Selfie

Social media and the mobile web have given rise to a strange phenomenon called the selfie. But not everyone is familiar with the term, so here’s a brief definition. 【小题1】 Everyone takes selfies, but the younger crowd seems to be especially involved in the trend. Some selfies are extreme close-ups, other show part of an arm held straight outward and a few of the great ones even feature the subject standing in front of a bathroom mirror so that they can get a full body shot of their reflection. 【小题2】 Since social media is the driving force of most selfie activity, younger kids interested in staying connected to their friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. are more active in sharing selfies on a regular basis.

Who knows what kind of psychological factors drive any specific person to take a selfies and upload it to a social networking site. 【小题3】

Here's one. Not only are young people plugged into the web at all times, but they also have more self-esteem issues—and many of these teens or college kids might upload selfies to deal with their own self-consciousness. 【小题4】 When you feel good or look good about yourself, it's far too easy to reach for you phone and document it all through one or several selfies. Kids who are connected on a social network to someone they admire may be more driven to upload attractive selfies as a way to seek attention, especially if they're too shy to do it in person.

Besides, there are people who are bored at work, bored at school, etc. So they will take selfies because they have nothing else better to do. Last but not least, social media is about being social! If that means uploading as many selfies as possible, then so be it. 【小题5】 They just do it because they like to do it, it's fun, and it’s a cool way to sort of document your own life.

   Students from Oceanside High School in Rockland will be able to sleep a little longer from this autumn.

The superintendent （负责人） of Regional School Unit 13 Lew Collins said during the school’s Thursday night meeting that the schedule （时刻表） for the schools will be changed. Oceanside East and West will start half an hour later, at 8 a. m. for the new school year.

Research has shown that teenagers’ brains are often not fully awake at 6: 30 a. m. Collins said the schedule, which is used to get students to go to school for classes that begin at 7: 30 a. m., calls for some to get on buses before 6 a. m. to get to school on time. Teachers are having meetings at 6: 40 a. m., which is too early, he thinks.

Collins visited the high schools in Rockland and asked students when they would like classes to begin. Most of them said 8 a. m. "I was surprised. I thought they would have said 9:00 or 10:00, "he said.

The National Sleep Foundation says on its website that teenagers’ biological clocks （生物钟） are designed to stay up later and get up later. The Foundation calls for schools to change their schedules, which mean a later start for elementary students （小学生） as well.

"We do not have enough buses to run, because all the high school and elementary school buses run almost at the same time," Collins said. He suggested, "We should buy six more buses and get six more drivers to keep the new schedule working."

Elementary school classes in Rockland now start at 8: 30 a. m., but they will be moved to 8:45 a. m, starting in the autumn. "I know this is a problem for working parents, but we will see what we can come up with," said Jane Brown, a teacher at Bardonia Elementary School. "Anyway, I believe if students get more sleep they’ll be more ready to learn when classes start," she added.

   One of the main challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization and the growing multi-language trend. "One of the main reasons for economic failure in many African countries is the fact that, with a few important exceptions, mother-tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent African states." said Neville Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the University of Cape Town.

In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many countries have introduced language laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions(规定) was the 1994 "Toubon law" in France, and the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern language use are often considered as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty in controlling fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.

The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon-------especially the need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education and new ways of communication promoted by technology, may be key fields to defend.

Amsterdam 【小题1】 (call) the “City of Bicycles” because of the convenience of riding bicycles there. In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans had 【小题2】 idea that it would be better for everybody if cars weren't allowed in the city centre and only bicycles were. They were 【小题3】 (hope) that this would help to save energy, reduce 【小题4】 (pollute) and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in lots of neighbourhoods around Amsterdam for people to use.

【小题5】 (fortunate), it didn't work because 【小题6】 (thief) took all the bicycles within weeks! However, more than thirty years later, the “white bike” is back in town — this time with a computer chip to record its every move!【小题7】 (take) a bicycle, you have to insert a special card. People who want to use the bikes 【小题8】 (park) at special parking places have to take them to another special parking place 【小题9】 has enough room. Thanks to the good ideas of lots of people, many people around the world have been enjoying city center streets 【小题10】 cars for many years.

According to a recent survey, violence（暴力）did exist in schools. Students showed their fear and parents and teachers also 【小题1】（express）their great concern about it. Experts hope 【小题2】 whole society should pay more attention to the psychological health of teenagers.

Nowadays, school violence is a hot issue. I think this is a phenomenon（现象）, which 【小题3】（call）for our great concern. We should make every effort 【小题4】（prevent）violence happening at school for more and more students would drop out of school if their personal 【小题5】（safe）could not be guaranteed（保证）. In fact, violence can be learned. 【小题6】（actual）, children learn violent behavior from adults or from 【小题7】 they see on television or on the Internet.

If I meet with school violence, I will not answer violence with violence, for it will result in 【小题8】（much）fighting. I will tell my teachers and parents about it. I think they will help me deal with it well and they will protect me 【小题9】 the bad guys.

All in all, we students should behave 【小题10】（we） and keep away from violence.