Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being , according to research at Carnegie Mellon University. Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn't that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feeling. Researchers are puzzling over the results, which were completely contrary to their expectations. They expected that the net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others. The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers suggested. Faceless, bodiless "virtual" communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationship formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives. "But it's important to remember this is not about the technology _ ; it's about how it is used," says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study's sponsors. "It really points to the need for considering social effects in terms of how you design applications and services for technology." Internet use may cause a decline in psychological well-being because _ . A) people who were already feeling bad spend more time on the Internet B) Internet users thought the world was wider than it really was C) people were too eager to turn the "virtual" communication into reality D) people have less time for actual communication with their family and friends
D
(Question)
A clique(,) is a group of friends who hang out together and act in similar ways. Cliques are common feature of the teen years. Members of a clique usually have certain things in common. For example, they might all be good students. Membership in a clique is limited. Not everyone who wants to belong can join. Cliques can have a positive or negative influence. Because most teens have a strong need to belong, they want to feel that they fit into a group. Cliques can help them meet this need. Sometimes teens feel unsure of themselves, and they use a clique to gain approval of what they wear or how they act. Cliques can become harmful, however, if they pressure members to behave the same way as the group that may damage their health. Cliques may discourage members from making their own decisions, giving their own opinions, or having other friends who aren't accepted by the clique. Cliques may even pressure members to act in ways that go against their own values and beliefs, such as lying to parents or teachers. Cliques can also hurt people outside the group. For example, members might make fun of a teen who isn't in the clique. If you find yourself under this type of pressure from a clique, here are some actions you can take to improve your situation. * Suggest other activities. Offer ideas that don't involve hurting others or putting anyone at risk. * Find new friends. If staying in the clique is becoming a negative experience, you will be better off with new friends. Why do teens want to be a member of a clique? A) Because it is popular with teens. B) Because it meets teens' need of belonging. C) Because it is where teens can be themselves. D) Because it provides an opportunity for them to be away from their parents.
(Answer)
B
Ques: International Students Club (ISC) is a friendship club organized by the American Student Union (ASU) for all international students. Visit the ISC table on the Tempe Main Campus from 9:30am to 12:30pm Monday -- Thursday to get information, practice speaking English, meet new friends and sign up for ISC activities. Our goal is to help all international students during their time here in the USA through practical help, social activities, trips, conversational English classes and Bible studies. International Graduates & Scholars A free dinner is held weekly on Friday nights at the Peterson home at 6:30pm. Transportation is provided from the ASU Bookstore at 6:10pm on Friday nights for free. Every year in June we have special activities -- summer camps. Want to make new friends or practice your English? Join us! For more information on activities for graduates and scholars, contact Nancy Peterson at 480-540-1518 or nancyp 310@cox.net. International Undergraduates If you're an international undergraduate hoping to meet new friends, join us at the Rita House on Friday nights, 7:00pm for a free meal, fellowship and Bible discussion. On Friday nights we offer free transportation from the ASU Bookstore at 6:45pm. Join our Facebook page at "ISC Undergraduates" for more specific information or you can contact Charles Boyle at 480-686-0561 or charles.boyle@asu.edu. African Students All African students are invited to join us in our monthly activities designed for them to encourage one another and some club members also participate in the activities. This month we're meeting on April 18th at 4:00pm. Some of our club leaders will join them for student interaction and cultural exchange. For more information, contact Emmanuel Chijindu (from Nigeria) at 480-248-5121 or echijindu@isionline.org. ISC Leaders & Staff If you want to become our club member, contact one of our student leaders or campus staff members. Caroline Tao wtao6@asu.edu | 480-326-5135 Nigel Pinto nigel.pinto791@gmail.com Nancy Peterson Charles Boyle... Which is NOT true about activities for African students? A) They are held every month. B) African students are not the only participants. C) Their purpose is to encourage each other. D) They are held at 4:00pm each time.
Ans: D
Ques: The greatest contribution to civilization in the century may well be the air-conditioning- and American leads just as amazing is the speed with which this situation came to be. Air-conditioning began to spread in industries as a production aid during World War II. Today most Americans need to take air-conditioning for granted to homes, offices, factories, theatres, shops, studios, schools, hotels, and restaurants, and we can see it almost everywhere in today's America. But not everybody is aware that high cost and easy comfort are merely two of the effects of the vast cooling of American. In fact, air conditioning has substantially altered the country's character and customs. Many of the byproducts are so conspicuous that they are scarcely noticed. To begin with, air-conditioning transformed the face of America by making possible those glassy, boxy, sealed-in skyscrapers. It has been indispensable, no less, to the functioning of sensitive advanced computers, whose high operating temperatures require that they be constantly cooled. . . It has, at will, forced families into going back into families with closed doors and shut windows to improve the effects of the air-conditioning, reducing the interactions of neighborhood life. I think there is no need explaining the seriousness of this consequence . It is really surprising that the public's often noted withdrawal into self-pursuit and privacy has kept in pace with the historic spread of air-conditioning. Though science has little studied how habitual air-conditioning affects mind and body, some medical experts suggest that, like other technical avoidance of natural changes in climate, air-conditioning may damage the human capacity to adapt to stress. If so, air-conditioning is only like many other greatly useful technical developments that liberate man from nature by increasing his productivity and power in some way - while indirectly weakening him in others. According to the author, the chief consequence brought about by the wide application of air-conditioning is _ . A) the loss of human capacity to adapt to changes in climate B) the reduction of social communications of neighborhood life C) the active life style of all its users D) the decreased human production and power
Ans:
B