请阅读 Passage1, 完成第21~25小题。
Passage 1
“The age of melancholy" is how psychologist Daniel Goleman describes our age. People today experience more depression than previous generations, despite the technological wonders that help us every day. It might be because of them.
Our lifestyles are increasingly driven by technology. Phones, computers and the Internet pervade our days. There is a constant, nagging need to check for texts and emails. to update Facebook, MySpace and Linked in profiles, to acquire the latest notebook or cellphone.
Are we being served by these technological wonders or have we become enslaved by them?l study the psychology of technology, and it seems to me that we are sleepwalking into a world where technology is severely affecting our well- being. Technology can be hugely useful in the fast lane of modern living, but we need to stop it from taking over.
For many of us, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the impulse to check our inbox yet again or see whether the neailresarv in a similar since we last looked. Our children are in a similar date on Facebook. In many homes, the computer has become the centre of attention; it is the meanum through which we work and play.
How did this arise, and what is it doing to us? In this era of mass consumption, we are surrounded by advertising that urges us to find a fultillment through the acquisition of material goods. As a result, adults and children increasingly believe that in order to belong and feel good about themselves, they must own the lasted model or gadget. Yet research by psychologist Tim Kasser of Knox college in Galesburg, linols, nas tnral aoals areple who place a high value on material goals are unhappier than those who are less materialistic. Materialism is also associated with lower self-esteem, greater narcissism, greater tendency to compare oneself unfavorably with other people, less empathy and more conflict in relationships. our culture also constantly reminds us that time is money. This implies a need for total efficiency, which is why we are allowing laptop computers and mobile phones to blur the separation between work and home. As one unhappy human-resource manager in a high-tech company put it: "They gave me a mobile phone so they can own me 24hours a day, and a portable computer, so my office is now with me all the time-I cannot break out of this pressure. " "Sound familiar?
Psychologists generally believe that the lack of a clear separation between work and home significantly damages our relationships with loved ones. It also predispose us to focus on the here and now at the expense of long-term goals. By imposing these twin pressures, modern society is in danger of swapping standard of living for quality of life. We need ways to help recover those increasingly large parts of our lives that we have ceded to technology, to regain mastery over technology and learn to use it in a healthy and positive way.
What does Daniel Goleman attempt to illustrate by calling the era "the age of melancholy” in Paragraph 1?
