Rumors(谣言): we’ve all heard some and we’ve all spread some. In more traditional times they shook entire families. Today, they circulate differently because the way we share information has also changed.
The fact is that rumors have great potential to upset things, whether socially or personally. We don’t enjoy being on the receiving end of one, since they usually don’t have good intentions.They are somewhat veiled(掩饰的) messages.
Normally rumors are oral messages: word of mouth. The paradox(自相矛盾) is that there is no evidence to support rumors, but the more people share it, the more they see it as true. To finish defining rumors, we think that they follow certain very clear laws. Secrecy: The source is unknown. There is also a proven phenomenon that human beings usually forget the source of a message before they forget its content. Certainty: We hardly question rumors simply because of the mental effort involved. On the other hand, no one likes to doubt a person who convinces us that the information they spread is true. Change: It acts like a tree. New rumors branch out to fill in the gaps left by the initial rumor.
Another property of rumors is that they tend to become viral. Each receiver is at the same time a potential transmitter of the information. The receiver often adds their own opinion. Their manner and tone of transmitting it also changes it.
How can we end rumors? The answer is as simple as it is impossible: preventing people from communicating. A more realistic response is equally difficult, although less than the first one. It is that we should be critical of the information we receive. We should ask ourselves if the source is reliable. Ask (if possible) the person you heard it from whether they also trust the information. We should also think about if the rumor benefits someone, and if that someone started the rumor.
One rumor to be especially cautious of is a rumor about groups relatively unable to defend themselves. That’s why we say, “History is always told by the victors.” The first payment the defeated must make is to accept the victor’s version of the story.
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards rumors?A.Critical. | B.Positive. | C.Approving. | D.Cautious. |
A.We have all heard some and believed them. |
B.We’re happy to be the receiving end of them. |
C.They may have negative influence on society. |
D.They often hide good intentions in the messages. |
A.Rumors keep changing, just as trees change their color. |
B.Rumors are deeply rooted in reality, like tree roots in the earth. |
C.New rumors have gaps, like the space between tree branches. |
D.New rumors grow out of the original, like branches out of a trunk. |
A.Something easily spread. | B.Something acceptable. |
C.Something easily defended. | D.Something beneficial. |
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【推荐1】Academic dishonesty is nothing new. As long as there have been homework assignments and tests, there have been cheaters. The way that cheating looks has changed over time, though, particularly now that technology has made it easier than ever. A study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics interviewed 23,000 high school students and asked them a variety of questions about academic ethics. Of the teens surveyed, 51 percent said that they had knowingly cheated at some point on an exam but that they did not feel uneasy about the behaviour. A Common Sense Media survey found that 35 percent of students had cheated via smartphone, though the parents surveyed in that particular study did not believe their kids had ever cheated. In many cases, students did not realize that strategies like looking up answers on a smartphone were actually cheating at all.
In today’s classrooms, students who cheat are rarely caught. There are no formulas written on the insides of hands or students looking across the aisle, or whispering answers to their classmates. Today’s students use smartphones, tablets or even in-class computers to aid their cheating attempts and leave no trace of their crimes. Since cheating through technology is not listed specifically as being against the rules in many school policies, students do not view the actions unethical (不合道德的).
The technology is being adopted so quickly that school districts cannot adequately keep up with cheating policies, or even awareness campaigns that alert students to the problem with using technology to find answers in a certain way. From a young age, students learn that answers exist conveniently at their fingertips through search engines and expert websites.
Schools must develop anti-cheating policies that include technology and these policies must be updated consistently. Teachers must stay on guard when it comes to what their students are doing in classrooms and how technology could be playing a negative role in the learning process. Parents must also talk to their kids about the appropriate ways to find academic answers and alert them to unethical behaviours that may seem innocent in their own eyes.
1. What do we learn from the study by the Josephson Institute of Ethics?A.Over half of the students interviewed were unaware they were cheating. |
B.Cheating was becoming a way of life for a majority of high school teens. |
C.Cheating was getting more and more difficult for high school students. |
D.More than half of the interviewees felt no sense of guilt over cheating. |
A.Most parents tended to overprotect their children. |
B.Parents and kids had conflicting ideas over cheating. |
C.Students were in urgent need of ethical education. |
D.Many students committed cheating without parents’ awareness. |
A.Alert parents to their children’s behaviour. | B.Reform their exam methods constantly. |
C.Take advantage of the latest technologies. | D.Bring policies against cheating up to date. |
A.Prevent students from using electronic devices. | B.Develop more effective anti-cheating strategies. |
C.Guard against students’ misuse of technology | D.Find more ways to stop students’ unethical acts. |
【推荐2】Many cities in the United States could grow their own food locally, raising enough crops and cattle to meet the needs of all residents. This is the finding of an interesting new modeling study from Tufts University, which analyzed the potential for local food production in 378 areas across the US and expected food production.
The researchers found that cities in the Northwest in the United States had the greatest potential to raise their own food. Cities along the Eastern seaside and in the Southwest had the least potential and would not be able to meet all their own needs of diet, even if every acre of agricultural land was used for food production. This makes sense, as many of the cities are coastal and lack room for agricultural spreading.
The study revealed that the United States have a surplus (多余的) of agricultural land for feeding the domestic (国内的) population. Currently, some land is used to raise export crops, but a focus on local food production would start a conversation about how that land gets used. In the words of Peters, lead author and associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, “It would be important to make sure policies for supporting local or regional food production benefit conservation and create opportunities for farmers to adopt more sustainable (可持续的) practices. Policies should also recognize the ability of the natural resources in a given local or region and consider the supply chain, including ability for food processing and storage.”
Although it’s a far cry from the current reality, it is a nice thought to imagine cities surrounded by food production operations that transport freshly harvested food to nearby homes, and then make use of the leftover food to fertilize fields and generate heat for greenhouses.
1. The cities along the Eastern seaside fail to provide enough food because ________.A.citizens are unwilling to grow crops | B.the methods of food production are wrong |
C.they don’t have enough land to grow crops | D.their climate limits the agricultural production |
A.More job opportunities for citizens. | B.More specific policies about using land. |
C.Conversations with the local government. | D.A discussion on how to make use of land. |
A.Agriculture. | B.Entertainment. | C.Lifestyle. | D.Sport. |
A.The US Government Stops Wasting Food |
B.Many Cities in the US Can Grow Their Own Food |
C.Cities Learn to Grow Food From the Villages |
D.Farmers Have More Chances to Be Employed |
【推荐3】It is natural for young people to admire an cool model — looking young “idols”. We spend a lot of time caring about them — even more time than we spend on our studies or work. We often wonder what makes them so popular? What could I do to be cool like them?
Well, guess what? Many of your idols are only made to “look”cool. If you could see into their private lives, you would find these stars aren’t so bright. Their beauty is only skin-deep. Some of them might not be as honest, kind or hard-working, as you are! They don’t deserve (值得) the popularity that they enjoy at all!
When I was a teenager, I, along with most of my classmates, had worshiped pop idols, too. Then, one day, I discovered Leonard Cohen and Neil Young. They were ordinary-looking people who played the guitar while sitting on a stool (凳子). They wore no flashy clothes, and they had no screaming fans. They didn’t need to be flashy because their songs were great and meaningful. They told the truth: Life is hard and the road you take might sometimes be lonely. Most of all, they taught me that it was okay if I was not popular and cool all of the time. I still listen to them today.
Modern “idol culture” often sends the wrong message that life is always easy and fun. But the best actors, the top-ranking sports stars and the most creative scientists all have scars from the stress of dealing with many life difficulties. Many of the successful “outgoing” people we admire today were shy when they were teenagers.
Idols can serve as important role models in our lives, so it’s very important to choose the right ones. We should praise people who teach us important values that can help to guide us on the road ahead. The next time you see some pretty, popular “stars”, ask yourself: Do I really need these people in my life?
1. What kind of idol is worth admiring according to the passage?A.One who appears so cool. |
B.One who wears flashy clothes. |
C.One who has a beautiful appearance. |
D.One who impresses us with good values. |
A.make a judgment | B.support an opinion |
C.make a comparison | D.present a result |
A.It often misleads teenagers. |
B.It always sends wrong messages. |
C.Idols have ups and downs in life. |
D.Idols were shy when they were teenagers. |
A.Do as Idols Do | B.Try to Be a Cool Idol |
C.Follow a Popular Idol | D.Say No to Wrong Idols |
They feel ill equipped for parenthood, because they don’t see what values or lessons they could honestly pass on to their young, besides self-centeredness and a passion for the good things in life. They are trying to live by not acting their age.
As Ms Jane put it in her letter: I’m married, in my late 20s and enjoy a lifestyle other married graduate couples enjoy: winning and dining, tasteful clothes, travel and a career. Why give up all these for a baby?
It is reported that when asked whether they were adults, most people in their 20s answered they were not sure. This reflected a global economy in which people chased more papers to get better jobs that would comfortably support middle class living.
Being a kidult is not all about being selfish, though. With the untold uncertainties of war, fluctuating(波动)markets, disease and terrorism, many see this world as a poor place to live in—let alone bring kids up in. This seems especially so in urban living. All anyone wants after a long, hard day at work is some peace and quiet.
My classmate, Jenny, mused(沉思)recently how our friends living in small Malaysian towns were onto their second or third kids. Maybe they just loved having children around. Or maybe, in their own way, they wanted to leave the world a better place than they found it.
That’s how you, I and everyone know we have the chance to breathe air, touch grass and see sky. I think out parents understand that just being alive is an experience worth passing on.
1. What is a kidult in the writer’s opinion?
A.A person who doesn’t have a child |
B.An adult who actually has a psychology of a child |
C.A child who doesn’t want to grow up |
D.A person who doesn’t know that what values he has |
A.money |
B.reputation |
C.qualification |
D.power |
A.presenting research findings |
B.making comparison |
C.showing her own experience |
D.using examples |
A.know little what they can pass on to their children |
B.are sure of their abilities for good life |
C.living in urban can enjoy more peace |
D.living in small towns know well what they’re living for |
【推荐2】On January 15th, the Guardian showed off its new, smaller look, shifting from its distinctive “Berliner” format to a tabloid(娱乐小报) shape with a redesigned logo in black type. But the more dramatic makeover is of the financial books of Guardian Media Group (GMG), publisher of the Sunday Observer and the daily Guardian, which may find its new operation in the black next financial year. A newspaper business that two years ago was threatened with existentially worrying losses appears on the edge of breaking even.
The turnaround is partly due to steep cost-cutting, which is a dog-bites-man story in journalism. But the Guardian would manage the achievement while still giving away news free online, and that is a story worth telling.
In January 2016 David Pemsel, the new chief executive of GMG, and Katharine Viner, the new editor-in-chief of the Guardian, informed staff that GMG’s endowment fund, meant to ensure the financial security of the paper in the long run, had lost £100m ($140m) in just half a year, taking it to £740m. Mr Pemsel was advised by industry peers to cut costs and put online news behind a paywall. He and Ms Viner cut costs by 20%, or more than £50m. Alan Rusbridger, Ms Viner’s predecessor(前任), had led the newspaper to global relevance with a large online readership. But he spent without thinking of the consequences. In two years GMG has reduced its employees by 400, to about 1,500.
Yet unlike a growing number of newspapers, the Guardian has not put up a paywall. Instead it has pursued a membership model, asking online readers to contribute whatever they like. About 600,000 now do, with annual payments or one-off amounts. American readers tend to choose the latter option, Ms Viner says. GMG says the total figure amounts to tens of millions of pounds per year. Ms Viner says revenue from readers (including 200,000 print subscribers) is now greater than revenue from advertisers.
The result is steadily declining operating losses: from £69m two years ago to £45m last financial year and, Mr Pemsel says, less than £25m in the year that ends on April 1st. He predicts breaking even next year. Giving up its own printing presses and going tabloid will help, saving several million pounds a year. The Guardian may now physically look more like its peers, but its turnaround story remains distinctive.
1. The phrase “in the black”(Paragraph 1) most probably means ______.A.making profit | B.taking on a new look |
C.losing support | D.enjoying great popularity |
A.He advised GMG to cost costs. |
B.He got the Guardian into trouble. |
C.He was the founder of GMG’s endowment fund. |
D.He was fired due to his failure to bring the Guardian online. |
A.To pay as they like. | B.To skip the advertisements. |
C.To join its membership club. | D.To connect to other newspapers. |
A.The Guardian has been reduced to a tabloid. |
B.The Guardian succeeds by giving away news free online. |
C.The Guardian turns around by looking more likes its peers. |
D.The Guardian has broken even by cutting its operation costs. |
【推荐3】Rumors (谣言): we've all heard some and we've all spread some. In more traditional times they shook entire families. Today, they travel differently because the way we share information has also changed.
The fact is that rumors have great potential to upset things, whether socially or personally. We don't enjoy being on the receiving end of one, since they usually don't have good intentions. They are somewhat veiled (掩饰的) messages.
Normally rumors are oral messages: word of mouth. The paradox (自相矛盾) is that there is no evidence to support rumors, but the more people share it, the more they see it as true. To finish explaining rumors, we think that they follow certain very clear laws. Secrecy: The source is unknown. There is also a proven phenomenon that human beings usually forget the source of a message before they forget its content. Certainty: We hardly question rumors simply because of the mental effort involved. On the other hand, no one likes to doubt a person who convinces us that the information they spread is true. Change: It acts like a tree. New rumors branch out to fill in the gaps left by the first rumor.
Another property (属性) of rumors is that they tend to become viral. Each receiver is at the same time a potential transmitter (传输者) of the information. The receiver often adds their own opinion. Their manner and tone of transmitting it also changes it.
How can we end rumors? The answer is as simple as it is impossible: preventing people from communicating. A more realistic response is equally difficult, although less than the first one. It is that we should be critical of the information we receive. We should ask ourselves if the source is reliable. Ask (if possible) the person you heard it from whether they also trust the information. We should also think about if the rumor benefits someone, and if that someone started the rumor.
One rumor to be especially cautious of is a rumor about groups relatively unable to defend themselves. That's why we say, "History is always told by the winners." The first payment the defeated must make is to accept the victor's version of the story.
1. What can we learn about rumors?A.We have all heard some and believed them. |
B.We're happy to be the receiving end of them. |
C.They may have negative influence on society. |
D.They often hide good intentions in the messages. |
A.Rumours keep changing, just as trees change their colour. |
B.Rumours are deeply rooted in reality, like tree roots in the earth. |
C.New rumours have gaps, like the space between tree branches. |
D.New rumours grow out of the original, like branches out of a trunk. |
A.Something easily spread. |
B.Something acceptable. |
C.Something easily defended. |
D.Something beneficial. |
A.It is easy to prevent people from spreading rumors. |
B.People are often active in judging the rumors critically. |
C.We should think about the hidden message of the rumors. |
D.Stories told by the victors are usually better worth trusting. |