📖 Reading Passage

Read the following article carefully, then answer the questions below.

The Digital Detox Revolution

Sixteen-year-old Maya stared at her phone screen, the blue light casting an eerie glow across her tired face. It was 2:30 AM, and she had been scrolling through social media for the past three hours. Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Recent studies reveal that New Zealand teenagers spend an average of 7.5 hours daily on digital devices. This alarming statistic has sparked a growing movement amongst young people: the digital detox revolution.

"I felt like a zombie," explains 17-year-old Jake from Auckland. "My grades were slipping, I couldn't concentrate, and I was constantly anxious about missing out on something online." Jake decided to take drastic action – he deleted all social media apps from his phone for an entire month.

The results? "It was like waking up from a dream," Jake continues. "Suddenly, I noticed the world around me again. I started reading actual books, having real conversations with my family, and my sleep improved dramatically."

Dr Sarah Mitchell, a leading psychologist specialising in teenage behaviour, warns that excessive screen time can rewire developing brains. "The constant dopamine hits from likes, comments, and notifications create an addiction-like cycle," she explains. "Young people need to reclaim control before it's too late."

But is complete digital abstinence realistic in today's world? Perhaps not. Instead, experts recommend a balanced approach: designated phone-free zones, regular digital sabbaths, and mindful consumption of online content.

The choice is yours. Will you continue to be controlled by your devices, or will you join the digital detox revolution and take back control of your life?

🎯 Part 1: Main Idea and Purpose

1. What is the main idea of this article?

Social media is completely harmful and should be banned

Teenagers are spending too much time on devices and digital detoxing can help

Jake from Auckland is a good role model for all teenagers

Dr Sarah Mitchell is an expert on teenage behaviour

2. What is the primary purpose of this article?

To entertain readers with funny stories about teenagers

To inform and persuade teenagers to consider reducing their screen time

To advertise digital detox programmes

To criticise parents for allowing too much screen time

👥 Part 2: Audience

3. Who is the intended audience for this article? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

4. How does the writer connect with this audience? Choose all techniques that apply:

Using examples of teenagers like Maya and Jake

Including statistics relevant to New Zealand

Using complex scientific language

Asking direct questions to the reader

Using relatable scenarios (like scrolling at 2:30 AM)

🔍 Part 3: Inference Skills

5. What can you infer about Maya's mental and physical state from the opening paragraph?

6. The article states that Jake "felt like a zombie." What does this metaphor suggest about his condition?

He was physically ill and needed medical attention

He was living without really being aware or engaged with life

He enjoyed horror movies and wanted to be scary

He was sleepy and needed more rest

7. What can you infer about the writer's attitude towards complete digital abstinence? Use evidence from the text.

✨ Part 4: Language Features and Effects

8. Analyse the effect of the rhetorical question "Sound familiar?" in the first paragraph.

9. The writer describes the phone's light as casting an "eerie glow." What effect does this word choice create?

It makes technology seem magical and wonderful

It creates a sinister, unsettling atmosphere around phone use

It suggests the phone is broken or malfunctioning

It shows that Maya needs better lighting in her room

10. Identify and explain the effect of ONE other language feature used in the article (e.g., statistics, expert opinion, direct speech, metaphor, emotive language).

Language feature: _________________________

Example from text: _________________________

11. The final paragraph asks: "Will you continue to be controlled by your devices, or will you join the digital detox revolution and take back control of your life?" What is the effect of ending with this question?