1 . Herman Rawi from Malaysia uploads TikTok videos of him tasting all kinds of food. But the video of him eating snow on Jan.28 is the only one that comes with a cautionary warning.

Having to battle hot weathers on the equator for most time of the year, almost all of Malaysians love cold dessert. Perhaps this is why Herman tends to lack self-control when he sees snow. During his recent trip to Yamagata, Japan, he filmed himself eating a ball of snow. “A reason — I had terrible fever, cough, runny nose and body aches for eight days,” he wrote in the video’s description.

Herman claimed, “I used to eat snow during the winter when I studied in the UK years ago. I would often go for the freshest snow at an undisturbed place and never fell sick.”

While you may assume snow that’s freshly fallen and collected in an undisturbed area is free of any harmful substances, don’t be so sure. According to meteorologist Mary Scarzello Fairbanks, snow isn’t all that pure. “It’s formed when water-drops freeze around some dust in the air, forming an ice crystal that continues to collect water vapor and form a snowflake. When the snowflake falls, it will also collect things hanging in the air, including dirt and even bacterial particles. If it’s windy, snow could even mix with dirt kicked up from the soil before settling,” he said.

A 2015 study published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts even demonstrated how snow could mix with gasoline exhaust 2. This all means that, theoretically, your snow ice cream could have some pretty disgusting “flavorings”.

Eating snow in an emergency is another matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns against snow snacking for anyone who is trapped, such as hikers, because it can lower one’s body temperature. In cases where there is a water supply issue, the CDC says it’s safe to take collected snow and boil it to kill some harmful bacteria.

1. Why did Herman Rawi dare to eat snow in Japan?

A．Because his fans encouraged him to do so.

B．Because many Malaysians have done it before.

C．Because the snow in Japan is cleaner than elsewhere.

D．Because he had a lot of experiences eating snow before.

2. What’s Mary Scarzello Fairbanks’ attitude towards eating snow?

A．Casual.

B．Doubtful.

C．Opposed.

D．Appreciative.

3. What can we infer from CDC’s release?

A．In any case you can’t eat snow snacks.

B．Boiling can kill all the bacteria in the snow.

C．It’s acceptable to eat snow directly in an emergency.

D．In some cases you can drink boiled snow water.

4. What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To warn the readers against eating snow at will.

B．To share an interesting story with readers.

C．To prove snow is not fit to be consumed by people.

D．To explain why eating Japanese snow can make people sick.

3 . 4 YouTube Channels That You Need to Watch

Yes Theory
6.57M Subscribers

Driven by the motto “Seek Discomfort,” Yes Theory aims to spread a message of positivity and fearlessness through pursuing projects and missions that help bring people outside their comfort zones. There is no doubt that many of us may feel too scared to pursue ambitious goals, which is why Yes Theory takes on some of the most daunting (令人望而却步的) adventures to show people that discomfort helps achieve a great life.

Nas Daily
2.45M Subscribers

Being a graduate of Harvard, Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas Daily, makes an effort to provide a YouTube channel that highlights the “most incredible humans on planet Earth.” His videos often feature individuals who are creating change in the world, and he also covers some of the most important topics of discussion like climate change.

TED-Ed
13.7M Subscribers

TED-Ed is one of the most famous YouTube channels when it comes to learning and inspiration. The channel has no specific video producer as it features presentations from people all around the world. These videos feature a wide variety of topics, and there is no specific subject that the channel focuses on. Instead, it provides insight into anything that can benefit the viewers, and it truly is a great resource to use if you would like to learn something new.

Be Inspired
7.4M Subscribers

Be Inspired is a YouTube channel that provides videos to help people improve their overall well-being. These videos include a wide variety of topics such as sleep, stress, economics, jobs, setting and achieving goals, and creating plans. The channel also includes short and inspirational videos that help people realize the mistakes they are making and ways to solve them.

1. Which channel encourages viewers to challenge themselves?

A．Be Inspired.

B．Yes Theory.

C．Nas Daily.

D．TED-Ed.

2. What benefit will viewers most probably get from Be Inspired?

A．Learning the latest news.	B．Meeting incredible humans.
C．Having access to job opportunities.	D．Improving their overall well-being.

3. What do the four channels have in common?

A．They are inspirational.

B．They are favored by students.

C．They all have over 6M subscribers.

D．They all have one specific video producer.