Unit 3 The World Online
Reading The Internet: a world without frontiers
The Internet has the power 1._______(connect) people across the world to a single 2._______ (share) community. Billions of people in different parts of the world have joined it already, and 3._______ (obvious) many more will follow. Even in the countryside, the Internet enables people to reach beyond their villages and get in touch with the outside world—We can achieve almost anything online—with access 4________ the Internet come some truly life-changing advantages,
One of the greatest advantages of the Internet lies 5._________ the quick and easy access to a huge amount of information. 6._________ a certain extent, the world's knowledge is all at our fingertips. With the click of a mouse or the touch of a button, it is possible to find out almost anything we care to know, from recipes to travel packages, from military affairs to 8.________(learn) resources. In the time it takes to find one book in the library, we can use a search engine to bring 8._______ millions of results. 9.______ wonder the Internet has now become the first place that the majority of people turn to for information.
The Internet has also made our lives 10.____________(believe) convenient, with all sorts of 11._______(good) and services 12._________(provide) by electronic commerce, more commonly known as e-commerce. You can have food 13._________(deliver) to you using food delivery apps and sites. 14._______(go) are the days of searching shop 15._______ shop for the perfect pair of boots—you can compare styles and prices quickly and easily in the comfort of your living room. Why wait hopelessly for a taxi in the cold rain It is now simple and fast to order one with a taxi app. Sit back and relax indoors for a few warm minutes 16.______the driver arrives. When you wish to go on holiday, you can make all your travel arrangements just in front of the computer. Forgot to carry cash There is no need 17._________( worry)—you can pay for almost everything on your smart phone.
Above all else, the Internet helps us establish and maintain 18._______(society) ties. 19._____all sorts of communication software, physical distance no longer gets in 20._______ way. No matter where we are, we are able to keep in contact with loved 21.________, find long-lost friends and discover whole new communities who share our hobbies.22._______ instant message, a group chat, a video call, a comment on an update—there are 23._______(end) ways to share our views or let someone know we care about them.
However, while the Internet brings many valuable advantages, 24._______(be) connected has its problems. 25.________ with any great invention, we must be aware of these problems and be careful to use the Internet properly and responsibly. Only in this way can the Internet be a place of discovery, wonder and inspiration for everyone. It is truly a world without frontiers.
Extended Reading
Smartphone: a smart choice
I was a smartphone addict. My eyes were 1._______(glue) to the little screen 2._______ I walked down the street, had dinner with friends or lay in bed at night. The first thing I did when I 3.______(wake) up in the morning was reach for my phone. I always asked for Wi-Fi connections when I went to a new restaurant or coffee shop. A dead battery in my smartphone would make me feel4. _______(stress). Sometimes I had the 5.____________(comfortable) feeling that this little machine had taken up too much of my time, and that I could have done something 6._____________(meaningful) than just looking at a tiny screen all day. 7.______(slide) into the habit was easy, but it was difficult 8.________( quit) the habit.
Then the day came when I finally realized I had to make a change. Head down, eyes on my smartphone, I stepped into the road and a car shot past, nearly9. ________(knock) me10. _______ my feet! At that very moment, I made up my mind to spend a whole week without my smartphone.
The first day was the hardest. I was used to 11._______(check) the news and my friends' social media12. _______(update) every few minutes, but now I did not know what to do with myself. I kept reaching13. _______ my pocket, for my smartphone that was not there. I felt lost and anxious, as if I had missed something of value. Very soon, time slowed down. The empty hours14. _______(stretch) out in front of me, and I felt 15.________(connect) from everyone and everything.
It was 16._______(scare) at first. Then somehow I began to feel free. The things that I had time for! I finally picked up the classic novel I had always wanted to read and was soon17. ______(lose) in the beautiful language. I kept a journal of my feelings, thoughts and daily activities to see 18.______ much progress I was making. I went out for a run and felt more alive than I had in days. The details of the scene 19.___________( reveal) in front of me: the soft sunlight, a bird singing from a high tree branch, the rich and earthy smell of the soil after the rain. Best of all, I began to appreciate the beauty in life with my own eyes, instead of through my smartphone camera.
My offline relationships benefited as well. I went for a long walk with an old friend. Our wide-ranging conversation went so much deeper than brief texts ever could. With eyes no longer20. ______(fix) on our phones, we had a chance to really enjoy each other's 21. c_______. I also made sure to spend more time with my parents. We went to the opera, played badminton, and visited museums. One night, my mother took out some family photos and we laughed about old times. I brought them up to date with 22._______ was going on in my life. We had never felt closer to each other.
By the end of the week, I almost did not want to turn my phone back on. Those seven days have given me a great 23.________(appreciate) for life beyond the screen. Real life---and real relationships-- -are more important to me now. I cannot escape from the modern world, but I can cut back24. _____ the amount of time I spend on my smartphone every day, and1 do. Life beyond smartphones is richer and more beautiful, and I am going to take 25. a_______ of it.
参考答案:
to connect 2 shared 3.obviously 4.to 5. in 6 To
extent 7.learning 8.up 9.No 10.unbelievably 11.goods
provided 13.delivered 14. Gone 15. after 16.until 17. to worry 18. social 19.With 20. the
ones 22. An 23.endless 24.being 25.As
glued 2. whenever 3.woke 4. stressed 5.uncomfortable
more meaningful 7. Sliding 8. to quit 9.knocking 10.off
checking 12.updates 13. for 14.stretched 15.disconnected
scary 17. lost 18.how 19.were revealed 20.fixed
21.company 22.what 23.appreciation 24.on 25. advantage