1 . While the benefits of Zoom and other videoconferencing tools made them absolutely essential in the pandemic (疫情), the research suggests that heavy reliance on the technology comes at a cost to creative thinking.
Brucks at Columbia University and her team started their investigation when managers reported having trouble innovating with remote workers. Brucks doubted whether videoconferencing was a factor, suspecting that difficulties coordinating (协调) large, global teams online might be to blame instead.
To find out, the researchers analysed ideas for new products generated by 1,490 engineers for a multinational company. The engineers, who were in Finland, Hungary, India, Israel and Portugal, were randomly paired up and given an hour or so to brainstorm products either in person or over videoconferencing. They then selected their best idea.
Writing in Nature, the researchers report that the engineers produced more ideas, and more innovative ideas, when working face to face. “They are not only generating a larger number of creative ideas, but their best idea is better,” Brucks said. Virtual teams were just as good at selecting the best ideas from a bunch as those that met in person.
“Visual focus is a huge component of cognitive (认知) focus. When you’re focused on the screen and ignoring the rest of the environment, that affects how you approach the task,” said Brucks. “It’s uniquely bad for creativity because it’s inhibiting broader exploration.”
Brucks said the impact on the real world “could be huge”, leading to a division of labour between face-to-face and virtual meetings that could “permanently reshape the office and work schedules”. But she urged businesses to be cautious, because if virtual meetings are cheaper than in-person ones, they may still be more cost-effective.
Asked for tips, Brucks said people could save more creative tasks for in-person meetings, or turn off their camera when coming up with ideas. “I think it unlocks more creative thinking,” she said.
1. Why did Brucks conduct the research?A.To prove her assumption. | B.To clarify a new concept. | C.To make a comparison. | D.To explain a rule. |
A.Face-to-face gatherings promote cross-culture ties. | B.Workers think less creatively in virtual meetings. |
C.Individual work generates more innovative ideas. | D.Videoconferencing has an irreplaceable role. |
A.Encouraging. | B.Requiring. | C.Beginning. | D.Preventing. |
A.They should be used accordingly. | B.They’ll make office workers divided. |
C.They’ll give way to in-person meetings. | D.They help businesses run more efficiently. |
2 . Ways Your Cell Phone Affects Your Body and Mind
First, some good news. Your phone can keep you safer. A study found that 137 more lives were saved per 100,000 patients when people called 911 from a mobile phone rather than from a fixed one.
Scanning your phone right before bed can cause sleep disorder. To avoid that, make a habit of not using your phone for at least 30 minutes before you close your eyes.
When you are awake, a single sound on your phone can signal the coming news. However, this can weaken your ability to focus on a task.
Memory suffers too.
It would be easy to avoid all these problems by simply putting down your phone. The problem: It isn’t so easy.
A.But there are plenty of worries too. |
B.Your phone can do damage to your eyes. |
C.Silence your phone or simply put it away can help. |
D.Walking with your face in your phone can be dangerous. |
E.People may feel painful when separated from their phones. |
F.Your hand may feel painful when you hold your phone too long. |
G.Using a map and trying to remember it may be better for your brain. |
3 . Cyber-bullying (网络欺凌) may take place in the online world, but it is no less damaging than in the real world. The Internet has become a kindness desert, a place where few flowers bloom. Bullying is pretty common.
Being bullied is a frustrating and painful experience. Online bullying can really hurt others, and it can have serious consequences.
Don’t blame yourself.
Stay away from bullies. Bullies hope you interact with them so that they have an excuse to keep picking on you. When the bully starts orally attacking you, remove yourself from the situation if you can, simply by walking away.
Speak out. Nobody has the right to make you feel unsafe, uncomfortable or unhappy. Find someone you can talk to, your teacher or your parent and tell them what’s going on.
A.Keep track of bullies. |
B.Be sure you’re wonderful. |
C.Adults can offer help if they know about the problem. |
D.Being bullied can make you feel alone, scared, and hopeless. |
E.Your parents are willing to help you when recognizing your problem. |
F.If you are being bullied, it’s essential to know that it is never your fault. |
G.Studies have found that nearly one-third of all students are bullied each year. |
4 . Users should reduce their screen time
According to the researchers from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), long and consistent use of social media can lead to depression, stress, and anxiety among users of all ages.
However, if you reduce the time you spend on your phone every day, you can spare a few more hours for outdoor activity.
Here are a few tips to reduce your screen time:
Set limits. Many mobile devices and apps can record the amount of time you spend on your device. You might decide you only want to spend three hours online each day. From there, you can track your time to ensure you don’t go beyond the limit.
Remove distractions (使人分心的事物). Whenever you’re working on something else, try placing your phone in another room or closing your laptop.
Create a habit.
A.Plan activities. |
B.Develop friendships. |
C.The process takes continuous effort. |
D.Many users even experience social media addiction. |
E.It means reminding yourself of other sources of entertainment. |
F.Research shows many positive effects, such as lower blood pressure and stress. |
G.This way, you will have less desire to pick up your phone each time the screen lights up. |
It was estimated that as of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active Internet users globally,
6 . Critics who don’t themselves make music “SHOULD BE UNEMPLOYED”, the American singer Lizzo tweeted to her 222,000 followers this week. The star was reacting angrily to an unfavorable review of her new album Cuz I Love You.
Lizzo was wrong about this. Publishers, studios and artists have always been publicists (推介者) as well as creators. Independent voices offer a crucial counterweight. Critics help people determine which music, TV, books and plays to spend their time and money on, and to make the most of those choices. The Internet has made it easier to sample culture, while social media has vastly increased the range of word of mouth. But in this digital age, the critics’ role has become more important.
Judgments, whether of opera or soap opera, are subjective. What is considered beautiful or interesting depends on perspective. But knowledge and experience matter. A person who has been reading poetry for decades, or has seen a play many times, will be able to tell you things about a new poem or performance that others can’t—even, sometimes, their creators.
Disagreement is healthy. Artists are free to disagree with critics, just as other critics are. The Internet was supposed to make this whole process more democratic (民主的) and open, since it could publish far more opinions than the printed pages of old. The wisdom of the crowd, in all its diversity, would enhance that of the traditional gatekeepers.
This partly worked. It is much easier to access a range of views than it used to be. Lively arguments about talked-about shows can quickly spread. But social media also provides a platform for performers to reveal their sensitivity, or for armies of fans to attack anyone who dares to dislike a favored star.
The evil critic, motivated by envy of creativity, is an overused term to flatter (奉承) artists. True, reviewers can be mean. Criticism is the exercise of judgment, and this applies to what is said but also how and to whom; as a rule, novices (新手) should be treated more gently. Yet performers and others who hate unpleasant words should be careful what they wish for. Critics are part of the proof that culture matters.
1. Why do critics understand a poem better than their creators?A.Because they understand readers’ tastes better. | B.Because they are more experienced in poetry. |
C.Because they draw on various online opinions. | D.Because they dare to disagree with artists. |
A.It makes their judgements more objective. | B.It conveys their opinions to more people. |
C.It provides different opinions for reference. | D.It helps them sense the artists’ sensitivity. |
A.Favorable. | B.Unclear. | C.Cautious. | D.Intolerant. |
A.The term “evil critic” should be abandoned. | B.Critics should be more gentle in their reviews. |
C.New critics should be careful with their words. | D.Artists should accept unfavorable reviews. |
内容包括:1. 网瘾现象;2. 网瘾的危害;3. 你的倡议。
注意:1. 词数不少于80字;
2. 开头已为你写好,不计入总词数,可适当增加内容,以使行文连贯。
Dear fellow students,
With the wide application of various digital gadgets, the Internet is finding its way into our daily lives.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Students’ Union
8 . Internet addiction is a common problem.
Charge your devices in another room at night to prevent bedtime browsing (浏览). Bedtime browsing can impact your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep due to the blue light your smartphone emits.
Remove social media apps from your phone. If you find yourself picking up your phone and going on the Internet every time you get a notification (通知), delete the social media apps on your phone. Make it a rule that you can only check these apps on your computer.
Look at one website at a time instead of having multiple websites open.
Technological tools are meant to serve us, not the other way around. Take action right away to free yourself from Internet dependency and take control of your life.
A.Cut your home Wi-Fi access if it is really necessary. |
B.It can be just as damaging as any other form of addiction. |
C.So stopping bedtime browsing may help you to sleep better. |
D.This may help prevent you from accessing them on and off all day. |
E.Turn off your smartphone, iPad, and computer during social activities. |
F.If you are on a website and it leads you to another one, close the old site. |
G.Developing healthy habits can also help you to cut back on your internet use. |
9 . Were We Happier Without Social Media?
Social media is now fully implanted in our daily lives. We spend an average of two hours a day sharing, liking, tweeting, and updating information on social media. Indeed, the wonderful digital platforms enrich our lives with information and entertainment.
Social media and stress
Social media and relationship
Finding people sharing your ideals online might be delightful.
Social media and entertainment
Social media may provide us with excitement, during which dopamine (多巴胺) would be released to keep us entertained. Entertainment has never been so easy with dopamine released so quickly, getting us addicted. For that excitement, we mortgage (抵押) a more meaningful and enjoyable life.
Therefore, the answer to the question should be clear now. The feeling of being loved and being able to count on different people makes us happier. Social media sometimes just cheats us.
A.Thanks to it, we become happier. |
B.People use social media to let off pressure |
C.In return, it traps and takes away our attention. |
D.However, were we happier without social media? |
E.Moreover, we should say goodbye to social media. |
F.Don’t take it for granted that it gives us constant joy. |
G.Can they really end up accompanying you in your real life? |
10 . It’s difficult to determine whether social media is safe enough for children’s mental health, according to a new report from Dr. Vivek Murthy.
Although there are some benefits, social media use brings “a great risk of harm” to kids. “We’re in the middle of a youth mental health crisis, and I’m concerned that technology companies are contributing to it,” Dr. Murthy said.
“It is generally believed that parents and kids should be responsible for managing social media, despite the fact that these platforms are designed to increase the amount of time that our kids spend on them,” he said. “So that is not a fair fight. It’s time for us to support parents and kids.”
Up to 95% of kids aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third saying they use it “frequently”. And although 13 is commonly the minimum(最小的) age to use social media sites in the US, the report notes that nearly 40% of kids aged 8 to 12 use the platforms, as well.
One study of 6,595 US adolescents between ages 12 and 15 found that those who spent more than three hours a day on social media had twice the risk of symptoms(症状) of depression and anxiety as non-users, the report notes. It also cites(引用) studies that found reducing social media use led to improvements in mental health.
Murthy says he hopes the report will encourage measures before it is too late. “Independent researchers tell us that they have a hard time getting the information they need from technology companies about the health effects on kids,” he said. “Social media companies should be responsible for protecting children as other industries are. As to other products that kids use, we take the approach of safety first. We need to do it here, too.”
1. What causes children’s mental problems according to Murthy?A.Risk of addiction. | B.Parents’ management. |
C.Technology companies. | D.Children’s learning stress. |
A.By listing data. | B.By providing facts. | C.By giving examples. | D.By explaining causes. |
A.Public opinions. | B.Previous studies. | C.Field observation. | D.Family relationships. |
A.Health effects of social media on kids. | B.Safely for kids concerning all products. |
C.Immediate action to protect the children. | D.Difficulty in getting the needed information. |