A few months ago, it wasn't unusual for 47-year-old Carla Toebe to spend 15 hours per day online. She'd wake up early, turn on her laptop and chat on Internet dating sites and instant-messaging programs – leaving her bed for only brief breaks. Her household bills piled up, along with the dishes and dirty laundry, but it took constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem.
  "I was starting to feel like my whole world was falling apart – kind of slipping into a depression," said Carla. "I knew that if I didn't get off the dating sites, I'd just keep going," detaching (使脱离) herself further from the outside world.
  Toebe's conclusion: She felt like she was "addicted" to the Internet. She's not alone.
  Concern about excessive Internet use isn't new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers aroused interest in the subject. But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS Spectrums claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse. The American Psychiatric Association may also consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up, on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the Web.
The new CNS Spectrums study was based on results of a nationwide telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults. Like the latest survey, this one was conducted by Stanford University researchers. About 6% of respondents reported that "their relationships suffered because of excessive Internet use." About 9% attempted to conceal "nonessential Internet use," and nearly 4% reported feeling " still occupied by the Internet when offline."
  "The Internet problem is still in its early stage," said Maressa Orzack, a Harvard University professor. No single online activity is to blame for excessive use, he said. "They're online in chat rooms, checking e-mail, or writing blogs. The problem is not limited to porn (色情) or gambling websites.”
  “Excessive Internet use should be defined not by the number of hours spent online but in terms of losses.”said Maressa Orzack. "If it's a loss where you're not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then it's too much."
  Since the early 1990s, several clinics have been established in the U. S. to treat heavy Internet users. They include the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery and the Center for Internet Behavior.
  The website for Orzack's center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:
  ● Having a sense of happiness or excitement while at the computer.
  ● Longing for more and more time at the computer.
  ● Neglect of family and friends.
  ● Feeling empty, depremssed or irritable when not at the computer.
  ● Lying to employers and family about activities.
  ● Inability to stop the activity.
  ● Problems with school or job.
  Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene (卫生) and sleep disturbances.
  “People who struggle with Internet overuse maybe depressed or have other mood disorders.” Orzack said. When she discusses Internet habits with her patients, they often report that being online offers a "sense of belonging, and escape, excitement and fun," she said. “Some people say relief…because they find themselves so relaxed.”
  Some parts of the Internet seem to draw people in more than others. Internet gamers spend countless hours competing in games against people from all over the world. One such game, called World of Warcraft, is cited on many sites by posters complaining of a "gaming addiction."
  Andrew Heidrich, an education network administrator from Sacramento, plays World of Warcraft for about two to four hours every other night, but that's nothing compared with the 40 to 60 hours a week he spent playing online games when he was in college. He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention (干预), in which relatives told him he'd gained weight.
  “There's this whole culture of competition that sucks people in with online gaming, ”said Heidrich, now a father of two. People do it at the expense of everything that was a constant in their lives." Heidrich now visits websites that discuss gaming addiction regularly “to remind myself to keep my love for online games in check”.
  Toebe also regularly visits a site where posters discuss Internet overuse. In August, when she first realized she had a problem, she posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject line:“I have an Internet Addiction.”
  “I'm self-employed and need the Internet for my work, but I'm failing to accomplish my work, to take care of my home, to give attention to my children,”she wrote in a message sent to the group. “I have no money or insurance to get professional help; I can't even pay my loan and face losing everything.”
  Since then, Toebe said, she has kept her promise to herself to cut back on her Internet use. "I have a boyfriend now, and I'm not interested in online dating," she said by phone last week. "It's a lot better now."
【小题1】 What eventually made Carla Toebe realize she was spending too much time on the Internet?

A.Her daughter's repeated complaints.
B.Tiredness resulting from lack of sleep.
C.The poorly managed state of her house.
D.The high financial costs adding up.
【小题2】What is the main idea of para4?
A.A study claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse.
B.The American Psychiatric Association plans to list Internet addiction in its edition.
C.There are heated discussions about negative experiences over internet overuse.
D.There is a growing concern towards internet addiction.
【小题3】 According to Professor Maressa Orzack, Internet use would be considered excessive if ______.
A.it seriously affected family relationships
B.one visited porn websites frequently
C.too much time was spent in chat rooms
D.people got involved in online gambling
【小题4】 According to Orzack, people who struggle with heavy dependence on    
the Internet may feel ______.
A.discouragedB.pressuredC.depressedD.puzzled
【小题5】 Andrew Heidrich now visits websites that discuss online gaming addiction to _____.
A.improve his online gaming skills
B.control his desire for online gaming
C.show how good he is at online gaming
D.exchange online gaming experience
【小题6】Which of the following best describes the tone(口吻) of the passage ?
A.HumorousB.IronicC.ObjectiveD.Casual

阅读下列应用文及相关信息,并按照要求匹配信息。
首先请阅读下列英语读物的封面及基本信息:
A.National Geographic Complete Birds of the World

LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Order today and save $5.00!
Was: $35.00
Now: $30.00
Hardcover
384 pages; 900 color photographs and illustrations
B.Visions of Paradise
 
National Geographic photographers reveal unique wonders of nature.
$35.00
Hardcover
304 pages; 250 photographs
C.National Geographic Adventure Magazine

Join the adventure with National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the delivery of the first issue within the U.S. and Canada. For outside of the U.S. and Canada, please allow 8-12 weeks for the delivery of the first issue.
$12.00
D.Cesar's Way:

The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
America's most sought-after expert reveals what dogs truly need to live a happy and fulfilled life.
Was: $24.95
Now: $14.95
Hardcover
243pages
E. National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide Photography, 2nd Edition

Softcover
400 pages; 272 color and black-and-white photographs
Thoroughly updated for 2009, straightforward and entertaining, this is the ultimate source for people seeking real how-to advice from the editors and photographers of National Geographic. It is carefully designed to lead the amateur photographer to better pictures and is comprehensive in scope, explaining the entire process from choosing a camera to taking the pictures to printing, scanning, and archiving the images.
F. New York: Destination Music CD

Innovative artists continue New York's cabaret tradition.
$19.95
It's Showtime!
下面是读者的简要内容。请把相关的内容与它们的书名匹配起来。
【小题1】. Hinny is filled with hope and inspiration to celebrate and protect the world's environments. Looking through the book, he knows that every beautiful sight that meets his eyes is a precious dreamland worth preserving a special place that feels like “Heaven on Earth”.
【小题2】 Jumpy is pleased that his newly-bought book is a fascinating colorful guide to all the birds on the planet, their identification, structures and plumages, habitats, behaviors, and ranges.
【小题3】 Pope is using a film camera for his part-time photographs by means of his guide photography. Now he is armed with the practical know how-to get great images.
【小题4】Jackson will get a wealth of ideas for making adventure a part of his life with the magazine! He likes every issue of this magazine packed with breathtaking photography and compelling features on topics such as diving, snorkeling, skydiving, hang gliding, kayaking, rafting, sailing, climbing, hiking, and more.
【小题5】Dingy is invited to join an excursion into the rich rhythms and textures of music from the far reaches of the world. He enjoys the diverse mix of memorable music from these special corners of the Earth as he browses through some of the fascinating cultural facts and maps of each region and then sets off for his destination!

In a generous display of maturity and sympathy, one Jewish boy made his first deed as a man in his faith a great act of charity. Joshua Neidorf, a 13-year-old boy from Los Angeles, donated most of his birthday money to Operation Mend, a program that reconstructs the faces of severely burned U. S. veterans(退伍老兵).

The young man decided to donate his money after getting to know Army Sgt. Louis Dahlman, who was undergoing a series of reconstruction surgeries(手术)at UCLA(University of California at Los Angeles)thanks to Operation Mend. The Neidorfs had signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family”, spending time with him whenever he visited Los Angeles for a surgery.

“I just love knowing that it’s going somewhere...to help the people who save our lives and keep us safe every day,” said Neidorf. His mother added, “It makes me feel like our world is going in a good direction with this next generation.”

In all, Neidorf gave $13,000 to Operation Mend. He also encouraged his friends to donate to the cause. He is the organization’s youngest donor so far.

Operation Mend is a privately funded program that works in partnership with the UCLA Medical Center. Ron Katz, a board member at the hospital, started the program in 2006 after seeing a TV programme about Aaron Mankin, a veteran who had gone through dozens of surgeries after a fight in Iraq which completely burned off his face.

Mankin ended up being Operation Mend’s first patient, starting the first of 20 reconstructive facial surgeries at UCLA in Sept. 2007. In a 2011 interview, Katz shared how his experience of helping Mankin made him realize the need to establish a more permanent program. “My wife and I soon realized that there were dozens of Aarons out there,” Katz said. “They deserve the best that we offer them.”

1.Neidorf decided to help veterans because ________.

A. he benefited from Operation Mend                             B. he was afraid of burned faces

C. he thought they deserved help                        D. he didn’t know how to spend money

2.Operation Mend was founded after ________.

A. Neidorf donated part of his birthday money

B. the Neidorfs signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family”

C. Ron Katz saw a TV programme about a veteran

D. Mankin was successfully operated on at UCLA

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Neidorf’s mother was opposed to his decision to donate money.

B. Mankin’s face was burned in a fire in America.

C. Mankin went through more than 30 facial surgeries at UCLA.

D. Many facial surgeries are needed to reconstruct a seriously burned face.

4.The last two paragraphs mainly tell us ________.

A. the process of Mankin’s surgery       B. how Operation Mend was set up

C. how Katz became famous            D. veterans are respected by people

 

Over the past few months, PSY’s funny video for “Gangnam Style” has become a YouTube sensation, resulting in over 112,000,000 views since July 15. It’s also been Tweeted more than 780,000 times and received over 260, 000 likes on Facebook, reports Mashable.com.

With the rapper(说唱歌手) making an appearance at Thursday’s MTV Video Music Awards, here’s what you need to know about the break-out artist.

His real name is Park Jae-Sang. The 35-year-old Korean pop rapper is known for his comedic music videos and performances. The video for “Gangnam Style” is no exception. When his first album PSY—From the Psycho World! was released in 2001, he was nicknamed “PSY” because of his unusual dress, special lyrics(歌词) and funny dance movies.

Gangnam is a wealthy neighborhood in Seoul(首尔). Gangnam may only be 15 square miles, but the district in Seoul, South Korea, is home to the headquarters of some of the country’s most influential companies, including Samsung, Hyundai and LG. The region also makes up 7% of South Korea’s GDP. 41% of students at Seoul University, a very famous college, come from Gangnam. The lyrics of PSY’s song describe the personality of a girl and a guy.

He studied in the U.S. Born in South Korea on December 31, 1977, PSY attended Banpo Elementary School, Banpo Middle School and Eva High Sch ool. But when it came time to achieve a college degree, the rapper attended both Boston University and Berklee College of Music in the U.S.

“Gangnam Style” is giving K-pop international fame. “Gangnam Style” is currently No.1 on the iTunes music video chart. The video has surpassed Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”; Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me”; and Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”. This is the first time a Korean artist has ranked this high on iTunes.

1.What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A.The success of “Gangnam Style”.

B.The origin of “Gangnam Style”.

C.The result of the Music Award.

D.The childhood of PSY.

2.According to the text, PSY              .

A.is already in his forties now

B.made his first album in 2003

C.danced only in his “Gangnam Style”

D.has developed his special comedic style

3.Which of the following about Gangnam is TRUE?

A.It is the capital of South Korea.

B.It is rich and better developed.

C.Seoul University lies in it.

D.It covers about 90 square miles.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A.“Gangnarn Style” isn’t popular in English-speaking countries.

B.PSY will be given another big prize for music in the future.

C.iTunes is the No.1 music company on the internet.

D.“Gangnam Style” has won the most worldwide popularity.

 

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