远离社交媒体六年后

付利

1 If someone said you ll be paid 1，800 dollars to stay off social media for six years， would you do it？ Could you do it？ In America， Sivert Klefsaas did just that. “I thought it was wonderful，” Sivert said， “and I thought， ‘Ah， what about six more years？’”

2 In 2016， Lorna Goldstrand Klefsaas challenged her 12 year old son Sivert to stay off social media until 18. If he completed the challenge， she d award him the cash on his eighteenth birthday. On February 19， 2022， Sivert got his prize.

3 Sivert said it wasn t too difficult to live without social media. “I wouldn t say there was ever a time when I thought I was about to break，” he said. “As it went on， it was more of a proud thing.” He also had his friends keep him updated on the latest trends. “I got to avoid all the unnecessary drama that was on there，” Sivert added.

4 Lorna said she never had to check for any secretly downloaded apps. “He s so competitive. It was definitely more for proving a point，” she said. It also meant he had more time to focus on his grades and sports instead， Sivert said. Now 1，800 dollars richer， Sivert said he would buy something for his dorm room at the University of Northwestern St. Paul， which he ll attend in the fall.

5 After Sivert s success， Lorna said it was some of the best money she had ever spent. “We are certainly not against social media， but it s the healthy using of it，” Lorna noted. “It s about not letting yourself get weighed down by it， or addicted to it， or affected by things that people post.”

6 Sivert is the youngest of four children， and his three older sisters all used social media growing up. Lorna said there were times when she felt her daughters got too addicted to their apps. When one of her daughters was 16， Lorna took away her phone because of the bad mood caused by it. Lorna said her daughter later thanked her for doing so， as it improved her mood.

7 “For some reason， kids and adults feel so comfortable behind a screen，” Lorna said， referencing the kinds of comments people post. “I m happy that Sivert didn t have to read any of that.”

一、閱读自测

1. When did Lorna make her promise to Sivert about the prize？

A. When Sivert was 12 years old. B. When Sivert was 6 years old.

C. When Sivert was 18 years old. D. When Sivert was 24 years old.

2. How did Sivert feel about staying off social media？

A. Meaningless. B. Uninterested.

C. Great. D. Curious.

3. Why did Lorna challenge Sivert to stay off social media？

A. She wanted Sivert to learn from his sisters.

B. She thought social media were useless.

C. Sivert s mood was badly influenced by social media.

D. She tried to make Sivert know how to use social media wisely.

二、重读文本

这是一篇新闻报道。新闻报道的第一段一般是导语，是一篇文章最核心的部分，所以我们要先读懂第一段的内容，然后在第一段的引导下完成全文的阅读。新闻报道的内容应包括新闻的五大要素：who、when、where、what和why，而本文包含六大要素：who、when、where、what、why和how。请大家完成下面的要素提炼，磨炼阅读新闻报道的技巧。

Who： Lorna， the 1.            ; Sivert， the son， who is 2.             years old now

When： On February 19， 2022

Where： In America

What： When Sivert was 12 years old， Lorna made a 3.              that if Sivert could 4.              social media for 6 years， she would give him 1，800 dollars as his 18th birthday gift. Sivert 5.              the gift when he turned 18 on February 19， 2022.

Why： Lorna wasn t 6.              using social media. It s about not letting users get 7.              down by it， or 8.              to it， or 9.              by things people post.

How： How did Sivert and Lorna feel？

Both of them felt 10.             .

三、语言支架

1. stay off social media 远离社交媒体

2. challenge sb to do sth 向某人提出挑战做某事

3. be about to do 正要做……

4. keep sb updated on the latest trends 让某人了解最新潮流

5. focus on 专注于……

6. the best money ever spent 花得最值得的钱

7. weigh down 使焦虑;使忧心忡忡

8. be addicted to 沉迷于……;沉浸在……

四、难句分析

1. It s about not letting yourself get weighed down by it， or addicted to it， or affected by things that people post. 健康使用社交媒体是让你自己不被它拖累，或者沉迷其中，或者被人们发的帖子所影响。

【点石成金】该句中or连接几个并列的成分。

2. “For some reason， kids and adults feel so comfortable behind a screen，” Lorna said， referencing the kinds of comments people post. “因为某种原因，小孩和大人在屏幕后面感觉很舒服。”洛娜说，她指的是人们发布的各种评论。

【点石成金】该句中referencing...post为非谓语动词作状语。

五、文章缩写

根据文章内容填空。

In 2016， Lorna promised her 12 year old son Sivert that if he would stay off 1.               until 18， she would award him $1，800. Sivert accepted the challenge and got the money on February 19， 2022. After Sivert s 2.               （succeed）， Lorna said it was the 3.               （good） money she ever spent. During the 6 years， Sivert thought 4.               wasn t too difficult to live without social media. As time went on， he was even 5.               （pride） of it. He asked his friends to keep him 6.               （update） on the latest trends. Meanwhile， he tried his best to avoid some 7.               （necessary） distractions （使人分心的事）. Sivert didn t cheat and he was very 8.               （compete）. Having enough time and attention to focus on his grades and sports， he 9.               （admit） into the University of Northwestern St. Paul.

六、讀后写作

英文报Youth现面向全国中学生征稿，希望大家踊跃表达对中学生使用社交媒体的看法。请你写一篇短文投稿，要点如下：

1. 社交媒体的广泛运用;

2. 利弊分析;

3. 如何合理使用。

注意：

1. 词数80左右;

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。