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 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(等同物) 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 at home, CNBC said.
Why are these short videos—which are rarely longer than a few minutes—so popular? Jiang Yige, Singaporebased 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.
Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musical.ly who has over 2 million followers, said, “The sense of community that users of short video apps get is another appealing feature.”
Live streaming(直播) is a 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 with unknown names.
However, the quick development of social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it causes. Materials shared on these platforms are often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can mislead 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 Liza 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 do we know about social media?
A.The information from social media is totally reliable.
B.When it comes to social media, people only know short videos.
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 author's attitude to the quick development of social media?
A.Objective. B.Subjective.
C.Favorable. D.Disapproving.
2019 Oscars Academy Award Nominees (提名) for Best Picture
Black Panther
Type: Adventure
Running Time: 134 min.
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Director: Ryan Coogler
Actors: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan
With his father having died in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa is the new ruler of the advanced kingdom of Wakanda. As the king, whenever a challenger for the crown announces his intentions, he must give up his powers and take them on in a physical challenge.
The Favorite
Type: Drama
Running Time: 120 min.
Release Date: November 30, 2018
Current rank: ★★★
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Actors: Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz
In the early 18th century, with England and France at war, a fragile Queen Anne occupies the throne as her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill governs the country in her stead, while tending to Anne’s ill health and changeable temper.
Green Book
Type: Drama
Running Time: 130 min.
Release Date: November 21, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★★
Director: Peter Farrelly
Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
Tony Lip, an uneducated Italian-American who’s known for using his fists to get his way, is hired to drive world-class, famous pianist Don Shirley on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. They must rely on the “Negro Motorist Green Book” to guide them to the few settlements that were then safe for blacks.
A Star is Born
Type: Musical
Running Time: 135 min.
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Direct: Bradley Cooper
Actors: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga
When country music star Jackson Maine stops at a bar for a drink after a concert, he’s both entertained and attracted by young nightclub singer Ally. He discovers that she writes songs as well as being a talented singer, but hasn’t had a break because of her looks.
1.Which film is the least popular among audience?
A. Black Panther. B. The Favorite.
C. Green Book. D. A Star is Born.
2.The film about the rights of black people belongs to .
A. adventure B. musical
C. drama D. comedy
3.Who works as a director and actor?
A. Ryan Coogler. B. Yorgos Lanthimos.
C. Peter Farrelly. D. Bradley Cooper.
根据下列句子及所给汉语注释，将空缺处单词的正确形式写在答题纸上。（每空一词）
1.Easter is an important ____ (宗教的) festival.
2.She didn't have the ____ (力量,力气) to walk any further.
3.This country has been ____ (独立) since 1920.
4.If the pain continues, ____ (咨询) your doctor.
5.He couldn't see the ____ (益处) of arguing any longer.
6.____ (明显), diet and exercise are equally important.
7.No official ____ (许可) has been given for the event to take place.
8.The letter wasn't addressed to me but I opened it out of ____ (好奇心).
9.Although ____ (授予) the Nobel Prize, the scientist still remains modest.
10.After ____ (道歉) to his neighbour for the broken window, the boy felt better.
How do you enter a room full of strangers? Do you walk right in full of confidence? Or do you try to slip in without being noticed? 1..
In life,we admire those who do their tasks confidently.We prefer people who appear to know what they are doing.But where does that confidence begin?
Developing self-confidence starts very early.If parents’ role to get kids on the right track toward becoming confident people.2..That can be done by focusing on the child’s strengths.Parents should encourage their children to try new things and take risks.When children make mistakes,their parents should still let them know that they are loved.Children whose parents do these things will likely develop into confident adults.3. So what’s the solution?
With most things in life,practice makes perfect,and that is true of confidence skills.4..
Always hold your head high and look people in the eye.Answer questions clearly and confidently.
Focus on the things that you do well,and look for opportunities to use those abilities.
Prepare thoroughly for every project.You’ll approach the task more confidently knowing that you are ready.
5. It could be a good test score or a prize from a contest.Remind yourself that one success often leads to the next.
However,all humans fail at times,and you will too.Even with efforts to try all the above,you will never be perfect.But you can learn to love and accept yourself and live your life with confidence.
A.Keep in mind an item that reminds you of a recent success.
B.The more you practice them,the easier they will become.
C.The way you go into new situations show your level of self-confidence.
D.Our goal is to prepare students to go into the world with confidence.
E.To help that process,parents should always offer more praise than criticism.
F.Learning from mistakes helps you face the same situation later without fear.
G..But self-confidence still doesn’t come easily.
People tend to become more personal and hide less of themselves when using email. Researchers from Open University in Britain have found in a recent study that there are good reasons for this.
The team of researchers asked 83 pairs of students, all strangers to each other, to solve a problem. They had to discuss this question: If only five people in the world could be saved from a world disaster, who should they be? The pairs of students had to talk over the problem either face to face or by computers. Dr. Johnson said, “They told their partners four times as much about themselves when they talked over the Internet as when they talked face to face. When the computers were fitted with cameras so that students could see each other, this limited the personal side of the conversation.”
Generally the information was not extremely personal. It was mainly about things such as where they went to school, or where they used to live. But some students discussed their love stories, and personal childhood experiences.
Dr Johnson believes that emailing encourages people to focus on themselves. And when they do this, they become more open, especially if there are no cameras. “If you cannot see the other person, it becomes easier to talk about yourself. This is because you are not thinking what the other person is thinking of you. So emailing has become the modern way of talking,” said Dr. Johnson. However, this style of talking is not entirely new. “In the 19th century people started to use the ‘telegraph’ to communicate. Now the same kind of thing has happened and people ended up speaking more freely.”
Dr. Johnson thinks that emailers need to know about these effects of emailing, especially when they start work in a company. “ If you don’t know about it, you could find yourself saying more about yourself than you wanted to.”
1.The subject discussed in this passage is _______.
A.how people open up when emailing B.how people do research studies
C.how to communicate at work D.how to discuss and solve a problem
2.The reason that some couples talked freely about themselves is that _______.
A.they didn’t talk about very personal things B.they couldn’t see each other
C.the cameras on the computers were turned on D.they had to discuss a question
3.What does the underlined sentence refer to?
A.The telegraph. B.The computer. C.Emailing. D.Face-to-face talk.
4.In the writer’s opinion, one should ______.
A.focus on oneself when emailing B.talk more freely in emails than usual
C.discuss any subject that one wants to D.consider how one uses email at work
The first Europeans came to America in 1492 with Christopher Columbus. Since that time people have come to America from all over the world, from Europe, Africa, and Asia, and they have brought their music with them. This mixing of people and music has created American music.
Music is a very important part of our lives. Music is for dancing, drinking, eating, loving and thinking. Some songs remind us of our childhood or youth. Others remind of the people we love. Many important occasions, like weddings and funerals have special music. Every nation has a national song like the American ''The Star-Spangled Banner. '' In the U.S, high schools and colleges have school songs too.
Music is a part of the history of America. It expresses the problems and feelings of its people.
As the years pass, the music grows and changes.
Modern science has also changed music. Inventions like records, radios, movies, electric instruments, tape recorders, and videos have changed the way we play and listen to music. They have helped to make music an important form of international communication.
American music, from the earliest folk songs to modern ''pop'', is known around the world. Music is one of America’s most important exports. It brings the people of the world together. Even when people cannot understand the same language, they can share the same music. Many people learn and practice English by singing songs, and understanding American music can help you understand American people. ''Put a dime (10 cents) in the juke box (自动点唱机), baby. '' Let's listen to the music!
1.The article mainly tells us about____.
A.how American music developed
B.when American music developed
C.what American music is
D.why American music is so popular
2.From the text we know that ____ .
A.American music is known all over the world
B.American music began in the 1550s
C.American music is special
D.American music has changed modern science in the US
3.American music is _____ .
A.for dancing, drinking, eating, loving and shopping
B.a mixture of people and music from all over the world
C.America's most important export
D.a part of the history of the world
