① Could you get by without using the internet for four and a half years?That’s exactly what singer and actress Selena Gomez has done in a bid to improve her mental health.

② She has spoken extensively about the relationship between her social media usage and her mental wellbeing, recalling feeling like “an addict”when she became Instagram’s most followed user in 2016. “Taking a break from social media was the best decision that I’ve ever made for my mental health”, says she. “The unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down. ”

③ Ditching the web at large, however, is a far more subtle and complicated prospect. The increasing digitisation of our society means that everything from paying a gas bill to plotting a route to a friend’s house and even making a phone call is at the mercy of your internet connection.  Actively opting out of using the internet becomes a matter of privilege.

④ Ms Gomez’s multi-millionaire status has allowed her to take the“social”out of social media, so she can continue to leverage her enormous fame while keeping the trolls (恶意挑衅的帖子) at bay. The fact that she’s still the second most-followed woman on Instagram suggests it’s entirely possible to maintain a significant web profile to promote various projects — by way of a dedicated team — without being exposed to the cruel comments, hate mail and rape or death threats.

⑤ It goes without saying that this is fundamentally different from how the rest of us without beauty deals and films to publicise use the likes of Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, but even the concept of a digital detox ( 戒 瘾 ) requires having a device and connectivity to choose to disconnect from.

⑥ The UK’s digital divide has worsened over the past two years, leaving poorer families without broadband connections in their homes. Digital exclusion is a major threat to wider societal equality in the UK, so witnessing companies like Facebook championing the metaverse ( 元 宇 宙 ) as the next great frontier when school children are struggling to complete their homework feels particularly irritating

⑦ Consequently, it’s worth bearing in mind that while deleting all social media accounts will undoubtedly make some feel infinitely better, many other people benefit from the strong sense of community that sharing platforms can breed.

1. 1.What do we learn about singer and actress Selena Gomez in the past four and a half years?

A    She has had worsening mental problems.

B    She has won Instagram’s most followers.

C    She has refrained from using social media.

D    She has succeeded in a bid on the internet.

2. 2. Why does actively opting out of using the internet become a matter of privilege?

A    Most people find it subtle and complicated to give up using the internet.

B    Most people can hardly ditch the web while avoiding hate and comparisons.

C    Most people can hardly get by without the internet due to growing digitisation.

D    Most people have been seriously addicted to the web without being aware of it.

3. 3. Why does the author say “witnessing companies…feels particularly irritating” (Para. 6)?

A    The UK digital divide would further worsen due to the metaverse.

B    The concept of the metaverse is believed to be still quite illusory.

C    School children would be drawn farther away from the real world.

D    Most families in the UK do not have stable broadband connections.

4. 4. What is worth bearing in mind concerning social media platforms?

A    They are conducive to promoting societal equality.

B    They help many people feel connected with others.

C    They provide a necessary device for a digital detox.

D    They create a virtual community on the internet.

5. 5. What does the author think is really important for those living in digital exclusion?

A    Having access to the internet.

B    Edging further towards web 3. 0.

C    Getting more educational resources.

D    Opening more social media accounts.