精品英语资料Unit 3　The world online (2).DOCVIP

Ⅰ.阅读理解

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(2024浙江二模)Inrecentyears,aggressiononsocialmediahasbecomecommonplace.Morethanhalfofthevictimssaidtheydidntknowtheidentityoftheperpetrator(作恶者).Mostpeopleagreedthattheanonymity(匿名)oftheInternetprovidescoverfornastyandharassing(骚扰)behaviour.

Doesthisgrowingaggressiononsocialmediagiveusaglimpseofourrealhumannature?Arewe—atourcore—aggressivebeasts?Itstruethathatecrimesareontherise,andpoliticaldivisionsappeartobegrowing.Thelevelofpublicbitterness—especiallyonline—issubstantial.ButIdontbelievethatsbecausesocialmediahasunlockedourcruelhumannature.

Asanevolutionaryanthropologist,Ihavespentyearsresearchingourtransformationasaspecies.Overthepasttwomillionyears,wehaveevolvedfromgroupsofapelikebeingsarmedwithsticksandstonestothecreatorsofcars,rockets,andnations.Ourbiggerbrainshaveallowedustobondandcooperateinmorecomplexanddiversewaysthananyotheranimals.Meanwhile,“youarewhomyoumeet.”Howweperceive,experience,andactintheworldisshapedbywhoandwhatsurroundusonadailybasis.Thisprocesshasdeepevolutionaryrootsandgiveshumanswhatwecallasharedreality.

Iwouldarguethattheriseinonlineaggressionisaproductofourevolutionarysocialskills,thesocialmediaboom,andthespecificpolitical,economicandsocialcontextwherewefindourselves.Thisexplosivecombinationhasopenedupaspaceforincreasinglymorepeopletofantheflamesofaggressionandinsultonline.Aggressivebehaviour—especiallytothoseyoudonthavetoconfrontface-to-face—iseasierthanitseverbeen.Andfortheaggressor,thereareoftennoconsequences.

Yes,itseemsthattheworldisgettingmoreaggressive,butthatsnotbecausewearemoreaggressiveatourcore.Itsbecausewehaventbeenstandingupagainstbullying,abuse,andaggressiveharassment,andpromotingpro-socialattitudesandactio