1 . A few years ago, my sister­-in-­law started to feel concerned about her teenage daughter.What was she doing after school?Where was she spending her time?My niece was an excellent student, and took part in all kinds of after­class activities.Even so, her mom decided to put a tracking (跟踪) app on the kid’s phone.

At first, this made my sister­in­law “feel better”．Then the good situation suddenly ended.She recalled,“I found out that she was someplace that she said she wasn’t.I went out in the middle of the night and found her walking without shoes in the middle of the street with some friends.”Things went quickly downhill for the mother and the daughter after that.

With 73% of teens having their own smartphones now, according to a   2018 Pew study, more and more of their parents are facing the question：To spy or not?

Ana Homayoun, founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, has advised many parents and their kids about this. “I’ve found teens are more receptive to tracking apps when it is included as part of a family use agreement to improve safety than when it is placed as a secret tool to watch them,” she said.

Mark Bell, a father of a teenage girl, said, “We don’t have tracking apps, but we have set some ground rules that my daughter must follow in exchange for providing a smartphone.” For example, his daughter must “friend” him on social media accounts so that he can review posts, and must share all passwords.

When you’re trying to build credence, you need to create an environment that encourages it. So, to win their trust, you always need to be straight with your children. “Parents must let children know how and when they’ll be watching them,” said Doctor Pauleh Weigle. If they’re not open about it, he warns, it can “greatly damage the parent and child relationship”.

2 . Today’s grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations’ online habits couldn’t be more different. In the UK the over-55 s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site’s second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It’s a much better way to see what they’re doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That’s how we did it when I was a child, but I think I’m lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”

Interestingly, Sheila’s grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site - only 2.2 million users are under 17 -but they’re not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It’s my alarm clock so I have to,’ she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”

Unlike her grandmother’s generation, Chloe’s age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn’t heard from in forty years. ”We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,” she says. “It’s changed my social life completely.”

Parents have an important role to play if they want their kids to spend more time in real life. Peter, 38, who spends most of his time in front of a screen, is recently determined to set a better example to his kids. In the evening or at weekends, he would leave his smartphone home and take his kids out to nature.

5 . With consumers growing increasingly upset with online advertising and privacy concerns, how do you convince shoppers to believe your description, _________ your product?

A recent report by a software review company that connects buyers and sellers may be able to _________ some light. It turns out that it may actually benefit brands to be painfully _________ about their products.

Consumer awareness of influencer marketing strategies (网红营销策略) is increasing. _________, most consumers trust online _________ as much as recommendations from friends. Feedback (反馈) from common people, it seems, actually carries more _________ than a brand ambassador (品牌大使).

Transparency (透明度) is significant. The report found that there is a large trust _________ between sellers and buyers. While sellers believe they are transparent, most buyers don’t appear to see it. During the sales process, 85 percent of sellers _________ to be open about their product’s limitations, but only 36 percent of buyers share that same view. The reality is, consumers never expect any products to be _________; they just want to ____________ the options that are best for them. They also want brands to be more ____________. 66 percent of consumers say they will leave a company if they feel they are being treated like a number and not an individual.

Along with fake (假的) news, advertising fraud (诈骗), and data leaks (泄露), there have been fake reviews as well. Many sellers are using the platform to ____________ Amazon with positive reviews that aren’t from real buyers, making building trust even more difficult. Review sites have been ____________ giving preferential treatment to paid advertisers and consumers are increasingly discerning (有辨别能力的), as a result.

____________, review sites are not our only source of reviews, with social media providing customer experiences on a second-to-second basis. When brands treat every ____________ with a customer as a potential review, they’ll start paying attention to delivering a valued and memorable experience every time. Taking feedback ____________ also lets current customers feel valued and respected, thus making your business seem more approachable. This helps get ____________, and these customers will become brand ambassadors to their friends and people they meet online.

The challenge for brands today is determining how to use the ____________ of the consumer to their advantage. In an age of advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and self-service customer care, it’s odd to admit that the best way to build trust with your customers is by holding an open ____________ with them. Being more human, transparent, and listening to what people are saying will see your company ____________ in an age marked by consumer suspicion (怀疑).

7 . You should always support your kids and their natural talents. And if you nurture (培育) them, great things will happen. That's what 9-year-old Joe Whale's parents thought when they encouraged their son to keep drawing, even though he got into trouble for doodling (涂鸦) during class.

They sent Joe to an after-school art class and his artistic abilities were quickly noticed by those around him. In fact, Joe was invited to decorate the dining room of the “Number 4” restaurant in Shrewsbury, England. Now, Joe is known as The Doodle Boy and has his own website, as well as social media (媒体) pages showing off his wonderful art.

According to Greg, Joe's dad, his son has always loved drawing and “was added to the Gifted Register in primary school aged 4”. Greg also talked about how long it took Joe to finish his drawings on the dining room walls in the restaurant. “Joe spent about 122 hours decorating the wall.”

What's more, Greg had some suggestions for parents who want to encourage their kids to develop their talent: I would advise parents to encourage their children to always follow their interest and dreams — research local workshops or groups within your local community.

Joe's teacher recognized his talent and posted his work on Instagram. His drawings caught the eye of the “Number 4” restaurant which asked him to come over and decorate their walls with his doodles. Now, his dad drives him there so he can draw his heart out. Who knew that drawing in an after-class program would lead Joe to get his first job at only 9 years old?

9 . American cities are similar to other cities around the world: In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.

After World War Ⅱ, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts(转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents(居民) became richer. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区).

Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals(专业人士，专门人才) are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.

This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. A large number of poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.

Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.