英语阅读教程零基础（英语阅读进阶版）

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欢迎大家来到“英语阅读”，本栏目旨在提升各位同学的阅读、听力水平及阅读理解能力，内容精选自《英语周报》高中阅读专版。

Relaxing in the "Lazy Economy"

——高中进阶 (2018-2019学年第24期) 1版

1小时突破音标重难点

I did all my Christmas shopping online this year. I bought clothes, toys, gift cards and other odds and ends (零碎东西) for my Family and friends. Instead of spending hours, if not days, going from store to store, fighting the Christmas crowds and lining up checkouts, I made my purchases while sitting in a comfortable chair with my laptop on my knee. And I was not alone. This past Christmas, Americans spent an estimated $124 billion shopping online.

In China, there is a new term for this convenient type of commerce (商业): the Lazy Economy. The term was invented by Taobao, the online shopping website, to describe the increasing popularity of using computer and mobile apps to buy things and to access services.

According to Taobao, Chinese consumers spent 16 billion yuan last year on online shopping and services, a 70 percent increase over the previous year. For younger people, those born after 1995, their online spending increased by 82 percent. Taobao says those numbers are expected to keep increasing well into the Future.

So, does the "Lazy Economy" mean that people are getting lazy (or lazier) or are we just taking advantage of technology to use our time more efficiently? Well, it depends.

For young people who work long hours in stressful jobs, mobile apps have really added to their quality of life. Using the Didi app is quicker than hailing (招呼) a taxi, and using an app to order supper is quicker and easier than cooking a meal. And, of course, if something is needed immediately (medicine, etc.), it can be ordered with an app and delivered within hours.

The downside (不利因素) of this, however, is the danger of people becoming more isolated. In cases where people work on their computers from home, they may seldom have a face-to-face conversation with others. This lack of interaction can be mentally unhealthy. And, as studies have shown, if the only friends you have are on social media, you really do not have any friends.

Although the Lazy Economy is convenient, sometimes a little inconvenience is not so bad. It is good for your mental health to get out and mix with crowds, talk to shop assistants and cook your own supper with food you bought from the supermarket. I plan to do all these things during this winter vacation ... but next Christmas, I am still going to shop online!

教案

PRE-READING

Question 1

Read the following two news reports. What do you think of Xiao Li and Wei Duo?

1. Xiao Li, a college student born after 1995, used to wash her hair every two days. But as the weather got colder, she bought a mist spray (喷雾) online, which allows her to wash her hair less often.

2. Wei Duo, a 21-year-old college student, placed an order online to deliver a birthday cake to his friend who lives far from his home. The delivery cost him 50 yuan, but it saved him almost half a day if he delivered it by himself.

Question 2

According to a report issued by Taobao, the post-1995 generation was the “laziest” as its consumption increased by 82 percent, compared with that in 2017. Do you think your generation is lazy? Why or why not?

WHILE READING

Sentences

1. Instead of spending hours, if not^①days, going from store to store, fighting the Christmas crowds and lining up^②checkouts, I made ... with^③my laptop on my knee.

① if not: used when you are adding that sth. may be even more, less, better, worse, etc. than you have just said 即使没有

e.g. The snow was now two feet deep, making it difficult, if not impossible, to get the car out.

② line up: if people line up, they stand in a row or line 排队

③“with/without 宾语 介词短语”是with/without的复合宾语结构。

e.g. He stood there, with his hat in his hand and a pipe in his mouth.

2. In cases where^①people work on their computers from home, they may seldom have a face-to-face conversation with others. This lack^②of interaction can be mentally unhealthy.

① 关系副词where引导定语从句，先行词既可以是place、room等表示地点的名词，也可以是case、situation等抽象名词。

e.g. You have reached a point where a change is needed.

② lack n. (~ of) when there is not enough of sth., or none of it 缺乏，没有

e.g. New parents tend to suffer from lack of sleep.

Vocabulary

Complete each sentence using one word from the box in its correct form. Note that there is one word more than you need and you can use each word only once.

access previous efficiently isolate interaction convenient

1. I keep my dictionaries near my desk for __________.

2. He was dismissed for being __________.

3. Although Lucy is the youngest in her class, she __________ well with other children.

4. After all the visitors had left, she experienced a feeling of complete __________.

5. Applicants for this position must have __________ experience.

Key:

1. convenience 2. inefficient 3. interacts

4. isolation 5. previous

Translation

1. 在美国居住了五年后，我的阿姨说英语，即使没有超越当地人，也和他们一样好。(if not)

2. 汤姆太累了，以致于他头枕着手臂就睡着了。(with)

3. 治疗将一直持续到病人恢复意识的时候。(point)

4. 由于缺乏从事这份工作的必要技能，凯特未能从众多申请者中脱颖而出。(lack)

Possible answers:

1. After living in New York for five years, my aunt can speak English as well as, if not better than, local people.

2. Tom was so tired that he fell asleep with his head on his arms.

3. The treatment will continue until the patient reaches the point where he recovers/regains consciousness.

4. Kate was unable to / failed to stand out from the many applicants for lack of the necessary skills for the job.

Comprehension

Choose the best answer.

1. According to the article, which of the following statements about the Lazy Economy is NOT true?

A. It is a newly-coined term.

B. It is a global phenomenon.

C. It developed due to the rapid growth of the internet.

D. It further promotes the development of the internet.

2. According to the author, the Lazy Economy may cause young people to ______.

A. work longer hours

B. suffer from physical and mental illness

C. lack opportunities to make true friends

D. rely too much on smartphones

3. According to the author, which of the following activities would cause inconvenience but give people pleasure?

① Buying vegetables from the supermarket instead of ordering them online

② Baking homemade bread instead of buying it from the bakery

③ Buying Christmas gifts in the department stores instead of shopping online

④ Cooking a meal at home instead of having a takeaway

A. ①②③ B. ①②④ C. ①③④ D. ②③④

Key: BCB

AFTER READING

Make a plan for your winter vacation. What do you plan to do during this winter vacation? How can you stick to your plan? Exchange your ideas with your classmates.

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