2 . No business would welcome being compared to gambling (赌博). Yet that is what is happening to makers of video games. For years parents have complained that their children are “addicted” to their video games and smartphones. Today, however, even more doctors are using the term. On January 1 this year, “gaming disorder” — in which games are played uncontrollably, despite causing harm — gained recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Are games really addictive? Psychologists have different opinions. Those who don’t think so say that this is just another moral panic. Similar warnings have been given about television, rock’n’roll, jazz, comic books, novels and even crossword puzzles, but it turns out that they are not as harmful as expected.

However, supporters argue that game developers have the motivation and the means to design their products to make them extremely attractive. For one thing, the business- model has changed: In the old days, games were bought once and for all. But these days, games are free and money is earned from buying of in-game goods, which ties playtime directly to profit they make. For another, game-makers combine psychological theory and data, which helps them maximize the playtime. Smart phones and modern video game machines use their permanent Internet connections to send gameplay data back to developers. In this way products are constantly adjusted to encourage players’ spending. The biggest spenders are known as “whales”, a term that originated in casinos (赌场).

The gaming industry should realize that, in the real world, it has a problem, and that problem is growing. Now that gaming addiction comes with an official WHO recognition, diagnoses will become more common. Anyway, being put together with gambling in the public mind, fairly or not, will not do the industry any good.

The buzzwords (时髦术语) “brittle college students” have gone viral on the Internet recently among mounting concerns over     1    serious decline in the physical health of Chinese college students. The words refer to the new generation of college students generally     2     (suffer) from many physical problems. “Brittle,” which     3     (apparent) means tender and fragile (脆弱), has been used by netizens jokingly     4     (describe) how easily college students can get injured and sick.

Such comments have caused heated discussions over the declining physical     5     (fit) of contemporary college students,    6     is confirmed by the astonishing record of visits to one hospital in the city of Zhengzhou, north-central Henan Province. It is reported that Zhengzhou Central Hospital     7     (receıve) some 1,700 young people aged between 18 and 25 in its emergency department in September alone.

“These young people were mainly diagnosed (诊断) with trauma, abdominal pain, chest tightness, hyperventilation, acute alcoholism, and cholecystitis. Most cases were caused by     8     (regular) daily routine, staying up late and unhealthy diet,” said Cheng Xiaodan, deputy director of the hospital’s emergency department.

A report pointed out that unhealthy lifestyle is common     9     college students. Many participants said they had experienced health     10     (issue) such as poor skin condition, lack of sleep, and emotional problems.

People from all over China have crowded into Zibo city in recent months, expecting to have     1    appointment with authentic (正宗的) barbecues.     2     various types of meat sizzling on stoves, people gather together outdoors to enjoy yummy food. The barbecue    3     ( stand) have created a lively atmosphere, which appeals to tourists around the whole country.

Since the Zibo barbecues were in the news    4     (frequent), the government has seized the opportunity to promote tourism,     5     (increase) the city’s financial success. Policies are quickly made and swift actions are taken    6     (ensure) that tourists have a safe and    7     (please) experience. Police officers    8     (assign) to maintain order can be seen everywhere. Regulators(监管者)     9     (take) measures so far to guarantee that quality ingredients are used. Except for historical sites, the tourism department has introduced new sightseeing routes to those who are fond of exploring.

The arrival of tourists has boosted Zibo’s economy, advertising a kind of success    10    owes to joint efforts from merchants and the government.

The village of Dafen, China was once thought    1     (produce) the most oil paintings in the world every year. Recognized as the “world’s art factory”, Dafen impressed visitors with    2     (it) many workshops, in which painters created mock (模仿的) masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol. But the village was always seen more as a production line    3    a place of culture. Today the future of Dafen may depend on    4     it is able to earn respect of the art world.

Things started to change for Dafen in 2008, when the global financial crisis cut down overseas     5     (order). With more demand coming from the domestic market, artists began painting different subjects. New customers preferred Chinese styles, says     6    painter in Dafen. He learnt the art of Shan Shui which involves representing natural landscapes. In some ways Dafen reflected the broader economy. As export starts to decline as a share of GDP, domestic    7     (consume) plays a larger role in driving growth.

China is the world’s second-largest art market. But it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Locals say the demand for their paintings    8     (decline) in the past two pandemic-stricken years. “Most people would     9     (probable) be surprised that Dafen still exists,”says Lisa Movius, a writer in Shanghai who covers art.     10     (adapt) to the changes, maybe it is time that Dafen should go through a transition.

9 . Is my article mid or valid? If you can answer this question, you already are used to what we term “algospeak.” As more and more online users join social media platforms such as TikTok (抖音), algospeak continues to grow. But what is it, what do these words mean?

Algospeak is a coded language or slang used online. For some communities it is the only way to talk safely about sensitive subjects. Due to the rise of algorithmic censorship (算法筛查) in media, algospeak developed as a way to prevent robot from deleting their videos and messages. Users had to get creative to avoid deletion. This means that as long as there is censorship, there will be a new language to avoid it.

Further, new slang created on social media platforms fits itself into everyday life. Even if you are not writing a message on TikTok, you may have caught yourself using phrases from the app in your daily life. This connection between people all over the globe allows for shared vocabulary. It also has the potential to completely change the way we as English speakers speak. Here is some new slang popularized by TikTok.

Bussin’ (adj.) — something is really good, usually referring to food

Mid (adj.) — ordinary, not good or bad

Sheesh (ex.) — response either meaning disbelief or surprise, can be positive or negative

Valid (adj.) — something very good or meets a very high standard; a respectable opinion

No one would have expected artificial intelligence (AI) would be the catalyst (催化剂) for change but it is. The combination of not only censorship but also high connectivity birthed a new language. Some older generations can’t even understand what the youngest generation says because of the lack of access to the new language. The gap between English before social media and English as it is now is huge, and it continues to grow.

So, what should we expect for the future? Will censorship loosen or will the English language continue to develop from digital media? Time can only tell.

10 . In the days before the Internet, critical thinking was the most important skill of informed citizens. But in the digital age, according to Anastasia Kozyreva, a psychologist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development, and her colleagues, an even more important skill is critical ignoring.

As the researchers point out, we live in an attention economy where content producers on the Internet compete for our attention. They attract us with a lot of emotional and eye-catching stories while providing little useful information, so they can expose us to profit-generating advertisements. Therefore,we are no longer customers but products, and each link we click is a sale of our time and attention. Toprotect ourselves from this, Kozyreva advocates for learning the skill of critical ignoring, in which readers intentionally control their information environment to reduce exposure to false and low-quality information.

According to Kozyreva, critical ignoring comprises three strategies. The first is to design ourenvironments, which involves the removal of low-quality yet hard-to-resist information from around. Successful dieters need to keep unhealthy food out of their homes. Likewise, we need to set up a digital environment where attention-grabbing items are kept out of sight. As with dieting, if one tries to bank onwillpower not to click eye-catching “news”, he’ll surely fail. So, it’s better to just keep them out of sightto begin with.

The next is to evaluate the reliability of information, whose purpose is to protect you from false and misleading information. It can be realized by checking the source in the mainstream news agencies which have their reputations for being trustworthy.

The last goes by the phrase “do not feed the trolls.” Trolls are actors who internationally spread false and hurtful information online to cause harm. It may be appealing to respond to them to set the facts straight, but trolls just care about annoying others rather than facts. So, it’s best not to reward their bad behaviour with our attention.

By sharpening our critical ignoring skills in these ways, we can make the most of the Internet while avoiding falling victim to those who try to control our attention, time, and minds.