“Every ‘like’ on social media releases a small amount of dopamine, a chemical linked to pleasure,” Dr. Marchetti explains. “This creates a loop. We feel bored or anxious, so we check our phone. The phone gives us a reward (a message, a notification), and the anxiety disappears. For a moment.”
At the intermediate level (B1), students have moved beyond basic decoding. They can read short, simple texts but struggle with nuance, inference, and complex sentence structures. reading comprehension for intermediate students
However, this digital comfort comes at a cost. Recent studies show that heavy smartphone users have more difficulty reading emotional cues on people’s faces. They also report higher levels of loneliness in real-life social settings. It seems that a thousand online friends cannot replace one real conversation. “Every ‘like’ on social media releases a small
| Genre | Example Source | Why it works | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Breaking News English (Level 4–5) | Real context, predictable structure (inverted pyramid). | | Product reviews | Amazon or CNET (edited) | Persuasive language, pros/cons lists. | | Infographics | Statista, Visual Capitalist | Combines visual literacy with text. | | Young Adult fiction | The Giver , Holes , Wonder | Narrative arc, character motivation, theme. | | Recipes & DIY guides | Allrecipes, WikiHow | Sequential order, imperative verbs. | Part 7: Printable Worksheet (One-Page PDF Layout) Title: Reading Comprehension: The Silent Conversation Level: Intermediate (B1) | Time: 30 minutes We feel bored or anxious, so we check our phone
