1 . Do you ever hear a friend speak on a topic with the belief that “everyone”thinks the same way? Do you often find yourself surrounded in a social media feed that is completely tailored to you and your beliefs, reading along without the immediate realization?

A social media echo chamber (回声壁) is when one experiences a tailored media experience that leave out opposing viewpoints and differing voices. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube connect groups of like-minded users together based on shared content preferences. As a result, people see and take in information according to our preexisting beliefs and opinions. Social media companies therefore rely on algorithms (算法) to assess our interests and flood us with information that will keep our attention. The algorithms focus on what we “like”, and “share” to keep feeding content that makes us comfortable.

In order to truly get access to all information and to evaluate our media, we must give ourselves the opportunity to step out of our comfort zone. While this becomes increasingly challenging, there are things we can do. The first step is to beef up your media consumption sources. Adding in a few media sources with differing opinions will allow you to at least understand what people are saying outside of your echo chamber. Next, read each thing you see with a critical eye. Make sure that each thing you accept as truth is truly fact. Lastly, attempt to search out reliable new sources that are known for trying their best to leave out false information. By accepting that our media buffet on social media is a product of our present beliefs and opinions, we can work to make sure we are not simply stuck in a social media echo chamber.

1. What is a result of the social media echo chamber?

A．People contact like-minded online users effectively.

B．People keep reading for more differing viewpoints.

C．People rely on algorithms to evaluate their interests.

D．People only get information confirming their beliefs.

2. What does “beef up”underlined in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Track.	B．Improve.
C．Provide.	D．Identify.

3. Which of the following can help us get out of the echo chamber?

A．Criticizing fake news on social media.

B．Exposing ourselves to opposing voices.

C．Researching primary sources of information.

D．Accepting our present beliefs and opinions.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To call on people to use algorithms frequently.

B．To ask people not to take in information blindly.

C．To promote the use of various social media sites.

D．To inform people of new technology developments.