Texting While Walking Is Dangerous. Here’s How to Stop..docx

You’re walking around and a thought occurs: “I should check my phone.” The phone comes out of your pocket. You type a message. Then your eyes remain glued to the screen, even when you walk across the street.‎ We all do this kind of distracted walking, or “twalking.” The behavior has caused debates among lawmakers about whether walking and texting should be illegal. Some cities have gone beyond talk and banned distracted walking altogether. But we shouldn’t let that comfort us. Last year, pedestrian deaths in the United States were at their highest point since 1990, with distracted drivers and bigger vehicles the chief cause. So being focused on a screen while walking can’t be safe.‎ l Why We Text and Walk People are, by nature, information-seeking creatures. When we regularly check our phones, we are snacking on information from devices that offer an all-you-can-eat buffet（自助餐）of information. Our information-seeking tendencies evolved from the behavior of animals seeking for food for survival. Studies have shown that our brains feel rewarded when we receive information, which drives us to seek more. That’s similar to how our appetites feel satisfied after we eat.‎ At what point is this considered addiction? Not all constant phone use was considered addictive. External pressure, like a demanding job, could force people to frequently check their phones. But when people check their devices just to enhance their mood, this could be a sign of a developing problem. Another signal of addictive behavior is becoming preoccupied with smartphone use when you should be doing something else. An even clearer indicator is what happens when the phone is taken away. There needed to be a broad public awareness campaign over the dangers of walking and texting in parallel with distracted driving.‎ l How to Take Control Obviously, the answer to not getting into dangerous situations by walking and texting is not to walk and text at the same time. But that’s easier said than done, since people have trouble controlling their tech use. So several experts recommended exercises in self-control. People could practice being more mindful by asking themselves any of these questions like “Is this the most important thing for me to be doing right now?”‎ Reducing access to the device can also be helpful. You could carry your phone in your bag instead of your pocket, making it more troublesome to pull out, for example. When you have to check their phones, you should stop walking and stand in a safe place. You also could switch off notifications for all apps except those that are most important to you, like work-related apps.‎ 1. What does the underlined word in Para 2 mean?‎ A. talking while walking ‎ B. texting while walking C. telephoning while walking D. tweeting while walking 2. Which of the following might be considered forms of mobile phone addiction?‎ ① Constantly checking your phone due to your job demands.‎ ② being absorbed in playing with your mobile.‎ ③ Not constantly thinking of your phone when it is taken away.‎ ① Checking your phone just to enhance your mood.‎ A. ‎①③ B. ①④ C.②③ D.②④‎ 1. Which of the following statements is NOT true about distracted walking?‎ A. Distracted walking is determined by nature and therefore people can do little about it.‎ B. A few cities in the Us have officially prohibited people from engaging in distracted walking.‎ C. A broad public awareness campaign over the dangers of distracted walking has not yet been launched.‎ D. Studies show that our understanding of the dangers involved in distracted walking are still very limited, and thus more research is required.‎ 2. It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.‎ A. distracted walking is not as dangerous as distracted driving B. distracted walking should be responsible for the majority of pedestrian death in the US C. switching off notifications for all apps is the most effective way to prevent distracted walking D.