When does it become too

much?
“I’ll just check it once more before I start,” I
say to myself on a daily basis. I then open a
blank word document, add a header and heading
and reward myself once again by getting back
on Facebook. There’s a euphoric high that
comes from having a new notification or post.
Every time I go to my psychology class, which is a 200-person seminar, I sit in the
same row near the back of the classroom. At any given point during the class,
about half of the computers in front of me are opened up on Facebook. There are
usually a few on other social media websites and occasionally students distracted
taking notes on their laptop. This class, full of students distracted by social
media, does not require attendance.
However, they continue to wake up three days a week and go to a class where they
will spend the majority of their time interacting with their computer screen.
These students choose to spend their time on social media instead of learning the
required material.
When I sit down to write an essay, it can take me almost an hour to start my work.
“Just one quick look at Facebook,” I think to myself. I then end up on the website
for an extended period of time. Once I’m finally able to close the webpage and
begin writing, I feel the urge to open up the Internet again. “I just need to look up
a fact on line,” I assure to myself. (…) The flow of thoughts that is necessary for
successful writing is disrupted by an urge to go on social media that will not be
surpassed. A process that should only have taken me a few hours is multiplied and
it takes significantly longer for me to write an inferior paper.
Like me, many of my friends struggle with the distraction that social media poses.
These websites are addicting because they give a false sense of community. We
are tricked into believing that we are part of a close group where we can openly
share our opinions with each other. Whether on daily life, pictures or videos, we
can add our perspective to our own pages or to the pages of our friends. This
aspect of social media creates an atmosphere that is like that of a stereotypical
high school. The more friends and comments a person gets, the better we feel
about ourselves and the “cooler” we are. Until these comments become abusive!
April H. (adapted and abridged)

A.Are the following sentences TRUE or FALSE? Find evidence to support your
answer.
1. April feels very excited when she receives a notification on Facebook.

2. All the students must be in class.

3. Although these students prefer staying at home most of the days, their
priority is studying.

4. April can’t control her need to go on line.

B. Explain the meaning of the expression “There’s a euphoric high…”

C. Say what these words refer to in the text:

1. my 2. they

D. Go through paragraph 3 and find synonyms for the following words:

1. nevertheless 2. rather than

E. Reread the LAST paragraph and find a noun formed with a suffix. Write
it down.

F. April says that “These websites are addicting because they give a false
sense of community”. Do you agree with her opinion? Why? (write no more
than 70 words)

G. Match the paragraphs with the information given below. Write only the parag.
number.
1. Impact of social media in April’s school performance.
2. Students awareness of their addiction.
3. Lack of focus to develop a clear line of thought.
4. Role of social media in class.

H. Complete the text below with words from the box. Use each word only
once. Write only the letters and the numbers.
a) envy b) the least c) glitz d) except e) degree f) apparently g) hunt
h) miserable i) spotlight j) arrested
We all have dreams of being famous to one 1._____ or another. Some of us really
desire the 2.____ the fame and fortune of those who have been blessed with
Hollywood glamour. But were they really “blessed”? Or does it become a 3._____
after a while? Most of the famous that we 4._____so much wish they had their
old lives back. Of course they like 5.____that comes with being famous, but
paparazzi leave them no chance for privacy and 6.____ then wherever they go. It
is annoying – to say 7.____.So, after all, we may not really want to be them,
8.____ maybe for a day or so.

I. Fill in the gaps with the right forms of the verbs given in. Use the Present
simple, the Present continuous, the Past Simple and the Present Perfect
tenses.
1. ______________________(you/already/finish) your Internet school project?
2. At the moment Nigel and her sister ___________________(play) a new PSP
their parents
_________________________(just/buy).
3. Last week Anne ________________(give up) her part time job in order to
apply for a job vacancy in Microsoft, but she
_________________________________________((yet/the application
letter/not write).
4. Some celebrities _____________________(not/care) about their
inappropriate behaviour as role models.
5. Right now researchers ______________________(study) the effects of
spending too much time in front of a computer screen on people’s health. Yet, the
medical community _____
(diverge) over this issue.

J) Rewrite the sentences below, as suggested.

1. I don’t have a Facebook account, so I don’t know much about its advantages.
If I…
2. Pop group The Janoskians are leaving Facebook. There are too many racist and
homophonic posts about them.
___________________if there
weren’t_______________________________________
3. Right now I don’t feel very excited about my Facebook account. I’m really
looking forward to having more friend visiting my page.
Unless I
________________________I____________________________________
___
4. Peter doesn’t read the instructions. That’s why he doesn’t understand how
gadgets work.
_____________________if he
_____________________________________________

K. Write a text between 100 and 150 words.

In the film “Cyberbully”, Taylor’s mother tells her daughter not give out personal
information online. Explain the importance of these words considering what Taylor
went through. Relate it to April’s last sentences. (Until these comments become
abusive!”), the dangers of the Internet and the legal framework for crimes such
as bullying and cyberbulling.