放下手机就可积分换奖励
App to reward non-use of phone

你是不是总是低着头看手机？你是不是已经不知不觉地变成了“smombie 手机僵尸”？智能手机给现代人的生活带来了巨大的便利，但同时也成为了一个严重转移人们注意力的事物。一个三人程序开发小组称他们编写了一个能让现代人“放下手机”的程序。跟随本集《随身英语》，来了解这个只要你放下手机，就可以让你积分换奖励的手机程序。

课文内容

Vocabulary: attention and distraction 词汇：注意力和分散注意力的东西

We’re all probably guilty of using our phones a little too often. With the rise of the mobile phone, and later the smartphone, access to communication and information has never been so convenient or temptingOf course, there are those who only pay it any attention when it goes off or sends them an alert. But there are many who find that their phone is a constant distraction.

There's been an abundance of articles recently relating to mobile phone addiction or diversion. In the UK, looking at a mobile phone rather than focussing on the road has been made illegal. Having your attention diverted from driving by a phone carries a stiff penalty. It’s also no coincidence that the word ‘smombie’ has been coined. The word is made up of two: smartphone zombie, and it describes those people who walk around totally captivated by their phone completely unaware of their surroundings.

Smartphone disruption is an issue in schools too. A study by the University of Texas has suggested that just having a smartphone within eyeshot can reduce productivity, slow down response speed and reduce grades, as the eyes of the students keep being drawn away from their work. A second, related study by the London School of Economics has found that students who did not use their smartphones on school grounds saw an increase of 6.4% in test scores.

This issue of productivity and the degree to which smartphones engross young people caused three students from Copenhagen Business school to develop an app to attempt to help combat smartphone fascination. The app, called ‘Hold’, rewards students for time they spend not using the device. For every 20 minutes that a phone is not used between the hours of seven in the morning and 11 at night, its user will accumulate 10 points.

These points can be exchanged for a number of goods and services on the app’s marketplace, with brands such as Caffè Nero, Vue cinemas and Amazon signing up. For example, to earn two free coffees, students will need 300 points. This is the equivalent of 10 hours on the app.

The app has already become the centre of attention in Scandinavia, with more than 120,000 users across Norway, Denmark and Sweden. And soon it will be launched in 170 universities in the UK too.

Could the era of people zoning out on reality and only tuning in to their phones be over? As more and more pay heed, it’s certainly possible. And how else are you likely to be rewarded for not paying attention?

词汇表

tempting 吸引人的，诱人的
pay attention 关注（某事）
distraction 分散注意力的东西，分心的事
diversion 转移注意力的事物
focus 集中注意力（做某事）
have your attention diverted 注意力被分散
captivated 被完全吸引住了
unaware 浑然不知的
disruption 扰乱，影响
(eyes drawn away) draw sb’s eyes 吸引注意力
engross 使全神贯注
fascination 着迷
centre of attention 关注的中心
zone out 精神不集中，走神
tune in 集中注意力
pay heed 关注，注意

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What has happened as a result of the rise of the mobile and smartphone?

2. What does the word ‘smombie’ mean?

3. How much did test scores increase by when smartphones were not used on school grounds?

4. What does the app Hold do?

5. How many people in Scandinavia use Hold?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. John would be an excellent student if he would focus more. But he’s just so prone to ______. 

tempting       focus       drawn       distraction

2. There’s nothing like a TV for entertaining children! Just switch it on and they’re ______ for hours!

distraction       disrupted       zoning out       engrossed

3. Samantha will make a good actor. She’s always trying to be the ______.

diversion       fascination       centre of attention       temptation

4. I can’t talk to him if the football’s on. He just sits down and ______, and doesn’t listen to a word I say.

tunes on       zones out       pays heed       drawns

5. As he walked into the dark alley, he was completely ______ of the thief behind him.

captivated       engrossed       unaware       tempted

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What has happened as a result of the rise of the mobile and smartphone?
With the rise of the mobile phone, and later the smartphone, access to communication and information has never been so convenient or tempting.

2. What does the word ‘smombie’ mean?
It means smartphone zombie and describes those people who walk around totally captivated by their phone completely unaware of their surroundings. 

3. How much did test scores increase by when smartphones were not used on school grounds?
Students who did not use their smartphones on school grounds saw an increase of 6.4% in test scores.

4. What does the app Hold do?
It rewards students for time they spend not using the device. Every 20 minutes that a phone is not used will accumulate its user 10 points.

5. How many people in Scandinavia use Hold?
It has more than 120,000 users across Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. John would be an excellent student if he would focus more. But he’s just so prone to distraction.

2. There’s nothing like a TV for entertaining children! Just switch it on and they’re engrossed for hours.

3. Samantha will make a good actor. She’s always trying to be the centre of attention.

4. I can’t talk to him if the football’s on. He just sits down and zones out and doesn’t listen to a word I say.

5. As he walked into the dark alley, he was completely unaware of the thief behind him.