英语周报：2009年6月英语四级听力全真模拟题(二)

　　Section C

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written。

　　Internet use appears to cause a (36) decline in psychological well-being, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University。

　　Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more (37) depression and loneliness than those who logged on less (38) frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn’t that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feelings

　　Researchers are (39) puzzling over the results, which were completely (40) contrary to their expectations. They expected that the Net would prove socially (41) healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to (42) communicate with others。

　　The fact that Internet use reduces time (43) available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers hypothesized. Faceless, bodiless “virtual”(44) communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that (45) exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives。

　　“But it’s important to remember this is not about the technology; it’s about how it is used,” says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study's sponsors. “(46) It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications and services for technology。”