1 . Lonely? You’re hardly alone. That’s the finding of a new study. And that appears throughout industrial nations across the globe. The study linked rising loneliness to a greater use of smartphones and the internet over the same years.

Jean Twenge, a psychologist, took part in the study. Her team has found that since 2012, US teens have been spending less time together face-to-face.

“Smartphones can help keep us connected with friends,” says Twenge. “But they can also make people feel excluded (隔离).” Girls, especially, may feel this way. One reason may be that they like to post more photos and selfies (自拍) than boys. Studies have shown that if those images don’t get a lot of “likes”, it can affect a teen’s mental health.

And there’s “phubbing” a mixture of “phone” and “snubbing (冷落)”. It’s that moment in which a friend or family member takes out a phone and keeps looking at it, paying no attention to everybody else, including you. Phubbing is one way technology can affect you, even when you’re not the one using it.

The new study pulled its data from a survey. Some 1 million 15- and 16-year-old students from 37 countries took this survey in 2000, 2003, 2012, 2015 and 2018. Its questions mostly dealt with education. But they also included six statements about loneliness, such as “I feel awkward and out of place in my school”. Students could strongly disagree, disagree, agree or strongly agree with each statement.

If technology causes loneliness, should we stop using it? “No, not at all,” argues Twenge. “Everybody of all ages is trying to figure out how we can best use these technologies and stay mentally healthy.” Her advice is to “use your smartphone for what it’s good for. Then put it away.” That includes putting it away overnight—ideally in another room.

1. How do girls differ from boys in smartphone use in the study?

A．They need it to stay in style.

B．They depend on it to keep in touch.

C．They use it as a learning tool.

D．They like to post more pictures with it.

2. Why does the author discuss “phubbing” in paragraph 4?

A．To show the harm of the smartphone.

B．To give an example of communication.

C．To introduce an embarrassing situation.

D．To present a scene with the smartphone.

3. What is Twenge’s attitude to using the smartphone?

A．Doubtful.	B．Supportive.
C．Uninterested	D．Worried

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Smartphone—the Focus of a Study

B．The Smartphone—a Communication Tool

C．The Smartphone—a Friend of Teenagers

D．The Smartphone—a Source of Loneliness

2 . Lake City Skating Programs

Skating is a fantastic activity for people of any age. Patience, participation and perseverance are a few of the many values that the sport can teach its students. Our programs are thoughtfully prepared to embrace the natural progression of learning on ice for people dependent on their original abilities and age. Read on to learn more about our programs.

Learn to Skate Program

Come to Learn to Skate at the Frontier Ice Arena. Classes include skate rentals, 30-minute instruction from Lake City Figure Skating coaches, plus U. S. Figure Skating membership, record books and sports accident insurance.

Super Skaters Program

We are excited to bring back our 16-week Super Skaters Program. This program is open to any potential skater aged 3~8. Super Skaters is a 16-week set of lessons offered on Tuesdays from 5 to 5:30 PM. Your $99 fee includes skate rentals, lessons fees and access to the 5:45 PM public session.

Rising Stars Bridge Program

The Rising Stars Bridge Program is the perfect progression for skaters who have passed Basic 3 and are looking to step into the big kid skater world. Bridge skaters will have access to the 8~9 AM freestyle session and they will now enjoy a 30-minute group lesson from 9 to 9:30 AM. Private lessons may be taken during freestyle time for an additional cost

Theater on Ice Program

Theater on Ice is a form of competitive figure skating that combines the grace of figure skating with the excitement of theater and dance. Teams consist of between 8 and 30 skaters. In addition, solo skating is discouraged, but is permitted in limited amounts if it enhances the overall telling of the program’s story.

1. What should skaters consider when choosing a suitable program?

A．Original abilities and age.	B．Experience in other sports.
C．Skating equipment and cost.	D．Values learned from textbooks.

2. Which program is intended for Basic 3 skaters looking to improve?

A．Learn to Skate Program.	B．Super Skaters Program.
C．Rising Stars Bridge Program.	D．Theater on Ice Program.

3. What is a special feature of Theater on Ice Program?

A．Solo skating.

B．Private lessons.

C．Accident insurance.

D．Performance art.

3 . While video games used to be considered harmful to young people, various studies have also proved the positive effects of computer games, especially action video games.

Angela Pasqualotto from the University of Trento and her team have now tested whether such video games can help primary school children learn to read. They’ve developed such a computer game called Skies of Manawak.

“Reading involves many important skills, including knowing how to move our eyes on the page or how to use our working memory to connect words into a meaningful sentence,” explains Pasqualotto. “It’s known that action video games improve these still, such as vision, general attention, working memory and cognitive (认知的) flexibility.”

For their study, the researchers tested 150 school children between the ages of eight and twelve. Half of them played the game Skies of Manawak two hours a week for six weeks. The other half, the control group, received the educational game Scratch, which is intended to teach children the basics of programming. Both games are basically to train the executive (执行的) functions of the brain.

“We started by examining the children’s ability to read words, non-words and paragraphs and their attention control,” explains Pasqualotto. “After six weeks, these skills were tested again.”

“We found a seven-fold improvement in attention control in the children who played our action video game compared to the control group,” said Pasqualotto. The team also saw significant improvements in reading speed and accuracy among Skies of Manawak players—there were no improvements in the kids who played Scratch. It’s also worth mentioning that the children’s reading skills have improved, although the game itself doesn’t contain any reading exercises.

“For the study, we also carried out three further evaluation tests six, twelve and eighteen months after the training. Each time, the trained children performed better than the control group,” adds Pasqualotto.

Of course, while the study suggests some benefit in action video games, it does not mean that one must do nothing else.

1. What did the 150 school children do in the study?

A．They received training on programming.	B．They finished some reading ability tests.
C．They created video games on their own.	D．They played games with reading exercises.

2. What does the further evaluation suggest about Skies of Manawak?

A．Its influence on reading skills is not temporary.	B．The study results about it seem to be untrustworthy.
C．Reading ability can’t be improved with its assistance.	D．Kids need consistent reading training after playing it.

3. What is the author’s opinion on action video games?

A．They have nothing to do with reading.	B．People shouldn’t get addicted to them.
C．School kids are supposed to avoid them.	D．They should be replaced with Scratch.

4. Which of the following can serve as the best title for the text?

A．Video Games Prove Harmless to Young People at School

B．Time for Children to Play Video Games Should Be Limited

C．Children Easily Fall in Love With Reading in a Video Game

D．Playing Action Video Games Improves Kids’ Reading Skills

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where probably is the man from?

A．The US.

B．Britain.

C．Japan.

2. What does the woman suggest seeing immediately after lunch?

A．St. Paul’s.

B．British Museum.

C．Westminster Abbey.

3. When does the bus stop at Hyde Park Hotel?

A．At 5:30.

B．At 8:30.

C．At 9:50.

4. What does the man particularly want to see?

A．Westminster Abbey.

B．The British Museum.

C．London Tower.

7 . Summer Classes at the Community Center

The Community Center is offering adult summer classes again this year.The schedule(时间表)includes classes in basic computer skills，painting，drawing，and dance.

Registration

There are two ways to register for classes：

Go to our website：www.cc.org/classes/summerschedule. Click on “Class Descriptions”to see a full listing of the classes this summer.Decide which class or classes you are interested in.

Then click on “Register Now” and a registration form will appear.Complete the form and work out the amount of money you should pay for your classes.This will include the cost of your classes plus a $15 registration fee(费用)．Any material fees will be payable to the instructor on the first day of class.In addition，if your address is outside of the city，you will pay an additional fee of $25 per class.

Fill in your credit card(信用卡)information and click “Send Now”．You will receive registration confirmation by e­mail.

If you do not have access to a computer，you can call the Community Center at 872­555­5068 to request a class schedule and registration form.Choose your classes from the schedule，complete the form，and return it by mail with your credit card information.

Withdrawal(退学)Policy

Full refunds（退款），minus(减去)the $25 registration fee，will be given for any withdrawals made up to one week before the class begins.Withdrawals made before the start of the second class will receive a 50 percent refund，minus the registration fee.No refunds will be made after the start of the second class.

Classes offered by the Community Center are for adults only.You must be eighteen years of age or older to participate.Classes for children and teens are offered through the City Department of Recreation.

1. Who can take part in the Community Center summer classes?

A．Citizens only.	B．Adults only.
C．High schoolers.	D．Children and teens.

2. What do you have to do for summer classes' registration?

A．Pay a $25 registration fee.

B．Sign up for classes online.

C．Provide your credit card information.

D．Pay material fees before the class begins.

3. How much will you be refunded after the start of the second class?

A．None.

B．$15.

C．A full refund.

D．A 50 percent refund.