Задания 12-18
Прочитайте рассказ и выполните задания 12–18. В каждом задании обведите букву A, B, C или D, соответствующую выбранному вами варианту ответа.
A year without social media: lessons learned
I have been on an extended vacation from millennial life: I deleted my primary social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – last December and spent the past year essentially disconnected from the social media world.
It happened on a family trip to Florida in December 2014, when I was more excited about the fresh photos and videos I would post instead of the actual vacation. Finally, on the last night of our trip, one of my videos did not upload correctly, and I reached my breaking point. I was frustrated with the pressures of maintaining a double life and afraid of how a device consumed and controlled me. I was annoyed and defeated, from chasing this perfect life online when I was facing so many struggles in real life.
I was feeling anxious and depressed and worthless and inadequate. I was far from OK, but on social media I was forced to say I was OK. I had reached the bottom of my suffering, and as a result, no action seemed too drastic. Getting off social media seemed like the easiest way to get a fresh start. Even though my former self, an eighth-grader who had begged her father for a Facebook profile, would have been astonished and angry.
At first, it was a little confusing. Suddenly I did not have Twitter or Instagram to rely on during times of boredom or awkward situations. I continued to constantly and desperately check my phone despite the lack of notifications.
By quitting mainstream social media, I was also more open to other “drastic” lifestyle choices. I graduated a semester early from high school, and although it had a positive impact on my life, I certainly would have regretted it or wavered on my decision had I been active on social media. I also began practicing yoga and started a new job working with children, both monumental for my healing. Without social media, they became things I did for me, not for the showing off or the photo opportunities.
My lifestyle without social media was enlightening, peaceful and uncomplicated because I had basically created a safe bubble for myself. I did not judge new friends based on their online profiles, and vice versa. I did not experience significant events through the lens of my camera. I did not rely on likes and favorites for self-validation and gratification.
At the time, escaping the online world was a necessary step to find peace and healing; however, I am ready to return to it.
Life without social media is simple, but it is safe. In the past year, I disassociated myself with the negative aspects of social media, but I also missed out on the benefits. I lost the creativity it takes to entertain an audience in 140 characters. I lost the need to capture important moments. I lost a subtle, but very significant social bond that ties us together.
I recently re-entered the public sphere, and it feels a lot like starting my life over from scratch. I am back to consuming news about my peers, back to wishing people “Happy Birthday” because Facebook said to do so, and back to collecting the Likes. But most importantly, I am back. Maybe I just have to learn to accept those flaws.
I used to view social media as this fake, easy solution to the difficulties of real life, but perhaps avoiding social media altogether was the easy way out. Living in a bubble was easier, and while I will miss the quiet, I know it does not reflect the real world. The real world is loud and messy and complicated, and sometimes we need a break from it to fully appreciate the beauty of chaos.
12. Which is NOT mentioned among the reasons for giving up social media in paragraph 2?
A) Feeling scared that her device had too much power over her.
B) Realizing that real life was more enjoyable than the online one.
C) Having to pretend online that she was leading an ideal life.
D) Becoming more interested in social media than in real life.
13. The word “drastic” in “no action seemed too drastic” (paragraph 3) is synonymous to …
A) helpful.
B) effective.
C) positive.
D) extreme.
14. The author claims that her former self of the eighth grade would … her decision to quit social media.
A) be against
B) understand
C) support
D) be indifferent to
15. The author says that in the beginning her life without social media was …
A) not what she had expected it to be.
B) really simple and enjoyable.
C) strange, but easily acceptable.
D) quite difficult to get used to.
16. The author believes that if she had not quit social media, her decision to graduate early would have been …
A) supported by others.
B) different.
C) harder to make.
D) made sooner.
17. The author describes her life without social media as …
A) the best time of her life.
B) extremely boring.
C) quite enjoyable.
D) a creative one.
18. Judging by the last paragraph, the author now believes that staying away from social media means …
A) living a harder life.
B) avoiding the real world.
C) seeing the beauty of the world.
D) having more difficulties.
