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?

Johnny was a cashier (收银员) in a large store. Every night when he came home from work, he would find a saying for the day and print it out on fifty pages of paper. Johnny would cut out each saying and sign his name at the bottom of each one. Then he would put them in a paper bag and put the bag beside him at work. Each time he finished bagging someone’s purchases, he would put one of his saying pieces in the customer’s bag as well. It touched me to think that this young man —with a job that most people thought not important —had made it important by creating precious memories for all of his customers. A month later the store manager called me and said, "Barbara, you won’t believe what happened today. When I went up to where the cashiers were, I found Johnny’s line was three times longer than anyone else’s! So I got more cashiers out there and opened more lanes (通道), but no one would move. They all said they wanted Johnny’s saying for the day." The store manager continued, "I got a lump in my throat when a woman came up to me and said, 'I used to shop at your store only once a week, but now I come in every time I go by for Johnny’s sayings.’" A few months later, the store manager called me again. "Johnny has changed our store completely," he said. "All of our cashiers now have their own personal signatures (签名). Everyone’s having a lot of fun creating good memories. Our customers are talking about us in a good way and are coming back with their friends."
1. How did Johnny deal with his saying pieces?
A. He put them in customers’ pockets.
B. He had others hand them to customers.
C. He put them in customers’ shopping bags.
D. He handed them to customers before they left.
2. With those sayings Johnny ___________.
A. drew the other cashiers’ attention to himself
B. got paid more than before
C. made good memories for his customers
D. encouraged himself to work harder
3. What did the store manager see a month later?
A. All of his cashiers had their own personal signatures.
B. Many customers chose Johnny’s lane to pay for their goods.
C. The store went out of order because there were too many customers.
D. Customers asked for Johnny’s sayings instead of buying goods.
4. The underlined part in the passage showed the store manager _________.
A. didn’t know why this happened
B. felt a little uncomfortable
C. felt extremely sad
D. was moved by what Johnny had done

Johnny was a cashier (收银员) in a large store. Every night when he came home from work, he would find a saying for the day and print it out on fifty pages of paper. Johnny would cut out each saying and sign his name at the bottom of each one. Then he would put them in a paper bag and put the bag beside him at work. Each time he finished bagging someone’s purchases, he would put one of his saying pieces in the customer’s bag as well. It touched me to think that this young man —with a job that most people thought not important —had made it important by creating precious memories for all of his customers. A month later the store manager called me and said, "Barbara, you won’t believe what happened today. When I went up to where the cashiers were, I found Johnny’s line was three times longer than anyone else’s! So I got more cashiers out there and opened more lanes (通道), but no one would move. They all said they wanted Johnny’s saying for the day." The store manager continued, "I got a lump in my throat when a woman came up to me and said, 'I used to shop at your store only once a week, but now I come in every time I go by for Johnny’s sayings.’" A few months later, the store manager called me again. "Johnny has changed our store completely," he said. "All of our cashiers now have their own personal signatures (签名). Everyone’s having a lot of fun creating good memories. Our customers are talking about us in a good way and are coming back with their friends."

1. How did Johnny deal with his saying pieces?

A. He put them in customers’ pockets.

B. He had others hand them to customers.

C. He put them in customers’ shopping bags.

D. He handed them to customers before they left.

2. With those sayings Johnny ___________.

A. drew the other cashiers’ attention to himself

B. got paid more than before

C. made good memories for his customers

D. encouraged himself to work harder

3. What did the store manager see a month later?

A. All of his cashiers had their own personal signatures.

B. Many customers chose Johnny’s lane to pay for their goods.

C. The store went out of order because there were too many customers.

D. Customers asked for Johnny’s sayings instead of buying goods.

4. The underlined part in the passage showed the store manager _________.

A. didn’t know why this happened

B. felt a little uncomfortable

C. felt extremely sad

D. was moved by what Johnny had done

Johnny was a cashier (收银员) in a large store. Every night when he came home from work, he would find a saying for the day and print it out on fifty pages of paper. Johnny would cut out each saying and sign his name at the bottom of each one. Then he would put them in a paper bag and put the bag beside him at work. Each time he finished bagging someone’s purchases, he would put one of his saying pieces in the customer’s bag as well. It touched me to think that this young man —with a job that most people thought not important —had made it important by creating precious memories for all of his customers. A month later the store manager called me and said, "Barbara, you won’t believe what happened today. When I went up to where the cashiers were, I found Johnny’s line was three times longer than anyone else’s! So I got more cashiers out there and opened more lanes (通道), but no one would move. They all said they wanted Johnny’s saying for the day." The store manager continued, "I got a lump in my throat when a woman came up to me and said, 'I used to shop at your store only once a week, but now I come in every time I go by for Johnny’s sayings.’" A few months later, the store manager called me again. "Johnny has changed our store completely," he said. "All of our cashiers now have their own personal signatures (签名). Everyone’s having a lot of fun creating good memories. Our customers are talking about us in a good way and are coming back with their friends."

1. How did Johnny deal with his saying pieces?

A. He put them in customers’ pockets.

B. He had others hand them to customers.

C. He put them in customers’ shopping bags.

D. He handed them to customers before they left.

2. With those sayings Johnny ___________.

A. drew the other cashiers’ attention to himself

B. got paid more than before

C. made good memories for his customers

D. encouraged himself to work harder

3. What did the store manager see a month later?

  A. All of his cashiers had their own personal signatures.

B. Many customers chose Johnny’s lane to pay for their goods.

C. The store went out of order because there were too many customers.

D. Customers asked for Johnny’s sayings instead of buying goods.

4. The underlined part in the passage showed the store manager _________.

A. didn’t know why this happened

B. felt a little uncomfortable

C. felt extremely sad

D. was moved by what Johnny had done

Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really made a conscious（自觉的）effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.

Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.

Memory “trick” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber（理发师）shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.

We always seem to find something funny and amusing（有趣的）in incidents caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never got tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “trick” of our memory can cause us great trouble.

1. If you want to have a good memory,       .

  A. you should force yourself to remember things

  B. you should make a conscious effort of practice and exercise

  C. you should never stop learning

  D. you should try hard to remember tings

2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

  A. One night the writer forgot to lock the front door.

  B. One night the writer forgot having locked the front door.

  C. The writer remembered to lock the door.

  D. the writer remembered unlocking the front door.

3. From the sentence “We never get tired of hearing new ones”, we can infer that       .

  A. we enjoy hearing new stories about absent-mindedness of professors

  B. we don’t want to know anything more about absent-mindedness of professors

  C. we will never get tired of listening to new stories about absent-mindedness

  D. absent-mindedness happens not only to professors but to many other people

4. In the passage, the writer seems to tell you       .

  A. forgetting things is serious and dangerous

  B. always forgetting things is understandable

  C. forgetting things at times is natural

  D. the way to protect yourself from memory “tricks”

5. The best title for this passage is       .

  A. How to Get a Good Memory

  B. “Tricks” Of Memory

  C. Forgetfulness and Absent-mindedness is Dangerous

  D. Get Rid of Absent-mindedness