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With the development of science and technology, most of us will comment: "Life is speeding up.
Everyone is getting unwell."
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived
in Rome in 53 AD wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives. But have all
these developments really improve the quality of our lives?
Picture this, you're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a
QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, and the noise from the television is getting louder
and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all
night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why
do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, even no
electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.
One family in the UK went "back in time" to see what life was like without all the inventions we have
today.
The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks
in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones. The grandmother,
Lynn said,"It was hard physically, but not mentally." She believed life was less materialistic. "The more
things you have the more difficult life becomes." She said. The boys said they found less to fight over, such
as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a"trendy,
beer-drinking granny to one who cooked things". Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused
by our inventions!
●Don't beavailableall the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don't check your
emails every day.
●Make sure you spend some time talking to your family. Set aside one evening a week when you don't
turn on the television. Play cards and chat instead.
●Get a low-tech hobby. Every day,do something in the old-fashioned way,such as walking to have a
face-to-face meeting instead of using the email or telephone.
●Don't worry too much about life-laugh more!
1. The passage is mainly about _____.
A. the important roles technology plays in our everyday life
B. improvements of our life with technology
C. problems with technology
D. major changes are likely to happen to technology
2. The writer uses the quote at the beginning of the story to _____.
A. point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same
B. tell us what life was like long time ago
C. make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen
D. share a truth about life
3. Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940s house?
A. Because they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions.
B. Because they liked to live simple lives.
C. Because they were troubled by modern inventions.
D. Because living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them.
4. What does the underlined word "available" in the first suggestion offered by the writer mean?
A. Busy on line.
B. Free.
C. Be able to move.
D. Be found by others.
5. The writer may support that ______.
A. you ring back your boss immediately when you get home and see his message to you.
B. you take your iphone and taptop and power them on all the time while traveling.
C. you find fun in some exercise like hiking and jogging instead of chatting on the Internet.
D. you check your mail account as frequently as you can.

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