If you were born in the 2000s, you are called the oh-ohs. The 21st century would make you young, creative, connected, global, and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking, too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?
Some adults worry that you’re more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the “face-down generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family. Are today’s teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies (自拍照) to become successful in real life?
Other adults worry that today’s youth are spoilt and don’t want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by “helicopter parents” who were always there to help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and after-school activities such as dancing, drawing and sports. With parents who do everything for them, today’s youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.
Does the “face-down generation” need a heads-up? Well, probably not. The fact is that many of today’s teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They seem to be willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also outstanding people such as Gu Ailing, the teenager who won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
So if you’re one of the oh-ohs, there’s reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the “face-down generation”. Chances are that you will do GR8 (great) and LOL (laugh out loud).
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To start a debate. |
| B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To show a public concern. |
| D．To explain a scientific term. |
| A．Oh-ohs’ poor eyesight. |
| B．Oh-ohs’ tight schedules. |
| C．Oh-ohs’ great creativity. |
| D．Oh-ohs’ lack of independence. |
| A．The author is one of the oh-ohs. |
| B．Oh-ohs will spend less time on phones. |
| C．Oh-ohs are likely to have a bright future. |
| D．Oh-ohs will meet more challenges than adults. |
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【推荐1】“I never know what to say around other people. Whenever I am in a group of people, I feel like everyone knows what to say and I have no idea. When I do try to join in or answer a question, I get anxious. My heart starts thumping. This happens at parties or meetings with parent groups, but I feel judged—as if I were being interviewed for a job. I don’t enjoy these experiences, so I routinely avoid them. People think I am a loner. Maybe I am?”
Individuals experiencing this type of social discomfort are often polite and considerate. They do not interrupt others and they say please and thank you when it is appropriate to do so. They often avoid eye contact, because it makes them feel judged. They feel like others can see how uncomfortable they are. Individuals experiencing these symptoms are often very intelligent, but their anxiety prevents them from being able to demonstrate this in front of others.
Fitting into most groups of people requires conformity (从众). You need to be interested in the topics that others in the group are interested in and think and talk about them the way they do. Becoming an essential part of these groups requires that you sacrifice some of your individuality in order to adapt your perspectives, values, and styles to fit in.
Some individuals are chameleon-like in that they naturally pick up the patterns of relating to different groups and change themselves accordingly. They accommodate themselves to the group. They leave their individuality behind. For some people, this is automatic and they don’t even register that they are changing themselves to fit into groups. However, if you are one of those people who feels disconnected in most social group settings, it may be because your personality refuses conformity. You have difficulty liking what other people like and you stop changing the way you think in order to feel part of a group. Perhaps it’s better for you to stay true to yourself. Maybe you are better off?
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce hard experience of social anxiety. |
| B．To explain why some people avoid eye contact. |
| C．To compare different types of social groups. |
| D．To recommend ways to go for job interviews. |
| A．They are mindful of proper social manners. |
| B．They are eager to stop others judging them. |
| C．They tend to observe what others are doing. |
| D．They try to demonstrate their intelligence. |
| A．By improving the communication skills. |
| B．By sharing interest and adapting to others. |
| C．By showing respect and kindness to others. |
| D．By practicing active listening and speaking |
| A．We should abandon our personality to fit in. |
| B．Not changing ourselves is also a good choice. |
| C．Refusing help will turn you away from friends. |
| D．Following suit is a requirement in the society. |
【推荐2】Many Silicon Valley parents are becoming more concerned about preventing their children from using screens. Some parents think that even a little screen time can be extremely addictive, so it is better if their children avoid using or seeing these devices completely. However, it is difficult for working adults in the 21st century to give up using a phone at home. So, it’s simpler to employ someone to do this.
“Silicon Valley nanny (保姆)”, who takes children back to a time without screens every day is widely needed. From Cupertino to San Francisco, it’s widely agreed that screen time is harmful to youngsters. Therefore, parents are requesting nannies to keep phones, tablets and computers in a hidden place. Others even offer no-phone agreements.
Research shows that spending too much time on technology can harm young minds. For example, teenagers who use social media frequently are more likely to feel depressed and anxious. Insomnia (失眠) rates have also increased amongst this age group, and an increasing number of children display the signs that they can’t focus attention. These seemingly minor (轻微的) problems could become significant challenges for future generations.
“Many parents come back home and focus on their smartphones, ignoring whatever their children are trying to say,” said Shannon Zimmerman, who works as a nanny in San Jose for families that forbid screen time. “As a nanny, I also call on more parents to spend more time with their kids.”
1. Why are the Silicon Valley nannies greatly needed according to the text?| A．To help parents and children balance work and life. |
| B．To teach children how to use technology responsibly. |
| C．To keep children away from screens. |
| D．To encourage children to exercise. |
| A．Feeling confused. | B．Feeling anxious. | C．Feeling bored. | D．Feeling nervous. |
| A．Encourage their children more. | B．Play games with their children. |
| C．Stop using smartphones at home. | D．Spend more time with their children. |
| A．Parents concern about screen time for children. | B．Children are addicted to screen time. |
| C．All parents limit children to phones. | D．Science has no effects on young minds. |
【推荐3】We touch our faces all the time, and it had never seemed to be a big problem—until COVID-19 arrived. Touching our faces—the "T-zone" of our eyes, nose and mouth in particular—can mean giving ourselves the deadly virus.
This is why organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have suggested that we avoid touching our faces. "Just stop this simple behavior," William Sawyer, founder of Henry the Hand, a nonprofit organization that promotes hand hygiene (卫生), told The Washington Post. "It's the one behavior that would be better than any vaccine (疫苗) ever created."
Yet, stopping this "simple" behavior might be harder than you think because it's already hardwired (固定存在于) into our system.
Some face touching is an automatic reflex (反射) —like when there is an itch (痒) on your nose, you'll scratch (挠) it without thinking. According to CNBC, a 2014 study found that touching your face also helps to reduce stress and regulate emotions. For example, you're more likely to do it when you feel awkward or embarrassed. According to Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California Berkeley, US, this action may also come with a social function: When you are talking to someone and want to change the subject, for example, touching your face is like "the curtains on a stage, closing up one act of the social drama, ushering (引导) in the next," Keltner told the BBC.
Moreover, face-touching in almost all of these occasions is subconscious, which means it's very hard to change "because you don't even know you're doing it", said Sawyer. But you're not alone. In a 2015 study, where a group of medical students were filmed in class, it was found that they touched their faces an average of 23 times an hour—with 44 percent of the touches being in the "T-zones". That was particularly surprising since medical students were supposed to know better.
Since it's so hard to shake the habit, maybe the easiest way is to wash our hands more often. This way, we can be sure that our hands are free from the novel coronavirus.
1. What do the first two paragraphs talk about?| A．The best way to fight COVID-19 |
| B．How organizations are fighting COVID-19. |
| C．Typical hand hygiene problems in the fight against COVID-19. |
| D．The necessity to avoid touching our faces to fight COVID-19. |
| A．It makes people feel more confident. |
| B．Many are unaware of this behavior's risks. |
| C．They usually do it automatically and subconsciously |
| D．Many think the action helps them express their emotions. |
| A．Using it as a sign to change the topic |
| B．Bringing a conversation to an end. |
| C．Showing an interest in the ongoing subject. |
| D．Making others feel relaxed while talking. |
| A．To give tips on how to stop touching faces. |
| B．To prove that it is common for people to touch their faces. |
| C．To show it is impossible to shake the habit of touching your face. |
| D．To show how hygiene awareness helps people avoid touching their faces. |
【推荐1】From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
1. The main idea of this passage is__________.| A．traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists |
| B．thousands of people the world over are killed each year |
| C．the laws of some countries about driving are too lax |
| D．only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents |
| A．Society smiles on the motorists. |
| B．Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns. |
| C．Victims of accidents are nothing. |
| D．Society condones their rude driving. |
| A．Driving can show his real self. |
| B．Driving can show the other part of his personality. |
| C．Driving can bring out his character. |
| D．His car embodies his temper. |
| A．Build more highways. |
| B．Stricter driving tests. |
| C．Test drivers every three years. |
| D．raise age limit and lay down safety specifications. |
| A．ironical |
| B．critical |
| C．appealing |
| D．militant |
【推荐2】Everyone fails from time to time. We try to learn from our mistakes and move on, leaving them behind. But one museum is doing quite the opposite. It’s a showcase for failure, both famous and forgotten.
Inspired by the Museum of Broken Relationships in Croatia, Samuel West, a psychologist from Sweden, decided to make our silly mistakes public. He founded the Museum of Failure in 2017. Now the museum is hitting the road, with a travelling exhibition in Shanghai from Jan 18 to March 17. The Museum will exhibit over 100 “failed” products from big-name companies such as Nokia, Apple and Coca-Cola.
“I really hope you see that these big brands that everybody respects screw up too,” West told The New York Times. “I hope that makes you feel less nervous about learning something new.”
West’s opinion isn’t new. The famous German-American physicist Albert Einstein once said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” This idea has been eagerly accepted by big companies in the US. Silicon Valley, for example, is the home of some of the world’s most innovative (创新的) tech companies. A common slogan is, “Fail fast, fail often.”
However, there are reasons for this. “The best companies are those that encourage failure, welcome out-of-box thinking and allow employees to make mistakes and see what happens,” wrote Simon Casuto of Forbes.
This may lead to carelessness and a lack of effort. Some people are skeptical of this so-called “culture of failure.” They are worried that if failure becomes ‘a badge (奖章) of honor”, as Wired magazine put it, it may even be seen as “uncool” when someone tries to reduce the risk of failure.
“Sometimes people hide behind failure, when they could have prevented it,” wrote Anna Isaac of The Telegraph.
So it’s important that you set apart the two kinds of failure—the kind that shows laziness or incompetence and the kind that takes you forward. The key is whether you’ve learned something from your mistakes.
1. The underlined phrase “screw up” in Paragraph 3 probably means_________.| A．suffer failures | B．like taking risks |
| C．work together | D．encourage innovation |
| A．help people avoid failure | B．encourage people to try new things |
| C．amuse people with silly products | D．teach people how to learn from failure |
| A．It will cause great waste of resources. |
| B．It will lead to lots of impractical ideas. |
| C．People may fear to try again after failure. |
| D．It may give people excuses to make less effort. |
| A．All failures deserve respect. |
| B．Failure shows lack of effort and ability. |
| C．Failure is good if it teaches us something. |
| D．The best companies seldom make mistakes. |
【推荐3】More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation app such as Google or Apple Maps. This raises the age-old question we meet with any technology: What abilities is our brain losing to these apps? But also, importantly: What abilities are we gaining?
Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.
But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I’m so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.
In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as go north for three blocks and then west make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up, none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys that cross with newer avenues at many angles. In such places, you’d better turn to the locals. In the countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask. In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.
Which brings me back to my original question: While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes a door, we should also look for the doors it opens.
1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset?| A．They are interested in reading paper maps, |
| B．They don’t know how to use navigation apps. |
| C．They are confused by digital maps’ direction. |
| D．They are limited to a single smart phone app. |
| A．Asking local people the way. |
| B．Following the navigation app. |
| C．Getting familiar with the city rules. |
| D．Looking for street names and house numbers. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Ambiguous |
| C．Critical | D．Favorable |
| A．Benefits of Navigation Apps |
| B．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain? |
| C．My World Opens Up by New Technology |
| D．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps |
