Stay-at-home kids are named “generation nini” in Spain. They are those adults who still live at home and are neither working nor studying. But the problem is by no means limited to Spain. It is a worldwide problem.
In Italy, they are known as “bamboccioni” or big babies. There are nearly 60 percent of 18 to 34-year-old adults still living in their parents’ home, up from almost 50 percent since 1983. Last year, an Italian government minister admitted that his mother washed his clothes and made the bed for him until he was 30. He demanded a law forcing young Italians to leave their parents’ home at 18 to stop them becoming hopelessly dependent on their parents.
In the UK, the government has made the term NEETS — not in employment, education or training for these children. In England alone, the percent of NEETS aged 19-24 surged to 18. 8 percent of the age group in the last quarter of 2010, up 1.4 percent on the same period a year before. The number of British men in their 20s living with their parents has risen from 59 percent to 80 percent in the past 15 years, while the number of women has risen from 41 percent to 50 percent. The average age of the first-time house buyers is now 38.
In the US, the problem is known as the “Full Nest Syndrome (综合症)”. Adults there are left struggling to support adult children who have stayed at home with student debts and facing few job opportunities in a weak economy. A recent study showed almost a third of American adults aged 34 and under are living with their parents.
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the main topic. | B．To show the author’s attitude. |
| C．To describe a situation. | D．To analyze causes. |
| A．it is normal for adult children to live with their parents. |
| B．parents should never wash clothes for their children. |
| C．young people should live on their own after 18. |
| D．parents should take care of their adult children. |
| A．American parents are willing to live with their adult children. |
| B．Some American adult children become a heavy burden to their parents. |
| C．Most America adults aged 34 are living with their parents. |
| D．It is widely accepted for adult children to live with their parents in America. |
| A．An advertisement. | B．A science report. | C．A newspaper. | D．A brochure. |
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【推荐1】Everyone has a phone in their pocket nowadays, but how often do we really use them for their original purpose—to make a call? Telephone culture is disappearing. What brought us to this moment, and what are its effects?
“No one picks up the phone anymore,” wrote Alex C. Madrigal on The Atlantic. “The reflex (习惯性动作) of answering—20th-century telephonic culture—is gone.”
The shift is of course due in large part to more communication options: Texting with photos, videos, emojis, reaction gifs, links and even voice messages can be a more attractive option.
Texting is light and fun, not nearly as demanding of your attention as a phone call. It can also be done with multiple people at the same time. Social media, email and video calls have also eaten away at traditional phone calls.
In recent years, another reason has caused people to ignore phone calls completely: robocalls. Robocalls are automate (自动化的) messages from organizations verifying (核实) your phone number or telemarketers trying to sell something. Americans received 22.8 billion robocalls halfway through 2020, equaling an annual rate of 45.6 billion, slightly below 2018 numbers, according to YouMail, a robocall protection service and blocking app.
As telephone culture disappears, what is the loss of a singular family phone doing to the family unit? Early landline phones unified family members, whereas mobile phones isolate(隔离) them.
“The shared family phone served as an anchor for home,” said Luke Fernandez, a Weber State University computer-science professor and co-author of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Feelings About Technology, From the Telegraph to Twitter. “With smart phones, we have gained mobility and privacy. But the value of the home has been diminished, as has its ability to guide and monitor family behavior and perhaps connect families more closely,”Fernandez said.
Of course, as technology progresses, lives always change for better or for worse. With the loss of telephone culture, families will need to find other ways to unite.
1. What has caused the traditional telephone to lose its appeal according to the text?| A．People’s preference for robocalls. |
| B．People’s addiction to social media |
| C．People’s growing need for privacy |
| D．People’s wide range of communication choices |
| A．Smart phones make families closer. |
| B．Smart phones help people monitor family behavior. |
| C．The value of home depends on how phones are used. |
| D．The use of mobile phone has affected family bonds. |
| A．The past and future of telephone |
| B．The development of communication tools. |
| C．The downfall of traditional telephone culture. |
| D．The relation between phone use and family bonds. |
【推荐2】Human beings have always had an ability to attend to several things at once. Nor is electronic multitasking entirely new! We’ve been driving while listening to car radios since they became popular in the 1930s. But there is no doubt that multitasking has reached a kind of warp speed in the era of Web-enabled computers, when it has become routine to conduct several IM (即时通讯) conversations, watch TV and use the computer all at once.
But what’s the impact of this media consumption? And how are these multitasking devices changing how kids learn, reason and communicate with one another? Social scientists and educators are just beginning to deal with these questions, but the researchers already have some strong opinions.
Although multitasking kids may be better prepared in some ways for today’s fast-paced work placed, many scientists are positively alarmed by the trend. Kids that are instant messaging while doing homework, playing games online and watching TV, aren’t going to do well in the long run. On the positive side, multitasking students tend to be extraordinarily good at finding and using information. And probably because modern childhood centers around visual (视觉的) rather than print media, they are especially skilled at analyzing visual data and images.
Many educators and psychologists say parents need to actively insure that their teenagers break free of uncontrollable engagement with screens and spend time in the physical company of human beings — a growing challenge not just because technology offers such a handy option but because many teenagers and college students say over-committed (任务过量的) schedules drives much of their multitasking.
Just as important is for parents and educator to teach kids that it’s valuable, even essential, to occasionally slow down, unplugs and take time to enjoy life beyond the screen.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?| A．How is multitasking defined in the information age? |
| B．How do people see new technology and the social change it brings about? |
| C．How does technology change modern family life? |
| D．What’s the impact of multitasking on young people? |
| A．low speed | B．high speed |
| C．steady speed | D．too much time alone |
| A．Too much tasks and arrangements. | B．Too much time alone. |
| C．Inability to focus. | D．Fear of being neglected. |
| A．Humans have begun to engage in the multitasking behaviors since the information age. |
| B．Multitasking is a critical skill that students are required to learn at school. |
| C．Only parents can help their kids to get rid of the multitasking habits. |
| D．Multitasking may prepare students for the reality of today’s fast-paced work environment. |
| A．To cut off home internet connection. |
| B．To seek medical treatment. |
| C．To encourage their kids to have some social life. |
| D．To help their kids to set personal goals. |
【推荐3】Unless you’re blind or know someone who is, you might not know that blind people use the same smartphones as sighted people. In fact, many blind people use touch-screen smartphones every day. The secret is that smartphones have a screen reader, a tool that allows blind people to use a mix of gestures and taps, along with vibrations (震动) or audio feedback, to use their apps.
Screen readers work on desktop computers as well as mobile devices. A well-designed website or app user interface (用户界面) makes the information on the website or app accessible to the screen reader, which makes it accessible to blind users. However, a badly designed website or application will turn out to be invisible to a screen reader.
Many designers find a good way to make technology available to all, which can be explained through an example — the whole touch screen. It was reported that blind users found locating small icons and specific numbers on the on-screen keypad(键盘) difficult. At present, the prevailing solution to this problem is to use the whole touch screen as an input control. Instead of having to touch a particular part of the screen, users can tap anywhere in response to audio instructions. These insights would have been impossible without involving people with different disabilities in the evaluation and design of touch screens.
Yet many technologies are still not accessible to users with disabilities. One way to make apps and websites more accessible is to have people with disabilities designing the technologies. But the design process itself is not very accessible to those very people, because very few tools in user interface designers’ toolbox are accessible. It’s a catch-22.
Our recent research evaluated the existing prototyping software, a tool allowing user interface designers to create temporary models to show clients or to test among users. We found that most popular prototyping software fails to work together with screen readers. Therefore, blind designers cannot use the prototyping software to create models of their own. This is where the problem is in the process of creating accessible technology.
Accessibility is an issue that touches everyone. Providing access to technology is legally required in most cases. While it is useful for designers to be aware of how users with disabilities interact with technologies, the most powerful insights may come from those with disabilities themselves.
1. What’s the major difference between a well-designed app and a badly designed one?| A．The former functions well with a screen reader. |
| B．The former is applicable to most mobile devices. |
| C．The latter fails to interact with desktop computers. |
| D．The latter’s complex mix of information distracts users. |
| A．Evaluating users’ response to on-screen keypads. |
| B．Making input and output controls easy to operate. |
| C．Creating special icons and numbers for blind people. |
| D．Including disabled people in the development process. |
| A．Priority. | B．Prejudice. |
| C．Dilemma. | D．Puzzle. |
| A．To show disabled people’s difficulty in using digital devices. |
| B．To urge people to be concerned about the situation of the disabled. |
| C．To inform us of the specific needs of the disabled in the digital era. |
| D．To stress the importance of engaging the disabled in technology development. |
What we do have, however, are some results suggesting that mobile phones’ emission(辐射) have a variety of strange effects on living tissue that can’t be explained by the general radiation biology. And it’s only when the questions raised by these experiments are answered that we’ll be able to say for sure what mobile phones might be doing to the brain.
One of the strange effects comes from the now famous “memory loss” study. Alan Preece and his colleagues at the University of Bristol placed a devic(装置) that copied the microwave emission of mobile phones to the left ear of volunteers. The volunteers were all good at recalling words and pictures they had been shown on a computer screen. Preece says he still can’t comment on the effects of using a mobile phone for years on end. But he rules out the suggesting that mobile phones have an immediate effect on our cognitive(感知的) abilities. “I’m pretty sure there is no short-term memory.” he says.
Another expert, Tatterasll, remarked that his latest findings have removed fears about memory loss. One result, for instance, suggests that nerve cell synapses(神经元突触) exposed to microwaves become more—rather than less—receptive to under-going changes linked to the memory formation.
It would be an even happier outcome if microwave turned out to be good for you. It sounds crazy, but a couple of years ago a team led by Willian Adey at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California found that mice exposed to microwave for two hours a day were less likely to develop brain tumours(肿瘤) when given a cancer-causing chemical.
So should we forget about mobile phone radiation causing brain tumours and making us unable to think clearly or reasonably?
“If it doesn’t cause cancer in animals and cells, then it probably isn’t going to cause cancer in humans,” says William. And while there’s still no absolute evidence that mobile phone does damage your memories or give your cancer, the
1. What worries people who use mobile phones?
| A．Mobile phones will kill them. |
| B．Mobile phones cause memory loss. |
| C．Mobile phones heat the brain. |
| D．All above is right. |
| A．Doubt. | B．Disagree. | C．Approve. | D．Wait and see. |
| A．consensus | B．disagreement | C．possibility | D．impossibility |
| A．can result in killing you |
| B．is likely develop brain tumours |
| C．is unlikely to develop brain tumours |
| D．will cause your loss of memory for ever |
【推荐2】Australian experts have expressed concerns that too many millennials(千禧一代) are hoping to use their social media accounts to build their careers. Their concerns follow the sudden rise in “insta-celebrities” who make money by posting sponsored(赞助的) photos online. For the lucky few who are not only talented photographers but also good-looking and business-savvy(有商业头脑的), making money off social media isn’t impossible.
Instagram is flooded with social media professionals paid to promote products and services. However, social scientist Lauren Rosewarne, from the University of Melbourne, says that in reality, there are far fewer people making money off the platforms than one may think. She said many young Australians were getting sucked in by the appeal of making money on platforms like Instagram, describing it as “totally unrealistic” and extremely difficult to do.
“Young people are hoping to be famous in numbers that were simply not there 20 years ago,” Rosewarne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Saturday. “There are some people who can make fortunes out of monetizing(使具有货币性质) their Instagram posts, but that is not the norm.” She said it was up to parents and schools to discourage students from seeking Insta-fame, as many believe it is a possible career choice. “There’s the warning for parents; this is not a normal or even common occurrence that you can monetize your Instagram account.”
Meanwhile Toni Eager from Australian National University said social problems could arise from spending too much time with social media. “Where do the insta-celebrities go to separate the life people see on Instagram from their actual normal life?” Eager said. “All of a sudden, people own your private life.”
1. Why is there a rise in “insta-celebrities”?| A．Many young people are good at taking photos. |
| B．Many people see it as a shortcut to making money. |
| C．People want to socialize by sharing photos online. |
| D．Instagram offers a reliable career choice for millennials. |
| A．Becoming involved in something. | B．Benefiting from something. |
| C．Taking advantage of something. | D．Being satisfied with something. |
| A．Young people today are more business-savvy than ever. |
| B．Young people are becoming less interested in internet fame. |
| C．Instagram is not a good platform to promote new products. |
| D．It may not be a good idea for the young to try earning money on Instagram. |
| A．An over-reliance on Instagram. | B．Inability to appreciate life. |
| C．A loss of personal privacy. | D．An addiction to the virtual life online. |
【推荐3】The long, white robot weighs more than 450 kilograms. Like other robots, it is equipped with cameras and mechanical arms to automatically perform many different jobs.
Angus is a major part of operations at Alexander’s indoor robot farm about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco. The 743-square meter farm uses a hydroponic system that grows plants without soil. The plants grow inside equipment that provides a continuous flow of water. The indoor farm uses electrical light instead of sunlight.
This kind of farm uses much less water and does not require human labor to run. The main job for Angus is to move thousands of plants around the farm, from small containers to larger ones as they grow. Angus also carries plants to another robot that does not have a name yet. Angus moves slowly to complete its work. But the robot is very strong and can lift about 300 kilograms.
For now, the farm uses humans to collect vegetables and other crops when they are ready. But Alexander says he is working on a robot that will eventually take over that job too.
Alexander helped start the company Iron Ox after leaving Google, where he worked on robotics at the company’s Google X project. He teamed up with another former Google employee, Jon Binney. Together they founded Iron Ox.
Iron Ox’s website says the hydroponic growing system uses 90 percent less water. It also says the growing method is up to 30 times more productive than growing crops on land.
Alexander says growing food robotically throughout the year in major cities will provide more consistent and fresh products. Most of the vegetables sold in the U.S. are grown in California, Arizona, Mexico and other nations. That means that many people in the U.S. cities are eating vegetables that are nearly a week old by the time they arrive at stores.
Indoor farms operate all year round and are not generally affected by bad weather. This will permit the company to provide a steady flow of goods without major price changes.
1. How does Angus work in the farm?| A．It provides a continuous flow of water for the plants. |
| B．It directs other robots to work in the farm. |
| C．It is in charge of transferring plants. |
| D．It works on collecting vegetables. |
| A．He started Iron Ox by himself. |
| B．He started a company studying robotics with Binney. |
| C．He works on collecting crops when they are ready. |
| D．He used to work on robotics at Google. |
| A．The vegetables from his farm sell at a higher price. |
| B．It uses less water but produces more. |
| C．It uses electrical light instead of sunlight. |
| D．The vegetables from his farm are more nutritious. |
| A．Robot Farm, Aiming to Bring Fresher Food to the US Cities |
| B．Robot Farm, the Future of the Agriculture |
| C．Alexander, an Extraordinary Scientist on Robotics |
| D．Hydroponic System, the New Way of Farming |
