| respond tension graduate from illustrate occasion energy |
2. His grandfather, born in September 1950,
3. Keeping a proper balance between study and rest keeps us
4. She made no
5. As this
6. With the argument going on, the atmosphere in the meeting was getting more and more
| decade except for feature reflect |
2. The ocean would
3. As soon as he entered his rooms, he saw that everything was perfect-
4. Two thirds of the region has been deforested in the past
Is social media messing with children’s morals?
Parents are often concerned about the effects of social media on their children’s character. We have all heard complaints that young people are spending too much time online and not enough time in the “real world” —with studies showing that nearly three-quarters of 12 to 15-year-olds in the UK have a social media profile and spend an average of 19 hours a week online.
More worrying, perhaps, than the amount of time spent online, are the findings that suggest social media use can actually influence users’ personality and character. Recent research, for example, shown that there is a link between social media use and narcissism (自恋), and that the use of social networking websites may have an nagative effect on social decision making and reduce levels of empathy (同情心).
With this in mind, one of the latest research projects at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, looks at the impact social media has on young people’s character and moral development, and aims to understand the benefits social media can have on development.
The first stage of the research involved a “parent poll (survey)” of 1,738 parents of 11 to 17-year-olds from across the UK asked a series of questions on their feelings around social media, and the moral (or immoral) messages that appear online. Our findings so far indicate that parents’ attitudes towards social media are largely negative–over a half of parents we questioned agree that social media “hinders or weakens” a young person’s character or moral development. While only 15% of respondents agreed that social media could “enhance or support” it.
However, it isn’t all doom and gloom, because our research also shows that social media can be a source for good. Nearly three quarters of the parents who use social media on a regular basis reported seeing content with a positive moral message at least once a day-including humour, appreciation of beauty, creativity, kindness, love and courage. And it could well be, that viewing this type of positive online content could have a positive influence on young people’s attitudes and behaviours.
This is because on social media sites, users often come across new perspectives and situations-such as different religions, cultures and social groups. And exposure to these situations online could actually help young people be more understanding and tolerant—and in turn develop their empathy skills. This is because it allows them to view things from other people’s perspectives, in a way they might not be able to in “real life”.
Of course, this translation from exposure to empathy may not always follow-which can be seen in the high rates of cyber bullying. According to a 2015 report, 62% of 13 to 20-year-olds who had been bullied reported some degree of cyber bullying—which shows that empathy doesn’t always play a part in online environments.
But while it may be tempting for some parents to just ban social media use altogether, it is unlikely to be a successful strategy in the long term-social media is not going away. Instead, we need to better understand the relationship between social media use and a young person’s character and moral values. And through our research, we hope to be able to offer constructive evidence-based advice on exactly this.
Because it is clear that the online environment is a moral terrain which requires successful navigation. By understanding how some immoral events can be avoided, we can help to create a safer and more even path for young people to negotiate.
1. According to the research, what are the parents’ attitudes towards social media?2. Why could viewing positive online content have a positive influence on young people’s attitudes and behaviours?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
For parents, it is a good strategy to ban social media because it may have a negative influence on young people’s moral development.4. Please briefly present your opinion on how to be a moral person on social media. (In about 40words)
4 . Festivals are a part of our culture. We have grown up around them and have embraced them as a part of our lives.
Festivals are celebrated with people.
Festivals also mean that the entire family can be together and celebrate something they believe in. Kids and parents find time to help each other to decorate their house, prepare delicacies, make gifts, etc.
Festivals also mean gift-giving and sharing. The exchange of gifts teaches children to share joys during festivals
| A．Festivals have much more to offer to the people. |
| B．Festivals are a great way to understand one’s culture. |
| C．This allows children to form a stronger bond with their family. |
| D．Children are particularly the ones who enjoy festivals more than adults. |
| E．On these days people from all walks of life come together to celebrate life. |
| F．Children share sweets and gifts with relatives and friends to spread the joy of celebrations. |
| G．Celebrations always involve people coming together and helping each other to have a good time. |
7 . Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS) is the oldest and most important science research competition for high school students all over the nation. Started in 1942, Regeneron STS recognizes and empowers most promising young scientists. Each year, nearly 2,000 students enter Regeneron STS. The competition awards 300 student scholars and their schools annually and invites 40 student finalists to Washington, D. C. to participate in final judging. Regeneron STS provides an important platform for their original research which is examined and reviewed by professional scientists.
What are the requirements?●Applicants must be over 13 years of age and have legal parental permission to submit (提交) the application and participate, or be 18 years of age or older;
●Applicants must complete individual research projects to enter Regeneron STS. Research conducted as part of a pre-collegiate student team project is not qualified for Regeneron STS;
●Applicants must submit application package through our online system, and must not have entered any previous Regeneron STS.
What are the core components of an application?●Essays, short answer responses, activities and basic information;
●Scientific Research Report (maximum 20-page research paper about one of the applicant’s original research projects);
●Recommendations submitted by adults;
●Test Scores (optional).
What could the applicants win?●PARTICIPATION AWARDS: All competitors will receive a T-shirt, laptop stickers, and a free one-year subscription to Science News magazine.
●SCHOLAR AWARDS: Each of the 300 scholars will receive a $2,000award.
●SCHOOL AWARDS: The schools of each scholar will receive $2,000 per scholar. The award is intended to contribute to excellence in science, math and/or engineering education at the school.
●FINALIST AWARDS: Judges select 40 finalists from among the scholars. In addition to an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D. C., finalists receive a minimum award of $25,000.
1. From Paragraph 1, we know that Regeneron STS ________.| A．was started before the 1940s |
| B．recognizes 40 scholars every year |
| C．is a platform for professional scientists |
| D．is a nationwide science research competition |
| A．be over 18 years old |
| B．submit applications online |
| C．have entered Regeneron STS before |
| D．have completed the research for a team project |
| A．Each finalist. | B．Each participant. |
| C．Each scholar. | D．Each of the scholars’ school. |
Most people have dictionaries in their homes. The Oxford English Dictionary reached even more people when it went online
To predict is to guess what comes next. Making predictions is a reading strategy, in which readers use information from a text and their own personal experiences
Doctors in Bristol can send patients on a free course from this month, which uses stand-up comedy to help patients overcome their trauma (创伤). The course was pioneered by Angie Belcher, a comedian at the University of Bristol.
Comedy is a natural human trait (特质). Every night we come back home from work and tell our family what our day was like, but on the way home we’ll make up details, and try to make our stories funnier to entertain family members. Professional comedy education is to give a tool to take this to a more polished and informed level. The content of the six-week course is described as a “combination of psychology, comedy and storytelling.”
Actually, past traumas are perfect for comedy. Comedy doesn’t come from the happy moments of our life, but from our everyday struggles. People, who’ve been through big life experiences, such as the loss of a close friend or ill health, often can’t wait to share their stories, mostly because there’s always something funny about the situation. We can accept and honor the comedy of a situation, as much as the sadness of it.
While the comedy course can’t take the place of traditional clinical approaches, talking about our trauma in a funny way is quite lovely, and more importantly, it has a chain reaction on our audience, and we help other people to deal with their sadness. When we bring our stories alive for others, it makes other people feel less alone. Having our experiences mirrored back to us is hugely comforting. Comedy builds community.
1. Who was the course pioneered by?2. What is the content of the course?
3. Please underline the false part in the following statement and explain why.
Comedy comes from our everyday struggles, and from the happy moments of our life as well.
4. If you meet a trauma, would you like to take the comedy course? Why?
(In about 40 words)
