Question

How many times do you check your Facebook page in a day to see whether your latest post has got another “like” or “thumbs(拇指) up”?

Although you might be embarrassed to admit how many times you do this, don’t worry—psychological findings have shown it’s completely normal. In fact, the pleasure we derive from receiving a “like” is equal to that of eating chocolate or winning money, and we can’t help wanting more. According to the findings, which observed 32 teens aged between 13 and 18, the feedback circuit (反馈回路) in the teens’ brains is particularly sensitive, and the “social” and “visual” parts of their brains were active when they received “likes” on the social network. The research also showed that though the thumbs up might come from complete strangers, the good they derive from them worked all the same.

So, does it mean we should try our best to win as many thumbs up as possible? Not necessarily so if we know the reasons behind our desire for attention. In “why do people long for attention” by M. Farouk Radwan, he explained several cases in which people naturally longed for attention. Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to copy these conditions. Feeling “overlooked and unappreciated” might also lead you to long for attention. Other times, the state of being jealous, or wanting to cover your mistakes may also contribute to such longings.

In fact, too much desire for attention can create anxiety, and in turn ruin your happiness even when you get it. So what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple. “If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem（自尊）but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less sensitive to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem,” wrote psychology professor Jennifer Crocker.

So perhaps the answer to our addiction to “likes” is simply to focus on something larger than ourselves—a hard, but a worthy one.

1.Which of the following is TRUE?

A. The thumbs up from complete strangers don’t work.

B. Desire for attention can definitely create anxiety.

C. Feeling ignored might lead you to be in need of attention.

D. The brain of teenagers is seldom sensitive.

2.What’s the reaction of receiving “likes” on the social network to the brain?

A. The social and visual parts become more nervous.

B. The social and visual parts of the brain are active.

C. The physical and sense parts of the brain become less sensitive.

D. The whole brain becomes cleverer.

3.Who wants to get more attention according to the passage?

A. Teens who want to discover their mistakes.    B. The old who lives happily with children.

C. The young who feels anxious.    D. The one who is the only child.

4.What’s Crocker’s suggestion about the negative effects of getting self-esteem?

A. Doing an interesting matter.    B. Working harder than ever before.

C. Having a bigger goal than their self.    D. Not checking your Facebook page in a day.

Answer

1. C

2. B

3. D

4. C

【解析】

这是一篇社会生活类文章．很多人都习惯检查一下自己新发的帖子得到了别人多少"like" or "thumb up"，作者在文中分析了这种行为背后的原因，并且指出：想得到别人关注这很正常，但是，过于追求别人的关注将会产生不好的影响．

1.细节理解题。根据第三段倒数第二句“Feeling “overlooked and unappreciated” might also lead you to long for attention.”可知感觉被忽视和不被欣赏可能也会导致你渴望被关注。故C项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段第三句“…the “social” and “visual” parts of their brains were active when they received “likes” on the social network.”可知当人们在社交网络里被点赞的时候，他们大脑里的“social” 和 “visual” 部分会变得很活跃。故B项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第三段第四句“Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to copy these conditions.”可知独生子女和习惯于家庭中心的人想获得更多的关注，故D项正确。

4.细节理解题。根据文章最后一句“If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem（自尊）but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less sensitive to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem,”可知如果人们的目标大于自我的时候，他们受到获得过多关注的负面影响会小很多。故C项正确。