核心词汇 (Target Vocabulary)

学习 7B 现代数字社交与群体行为核心词汇，点击语音按钮可听纯正美音发音，掌握核心释义与真题例句。

aggression [əˈɡreʃn] n.
Spoken or physical behavior that is threatening, hostile, or attacking.
侵犯；敌对行为；攻击性
"The shield of digital anonymity seems to escalate uninhibited online aggression."
collaborate [kəˈlæbəreɪt] v.
To work jointly with someone else for a special purpose.
合作；协作
"Online communities enable global volunteers to collaborate on massive open-source projects."
confront [kənˈfrʌnt] v.
To face, meet, or deal directly with a difficult situation or person.
面对；正视；对抗
"Many social media users hesitate to confront aggressive cyberbullies directly in comment threads."
contemporary [kənˈtemprəri] adj.
Existing or happening in the present time; modern.
当代的；现代的
"Contemporary digital discourse is frequently polarized by hyper-partisan algorithms."
division [dɪˈvɪʒn] n.
A situation in which people disagree strongly with each other, separating them into factions.
分歧；分裂；隔阂
"Online anonymity deepens social division by encouraging tribes to vilify outsiders."
harassment [ˈhærəsmənt] n.
Behavior that annoys, threatens, or upsets someone persistently.
骚扰；折磨
"Social media platforms face escalating regulatory pressure to stamp out targeted harassment."
humanity [hjuːˈmænəti] n.
The condition of being human; kindness and compassion toward all people.
人类；人性；仁慈
"In toxic online disputes, participants often strip opponents of their basic humanity."
insult [ɪnˈsʌlt] v./n.
To say or do something that is rude, offensive, or hurtful.
侮辱；羞辱
"Trolls frequently lob vicious personal insults from behind untraceable pseudonyms."
pressure [ˈpreʃə] n.
The act of trying to force or persuade someone to do something.
压力；强迫
"Advertisers placed intense commercial pressure on social media networks to moderate hate speech."
substantial [səbˈstænʃl] adj.
Large in size, value, or importance; considerable.
大量的；实质的；重大的
"A substantial portion of surveyed users reported witnessing digital toxicity on a daily basis."
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Our Online Behavior

我们的网络群体行为：匿名掩护下的攻击性滋生与数字同理心重建

Paragraph A
Researcher and author Agustin Fuentes examines whether the rise in social media is really to blame for our hostility online. In recent years, the internet has become a particularly volatile place. Aggression on social media is now commonplace. In a 2017 study of 4,000 people by the Pew Research Center, 4 out of 10 said they'd experienced harassment online. More than half of the victims said they did not know the identity of the perpetrator. Most people agreed that the anonymity of the internet provides cover for nasty and harassing behavior. Does this growing aggression on social media give us a glimpse of our real human nature? Are we at our core, belligerent beasts? It's true that hate crimes are on the rise and political divisions appear to be growing.
Paragraph B
The level of public bitterness, especially online, is substantial. But I don't believe that's because social media has unlocked our cruel human nature. As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have spent years researching and writing about our transformation as a species. Over the past 2 million years, we have evolved from groups of ape-like beings armed with sticks and stones to the creators of cars, rockets, great works of art, nations, and global economic systems. How did we do this? Our brains got bigger and our capacity for cooperation exploded. We are wired to collaborate to create diverse social relationships and to solve problems together. This is the inheritance that everyone in the 21st century carries. I would argue that the rise in online aggression is a product of our evolutionary social skills, the social media boom, and the specific political and economic context in which we find ourselves.
Paragraph C
This explosive combination has opened up a space for more and more people to fan the flames of aggression and insult online. We've all heard the expression you are what you eat, but when it comes to our behavior, a more appropriate expression may be you are whom you meet. How we perceive experience and act in the world is shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis. This includes our families, communities, institutions, beliefs, and role models. These sources of influence affect our neurobiology in subtle ways. How we perceive the world is related to the patterns of people and places that we see is most connected to us. This process has deep evolutionary roots and gives humans what we call a shared reality. The connection between minds and experiences enables us to share space and work together effectively more so than most other beings. But the whom in the expression whom we meet has been changing.
Paragraph D
We may receive more information now from online sources than from physical social experiences. We may hear more announcements from 24-hour news outlets than from conversations with other humans. The ways we socially interact, especially on social media, are increasing at a time when we are more and more divided both socially and economically. What may be the results of this? Historically, we have maintained harmony by displaying compassion and friendship and by developing connectedness when we get together. On social media, the anonymity and lack of face-to-face interaction remove a crucial part of the equation of human society. This opens the door to more frequent and severe displays of aggression. Aggressive behavior, especially to those you don't have to confront face-to-face, is easier than it's ever been.
Paragraph E
And for the aggressor, there are often no consequences. Humans are evolutionarily successful because our big brains have allowed us to bond and cooperate in more complex ways than any other animal. The capacity to observe how the world operates to imagine how it might improve and to turn that vision into reality is a key aspect of our humanity. And they're lies the solution to the problem. We are equipped with the skill set to call aggression and to encourage cohesion. For thousands of years, people have acted collectively to punish and shame aggressive anti-social actions such as bullying or abuse. On social media, where the aggressor is remote and anonymous, even the best intentioned individual challenge may turn into a shouting match. But confronting the bully with a group action, a reasoned communal response, rather than a solo gesture, can be more effective at shutting down aggression.
Paragraph F
Look at the public pressures placed on media corporations to monitor hate speech and fake news online, for instance. These are examples of how humans can collaborate to encourage what's positive and discourage what's negative. Yes, it seems that the world is getting more aggressive, but that's not because we are more aggressive at our core. It's because we haven't been stepping up together to do the difficult social work our contemporary world demands. That means standing up against bullying, abuse and aggressive harassment and promoting pro social attitudes and actions. In person and on social media, we must do both. How do people respond to online aggression? When the Pew Research Center asked people how they handled their most recent exposure to online harassment, most said they ignored it.
Paragraph G
However, 39% said they made some sort of response. Here are the top responses ranked by frequency. One, confronted the person online. Two, unfriended, blocked the person. Three, reported the person responsible to the website. Four, confronted the person face-to-face or via text, phone call. Five, discussed the problem online. Six, changed username, deleted profile.

课文配套练习 (Reading Exercises)

严格对应教材 Page 123–128 官方练习：Before You Read、Reading Comprehension 及网络攻击性成因分析。

1.
Main Idea (p.127) What is the central question investigated in Reading 7B?
2.
Detail (Para C, p.127) According to anthropologist Agustín Fuentes, how does digital interaction differ from face-to-face contact?
3.
Inference (Para E, p.127) What effect does perceived anonymity have on online behavior?
4.
Detail (p.127) How do social media recommendation algorithms contribute to online division?
5.
Main Idea (Para G, p.127) What proactive measure can internet communities take to foster pro-social culture?
6.
Detail (p.127) Which factor fuels digital aggression?
7.
Detail (p.127) What human trait allows us to bridge division when cultivated?

Critical Thinking · De-escalating Cyber Hostility
When witnessing online harassment or toxic arguments, what constructive actions can we take?
• Privately support the targeted user
• Report abusive accounts to site moderators
• Avoid fueling rage-bait cycles