3 . A spoonful of pickles(泡菜) can sometimes make a meal taste way better. Recently, a new kind of pickle, digital(电子的) pickled vegetables, is being discussed. It refers to the videos people watch while eating that make their food more delicious.

The topic received more than 16 million clicks on Sina Weibo and about 100,000 people joined in the discussion. Instead of being accompanied(陪伴) by friends and family during a meal, many young people in China are watching short videos while eating. Many believe that their food is more delicious with the “digital pickles.”

Can this habit affect your diet? According to research in 2019, you may eat more! The research team conducted the first test. They asked 62 volunteers to follow different eating patterns(模式) on four different days. The patterns included eating while looking at the mobile phone, reading magazines, and without distraction(干扰).

After the test, the team discovered that eating with a distraction increased the amount of food that people take in by about 15 percent.

To explore(探究) the reason, the team conducted another test. They invited two groups of people: one group ate while listening to an audio clip about another person eating, and the other listened to a clip(片段) that helped them imagine themselves eating. The results showed that the second group ate less because they paid more attention to their meals. When eating with the "digital pickles," our attention can be distracted(分歧), which leads to eating more than expected.

The study suggests that if you’re eating or drinking while your attention is distracted by a highly engaging(投入的) task, you’re less likely to be able to tell how full you feel.

A．	B．
C．	D．

7 . How to Avoid an Internet Addiction

It may seem like everyone surfs the web these days. But if you can’t have interest in other aspects of your life because of the Internet, you may be on your way to an Internet addiction. You might fear you’re the only one who has experienced that feeling.    1     Luckily, there are some ways to avoid living your life in front of the computer.

    2    

More and more people in the world are becoming addicted to the Internet, and you are not the only one with this problem. So do not be embarrassed. Just be brave to admit that you are on your way to an Internet addiction. And then find others with the same problem and help each other beat it.

Set aside limited time for computer use.

Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. If you have a laptop, make sure to put it somewhere that you can remember but not somewhere that you see every day. Try keeping the lid closed when you are not using it.     3       If you have a desktop PC, try not to go near it or put something over it like a sheet.

Call people instead of sending instant messages or texts.

If you are free on weekends, call friends and ask them to go outside to do something you enjoy, like playing a sport. This will take your mind off the computer.     4    

Use an alarm clock or timer (计时器).

Before using your computer, decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes. Set the clock or timer and make sure that you get away from the computer when the time is up. Alternatively create a shutdown timer on your desktop.     5    

8 . One good part about school is field trips. Students can get out of the classroom and into the real world, even if just for a few hours.    1    Whether it is learning how to feed chickens on the farm or understanding how gravity works at the science museum, these hands-on learning experiences bring them benefits.

Students do better in school. Students who go on field trips generally have better grades.    2    In fact, in a study conducted by some researchers, 89% of adults said educational trips had a positive, lasting impact on their education and career. It's because the trips made them more curious and interested in and out of school.

    3    When exploring a new place, students have the opportunity to listen to and talk to new people. They can learn how to effectively communicate with strangers, get along with them and work with them. For example, they may acquire the skill of using body language to interact with strangers.

Students learn to be more independent. A field trip includes many things. Although adults are in charge, it’s also up to students to figure out what exhibits they want to learn about, how they can finish certain tasks, etc. During field trips, students can have many such situations to learn to be independent. In the process, they sometimes may feel unpleasant and stressed.    4    

Students develop a stronger connection to a neighborhood. By getting out of the classroom and, into the streets, students can become more familiar with a neighborhood.    5    Moreover, they have the chance to communicate with local people, which also improves their connection to the neighborhood.

9 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.

This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.

However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!

Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?

The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”

10 . On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You’re nervous and that’s okay. Everyone is afraid of high school.” I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.

On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn’t think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it!

Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out. With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging. Since then, I’ve been elected (选举) the vice monitor of my class, which wasn’t much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.

It is normal to be scared of a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is not so frightening. Make sure you participate in some out­of­class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn’t straight A’s.

Most important of all, be who you are, whether you’re a“fool”， an athlete, or a lower grader. Don’t try to pretend to be someone you’re not. Now you know the secret of my success.