We live in a time when technology has enabled everyone to be a journalist. Yet not everyone has the proper training. Whether out of ignorance or out of a sense of honor, some of the journalism online has done a better job of changing public opinion than showing the whole truth.
Two recent stories are perfect reminders of the difference between the urge to change minds and basic journalism ethics(道德标准).
“A college kid took some birds from a nearby tree and was sentenced to 10 years in prison,” went a recent online headline from the Chinese Internet. The accompanying vote showed that 85 percent of respondents sided with the student. Some joked that most boys would be guilty of such a crime because everyone had stolen birds when they were children.
Left out of the original report was the fact that the birds in question were falcons, which are on the nation’s list of protected, endangered species. Birdwatchers also said that it was unlikely Yan Xiaotian, the 21-year-old defendant, had found the 12 birds in one tree. For this particular species, he had to search a much larger area.
For me, the most important questions are: Did he know it was illegal before he took the birds and did he know that before he sold them?
Follow-up reporting has found that the evidence showed that Yan knew what he was doing. The only point of uncertainty is the very first time he took the first birds when he could be unaware of their status and value. As a matter of fact, the prosecutor(公诉人) started out asking for a light punishment, but took a U-turn when data from Yan’s cellphone clearly showed that he had stolen them.
The punishment, while sounding harsh, followed the law almost to the letter. The court has since said it would review the case, a sign of giving in to public pressure.
Let’s look at the second story, which can be read as either “Elderly man had to walk in his shorts for hours in Sanya after his bike was taken by the city’s quasi-police”(城管) or “Retired official illegally parked his bike for a swim and made the city apologize and fire a low-paid city management staff member”.
Both played up(渲染) different parts of the same story. For me, Bi Guochang’s age and former official title are not relevant to the case. The key is whether he indeed parked his bike illegally and whether proper procedures were being followed by taking it away and making him get it back. Yet the reports focused on the image of an old man walking only in his shorts. He could have phoned his family for backup or taken a taxi home first before complaining, as most would do in that situation.
Such stories read like badly-written morality tales, with everything in black and white and a simple yes-or-no message. Real life is much more complicated. Reporters have to be neutral and avoid taking sides too early.
China Daily
1.Why was Yan Xiaotian sentenced to 10 years in prison?
A. He took some birds from a nearby tree.
B. He searched a much larger area for birds.
C. He illegally took some falcons and sold them.
D. He took 12 birds without knowing they were falcons.
2.According to the passage, the writer implied that ________.
A. the judges should still follow the law strictly
B. the punishment was too much for the student
C. the student didn’t get fair treatment from the judges
D. the court will resentence the student
3.The writer mentioned the second story to show that ________.
A. the reports focused on the appearance of Bi Guochang rather than the truth
B. the journalists expressed their sympathy for the elderly person
C. the local officers didn’t follow proper procedures when they dealt with Bi’s case
D. the city’s quasi-police were to blame for Bi’s troubles
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Two morality stories
B. How to be a journalist
C. Unfair punishment
D. Telling truth or taking sides
The Coolest Inventions
An Oceans Vacuum
There’s a collection of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s bigger than Texas and growing. The way to clean it up now is to catch it with nets. That is both costly and slow. Instead, the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes a 62-mile-long floating barrier that would use natural currents to trap trash. If next year’s trials succeed, a full cleanup operation would aim to start in 2020. It could reduce the trash by 42% over 10 years.
Easy-On Shoes
In 2012, Matthew Walzer, a high school student with a disability, sent a note to Nike. “My dream is to go to college,” he wrote, “without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day.” Nike assigned a design team to the challenge. This year, they came out with their solution: the FlyEase. The basketball shoe can be fastened with one hand. A pair of Nike FlyEase shoes sells for $130.
An Airport for Drones (无人机)
As Amazon, Google, and others get ready for drone delivery service, there is one big question: What kinds of home bases will their drones have? Rwanda, in Africa, may have the answer. There, workers will soon start work on three “drone ports”. The goals is to make it easier to transport food, medical supplies, electronics, and other goods through the hilly countryside. Construction is set to be completed in 2020.
1.What’s the advantage of the Oceans Vacuum?
A. It can be a money-saver. B. It can grow year by year.
C. It can tear plastic into pieces. D. It can be put into wide use soon.
2.What do we know about Nike?
A. It offers free shoes to the disabled. B. It is designing new shoes frequently.
C. It provides customer-friendly services. D. It responded to Matthew’s request passively.
3.Why is Rwanda setting up “drone ports”？
A. Because road travel there is rough. B. Because there are too many drones.
C. Because they’re easier to construct than roads. D. Because they are receptive to new technology.
This all started a few months ago, when I had a dull pain in the back of my mouth, around where one of my wisdom teeth was supposed to be coming in. I thought it was a pain that I could live with for a while.
However, during the next few weeks, the pain became more intense, spreading to my teeth, gums and jaw. I was told I had seven wisdom teeth.
Yes, you read that correctly, seven — three more than a normal person. My first reaction when I heard was to laugh. It’s just my luck. My mouth wanted to do more work than it had to.
Focusing on the positive, one of the great things about having extra teeth is watching people’s reactions when they find out. So far, I haven’t grown tired of repeating myself.
The extra teeth are also a good excuse for me being tongue-tied. I can now blame it on my overcrowded mouth rather than my slow brain.
Of course, with wisdom teeth come the intellect jokes. My parents say my intelligence comes from my extra teeth and not my hard work. My friends agree that once the teeth are pulled, my brain will be that of a 5-year-old.
I’ve also thought about how I might profit from this. If only I still believed in the tooth fairy, I could make a lot of cash. Maybe I could sell my extras to someone in need. Advertisement: Seven teeth for sale, unused, in almost perfect condition.
Don’t be fooled by my jokes. I am worried about having surgery. I’m also going to be sad to see the Lucky Seven go. I’ve developed quite an attachment to them over the past two days. Once they’re removed, I’ll just be normal again, and who wants that?
1.When the author found that she had three more wisdom teeth than a normal person, she ________.
A. found it quite funny B. dealt with the pain calmly
C. was confused and anxious D. kept it secret from others
2.The intellect jokes from the author’s family and friends were intended to ________.
A. persuade the author not to remove her wisdom teeth
B. advise the author to work hard to improve her intelligence
C. make fun of the author in a light-hearted way
D. let the author know why she is often tongue-tied
3.When the author brought up the idea of tooth fairy, she ________.
A. thought she could rely on it to make a living
B. had already made up her mind to make money
C. believed that her wisdom teeth were in perfect condition
D. was deeply aware that the idea couldn’t become reality
4.What’s the article mainly about?
A. People’s different reactions to the author’s wisdom teeth.
B. How the author has gotten on with her extra wisdom teeth.
C. The author’s ideas for making use of her wisdom teeth.
D. How the author has decided to remove her wisdom teeth.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What kind of people can live longer?
A. People who are happy and positive about life.
B. People who are named Ben or Andrew.
C. People who live with their family.
2.When do people begin to be happy according to the research?
A. At 20. B. At 50. C. At 70.
3.What did a survey find about British families?
A. They are less healthy than 20 years ago.
B. They are as rich as 20 years ago.
C. They are less happy than 20 years ago.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What time is it now?
A. About 8:00. B. About 9:00. C. About 10:30.
2.Why does the secretary go out?
A. To apply to study abroad.
B. To have a form copied at a shop.
C. To contact Mr. Brown.
3.Why has the woman come here?
A. To copy a form.
B. To fill in a form.
C. To ask how much she should pay.
4.Who is coming towards the office?
A. Only Mr. Brown. B. Only the secretary. C. Mr. Brown and his secretary.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What had Joan planned to do?
A. To go to the US. B. To go to Singapore. C. To stay in the school.
2.Where will the American students stay?
A. With a particular family. B. In the school. C. In their home with their family.
3.How long will Tony be away?
A. Less than three weeks. B. About four weeks. C. A mouth and a half.
