Social media allows people to keep in touch with friends, family and the people around the world with like-minded interests, and share their own thoughts, personal updates, and opinions online. However, using social media too much and posting many selfies (自拍) have caused a rise in narcissism, according to a new study. Narcissism is when someone becomes very selfish and believes they are very talented and beautiful. They need attention from other people and think they are better than everyone else.
Researchers at universities in Swansea and Milan found that heavy users of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter showed a 25 percent rise in narcissism in just four months. The researchers studied how 74 people aged 18 to 34 used social media and looked at how their personality changed. They said that posting selfies seemed to increase levels of narcissism in a way that text messaging does not. Those who used social media too much, through posting pictures, showed an average 25 percent increase in such narcissistic personality over the four months of the study. Only one of them in the study didn’t use social media, and others’ average use was around three hours a day, not including usage for work. Some said that they used social media for as much as eight hours a day for non-working reasons.
More than two-thirds of the participants at the beginning used social media for posting pictures. Professor Phil Reed, from the Department of Psychology at Swansea University, said, “There have been suggestions of links between narcissism and the use of selfies on social media, such as Facebook, but until this study, it was not known if using such social media is related with the growth in narcissism.”
The results of this study suggest that posting selfies can increase narcissism. Professor Read said that about 20 percent of people may be at risk of developing narcissism. This is because they want attention and likes from other people after they post a selfie. They also want to show others how their life is better or how they are more beautiful or attractive. They might feel good at the moment, but in the long term, it only serves to drive good people away from them, have negative effects on their success, and leave them weak and at risk.
1. The word “narcissism” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.| A．self-improvement | B．self-confidence |
| C．self-respect | D．self-love |
| A．confidence and disagreement. | B．confidence and knowledge. |
| C．attention and praise. | D．attention and argument. |
| A．Texting makes people more narcissistic than posting selfies. |
| B．Posting too many selfies on social media may lead to narcissism. |
| C．Most participants use social media for work instead of taking selfies. |
| D．Psychologists found the reason of being narcissistic before the research. |
| A．To stress the importance of keeping away from narcissism. |
| B．To tell people why social media can be a way to enjoy life. |
| C．To show how people communicate with others on social media. |
| D．To advise people not to post too many selfies on social media. |
相似题推荐
Shyness means feeling nervous or afraid when you’re around other people. Experts have found that more than 80% of middle school students feel afraid to be the center of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences(经历).
It’s OK if it takes you a while
Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they won’t go to a restaurant because they are too nervous to order and pay for their food. Some are afraid of meeting new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.
If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history were shy, too.
You see, being shy isn’t all bad. But remember not to let good opportunities(机会) pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practice your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There’s nothing to be afraid of.
1. The underlined phrase “to feel yourself again” in the third paragraph means “________”.
| A．感受生活 | B．恢复过来 | C．玩得开心 | D．寻求帮助 |
| A．You find it hard to enjoy yourself at a party. |
| B．You feel a little nervous when you go to a new place. |
| C．You seldom go outside, afraid of meeting new people. |
| D．You have a red face when you’re asked to answer a question in class. |
| A．just do it |
| B．just refuse to do it |
| C．you’d better ask someone to help you |
| D．tell your teacher you’re too shy to do that |
| A．kids are all born shy |
| B．you can’t change yourself |
| C．shy people can also be successful |
| D．shy people are not good at working others |
| A．Are you too busy? | B．Think more for others! |
| C．Are you shy or not? | D．Once he was shy just like you! |
The Five-Animal Exercises were created by Hua Tuo, a great doctor in Chinese history. One day, he saw a kid playing with a door-hinge (户枢). It reminded him of the fact that doing exercise regularly like a door-hinge would prevent people from illness. He researched into ways of the physical build-up once he had time. He referred to the “Physical and Breathing Exercises” and then created a set of qigong exercises following the movements of animals: monkeys, deer, birds, bears and tigers. This is how Five-Animal Exercises came into being.
The Five-Animal Exercises are well-designed to help blood circulation (循环), and let the energy go smoothly in the body so as to improve health. “The bear movements are good for the stomach. The tiger movements can reduce the pain in the back. The deer movements help reduce the fat around the waist. The bird movements can help keep our knees healthy and the monkey movements can be good for the heart,” said Hua Yi, the 59th inheritor (继承人) of Wuqinxi.
For those new learners, the first few exercises might not go well. You may find it hard to focus. Wear comfortable clothes, keep peaceful in your mind, try to move slowly... Little by little, you will feel more harmonious (和谐的) with nature. You may even feel you become a tiger or a deer, walking in the forest freely. These exercises need no tools and they are easy to learn. You can search online for the videos and practice them at any time when you feel like relaxing your body and mind.
It’s fun to practice and good for health, so Five-Animal Exercises are becoming more and more popular in recent years, not only in China, but also in many other places of the world.
1. From Paragraph 1, what can we know about the Five-Animal Exercises?| A．Its tools. | B．Its creation. | C．Its disadvantages. | D．Its popularity. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Paragraph 1. | B．Paragraph 2. | C．Paragraph 3. | D．Paragraph 4. |
| A．Keep peaceful. | B．Move quickly. | C．Use tools. | D．Enjoy nature. |
| A．To protect wild animals. | B．To improve our health. |
| C．To introduce a set of exercises. | D．To compare animal movements. |
【推荐3】What do you usually do while waiting for someone? It might say something about you.
A. You walk around, rubbing(摩擦) your hands.
B. You stand sill, looking at your watch.
C. You cross your arms, looking impatient.
D. You stand staring into the distance, thinking.
Analysis(分析)
If your answer is “A”
You are short-tempered(脾气暴躁的). You are full of energy but sometimes careless. You make friends with all your heart. But sometimes you may hurt others because of your quick tongue (语言).
If your answer is “B”
You are patient and very strict with yourself. You work hard. When your friends have trouble, you will try your best to help them.
If your answer is “C”
You are strong minded. You stick to your own views, but are also good with people. You can make others agree with you.
If your answer is “D”
You have great patience. You are very nice to your family and friends. However, you may be too nice.
Just for fun. Don't take it seriously.
1. If your answer is “A”, you are .| A．strict | B．patient | C．careful | D．short-tempered |
| A．The person who chooses A | B．The person who chooses B |
| C．The person who chooses C | D．The person who chooses D |
| A．If your answer is “B”, you are strict with yourself. |
| B．If your answer is “C”, you are patient and nice. |
| C．If your answer is “D”, you may be strong-minded. |
| D．The writer really wants us to take the quiz seriously. |
| A．a tip | B．a test | C．a notice | D．an advertisement |
| A．an actor | B． a worker | C．a farmer | D．a psychologist (心理医生) |
【推荐1】We have taken classes on the Internet at home in the last few months because of the COVID-19（新型冠状病毒）. Now, let’s talk about the good sides and bad sides of online classes.
The good sides
● It can save us time. Before the pandemic（疫情）, we have to go to school and then get back home from Monday to Friday. Some of us may spend about two hours on the way. We may feel very tired. But when we take lessons at home, we have more time to study and help with the housework. Also, we can have a good rest in the morning.
● We can watch the teaching video again after class. If we can not understand（理解）the teachers in class, we can watch the teaching video again after class. If we miss（错过）some lessons, we can also watch the video to learn the lessons by ourselves.
The bad sides
● We cannot talk with teachers directly（直接地）. In a traditional classroom, teachers can ask us to answer questions or give our own ideas. We can talk to each other and our interaction is warm. In online classes, we can only see each other on the screen, and talking to our teachers is like talking to a machine.
● The Internet connection may sometimes not work. Thousands of students use the Internet at the same time, so the Internet connection may not be good. Sometimes students miss the teacher’s words.
● Teachers cannot make sure（确保）that all the students listen to them carefully. Some students just stay on their beds when they are listening to teachers. Some may even play games or watch videos. Teachers can do nothing about it.
1. During the pandemic, students take online classes ________.| A．at school | B．at home | C．at the library | D．at the bookstore |
| A．60 | B．90 | C．120 | D．180 |
| A．互动 | B．校园 | C．课堂 | D．锻炼 |
| A．we cannot talk with teachers directly |
| B．the Internet connection may sometimes not work |
| C．the students may not listen to their teachers carefully |
| D．the students have to get up very early |
| A．Students Like Online Classes |
| B．Teachers Like Traditional Classes |
| C．The Good Sides and Bad Sides of Online Classes |
| D．The Good Sides and Bad Sides of Traditional Classes |
【推荐2】There are some traditional art forms in China. Paper cutting is one of them.
Traditional paper cuttings were first put on windows for decoration. This is why they’re also called “window flowers”. Today, people use paper cuttings to decorate not only windows, but also doors, walls and other objects at home. The paper cuttings themselves can also be given as gifts.
Paper cuttings are popular because of their expressions of good luck and wishes. During the Spring Festival, for example, many people put up paper cuttings of Chinese character “Fu”. They hope that this will bring them good luck. At wedding ceremonies (婚礼), you can always see paper cuttings of character “Xi”. It means that the couple can enjoy double happiness together. And paper cuttings of lively children or flowers express wishes for the couple to have a baby soon.
Paper cuttings have developed into different styles in different places of China. Paper cuttings from the northern places usually have interesting shapes and rich patterns. In Southern China, people prefer beautiful paper cuttings. They focus more on flowers, fruit, birds and fish.
It is quite easy to learn how to make paper cuttings. With a piece of red paper and a knife or a pair of scissors, you can try to make your own paper handcrafts. You can only make one piece at a time by using a knife. But if you use scissors to cut several pieces of paper together, you can make several same paper cuttings at once. Although paper cuttings are easy to start with, one needs a lot of practice and imagination to become really good at them.
1. What are paper cuttings used for at first?| A．Wishes for new couples. | B．Expressions of good luck. |
| C．Gifts for people’s birthdays. | D．Decorations on windows or doors. |
| A．Beautiful. | B．Interesting. | C．Red. | D．Different. |
| A．How paper cuttings are made. | B．Where paper cuttings are used. |
| C．Why paper cuttings are popular. | D．When paper cuttings were invented. |
| A．History of Paper Cuttings | B．Invention of Paper Cuttings |
| C．Introduction of Paper Cuttings | D．Meanings of Paper Cuttings |
【推荐3】How long does a year last? Children might say that a year last forever. But your parents might say that a whole year can pass quickly. How does time seem to pass faster as we get older?
According to scientists from Duke University, US, our brains degrade (退化) and change over time. This change makes us take in and process (加工) new information more slowly.
Babies, for example, move their eyes much more often than adults because they’re processing images (图像) faster. They take in a lot of information and do many things in a single day. This makes them feel like a single day lasts for a long time.
However, as people’s brains degrade over time, fewer images are processed in the same time. Therefore, older people receive less information during a day than the younger. This causes things to seem as thought they’re happening more quickly.
In addition, people may also “feel” time differently for psychological (心理的) reasons. People may measure time by the number of memorable events that can be recalled within a certain period.
1. According to the passage, what do children think of a year? ________| A．It passes quickly. |
| B．It’s a long time. |
| C．It seems boring. |
| D．It’s the same as a day. |
| A．Babies move eyes more often. |
| B．Our brain can process images. |
| C．Brains change over time. |
| D．People feel time differently. |
| A．To tell us a story. |
| B．To praise some scientists. |
| C．To explain something. |
| D．To call for action. |
