She opens her phone for a minute and stays for twenty. A classmate has won a scholarship, a cousin is glowing in holiday photos, and someone...
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She opens her phone for a minute and stays for twenty. A classmate has won a scholarship, a cousin is glowing in holiday photos, and someone her age is already speaking about “building a personal brand.” Nothing terrible has happened, yet her own evening suddenly feels smaller, dimmer, as if ordinary life were a room with the curtains half drawn. That is how the social comparison trap often works. It does not always wound with open cruelty. More often, it whispers that everyone else is moving faster, shining brighter, and arriving sooner. Yet comparison itself is not the villain. Psychology Today explains that people often judge their own worth by measuring themselves against others, and this habit can sometimes be useful. It may help someone set goals, test progress, or imagine a larger future. Seen in that light, comparison is a mirror, not a knife. It can sharpen ambition when handled calmly. Trouble begins when the mirror stops reflecting reality and starts bending it. Online, that bending happens with quiet efficiency. Social networks, as Psychology Today notes, can stir shame and envy, especially when people are surrounded by polished fragments of other lives. A promotion appears without the years of anxiety behind it. A perfect face arrives without the lighting, filters, or doubt. What should have been a passing glance becomes a private trial, with the self forever in the dock. Little by little, a person may stop asking, “What do I value?” and start asking only, “Why am I behind?” Still, not every comparison must end in despair. Sometimes another person’s success can be read not as a verdict, but as information. The real trap lies in comparing your inner weather to someone else’s edited skyline. Once that imbalance is noticed, the spell weakens. Then the question changes. Not “Who is ahead of me?” but “What kind of life is worth building, even when no one is watching?” That question is quieter, but it tends to tell the truth. [Adapted from Psychology Today] Question 23. The word “dimmer” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________. A. less peaceful B. less impressive C. less exciting D. less private Question 24. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the first paragraph as a trigger for the girl's feeling? A. A relative’s cheerful appearance in photos. B. A peer’s achievement in academic funding. C. A stranger’s advice on career development. D. A contemporary’s talk about personal image. Question 25. The word “It” in paragraph 2 refers to __________. A. habit B. future C. the mirror D. comparison Question 26. The word “despair” in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________. A. confidence B. comfort C. optimism D. calmness Question 27. Which of the following can be inferred about the "bending of reality" on social networks in paragraph 3? A. It is a loud and obvious process that most users can easily avoid. B. It involves hiding the struggles behind a person's visible success. C. It primarily focuses on changing the physical appearance of users. D. It encourages people to ask deeper questions about their own values. Question 28. Which of the following best paraphrases the sentence in paragraph 4? A. People often fail because they focus on the weather instead of their career goals. B. You will feel trapped if you try to change your internal feelings to match a beautiful view. C. The danger comes from judging your private struggles against others' idealized public images. D. Comparing different lifestyles is a mistake because everyone has their own version of truth. Question 29. In which paragraph does the writer mainly describe how online content can turn comparison into self-judgment? A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4 Question 30. In which paragraph does the author discuss the potential benefits of comparing oneself with others? A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4 |