【推荐1】The idea behind Facebook is to make us feel connected all the time．But in my research, I’ve found that the truth is quite different．

Technology, it turns out, has made being alone seem like a problem that needs solving．When young people are alone, even for a minute or two, they feel the need to connect, to get on Facebook or some other social networks and chat．But in connecting, they often end up feeling more isolated．Why？Because by being in constant(不断的)connection, they lose the ability to feel satisfied with their own company(独处)．

Facebook can help us keep in touch with our friends, but we too often use it instead of spending face­to­face time with them．And since we feel the need to keep up with them online, we don’t have moments of loneliness where we can collect our thoughts and learn how to be comfortable being alone．

—Sherry Turkle, Professor

Facebook connects more of us to more of our friends and family in more places than we have ever been connected before．Yes, Facebook is a huge time sink—maybe the biggest ever．Many people post useless stuff．And seeing too much of your friends’ lives can make you jealous(嫉妒的), but it won’t make you lonely．

Jane, a former student of mine, who is back in New York after living abroad for ten years, told me that Facebook helps her a lot．The first time she moved back to New York from abroad, she felt disconnected from her family and friends．Now，because of lots of photos and information updates(更新), she knows what is happening with her friends all the time．

In fact, if you are lonely in real life, you will be lonely online as well．

—Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer

【推荐2】Today almost everyone knows computers and the Internet.If I ask you what the most important in your life is，maybe you will say“computers and the Internet”．

The first computer was made in 1946.It was very big but it worked very slowly.Today computers are getting smaller and smaller.But they work faster and faster.What can computers do？A writer has said，“People can't live without computers today.”

The Internet came a little later than computers.It is about twenty－five years later than computers.But now it can be found almost everywhere.We can use it to read books，write letters，go shopping，play games or make friends.

Many students like the Internet very much.They often go into the Internet as soon as they are free.They make friends on the Internet and maybe they have never seen these friends.They don't know their real names，ages，and even sex.They are so interested in making“unreal friends”that they can't put their heart into study.Many of them can't catch up with others on many subjects because of that.

We can use computers and the Internet to learn more about the world.But at the same time,we should remember that not all the things can be done by computers and the Internet.

【推荐3】Supporters of education technology have always imagined the bright future in the past twenty years: that by 2019, half of all middle school courses would be online; videos and practice apps could let students learn maths at their own speed; or that students with internet-connected computers could learn anything without the help of schools or teachers.

Then in 2020, 1 billion students around the world turned to online learning as the pandemic( 疫情) shut down schools. It was education technology’s big moment, but for many students and families, online learning has been a disappointment. When the world needs it most, why has education technology seemed so lackluster?

Technology education has a long history, but throughout the history there have been two main challenges. The first is that most people depend on human connection to stay motivated. When a student fails to concentrate on what the teacher is saying in a classroom, the teacher can notice it and take action. But when the same thing happens while using an education technology product, no one can see it. Assessments(评价) are also a challenge. Computers can show students standard answers. In some subjects, like maths, education technology can immediately tell whether the answer is right. But if we ask students to write a passage that explains why the Second World War broke out, computers can not assess the answer, part of which may be incorrect.

Education technology has long promised to change education, but for large areas of school learning, we don’t have online tools that are any better than printed books. For most teachers, the road to successful teaching with technology is not a total change to traditional education, but a slow process towards finding a right tool or way that is suitable for students.

【推荐3】Many on the Mountain

We often see people waiting in lines at supermarkets, theatres and amusement parks. Surprisingly, some people even have to wait in line at the summit (顶峰) of Qomolangma in the Himalayas.

The best time to climb the Himalayas is during the months of April and May, as well as some days in September and October. "In these periods of recent years, the path contains rocks and deep crack from melting ice due to the warm weather, which make expeditions up the mountain more dangerous," said Apa, an experienced Nepalese guide. During this year's climbing season, crowds of climbers became stuck in a long line near the summit. The line is above the mountain's highest campsite—about 8,000 meters above sea level.

However, most people can only spend a few minutes at the summit without extra oxygen supplies. Twenty-one mountaineers have died in the Himalayan mountains so far this year, according to Gripped, a magazine dedicated to mountain climbing. Eleven of these climbers died on Qomolangma.

This death count marks a four-year high. Overcrowding, inexperience and poor weather have been the most common causes of death, USA Today reported.

After these tragedies, one question remains: Why do so many people risk their lives to climb the mountain? The answer differs from climber to climber. Studies suggest that people who take risks tend to perceive themselves differently than people who avoid risky activities. But for adventurers who are drawn to the Himalayas, reaching the summit of Qomolangma is a lifelong dream, according to Discovery News.

"Qomolangma is like a light to bugs that attracts people once they hear about it. It represents the ultimate for many people," US mountaineer Alan Arnette said. Technological advances have also encouraged more people to climb the mountain. People can get high-tech safety equipment more easily than before. And with the internet, climbers know better than ever about how to reach the summit safely, Yahoo Travel noted.