Teenage life is full of adventures and challenges. Doing voluntary work is popular among some teenagers. And extra-curricular activities
2 . Research shows that isolation (隔绝) is bad for us and associated with certain diseases including depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Yet teenagers seek isolation by using the device of our times-a screen, screens of all kinds. However, in whatever form, screens are addictive, and addictive from an early age. Research has shown that given the chance, six-month-old babies prefer screens to real human faces.
Hand in hand with this addiction to screens, we are seeing an explosion of teenage mental health problems. Social media claims to be inclusive (包容), keeping you connected. But it’s not. It isolates you from real people. Screens have even been described as being poisonous for teenagers.
Psychologist Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University, believes today’s teenagers are “on the edge” of a major mental health crisis and requests, “do anything that doesn’t involve a screen”. The problem is, she claims, children born between 1995 and 2012 have grown up with a smart phone in their hands, and it has changed so many aspects of their lives. The number of teenagers who actually see their friends frequently has dropped by more than 40% since 2000. In 2015, only 56% of 17-year-old went on a date, down from 85%. Modern teenagers are slower to learn to drive, or earn money and spend more time at home. They’re “on their phone, in their room, alone and often depressed”, she says.
Some critics (评论家), however, say we should encourage our children to spend more time online. Robert Hannigan, former director of GCHQ, said in August that Britain is badly short of engineers and computer scientists, and urged children to develop cyber skill to compete in the digital economy.
I’m not the first to say that social media is inferior to real human contact, and harms mental health. Studies show teens who spend three hours a day online are 35% more likely to suicide (自杀). The suicide rate among girls aged 12 to 14 has more than doubled in a decade.
1. Why does Jean Twenge call on teens to surf online less?| A．Social media is inclusive and keeps them connected. |
| B．Social media has changed every aspect of their lives. |
| C．Social media does great harm to their eyesight. |
| D．Social media is addictive and leads to mental problems. |
| A．allow teens to isolate themselves from real social contact |
| B．call on teens to do anything that doesn’t involve a screen |
| C．urge children to contact people face to face instead of online |
| D．encourage children to spend more time on the Internet |
| A．Opposed. | B．Supportive. | C．Unclear. | D．Objective. |
| A．Teenagers seeking isolation using screens | B．Social media causing teenagers mental problems |
| C．Teenagers’ heavy addiction to social media | D．Different opinions on surfing online |
3 . Why do we laugh at movies like Office Space or shows like The Office? What’s so funny about work?
Steve from California shared. “During a meeting, my boss praised our colleague, saying how handsome he is. The team felt awkwardly surprised, until my boss corrected, ‘No — it’s great how hands-on he is!’ Everyone laughed, easing the tense atmosphere from the meeting. ‘Well, he is handsome, too!’ I defended jokingly, and we al laughed again!”
Office may seem like a serious place. But, according to a study, introducing some laughter into work life can contribute to our well-being and productivity. In fact, finding humor is one of the practices we teach students in our online course. The funny stories they shared remind us that a little playfulness goes a long way toward a more enjoyable work life.
Laughter serves to create and strengthen social bonds in humans — as well as in our chimp (黑猩猩) ancestors. One evolutionary theory claims that laughter first appeared in these ancestors as a response to signal that they are safe at present and a relief to others after something unexpected occurs. This also has implications in modern times, and it may explain why colleagues who laugh more together tend to enjoy a more safe or comfortable environment and a greater sense of unity among teams.
Feeling comfortable in our work environment can enable us to think openly and take risks — a basis for finding creative solutions at work, contributing to our productivity. According to one study, managers who use humor at work are more likely to reach their unit’s target goals. What’s more, employees who say that their manager “makes us laugh at ourselves when we are too serious” or “uses humor to take the edge off during stressful periods” are more likely to trust their manager, and feel a sense of belonging at work.
Of course, humor isn’t always called for — particularly if it’s a distraction from our tasks or keeps us from seeing and addressing real problems at work. But in many situations, sharing jokes with colleagues and finding humor in the chaos can make work a little more fun.
1. What can we learn from Steve’s sharing in the second paragraph?| A．The meeting was always filled with laughter. |
| B．He helped relieve tension during the meeting. |
| C．The team was greatly frightened at his words. |
| D．The boss thought his colleague quite handsome. |
| A．To create a comfortable atmosphere. |
| B．To better their bonds with humans. |
| C．To unite other members in the team. |
| D．To inform partners of their present safety. |
| A．The company is likely to make more profits. |
| B．The company will attract more job applicants. |
| C．The employees will feel more included at work. |
| D．The employees are more likely to work overtime. |
| A．How to Strengthen Our Sense of Humor |
| B．How to Create a Fun Work Environment |
| C．How Humor Can Improve Our Work Life |
| D．How Important Being a Humorous Worker Is |
Adolescence (青春期) brain changes always start earlier in girls than in boys. And around this time, males (男性) and females also begin to react
That was one finding of an analysis (分析) of research on teens
“Males’ blood pressure was
Luna says that suggests there are some sex differences in certain brain circuits (回路).
A lot of
Family meals are important in living with a family. A recent survey
Firstly,
Secondly, family meals also play
6 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.
But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.
Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words With Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.
Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).
In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger, “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.
Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual words, we will have little time for our real-world friendships.” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To summarize the text. | B．To tell about true friends. |
| C．To bring up a discussion. | D．To encourage online friendship. |
| A．In person. | B．In advance. | C．In any case. | D．In full measure. |
| A．Worried. | B．Positive. | C．Confused. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It’s wise to turn to friends online. |
| B．It’s easier to develop friendships in reality. |
| C．Social media help people stay closely connected. |
| D．Teenagers need focus on real-world friendships. |
7 . Have you heard of the term “tweenager”? It’s a slang (俚语) word used in the UK to describe children between about ten and twelve years old. They are between being a junior and a teenager. Why do the press and media refer to kids in this way?
Well, more and more companies now create products and services for tweenagers. They seem to tell us that tweenagers must have more money, freedom and influence upon their parents than they’ve ever had before.
Most children in the UK today get more pocket money than kids did a decade ago. Despite problems happening fairly often and regularly in the economy, parents generally have more money to give than before, since they are having fewer children on average than in the past. In addition, a higher divorce (离婚) rate in the UK makes parents try to make up by buying presents for their children. It’s a bad habit for both parents and children to get into, but parents are under constant pressure from commercial marketing and the requests of their children.
You may wonder how tweenagers have more freedom than previous generations. Well, UK children today are very media- and computer-literate. They have access to much more information about life and the world. They may have experienced a lot in life as well. With such sophistication (老于世故) at such a young age, it’s no wonder tweenagers are able to influence their parents.
Now UK tweenagers are also very fashion-conscious and concerned about their images. In a world of television programs that promise immediate success and fame at a young age, some people think it’s extremely important to look fashionable.
So what does tweenage fashion look like? It’s lots of brightly colored materials, particularly pink, and usually plain, not patterned. There are plenty of bows, necklaces and bracelets, too.
But can it really be healthy for us to encourage kids to be like adults at a young age? Are we stealing childhoods in return for a bit of profit? Well, the UK government is certainly concerned, and for that reason has strict laws preventing companies from clearly and openly marketing their products and services to children.
1. What is the use of the first paragraph?| A．To explain a concept and bring up the topic. |
| B．To tell the difference between a junior and a teenager. |
| C．To show why people in the UK prefer to use the slang. |
| D．To state how the slang came into being and make a summary. |
| A．They are the only child of their parents. |
| B．They have to pay more for their schooling. |
| C．Their parents make more money than before. |
| D．Their parents try to make up for their absence. |
| A．They are afraid of being laughed at by others. |
| B．They have less freedom than previous generations. |
| C．They wish to become successful and famous quickly. |
| D．They are encouraged to be like adults at a young age. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Negative. | C．Supportive. | D．Tolerant. |
8 . Rumors(谣言): we’ve all heard some and we’ve all spread some. In more traditional times they shook entire families. Today, they circulate differently because the way we share information has also changed.
The fact is that rumors have great potential to upset things, whether socially or personally. We don’t enjoy being on the receiving end of one, since they usually don’t have good intentions.They are somewhat veiled(掩饰的) messages.
Normally rumors are oral messages: word of mouth. The paradox(自相矛盾) is that there is no evidence to support rumors, but the more people share it, the more they see it as true. To finish defining rumors, we think that they follow certain very clear laws. Secrecy: The source is unknown. There is also a proven phenomenon that human beings usually forget the source of a message before they forget its content. Certainty: We hardly question rumors simply because of the mental effort involved. On the other hand, no one likes to doubt a person who convinces us that the information they spread is true. Change: It acts like a tree. New rumors branch out to fill in the gaps left by the initial rumor.
Another property of rumors is that they tend to become viral. Each receiver is at the same time a potential transmitter of the information. The receiver often adds their own opinion. Their manner and tone of transmitting it also changes it.
How can we end rumors? The answer is as simple as it is impossible: preventing people from communicating. A more realistic response is equally difficult, although less than the first one. It is that we should be critical of the information we receive. We should ask ourselves if the source is reliable. Ask (if possible) the person you heard it from whether they also trust the information. We should also think about if the rumor benefits someone, and if that someone started the rumor.
One rumor to be especially cautious of is a rumor about groups relatively unable to defend themselves. That’s why we say, “History is always told by the victors.” The first payment the defeated must make is to accept the victor’s version of the story.
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards rumors?| A．Critical. | B．Positive. | C．Approving. | D．Cautious. |
| A．We have all heard some and believed them. |
| B．We’re happy to be the receiving end of them. |
| C．They may have negative influence on society. |
| D．They often hide good intentions in the messages. |
| A．Rumors keep changing, just as trees change their color. |
| B．Rumors are deeply rooted in reality, like tree roots in the earth. |
| C．New rumors have gaps, like the space between tree branches. |
| D．New rumors grow out of the original, like branches out of a trunk. |
| A．Something easily spread. | B．Something acceptable. |
| C．Something easily defended. | D．Something beneficial. |
9 . Every festival has its own meaning. Labor Day, for example, celebrates the value of hard work. Thanksgiving is about showing thanks to people around you. And Valentines’ Day is a time when you express love to your loved ones. But somehow it now seems that all festivals we just care about one thing — shopping. And that can be a big problem.
“In a way, over-consumption (过度消费) is the mother of all our environmental problems,” Kalle Lasn once told CNN. Lasn is the organizer of Buy Nothing Day, a day set up in Canada in 1992 to fight against unhealthy spending habits, and has now become an international event. It’s held on the day, which is known as Black Friday — a famous shopping day in the US and Canada.
You can see the irony (讽刺) here.
Even though the idea of Buy Nothing Day was brought up 26 years ago, we seem to need it now more than ever. It’s just as Lasn said, all the different kinds of pollution in our lives today — bad air quality, the reduction of forest area, endangered animal species, and plastic bags found in the ocean — seem to be the same cause: over-consumption.
The latest example is the Singles’ Day shopping craze of Nov 11, which saw a new sales record. But as Nie Li, a campaigner at Greenpeace, told Reuters, “Record-setting over-consumption means record-setting waste.” And it was reported that last year the Singles’ Day packages left more than 160,000 tons of waste, including plastic and cardboard. The Collins Dictionary has also just named “single-use” its Word of the Year, pointing out the problem that there’re too many things we tow out after only using them once.
So, Buy Nothing Day might only be here for one day a year, but it’s not just to remind us to the a break from shopping on that day, but to change our lifestyle completely, focusing on fun “with people we care about” rather than wasting money on useless things.
1. What’s the authors purpose of writing the first paragraph?| A．To express the people’s love for all festivals. |
| B．To talk about the meaning of the festivals. |
| C．To appreciate the value of the festivals. |
| D．To bring out the topic of the passage. |
| A．To help people save money. | B．To cut the cost for daily life. |
| C．To prevent over-consumption. | D．To set up a new sales record. |
| A．Opposed (反对的). | B．Supportive. |
| C．Unknown. | D．Neutral (中立的). |
| A．Creating a New Lifestyle | B．Buy Nothing Day |
| C．Festivals Around the World | D．A Change in People’s Life |
1. What makes the speakers caught up in traffic?
| A．Road construction. | B．A car crash. | C．Bad weather. |
| A．To a stadium. | B．To the police station. | C．To a theater. |
