英語趣味課堂：尋找平衡-Finding the Balance

Katia: I'm doubting, I'm doubting if the whole Facebook and Twitter, if that's actually good. It seems like generations now are spending so much time in computers and virtually but not really doing outside activities so I wonder if there should be a change and perhaps not allow it so easily or be or have more restrictions on it.

Alex: That would have to be something with children, right? Like if children or younger generations are spending more time on Facebook or on social media online than spending time with their real friends outside playing or doing stuff in the park or going to special classes or something. I don't know. I don't have brothers or children or anyone that I could talk about but I don't know. What do you think?

Katia: I would be worried if I had children and they were into all these social media things that it's hard to keep up even for me and even for us. I feel that, you know, some people that we don't know might be spying on us; we're just open.

Alex: Yeah, that's another case. That's another thing like it's very easy for somebody to find out about you and what you do or who your friends are. That specifically, that's a difficult topic in a country like Mexico or some Latin American places where it could be that, criminality is higher and you know you don't want to disclose information to other people, even non specifically a country but in a place.

Katia: That is true. I would really, I don't know, it seems like my doubts are increasing about social media and what it's actually doing to us and what it will do to our generations so I really wonder how much or how should we handle it? I really don't know. Also phone texting, it's been used so much that we don't talk on the phone any more or we don't even talk person to person. We just text message.

Alex: That's right, that's right. I've noticed that especially in younger generations. They are so into texting. They text so fast. I cannot do that. Like to me it's way easier just to grab the phone and call someone, get the thing done, that's it. But texting takes so long but there are so many people into it especially younger kids.

Katia: Yeah, so I wonder what it actually does to our communication skills. I am sure they have to change.

Alex: Well it evolves differently.

Katia: Yeah.

重點詞匯：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

doubting

I'm doubting if the whole Facebook and Twitter thing is actually good.

If you don't believe that something is the way that people say it is, you are 'doubting' what they say. Notice the following:

I doubt that a lot of these products actually work like they say they do.

I think he is doubting my story a little.

keep up

...into all these social media things that it's hard to keep up even for me.

In this case, 'keep up' refers to maintaining something and keeping it up to date. Notice the following:

It's expensive to keep up with all the fashion trends.

It can be really difficult to keep up with emails if you don't have internet at your house.

spying

I feel that some people that we don't know might be spying on us.

If you 'spy' on someone, it means that you watch that person without them knowing that you are watching. Notice the following:

The bird didn't even notice that the cat was spying on him.

How do you know all of that about me? Have you been spying?

disclose

You don't want to disclose information to other people.

If you give someone information, you are 'disclosing' it. Notice the following:

He disclosed a few things to you that I didn't want him to tell.

It isn't necessary for you to disclose that information to us.

evolves

Well, it evolves differently.

When something 'evolves,' it changes over time. Notice the following:

A story evolves a little every time that someone tells it.

The goals of this company have really evolved since it was founded 20 years ago.