01 Word Count：280

Vocabulary Level：1～4
Lifestyles, Fashion, and Ethics

Let’s Take a Selfie

Tom and Jerry had both received smartphones as Christmas gifts and were
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exploring all the new features on their phones. “Let’s take some selfies,” said Jerry.
Just then their grandfather came in and asked what they were doing. “We’re
taking selfies,” replied Tom.
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5 “Come again?” asked Grandfather.
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“They’re taking self-portraits and sending them to friends,” commented Tom’s
mother as she stepped in. “Many people between the ages of 12 and 35 share selfies
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on social networking services. It’s just another development of the digital age.”
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“Hmm,” murmured Grandfather. “I guess every generation brings something new
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10 and different. But, what exactly is a ‘selfie’?”
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“Well,” responded Tom’s mother, “a selfie is a photograph taken by the subject
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with their own camera while it is held at arm’s length.”
“So selfies are really new, are they?” Grandfather said.
“Actually,” Mother continued, “selfies have been around since the early 1900s
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15 when some of the earliest cameras were being used. Back then, people took pictures of
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themselves using a mirror. Selfies as we know them today didn’t really become popular
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until the recent rise of smartphones and social media. Thanks to social networking
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websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, the usage of selfies among
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young adults has increased tremendously. Taking selfies has become a normal part of
20 our modern digital culture. The word ‘selfie’ first appeared in an Australian Internet
chat room. In 2013, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, a sure sign that
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selfies are here to stay. They have become so popular that even astronauts have taken
them with Earth in the background.”
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“Interesting!” said Grandfather. “It sounds like this generation has improved on
25 something my generation started.”

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Questions
1. What is the article mainly about?
A how smartphones have become so popular in modern times
B how taking selfies has become popular with young people nowadays
C how the Oxford English Dictionary made “selfie” an official word
D how people can take a good selfie and share it with their friends
2. What have we learned from the article?
A Social media has contributed a lot to the popularity of smartphones.
B In order to take a selfie, one cannot be holding the camera.
C Taking a selfie is a whole new idea in our modern times.
D People who used some of the first cameras took selfies.
3. Which of the following pieces of information is NOT mentioned in the article?
A the first time the word “selfie” was ever used
B the main reason why selfies have become so popular
C the problems that some people have with taking selfies
D the idea that selfies will remain popular with people
4. Based on the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A Tom’s mother has a very good idea of the history of selfies.
B Tom and Jerry got new phones as gifts because they both did well in school.
C Tom’s mother was surprised that Grandfather knew nothing about selfies.
D An Australian wanted the word “selfie” to be added to the Oxford Dictionary.
5. What is Tom’s Grandfather’s attitude toward taking a selfie?
A worried
B nervous
C curious
D confident