Social media can be a convenient way to extend your network, staying in touch with your grandma, or sharing photos of your new puppy. Nevertheless, social media can be temible for your health. It’s our use of it that’s out of control.
British anthropologist and evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar developed the idea that 150 people is the maximum number of meaningful connections anyone can have. You may have 800 friends on Wechat, but we’re not connecting with them in person. Your QQ connections may be vast, but how many of them do you have meaningful interactions with?
If you’re using social media to feel more connected, a recent study published in the American Joumal of Health Promotion suggests that it’s not working, and it an also contribute to unfavorable connections and even depression. Positive interactions on social media don’t help people feel happier. Negative interactions, on the other hand, bring more feelings of sadness. The same goes for comparison, which social media encourages. Another study, published by the American Psychological Association, shows comparing yourself to others via social media also has negative effects, leading to symptoms of depression.
Reaching for your cell phone as a mental break is also a bad idea. Research by Rutgers University compared participants in the midst of completing a task who took a break with their cell phones, with paper and pencils, and who took no break at all. Those who used their cell phones during their break solved 22% fewer problems and took 19% longer to complete their tasks than those under the other two conditions.
So how should you manage your social media usage?
First, know your time and purposes of use. Use the tracking function on your device to find out how much you’re using it and what you’re using it for. After this, get away from your device unless you have to use it. As tough as it might be, turn off and tune into the world around you.
Then, be in charge of your device, rather than let it be in charge of you. Your phone s rings or vibrations don’t mean you must respond to them. Remind yourself that you’re in charge, not your device or the people on the other end of it who’ve just contacted you.
Finally, consider using your device as a relationship builder. Use your apps to find your friends and make your dinner reservation so you can catch up face-to-face your favorite restaurant, where you’ll keep your phone out of sight.
When you’re in control of your digital consumption, social media becomes a tool to enrich your life and not a distraction (分心) that makes you feel miserable.
1.The author might agree that ________.
A.social media is immediate and interactive
B.it is hard to live without digital devices
C.friends on QQ are not friends indeed
D.improper social media use is harmful
2.American Journal of Health Promotion suggests that using social media ________.
A.can’t promote your expected connections
B.breaks up the meaningful communication
C.causes the unnecessary comparison
D.can’t bring more positive interactions
3.From the research by Rutgers University, we might conclude that ________.
A.participants without cell phones had quicker and deeper thinking
B.using cell phones couldn’t give participants mental breaks
C.cell phone users couldn’t complete their task successfully
D.mental breaks reduce efficiency of solving problems
4.To use social media as a relationship builder, you can ________.
A.call your friends to play online games together
B.book movie tickets for family time through apps
C.look through WeiBo when you have a family reunion
D.reply messages on We Chat while having dinner with friends
5.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Is social media killing your health?
B.How does social media affect your life?
C.Social media: to be or not to be?
D.Social media: use it wisely!
Vincent Van Gogh
Born in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh led a simple life in a small town until the age of 16. He then left school and joined a company of art business in the larger city. During the next seven years, van Gogh bought and sold paintings in the Netherlands, London, and Paris. He eventually realized that dealing with others’ artwork was not his dream. He soon discovered that his dream was to become an artist himself.
He spent much of his time in learning the basic skills of drawing. He believed that to become a great painter, one must first master the ability to draw. It was only after he was comfortable in this area that he began to use oil paints. That is when van Gogh developed a style for color that made him one of the most respected artists of all time.
Van Gogh’s paintings are amazing representations (代表) of his view of the world. He used his brush and oils to make layers that built the painting until it was almost three-dimensional (三维). This quality makes people want to reach out and touch the painting.
Perhaps one of the most memorable examples of van Gogh’s use of color and brush style is his painting The Starry Night. The sky swirls across the canvas (画布), while the stars glow with unearthly brightness. Each brushstroke (笔画) creates the movement and lights. Under the sky rests a village painted with smaller strokes and finer detail, giving the impression of peace. A large tree in the foreground suggests that the view is enjoyed from the top of a hill, which offers a glimpse of the majesty (庄严) of the night sky. The Starry Night displays the gift of van Gogh’s ability to create a powerful image with simple brush and oils.
Van Gogh spent only the last ten years of his life painting. Yet van Gogh today is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His influence is strong; many painters mimic his style and use of color. His artwork can be found in museums all over the world.
1.Van Gogh learned how to paint by ________.
A.reading books about art
B.observing the world around him
C.studying the works of great artists
D.equipping himself with basic skills
2.The author includes a photo of The Starry Night to ________.
A.praise van Gogh’s ability
B.present van Gogh’s respect for nature
C.show van Gogh’s style of painting
D.express van Gogh’s feelings about his art
3.The author seems to admire the ________ most about van Gogh’s paintings.
A.image B.light
C.theme D.brushwork
4.The underlined word “mimic” in the last paragraph means ________.
A.copy B.teach
C.change D.create
Basic Steps of CPR Everyone Should Know
Do you know how to offer first aid if a person has an accident and stops breathing but there is no doctor available at hand? Applying CPR is usually helpful when emergencies such as a heart attack occurs. Read this CPR guide now so you know what to do if someone is experiencing a life-threatening (威胁生命) emergency.
Step 1. Position your hands.
Make sure the patient is lying on his back on a firm surface. Kneel beside him and place your hand on the center of the chest. Keep your arms straight, cover the first hand with the other hand and interlock (紧扣) the fingers of both hands together. Keep your fingers raised so they do not touch the patient’s chest.
Step 2. .
Push the breastbone up and down to a depth of about 5 cm about 30 times, at a rate of 100 beats per minute.
Step 3. Give rescue breaths.
Make sure the airway is open, and pinch (捏) the nose so it closes. Gently raise the chin (下巴) upwards with two fingers of your other hand. Take a deep breath, put your mouth over the patient’s, and blow until you can see his chest, rise.Then remove your mouth from the patient’s and look along the chest, watching the chest fall. To get another breath, lift your head and breathe in deeply. Perform Step 3 again.
Step 4. Repeat chest compressions (按压) and rescue breaths.
Repeat the 30 chest compressions followed by the two breaths about five times, and then check for normal breathing. If that person is not breathing normally, continue performing CPR. If breathing restarts as normal, stay with the injured person until help arrives.
First aid is an important life skill that everyone should learn. The more people who learn CPR, the more lives can be saved in the future.
1.We should do CPR at once, when someone ________.
A.suffers an accident and stops breathing
B.is hit by a car and can’t move
C.is suffering a serious headache
D.has a serious bleeding
2.Which of the following should be put in Step 2?
A.Interlock the fingers B.Open the airway
C.Press the chest D.Start the breath
3.Which picture describes the underlined statement in Para. 4?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4.The author writes this passage to _______.
A.describe the dangerous experience
B.encourage people to care for others
C.show the damage of a heart attack
D.explain the steps to apply CPR
There came Bryan’s favorite game time. He sat back on the couch (沙发) and began to ________. As Bryan was playing, his mom walked through the room to see what he was doing. “Don’t let the video game turn you into a couch potato,” Mom said. Bryan didn’t reply and ________ his eyes on the flashing television screen. He gripped (抓) his controller tightly and pushed the buttons hard.
Soon, Bryan’s ________ began to hurt. He was having trouble moving his fingers. Bryan tried to stretch out his hand, ________ it felt like his fingers just wanted to curl back around the controller. Bryan ________ back into the couch. It was so comfortable that he felt like he was sinking deeper into the cushions (靠垫). He felt a little thirsty, but it would be too much trouble to get up and ________ the game. Then Bryan thought about ________ Mom had said. Was his body really becoming part of the couch? He tried to concentrate ________ his back and legs to feel where his body ended and the couch began, but he ________ feel much of anything at all.
Bryan looked down at his hands. They felt stiff (僵硬的) now, and it seemed like they were stuck around the controller. Bryan felt ________.Could he really be turning into a video game controller? Would he just disappear into the couch before supper? Suddenly, Bryan ________ the controller and made himself stand up. He stretched his arms up toward the ceiling and then reached his hands down to touch his toes. His body tingled (刺痛) as he moved.
A Bryan ran to the kitchen to tell his mom what had happened. “Well, at least we know that video games haven’t ________ your mind,” Mom said. She buckled (轻声地笑), but Bryan still felt very serious. “I think I’ll take a break from video games and go outside ________.” Bryan said. And that’s just what he did.
That day Bryan got a(n) ________. It’s wise to make playing video games a way of relaxation and keep a balance between video games and suitable exercise. Otherwise a man will end up with a couch potato, or even, a ________ of video games.
1.A.eat B.watch C.play D.write
2.A.moved B.left C.kept D.closed
3.A.hand B.head C.eyes D.neck
4.A.or B.so C.but D.until
5.A.turned B.walked C.looked D.settled
6.A.sell B.pause C.start D.run
7.A.where B.which C.how D.what
8.A.on B.with C.from D.to
9.A.shouldn’t B.mustn’t C.wouldn’t D.couldn’t
10.A.worried B.disappointed C.excited D.angry
11.A.fixed B.observed C.designed D.dropped
12.A.ruined B.opened C.relaxed D.read
13.A.though B.too C.instead D.still
14.A.desire B.lesson C.belief D.challenge
15.A.suspect B.slave C.master D.loser
语法填空,从各题A、B、C三个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
The Hand
Thanksgiving Day was coming. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment—to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Douglas was the teacher’s true child of misery, frail (脆弱的) and unhappy. While other children _______ at the playground, Douglas would like _______ close by her side. When _______ to draw a picture of something for which Douglas was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image (抽象图) _______ the imagination of his classmates. _______ hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. _______ suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, _______ God feeds us.
When the children _______ on to other assignments, the teacher paused _______ Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was.
The little boy looked away and muttered, “It’s…”
________ aside a tear, the teacher went on with her work.
1.A.will play B.were playing C.play
2.A.to stand B.standing C.stood
3.A.to ask B.asking C.asked
4.A.excited B.would excite C.excites
5.A.Which B.Whose C.What
6.A.Both B.Either C.Another
7.A.so B.for C.but
8.A.had gone B.have gone C.go
9.A.with B.at C.in
10.A.Brushed B.To brush C.Brushing
假定你是李华，在高一上学期结束后即将进入新的班级。在过去的这一学期中，你的英语老师 Leon 给予了你很多帮助。请你用英语写一封信，内容包括:
1. 感谢对方的指导和鼓励；
2. 入学以来学习英语的收获；
3. 表达决心和祝愿。
注意:1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr. Leon,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
