【推荐1】In June 2014, Huf fington Post and Mail Online reported that three-year-old Victoria Wilcher, who had suffered facial scarring (结疤), had been kicked out of a KFC because she was frightening customers. Later, KFC announced that no evidence had been found to support the story. This phenomenon is largely a product of the increasing pressure in newsrooms that care more about traffic figures.

Brooke Binkowski, an editor, says that, during her career, she has seen a shift towards less editorial oversight in newsrooms. “Clickbait is king, so newsrooms will uncritically print something unreal. Not all newsrooms are like this, but a lot of them are.”

Asked what the driving factor was, a journalist said, “There is undoubtedly pressure to churn out (粗制滥造) stories in order to get clicks, because they equal money. At my former employer in particular, the pressure was on due to the limited resources. That made the environment quite horrible to work in.”

In a February 2023 report for Digital Journalism, Craig Silverman wrote, “Today the bar for what is worth giving attention to seems to be much lower. Within minutes or hours, a badly sourced report can be changed into a story that is repeated by dozens of news websites, resulting in tens of thousands of shares. Once a certain critical mass is reached, repetition has a powerful effect on belief. Thus, the rumor (谣言) simply becomes true for readers.”

And, in spite of the direction that some newsrooms seem to be heading in, a critical eye is becoming more, not less important, according to the New York Times’ public editor, Margaret Sullivan. “Reporters and editor s have to be more careful than ever before. It’s extremely important to question and to use every verification (验证) method available before publication.” Yet those working in newsrooms talk of doubtful stories being tolerated because, in the words of some senior editors, “a click is a click, regardless of the advantage of a story”. And, “if the story does turn out to be false, it’s simply a chance for another bite at the cherry.”

Verification and fact-checking are regularly falling victim to the pressure to bring in the numbers, and if the only result of being caught out is another chance to bring in the clicks, that looks unlikely to change.

1. What is the purpose of mentioning Victoria Wilcher in Paragraph 1?

A．To share an unusual story.	B．To lead in the topic of the text.
C．To ask KFC to improve the service.	D．To express the concern for disabled kids.

2. Why do newsrooms produce false news according to Paragraph 2?

A．Good stories are needed.	B．They want to earn clicks.
C．They’re lack of resources.	D．Reporters seemed not experienced.

3. What do Craig Silverman’s words convey?

A．It is immoral to tell lies.

B．We can hear rumors, but we can’t detect them.

C．Lies, repeated often enough, will end up as truth.

D．Rumors made the work of the news department difficult.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Errors of Reporters	B．Results of Mistaken Stories
C．Causes of Online False News	D．Popularity of Getting Clicks

【推荐2】   

Cheating can happen in a lot of different ways.When people cheat,it’s not fair to other people，like the kids who studied for the test or who the true winners of a game were.

Many people like the action of cheating.In their opinion,it makes difficult things seem easy,like getting all the right answers on the test.But it doesn't solve the problem of not knowing the material and it won't help on the next test—unless the person cheats again.

Some people lose respect for cheaters and think less of them.The cheaters themselves may feel bad because they know they shouldn't get that good grade.And,if they get caught cheating,they will be in trouble at school，and maybe at home,too.

Some kids cheat because they're busy or lazy and they want to get good grades without spending the time studying.Other kids might feel like they can’t pass the test without cheating.Even when there seems to be a “good reason” for cheating,cheating isn’t a good idea.

If you were sick or upset about something the night before the day and couldn’t study,it would be better to talk with the teacher about this.And if you don’t have enough time to study for a test because of swim practice,you need to talk with your parents about how to balance swimming and school.A kid who thinks cheating is the only way to pass a test needs to talk with the teacher and his or her parents so they can find some solutions together.Talking about these problems and working them out will feel better than cheating.

1. What does the author think when kids cheat in class?

A．It is unfair to other people.

B．It does harm to their health.

C．Teachers should punish them.

D．Teachers shouldn't stop them at once.

2. Why do many people like to cheat?

A．Because they think the material in the test is very difficult.

B．Because they want to do better than the others.

C．Because cheating can make hard things seem very easy.

D．Because they have little time to study their lessons.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Some kids can’t pass the test without cheating.

B．Why kids cheat in the test.

C．Cheating isn’t a good idea.

D．Some kids don't spend the time studying.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Cheaters are often thought highly of.

B．People show no respect for those who cheat.

C．Parents whose kids cheat are often in trouble.

D．Kids cheat in the test because of swim practice.

【推荐3】Nostalgia (怀旧) has become increasingly common in the current rapid, unexpected changes. More and more Americans are turning back with longing to what feels like simpler, sweeter times. They collect cassette tapes, manual typewriters, even decades-old video games.

Is it a mistake to miss the past? Some psychologists warn that too much devotion to the so-called good old days is an escape from reality; it suggests loneliness or that a person is having a difficult time dealing with the present. Psychologist Stephanie Coontz argues that nostalgia distracts us from addressing the problems of modern life and contributes to anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, etc.

But new studies suggest that a small amount of nostalgia is not only harmless, but actually beneficial. They suggest it helps strengthen our sense of identity and makes us feel more positive and inspired. It is also a tool for self-discovery and memories are a psychological response when you want to take a break from negativity. Recalling (回忆) our childhood reminds us of “the times when we were accepted and loved unconditionally,” says Krystine Batcho, a psychologist. “That is such a powerful comfort, knowing that there was a time in life when we didn’t have to earn our love.” Nostalgia can turn even the most ordinary past into legends which warms the heart and the body. Let’s not forget that nostalgia has been a source of inspiration to countless American writers. Mark Twain recalled his boyhood, writing, “After all these years, I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then.”

So go ahead, daydream a little about your best childhood friend, a long-gone family pet, etc. As Dr. Sedikides says, “Nostalgia is absolutely central to human experience.” But at the same time, keep these words of wisdom from the great inventor Charles Kettering in mind as well: “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

1. How is nostalgia viewed by the psychologists in Paragraph 2?

A．It might leave a person in low spirits.

B．It indicates loneliness experienced in the past.

C．It always saves people from dull reality.

D．It helps to solve the problems in the present life.

2. What is discussed about nostalgia in Paragraph 3?

A．Its reasons.

B．Its benefits.

C．Its side-effects.

D．Its working principles.

3. Why is Mark Twain mentioned in the text?

A．To explain he had a strong sense of identity.

B．To recall the good old days.

C．To show his nostalgia for the past.

D．To prove nostalgia can serve as an inspiration for works.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards nostalgia?

A．Appreciative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Objective.

D．Unconcerned.

【推荐1】A Guide to the University

Food

The TWU Cafeteria is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It serves snacks(小吃), drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards.You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings with your friends and to study.

If you are on campus in the evening or late at night,you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Douglas Center. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.

Relaxation

The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays.

Academic Support

All students have access to the Writing Center on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary and other academic skills. If you need help, you can sign up for an appointment by finishing the sign-up sheet outside the door, two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.

Transportation

The TWU Express is a shuttle(班车)service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping center, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.

1. What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria?

A．Do homework and watch TV.	B．Buy drinks and enjoy concerts.
C．Have meals and meet with friends.	D．Add money to your ID and play chess.

2. How can you seek help from the Writing Center?

A．By applying online.	B．By calling the center.
C．By filling in a sign-up form.	D．By going to the center directly.

3. What is the function of the TWU Express?

A．To carry students to the lecture halls.	B．To provide students with campus tours.
C．To take students to the Mattson Centre.	D．To transport students to and from the stores.

【推荐3】Since ancient Greece, people have used zodiac signs to judge a person’s character traits.     1    

According to The Washington Post, a new study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior on Sept 17, could tell us something more about who we are. It identified four personality types: reserved, role models, average and self-centered.

    2     All these are related to the five main personality traits everyone’s believed to possess: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness.

Researchers, with the aid of computer software found that self-centered people scored higher on extroversion, but lower than average on the other four traits. ‘These are people you don’t want to hang out with,’ co-author William Revelle, professor of psychology, told the Daily Mail.

Members of the reserved group were lacking in openness and extroversion, but were more agreeable and conscientious.    3    

People defined as role models scored well in most traits, but were weak in emotional stability. ‘These are people who are dependable and open to new ideas,’ Luis Amaral, co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems in the US, told Newsweek. ‘These are good people to be in charge of things. In fact, life is easier if you have more dealings with role models.’

Apart from these three personality types, a totally new type was found: average. This type according to Science Daily, get average scores in all traits. Females are more likely than males to fall into this type.

    4    For example, role models are usually seniors, while the traits of the self-centered type mainly fall in teenage males.

However, ‘Certain aspects are changing,’ Amaral told USA Today. ‘As people mature and grow, their personality also matures and grows. I think there is a positive message that people matures and they move to more desirable characteristics.’

A．These people are usually unwilling to try new things, but are kind and cooperative, according to the study.

B．To compare the movement of the planets and stars is a brilliant and ancient concept.

C．Even today, it seems that people are still fascinated with trying to figure out people’s personality types based on science.

D．The study also shows that there is connection between personality type, gender and age.

E．These are people who always finish the assigned task perfectly and in most cases ahead of time.

F．In this study, about 1.5 million participants were asked to rate a number of written statements.

【推荐1】My husband Wade and I run Southern Koala Rescue and are committed to saving as many koalas as we can. One day, we were called out to rescue a koala that was stuck in a burning tree; but when the flames died down, we decided to return, thinking there could be other koalas that needed our help.

Wade and I were walking through the blackened bushland with our team of volunteers when I spotted a koala on a burnt tree with a swollen and infected wound the size of a 20-cent piece on its neck. Using rings on the end of poles, we coaxed（哄诱）the koala down and put it in a carrier before having it examined. The wound needed a minor operation and, afterwards, the koala, who we named Claire, had to stay indoors to keep flies off the injury. Claire was frightened of me at first, but after four weeks I gained her trust.

Finally, it was time for Claire to get ready to go outside and build up enough muscle movement to be released back into the wild. This was the most satisfying part of my job because not all koalas can be saved. I did miss them when they were gone, but I knew they were not meant to be pets.

After the Black Summer fires destroyed so much of the country from 2019 to 2020, extinction for koalas is a very real possibility. For individuals, one of the easiest ways you can help koalas is leaving a dish of water in your backyard. It can save a life and that counts.

1. Why were the volunteer team called out？

A．To put out a big fire.	B．To save a trapped koala.
C．To search for missing animals.	D．To clear the blackened bushland.

2. What can we learn about Claire？

A．It was afraid of flies.	B．It got hurt by hunters.
C．It needed a major operation.	D．It developed trust in humans.

3. Which part of the job does the author find the most meaningful？

A．Sending rescued animals back to nature.	B．Providing a shelter for wild animal.
C．Curing the injured animals.	D．Petting many wild animals.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph？

A．Humans are responsible for the big fire.	B．Nothing can stop wildlife dying out.
C．Small acts can make a big difference.	D．Animals are human’s best friends.

【推荐2】My twin sister is in therapy (治疗). The other day, she missed an important appointment for no good reason. My therapist said it was “time blindness”.

I’m living in New York, 3,000 miles away from my twin. We video chat every day, but I haven’t seen her in person since Christmas.

Time blindness is a term invented by doctors who treat people with ADHD (注意缺陷多动障碍). Psychologist Ari Tuckman says adults typically develop an awareness of time and an ability to track its passing. Some people have what he calls “harder” or “sharper” time awareness: they know when they’ve been out for lunch for too long, or when something hasn’t been in the oven for long enough. The others have much “softer” time awareness: they can miss appointments and trains. Time blindness can greatly impact someone's life if they can't ever meet deadlines. People with ADHD are often more time-blind than others.

Besides our own time awareness, Tuckman says, context plays a role: sleep loss, anxiety, being drunk and anything that might impact how we process the world can make us feel more time-blind. Without the usual time-marker cues we might use to divide up our days — the school bus arriving, the line at the coffee shop, or weekend nights spent at restaurants with friends — we’re swimming in a sea of sameness.

Sorrow is one of the biggest causes of time blindness, according to Tuckman. Holding onto time is a skill of your mind, like doing math, and sadness reduces its computing strength. It's why time goes faster when I talk to my twin sister, when I’m not so sad.

Tuckman says it might be nice for more people to understand time blindness.

1. What do we know about the author and her sister?

A．She is not optimistic about her sister’s health.

B．It has been years since they chatted in person.

C．She has learned her sister’s illness is less serious.

D．She chats with her sister every day.

2. What are people having harder time awareness like according to Tuckman?

A．They are often productive in a limited time.

B．They tend to spend less time in having lunch.

C．They are good at keeping track of time passing.

D．They usually need stronger time management.

3. What does the underlined phrase “time-marker cues” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Troubles we are suffering from.

B．Ordinary activities in our daily life.

C．Activities in our home.

D．The same things we share regularly.

4. Which of the following can cause time blindness most easily?

A．Sadness.	B．Deep thought.
C．Surprise.	D．Hard-work.

【推荐3】There’s a new frontier in 3D printing that’s beginning to come into focus: food. Recent development has made possible machines that print, cook, and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn’t stopping there.

Food production

With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and beautiful pieces for decoration on a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that — it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to “re-create forms and pieces” of food that are “exactly the same”, freeing cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and desserts it serves are 3D-printed, rather than farm to table.

Sustainability (可持续性)

The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and some analysts estimate that food production will need to be raised by 50 percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity. 3D food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe printers could use hydrocolloids (水解胶体) from plentiful renewables like algae (藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients (烹饪原料). 3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions. Grocery stores of the future might stock “food” that lasts years on end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.

Nutrition

Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia University, said, “Food printing could allow consumers to print food with customized nutritional content like vitamins. So instead of eating a piece of yesterdays bread from the supermarket, you’d eat something baked just for you on demand.”

Challenges

Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many challenges to overcome. Currently, most ingredients must be changed to a paste (糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing process is quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other in very complex ways. On top of that, most of the 3D food printers now are restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go bad. Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are better suited for fast food restaurants than homes and high-end restaurants.

1. What can we learn about 3D food printing from Paragraphs 3?

A．It solves food shortages easily.

B．It quickens the transportation of food.

C．It needs no space for the storage of food.

D．It uses renewable materials as sources of food.

2. According to Paragraph 4, 3D-printed food ______________.

A．is more available to consumers

B．can meet individual nutritional needs

C．is more tasty than food in supermarkets

D．can keep all the nutrition in raw materials

3. What is the main factor that prevents 3D food printing from spreading widely?

A．The printing process is complicated.

B．3D food printers are too expensive.

C．Food materials have to be dry.

D．Some experts doubt 3D food printing.

4. What could be the best title of the passage?

A．3D Food Printing: Delicious New Technology.

B．A New Way to Improve 3D Food Printing.

C．The Challenges for 3D Food Production.

D．3D Food Printing: From Farm to Table.

【推荐1】With the 2019 Spring Festival around the corner, more and more Chinese people are planning to spend their Pig Year Spring Festival holidays abroad.   Malaysia, a beautiful Southeast Asian country on the maritime silk road, has become the favorite tour destination for Chinese people. Here are four places well worth visiting.

Kuala Lumpur

The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, is a common favorite. Unlike most of the cities in the world, it is more than where the visitor lands and then goes off to other places, because Kuala Lumpur itself offers two must-see attractions: One is Menara KL Tower and Petronas Tower, the second highest twin towers in Asia, on the top of which tourists can enjoy beautiful skyline and outlook of the whole city. The other is the Perdana Lake Gardens. During the Pig Year Spring Festival, the celebrations such as lion dance, dragon dance, lantern riddles, acrobatics will be held. All above free and open 24 hours.

Selangor

Selangor defines the most developed and populated states of Malaysia, closely following the urban extending area of Kuala Lumpur. It has the National Zoo of Malaysia and a first-class motor race tracks. It is a hot shopping zone, and the country's gambling capital, Gentling Highlands. Besides, there are the Batu Caves with Hindu religion. Along the fiver in Kuala Selangor, one can see the wonderful crowds of fireflies flying in the night sky like bright stars.

Admission: 15yuan for per tourist.

Penang

Penang on the west coast of Malaysia is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. Its historic capital city, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is famous for its landmark homes, fort, temples and museums. Penang offers an excellent spread, including some incredible street food. Some of the best treats and tastes are available at the food joints lining the waterfront roads.

Admission for George Town: 100 yuan for per adult, children under 15 free, group tickets a 30% discount.

Tioman Island

Tioman Island is set in the east coast of Malaysia, where it is carved into different beaches, and it is unlike most of the other travel destinations of Malaysia. It is not too far away from Singapore, but is tiny in terms of development. Interestingly, the accommodation is great, though available at low costs.

1. Where will the activities with strang Chinese elements be held?

A．Tioman Island	B．The Batu Caves, Selangor
C．The Perdana Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur	D．George Tow, Penang

2. We can't ________ in Selanger.

A．enjoy horseraces	B．visit the Caves
C．go shopping	D．observe shining fireflies

3. How much will a couple and their 12-year-old son spend on a visit to George Town in a tour group?

A．140 yuan	B．200 yuan
C．250 yuan	D．170 yuan

【推荐2】Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the south China, destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One people was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour. “I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him, safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children. “There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded area and the welfare department (福利机构) brought them food, clothes and shelter.
1. How many homes altogether were damaged in the storm?

A．Fourteen	B．Twenty-one
C．Twenty-nine.	D．Thirty-six

2. Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hut because            .

A．her husband knew there would be a storm

B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C．she felt the house was moving

D．the welfare department helped her

3. The underlined word “shelter” in the last paragraph in this passage means            .

A．something to eat	B．something to wear
C．somewhere to study	D．somewhere to stay

4. Which of the followings may be the best title for this passage?

A．A Terrible Storm	B．A Lucky Woman
C．Good Soldiers	D．Clever People

【推荐3】The state of the world’s plants is not strong. One in five plant species faces the risk of disappearance, according to a report. And such loss of plant variety could have destructive influences on our own plant uses.

“Plants are extremely momentous to human beings,” said Kathy Willis, science director at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, who led the new report. “Plants provide us with everything--- food, fuel, medicine, and they are unbelievably important for our climate controlling. Without plants we would not be here.”

The good news is that deforestation rates around the world have decreased to a great extent since the 1950s. However, this first-ever report on the health of plant species around the world shows that there is much more to be done.

The report, named the “State of the World’s Plants”, estimates that there are now about 390,900 plant species known to science. And some 21 percent of those plants are in danger of disappearance. “The positive side is that we’re still discovering lots of new plants, about 2,000 each year, new plants for food, for fuel and for drugs,” said Dr Willis. “The bad side is that we’ve seen a huge change in land cover, mainly driven by cultural activity, with a little bit of climate change in there as well.”

Human activity has a significant effect on the risk of plant disappearance. As humans cut down forests to clear space for agriculture, towns and cities, vast stores of biodiversity (生物多样性) are lost.

Losing the diversity of plants could also be a problem for human use. Not only could this affect our own food supply directly, it could also affect the food web. If a plant-eating animal loses some of its food supplies, that change could affect the food chain.

1. What does the underlined word “momentous” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Crucial.	B．Available.
C．Bottomless.	D．Replaceable.

2. How many plant species known to science are at risk of extinction?

A．About 20.	B．About 2,000.
C．About 82,000.	D．About 390,900.

3. What causes the loss of biodiversity according to the text?

A．Nature climate change.	B．Loss of vital food bases.
C．Destructive human activity.	D．Pollution of the environment.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?

A．To show a big change in land cover.

B．To appeal to people to protect biodiversity.

C．To reveal some harmful human behavior.

D．To introduce some endangered plant species.