Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 25 to 29. Fill in the appropriate word in question 27
Advances in mobile technology and social networking websites mean we spend more time online than ever before. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world by population (The Economist, 2010). It is (25) not surprising that so many psychologists, sociologists, and others are eager to give their thoughts on how this is impacting negatively on our society.
The biggest criticism levelled at social networking is that young people are losing their offline friends to online friends (26)are unable to provide the same deep connection and emotional support. However, a lot of research shows these criticisms are generally (27). Allen et al. (2010) discovered that it is socially adjusted adolescents who are more likely to have a networking profile than those who are not. One study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2009) found that people are not (28) offline friends with online companions but are using them to support their offline relationships. The study also found that social networks allow us to have discussions with a much more diverse set of people than in the real world, so we share knowledge with people from a wide (29) _________of backgrounds.
(Adapted from ''Skillful Reading & Writing 4''by Mike Boyle and Lindsay Warwick)