in the same way, it starts to feel insincere... It gets worn out through continued use,” she said. That’s why Generation Zers may be looking to fresh and novel ways to signal they’re laughing in different ways.

“Older generations tend to use emojis literally while younger people get more creative,” said Jeremy Burge, the chief emoji officer of Emojipedia, an emoji dictionary website. Generation Zers told CNN Business they like to assign their own meanings to emoji, which then spreads to others, often through social media.

1. What is the author’s attitude to the use of the laughing crying emoji?

A．Curious.	B．Favourable.
C．Uncaring.	D．Impatient.

2. What message does the author try to deliver by giving some examples of Generation Zers?

A．They are fond of using emojis.

B．They use emojis very scientifically.

C．The Loudly Crying Face emoji is very popular.

D．The laughing crying emoji is losing its charm.

3. What can we infer about 21-year old Walid Mohammed?

A．He wants to set himself apart from older people.

B．He is seeking to be perfect.

C．He is unwilling to accept something new.

D．He sticks to his own idea.

4. What’s the problem with “Tears of Joy” according to Gretchen McCulloch?

A．It isn’t funny enough.	B．It isn’t creative enough.
C．It has been used too much.	D．It hasn’t received much attention.

【推荐2】Agriculture is one of the main drivers of Indonesia’s economy, employing more than 50 million people. But many farmers still identify as some of the poorest people in the country. All of that is changing with the help of advanced technology.

Wim Prihanto is the co-founder of the mobile application and website called RegoPantes. The app aims to change the lives to farmers working to make a good living. It works by removing middlemen (中间商) between farmers and the harvest they supply to markets. Farmers usually complain their harvest is always sold below cost when they go through several middlemen. But today, farmers have more power and all with the tap of a finger. “For popular commodities (商品), farmers usually have to go through 8 to 13 middlemen. Along the way the price decreases and income reduces for them. With this app, farmers can immediately post their produce and sell it to consumers,” Prihanto says.

The app has also helped farmers to understand the market much better. They can learn how the market operates, what exactly customers are looking for, evaluate other prices in the market and understand what they can do to get better prices.

RegoPantes is not the only app that allows farmers to sell directly to customers. Many e-commerce websites in Indonesia have also enabled farmers to sell their produce to customers across provinces. Although they’re only able to sell in small volumes (量) for now, the price remains affordable and increasingly competitive. Through the e-commerce platforms, farmers in Central and East Java, for example, can serve customers in Jakarta’s markets.

There is a huge potential for smart agriculture in Indonesia but it comes with challenges. Only less than 5 percent of farmers in the country are below 35 years old, many of whom still do not own a smartphone. Besides, in some smaller areas, there is no Internet, so it is difficult to be a part of digital farming. But those challenges can be overcome as smart agriculture can be beneficial to economy in the long run. It is already beginning to increase the productivity of agricultural companies and smallholder farmers.

1. What is RegoPantes designed for?

A．Bringing farmers more interests.	B．Making commodities more popular.
C．Managing the market better.	D．Increasing the farmers’ harvest.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A．The more middlemen, the higher farmers’ incomes.

B．Much more information is accessible to farmers with RegoPantes.

C．RegoPantes is the most useful app that benefits Indonesian farmers.

D．Farmers can develop customers worldwide through e-commerce websites.

3. Which should come first to promote Indonesia’s smart agriculture?

A．To build more e-commerce platforms.	B．To popularize the use of smartphones and Internet.
C．To adjust the prices of e-commerce apps.	D．To strengthen Internet security in smaller areas.

4. How does the author think of the future of Indonesia’s smart agriculture?

A．Promising.

B．Uncertain.

C．Smooth.

D．Worrying.

【推荐3】Technology has some wonderful benefits. I would never ever argue against the responsible use of it.     1     For example, it's reported that 84% of cell phone users think they could not go a single day without their device. But technology does have a power-off button. We can try the helpful tips to power-down technology.

Power down for one period of time each day. This may be the first hour of the day. Or maybe the last hour of the day works better for you, or maybe lunch, dinner, or the hours just before your kids go to bed.     2     What matters is your determination to turn off your phone and that you stick to it at all costs.

Better manage the time-wasters.     3     Freedom will disable your entire Internet connection for a time period set by you. Selfcontrol will allow you to block access to uniquely specified websites, such as Facebook, Gmail, and Twitter for a period of time, but still have access to the rest of the web.

    4     I have chosen some time each year to power down unnecessary apps and have a good rest, leaving only phone. And I have completed the exercise each of the last two years. I have found great value in doing this.     5    

Learning to power down technology is an important life skill with many benefits. But it is becoming a lost art in our ever-connected world. So my friends, let's get started right away on digital minimalism(极简主义). Your life is waiting for you.

A．Technology addiction is powerful.

B．Take an extended break on a regular basic.

C．Give yourself good reasons to power down.

D．The specific time of the day is not important.

E．It has taught me about technology, relationships and myself.

F．However, people are increasingly addicted to our technology.

G．Choose some Internet tools that can help you better manage your time online.