1 . The development of mobile phone makes us do many things easily. A lot of us enjoy doing it: you turn on the camera on your mobile phone and hold it at a high position, making your eyes look bigger and your cheekbones more marked out.     1     There it is your selfie (自拍照).

Today it’s not difficult to find social networking pages full of photos people have taken of themselves and their friends.     2     As many as 91 percent of teenagers have posted photos of themselves online according to a recent survey by the US Pew Research Center.

So what are the reasons for the rise of selfie culture?

“The popularity of the selfie celebrates regular people,” Pamela Rutledge, a professor at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, told Vogue magazine.     3    

In addition, selfies “allow for a close friendship for long-distance friends, because you can see each other’s faces every day”, wrote Casey Miller at The Huffington Post.

    4     “I like having the power to choose how I look, even if I’m making a funny face,” Samantha Barks, 19, a high school student in the US, told Vogue.

    5     The US psychologist, Jill Weber says “There’s a danger that your self-esteem may start to be tied to the comments you get when you post a selfie, and they aren’t based on who you are but they’re based on what you look like.” Weber told Vogue, “When you get nothing or a negative response, your confidence can go down.”

A．You turn to your best side and click.

B．You will invite your friends to take pictures together.

C．Posting selfies also allows you to control your image online.

D．Selfie culture has become especially related to young people.

E．But experts are concerned that selfies might lead to social problems.

F．Over the past years, “selfie” has become a well-known term across the globe.

G．There are many more photographs available now of real people than models

2 . Peers play a large role in the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. Their influence begins at an early age and increases through the teenage years. It is natural, healthy and important for children to have and rely on friends as they grow and mature.

Peers can be positive and supportive. They can help each other develop new skills, or stimulate interest in books, music or extracurricular activities.

However, peers can also have a negative influence. They can encourage each other to skip classes, steal, cheat, use drugs or alcohol, or become involved in other risky behaviors. The majority of teens with substance abuse problems began using drugs or alcohol as a result of peer pressure.

Kids often give in to peer pressure because they want to fit in. They want to be liked and they worry that they may be left out or made fun of if they don't go along with the group.

The following are some tips to help kids deal with peer pressure:

Stay away from peers who pressure you to do things that seem wrong or dangerous.

Learn how to say “no,” and practice how to avoid or get out of situations which feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Spend time with other kids who resist peer pressure. It helps to have at least one friend who is also willing to say “no.”

If you have problems with peer pressure, talk to a grown-up you trust, like a parent, teacher or school counselor.

Parents can also help by recognizing when their child is having a problem with peer pressure. The following are tips for parents to help your child deal with peer pressure:

Encourage open and honest communication. Let kids know they can come to you if they're feeling pressure to do things that seem wrong or risky.

Teach your child to be assertive and to resist getting involved in dangerous or inappropriate situations or activities.

Get to know your child's friends. If issues or problems arise, share your concerns with their parents.

Help your child develop self-confidence. Kids who feel good. about themselves are less vulnerable to peer pressure.

Develop backup plans to help kids get out of uncomfortable or dangerous situations. For example, let them know you'll always come to get them, no questions asked, if they feel worried or unsafe.

If your child has ongoing difficulties with peer pressure, talk to his or her teacher, principal, school counselor or family doctor. If you have questions or concerns about your child's mood, self-esteem or behavior, consider a consultation with a trained and qualified mental health professional.

1. Why do kids tend to be influenced by peer pressure?

A．Because peers are positive and supportive.

B．Because they are lonely and need friends.

C．Because they want to be identified with by their peers.

D．Because they want to be involved in something exciting.

2. What should parents do when their child is suffering peer pressure?

A．Consult a trained and qualified mental health professional.

B．Share their concerns with the parents of their child's friends.

C．Learn how to say “no” and avoid situations which feel uncomfortable.

D．Develop backup plans with his or her teacher, principal, school counselor or family doctor.

3. What does the underlined word “vulnerable” mean in the context?

A．Attackable.

B．Convincing.

C．Frightened.

D．Dangerous.

3 . As long as there have been exams, students have found ways to cheat. Today the correct answers are just a few taps away on a smart phone. So countries have come up with new ways to stop the funny business. Some use metal detectors, surveillance (监控) cameras, and mobile phone jammers (干扰器).    1    

Cheating in high school leaving exams got so bad in Mauritania and Algeria that this year the authorities turned off the Internet for the entire country. Algeria did so for at least an hour during tests (which last about a week).    2    Other countries, such as Iraq, Uzbekistan and Ethiopia, have for years been shutting down the Internet during exam time.

In each country students are under high pressure to do well in the tests, which often determine whether they can continue their education at a good university.    3    But high marks are rare. In Algeria only around half of students passed the exams in recent years. In Mauritania the rate is much lower.

    4    Darrell West of the Brookings Institution, a think-tank, estimates that in 2015-2016 Internet shutdowns ordered by governments cost countries at least $2.4bn.     5    

A．Turning off the Internet is expensive.

B．Teachers try to help — in their own way.

C．Others have taken a more severe measure.

D．A splendid grade may mean a scholarship abroad.

E．Mauritania cut access from morning until evening on exam days.

F．For that kind of money, countries could even improve their schools.

G．With so many students cheating electronically, governments are taking extreme steps.

4 . Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.

A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but sitting for long periods of time will hurt you forever.

Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. Ideally, it’s best for our bodies to sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor, but it’s not easy to maintain perfect posture all day at the office. When you sit with your legs crossed your hips are in a twisted position, which can cause one of your pelvic bones(骨盆) to rotate. Since your pelvic bone supports your neck and spine（脊椎）, this can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck.

You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get painful or have the feeling of being asleep. This is because when one leg sits on top of the other it causes pressure on the veins（静脉） and nerves in your legs and feet. It can cause numbness and/or temporary paralysis in the legs, ankles, or feet. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.

So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.

1. Which of the following is not the consequence of crossing legs?

A．Neck and back get hurt.

B．Feet and legs become numb.

C．Blood pressure goes up.

D．Pelvic bones keep perfect postures.

2. What does the underlined word “rotate” in Para3 mean?

A．break seriously

B．hurt greatly

C．move casually

D．straighten suddenly

3. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How to choose a proper sitting posture

B．It is advisable not to sit with legs crossed

C．How to develop beneficial habits

D．Blood pressure harms our bodies.

5 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t

even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. ＂Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,＂ he explains. ＂The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.＂

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. ＂It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,＂ says Dunn. ＂But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.＂

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. ＂Small talk is the basis of good manners,＂ he says.

1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A．Addiction to smartphones.

B．Inappropriate behaviours in public places.

C．Absence of communication between strangers.

D．Impatience with slow service.

2. What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?

A．Showing good manners.	B．Relating to other people.
C．Focusing on a topic.	D．Making business deals.

3. What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?

A．It improves family relationships.	B．It raises people’s confidence.
C．It matters as much as a formal talk.	D．It makes people feel good.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Conversation Counts	B．Ways of Making Small Talk
C．Benefits of Small Talk	D．Uncomfortable Silence