In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities (名人) and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.
A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what were the key social media trends of 2018?
Short video apps such as TikTok and its Chinese equivalent Douyin, took the world by storm. The Telegraph reported that TikTok was ranked 8th on Apple’s App Store in April. And Douyin had more than 300 million domestic monthly active users in June, CNBC said.
Why are these short videos – which are rarely longer than a few minutes – so popular? Jiang Yige, Singapore-based analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. Short videos are “just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules,” he told CNBC.
These videos – apart from being very convenient – are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to Teen Vogue.
The sense of community that users of short video app get is another appealing feature. Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musically who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” them. “It’s really cool … because I think as social creators that’s what we all are,” she added.
Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It’s a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live.
However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streams. Among them is viewers’ ability to interact while remaining anonymous.
However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn’t mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.
1.The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being _____”.
A.changeable B.steady
C.promising D.violent
2.According to Lisa Koshy, short videos are very popular because _____________.
A.they are very convenient
B.they help people kill time
C.they provide a sense of community
D.they allow people to express themselves
3.What can we learn about social media from the text?
A.The information from social media is highly reliable.
B.When it comes to social media, people know short videos the best.
C.People can’t communicate with each other without social media.
D.There is still much room for social media to make improvement.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Rapid Development of Social Media
B.Key Social Media Trends ruling 2018
C.Short Videos Taking the World by Storm
D.Live Streaming—New Feature of Social Media
Birds in eastern North America are picking up the pace along their yearly migratory (迁移的) paths. The reason, according to researchers, is rising temperatures due to climate change.
Using migration information collected in eBird, a citizen science program database containing 10 years’ worth of observations from amateur birdwatchers, assistant professor of biology Allen Hurlbert, Ph.D., and his team analyzed when 18 different species of birds arrived at various points across their migration journeys.
Pushing migration earlier in the year could negatively affect birds over the long term, Hurlbert said. “Timing of bird migration is something critical for the overall health of bird species,” he said. “They have to time it right so they can balance arriving on breeding (繁殖) grounds after there’s no longer a risk of severe winter conditions. If they get it wrong, they may die or may not produce as many young.”
Hurlbert said, the speed at which a species migrates is the biggest influence on how strongly it responds to increasing temperatures. Slow migrators were the most adaptable to changes. Additionally, the length of the migration path affects how quickly birds move from one location to another.
“It makes sense that if you take your time to move north, you’re sort of checking out the surroundings around you,” he said. “If the conditions seem too cold, you can decide there’s no point in moving on that day. Species that tended to advance quickly, as well as those migrating from greater distances, such as Central or South America, were less able to adapt to temperature changes.”
However, being a slow traveler does not free a species from all climate change-induced migration challenges. Because they stay in one spot longer, such birds have heavier habitat and food requirements, making them more dependent upon the resources that are available along their paths. That reliance could become a greater problem if climate projections for the next 50 years to 75 years hold true, Hurlbert said. Climatologists predict the Northeast will continue to warm at a faster pace than the Southeast, potentially forcing slow migrators to move even slower and put greater difficulty on their migratory routes.
1.The rising temperatures led to _______________.
A.the speed-up of birds’ migration
B.the weakness of the birds’ physical health
C.the birds’ less demand for food
D.the variation of breeding grounds
2.According to Hurbert, wrong timing of bird migration can lead to ___________.
A.a risk of wrong migration paths B.change in life habit
C.a lack of natural resources D.decrease in bird population
3.What is the most important factor in adapting to climate change for birds?
A.The cycle of migration.
B.Migration speed.
C.Their local habitat.
D.The temperature along the migratory path.
4.What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
A.Climatologists’ prediction.
B.Climate changes’ bad effects.
C.Challenges of slow migrators’ migration.
D.Changes of birds’ migratory routes.
A few months ago, I was picking up the children at school. Emily, another mother that I knew well, rushed up to me. She was filled with anger. “Do you know what you and I are?” she demanded. Before I could answer, she gave out the reason for her question. She had just returned from renewing her driver’s license at a government office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation, Emily hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. “What I mean is,” explained the woman, “Do you have a job, or are you just a ...?” “Of course I have a job,” answered Emily. “I’m a mother.” “We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation ... ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation. This time it was at our own Town Hall. The clerk was a woman. “And what is your occupation?” she asked. What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply jumped out. “I’m ... a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.” The clerk paused, her ball-point pen frozen in mid air, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “just what you do in your field?”
Coolly, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research in the laboratory and in the field. I’m working for my masters (the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most jobs and the rewards are in satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up and personally showed me out. As I drove into our driveway, I was greeted by my lab assistants—ages 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development program. I felt successful!
Motherhood...what a glorious career, especially when there is a title on the door.
1.The purpose of Emily’s story is to_______________.
A.prove that being a housewife is shameful
B.show how angry Emily was with the author
C.tell readers that Emily had no work in reality
D.introduce the topic of “motherhood” as a job
2.On hearing the title of the author’s occupation, the clerk felt ______.
A.bored and disappointed B.surprised and curious
C.satisfied and respectful D.interested and thrilled
3.What do you know about the author’s family?
A.Her daughters are all involved in a child-development program.
B.Her family is supported by her work as a Research Associate.
C.She has four daughters and the youngest is six months old.
D.There are at most five members in her family.
4.The manner of speaking in which the author writes the text is ______.
A.indifferent B.cautious
C.objective D.humorous
Upcoming Events of New York Chinese Cultural Center
Ancient Chinese Arts Today: Fan Dance
Sunday, October17, 2:00pm—3:00 pm, $15 per child
New-York Historical Society Museum & Library
Learn Chinese fan dancing with an instructor from NYCCC! This program is a part of Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion, an exhibition which examines the history of trade and immigration between China and the United States.
Dragon Boat Festival
Monday, October 18, 2:00pm —2:30pm
Fresh Meadows Park
Come and celebrate with us in the thousand-year-old tradition of Dragon Boat racing! Be part of the audience and the excitement of this celebration. FREE ADMISSION! Click here for more information. Dragon Boat Festival will be held in Fresh Meadows Park.
Dance to China
Sunday, October 24, 2 pm
Spruce Street School Auditorium, 12 Spruce St, New York, NY 10038
Join us in celebrating 43 years of preserving and continuing Chinese traditional dance. Students from NYCCC School of the Arts will be performing traditional Chinese dance, martial arts, and Beijing opera acrobatics. Cost is $15 for adults, $12 for teenagers and senior citizens, $10 for children under 12.
NYCCC School of the Arts Open House
Saturday, October 30, from 1:00pm —3:00 pm, $12 per child
PS 124, Yung Wing School, 40 Division Street, New York, NY 10002
Join us and see Chinese dance, kung fu, and acrobatic performances performed by our current students. Come and see our students’ beautiful artwork on display and make some artwork yourselves during our hour of arts and crafts and face painting from 1-2 pm. The show will be from 2-3pm.
1.Where can you learn about China-US trade and immigration history?
A.In Fresh Meadows Park.
B.In PS 124, Yung Wing School.
C.In Spruce Street School Auditorium.
D.In New-York Historical Society Museum & Library.
2.How much should a family of 4 (aged 75, 38, 36, 5) pay to participate in Dance to China?
A.$48. B.$ 52.
C.$55 D.$ 57.
3.What does NYCCC aim at?
A.Training dancing instructors.
B.Producing beautiful artwork.
C.Promoting Chinese folk arts.
D.Examining trade and immigration.
李华感到英语非常难，于是在某网站发了如何学好英语的帖子。假如你是编辑史密斯，请给李华一个满意的答复。答复内容必须包含以下要点：
1．首先，英语是世界上重要的语言之一，你有必要学好它。然后，你应该多花一点时间学习英语，经常用英语同他人交流是一个好办法；其次，你不但可以观看英文电影和阅读英语书籍，而且还可以唱英语歌曲。最后，请英语老师帮忙。
2.如果你对英语感兴趣，你会发现它对你非常有益。
注意：书写要规范、工整；不少于100词。
Dear Li Hua,
I heard you have some difficulty in learning English. Here are some of my tips.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I hope you will make great progress in the future.
Yours,
Mr. Smith
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Tracy is a foreign student in our school. There is a pity that she is going to leave, which make us all very sad. She is a kind-hearted girl, but always offers to help us our English. I remembered when I am preparing for a speaking contest two month ago, Tracy spent her spare time teach me for almost three days. I won the first prize in the contest. When I said thanks to her, and she gave me a big smile. I hope that he can come to China again. I wish her a colorfully and interesting life.
