“A lie can travel half way around the world before the truth can put its boots on,” said Mark Twain.1.
To make matters worse, most young people get news from social media sites where facts are mixed with rumors, half-truths and complete lies. 2.In the latest PISA, which tested 15-year-olds worldwide on academic subjects, fewer than one in ten of the examinees were reported to be able to distinguish fact from opinion. Another study showed that students at all levels of education could not tell real news from fake news. In one instance, 80 percent thought that a paid advertisement was a real news story.
3. They want to influence public opinion either for or against something or someone. It is important, then, for young people to recognize when they are being used and to be skeptical of online information.
Traditional media, such as newspapers and television, are still the more credible source of information.4.And then editors have the job of making sure those facts are correct. However, if you are getting most of your information online, you have to be your own editor In that case, the first thing to do is to look at the writer of a post. Is this person known to be credible? Does the site where you read the post have a prejudice? 5. By doing so, you won’t be fooled into chasing lies.
A.Secondly, you can ignore traditional media.
B.This has led to young people becoming confused.
C.Reporters are professionally trained to look for facts.
D.Fake news is spread by people who have a prejudice.
E.This may be because fake news can easily catch their attention.
F.In today’s Internet world of “fake news”, lies spread even faster than the truth.
G.Next, look for other sources from mainstream media to confirm the information.
With more than two million videos on YouTube, cats are one of the most searched things on the Internet. A new exhibition called “How Cats Took Over The Internet” opened at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. It looked at the history of how cats rose to Internet fame, and why people like them so much.
Almost half of all original YouTube videos are of people ’s pets, and around 26 billion views are just for cats, making them the single most popular category. Some cats have become famous and earned millions of pounds after their owners posted their pictures online.
So how did cats become so popular?
Since the Internet became widely used in the 1990s, people have been sharing pictures of their cats via email. In 2005 one of YouTube’s co-founders Steve Chen posted a video of his cat called Pyjamas playing with a rope, making him the first person to upload a cat video to YouTube.
In 2007 Eric Nakagawa and Kari Unebasami started a website sharing funny pictures of cats, The site quickly became popular, and users were able to upload pictures of their cats with writing over the top. It now has over 100 million views a month and has created a whole new form of communication on the Internet.
Why cats? A scientific study has proved that looking at videos of cats can improve people's mood. Assistant professor Jessica Gall Myrick from Indians University, America, asked 7,000 people how they felt before and after watching videos of cats. The results showed that people felt happier after watching videos of cats, and that they felt less anxious.
The Internet has also been responsible for creating a number of famous cats such as Grumpy Cat, Lil BUB and Maru. They have appeared on lots of TV shows, advertisements and film festivals, and even have their own brands. Lil BUB even has her own charity, and has raised around $130, 000 for pets with special needs.
1.What’s true about cats according to the text?
A.Their fame is related to the widespread of the Internet and a relative website.
B.Cat videos take up half of all the original YouTube videos.
C.They are the first to be filmed among all the animals throughout the world.
D.They earned millions with their videos in the 1990s.
2.Why did Jessica make the study?
A.To improve people's mood and reduce people's anxiety.
B.To ask about people's present feelings and living conditions.
C.To find the effect of watching cat videos on people's mood.
D.To help people live their life to the fullest.
3.What’s special about Lil BUB?
A.She has the most videos online. B.She is popular at home and abroad.
C.She has her own brands. D.She has her own charity.
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A.Cats become celebrities B.Cat videos rule the Internet
C.Watching cat videos counts D.Cats’ contributions to the world
The classic model of education — a burst at the start and company training — is breaking down. One reason is the need for new and constantly updated skill. Manufacturing increasingly calls for brain work rather than manual labor.
Pushing people into ever-higher levels of formal education at the start of their lives is not the way to handle the problem. Just 16% of Americans think that a four-year college degree prepares students very well for a good job. Although a vocational education promises that vital first hire, those with specialized training tend to withdraw from the labor force earlier than those with general education perhaps because they are less adaptable.
At the same time on-the-job training is shrinking. In America and Britain it has fallen by roughly half in the past two decades. Self-employment is spreading, leaving more people to take responsibility for their own skills. Taking time out later in life to pursue a formal qualification is an option, but it costs money and most colleges are meant for youngsters.
The market is innovating to enable workers to learn and earn in new ways. Providers from General Assembly to Pluralsight are building businesses on the promise of improving careers. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have turned away from lectures on Plato or black holes in favor of courses that make their students more employable. At Udacity and Coursera self-improvers pay for cheap, short programs. By offering degrees online, universities are making it easier for professionals to polish their skills. A single master’s program from Georgia Tech could expand the annual output of computer-science master’s degrees in America by close to 10%.
Lifelong learning starts at school. As a rule, education should not be narrowly vocational. The curriculum needs to teach children how to study and think. A focus on “metacognition” (元认知) will make them better at picking up skills later in life.
1.Which is the reason why traditional education is failing?
A.It bursts educators’ bubble in the beginning. B.Companies can’t afford training fees.
C.Old skills can’t meet the present needs. D.It fails to develop one’s brain.
2.What can we infer from the text?
A.The more knowledgeable one is, the more likely he is to be employed.
B.Most Americans are poor at their studies in the college.
C.More than 80% of Americans have to be self-employed now.
D.Returning to college after working is not considered worthwhile.
3.What does the underlined word “innovating” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Reforming its system. B.Declining little by little.
C.Booming all at once. D.Wasting time and energy.
4.How do colleges adapt to the present education model?
A.They open online courses. B.They provide easier access to updated skills.
C.They pay for cheap short programs. D.They lower the standard for master’s degree.
Robert Irwin is a typical teenage boy, who enjoys mountain biking and photography. He also lives in a large zoo.
Robert, the son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” star Steve Irwin, is now taking center stage in “Crikey! It’s the Irwins, ” a new series on Animal Planet.
“We’ve worked on quite a few different TV projects, but this is actually the first time my whole family has come back to Animal Planet together, so it’s pretty unusual, ”says Robert.
Premiering(首映)at 8 p.m. on Sunday, “Crikey! ” follows the Irwins as they run the 100-acre Australia Zoo, founded by Steve Irwin’s parents. Steve owned and ran the zoo before he died in 2006.
“We’ve always grown up in front of a camera. Bindi, my sister, and I were both filmed for some of the original ‘Crocodile Hunter’ documentaries, ”says Robert.
“I’m very lucky in the way that I’ve had so much of my life captured on camera, so as the memories you have of Dad start to fade, you can always look back at the old footage and relive those special moments, ” he says.
“Crikey! It’s the Irwins” has some footage of Steve. The most exciting part of the premiere involves Robert leading the “ Croc Show" at the zoo’s “ Crocoseum, ”a 5,500-seat stadium Steve built to give crocodile performances and educate visitors about crocodile behavior.
Of course, running a zoo doesn’t leave much time for school, so Robert participates in Distance Education, a program similar to homeschooling. “School can be difficult for me to fit in, ” he says. “But I've actually got a classroom that’s set up at Australia Zoo and a teacher that travels with us wherever we go, so I can fit in all of my studies. ”
Robert continues, “I’m learning as much as I can about all of the animals and all of the work at Australia Zoo. I feel really honored to be following in Dad’s footsteps. I love continuing that work. ”
1.Why is the new series special to Robert?
A.It is being filmed in a large zoo. B.It includes his whole family.
C.It is the first documentary he has made. D.It allows him to work with his dad.
2.What does Robert think of being captured on camera?
A.It encourages him to work hard. B.It helps increase his popularity.
C.It encourages him to care about animals. D.It helps strengthen his ties to his dad.
3.How does Robert keep up with his schooling?
A.He is taking some online courses. B.He is homeschooled by his mom.
C.He goes to school whenever he has time. D.He asks some teachers to teach him at home.
4.What’s Robert’s dream job in the future?
A.Feeding animals. B.Becoming a crocodile expert.
C.Running Australia Zoo. D.Becoming a wildlife photographer.
Elaine's Etiquette (礼节) Classes
Teddy Bear Tea Party
This tea party is great for preschool boys and girls! Children can bring their favorite teddy bear, doll or action figure to attend the party! With songs and role-play, children will learn their first steps to proper manners!
Course Description
·Pre-schoolers
·Al-hour presentation
·$10 per student
·Includes dessert, fruit and lemonade
Etiquette Advantage Course
We’re excited to announce our new youth course, “The Etiquette Advantage”! Children will learn how to exhibit polite behavior at home or in public. The course will discuss dining tips, communication through technology and person to person, and more!
Course Description
·lst-5th graders
·2.5-hour course
·$50 per student
Polished Presence Series
As children start junior high school, they will need to have the tools to show up in the world with a polished presence and the ability to behave properly in a variety of social and professional situations Our so-year-long program will help them access the key to success.
Course Description
·6th-12th graders
·September 20, 2020-May 16, 2021
·Meets once each month on Sundays
·2.5-hour session from 1:00 pm-3:30 pm
·S400 per student; Early bird gets a 20% discount by August 15th.
Timeless Manners Class
Our class will teach young people not only everyday manners but also basic etiquette and tips that will make them appear more professional while attending a job interview. They will learn how to use the power of politeness to present the best of who they are in different situations.
Course Description
·College graduates
·l-hour workshop
·$40 per student
1.What do we know about Teddy Bear Tea Party?
A.It is designed for 1st-5th graders. B.It is a hands-on learning process.
C.It lasts about two hours each time. D.It needs kids to take food and drink.
2.How much should a child pay if he or she applies for Polished Presence Series on August 7th?
A.$80. B.$200.
C.$320. D.$400.
3.Which of the following classes is most suitable for job seekers?
A.Teddy Bear Tea Party. B.Etiquette Advantage Course.
C.Polished Presence Series. D.Timeless Manners Class.
Directions: Write and English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
假设你是学生会主席王海，你发现许多学生倒掉午餐到学校的小卖部去买零食，于是在同学中作了调查。请给校长写封信，信的内容包括分析产生此现象的原因，并就此现象提出具体的建议。
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