托福写作素材：约网友

 We owe much to the development and expansion of the Internet. It has enabled one of the main technological¹ and cultural revolutions in recent history: theemergence of social media. Over the last 10 years, online social media have grown extremely fast and become central to the lives of hundreds of millions of people.Social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google Plus allow us to communicate with family, friends, and people that we would have never had the chance to meet regularly. Some social media such as LinkedIn and Meetup are becoming important tools for our work and business networking.However, although many people spent considerable part of their lives interacting with social media, others refuse to engage with online social networking. Let's dissect⁴ some of the benefits and dangers of social networking.

　　The pros⁵ of social networking

　　Social networks allow us to keep in touch with people that we meet at different points in our lives and reconnect with old friends that we may have not seen in years for various reasons. Online social media help bridge previously⁶ insurmountable physical distances. Before Facebook, it was difficult to follow what your friends were doing. You could write emails, and before that letters, but the sense of proximity⁷ that people get by reading comments and things friends share and seeing their pictures on the social media is something never achieved before. Instant messaging services, such as Whatsapp, and conference call software, such as Skype, add to this new feeling of proximity with people that may be leaving thousands of miles away.

　　Social networks offer their users the capacity to get almost immediate⁸ access to information about things happening elsewhere. When something important happens in the world people often find out almost immediately through social media. Just by spending five minutes on your Twitter, Facebook or Reddit feed you can learn about global social, cultural and economic events and trends.They even allow to shame the politicians and other people that have done or said something unethical or wrong.

　　These platforms also allow for global interaction with people from different backgrounds. Before social media, interacting with people from distant places was almost exclusively the privilege of those who could afford travelling. Now through social networking sites we often engage in discussions and can establish friendships with people very different from us. Some social media even facilitate people meeting face-to-face. For instance, networks such as Couchsurfing allow you to live for some time with people you might have otherwise never met. Likewise some social networksspecialized in dating help people meeting others and often establish long term relationships.

　　Thanks to the social networks some people and small companies cangain visibility for their products and creations without having to invest much in advertising¹⁰. Social networks can also very effective ways to find a job, a business partner or an employee.

　　Finally, social platforms, such as netivist, help to promote public participation¹¹ andcivic engagement. People have new means to express their views and defend causes they find worth fighting for. Protest movements around the world, such as the Arab Spring, the Occupy Movement and the European Indignados employed social media for the mobilization and organization of protesters. At the same time, the use of social media, such as Twitter or Reddit, by Obama during his campaign for the White House is a good example of how politicians and citizens can interact more directly to the benefit of political participation and democratic processes.

　　The cons³ of social media

　　However, social media may also have some negative effects on our lives and the way people interact. First of all, it is argued that social media may insulate us from the people that surround us. Although these platforms make communication easier and more flexible with those far away, they can have the opposite impact on our relationships with the people we live with. Who has not been in a family or friends' reunion, where everyone is just looking at their smartphones or tablets rather than speaking to each other?

　　Social networks serve to disseminate¹³ information, but the validity of this information cannot always be verified. Thus, social media can be used to spread rumors¹⁴, propaganda, and misleading information. Sometimes this information canhave negative impact on the lives of people. Apologies and rectifications tend not to reach as many people and travel as fast as flashy erroneous information. Harm is not always undone¹⁵ or compensated¹⁶.

　　Social networking distracts us. Social media have become a source of entertainment but also a means of procrastination¹⁷. With people often checking Facebook, Whatsapp, or Twitter every five minutes, it is likely that their productivity at work diminishes. We are constantly bombarded with notifications from social media. Many of them are of no use to our lives. Worse even, in many cases social media mayturn into an addiction¹⁸ or obsession¹⁹ with negative psychological impacts on our lives.

　　Privacy is also at risk because social media. Pictures and videos of everyone arecirculating through the internet. Even if we try to be careful, there is no way we can prevent other people from posting pictures of us or our families on Facebook, Twitter or other social media. How many times have you found yourself removing a tag from a somewhat inappropriate picture taken at a party? Social media are also making it more difficult to separate our professional and social lives. We end up being "Facebook friends" with colleagues, and in some cases this may backfire.

　　Social media platforms store too much information about us. Potentially this information could be used by governments and corporations to control us. Most networking platforms extract large amounts of information from their users. It is difficult to understand the terms and conditions of use of the platforms, usually captured by long and extremely technical legal documents. Moreover, this information collected about us is not always secured. There have been notable cases in which hackers²⁰ have managed to steal information about thousands of users.

　　Finally, these platforms have become fertile grounds for offences and crime. Many people suffer stalking and bullying²¹ through social networks. This has led to dramatic cases where users have ended up committing suicide. Social networks have also been used to collect information about victims by kidnappers²² and burglars. Many terrorist organizations recruit members and raise funding through social media.

重点搭配和句子摘抄：

　　development and expansion of the Internet: 互联网的发展和扩张

　　the main technological and cultural revolutions : 主要的技术和文化革命

　　emergence² of social media: 社交媒体的出现

　　have grown extremely fast and become central to the lives of hundreds of millions of people: 已经极快的成为数亿人的生活的重要(部分)

　　常见的社交网络细节罗列：

　　Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google Plus

　　communicate with family, friends: 与家人、朋友交流

　　had the chance to meet regularly: 有机会经常见面

　　are becoming important tools for our work and business networking:

　　越来越重要的工具为了我们的工作和业务圈子

　　spent considerable part of : 花了相当大的一部分

　　to engage with online social networking: 加入在线社交网络

　　keep in touch with people : 与人保持联系

　　reconnect with old friends : 联系老朋友

　　bridge previously insurmountable physical distances: 跨越之前不可逾越的物理距离

　　the sense of proximity : 亲近的感觉

　　Instant messaging services: 即时通讯服务

　　offer their users the capacity :给他们的用户提供xxx的能力

　　get almost immediate access to information: 几乎立即获取信息

　　Just by spending five minutes on your Twitter, Facebook or Reddit feed you can learn about global social, cultural and economic events and trends allow for global interaction with people from different backgrounds.

　　只要花五分钟在Twitter、Facebook或Reddit的最新消息上就可以了解全球社会、文化和经济事件和趋势， 并能让你与来自不同背景的人交流。

　　interacting with people from distant places was almost exclusively the privilege of : 与遥远的地方的人交流是几乎完全的特权

　　engage in discussions: 参与讨论

　　establish friendships with people : 与人建立友谊

　　facilitate people meeting face-to-face: 促进人们面对面的见面

　　networks such as Couchsurfing allow you to live for some time with people you might have otherwise never met:

　　网络如Couchsurfing让你跟可能从未见过的人生活一段时间。

　　specialized⁹ in : 擅长于xxx

　　establish long term relationships: 建立长期的关系

　　gain visibility for their products and creations : 获得对其产品的视野和创造

　　to promote public participation and civic¹² engagement: 促进公众参与和公民参与

　　new means to express their views and defend causes they find worth

　　fighting for: 用新手段表达自己的观点、捍卫他们认为值得为之战斗的事业

　　employed social media for the mobilization and organization of protesters: 使用社交媒体动员和组织抗议者

　　insulate us from：使我们与xxx隔绝

　　make communication easier and more flexible : 使交流变得更容易、更灵活

　　have the opposite impact on our relationships with the people : 负面的影响我们与人的关系

　　in a family or friends' reunion: 在一个家庭或朋友的聚会

　　Social networks serve to disseminate information, but the validity of this information cannot always be verified:

　　社交网络服务于传播信息,但不能总是确保这些信息的有效性。

　　spread rumors, propaganda, and misleading information: 散布谣言、宣传和误导信息

　　have negative impact on the lives of people: 对人们的生活有负面影响

　　flashy erroneous information: 庸俗的错误信息

　　become a source of entertainment : 成为娱乐的来源

　　a means of procrastination: 拖延的一种手段

　　productivity at work diminishes: 工作效率降低

　　are constantly bombarded with notifications from social media: 不断地收到社交媒体的通知

　　turn into an addiction or obsession with negative psychological impacts on our lives: 变成一种瘾或痴迷并给我们的生活带来负面的心理影响

　　is also at risk : 处于危险境地

　　circulating through the internet: 通过互联网传播

　　removing a tag from a somewhat inappropriate picture : 在有点不合适的照片里删除一个标签

　　also making it more difficult to separate our professional and social lives:

　　也使得更加难以分离我们的职业和社会生活

　　store too much information : 储存太多的信息

　　extract large amounts of information from their users: 从他们的用户那里提取大量的信息

　　the terms and conditions of use of the platforms: 平台使用的条款和条件

　　long and extremely technical legal documents: 长并且非常技术性的法律文件

　　There have been notable cases in which hackers have managed to steal information about thousands of users.

　　在有些知名案例中,黑客成功窃取成千上万的用户的信息。

　　become fertile grounds for offences and crime: 成为罪行和犯罪的肥沃

　　suffer stalking and bullying : 遭受骚扰和欺凌

　　This has led to dramatic cases where users have ended up committing suicide.

　　这导致了戏剧性的情况, 也就是用户最终自杀。

　　collect information about victims by kidnappers and burglars: 收集关于绑匪和窃贼的受害者的信息。

　　recruit members and raise funding : 招募成员和筹集资金

　　Citation²³：

　　https://netivist.org/debate/social-networking-pros-and-cons

　　适用题目：

　　2013.8.10

　　Some people like to record their life by sharing pictures and other information on social-networking sites. Others keep this information to themselves and never share it online.

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

3 cons   

n.欺骗，骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗，哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 dissect   

v.分割；解剖

参考例句：

• In biology class we had to dissect a frog.上生物课时我们得解剖青蛙。
• Not everyone can dissect and digest the public information they receive.不是每个人都可以解析和消化他们得到的公共信息的。

5 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

10 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

11 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

12 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

13 disseminate   

v.散布；传播

参考例句：

• We should disseminate science and promote the scientific spirit.普及科学知识，弘扬科学精神。
• We sincerely welcome all countries to disseminate their languages in China.我们真诚地欢迎世界各国来华推广本国语言。

14 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 undone   

a.未做完的，未完成的

参考例句：

• He left nothing undone that needed attention.所有需要注意的事他都注意到了。

16 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

17 procrastination   

n.拖延，耽搁

参考例句：

• Procrastination is the father of failure. 因循是失败的根源。
• Procrastination is the thief of time. 拖延就是浪费时间。

18 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

19 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

20 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

21 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 citation   

n.引用，引证，引用文；传票

参考例句：

• He had to sign the proposition for the citation.他只好在受奖申请书上签了字。
• The court could issue a citation and fine Ms. Robbins.法庭可能会发传票，对罗宾斯女士处以罚款。