The impact of technology on language is a topic that often causes concern, with many assuming that it is simply ruining it. However, language experts resist such opinion, noting that there is little evidence to support the view that speech is getting worse. Gretchen McCulloch, in her book Because Internet, focuses on what can be learned about language from the Internet rather than talking about its negative effects.

McCulloch compares studying language online to growing bacteria (细菌) in a Petri dish (有盖培养皿), where trends emerge and disappear quickly. The influence of strong ties like friends or family versus weak ties on language change is analyzed, with computer simulations (模拟) revealing that having both strong and weak ties helps spread updates in a community.

The role of social media platforms in language change is also discussed. Twitter, with its mix of strong and weak ties, is shown to drive more language change than Facebook, which is controlled by stronger ties. Emoji is highlighted as a universal digital expression of gestures, not a language. Additionally, there is evidence that the use of Internet “innovations” such as “omg” dates back to pre-computer eras.

McCulloch’s book focuses on the birth of a new medium for language rather than a new type of language. The rise of mass writing on the Internet, characterized by frequent, error-filled, and short-lived communication, challenges traditional ideas about writing’s importance. McCulloch suggests future historians should see this as a return to more casual (随意的) language, paying more attention to the value of tools that improve social interaction online. The book argues against the idea that these changes might lead to the end of “real” writing, advocating for an appreciation of anything that enhances human connection and the enjoyment of each other’s company.

【小题1】Which of the following topics is NOT included in the book Because Internet?

A．How technologies ruin languages.

B．The new birth of a new medium for language.

C．The changes Twitter brings to people’s language.

D．What people can get about language on the Internet.

【小题2】What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The development of digital languages.

B．The influence of the social media platforms on language change.

C．The different functions of social media platforms.

D．The connection between humans and the Internet.

【小题3】What would McCulloch probably agree with according to the last paragraph?

A．Interpersonal bonds play a role in online communication.

B．Formal language is unlikely to improve social interaction.

C．The birth of new media has removed writing’s importance.

D．Mass writing may make traditional writing come to an end.

【小题4】Where can we probably read this passage?

A．In a poetry collection.	B．On a medical website.
C．In a travel guidebook.	D．In a newspaper.