1 . I did an experiment last week. No, nothing involving test tubes or beakers (烧杯). Instead, I experimented with not watching the news right before I went to bed.

This is a long-time habit of mine so it’s probably not surprising that the first couple of nights I got a little twitchy when news time rolled around and I wasn’t watching. To distract myself, I went to bed a little earlier and read. Wow, what a treat that was! I love to read but I don’t always make the time for it so this felt quite luxurious. On the nights I didn’t read, I spent a little extra time petting my dog, Henry. He loved it. There’s never enough ear scratching for him. The compromise nights were when I had a book in one hand and was petting the dog with the other. Happy all around!

The funny thing about happiness is that it’s a whole lot easier to feel when you’re not being bombarded (轰炸) by images of bad news. It’s not like skipping the late news means that I don’t know what’s going on in the world. I still do read, listen to, and watch news stories. Just not right before I go to bed. That makes it easier to fall asleep and then stay asleep without dreaming about crime, wars, or natural disasters. (Although that dream I had about going to the prom might count as a natural disaster!) It’s definitely a much gentler way to end the day. I like it so much that I’m going to not only continue the no news before bed practice, but I’m also going to experiment with turning off other electronics earlier in the evening, things like the computer and smart phone.

Do you have any experience with turning off your electronics early in the evening? Does setting a particular time, like digital Quiet Hours, work? Please share any tips you have. Something tells me that this could be a little more challenging for me than no news.

1. What does the underlined word “twitchy” mean?

A．Angry.

B．Sad.

C．Anxious.

D．Pleased.

2. What did the author do to distract himself from watching news?

A．To treat himself with snacks.

B．To read to his dog.

C．To turn off the TV.

D．To read in bed.

3. What’s the result of the author’s experiment?

A．He had more time to walk his dog.

B．He was less exposed to images of bad news.

C．He was cut off from the current world.

D．He had nightmares.

4. What does the author intend to do by writing the text?

A．To encourage the readers to cut down time on electronics.

B．To gather the readers’advice in watching TV.

C．To share the effect of watching news.

D．To tell the readers the importance of reading.

2 . During the ongoing battle against the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP)(新型冠状肺炎), you may have read news that garlic can quickly kill the virus but it proved to be misinformation. While the nation continues to fight against the NCP, it’s also stepping up efforts to fight the spread of misinformation.

In the Internet era, the nature of how information spreads has changed largely. Information and misinformation can spread to thousands of people in seconds.

For most people, fact-checking is an afterthought — if it is a thought at all. Therefore, misinformation spreads, said The Washington Post. People simply prefer passing on information that will lead to an emotional response(反应) from readers. Whether or not it is factual is not always important.

Misinformation could be a greater danger than the virus itself. Misinformation is “making the work of our heroic workers even harder”, World Health Organization(WHO) Director-General Tedros told China Daily. He said misinformation “causes confusion and spreads fear”.

During the fight against the NCP, Ghebreyesus said that “at the WHO we’re not just fighting against the virus, we’re also battling conspiracy(阴谋) theories that undermine our response. ”

It is true that as China races to contain the NCP and minimize(减少到最低限度) its spread across countries, fears and rumors(谣言) surrounding the virus are creating their own problems on social media. “Ironically(讽刺地), speed is important on those things,” US professor Gabriel Kahn told The Los Angeles Times. “But.... those are the ones you have to be most certain about verifying (验证) before you share.”

As ordinary people, we may not be able to devote ourselves like those medical staff. But we could think twice about what we read. If you can be careful about sharing information, it’s your contribution to the fight against the outbreak.

1. According to the article, what is the main cause of the spread of misinformation?

A．The lack of fact-checking.

B．An increase in viruses.

C．People’s desire to trick others.

D．Changes in the way people view information.

2. What does the underlined word “undermine” in Para.5 probably mean?

A．Test.

B．Harm.

C．Guide.

D．Explain.

3. What problem has been found during the battle against the NCP?

A．People have fears caused by misinformation.

B．It is hard to deal with misinformation across countries.

C．Rumors about the virus travel too fast to be controlled.

D．Social media creates problems for people to verify misinformation.

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

A．To share tips on how to fight against misinformation.

B．To introduce some misinformation about the NCP.

C．To call on people to watch out for misinformation.

D．To tell people what China has done to deal with misinformation.