The economy may be troubled, but one area is thriving: social media. They begin with Facebook and extend through a dizzying array of companies that barely existed five years ago: Twitter, LinkedIn, Groupon, Yammer — and the list goes on. These companies are mostly private, but have attracted the ardent attention of Wall Street and investors, with Facebook now worth purportedly US$75 billion and Groupon valued at close to US$25 billion. There can be little doubt that these companies enrich their founders as well as some investors. But do they add anything to overall economic activity? While jobs in social media are growing fast, there were only about 21,000 listings last spring, a tiny fraction of the 150 million-member U.S. workforce. So do social-media tools enhance productivity or help us bridge the wealth divide? Or are they simply entertaining socially, and diverting us when it comes to national economic health? The answers are vital, because billions of dollars in investment capital are being spent on these ventures, and if we are to have a productive future economy, that capital needs to grow the economic pie — and not just among the elite of Silicon Valley and Wall Street. The problem is that these tools are so new that it is extremely difficult to answer the questions definitively. Flash back nearly 20 years and the same question was being asked about the first Internet wave. Were Netscape and the Web enhancing our economy, or were people just spending more time at work checking out ESPN.com? Official statistics weren’t designed to capture the benefits, and didn’t capture them until statistics experts at the Federal Reserve, urged on by Alan Greenspan, refined the way they measured productivity. As a result of these somewhat controversial innovations, the late 1990s became a period of substantial technology-driven gains. It is possible that the same gap exists today, that social-media tools are indeed laying the groundwork for new industries and jobs, but aren’t yet registering on the statistical radar. Many companies believe social media make them more competitive. Ford and Zappos, for instance, use Twitter to market their products and address consumer complaints. One big question is what proportion of that benefit will be captured economically by consumers vs. corporations. Sure, social media allow people to compare prices and quality and assess which companies are good to work for and where jobs might be. They also may enhance education and idea sharing, but the caveat is that the people who use these tools are the ones with higher education and income to spend on technology, not the tens of millions whose position in today’s world has eroded so sharply. According to a recent Pew Foundation study, only 45 percent of adults making less than US$30,000 have access to broadband, which is an essential component of using content-rich social media effectively. And that is the rub. Like so many things these days, social media contribute to economic bifurcation. Dynamic companies are benefiting from these tools, even if the gains are tough to nail down in specific figures. Many individuals are benefiting too, using LinkedIn to find jobs and Groupon to find deals. But now, the irony is that social media widen the social divide, making it even harder for the have-nots to navigate. They allow those with jobs to do them more effectively and companies that are profiting to profit more. But so far, they have done little to aid those who are being left behind. They are, in short, business as usual.

Which of the following statements about social-media companies is NOT true?

A．Most of them are private.

B．Their value is increasing fast.

C．They are receiving huge sums of investment.

D．They contribute greatly to the labor market.

It is critical to know social media’s contribution to national economic health in that______.

A．it makes Silicon Valley more competitive

B．investors from the Wall Street need to know it

C．it is crucial for the future economy of the U.S.

D．it guarantees the benefits of social-media founders

The phrase “the same gap“ underlined in Paragraph 5 refers to______.

A．the existence of social media and the registration of statistical radar

B．the establishment of new companies and the measurement of productivity

C．substantial economic gains and the development of new technologies

D．economic benefits from social media and lack of official statistics

Ford and Zappos are cited as examples to show that______.

A．Twitter is the best social-media tool for companies

B．social media have changed the way the younger generations communicate

C．companies can get economic benefits by using social-media tools

D．big companies are playing a leading role in using social-media tools

The advantage of social media is that it helps______.

A．people get career opportunities and incomes

B．consumers buy their own goods

C．people consciously manage information about their self-image

D．social-media platforms improve students’ education

It can be inferred from the passage that______.

A．social media help create services that turn into jobs, growth, and prosperity

B．many corporations make it possible for employees to communicate across divisions and regions

C．social media are viewed as today’s version of the telephone

D．social media do only marginal good to national economic health

Which of the following titles is proper for the passage?

A．Can Social Media Help the Economy?

B．Do Social Media Benefit Most Big Companies?

C．Do Social Media Tools Influence Cultural Values?

D．Who Could Become the Next Twitter?

In significant parts of Eurasia, the middle centuries of the first millennium______a significant transition in human cultural history. define mark identify specify

It can sometimes feel like the world is very noisy — from planes arching loudly through the sky to the______buzz of your cellphone. unavailing unassuming unconvincing unceasing

Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia are most at risk from bat viruses______humans and causing new diseases that could lead to deadly outbreaks. vaulting bouncing attacking hurdling

Poland is somewhat a new destination for Chinese tourists, and Warsaw, the capital city, is an important business center with______night life and elegant dining. sophisticated sluggish sloppy solitary

In this new world the most dangerous conflicts will not be between social classes or other economically defined groups, but between peoples belonging to different cultural______. parts components entities sects

Certain religious and political groups felt novels had the power to make immoral characters so interesting that younger readers would______with them easily. agree comply identify differentiate

The mayor is ideologically consistent. His long-term commitment to education reform, for example, is not a sign of fickleness. coolness carefulness calmness capriciousness

Under the attack of its enemies from all sides, the empire was about to crumble. disintegrate disembark disgrace disengage

Despite her relaxed style, Ms. Flagen is a canny businesswoman who knows how to aggressively market her brand. thrifty shrewd cunning amicable

The problem of avoiding duplicate names, such as for E-mail accounts, is particularly acute when only a finite number of possibilities are allowed. solemn stern stiff severe

The environmentalists’ warning against the blatant pursuit of industrialization without caution seems especially prescient. precarious superficial foresighted mysterious

Britain is attractive to worldwide advertisers because it is a homogenous market, so there is no need to tailor advertisements to different parts of the country. global local foreign uniform

A discovery in New Jersey actually contributed to the early economic development of the U.S. and, in 1714 a worker uncovered a green rock containing copper. when, in 1714, thus, in 1714, it was in 1714 till in 1714

A study found that the environmental costs of producing and recycling paper cups were as high as, if not higher than, to produce and recycle polystyrene cups. those of producing and recycling that of producing and recycling which produced and recycled that produced and recycled

Blue lights flashing and siren blaring, the police car sped through the busy intersection. Blue lights flashed and siren blared To flash blue lights and blare siren With blue lights and siren flashing and blaring With blue lights flashing and siren blaring

Linguistic research often requires a period of fieldwork where the linguist can study and record the spoken dialects of a region. through which during which with which by which

Veterans of World War II received greater support from the general public than later wars. than did than what did than did those of than of those

Volunteering on political campaigns can help students become a more attractive candidate for jobs in government. become more attractive candidates become a candidate more attractive becoming candidates more attractive becoming a candidate more attractive

About 75 percent of all cadmium is used for cadmium plating of metals are easily corroded such as iron and steel. metals easily corroded corroded metals easily corroded easily metals easily corroded metals

Most fishes and many reptiles have ribs along most of the spine, but in mammals finding them only in the chest area. they find which they find they are found which they are found