The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 per cent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an email and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.”
1.We can learn from the passage that “infomania” ______.
A. has a positive influence on one’s IQ
B. results in the change of part of the brain
C. lies in the problem of lack of concentration
D. is caused by too much use of modern technology
2.The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ______.
A. the important function of advanced technology
B. the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits
C. the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology
D. the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness
3.The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “______”.
A. examined carefully B. copied patiently
C. corrected quickly D. admitted freely
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The regular use of text messages and e-mails can be compared to smoking marijuana.
B. The regular use of text messages and e-mails can harm your IQ.
C. Modern technology can damage a person’s mind.
D. Electronic messages have side effects on the user’s life.
Surprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept. We know that more than 850,000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital. We also know there is only one hospital teacher to every 1,000 children in hospital.
Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter have only a part-time teacher. The special children’s hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals in the country and holiday areas are worst off. From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher—and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games.
Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as “the library lady” or just “the helper”. Children tend to rely on concerned school friends to keep in touch with school work. Several parents spoke of requests for work being ignored or refused by the school. Once back at school children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as best as they can.
Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.
1.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Every child in hospital receives some teaching.
B. Not enough is known about hospital teaching.
C. Hospital teaching is of poor quality.
D. The special children's hospitals are worst off.
2.It can be inferred from the latest survey that________.
A. hospital teaching across the country is similar
B. each hospital has at least one part-time teacher
C. all hospitals surveyed offer education to children
D. only one-fourth of the hospitals have a full-time teacher
3.Hospital teachers are found________.
A. not welcomed by the children and their parents
B. necessary
C. not welcomed by the hospitals
D. capable
4.In order to catch up with their school work, children in hospital usually turn to________.
A. hospital teachers B. schoolmates
C. parents D. school teachers
5.We can conclude from the passage that the author is________.
A. unfavorable towards children receiving education in hospitals
B. in favor of the present state of teaching in hospitals
C. unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teaching
D. satisfied with the results of the latest survey
Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. -- Jonathan Swift
I walked into a wild third-grade classroom. Music was playing __ , children were under tables applying make-up, kids were throwing a football indoors, and students were __ _ wherever they could find ___ . I was a mid-year __ . The previous ___ said he could no longer manage these children and ___ without notice during the holiday break.
As soon as I walked in the room, I realized why he __ . I sat down ___ _ in my chair and began reading their __ softly. After each name, I ___ _, asking God to help me understand that child. I then nailed a__ _ to the wall next to the chalkboard and began ___ my name and a reading assignment on the board. I then asked each child to come to me, and tell me their names and what they wanted to learn. It was a __ _ task, because only two children there wanted to learn something! Rules were ___ , boundaries established, parents contacted. But the mirror saved the day -- no, the year! Unbeknownst(不知的) to the children, the mirror allowed me to see their every ___ _ while I was writing on the board. They soon became __ _ as to how I knew who was misbehaving while I was writing on the board. When one student finally asked me, I told him I had a special teacher’s eye in the back of my head that my hair ___ . At first they did not believe me. ___ they did begin to exhibit better behavior, especially while I wrote on the board, thinking I had magical __ _. I never told them differently. Why __ a good thing?
1.A. softly B. clearly C. loudly D. peacefully
2.A. speaking B. laughing C. standing D. dancing
3.A. space B. music C. partner D. joke
4.A. representative B. replacement C. reference D. reward
5.A. teacher B. headmaster C. director D. leader
6.A. retired B. remained C. resigned D. returned
7.A. went B. came C. left D. disappeared
8.A. angrily B. restlessly C. indifferently D. quietly
9.A. names B. faces C. figures D. minds
10.A. prepared B. prayed C. protected D. preferred
11.A. board B. mirror C. cross D. picture
12.A. noting B. copying C. writing D. drawing
13.A. difficult B. different C. distant D. direct
14.A. dated B. written C. worked D. set
15.A. make B. move C. matter D. mind
16.A. pleased B. puzzled C. known D. worried
17.A. covered B. hooked C. hung D. displayed
18.A. So B. However C. And D. But
19.A. view B. scene C. eyes D. vision
20.A. mix up B. bring up C. mess up D. burn up
Korean culture is really popular right now. The Korean Wave is ______ Asian countries including China.
A. sweeping B. striking
C. appplying D. Experiencing
She lost her temper, ______ I decided to go back home.
A. in this case B. in which occasion
C. at which point D. in the event
Had they known what was coming next, they _____ second thoughts.
A. may have B. must have had
C. could have D. might have had
