2 . Social media has completely taken over everyday life, affecting how society runs and changing individuals in ways that even they can feel. While social media can act as a platform for people to express themselves, it can also be overwhelming, especially for high school teens.

To teenager Bryson Lan, quitting social media helped eliminate (消除) a significant distraction in his routine and keep up with teachers. “I was scrolling through social networking sites so much,” Lan said. “I was also starting to struggle since I entered my high school year. When school started, I was super overwhelmed (不知所措的), and I was just not ready for it.”

Most teenagers fear that by eliminating these apps, they will miss out on connections with their peers and feel a significant loss to their social life. However, Lan found he didn’t miss anything during his time without social media.

Another problem with social media is the amount of “junk content” posted. People are regularly posting and updating on social media, and much of the content has no meaning to other viewers and is ultimately a time suck.

However, social media isn’t all negative. Social media can be a place to develop passions and boost creativity. For example, Lan found his interest in photography blossom after seeing works from other photographers on social media. “Social media is a good place where you can have a portfolio (作品集) or upload your works,” Lan said. “A lot of people have photography accounts or art accounts. In some ways, I think it actually furthers your hobby.” “Thanks to this revolutionary development of social media, we can enjoy a world where everyone is closer than before,” Lan said. “But we also need to have the skills to make good use of social media, and that depends on each person’s efforts.”

1. What did getting rid of social media bring Lan?

A．More distractions.	B．Confusion about life.
C．A smaller social circle.	D．More attention on his studies.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a time suck” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．A waste of time.

B．A timetable.

C．A lack of time.

D．A time switch.

3. What’s Lan’s attitude towards social media?

A．Doubtful.

B．Unclear.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Most teenagers’ opinions on social media.	B．The effects social media has on teenagers.
C．Innovative development of social media.	D．The problems social media brings people.

3 . Inconvenient Truths

If doctors lie, it is surely inexcusable. One of the basic_________ the public have of doctors is honesty. But what would you think if I told you that research has shown that 70 per cent of doctors   _________ to lying to their patients? If I am honest, I have told lies to my patients.

Mrs Walton was in her eighties and _________ to see her husband. She would try to get up to find him, despite being at risk of falling. “He’s on his way, don’t worry,” the nurses would say this to calm her down. I said the same thing to her. But it was a lie. He died two years ago. The truth, if I can use that word, is that it is a _________ to lie sometimes.

Mrs Walton is one of the dementia (痴呆) sufferers, who lose their short-term memory and the memory of_________ events, but hold memories from the distant past. Sufferers are trapped forever in a confusing past that many realize bears little   _________ to the present, but are at a loss to explain. Those with dementia often feel upset, scared and confused that they are in a strange place, _________ by strange people, even when they are in their own homes with their family, because they have gone back to decades ago.

They look at their adult children   _________ and wonder who they could be because they think their children are still little kids. I have had countless families break down in tears, not knowing how to react as their loved one moves further away from them back into their distant past and they are   _________ in the present. And how, as the doctor or nurse caring for these patients, does one manage the anger and outbursts of distress that comes with having no   __________ of your life for the past ten or 20 years? The lies that doctors, nurses and families tell these patients are not big, elaborate lies — they are   __________ comforts intended to calm and allow the subject to be swiftly changed.

__________ with them about this false reality is not heartless or unprofessional — it is actually kind. That’s not to say that lying to patients with dementia__________ is right or defensible. But what kind-hearted person would put another human being through the unimaginable pain of learning, ________ again and again, that they have lost their beloved ones. It would be an unthinkable cruelness.

Sometimes honesty is __________ not the best policy.

1.

A．expressions

B．expectations

C．reputations

D．regulations

2.

A．objected

B．contributed

C．admitted

D．appealed

3.

A．ashamed

B．delighted

C．nervous

D．desperate

4.

A．cruelty

B．kindness

C．pain

D．pleasure

5.

A．recent

B．popular

C．distant

D．major

6.

A．opposition

B．connection

C．attention

D．similarity

7.

A．attacked

B．isolated

C．surrounded

D．attracted

8.

A．puzzled

B．satisfied

C．amused

D．motivated

9.

A．cut off

B．thrown away

C．put down

D．left behind

10.

A．knowledge

B．control

C．imagination

D．record

11.

A．brief

B．constant

C．permanent

D．secret

12.

A．Competing

B．Plotting

C．Matching

D．Mixing

13.

A．unnecessarily

B．inaccurately

C．impatiently

D．impolitely

14.

A．ahead of time

B．in no time

C．for the last time

D．for the first time

15.

A．mostly

B．informally

C．simply

D．finally

4 . There are some sounds most of us acknowledge are annoying — the chewing of chips, the low noise of air conditioning or a screaming baby. These noises, for many people, act as a mere inconvenience that can distract them from the task at hand. However, there are some amongst us who have a much more severe response to these noises. Has a noise ever made you feel so angry that you could explode with rage? If the answer is yes, you may be suffering from misophonia (恐音症).

The word “misophonia” literally means “a hatred of sound” and is sometimes called Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome. There are some experts who doubt the existence of the condition. However, for those who claim to suffer from it, the experience can be painful. Certain sounds could set off intense emotional or psychological responses that may seem over the top compared with a non-sufferer’s complaints.

The sound of people chewing their food could trigger sufferers’ anxiety, or make them feel panic. It may even activate their fight-or-flight response, making them want to run away. In extreme cases, that feeling of panic may result in intense anger and even end up expressing rage physically.

Sadly, there’s no known cure. But tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive (认知的) behavioural therapy and counselling could help sufferers tolerate noises and manage the condition. According to James Cartreine, a clinical psychiatrist, the condition can lead to separation. Sufferers use coping strategies that include avoiding places with lots of noises, like restaurants, or moving away when they feel like raging against someone due to their breathing.

So, the next time you see someone fly into a rage because of a sound that is driving them crazy, it may be due to a difficult condition they are trying to manage, and not just because they hate a certain sound.

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the topic of misophonia.

B．To introduce different annoying sounds.

C．To show ways of preventing a severe disease.

D．To present the harm of noises to human health.

2. Who is most likely to suffer from misophonia?

A．Jane who usually has lunch alone.

B．Nancy who often screams at her baby.

C．Peter who is always worried about his studies.

D．Henry who is annoyed at the sound of book pages turning.

3. What does the underlined word “trigger” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Control.

B．Cause.

C．Predict.

D．Relieve.

4. What can be inferred about misophonia from the last two paragraphs?

A．It happens mostly in restaurants.

B．Any sound around can drive sufferers crazy.

C．Staying away from noises is a potential solution.

D．It may greatly influence sufferers’ cognitive ability.

5 . 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.

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．Older people have difficulty using social media.

B．Children spend more time with their grandparents.

C．More and more elderlies begin to use social media.

D．Social media have become more friendly to the elderly.

2. How does Sheila feel about social media?

A．Worried.

B．Satisfied.

C．Excited.

D．Disappointed.

3. What can be concluded from the passage?

A．People tend to have less social life as they get older.

B．Young people are getting away from their smartphone.

C．More young people choose to meet their friends in person.

D．Social media actually help old people to meet their friends.

4. What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Different Online Habits Across Generations	B．The Good Old Days Without Smartphones
C．The Next Generation of Social Media	D．The Use of Smartphones at School

6 . People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation. Looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.

For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. The students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn't take any break at all.

Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles. The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task, and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.

Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break—but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.

“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different from how we use other screens like computers, and laptops,” Kurtzberg told Science Daily.

So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone way. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap. You may be surprised by the results!

1. What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?

A．It could affect one’s relationships with others	B．It could reduce one’s ability to solve problems
C．It could make people more motivated at work	D．It could be beneficial both physically and mentally

2. What can we learn about cellphones from Kurtzberg’s words?

A．They have become a necessary part of people’s lives.

B．Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid.

C．They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work.

D．They may influence people in the same way as computers.

3. Why does looking at cellphones during a break cause increasing levels of distraction?

A．It makes people sleepy	B．It does harm to peoples brains
C．It activates thoughts of using cellphones	D．It reminds people of their unhappy experiences.

4. What does the author suggest people do during break time?

A．Turn off their cellphones	B．Keep their cellphones out of sight
C．Keep their cellphones face down	D．Replace cellphones with laptops.

7 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.

According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger” (视频博主). The survey, carried out among 1,002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.

This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience of the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.

In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.

However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and fortune. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.

Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his enthusiasm, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job.

B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’career choice.

C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios.

D．Young Britons can not find jobs without the Internet.

2. Why do more and more young Britons choose to be vloggers?

A．Vloggers can earn greater fame and more money on the Internet.

B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business.

C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business.

D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 5?

A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy.

B．A vlogger can not earn fame and fortune.

C．People often see the bright side of being a vlogger.

D．Dreams will always remain dreams.

4. What do young people like David do on the Internet?

A．Learn from others.	B．Become an online hit.
C．Hold running races.	D．Combine jobs with hobbies.