Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends—532, actually, if you count up both her Instagram followers and Facebook friends, And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually means spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of his time is spent on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friend ships stronger, “There’s definitely positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie, co-author of the App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual worlds, we will have little time for our real world friendships.” says Rosen, a professor at California State University.
Rosen also worries that today s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you didn’t need someone to like your picture or share your tweet. You needed someone who would keep your secrets and hold you hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the text. | B．To tell about true friends. |
| C．To bring up a discussion. | D．To encourage online dating. |
| A．Worried. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Confused. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It’s wise to turn to friends online. |
| B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
| C．Facebook helps people stay closely connected. |
| D．Busy online communication may affect real world friendships. |
| A．In paragraph 6. | B．In paragraph 5. |
| C．In paragraph 4. | D．In paragraph 3. |
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【推荐1】Brook wanted a dollhouse and some sugar cookies. So the 6-year-old asked Alexa to get them. Alex, a vice-activated home assistant powered "by artificial intelligence"(Al), made Brooke's wishes come true. A few days later, much to her parents' surprise, four pounds of cookies and a $170 dollhouse showed up. And that's not the end of the story. When a news anchor told Book's story on TV, Alexa devices in many listeners' homes woke up and tried to order dollhouses!
Alexa isn't the only Al willing to order. Apple HomePod has Siri, Google Home has its Assistant, and the upcoming Galaxy Home device will have Bixby. People who own these devices use them mainly for listening to music, checking the weather and setting timers. But many experts predict a boom in voice shopping in the near future. Is that a good thing?
Convenience is the main benefit of voice shopping. You can shout out an order as soon as you think of it, even if you're cooking, cleaning, or driving. In addition, people with disabilities who are unable to use a keyboard or mouse can shop without assistance.
But voice shopping has its downsides. Unwanted dollhouses aren't the biggest problem. It's usually very easy to cancel an order or return items. The thing that creeps some people out is that these assistants are always listening. They have to be able to respond when you want them. So they listen for "Alexa" or "OK Google" or another command. When they hear it, they start recording the conversation. Some have worried about what happens to these recordings. Should companies be allowed to use them to learn about people's shopping habits? Should police access them to solve a crime? And what if someone hacks the device? The CIA found a way to hack smart TVs to turn them into spies that listen all the time. Others could do the same with any smart device.
1. The writer mentions Brook and Alex in the first paragraph to __________.| A．share an interesting experience | B．show Brook's eagerness for cookies |
| C．introduce the topic of voice shopping | D．show the functions of a new smart device |
| A．Terrifies. | B．Affects. |
| C．Impresses. | D．Excites. |
| A．The return policy is complicated. |
| B．There are safety and privacy concerns. |
| C．Quality of the goods can't be guaranteed. |
| D．The device is not smart and reliable enough to process orders. |
【推荐2】What we define as beautiful depends on who sees it-the young or the old, through the Asian or Western eyes or the beauty experts.
Let me give an illustration. The Kayans are a tribe living near Thailand, where the women wear brass neck rings, The longer the neck rings, the more beautiful they are regar-ded. On the other hand, the Asian world regards fair skin as the ultimate definition of beauty.
Another criterion(标准) is that she must be slim The idea of a beautiful slim person is especially so in the world of fashion. Many models are slim to the point of being skinny. However, they have eating disorders. As a result, some countries have tried to put a stop to this.
This is done not just for the health of the models. Teenagers and young adults notice how all of the models are skinny and therefore try to follow them. This leads to poor diet, poor self-esteem, and poor health.
Inner beauty is something that we seem to forget because we do not see it. The recent singing sensation who was dismissed by the audience and the judges before she could open her mouth is one such case. Susan Boyle is frumpy-looking, has bushy eyebrows and frizzy hair. In short, she is ugly compared to the other young and beautiful participants However, she has a beautiful voice. When she sang, she was given a standing applause by the audience and the judges.
Of course, looks should have absolutely nothing to do with talent. But people’s perception is such. We have placed so much importance on looks than character or qualities of compassion and kindness that are so important in our daily lives. One of the most beautiful persons in the world is Mother Teresa. She spent her life in the slums of India to take care of the sick and dying. There are many like her, going around helping the needy in their quiet little ways.
1. Why does the author give an illustration in paragraph 2?| A．To interpret a concept. | B．To explain a practice. |
| C．To arouse reader’ interest. | D．To introduce a topic. |
| A．people need to raise health awareness |
| B．the fashion world must be under control |
| C．skinny models may mislead young adults |
| D．the models are suffering eating disorders |
| A．Beauty lies in love’s eyes. |
| B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．Everyone has his feet of clay. |
| D．Rome wasn’t built in one day. |
| A．Characters are more important than looks. |
| B．Teenagers mustn’t follow in models’ footsteps |
| C．People shouldn’t attach importance to loks |
| D．We should open our eyes to inner beauty. |
For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority(当权者) has shown no relationship with workers’ health. But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work disturbs their home life. However, the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out (抵消) the negative aspects when it came to people’s physical and psychological health.
These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages and disadvantages of authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects. For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and well-being. Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay.
Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and tiredness. Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.
“This isn’t to suggest that having authority is ‘bad’ — in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the negative sides and deal with them.” researcher Scott Schieman said. Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy physical and mental well-being by creating stress. “These are key stressors that can tax individuals’ ability to function effectively,” Schieman said.
1. Work will have a negative effect on job authority’s health probably because ________.
| A．they are not fit for their work |
| B．they have power over hiring and pay |
| C．they are faced with severe competition |
| D．they don’t get on well with their co-workers |
| A．their health problems are not serious enough to see |
| B．they have enough money to keep themselves healthy |
| C．their problems are quite different from those of workers |
| D．the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other |
| A．warn people not to be a boss for ever |
| B．remind the boss to deal with the bad effects of their work |
| C．show that having authority is harmful to one’s health |
| D．prove that being a boss can benefit a lot |
| A．Lower-status can affect health |
| B．Authority can affect health in a way |
| C．Positive aspects of a power position |
| D．Disadvantages of being a boss |
【推荐1】We live in the age of envy. Career envy, kitchen envy, children envy, food envy, holiday envy. You name it, there’s an envy for it. Human beings have always felt what Aristotle defined in the fourth century BC as pain at the sight of another’s good fortune. But with the coming of social media, says Ethan Kross, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, “envy is being taken to an extreme.” We are constantly bombarded by “Photoshopped lives”, he says, “and that applies a toll (严重的不良影响) on us the likes of which we have never experienced in the history of our species. And it is not particularly pleasant.”
Clinical psychologist Rachel Andrew says she is seeing more and more envy in her consulting room from people who “can’t achieve the lifestyle they want but which they see others have”. Our use of social media platforms, she says, amplifies this deeply disturbing psychological discord. “I think what social media has done is make everyone accessible for comparison,” she explains. “In the past, people might have just envied their neighbors, but now we can compare ourselves with everyone across the world.”
And those comparisons are now much less realistic, Andrew continues: “We all know that images can be filtered, that people are presenting the very best take on their lives.” We carry our envy amplification device around in our pockets, we sleep with it next to our pillows, and it tempts us 24 hours a day, the moment we wake up even if it is the middle of the night. “What I notice is that most of us can intellectualize what we see on social media platforms — we know that these images and narratives that are presented aren’t real, we can talk about it and rationalize it — but on an emotional level, it’s still pushing buttons. If those images or narratives tap into what we desire, but what we don’t have, then it becomes very powerful.”
No age group or social class is immune from envy, according to Andrew. In her consulting room she sees young women, self-conscious about how they look, who begin to follow certain accounts to find hair inspiration or makeup techniques, and end up envying the women they follow and feeling even worse about themselves. But she also sees the same pattern among older businessmen and women who start out looking for strategies and tips on social media websites, and then struggle to accept what they find, which is that some people seem to be more successful than they are. “Equally, it can be friends and family who bring out those feelings of envy, around looks, lifestyle, careers and parenting — because somebody is always doing it better on social media,” she says.
1. Which of the following is true about “the age of envy” in Paragraph 1?| A．Watching another’s good fortune used to be a pleasant thing to do |
| B．Human beings first learn about envy in the fourth century BC |
| C．Social media posts have become the source of envy today |
| D．People in the time of Aristotle don’t envy others’ lives |
| A．the feeling of being inferior after comparing to other people |
| B．the wish to have a better life than your next door neighbor |
| C．the desire to look cool in every social media photo |
| D．the lifestyle that is most chased after by others |
| A．Envy doesn’t usually apply to our family and close friends. |
| B．The older we get, the less likely we feel jealous about other people. |
| C．We get jealous when other people become the focus on social media. |
| D．Envy is an emotion that even rational people may not be able to avoid. |
| A．How to Overcome Social Media Jealousy |
| B．Why Social Media Affects Our Mental Health |
| C．How Social Media Can Increase Feelings of Envy |
| D．Why Heavy Social Media Use Is Linked to Depression |
【推荐2】Twenty years ago, the idea of sharing our lives so openly with the world was unheard of. However, for young people today it is considered completely normal to share pictures of their lives and interact (互动) online every day. Fans of social media point out that the world has never been so connected as it has allowed people to make friends, learn about the world and celebrate life.
However, many people have concerns about the effects of this new way of living, particularly around the amount and type of information that is shared so openly. Recently researchers have found that too much time on social media may have some negative (消极的) effects. They measured people’s attitudes and feelings before and after watching social media sites. They found that the more time people spent on social media, the more unhappy they became.
There are a number of reasons for this. When watching social media, people often see photographs and stories showing beautiful holidays, fun parties and fashionable clothes. People seldom post negative stories or bad pictures, so it can be misleading (误导). For those looking at these pictures and comparing them to their own lives, they can end up feelings ad and depressed. They might think their lives are worse in comparison. Even for those people who post positive stories and pictures, they too can feel stressed and worried. The number of “likes” and comments on their posts can make them anxious about their popularity. Of course, there is also the problem of “cyber bullying” where people become victims (受害者) of bullying online when others make negative or cruel comments about them.
The reality is that social media is a part of modern life and it is not going to go away. This research shows us that it is important to find a balance between our online and offline lives. We don’t have to disconnect from the Internet to live a happy life, but we should realise that the pictures we see and stories we read are only part of a bigger picture. If we can do that, we can protect ourselves and enjoy our lives.
1. What effect does social media have according to the recent research?| A．It enables people to make more friends on the Internet. |
| B．It helps people to have a better knowledge of the world. |
| C．It makes people have much more wonderful lives. |
| D．It increases unhappiness for people using it too much. |
| A．They fear others mislead their posts. |
| B．They think others have happier lives. |
| C．They fear others have no interest in the stories. |
| D．They guess they may be bullied by bad people. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By making comparison. | D．By describing process. |
| A．Telling us to balance online and offline lives. |
| B．Introducing the convenience social media creates. |
| C．Describing the threats caused by social media. |
| D．Persuading people to disconnect from the Internet. |
Do social influencers affect our buying?
Have you ever been on social media and seen your favourite celebrity talking about a product? These endorsements might not be totally random, and are actually seen as a vital part of the marketing process. The question is: How do social media influencers ‘influence’ what you buy?
Human desire for status and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, make us easily impressed to being ‘socially influenced’. Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity we admire to hawk or launch a product. So, what do these endorsements actually do?
Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform they operate on, and therefore can create engaging content that not only adheres to the brand image, but sparks their followers’ interest in a product they might never have seen before.
Secondly, influencers can improve a company or product’s relationship with their customer base. According to InMoment’s 2018 US Retail CX Trends Report on customer loyalty, 77% of buyers have been brand loyal for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of millennials. A popular celebrity can target key demographics and talk or blog about a product, which can create an instant and lasting bond with the consumer.
Lastly, influencers can improve customer buying habits with seemingly ‘unbiased opinions’. We are more likely to respond to ‘peer recommendation’ than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a ‘friend’ can make us less likely to be sceptical about what we are seeing.
So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target your core needs. If you find yourself pursuing a product you’ve seen on social media, you may well have been influenced.
1. What factors make ‘social influence’ so effective?2. What does an influencer do to make the brand he promotes well-known among his followers?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement. Then underline it and explain why.
A popular celebrity makes his followers believe he is their friends, sharing with them his real opinions on the products.
4. Would you buy a product because it is promoted by your favourite celebrity? Why? Why not?(In about 40 words)
