A study shows that new technology is reducing children’s ability 【小题1】 (use) a pencil or pen. The study is from the National Health Service in the UK. Researchers said that nowadays, children spend so much time swiping iPads or mobile phone screens 【小题2】 they cannot hold a pencil properly. Children are not using 【小题3】 (pencil), so they now lack the muscle 【小题4】 (strong) in their hands to be able to write 【小题5】 (proper). Researcher Dr Sally Payne said: “Children are not coming into school with the strong hand and the ability they 【小题6】 (have) 10 years ago. Children 【小题7】 (come) into school are being given a pencil but are increasingly not able to hold it because they don’t have the fundamental (基本的) movement skills.”

The researchers said technology is changing the physical way that children write, draw or make things. Dr Payne explained why. She said: “It’s 【小题8】 (easy) to give a child an iPad than encourage them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks, cutting and sticking, or pulling toys and ropes. One expert said 【小题9】 a child isn’t strong enough to hold a pencil, perhaps their whole body is weak. She said it was better for children’s physical development to climb trees 【小题10】 to watch YouTube videos.