阅读理解
Everyone
has a phone in their pocket nowadays, but how often do we really use them for their
original purpose—to make a call? Telephone culture is disappearing. What brought
us to this moment, and what are its effects?
"No
one picks up the phone anymore," wrote Alex C. Madrigal on The Atlantic. "The reflex (习惯性动作) of answering—20th-century telephonic culture—is gone."
The
shift is of course due in large part to more communication options: Texting with
photos, videos, emojis, reaction gifs, links and even voice messages can be a more
attractive option.
Texting
is light and fun, not nearly as demanding of your attention as a phone call. It
can also be done with multiple people at the same time. Social media, email and
video calls have also eaten away at traditional phone calls.
In
recent years, another reason has caused people to ignore phone calls completely:
robocalls. Robocalls are automate (自动化的) messages
from organizations verifying (核实) your phone number or telemarketers
trying to sell something. Americans received 22.8 billion robocalls halfway through
2020, equaling an annual rate of 45.6 billion, slightly below 2018 numbers, according
to YouMail, a robocall protection service and blocking app.
As
telephone culture disappears, what is the loss of a singular family phone doing
to the family unit? Early landline phones unified family members, whereas mobile
phones isolate(隔离) them.
"The
shared family phone served as an anchor for home," said Luke Fernandez, a Weber
State University computer-science professor and co-author of Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Feelings About
Technology, From the Telegraph to Twitter. "With smart phones, we have
gained mobility and privacy. But the value of the home has been diminished, as has
its ability to guide and monitor family behavior and perhaps connect families more
closely," Fernandez said.
Of
course, as technology progresses, lives always change for better or for worse. With
the loss of telephone culture, families will need to find other ways to unite.
(1)
What has caused the traditional telephone to lose its appeal according to the text?
A . People's preference for robocalls.
B . People's addiction to social media
C . People's growing need for privacy
D . People's wide range of communication choices
(2)
What can we infer from Fernandez's remark?
A . Smart phones make families closer.
B . Smart phones help people monitor family behavior.
C . The value of home depends on how phones are used.
D . The use of mobile phone has affected family bonds.
(3)
What does the article mainly talk about?
A . The past and future of telephone
B . The development of communication tools.
C . The downfall of traditional telephone culture.
D . The relation between phone use and family bonds.
答案: D
D
C