The latest social media app to spread like wildfireamong young people is TikTok. This app works by people creating and sharing short videos that usually last under a minute. The videos posted often cover various topics like dance challenges, fashion trends, prankvideos, or even news updates. While this might seem like just another harmless social media app, new research shows that TikTok can negatively affect people’s attention spans.
Some studies have recently discovered that apps like TikTok affect people’s brains. Specifically, it has alteredhow our brains release dopamine. Dopamine is often called the “feel-good” hormonebecause it produces feelings of pleasure that can motivatepeople to do more of an activity. It is a neurotransmitterthat our brains release as a reward when we do undertakingssuch as eating a tasty meal, winning a race, or watching a funny video. So, when people watch short, 30-second videos over and over, their brains release more dopamine with each video.
If people continuallyrepeat this cycle over a period of time, it can eventually rewireour brains to expect instant gratification. When this isn’t met, people will shifttheir attention to something new. Furthermore, it reduces our ability to delay gratification and focus on things for long periods of time. This issue can be especially problematicin teenagers whose brains are still developing and can lead to addictive tendencies.
To prevent the development of TikTok brain in their children, parents are advised to limit the amount of screen timetheir children have. Parents should also set good examplesby turning off their phones and fully engaging withtheir children during conversations.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about TikTok?
(A) It has rapidly gained popularity among the youth.
(B) It never covers any topics other than dance challenges.
(C) It enables users to view, produce, and distribute brief videos online.
(D) It may harmfully impact individuals'ability to focus for extended periods.
2. Why is dopamine often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone?
(A) It is more common in teenagers.
(B) It creates sensations of delight.
(C) It is used to stabilize people’s emotions.
(D) It aids in the length of time a person can concentrate.
3.According to the passage, what can parents do to keep their children from developing TikTok brain?
(A) Ask their children to switch off their phones.
(B) Ban all screen time completely for their children.
(C) Avoid face-to-face interactions with their children.
(D) Set restrictions on how long their children look at the screen.
答案: 1 B 2 B 3 D
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
update
[ʌpˋdet]
vt. 使更新；為……提供最新消息
n. 更新（消息）
We’re going to update our computer software next month.
我們將於下個月更新我們的電腦軟體。
We’ll update you on the latest development of the murder trial.
我們會讓你知道這起謀殺審判發展的最新消息。
Coming up next on this station is our news update.
本臺接下來進行的是即時新聞。
多益綠色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
span
[spæn]
n. . 一段時間
vt. （時間）持續，貫穿；包括、橫跨,跨越
三態
spanned [ spænd ] / spanned [ spænd ]
Over a span of just one year, the cellphone market
has changed dramatically.
光是一年的時間，手機市場就有了大幅改變。
Women tend to have longer life spans than men.
女人一般比男人長壽。
The Great Depression, a time of tremendous
difficulty, spanned roughly 10 years.
經濟大蕭條是個非常艱困的時期，大約持續了 10 年。
William Shakespeare’s plays span many
themes―everything from revenge to love.
威廉•莎士比亞的戲劇涵蓋了許多主題，從復仇到愛情都
有。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 6
●
specifically
[spɪˋsɪfɪk!ɪ]
adv. 尤其，特別地
=
specially
=
particularly
The doctor warned Mark specifically not to eat eggs.
醫生特別警告馬克不要吃蛋。
高中 Level 3
●
alter
[ˋɔltɚ]
vt. 修改（衣服）
vt. & vi. 改變
=
climate change
The internet has altered the way we seek information.
網路已改變了我們尋找資訊的方式。
No matter how many years go by, my love for you will never alter.
無論過了多少年，我對你的愛永遠不會變。
I need to have the pants altered to fit me well.
我得把這條褲子拿去修改，好合我的身。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
hormone
[ˋhɔrmon]
n. 荷爾蒙
Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women may be early signs of many things, such as pregnancy or the onset of menopause.
女性體內荷爾蒙不均衡的症狀可能是許多事的前兆，像是懷孕或是更年期的開始。
高中 Level 5
●
motivate
[ˋmotə͵vet]
.vt. 促使，激發
=
encourage
=
inspire
=
stimulate
Peter is rude to girls. We should do something to motivate him to change his attitude.
彼得對女孩子很粗魯。我們應有所作為以促使他改變態度。
Encouragement can often motivate students to study harder.
鼓勵往往能激發學生更用功。
多益金色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
continually
[kənˋtɪnjʊəlɪ]
adv. 持續地，不間斷地
The alarm will continually beep until someone turns it off.
警報器在有人關掉它之前都會持續嗶嗶作響。
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
shift
[ʃɪft]
.vt. 轉移，改變
n. 輪班
Don’t try to shift the blame to me.
不要試圖把責任推到我身上。
What can I do to shift my son’sattention from computer games to his studies?
我該怎麼做才能把我兒子的注意力從電動玩具轉移到課業上？
I work on the night shift this week.
我這星期輪夜班。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
problematic
[͵prɑbləˋmætɪk]
a. 充滿問題的
Putting this plan into action could be very problematic.
要將這個計畫付諸實行可能會有很大的問題。
●
prank
[præŋk]
n. 惡作劇
●
dopamine
[ˋdopə͵min]
n. 神經傳導物質
●
undertaking
[͵ʌndɚˋtekɪŋ]
n. 工作，任務
●
rewire
[riˋwaɪr]
vt. 重塑（大腦）；重新裝／配線
●
gratification
[͵grætəfəˋkeʃən]
n. 滿足
Practical Phrases
●
spread like wildfire
迅速地傳開來
The rumor spread like wildfire.
謠言很快就蔓延開來。
●
over and over
反覆地，一再地，屢次
The audience chanted the name of the singer over and over.
觀眾一次又一次地高喊那個歌手的名字。
●
set an example (for sb)
（為某人）樹立一個榜樣
Teachers should set a goodexample for students.
老師應為學生樹立一個好榜樣。
●
engage with
與⋯⋯交流
Engaging with people of different backgrounds can be beneficial. 與不同背景的人交流是有益的。
addictive a. 上癮的 • Morphine may alleviate your pain, but it is physically addictive.
嗎啡也許可以減輕你的痛苦，但在生理上卻會上癮。
字尾 -ive 表「有……性質的」，以下介紹幾個其他常見的單字︰
a. defensive a. 防禦的 • Don't be so defensive. I didn't mean that in a bad way.
防衛心別那麼強。我那麼說並沒有惡意。
b. offensive a. 攻擊性的；冒犯的 •You should bite your tongue if you think you're going to say something offensive.
當你覺得你說的話會冒犯到別人時，你就應該忍住不說。
＊bite one's tongue （某人）強忍住不說
c. excessive a. 過度的 • Excessive drinking is harmful to your health.
飲酒過量有害健康。
d. narrative a. 敘事的 • Jane composed a narrative poem that depicted the beauty of nature.
小珍寫了一首描繪大自然之美的敘事詩。
e. massive a. 巨大的 • A massive sign just fell off the building.
一個巨大的招牌剛從那棟建築物上掉了下來。
f. progressive a. （指思想或體制）進步的／先進的 • The governor has adopted a progressive posture towards same-sex marriage.
該州長對同性婚姻採取了先進的立場。
