Unit4 拓展阅读 -2025-2026学年外研版（2024）八年级英语上册

八上Unit 4 Digital life 拓展阅读

（一）

Digital life has become an important part of our daily life. With the development of the Internet and digital technology, people can do many things online, such as shopping, studying, working and communicating. Smartphones and other digital devices make it possible for us to connect with the world at any time.

Online shopping saves people’s time and energy. Instead of going to the store, people can buy almost everything they need with just a few clicks on their phones. Online learning also offers more chances for students. They can take courses from famous teachers around the world through different learning apps.

However, digital life also brings some problems. Many people, especially teenagers, are addicted to their smartphones and spend too much time on social media or playing games. This not only affects their study and work but also harms their physical and mental health. Moreover, with more information online, the risk of network security problems, like information leakage and online fraud, is increasing.

To enjoy digital life safely and healthily, we should use digital devices wisely. Set clear limits on using time, focus on useful information, and protect our personal information carefully. In this way, we can make the most of digital life while avoiding its negative effects.

 

1. What can’t people do in digital life according to the passage?

 A. Shopping. B. Studying. C. Cooking. D. Communicating.

2. Why do many people like online shopping?

A. Because the things online are cheaper.    B. Because it saves time and energy.   C. Because there are more choices.         D. A, B and C

3. What problems does digital life bring?

 A. People have no time to study and work.

B. Teenagers don’t want to go to school.

 C. People may face network security problems.

D. There are no good online courses.

4. What does the underlined word“addicted”mean in Chinese?

A.精通的 B.陌生的C.沉迷的D.排斥的

5. How can we enjoy digital life healthily?

A. By spending more time on social media. B. By buying more digital products.    C. By using digital devices wisely.      D. By sharing personal information freely.

 

答案：CDCCC

 

（二）

Time flies when we play with our smartphone. But when we get down to the real business of work and study, one hour feels like a year. Why are we so interested in smartphones but easily bored by studying?

It all boils down to something small and hard to see: dopamine (多巴胺). Dopamine is a “pleasure chemical (化学物质）”. It makes people feel good. Our brains produce it when we eat yummy food, after we exercise or when we get a prize.

Compared with studying, playing with smartphones causes our brains to produce more dopamine. For example, checking our phone for a text leads to a 400 percent increase in dopamine. But why?

When we play with smartphones, we don't know what we'll see next. or who will send us a message. This uncertainty (不确定性）makes the dopamine system active. We get excited, wondering if we have messages from our friends. When our expectations are met, dopamine is produced. And to get more dopamine, we continue checking our phones. Studying doesn't provide such uncertainty. Without this excitement, we get bored much more easily.

Can we do something to change that? According to scientists. apps can become less interesting if we turn off notifications (通知)or change the screen colors to black and white. We can also set time limits (限制) on apps to avoid using them too much.

“As for studying, you could check our progress daily or weekly and reward yourself for it,” said Daniel Wong, writer of The Happy Student. “You could also search for interesting topics connected with your textbooks. Use what you've learned to make a difference in the real world. This will make knowledge much more interesting to learn.”

 

1.What might the phrase “boils down to” mean in Paragraph 2?

A. Works out.  B. Turns out.  C. Leads to.   D. Results from

2.When do people have more dopamine?