My smartphone gave me access to music, information and videos. I would repeatedly refresh my email, shop online and look through the latest bad news. I’d often complain. I felt trapped by it.
I am more connected in my relationships.
Earlier, while texting with a friend who had moved, I finally got frustrated (懊丧的) and called her. I realized I hadn’t spoken to her since her move.
I consume news on my own.
During the lock-downs, I filled boredom by visiting stores sending newsletters to my email. I found myself repeating lines from department store copywriters. Every time I clicked “buy”, I’d get a dopamine (多巴胺) hit. Now I’m online about 10 times less, I’m more thoughtful about what I need and I’ve had the time to take up knitting and needling—making what I once would have “added to cart”.
I am calmer.
When I first quit using my phone, I’d search for it at times. I went through withdrawals. Thankfully, that sense of dependence is false. I’ve found you can find other ways to do all the things.
| A．I shop less online. |
| B．So I decided to change. |
| C．I spend my time with my family. |
| D．But over time, I became worried about its role in my life. |
| E．I worried that I would miss out important discussions of the day. |
| F．It made a difference to hear both the awe and sadness in her voice. |
| G．It’s not always convenient, but I’m much calmer without my smartphone. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Chuck’s Friend
In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks plays a man named Chuck Noland. Chuck is a businessman who is always so busy that he has little time for his friends. He is a successful manager in a company that sends mail all over the world. One day Chuck is on a flight across the Pacific Ocean when suddenly his plane crashes. Chuck survives (存活) the crash and lands on a deserted island.
On the island, Chuck has to learn to survive all alone. He has to learn how to collect water, hunt for food, and make fire. Perhaps the most difficult challenge is how to survive without friends. In order to survive, Chuck develops a friendship with an unusual friend — a volleyball he calls Wilson.
Chuck learns a lot about himself when he is alone on the island. He realizes that he hasn’t been a very good friend because he has always been thinking about himself. During his five years on the island, Chuck learns how to be a good friend to Wilson. Even though Wilson is just a volleyball, he becomes fond of him. He talks to him and treats him as a friend. Chuck learns that we need friends to share happiness and sorrow, and that it is important to have someone to care about. He also learns that he should have cared more about his friends. When he makes friends with Wilson, he understands that friendship is about feelings and that we must give as much as we take.
A volleyball is certainly an unusual friend. Most of our friends are human beings, but we also make friends with animals and even things. For example, many of us have pets, and we all have favourite objects such as a lucky pen or a diary. The lesson we can learn from Chuck and all the others who have unusual friends is that friends are teachers. Friendship helps us understand who we are, why we need each other and what we can do for each other.
1. What does Chuck Noland do?(答案不多于5个词)2. After surviving the crash, what is the most difficult challenge for Chuck?(答案不多于5个词)
3. Who is Chuck’s friend?(答案不多于5个词)
4. What does Chuck learn from his friend?(答案不多于10个词)
5. What is mainly talked about in the passage?(答案不多于10个词)
【推荐2】When I was 14, I left school. I was on the way to California to follow my dream.
When I reached downtown El Paso, I met a bum on the street corner. He stopped me and asked me if I was running away from home. I told him, “Not exactly, sir,” because my father had given me a ride to the train station and said, “It is important to follow your dream, son.”
After talking for a few minutes, the friendly bum told me to follow him. He took me to a public library.
The bum first took me to a table and asked me to sit down and wait for a moment. A few moments later, he returned with some old books and sat beside me. Then he said, “There are two things that I want to teach you, young man, and they are these: Number one is to never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you.” He continued, “You think I’m a bum, don’t you, young man?” I said, “Well, uh, yes, sir.” “Well, young man, I’ve got a little surprise for you. I am one of the richest men in the world. But I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life. So for the past year, I have been going from city to city living as a bum. So, you see, don’t ever judge a book by its cover.”
“Number two is to learn how to read, my boy. There is only one thing that people can't take away from you, and that is your wisdom.” At that moment, he showed me the old books.
The bum then took me back to the street where we first met. He asked me never to forget what he taught me when we left each other.
1. The word bum in the second paragraph means a person who is_____| A．homeless and poor | B．polite and friendly |
| C．rich and generous | D．old and knowledgeable |
| A．He rode to the station himself. | B．His father gave him a ride to the station. |
| C．A bum took him to the station. | D．He followed his dream to the station. |
| A．Wisdom is one thing that people can’t take away from you. |
| B．The bum asked the writer to read some old books in the library. |
| C．The bum’s hope was to have different kinds of experiences in life. |
| D．The writer’s father supported his choice of following his dream. |
| A．Follow your Dream | B．Never Judge a Book by Its Cover |
| C．An important Lesson | D．Wisdom is Important |
【推荐3】It was a rainy day, and I had no desire to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn’s house. But she had insisted that I come see something at the top of the mountain.
So here I was, although unwilling to make the two-hour journey through fog and rain. After lunch, my daughter requested me to drive her to Barage. After a ten-minute drive, we parked the car and got out. We walked along a path that was thick with old pine needles. Huge black green evergreens towered over us. Gradually the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind. Then we turned a corner and stopped----- and I gasped in amazement.
From the top of the mountain to the slopes and valleys, were rivers of daffodils(水仙花) in full bloom. A sea of amazing colors, like a carpet before us.
It looked as though the sun had tipped over and spilled(洒落) gold down the mountainside. At the center hung a waterfall of purple hyacinths. Here and there were breathtaking tulips.
A series of questions filled my mind. Who created such beauty? When? How?
As we approached(接近) the house , we saw a sign that read: “Answers to the Questions: I Know You Are Asking.” The first answer was: “One Woman-Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain.” The second was: “One at a Time.” The third: “ Start in 1958.”
I was so moved by what we had seen. “She changed the world,” I said, not getting over the shock, “one bulb at a time. She started almost 40 years ago, probably just the beginning of an idea, but she kept at it.”
“Imagine,” I said, “if I’d had a vision and worked at it, just a little bit every day, what might I have accomplished?”
Carolyn looked at me, smiling. “Start tomorrow,” she said. “Better yet, start today.”
1. Why did the author decide to visit her daughter?| A．She missed her very much. | B．She didn’t want to disappoint her. |
| C．She must pick her up | D．She has an urge to look at the sea of flowers. |
| A．There was a waterfall in the valley. |
| B．The author was deeply moved by what she had seen. |
| C．The author was very glad to go to her daughter’s home. |
| D．It was raining when the author got to the top of the mountain. |
| A．Easier said than done | B．Well begun, half done |
| C．Women can shake the world | D．Little steps add up to big success |
| A．An amazing trip to Barage. | B．A moving story of a mother’s love. |
| C．A special sign on the way home. | D．A valuable lesson from a woman. |
【推荐1】If the kids don’t fall, they don’t learn to get up. I still remember the day in high school that my mom forgot to pick me up from school. I’m the oldest of four children, and no doubt she’d had a long day with the other kids and it’d slipped her mind. After waiting at school for an hour, I walked the three miles home, and when I got to my house, I shut our front door with anger, stormed into the kitchen and screamed in my mom’s face that she’d forgotten me.
Later that night, my dad told me I no longer had a ride to school the next day. I figured my mom would still take me, but when the morning came, she refused. It was midterm, and as a straight A student ready to start college applications, being late wasn’t an option (选择). In my mind, missing these tests would have been the end of my academic career. I begged my mom. I told her she was ruining my future and everything I’d worked for. But she just held her ground, and that day, I walked to school. And I missed my tests.
My mom didn’t save me from failure. She let me suffer from it. She let me figure it out. She let me learn. Now, as a mom myself, I’ve realized that I want my kids to experience failure because failure is how we grow, learn and think outside of ourselves. It’s how we self -educate to learn what’s right and respectable, and what’s not. It’s how we become responsible and enthusiastic. Falling down makes us better because we learn how to get up.
1. Why did the author get angry that day?| A．She was tired. | B．She failed in a test. |
| C．She was late for school. | D．She had to walk home by herself. |
| A．insisted on her idea. | B．said yes to me. |
| C．stayed in the place. | D．gave in to me. |
| A．Meaningful. | B．Terrible. |
| C．Embarrassing. | D．Colorful. |
| A．My Way of Growing | B．My Love for Mother |
| C．The Meaning of Failure | D．Failure in My Life |
【推荐2】It was a warm summer afternoon in mid-July at the Jersey shore. My four-year-old son and I hit the sand and started our adventure with bucket in hand.
I remembered the days not so long ago when a trip to the beach was just unbearable for my little boy. His sensitivities to sights, sounds, and touches would prevent us from enjoying everyday activities. My son, Will, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD自闭症谱系障碍). However, presently, we were able to walk along the edge of the water, looking for seashells to fill our red sandcastle-shaped bucket.
Will began picking up whatever shells he saw lying in the sand. After a while, I looked into the bucket and saw nothing but broken shells. “Will,” I said softly, “all of these shells are broken. You need to find shells like this,” I continued, as I held up a perfectly shaped clamshell with patience. Will gave me a puzzled look and continued on his way, gathering whatever shells he came upon.
I stopped, but this time I asked in a stern voice, “Will, why do you keep filling our bucket with broken shells?” He looked up at me with his big blue eyes and replied, “Mom, these shells are broken, but they are still beautiful.” He began pulling out different shells and commenting on their uniqueness. “This one is broken, but look, it has the color purple on it. Mom, none of yours have purple on them,” he said with such pride.
“And, Mom, this one looks like a smile when you hold it this way,” he said as he reached for another broken shell. “It reminds me of a clown. This one is round like the sun, and these ones are stuck together like butterfly wings...” my eyes gradually filled with tears.
“You’re right, Will,” I agreed. We walked along the beach, collecting only broken shells in our bucket and admiring their beauty.
1. What kept Will from going to the beach in the first place?| A． Lack of company. | B．Time limits. | C．Personal preference. | D．His medical condition. |
| A．Confused | B．Proud | C．Serious | D．Gentle |
| A．Because he was into the shells of enormous sizes. |
| B．Because he knew purple was the rarest color for seashells. |
| C．Because he regarded the purple shell unique though broken. |
| D．Because he was reminded of his favorite toy at home. |
| A．Chance favors those who are well prepared. | B．Beauty can still be found in imperfection. |
| C．Happiness in life is to move forward. | D．Experience is the father of wisdom. |
【推荐3】I was not a quiet woman by nature. As a backpacker in my 20s, I was always looking for that next adventure, something new and exciting that made me feel as though I had been the first person to experience it.
I realized I fell in love with that feeling when I jumped on board a sailboat as a tourist on the San Blas Islands , a group of remote islands on the east coast of Panama. Now , five years later,I find myself owning a sailboat and setting out from the United States with my husband ,John, to sail our new home back to Australia while admiring all that this beautiful, watery world has to offer on the way.
We will live off the power of the wind to fill our sails and move our boat, the energy from the sun to power our electronics and the natural products from the ocean to fill our stomachs. We will not be over- consuming electricity or overfishing as these are luxuries (奢侈品) that are not possible in the limited space that comes along with life on a sailing boat.
For people who are always curious about life, sailing provides an endless learning space. These learning opportunities consist of expected learning opportunities such as reading the weather, keeping maintenance (保养) , and learning anchoring (抛锚) techniques. Aboard our boat, we are constantly absorbing new knowledge about things like the electrical systems of the boat ,food preparation ,wildlife watching and the history of each country and port.
I am not to talk you into following me. For some this presents a challenge ; for others it is a chance to choose a lifestyle living off the grid (输电网). And again,I want to repeat that a lifestyle or trip like this may not be for everyone :some may find it emotionally inspiring , while others in the same circumstances may find it to be emotionally tiring. However, if you enjoy personal development and self- reflection , this aspect of sailing is invaluable.
1. When did the author fall in love with adventurous trips?| A．When she moved to Australia. |
| B．When she got her first sailboat. |
| C．When she set out to sail with her husband. |
| D．When she traveled in Panama in a sailboat. |
| A．It is environmentally friendly. | B．It is well prepared in advance. |
| C．It mainly passes by big cities. | D．It uses the latest sailing technology. |
| A．Worried. | B．Satisfied. | C．Doubtful. | D．Regretful. |
| A．Travel teaches us to reflect on our life. |
| B．Living a green lifestyle is highly recommended. |
| C．Sailing contributes a lot to personal development. |
| D．Partners should do something meaningful together. |
