题文
When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. “I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,” says Baxter, who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. “It’s there and it beckons(召唤). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.”Americans are connected at unprecedented(前所未有的) levels—93% now use cell phones or wireless devices; one third of those are “smart phones” that allow users to browse the web and check e-mails, among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends and family, efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside: often, we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.
That’s why, despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever, 2010 was the year we stopped talking to one another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it’s time to step back and reassess (再评价).
“What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,” says Scott Campbell. “It can be a good thing, but I also see new ways the traditional social construction is getting somewhat torn apart.”
Our days are filled with beeps and pings—many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions(干扰) are too much, but we can’t seem to stop posting, texting or surfing. “We’re going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing, ” says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off. “Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,” she says. “We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.”
小题1:According to Paragraph 1, Gretchen Baxter thinks _____. A．the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive wayB．the new technology always influences people’s life in a negative wayC．the family isn’t that important compared to the new technologyD．people are too dependent on the new technology to let go小题2: The underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 2 probably means _____. A．advantage B．weakness C．strengthD．effect小题3: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A．The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the traditional social construction. B．Mobile devices play a less important part in American life. C．Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety. D．Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices.小题4: What can be inferred from the last paragraph? A．Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again. B．Using mobile services can help people get con- nection with each other.C．Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life. D．The connection with people can happen naturally. 题型：未知难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A
解析
小题1: D 推理判断题。从第一段可知，Gretchen Baxter认为人们非常迷恋这些电子设备，以至于不知道该在哪儿停下来。也就是说，人们太依赖新科技而不能放手。
小题2:B 词义猜测题。前一句说的是新科技的优点，本句说的是缺点，所以downside意为“缺点”。
小题3:C 细节理解题。从第三段第二句From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety.可知，移动设备引起了注意力分散和社会焦虑。
小题4: A 推理判断题。从最后一段可知，人类的意图是与人真正地交流，可是科技对我们的干扰太多了，一时难以停下来，所以要想重新恢复人们之间真正意义上的交流，还需作出努力。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“When Gretchen Baxter.....”主要考查你对 [日常生活类阅读 ]考点的理解。日常生活类阅读
日常生活类阅读的概念：
日常生活这一话题主要涉及人们衣食住行等方面的活动。这一话题的选材主要针对人们日常的工作，生活以及学习情况。做这一类题时，最主要的是要把握好人物的活动内容，时间和地点。
日常生活类阅读题答题技巧：
【题型说明】
该类文章内容涉及到人们的言谈举止、生活习惯、饮食起居、服饰仪表、恋爱婚姻、消遣娱乐、节日起源、家庭生活等。文章篇幅短小，追根溯源，探索各项风俗的历史渊源，内容有趣。命题也以送分题为主，如事实细节题、语义转换题、词义猜测题和简单推理判断题等。虽然这类文章读起来感觉轻松，试题做起来比较顺手，但绝不能掉以轻心。因为稍不留神，就会丢分。
【备考提醒】
为了保证较高准确率，建议同学们做好以下几点：
1、保持正常的考试心态。笔者在教学中发现，越是容易的试题，同学们越是容易失分。为什么呢？因为在这种情况下，同学们极易产生麻痹思想，认为题目好做，就不引起高度重视，于是思维不发散、不周密。而命题人就是利用同学们的这一弱点，设计陷阱题。所以，无论试题难易与否，我们都要保持正常的考试心态。试题容易，不欣喜；试题难，不悲观。
2、根据前面讲到的方法，认认真真、细细心心做好事实细节题。
3、做好语义转换题。这类题是根据英语中一词多义和某些词语在文中能表达一定的修辞意义的原则而设计的。要求同学们解释某生词的含义，确定多义词或短语在文中的意思，确认文中的某个代词所指代的对象，或者对英语中特有的表达、格言、谚语进行解释。这种题要求同学们一定要根据上下文猜测词义或理解句子，切不可望文生义。
4、做好简单推理判断题。简单推理判断题要以表面文字为前提，以具体事实为依据进行推理，做出判断。这种推理方式比较直接，只要弄清事实，即可结合常识推断出合理的结论。
