In February, news broke that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff had taken a “digital detox(脱瘾)”: 10 tech-free days at a French Polynesian resort. For a small group of people, taking a step back from devices is an achievable dream, but for most, it’s an impossibility, especially.
A digital detox requires dismissing technology almost entirely: taking a break from screens, social media and video conferences for multiple days. The goals—reducing stress or anxiety, and reconnecting with the physical world—are well-intentioned. However, experts say a digital detox isn’t practical anymore for most people.
“Technology is very much a part of us now. We bank with an app, read restaurant menus on phones and even sweat with exercise instructors through a screen,” says Seattle-based consultant Emily Cherkin, who specialises in screen-time management. “It’s so embedded(嵌入式的) in our lives, we’re setting ourselves up for failure if we’re going to go phone-free for a week.”
As people become increasingly interdependent on technology, doing a digital detox no longer seems like a reasonable goal. But there may be a more realistic solution that will lessen our tech obsession(着迷), without forcing us to totally disconnect.
Rather than cutting out technology altogether, practice digital mindfulness. Make sure the use of technology is purposeful. Instead of a full detox, digital mindfulness may be more practical for some people: less worry about cutting tech out entirely, and more focus on being intentional with its use.
The goal shouldn’t be to cut off technology or to put a full stop. People still need to send an email, but can do so without getting distracted by the various online contents.
This approach is called “grey detoxing”—you’re not totally immersed(沉浸的) or totally cut off from technology. Instead of causing ourselves more anxiety by attempting to live without our phones for a week, we can approach unavoidable screen time in a way that feels right for our individual lives.
1．Why does the author mention Marc Benioff in paragraph 1?| A．To criticize the idea of digital detox. | B．To urge readers to take a digital detox. |
| C．To bring digital detox up for discussion. | D．To recommend a French Polynesian resort. |
| A．They are more stressed and anxious. | B．They are deeply influenced by tech. |
| C．They are unwilling to go phone-free. | D．They tend to be more pessimistic. |
| A．Going on a holiday to Polynesia. | B．Avoiding tech altogether. |
| C．Disconnecting occasionally. | D．Using tech purposefully. |
| A．It is achievable. | B．It is unreasonable. |
| C．It is ridiculous. | D．It is unrealistic. |
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements (代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1．What is the meaning of the underlined words in paragraph 2?| A．resource-consuming | B．resource-developing |
| C．resource-protecting | D．resource-controlling |
| A．It is environmentally-friendly. | B．It improves our health. |
| C．It is simple and free. | D．It can make you put on weight. |
| A．Playing basketball in a gym. | B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Cycling around a lake. | D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．To show us some major outdoor sports. |
| B．To encourage us to go in for green sports. |
| C．To discuss the influence of some popular sports. |
| D．To introduce some environmentally-friendly sports. |
At Beaver Creek, The Extraordinary Awaits You Are no two snowflakes alike? The snowflakes we see in the winter are most likely completely unique from one other.
Beaver Creek is a great place to experience the beauty of the snow, with programs for everyone—from children, teens, and women-only lessons to small groups and private-guided experiences. First Track, from Beaver Creek Reserve, lets you be the first on the mountain, with an adventure that begins at 7:30 a.m. when you are met by ski professionals and taken on a private, guided tour—before the mountain is open to the public. Once you have skied, you are treated to a delicious breakfast at Allie’s Cabin. If you are looking for a higher level of comfort there is the White Carpet Club, from Beaver Creek Reserve. Located in the heart of Beaver Creek Village, it maximizes your time on the mountain by streamlining your access to it. At the club, there are private lockers and boot dryers, along with preferred self-parking and a slope-side ski waiter. A receptionist can assist with lift tickets, pass purchases, dinner reservations, and activity recommendations. Of course, there is more to explore during the winter in Beaver Creek as well. There is ice skating, snowshoeing, shopping, and spas—you name it, Beaver Creek has it. It is the perfect place to take advantage of the snow and be in the moment, in the mountains, together. The extraordinary is a rare combination of one-of-a-kind experiences designed to be shared with service that exceeds expectation. The extraordinary brings you closer to one another and offers a special place to belong together. Belong in The Extraordinary.
|
| A．an early visit | B．an ice skating show |
| C．a tasty lunch | D．a free skiing lesson |
| A．Skillful trainers. | B．Quiet living experience. |
| C．Thoughtful service. | D．Good views over the mountain. |
| A．attract visitors | B．compare different programs |
| C．appeal for sports | D．introduce training courses |
NOTICE
Dear fellow students,Student Union
The Mogao Grottoes, a world-renowned
Fan first trekked all the way to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in July 1963 shortly after
Fan has made outstanding contributions to the cause of “protecting, studying and carrying forward” Dunhuang Grottoes through her work. She was the first
Now, 85-year-old Fan Jinshi,
In 1985, Vanessa Foster and her husband hopped on a flight to Alaska without any plan. When they
“I hopped out and
As they walked down the
“When he heard we were
The
“I really appreciate his kindness toward a couple of
| A．escaped | B．came | C．won | D．landed |
| A．car | B．horse | C．pick-up | D．bike |
| A．lesson | B．treat | C．ride | D．truck |
| A．gave up | B．pulled over | C．checked out | D．sat down |
| A．rushed | B．preferred | C．appealed | D．referred |
| A．wandered | B．searched | C．played | D．drove |
| A．asked | B．invited | C．became | D．needed |
| A．hill | B．valley | C．bank | D．highway |
| A．break | B．pick | C．clean | D．eat |
| A．Currently | B．Occasionally | C．Finally | D．Frequently |
| A．little | B．black | C．big | D．blue |
| A．jobless | B．hungry | C．tired | D．cold |
| A．drive | B．scenery | C．experience | D．book |
| A．forget | B．miss | C．hate | D．forgive |
| A．animals | B．thieves | C．workers | D．strangers |
How We Talk about Fear Matters
Lately, there seems to be plenty to fear in the world. How we talk about what we fear might offer clues to how we perceive that emotion socially and culturally.
Get the root of fear.
Figure out the emotional meaning of fear.
Whether emotions are viewed positively or negatively varies from culture to culture.
Find out a fearful pattern.
In looking at such patterns across the major language families, researchers found that the word “fear” was often associated with anxiety, envy and grief in Indo-European languages. But in Austronesian languages, “fear” more often was associated with surprise.
How we talk about fear changes how we react to it. When we talk about what frightens us, it may be useful to disrupt associated meanings. In addition, how our language categorizes an emotion seems to impact whether we perceive those emotions negatively or positively.
In conclusion, fear is something that can be changed by cultural and linguistic experience.
| A．Talk more about fears |
| B．Change our perception of fear |
| C．The word fear has a long history in English |
| D．There seemed a fearful pattern across the major language families |
| E．This is based on what people have learned to associate with emotion words |
| F．It opens the door to potential ways to change how we talk about and react to it |
| G．This makes speakers of the latter languages associate this emotion with a less negative sense |
To Swedes, the scent of surströmming (鲱鱼罐头) is pleasant, but to most others, it’s sickening. This contrast highlights the role of culture in shaping our perceptions (见解) of scent. However, researchers now suggest that biology might play a more significant role than previously thought.
Artin Arshamian, a neuroscientist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Asifa Majid, a psychologist at the University of Oxford, noticed from their own previous work that people from different cultures described smells differently. They also knew from past experiments by other researchers that culture was important in determining which sorts of faces people found beautiful. Thus, they expected to see a similar phenomenon with smells.
The researchers conducted a study involving nine diverse groups of people, including hunter-gatherers in Mexico, farmers in Ecuador, and residents of cities like Mexico City and Bangkok. They were presented with ten smells, ranging from isovaleric acid to vanilla extract, and asked to rate them according to pleasantness. The results showed high consistency across cultures, with isovaleric acid universally disliked and vanilla extract mostly enjoyed.
Interestingly, the chemical composition of the smells accounted for 41% of the reactions, while cultural factors only explained 6%. It is quite different in the case of visual perception of faces, where a person’s culture makes up 50% of the explanation for which faces they find beautiful. Meanwhile, the researchers identified an “eye of the beholder” effect in our perceptions of scent. This phenomenon, though less obvious than in visual perception, represents the personal preferences that are shaped by influences outside individual culture, accounting for 54% of the differences in which smells people liked.
This study suggests that our sense of smell may be more influenced by biological factors than cultural ones. It challenges the idea that culture alone determines what we find pleasant or unpleasant and opens up new ways of exploring the biological basis of our senses.
1．What is the initial purpose of the research?| A．To explore how culture affects our sense of smell. |
| B．To prove all people enjoy the scent of surströmming. |
| C．To examine geography plays a role in scent perception. |
| D．To confirm biology has an influence on scent perception. |
| A．By making questionnaire surveys. | B．By recording participants’ reactions. |
| C．By comparing cultural backgrounds. | D．By referring to previous study reports. |
| A．the standard of beauty across different cultures |
| B．the role of culture in shaping our sense of smell |
| C．the impact of personal preferences on scent perception |
| D．the influence of outside factors on our visual preference |
| A．They were familiar with isovaleric acid beforehand. |
| B．They hated isovaleric acid all due to its unpleasant smell. |
| C．Their reactions to the scent of isovaleric acid varied among cultures. |
| D．Their dislike for isovaleric acid was based more on biological factors. |
If you find yourself embracing the thrilling chaos of completing tasks at the last minute, congratulations — You are not alone! According to a survey, 20% of U.S. adults procrastinate (拖延) at home, at work, in relationships, and more. Another survey found that 88% of people procrastinate at least one hour a day.
Sounds alarming? As it turns out, if you’re feeling stressed, you may be more likely to procrastinate. Essentially, our brains are structured to approach tasks we find enjoyable and avoid those we are afraid of. Our limbic brain (边缘大脑), the emotional part of our brain, is screaming, “Let’s do anything but that stressful thing!” while our prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮层) is the CEO of our brain, setting the goals, making a plan, and ensuring we stay on track. CEO vs. Drama Queen Brain — who will win? Actually, there do exist chances when our limbic brain overrides that prefrontal cortex message.
Then there’s the burst of energy we often get when we’re up against a deadline, which leads to a reward pathway within our brains and sets the foundation for procrastination as a habit. When you race to the end and get to the goal finally, your previous stress is gone and you almost get in that pattern of “See, I work better under pressure!”
So, how to beat procrastination? Well, you need to retrain your brain to cope with the stress. One trick is to take periodic breaks (reward) to refocus your attention on the task. Ever heard of the Promodoro Technique? It’s about working for 25 minutes and resting for 5. During those breaks, forget about brain-burning activities — try relaxing techniques such as meditation or yoga instead. Another trick is to “eat the frog” first thing in the morning, or tackle the most difficult and stressful task of the day, as was once said by Mark Twain.
1．Why are the two surveys mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To warn the readers. | B．To introduce a concept. |
| C．To present a phenomenon. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．We are born to prefer what we like and avoid what we fear. |
| B．The limbic brain is under the control of the prefrontal cortex. |
| C．We are more likely to burst when getting close to the deadline. |
| D．Failing to complete a task can lead to habitual procrastination. |
| A．Force the brain to focus. | B．Take a break regularly. |
| C．Solve a tricky math problem. | D．Eat something refreshing first. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Ironic. | C．Serious. | D．Unclear. |
My family and I had set out on a day trip from Shillong to Cherrapunji, a town known for being one of the wettest places on Earth. However, after we had been stuck in traffic for more than four hours, one of my sisters proposed going back to the city as a last attempt to save whatever remained of the day. A quick online search revealed other must-visit spots around Shillong. Most were familiar, but one caught our attention—Nartiang with its mysterious monoliths (独石碑). The photo showed tall stones piled together in a strange formation, appealing to us to explore further despite the lack of details provided.
That is how I found myself standing in the shadow of the huge monoliths of Nartiang, which is home to the thickest and largest collection in the region. Curious to uncover their history, I approached Maryo Symblai, a village elder I met later that day, who told me the story of the monoliths that has been orally passed down over generations. She said, “Back in the day, Nartiang didn’t have a bazaar (集市) and the nearest one was at Raliang. On one such bazaar, a giant named Mar Phalyngki was caught in heavy rain on his way back. He requested to borrow an umbrella from the Raliang chief’s youngest daughter, but she wanted to test his legendary strength instead. ‘Why don’t you go lift that huge stone in the bazaar and use it as an umbrella?’ she said dismissively. Emboldened by her challenge, he just did that, but before reaching Nartiang, he placed it in a forest when the rain had stopped.”
“There is a certain overlap of ancient story and memory in the case of the Nartiang monoliths. The locals’ account of how the place came to be is based on ancient stories or folk customs. But they also remember it because it served their ancestors as a weekly marketplace, a memorial, and a place for political gatherings. That is how oral history works. It mixes fact and fiction into collective memory”, said Dr Reeju Ray, a local writer.
Today, even though the traditional customs and more confirmed historical accounts offer some insight into the site, the mystery(奥秘)of the stone giants lasts.
1．Why did the author and his family come to visit the monoliths of Nartiang?| A．It was in their original trip plan. |
| B．They had to choose it as an alternative. |
| C．It was the only remaining place to visit. |
| D．An elder village r gave them the suggestion. |
| A．Threatened. | B．Moved. | C．Stimulated. | D．Frightened. |
| A．To info rm what the monoliths served as. |
| B．To illustrate how the mysterious story came into being. |
| C．To introduce the feature of Nartiang monoliths. |
| D．To deny the overlap of ancient story and memory. |
| A．A Trip to the Monoliths. | B．The Mystery of Shillong. |
| C．The Formation of the Monoliths. | D．A Disappointing Travel Experience. |
搜索
