Ask helpful Hannah

    Dear helpful Hannah,

    I've got a problem with my husband, Sam. He bought a smart phone a couple of months ago and he took it on our recent ski vacation to Colorado, it was a great trip except for one problem. He has a constant urge {#blank#}1{#/blank#} for next messages; he checks his phone every five minutes! He's so addicted to it that he just can't stand the idea{#blank#}2{#/blank#} there may be an important text. He can't help checking even at inappropriate times like when we are eating in a restaurant and I am talking to him! He behaves {#blank#}3{#/blank#} any small amount of boredom can make him feel the need to check his phone even when he know he shouldn't. The temptation to see {#blank#}4{#/blank#} is connecting him is just too great. When I ask him to put down the phone and stop {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  (ignore) me, he say, “In a minute.” but still checks to see if {#blank#}6{#/blank#} has posted something new on the Internet. Our life {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  (interrupted). If we go somewhere and I ask him to have the phone at home, he suffers from withdrawal symptom. May this dependency on his smart phone has become more than an everyday problem.

    I recently read an article about “nomophobia,”{#blank#}8{#/blank#} is a real illness people can't suffer from the fear of being without your phone! I am worried that Sam maybe suffering from this illness because he feels anxious if he doesn't have his phone with him, even for a short time.

Who would have thought that little devices like these could have brought so much trouble!

    Sick and Tired Sadie

    Mary will ever forget the first time she saw him. He suddenly appeared in class one day, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (wear) sun glasses. He walked in as if he {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (buy) the school, and the word quickly got around that he was from New York City.

    For some reason he sat beside Mary. Mary felt  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(please), because there were many empty seats in the room .But she quickly realized that it wasn't for her, it was probably the fact that she sat in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} last row.

    But if he thought he could escape attention by {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(sit) at the back, he was wrong. It might have made it a little harder for everybody because it meant they had to turn around, but that didn't stop the kids in the class. Of course whenever they turn to look at him, they had to look at Mary, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}made her feel like a star.

    “Do you need those glasses for medical {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (reason)?” the teacher asked .The new boy shook his head. "Then I'd appreciate{#blank#}8{#/blank#} if you didn't wear them in class .I like to look at your eyes when I'm speaking to you." The new boy looked at the teacher for a few seconds and all the other students wondered {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the boy would do .Then he took them off, gave a big smile{#blank#}10{#/blank#} said "That is cool."

    According to a review of evidence in a medical journal, runners live three years {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(long) than non-runners. You don't have to run fast or for long{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(see) the benefit. You may drink, smoke, be overweight and still reduce your risk of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (die) early by running. While running regularly can't make you live forever, the review says it {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) more effective at lengthening life{#blank#}5{#/blank#} walking, cycling or swimming. Two of the authors of the review also made a study published in 2014{#blank#}6{#/blank#}showed a mere five to 10 minutes a day of running reduced the risk of heart disease and early deaths from all {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(cause).

    The best exercise is one that you enjoy and will do. But otherwise… it's probably running. To avoid knee pain, you can run on soft surfaces, do exercises to{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(strength)your leg muscles(肌肉),avoid hills and get good running shoes. Running is cheap, easy and it's always{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(energy).If you are time poor, you need run for only half the time to get the same benefits as other sports, so perhaps we should all give{#blank#}10{#/blank#}a try.

    While I was waiting for the bus I saw a homeless person carrying a sign {#blank#}1{#/blank#} said he would like a cup of coffee.

    As soon as I read it, I knew this task was meant for me. I joyfully ran across the street, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think) that getting him a cup of coffee would be great. I {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(buy) the coffee and approached him slowly. The closer I got, the more joy in his eyes I could see.

    When I handed him the hot coffee, I {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(simple) said "This is for you." I could see so much joy in his face and even a tear. He kept thanking me, holding his coffee like the {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(big) treasure in his life. It made me cry to see that a simple act of {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(kind) could bring so much joy to others.

    I walked back to my bus stop, and when the bus driver opened the door and I wanted {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (pay) the bus fare, he waved me and said it had touched his heart to see me giving away that cup of coffee and{#blank#}8{#/blank#} the fare was on him. This {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(amaze)moment warmed my heart and it gave my day and my life {#blank#}10{#/blank#} new start. It brings me such joy to love and share.

Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.

People {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(influence) to become technology addicted. One survey reported that "addicted" was the word most commonly used by people {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(describe) their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(resist) the temptation of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.

The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. I see people {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(trap)in a pathological (病态的) relationship with time-consuming technology,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude(奴役). I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence {#blank#}7{#/blank#} uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.

What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what we need to ask {#blank#}8{#/blank#} if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about the use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for the wisdom that "too much of a good thing is wonderful." {#blank#}9{#/blank#} it's time to discover today's overused technology.

Richard Fernandez, an executive coach at Google acknowledged that "we can be swept away by our technologies," To break the grand digital connection, people must consider{#blank#}10{#/blank#} life long ago could be fantastic without today's overused technology.