Unit 6 Going Offline

6Going Offline 1全新版大学进阶英语：综合教程1NEW PROGRESSIVE COLLEGE ENGLISH 1Unit GoalsContentsPart One OpenerPair WorkPart Two Reading & Interacting Getting PreparedText StudyFocusing on Language in ContextPart Three Integrated Skills Practicing ListeningSpeakingWritingPair Work: Describe the two cartoons below. Then work with your partner and answer the questions that follow.1 Can you say a few words about the people in the pictures above?2 If you forgot to bring your smartphone with you or you had noWi‐Fi service, how would you feel?3 Do you sleep with your smartphone under your pillow or next to your bed? If your phone beeps, will you get up and check it?Watch the video clip about “Phubbing (低头族现象)” and discuss the following questions with your classmates.1. At the beginning of the video clip, why does the man say that that he has so many friends but he’s still lonely?2. According to the man, how does the Internet do harm to our kids?3. What does the man want to express by telling a different imaginary life story without phubbing?4. What are we suggested to do to “live life in a real way”?A popular free online social networking service headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.脸书，一家总部位于美国加州门洛帕克的社交服务网站。

FacebookA business‐ and employment‐oriented social networking service and the world’s largest professional network. LinkedIn is st r i c t l y u s e d fo r exc h a n g i n g k n o w l e d ge , i d e a s , a n d opportunities and has increasingly become a leader in helping individuals find groups of interest as well as jobs in their field. 领英，一家面向职场和就业的社交服务网站，也是全球最大的职业社交网站。

LinkedInThe VergeFormed in 2011, The Verge is an American technology news and media network operated by Vox Media. Its offices are located in Manhattan, New York City. It publishes news items, product reviews, long‐form feature stories, podcasts, and entertainment shows.The Verge成立于2011年，是一家美国科技媒体网站，属于新媒体公司Vox Media，办公地点位于纽约曼哈顿。

网站发布新闻、产品评论、长篇专题、播客及娱乐节目。

TEXT How long could you survive without the Internet? Days, weeks, months? Ryan Holmes tried it for a fortnight (两周) and came up with some interesting conclusions.Ryan Holmes14 Days with (Almost)No Internet: Did MyDigital Detox Pay Off?1 Last year, Paul Miller made waves online when The Verge published his article detailing a unique personal experiment:going one full year with absolutely no internet.2 Of course, at the time, what we all wanted to know was what amazing discoveries Miller had made from his 365 days offline.3 As it turns out , despite a promising first few months of theexperiment (during which he lost weight, took time to smell theflowersand wrote a lot of stuff ), what Miller discovered in the end was that the very technology he’d begun to criticizeactually had very little , if anything , to do with his life’s problems. In fact,Miller realized that without the net he had started becoming even more “out of touch with life.”4 Last month, I went on my own digital detox. It was only two weeks, but it was the longest I’ve gone offline in 13 years.5 Why did I do it? Throughout the last decade, I’ve been plugged in 24‐7, living in a world where the line between digital and real gets a bit blurred at times . For a while I’d feltthe urge to free myself from it all, and wanted to see what would happen then.6 I haven’t of course forgotten that I’m CEO of a socialmediacompany. My life’s work is built around the belief that being connected makes our lives richer and more rewarding. Still, I’d forgotten one key lesson along the way: moderation. As more and more of my life was spent scanning social feeds, I realized that I needed to step back and get some perspective.7 So on my winter vacation to Mexico, I took a break from being active on the internet for the entire trip. For a whole 14days, I ate a lot of delicious seafood, surfedand fixed up my hut on the beach. I didn’t go online except to check my email periodically — just to make sure an emergency wasn’t unfolding while I was away.8 What I learned from my short experiment was actually not too unlike what Miller learned. I didn’t end up discovering thattechnology is evil. In fact, I found myself reflecting on how living and breathing tech has let me experience some of the most rewarding moments of my life: I’ve seen world events unfold before my eyes over social networks; I’ve seen peopleusing new technologies to stay in touch with their loved ones.I’ve also seen businesses finding new and innovative methods to connect with their clients through channels like Facebook or LinkedIn.9 The irony is that by stepping away from all things digital for a while, I actually felt even more appreciative of it. Afterall, technology is a part of me now and it’s how I interactwith many of the most important people in my life; it’s also made me who I am both professionally and personally.sure to remember:11 Snacking is fun, but it shouldn’t replace full meals. With the digital explosion has come an excess of cheap, easy, andaddictive pieces of online content for us to readily snack on.No wonder it’s so easy to fall into the habit of spending hours online mindlessly moving from one tasty snack to another.The funny thing is that I found I didn’t miss this kind of onlinesnacking at all during my 14 days offline. In fact, what I startedto crave in the absence of snacky content was longer, thoughtfularticles and good books, reading that nourishes my mind.12 Numerous studies have proven that such reading can improve brain function; some have even suggested it can make you a better person. So instead of funny cat pictures, dive into some of the great “long reads” that show up on your screen — stuff that actually changes how you look at the world. Better yet, pick up a novel or read a book about a topic that can benefit you in some way, whether it’s related to your jobor your passions.Pair work: Centering on the author’s digital detox experience, the text consists of three parts — why,what happened, and what has been learned. Now write down the main idea in each part and comparenotes with your partner.1. Text OrganizationHe realized that addictive bits of online content should not replace thoughtful articles and good books and it’s reading that nourishesthe mind.Paul Miller’s personalexperiment of going offlineone full year and his discoveriesprompted the author to trya digital detox himself.As CEO of a social media company whose life hasbeen spent mostly online, hewanted to step back and getsome perspective. The author didn’t find that technology is evil. Rather, he felt that he liked it even more.The author’s digital detox experienceMotivation (Why?)Experience (What happened?)Discoveries (What has he learned?)Paras.10‐12: The author spent two weeks in digital detox on his winter vacation to Mexico.Paras.1‐3:Paras.5‐6:Paras.4&7:Paras.8‐9:(Para. 3)of going offline one full year? (Para. 5)(Para. 7)on the Internet during the vacation? (Para. 10)(Para. 11)The writer of this blog post reflects on his digital detox experience and learns his lesson. It is a well‐crafted article as far as writing techniques are concerned.Three of the techniques the writer uses are the same ones discussed in previous units. The first is the use of an anecdotal introduction. The first three paragraphs about tech writer Paul Miller’s story serve as a point of departure for rolling out the writer’s discussion about digital life and aim to engage his readers for that matter. The second technique is the use of first‐person and second‐person pronouns (I, we, you) for making the writing less formal and more interactive.The third technique is the use of comparing and contrasting for developing an argument and helping readers to think. From paras.1‐9, the writer compares and contrasts Paul Miller’s digital detox experience with his own. Despite the differences, both show the important role staying connected online plays in one’s life. In paras. 11‐12, the writer uses this technique again to compare and contrast online snacky content, online long reads and a novel or a good book. Such an analysis enables readers to understand what mind‐nourishing reading truly is.A close look at the rhetorical devices the writer uses can further help to enrich one’s reading experience. These devices breathe life into this text, making it more interesting, humorous, lively and ultimately, more effective in conveying the message to readers.Metaphor A metaphor makes a comparison for similarities between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”. Examples are: detox (in the title); smell the flowers (para. 3); live and breathe tech (para. 8); digital explosion (para. 11); nourish my mind (para. 11).HyperboleA hyperbole is based on exaggeration and not intended to be taken literally. Examples are:have been plugged in 24‐7 (para. 5); live and breathe tech (para. 8).1.2.1. High tech is a double‐edged sword. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. (甲之蜜糖，乙之砒霜。