Today, getting information is as easy as opening a browser on your computer/phone, typing in a question and waiting a nanosecond for a long list of links to load. These websites will promise to answer your question. But actually, they may not be all that trustworthy. Figuring out which site is believable and which is false takes work. It isn’t impossible, though. Actually, it is what every good journalist does daily. And students and other non-journalists also can do it.
To check a new claim, good reporters contact experts on the topic. In journalism, such experts are known as “sources”. This may be a scientist who discovered something new in the lab. Or it could be the witness to a crime.
However, not everything is easy. For instance, if there’s a forest fire, how do you know where it started, when and how? You can ask government officials, but they may not know. You can talk to people near the fire shortly after it started. But unless someone spotted the fire as it happened, people may never know for sure. They may simply offer speculation. Saying something “might have” or even “probably” started that fire isn’t a fact. So you’d have to qualify any statement about the fire’s origins.
I describe such words as “weasel words”. These words and phrases include “might” “could have” “was likely to have been”, etc. Whenever something isn’t known for sure, journalists will highlight their uncertainty by using weasel words. They never over-blow claims to the readers.
A good reporter should be paid for the work he does. Some blogs and even news sites are authored by unpaid writers. Many of these writers are untrained in reporting, and their reports may not provide the depth. Thus, if the news you’re reading is free to the world online, consider what that may mean. Overall, you should be skeptical. That’s acting like a journalist.
1.What does the underlined word “it” refer to in the first paragraph?
A.Getting information. B.Checking information.
C.Writing information. D.Analyzing information.
2.How does the author show the difficulty in looking for sources?
A.by listing some facts B.by giving an explanation
C.by raising some questions D.by giving an example
3.What does the author think of weasel words?
A.They are annoying to the readers. B.They should be avoided in a report.
C.They are a sign of a good journalist. D.They make a difference to a report.
4.What should be the best title for the text?
A.Gain Believable Information B.Learn from a Good Journalist
C.Check Facts You Can Trust D.Keep in Doubt like a Good Reporter
Being in the midst of a pandemic lockdown can make people feel worried. But nothing has exemplified this panicky behavior more than stockpile (囤积), specifically toilet paper.
Seemingly transcending (超越) borders and cultures, people from all over the world, including the US,UK and Japan, have been clearing supermarket shelves primarily for this necessity. But what’s the reason for this sudden toilet paper fixation? You can understand panic buying food, but do we really need this much toilet paper?
Steven Taylor, author of the book The Psychology of Pandemics, told the Independent that our toilet paper hoarding is a product of our disgust. During a pandemic, people’s sensitivity to disgust increases, like when you flinch (躲避) if someone nearby sneezes.
“Disgust is like an alarm mechanism (机制) and what better tool for eliminating (消除) disgusting material than toilet paper. I think this is how it became a conditioned symbol of safety,” he said.
Writing for The Conversation, Niki Edwards of The Queensland University of Technology said, “When people hear about the novel coronavirus, they are afraid of losing control. And toilet paper feels like a way to maintain control over hygiene (卫生) and cleanliness.”
Another one of the most obvious reasons behind this toilet paper trend, according to the BBC, is the snowball effect. Due to its noticeable coverage, both in the news and social media, people naturally ask, “Will there be enough toilet paper for my family and me?” This invariably leads to more people following the crowd and buying toilet paper because of their fear of missing out.
“Fear is very easy to spread among people. So when those sorts of things go viral (走红), when you see people around you buying things in a panicky way, it’s going to make you feel more anxious,” wrote American psychologist Baruch Fischhoff for CNBC.
While there are, of course, selfish people who stockpile just because they can, it’s worth keeping things in perspective. Remember, just as countries are cooperating to find a Vaccine, we must cooperate to ensure that everyone has their share of necessities.
1.What is the main idea of this text?
A.To discuss people’s different attitudes towards the toilet paper hoarding.
B.To explore the negative effects of the toilet paper hoarding.
C.To criticize those people who hoard toilet paper.
D.To explain why people tend to stockpile toilet paper.
2.What kind of feeling does the underlined word “disgust” want to show?
A.dislike B.comfort
C.calm D.anxiety
3.According to Baruch Fischhoff, what does this toilet paper trend result from?
A.The desire to get rid of disgusting material.
B.The fear of losing control over cleanliness.
C.The frequent reporting on toilet paper.
D.The infectious fear making you feel more anxious.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the toilet paper hoarding?
A.favorable. B.doubtful.
C.disapproval. D.neutral.
Many millions of tonnes of televisions, phones, and other electronic equipment are abandoned each year, partly because it’s cheaper to replace them than fix them, but also because we lack the skills to repair them. A UN report claims the 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated every year will more than double to 110 million tonnes by 2050, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
However, there’s a growing trend for repair events and clubs which could be part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic junk. The BBC visited a Restart Project in London and one of its volunteers, Francesco Calo, said that “this project allow you to reduce waste, extend the life of objects, and it helps people who cannot afford to get rid of items that are developed a fault.”
As many electrical items contain valuable metals, another idea is e-waste mining. An experiment at the University of New South Wales involves extracting these materials from electronic gadgets. It’s thought that doing this could be more profitable than traditional mining. With phones typically containing as many as 60 elements, this could be part of the solution to our appetite for new technology.
These projects make total sense-collections of e-waste for recycling are “stagnating or even decreasing” according to Ruediger Kuehr, of the United Nations University. And in countries where there is no legislation, much of it just gets dumped. However, the European Union, for example, is trying to tackle the problem by insisting manufacturers have to make appliances longer-lasting and will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years.
1.What does the underlined word “generate” in paragraph I mean?
A.kept B.invented
C.produced D.introduced
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A.We must fix electronic equipment instead of replacing them.
B.Many electronic items contain more than 60 elements.
C.A Restart Project helps people learn to repair electronic items..
D.E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
3.Which is the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Solving the problem of e-waste B.Reducing the use of electrical items
C.Recycling electronic equipment D.Getting rid of electrical and electronic junk
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Repairing electrical items is the main solution to e-waste.
B.Longer-lasting electronic products will appear in the future European Market.
C.E-waste generated every year has doubled to 110 million tonnes.
D.E-waste mining will gradually take the place of traditional mining.
Need a Job This Summer?
The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs. The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program. Not a student? Welcome to the government website and learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills, find a job or start businesses all year round.
Jobs for Youth
If you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province,you could be eligible (符合条件) for this program, which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training.
Who is eligible: Youth 15-18 years old in select communities (社区):
Summer Company
Summer Company provides students with hands-on business training and awards of up to$3,000 to start and run their own summer businesses.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15-29, returning to school in the fall.
Stewardship Youth Ranger Program
You could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer.
Who is eligible: Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire, but not turning 18 before December 31 this year.
Summer Employment Opportunities (机会)
Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program, students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service, its related agencies and community groups.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15 or older. Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability.
1.If you are 15, which program can’t you apply to?
A.Jobs for Youth
B.Summer Company
C.Stewardship Youth Ranger Program
D.Summer Employment Opportunities
2.What is special about Summer Employment Opportunities?
A.It requires training before employment.
B.It offers the disabled job opportunities.
C.It provides awards for running new businesses.
D.It allows one to work in the natural environment.
3.Where can you probably find the passage?
A.Magazine. B.Textbook.
C.Newspaper. D.Website.
假定你是李华，某中学国际部学生会主席，在新型冠状病毒( the novel coronavirus)肆虐期间，学校委托你给外国留学生写封邮件告知他们新学期的学习安排，内容包括：
1.停课不停学；
2.具体安排与要求；
3.你建议大家怎么做。
注意:1词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Friends，
How time flies!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes to you.
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文，文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加，删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Flying a kite is one of the Chinese traditional activity but I didn't experience it until last weekend. It was beautiful Sunday. My little brother begged me to fly a kite with him. We bought a kite shaping like an eagle and went to the Times Square, which many people were flying their kites happily. Saw the lively scene,we couldn't wait to join them. After some attempts, therefore, I found flying a kite wasn't as easily as imagined. About half an hour later, the kite flies into the sky slowly. My brother watched to it jumping and cheering. I was pride that I had made it.
