As I enter my 40s, I’ve noticed many of my parents’ generation think social networking is something they are simply unable to understand. They fear that, should they try, they will somehow get it wrong; they will say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing or behave in a way that causes embarrassment. But there are some secrets of social media for them to consider.
Here’s the first secret: everyone feels this way. I recently met a young actor who was complaining that her work demands that she join Microblog, but she always feels like she doesn’t have anything smart to say. It’s the same resistance (抵制). I hear from the older generation, who, however, have somehow believed that age is the barrier (障碍), rather than the differences of personal taste.
Here’s the second secret: everybody uses it for more or less the same reasons. Older generations often sign up to stay in touch with children and relatives. We talk about this kind of communication like it’s some old-fashioned activity, but it is exactly why younger people use social media. The truth is that most people use social media to gently keep an eye on one another, to see how those they care about are doing without needing to ring them up on the phone every night.
And this is the last secret: everyone gets to use them in their own way. Newcomers—younger and older—who worry about “getting it right” are thinking that there’s a right way to get them. But actually there isn’t. Personally, I talk a lot on Microblog. And some people post nothing and they use social media every day as readers. Social media companies would rather see people decorating their networks with pictures and posts, but there’s no rule against being a fly on the wall. It’s also a fine way to get involved.
Were quick to forget that the web wasn’t invented by 13-year-olds; it was created by today’s seniors. I’d never try forcing those with no interest in social networks to use Microblog. But don’t let the talk of age divides put you off. There’s nothing to stop the older generation from joining in the network their own generation created.
1. What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?| A．To share with us his personal experience using social media. |
| B．To explain why the old generation don’t use social media. |
| C．To free the old generation from fearing using social media. |
| D．To tell us a few secrets of social media that he discovered. |
| A．people who prefer reading online books |
| B．people who cause trouble to others |
| C．people who post many fancy pictures |
| D．people who simply observe others’ posts |
| A．They believe they may be trapped in embarrassing situations. |
| B．They have no particular interest in social networking. |
| C．They prefer staying in touch with relatives in real life. |
| D．They have no idea which contents to post online. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
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【推荐1】Being able to take advantage of truly unlimited data is a smartphone user's dream, but everyone I've talked to about 5G is more excited about the usage unlocked by next - generation wireless devices. From smart home security to self - driving cars, all the Internet - connected equipment in your life will be able to talk to each other at lightning - fast speed with reduced delay.
"5 G is one of those forerunners, along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age, ” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. "Self - driving vehicles are emblematic in this data age - they show application of data completely. With one single task, driving, you have large amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors (传感器)are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It's pulling in data from other vehicles about conditions down the road. There's lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the speed and lower latency ((延迟).
AR glasses and virtual (虚拟的)reality headphones haven't yet been inside the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully saying that such equipment will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to improve - or even replace - smartphones.
Ericsson showed at February's Mobile World Congress in 2019 how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on outside equipment for processing power.
But don't get too excited. There's still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including some necessary testing to make sure the radio plays nicely with basic systems and service construction so that 5G isn, t concentrated only in big cities.
1. What does the first paragraph focus on?| A．Potential of 5G. | B．The super speed of 5G. |
| C．Usage of smart equipment. | D．The future of smart equipment. |
| A．available | B．productive | C．representative | D．popular |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Optimistic. | C．Cautious. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．To make radio play nicely. | B．To construct big 5G cities. |
| C．To do 5G trials effectively. | D．To expand 5G coverage fully. |
【推荐2】There is no denying that students should learn something about how computers work, just as we expect them at least to understand that the internal-combustion engine(内燃机）has something to do with burning fuel, expanding gases and pistons(活塞）being driven. For people should have some basic idea of how the things that they use do what they do. Further, students might be helped by a course that considers the computer's impact on society. But that is not what is meant by computer literacy.For computer literacy is not a form of literacy(读写能力）; it is a trade skill that should not be taught as a liberal art.
Learning how to use a computer and learning how to program one are two distinct activities. A case might be made that the competent citizens of tomorrow should free themselves from their fear of computers. But this is quite different from saying that all ought to know how to program one.Leave that to people who have chosen programming as a career. While programming can be lots of fun, and while our society needs some people who are experts at it, the same is true of auto repair and violin-making.
Learning how to use a computer is not that difficult, and it gets easier all the time as programs become more "user-friendly". Let us assume that in the future everyone is going to have to know how to use a computer to be a competent citizen. What does the phrase learning to use a computer mean? It sounds like "learning to drive a car", that is, it sounds as if there is some set of definite skills that, once acquired, enable one to use a computer.
In fact,"learning to use a computer"is much more like"learning to play a game", but learning the rules of one game may not help you play a second game,whose rules may not be the same.There is no such a thing as teaching someone how to use a computer. One can only teach people to use this or that program and generally that is easily accomplished.
1. To be the competent citizens of tomorrow, people should_____.| A．try to lay a solid foundation in computer science |
| B．be aware of how the things that they use do what they do |
| C．learn to use a computer by acquiring a certain set of skills |
| D．understand that programming a computer is more essential than repairing a car |
| A．programming a computer is as interesting as making a violin |
| B．people who can use a computer don't necessarily have to know computer programming |
| C．violin making requires as much skill as computer programming |
| D．our society needs experts in different fields |
| A．programs are designed to be convenient to users |
| B．programs are becoming less complicated |
| C．programming is becoming easier and easier |
| D．programs are becoming readily available to computer users |
| A．a set of rules |
| B．the fundamentals of computer science |
| C．specific programs |
| D．general principles of programming |
| A．to stress the impact of the computer on society |
| B．to emphasize that computer programming is an interesting and challenging job |
| C．to illustrate the requirements for being competent citizens of tomorrow |
| D．to explain the concept of computer literacy |
【推荐3】Like it or love it, social media is a major part of life. Clicking on a thumbs-up or a heart icon (图标) is an easy way to stay in touch. Whether you’re on Facebook, what’s App or Twitter, the way, of keeping in touch is no longer face to face, but instead screen to screen, highlighted by the fact that more than 1 billion people are using Facebook every day. Social media has become second nature — but what impact is this having on us?
Lauren Sherman and her team, who study the brain at Temple University in Philadeiphia, mixed 20 teens’ photos with 10 other pictures from public Instagram accounts. Then they randomly gave half of the images many likes (between 23 and 45; most had more than 30). They gave the other half no more than 22 likes (most had fewer than 15).
The researchers wanted to find out how the participants’ brains were responding to the different images. While the teens were in a machine, researchers asked them to either like an image or skip to the next one. Teens were much more likely to like images that seemed popular — those that had more than 23 likes, Sherman’s team found. The kids tended to skip pictures with few likes.
As part of the experiment, participants were also shown a range of “neutral” photos showing things like food and friends, and “risky” photos concerning cigarettes and alcohol. When looking at photos showing risky behaviors, such as smoking or drinking — no matter how many likes they had — the brain region linked to cognitive (认知的) control tended to become less active. These kinds of pictures can lower the viewer’s self-control. That means what you like online has the power to influence not just what others like, but even what they do. Viewing pictures like these could make teens let down their guard when it comes to experimenting with drugs and alcohol, Sherman worries.
1. What does the text focus on?| A．The behaviors of teens. |
| B．The self-control of teens. |
| C．The influence of social media. |
| D．The popularity of social media. |
| A．Seventeen images are given 20 likes. |
| B．Fifteen images are given 25 likes. |
| C．Fifteen images are given 42 likes. |
| D．Eight images are given 40 likes. |
| A．More likes may be given. |
| B．Misbehaviors may be encouraged. |
| C．More risky pictures may be posted. |
| D．Cognitive control may become less active. |
| A．To condemn immoral social behaviors. |
| B．To promote modern social media. |
| C．To explain the brain system. |
| D．To introduce a new research. |
【推荐1】There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language -- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they encounter new experiences and unexpected obstacles. In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to confront the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow. Do we perceive ourselves as quick and curious? If so, then we tend to take more chances and to be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we’re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of timidity can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and not to take a step until we know the ground is safe. Do we think we’re slow to adapt to change or that we’re not smart enough to cope with a new challenge? Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of insecurity and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not confront and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.
1. A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when _____.| A．he has abandoned the habit of idleness |
| B．he has made great efforts in his work |
| C．he is keen on learning anything new |
| D．he has tried to determine where he is on his urgent journey |
| A．succeed in getting a high position in society |
| B．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements |
| C．face difficulties and take up challenges |
| D．aim high and reach his goal each time |
| A．a new approach to experiencing the world |
| B．a new way of taking risks |
| C．a new method of holding our ground |
| D．a new attitude towards our failure |
| A．curiosity about more chances |
| B．quick adaptation to new conditions |
| C．open-mindedness to new experiences |
| D．avoidance of internal fears and doubts |
【推荐2】I could have gone my entire life without ever reading Moby Dick, but unfortunately, I have read it. Twice, I’ve had to read it twice.
I can trace it as far back as middle school—the teachers’ desire to push classic literature on students as much as possible. And it makes sense, in some ways. There are benefits of being well read — a more robust(强大的)vocabulary, concentration and understanding of literary reference in the world. But at the same time, being well read doesn’t necessarily mean only reading classics for the sake of reading classics.
This isn’t to say that classic novels serve no purpose in a curriculum or in the literary world—classics are, in many ways, vital to a well-rounded education in literature. But so are pieces of contemporary(现代的)literature and books from centuries ago that haven’t been coined classics. So yes, there’s room for classic novels. But right now, there’s too much room for classic novels.
There are also many modern sayings that come from classics—like “Big brother is watching you,” from George Orwell’s 1984, and “Tomorrow is another day,” from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. It’s worth something to be well read in texts that have had an influence on the construction of modern-day language. But at the same time, when classic novels are included into the high school curriculum, they should be selected with care.
And as far as contemporary literature goes, there seems to be an opinion that it doesn’t offer as much wisdom and has less value and, therefore, we can’t learn as much from it. I’ve found this to be most untrue. After all, we tend to learn best from things that we can connect to, and contemporary literature is often the most relatable. And though it hasn’t had the time to become a classic，the structure and syntax(句法)holds its own. It’s different from classic work, but it’s not less valuable.
So let’s take a step back from the classics. We think that they’re pushing us forward, when, really, they might be standing in our way.
1. Why did the author read Moby Dick twice?| A．To enlarge her vocabulary. | B．To meet her teachers’ requirement. |
| C．To satisfy her desire to read classics. | D．To have a better understanding of classics. |
| A．To prove classics are worthy of being read. |
| B．To show some classic novels are out of date. |
| C．To compare classics with contemporary literature. |
| D．To advise schools to select classic works carefully. |
| A．They are not as valuable as classics. |
| B．They are more important than classics. |
| C．They should not be looked down upon. |
| D．They will become classics in the future. |
| A．Avoid reading them. | B．Treat them seriously. |
| C．Promote them at high school. | D．Reconsider their importance. |
【推荐3】Skeptics are strange a lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The "eco-guilt" brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.
Perhaps that explains why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the "real state of the world" as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets of some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg's views are similar to those of some industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities through the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.
So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg's book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that "After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down."
Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg's "preference for unexamined materials is incredible".
A critical eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interest. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That's a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.
1. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as "skeptics"?| A．People who agree on the popularity of "eco-guilt". |
| B．People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities. |
| C．People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet. |
| D．People who spread comforting news to protect our environment. |
| A．The book challenges views about the fine state of the world. |
| B．Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests. |
| C．The author convinces people to speak comforting worldviews. |
| D．Industry–funded media present confusing information. |
| A．find fault with Lomborg's book |
| B．voice a different opinion |
| C．challenge the authority of the media |
| D．point out the value of scientific views |
| A．To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media. |
| B．To warn the public of the danger of half–blindness with reviews. |
| C．To blame the media's lack of responsibility in information. |
| D．To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye. |
【推荐1】Up until a few decades ago, our visions of the future were largely—though by no means uniformly—glowingly positive. Science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all.
Now utopia has grown unfashionable, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change. You might even be tempted to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.
But such gloominess is misplaced. The fossil record shows that many species have endured for millions of years—so why shouldn’t we? Take a broader look at our species’ place in the universe, and it becomes clear that we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years. Look up homo sapiens (智人) in the “Red List” of threatened species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and you will read: “Listed as Least Concern as the species is very widely distributed, currently increasing, and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline.”
So what does our deep future hold? A growing number of researchers and institutions are now thinking seriously about that question. For example, the Long Now Foundation has its flagship project a mechanical clock that is designed to still be marking time thousands of years hence.
Perhaps willfully, it may be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate future. The potential evolution of today’s technology, and its social consequences, is dazzlingly complicated, and it’s perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can conceive (构想). That’s one reason why we have launched Arc, a new publication dedicated to the near future.
But take a longer view and there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance. As so often, the past holds the key to the future: we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns shaping the history of the planet, and our species, to make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants (后代) will find themselves.
This long perspective makes the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely to be a passing fad (狂热). To be sure, the future is not all rosy. But we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans, and to improve the lot of those to come.
1. Our vision of the future used to be influenced by ________.| A．our desire for lives of fulfillment | B．our faith in science and technology |
| C．our awareness of potential risks | D．our belief in equal opportunity |
| A．a sustained species | B．a misplaced race |
| C．a threat to the environment | D．the world’s dominant power |
| A．Arc helps limit the scope of futurological studies. |
| B．Technology offers solutions to social problem. |
| C．The interest in science fiction is on the rise. |
| D．Our immediate future is hard to imagine. |
| A．explore our planet’s abundant resources | B．adopt an optimistic view of the world |
| C．draw on our experience from the past | D．control our ambition to reshape history |
【推荐2】It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak the ‘decline of class’ and ‘classless society’ in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class. But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging society of public opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in particular class; 73 percent agreed that class was still a vital part of British society; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an important part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.
One unchanging aspect of a British person’s class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounded ‘educated’ and ‘soft’. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional (地区的) city accents. These accents were seen as ‘common’ and ‘ugly’. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper middle-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song ‘Common People’ puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may ‘want to live like common people’ they can never appreciate the reality of a working-class life.
1. A recent study of public opinion shows that in modern Britain ________.| A．it is time to end class distinction. |
| B．most people belong to middle class. |
| C．it is easy to recognize a person’s class. |
| D．people regard themselves socially different. |
| A．variety | B．division | C．authority | D．qualification |
| A．original | B．educated | C．prejudiced | D．unattractive. |
| A．The middle class is expanding. |
| B．A person’s accent reflects his class. |
| C．Class is a key part of British society. |
| D．Each class has unique characteristics. |
【推荐3】Who has no regrets about things done in the past? Wouldn’t it be nice if, somehow, we could go back to change a couple of bad decisions? This sounds like science fiction.
The laws of physics prohibit traveling back in time for many reasons. If we did travel back in time and changed the course of events, we would be altering the course of history. An example often cited is the grandfather’s paradox (悖论): If your grandfather died when he was still a high school student, he wouldn’t have met your grandmother and your father and you wouldn’t exist.
Putting humans or consciousness traveling back in time aside for the moment, is there anything in science even similar? Surprisingly, yes. At the level of quantum particles (量子粒子), there is something called Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiments that show that actions in the present can influence the past. The experiments use something called the wave-particle duality (波粒二象性) of light and of matter. The fact that the physical nature of quantum objects is undetermined until it is measured. In other words, this means that a particle of light or of matter can behave either as a wave (spreading out in space) or as a particle (staying together) depending on the measuring devices. Long and ongoing discussions about the nature of quantum physics are still trying to work out what this actually means. Do our minds determine the nature of physical reality?
Should we offer food for thought for the future or the past? Unfortunately, these experiments say very little about how we could interfere with the past in events relevant to the human scale. Better to think carefully about decisions than to try to fix them backwards.
1. What’s the purpose of mentioning the paradox?| A．To show it is interesting. |
| B．To explain Wheeler’s tests. |
| C．To demonstrate time is different from what we have known. |
| D．To show it’s impossible to travel back in time. |
| A．Consciousness traveling back in time was tried in the experiments. |
| B．Different measuring devices have the same result. |
| C．More research is needed in the future. |
| D．These experiments can determine the nature of matter. |
| A．We should focus on the present. |
| B．The future food is more nutritious. |
| C．We can change the past from the experiments. |
| D．It is never too late to make up for mistakes. |
| A．Is changing the past wise? |
| B．Can we change the past? |
| C．Do our minds determine the future? |
| D．Do the laws of physics ban traveling back? |
