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Some apps highlight (凸显)when a person is online—and then share the information with the followers. Researchers at the University of Washington say that people could have more control over whether to show their online status (状态)in this case.
To find out whether people realize the apps are sharing this information and whether these indicators (标识)change how people behave online, the research team carried out a study among users of different apps.
The team asked participants if the apps they used showed their online status to their network. Almost 90% of the participants correctly named at least one of the apps they used that had online status indicators. But for at least one app they used, 62. 5% answered “not sure” and 35. 5% answered "no.” (Actually the app did.) The researchers also asked participants whether they noticed when others were online, whether they thought others noticed when they were online, and whether they had changed their own behavior because they did or didn't want to appear online.
The answers show that many people misunderstand online status indicators but still carefully shape their behavior to control how they are displayed to others. More than half of the participants reported that they had suspected ('怀疑有)that someone had noticed their status. Meanwhile, over half reported that they had logged on to an app just to check someone else5s status. And 43% of the participants mentioned changing their settings or behavior because they were trying to avoid one specific person.
“We see this repeated way of people changing their behavior to meet the demands of technology一as opposed to technology adapting to us and meeting our needs,” said Lucy Simko, a UW doctoral student in the Allen School That means people are choosing to go online not because they want to do something there but because it's important that their status indicator is projecting the right thing at the right time.
“Now, many people are working from home and socializing only online to fight the coronavirus pandemic (新冠疫情)，and some employees use their online status to indicate that they are working and available for meetings," the team says. So there's an opportunity to think about how future development of this technology could change how people use online status indicators.
Your comfort zone is a place, activity, situation or psychological state in which you feel free from anxiety and things are within your ability or control. But stepping out of it also has positive results.
When you break free and try new things, you'll be more productive and get more unexpected changes. That's because by living outside your comfort zone when you choose to, you can experience uncertainty in a controlled, manageable environment, which can prepare you for future life changes that force you out of it. Besides, as you step out of your comfort zone, productive discomfort becomes more normal to you, and you'll be willing to push further before your performance falls off.
Here are some ways to break out of your comfort zone without going too far:
Do everyday things differently. Ride your bike instead of taking the bus to school. Try a different diet. Use a new operating system. Don't be upset if things don't work out the way you planned.
Break the activity down into small steps. If you're frightened or overwhelmed (难以承受的)by the challenge you\e picked for yourself, don't do it at once. You can make it a multi-step process that will let you slowly climb that mountain.
Trust yourself and make snap decisions. Perhaps you are more comfortable weighing all of the possible choices several times, but sometimes making a snap call is in order, just to get things moving. Doing so can help you kickstart your personal projects and teach you to trust your judgment.
Yet, with all its possible benefits, you can't live outside of your comfort zone all the time. You need to come back from time to time to review your experiences. Take time to reflect on your experiences so you can apply the benefits you've got to your day-to-day activities.
Your comfort zone is neither a good or bad thing. It's a natural state that most people trend towards (倾向于). Leaving it means increased risk and anxiety, which can have positive and negative results, but don't demonize (妖魔化)your comfort zone as something holding you hack. We all need that headspace where we're least anxious and stressed so we can process the benefits we get when we leave it.
1.The word "snap” in Paragraph 6 probably means "______________" .
A.quick B.clear C.balanced D.thoughtful
2.Which might be the best example of breaking out of your comfort zone without going too far?
A.You went shopping when you were bored or upset.
B.You decided to watch a movie before the final exam.
C.You tried on all the shirts in a store to find the one you wanted.
D.You walked to school today although you prefer riding your bike.
3.The writer probably agrees that ______________.
A.experiencing uncertainty in a controlled way has negative effects
B.making a change to our routine helps to increase our productivity
C.reducing stress and risk is what we need to bring out the best in us
D.breaking activities down into small steps leads to greater achievements
4.What is the writer's main purpose in writing this passage?
A.To explain the reasons to step out of the comfort zone.
B.To advise people to treat the comfort zone in a proper way.
C.To introduce some ways of improving day-to-day performance.
D.To stress the importance of dealing with uncomfortable moments.
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Zhang Peng is a Chinese driver in Xi’an（西安）．When he checked the online wallet of his We chat app（微信应用软件），he saw that one of his passeners had paid 6,500 yuan for a_______pay. That meant the passenger paid about $ 950, but in fact, the passenger only needed to pay$ 9.50.
Zhang Peng guessed that the payment was a _________ According to the time of the payment, he guessed that the four foreign travelers did it. He_______the four travelers, from the train station and dropped them off at a nearby_______.
When he_______to call the four foreign passengers, Zhang Peng directly went to the hotel again where he had dropped them off. Then in the hotel he_________what had happened to the waiter at the front desk.
Just at that time, the traveler_________made the payment came downstairs. She was _______ to hear about her mistake. It was her first time to visit the Chinese city, and she said that it was also her first time_______the app’s online payment function（在线付费功能）to pay for the ride.
She was________more surprised when Zhang Peng refused to get a reward（报酬）and ________her all her extra（额外的）money.
________is true that the traveler had a wonderful __________ of using Wechat. “ I can’t believe it,” the woman traveler said. “____________some people, money is their only dream, and $ 950 is a lot of money. I felt very excited yesterday____________the taxi driver came back to return the money in person. I am really grateful.”
1.A.65 yuan B.65-yuan C.65-yuans D.the 65th yuan
2.A.mistake B.question C.fool D.praise
3.A.cheered up B.put up C.picked up D.looked up
4.A.station B.hotel C.hospital D.restaurant
5.A.succeeded B.forgot C.regretted D.failed
6.A.explained B.asked C.understood D.suggested
7.A.whom B.who C.whose D.which
8.A.interested B.glad C.angry D.surprised
9.A.use B.using C.used D.to use
10.A.very B.even C.quite D.too
11.A.got B.returned C.cost D.spent
12.A.It B.That C.He D.This
13.A.trip B.examination C.experience D.vacation
14.A.As B.From C.At D.For
15.A.because B.because of C.even if D.if
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What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary(日记). It’s cool, it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often. Sound like a fashion? In fact, It’s another trend (流行趋势). And the word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online. Are you a blogger?
Many bloggers are teenagers who log (进入) onto websites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teenagers complain about their parents and homework. They share diaries, post(发布) songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are worried about these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using the language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get messages from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words.” said Cara Cabral, a mother of two children.
Many teenagers and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place where it can be seen by anyone. But teenagers are unwilling to give up these new communication tools that have become a way of life for many of them.
1. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph means ________.
A. the fashion B. the Internet C. the blog
2. Which of the following is NOT TRUE？
A. Teenagers don’t tell about their personal life in their blogs.
B. Teenagers mostly write down what they do every day in their blogs.
C. Teenagers complain about their parents and homework in their blogs.
3. What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Many parents don’t understand kids’ language in their blogs.
B. Many parents are worried about these young bloggers.
C. Many parents can understand why their kids don’t like studying.
4. Many parents think it’s ________ for their children to get messages from strangers.
A. dangerous B. interesting C. surprising
5. We can learn from the last paragraph that ________.
A. It’s easy for many teenagers to give up blogging on the Internet
B. It’s safe for many teenagers to put their personal information on the Internet
C. It’s popular for many teenagers to use blogs on the Internet
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Playing with apps on smart phones is very common among young people. Let’s try some special apps and enjoy them.
| Butter Camera 
In this app, there are many filters(滤镜) that can make your photos more beautiful. But the coolest thing is that it can help you add pretty and artistic characters. The characters can be anything you like. They can be your own words, famous sayings or even a poem. You can make a photo diary that shows your feelings. |
| TaoMix 2(自然之声) 
Once in a while, you may feel tired after a busy school day. Why not try this app? This is a music app. But the sounds in it all come from nature. There are over 100 sounds of nature, such as birdcalls, wind and rain. You can hear all these sounds. The best thing is that you can create your own music by recording other sounds you like, for example, the sound of your own laughter. |
| Beaker(烧杯) 
Is chemistry your favorite subject? With this app, your smart phone turns into a beaker. You “pour” chemical materials by touching the upper right-hand corner of your smart phone. You “light” a match by swiping(刷) the screen quickly. You can shake the “beaker” to make chemical reactions(反应) go faster. There are 300 chemical reactions in all. |
1.Jim is a photo-taking fan. He might be interested in _______.
A. Butter Camera B. TaoMix 2 C. Beaker D. WeChat
2.According to the passage, we can _______.
A. add sounds of nature to the Butter Camera.
B. record the voice of our friends into TaoMix2.
C. “pour” chemical materials by swiping the screen.
D. “light” a match to make chemical reactions faster.
3.The passage is most probably taken from a _______.
A. novel B. poem C. story book D. science magazine
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In some western countries, it is believed that a person is in great danger of illness when he sneezes (打喷嚏). Therefore, people will express wishes when they hear others sneeze. The person who sneezed would apologize for that. Which situation fits western custom?
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Online short video apps like Douyin make________easier to do some shopping at home.
A.it B.one C.this D.that
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—Mother's Day is coming, what will you do for your mom, Peter?
—I have booked some flowers online and they will arrive two days.
A. in B. for C. before
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Autumn days give us some fantastic and lively colors. Then, suddenly,
the city is covered (覆盖) with a thick sheet of snow. It is during this
special time of year that one of the most popular and enjoyed holidays
in America appears: Christmas. This time is so special that schools
often give students a two-week- break from their schoolwork to enjoy
the winter holidays.
My family takes this chance to spend two weeks together. We build a tree and decorate it with many colorful lights. On top of the tree, we put a glowing star. As night sets in, the dark room is warmly lit up by a bright Christmas tree.
Then, on Christmas Eve (前夕), our family has all the traditional American foods: turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables, nuts, pies, and other good dishes. On this very night, there is a mysterious (神秘的) story, named Santa Claus, will fly from the North Pole and give presents to the children under the Christmas tree. However, Santa only gives presents to those who have behaved well the whole year. So children across America try to do one last good deed before the night by baking (烘烤) Santa some cookies, trying to ask him for presents. This is why Santa is so fat!
That night, children are often excited, hope to find presents. The next day, they rushed out of bed very early. Then, the whole family opens presents and spends the whole day relaxing.
1.From the first paragraph, we can know that_______.
A. winter days give people some lively colors
B. it doesn't snow at all in winter in America
C. Christmas is as usual as other festivals .
D. children will have a two-week-holiday to spend Christmas
2.The underlined word "decorate" means_______.
A. 装饰 B. 点燃 C. 砍倒 D. 种植
3.Why is Santa Claus very fat according to the passage?
A. Because he takes less exercise.
B. Because he often gives the children presents.
C. Because he flies to the Christmas tree instead of on foot.
D. Because he often has some cookies children bake.
4.When does the family open the presents?
A. On Christmas Eve. B. On Christmas Day.
C. When children see Santa Claus. D. When children bake some cookies.
5.Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. The writer puts a glowing star on the top of the tree .
B. The writer's family also has nuts and pies on Christmas Eve.
C. Santa Claus gives every child some presents according to the passage.
D. Santa Claus is from the North Pole according to the passage.
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Nowadays, more and more students are learning English online with smart phones. They think those apps for English language learners can help improve oral English. But they cost a large of amount of money.
A. them; their B. their; them C. they; them D. them; they
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Gift giving is different from culture to culture and person to person.
When giving gifts, sometimes color is important. For example, for many Chinese people around the world, red is a lucky color, and people often like to pack gifts in this color. However, did you know that in Korea, red is a color of death? That is why you should not pack gifts in this color if you are giving a gift to a Korean person.
What about western countries? In western countries ,the color of packing paper is not really important. But color does matter when giving flowers, especially roses. You should not give red roses to a western person you don’t know very well because they are a symbol of love. You could give yellow roses instead as these are a symbol of friendship. You could also send pink roses as gifts to say thank you.
What other things should you remember when giving gifts to someone from a different culture? Well, one thing you should keep in mind is the person’s religion. When choosing a gift for a Muslim or Jewish friend, you should never get good food including pork or things made from pigskin. Another thing that you shouldn’t get for a Muslim person is alcohol.
1.Red is a lucky color all over the world .
2.Yellow roses are a symbol of love.
3. When you give gifts to a foreigner, you should remember his religion.
4.Three kinds of color are mentioned in this passage.
5. We can give a Muslim friend a bottle of alcohol as a gift.