Intermediate Students: Reading Comprehension For

We check our phones an average of 96 times per day. That’s once every ten minutes. But what are we really looking for? According to Dr. Elena Marchetti, a psychologist at Milan University, we aren’t just seeking information. We are seeking a silent, constant connection.

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. We check our phones an average of 96 times per day

“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.” According to Dr

Skim the text. Circle 5 words you don’t know. Try to guess their meaning from context. Part B (10 min): Answer questions 1–6 on a separate sheet. Part C (10 min): Discuss with a partner: Is Dr. Marchetti’s advice realistic? What would you change? Part D (5 min): Write one sentence summarizing the text in your own words.