1 . If you’ve ever discovered unexpected online shopping activity on your accounts- worth of See ’n Says, for example-you know the risks of handing your cellphone to a restless preschooler. But children’s impulse (冲动) buys just uncover the surface of potential risks when children and technology meet. With smartphones and the Internet so accessible, children are leaving their digital fingerprints at increasingly early ages, often without guidance on the importance of privacy or security.
For the past eight years, Michigan State University professors Jessica Vitak and Tamara Clegg have talked to parents, teachers and kids about the challenges of surfing the Internet. Their current project, Connecting Contexts, offers a variety of learning opportunities to help kids safely and smartly interact with the ever-progressing technology they encounter. “Having these conversations early,” said Vitak, “will build awareness and habits around privacy they can take into adulthood. ”
“Many of the parents we interviewed didn’t feel they needed to talk about privacy with their kids before middle or high school,” said Vitak. “But if you’re willing to hand your child a smartphone or a tablet, then they are old enough to learn how to use them safely. ”
In December, the Federal Trade Commission proposed massive changes to existing federal rules around how online platforms collect children’s data and make money from it. It grilled (责问) Meta, Discord and other social media companies last month on their efforts to protect children on their platforms. It also carried out six bills before the Congress would tighten online security and safety for kids.
Extending from elementary to middle school, their work offers tested tools and resources for parents, teachers and children-including conversation starters at home, practical tips for building a better password or using social media, choosing learning apps for the classroom and age-appropriate “micro-lessons” that can be integrated into the courses.
1. What does the author describe at the beginning of the text?A.The typical style of kids’ digital life. | B.The risks of kids’ exposure to technology. |
C.The convenience of online shopping. | D.The role of smartphones in kids’ growth. |
A.Parents lack awareness of kids’ online privacy. |
B.Parents should set age limits for phone use. |
C.Kids have little self-discipline on the Internet. |
D.School should be responsible for kids’ online safety: |
A.It stopped children spending money on social media. |
B.It made lots of changes to the present rules. |
C.It collected data from online platforms. |
D.It introduced several protective bills. |
A.Kids’ Online Risks and Privacy Education |
B.Actions Taken to Protect Kids’ Online Privacy |
C.Kids’ Early Privacy Habits in the Internet Age |
D.Researchers Create Technology Safety Tools for Kids |
2 . Recent studies suggest four out of 10 persons feel lonely at least one or two days per week, with younger persons (Millennials and Gen Z) exhibiting signs of extreme alienation (疏远) and disconnection more than other generations. Even older people, who are frequently regarded as lonely with few persons to speak to and objectively have lost many family members and friends, report less loneliness than Millennials. Why do Millennials report being the most lonely, and what can be done to address it?
Thirty percent of people between 23 and 38 said they often “feel lonely. ”“But wait,” you may say. “Aren’t they connected through technology, social media platforms, and various apps?” Yes, but one of the challenges of extensive smartphone and app use today is that we are being trained to stare at screens rather than meet and have face-to-face conversations with people. Still, at the same time, people who spend more than 8 hours a day on screens per day tend to report other issues: depression, anxiety and other serious challenges to their well-being.
A meeting of minds used to happen via religious gatherings and school. So a possible solution is to create spaces and locations where one (and not just Millennials) can meet folks who share additional common interests. One possibility is through regular exercise outside the home. Going to a YMCA or a gym to a Zumba, yoga, or cycling class presents an opportunity to enjoy physical activity and have brief conversations with them before and after the session.
In addition to the obvious positive physical effects of the exercise, it can be surprising how beneficial a quick conversation can be with someone you may have just met. The boost in mood is palpable and can lead to better workouts due to increased available energy and motivation.
In conclusion, spending a little less time on the phone and a little more time walking in the neighborhood, in a park, or going early and staying late at the gym can work wonders for one’s mood and health.
1. Why do Millennials often feel lonelier than other generations?A.They refuse to open up their inner world. |
B.They don’t like to go to religious gatherings. |
C.They are less connected with others in real life. |
D.They have fewer opportunities to interact with people. |
A.Limiting screen time. | B.Going to a nightclub with classmates. |
C.Joining a group to exercise together. | D.Strengthening the parent-child bond. |
A.Noticeable. | B.Comfortable. | C.Fortunate. | D.Temporary. |
A.The ways for millennials to make new friends. |
B.The importance of face-to-face communication. |
C.How to make new friends for Millennials and Gen Z. |
D.Why Millennials feel lonely and solutions to address the problem. |
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4 . If you’ve been on BookTok, an online community where readers recommend, review and theorize about their favorite books, authors and genres, you’ve probably heard of Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing. On BookTok, the release of Fourth Wing came with hype (炒作) around a mix between romance and fantasy. The novel was published last May and its sequel (续集) followed just six months later.
But questions came: Are publishers and authors publishing books too quickly, and does this affect the quality of writing?
On the day of the sequel’s release, Yarros and her publisher, Red Tower Books, were met with much criticism about her misuse of a language’s grammar in the novel. Many argued that the mistakes could have been avoided if the publishers had hired someone to proofread (校对) the language.
So what does BookTok have to do with this? It was one of the reasons why within the first week of Fourth Wing being published, the book quickly shot up to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list despite criticism.
With the rising readers, it isn’t uncommon for both publishers and authors to use that hype to their advantage. This was likely a reason why the series, originally including three books, was dragged into a five-book series.
This is kind of what fast fashion is all about. Fast fashion refers to the process of clothing manufacturing that moves from production/design to stores quickly to keep up with current trends. These pieces are often cheap and low-quality and sent to stores with the hope of selling out quickly. The same approach used in the publishing world, thanks to BookTok to some degree, could lead to decreasing book quality when writing and editing aren’t able to reach their maximum potential.
This isn’t to say that books like Fourth Wing are bad just because they’re hyped. But abandoning developed work for crowd-pleasers doesn’t do all readers justice. These worries about the quick turnover in the publishing industry aren’t directed towards independent authors who carefully write, edit and publish themselves, but rather towards those who overlook the importance of everything that goes into the writing process.
1. Why does the author raise questions in the text?A.To doubt readers’ judgment. | B.To keep the text developing. |
C.To highlight BookTok’s advantages. | D.To provide background information. |
A.It enjoyed popularity. | B.It faced little criticism. |
C.It was publicly rejected. | D.It didn’t sell well in stores. |
A.Book quality is vital in the publishing industry. |
B.Books like Fourth Wing are not good ones. |
C.Authors should avoid doing too many duties. |
D.BookTok shouldn’t be to blame for fast fashion. |
A.BookTok Is Misleading Consumers in Reading. |
B.Are Those Books Posted Online Worth Reading? |
C.Fast Fashion Emerges in the Publishing Industry. |
D.Can the Publishing Industry Adapt to Challenges? |
5 . The number of universities has grown very fast in recent decades. Higher-education institutions across the world now employ 15 million researchers, up from 4 million in 1980. Governments are also happy to spend on higher education because it is supposed to produce scientific breakthroughs that can be available to all. In theory, therefore, universities should be an excellent source of productivity growth.
In practice, however, the productivity has slowed down during the last decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, workers’ output per hour across the rich world rose by 4% a year. But in the last decade, 1% a year was the norm. Even with the wave of innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), productivity growth remains weak — less than 1% a year, which is bad news for economic growth.
A new paper by Ashish Arora and his team suggests that universities’ rapid growth and the rich world’s slowdown productivity could be two sides of the same coin. The paper suggests that scientific breakthroughs from public institutions “caused little or no response from businesses” over a number of years. A scientist in a university lab might publish brilliant paper after brilliant paper. Often, however, this has no impact on corporations’ own patents, with life sciences being the exception. And this, in turn, points to a small impact on the overall productivity.
Why do companies struggle to use ideas produced by universities?
The paper says that, free from the demands of the market, researchers in university labs focus more on satisfying their curiosity than finding breakthroughs that will change the world or make money. “To some degree, such kind of research is not a bad thing; some breakthrough technologies, such as penicillin, were discovered almost by accident,” it writes, “But if everyone is doing that, the economy suffers.”
Perhaps, with time, universities and the business world will work together more tightly. Tougher competition could force businesses to beef up their internal research. In fact, researchers in companies’ labs, rather than universities, are driving the current AI innovations. At some point, governments will need to ask themselves hard questions. In a world of weak economic growth, huge spending on universities may come to seem an unjustifiable luxury.
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 mainly about?A.The weak economy around the globe. | B.Universities’ contribution to employment. |
C.Governments’ spending on higher education. | D.The slow productivity growth in the rich world. |
A.The investors. | B.The workers. | C.Life sciences. | D.Al industries. |
A.They are very eager to make more money. | B.They are less concerned about applications. |
C.They usually find breakthroughs by accident. | D.They should be left alone to do their research. |
A.A Study Suggests Universities Fail to Increase Productivity |
B.Universities and the Business World May Work Together Soon |
C.It Is Important for Companies’ Labs to Lead the AI Innovation |
D.It Is a Big Waste to Spend So Much Money on Higher Education |
6 . Keith Payne realized he was poor for the first time when he was in the fourth grade. The awareness came to him when a new lunch lady in the cafeteria asked him to pay for his lunch.
“Previously, the lunch lady had just waved me on because I’d always been on free lunch,” he says. “But this new lady didn’t know how things worked, and it was the first time that I had been asked to pay for my lunch.”
It was an agonizing moment and all of a sudden, he realized why he got free lunch while many of his classmates were paying for their meals every day.
“It’s not like I was poorer the day after that than I was before. Nothing objective had changed. But because of that subjective awareness, I began constantly comparing myself with my classmates and felt really unhappy,” he says.
Keith Payne is now a social psychologist at the University of North Carolina and shares how the awareness of inequality affects the way that both our minds and our bodies respond.
“As we walk through the world, it is very natural for us to compare our lives with those of others. We think about ourselves in terms of being on a certain ladder (梯子) with some people above us and it can cause serious psychological consequences,” he says.
One is that it makes us more willing to seek out risks and engage in high-risk, high-reward sort of behaviors. It affects us in ways that are similar to physical threats.
“But I think there are wiser and less wise ways to make those social comparisons,” he says. “Upward social comparisons feel terrible, but they can be motivating. Downward social comparisons feel great, and yet they can be demotivating. So one of the things I recommend is that we can be more strategic in making upward and download social comparisons, Neither one is good in itself. It just depends on what your goal is.”
1. Which of the following best explains “agonizing” underlined in paragraph 3?A.Painful. | B.Brief. | C.Important. | D.Happy. |
A.Poor people should be treated equally. |
B.He wants to blame the new lunch lady. |
C.There were a lot of poor people in his country. |
D.We can be influenced by the awareness of inequality. |
A.Unimportant. | B.Acceptable. | C.Annoying. | D.Unnecessary. |
A.Talk to psychologists immediately. | B.Hang out with top performers. |
C.Compare with less successful persons. | D.Stay alone and enjoy ourselves. |
1. What do the public pay more attention to according to the recent survey?
A.News media. | B.Political issues. | C.Living conditions. |
A.500. | B.1,500. | C.15,000. |
A.Join in environmental protection campaigns. |
B.Develop a sense of environmental protection. |
C.Donate money to the environmental department. |
A.Driving less. | B.Planting trees. | C.Picking rubbish. |
8 . My colleagues and I, who have been teaching powerful communication skills, talk about the power of words all the time. We think the words we use are at the heart of
Over the last twenty years, I have
There are lots of ways we can make someone feel excluded and
So, the next time you are in a
A.success | B.friendship | C.inclusion | D.sympathy |
A.praised | B.employed | C.criticized | D.coached |
A.assumptions | B.options | C.questions | D.suggestions |
A.treat | B.rescue | C.admire | D.follow |
A.competitors | B.outsiders | C.researchers | D.professionals |
A.gradually | B.rarely | C.temporarily | D.constantly |
A.hesitant | B.unlikely | C.afraid | D.unwilling |
A.unwelcome | B.regretful | C.envious | D.disappointed |
A.factor | B.result | C.change | D.dream |
A.sought for | B.tested out | C.cared for | D.left out |
A.contest | B.gathering | C.camp | D.classroom |
A.confident | B.courageous | C.thoughtful | D.patient |
A.imagine | B.consider | C.avoid | D.miss |
A.worried | B.curious | C.pleased | D.sure |
A.element | B.day | C.person | D.party |
9 . In an increasingly digital world, smartphones have become an essential part of teenage life. A recent Pew Research Center survey of 1,453 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 and their parents illustrates the complex emotional relationship between teens and their devices.
The survey found that a majority of teens experience positive emotions when separated from their smartphones, with 74% reporting feeling happy and 72% feeling peaceful. However, a significant minority also reported negative feelings, with 44% feeling anxious, 40% feeling upset, and 39% feeling lonely without their phones.
Despite these mixed emotions, most teens believe that smartphones provide more benefits than harm for their age group. Seventy percent of teens said smartphones offer more advantages, while 30% believed the opposite. Younger girls aged 13 to 14 were more likely than older teen girls and boys to say the harms outweigh the benefits.
Teens also recognized the potential of smartphones to facilitate personal growth and academic success. Nearly 70% said smartphones make it easier to pursue hobbies and interest, and 45% believed they help young people perform better in school. However, opinions were divided on the impact of smartphones on social skills and friendships.
The survey also explored the challenges parents face in handling the digital landscape. Half of the parents reported looking though their teen’s phone, and about 40% said they regularly argue with their teen about phone use, Nearly half of the teens said their parents are at least sometimes distracted by their own phones when trying to have a conversation.
As concerns grow about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, this survey highlights the nuanced (微妙的) relationship between teens and their smartphones. While the devices offer many benefits, they also present emotional and social challenges that both teens and parents must navigate in an increasingly connected world.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.The effect of the survey. | B.The process of the survey. |
C.The result of the survey. | D.The purpose of the survey. |
A.By increasing their interest in technology. |
B.By improving their academic performance. |
C.By motivating them to realize their dreams. |
D.By enhancing their social skills and friendships. |
A.Supportive. | B.Puzzled. | C.Concerned. | D.Pessimistic. |
A.The Emotional Impact of Smartphones on Teens |
B.The Challenges of Smartphone Usage Among Teens |
C.The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Digital World |
D.The Complicated Relationship Between Teens and Parents |
10 . As you shop online, you may be drawn to digital ads with curvy(圆角)designs without even realizing it. According to a new study from the University of South Florida, consumers click on curvy call-to-action buttons, such as “Shop Now” or “Add to Cart”, at a significantly higher rate than those with sharp angles.
“It’s actually rooted in natural instincts(本能),” says Dipayan Biswas, professor of marketing. “According to research from different disciplines, our natural instincts send us signals that sharp angles usually indicate danger and that we’re more likely to get hurt. In contrast, curvy designs are perceived as friendlier and more approachable.”
This feeling leads people to subconsciously prefer things, including digital ad designs, which are soft-edged and curvy. As published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Biswas tested this concept through click rates and eye movement studies in the Muma College of Business Customer Experience Lab. The novel findings reveal how the shapes of virtual elements can subconsciously influence click-through rates.
“We studied a hotel search button and we consistently found the click rate was higher when the elements were curved,” Biswas says. “It translated to an increase of nearly 15percent in total revenue(收入).” According to Biswas, this means companies can potentially manipulate consumers as they will unconsciously click and spend more through the use of curved call-to-action buttons. For companies that put little thought or reasoning behind their design element choices, this study could be eye-opening for them.
For shoppers, this means when they’re surfing the web around a holiday shopping season, they are subject to the marketing practice, such as design elements, which can lead to more unplanned purchases. Biswas encourages online shoppers to set a budget to balance such digital influence. “Having a budget will give you a benchmark to keep things more conscious-oriented and you’re less likely to be influenced by variables like these.”
1. Why do people tend to click curvy buttons when shopping online?A.They make shopping convenient. | B.They give us a sense of security. |
C.They often mean trade discounts. | D.They offer various easy options. |
A.Respect. | B.Block. | C.Track. | D.Affect. |
A.They have been used by all businesses. | B.They stop us making decisions quickly. |
C.They are a powerful tool for companies. | D.They enable websites to function well. |
A.Be reasonable consumers. | B.Frequent physical stores. |
C.Become aware of their right. | D.Avoid surfing the Internet. |