1 . In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet?
According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”
To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.
After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.
Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.
1. What can be learned about an online echo chamber?| A．It encourages well-judged views. |
| B．It gathers like-minded individuals. |
| C．It functions as a virtual reality platform. |
| D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information. |
| A．Assignment of situations. | B．Trust-building exercises. |
| C．News selection strategy. | D．Community impact assessment. |
| A．The results of scientific testing. |
| B．The theoretical framework of the game. |
| C．The description of the game procedures. |
| D．The common challenges faced during gameplay. |
| A．Reducing news inquiry. | B．Encouraging passive reading. |
| C．Strengthening prejudiced views. | D．Enhancing critical thinking. |
2 . A satellite is an object in space that orbits around another. It has two kinds — natural satellites and artificial satellites. The moon is a natural satellite that moves around the earth while artificial satellites are those made by man.
Despite their widespread impact on daily life, artificial satellites mainly depend on different complicated makeups. On the outside, they may look like a wheel, equipped with solar panels or sails. Inside, the satellites contain mission-specific scientific instruments, which include whatever tools the satellites need to perform their work. Among them, high-resolution cameras and communication electronics are typical ones. Besides, the part that carries the load and holds all the parts together is called the bus.
Artificial satellites operate in a systematic way just like humans. Computers function as the satellite’s brain, which receive information, interpret it, and send messages back to the earth. Advanced digital cameras serve as the satellite’s eyes. Sensors are other important parts that not only recognize light, heat, and gases, but also record changes in what is being observed. Radios on the satellite send information back to the earth. Solar panels provide electrical power for the computers and other equipment, as well as the power to move the satellite forward.
Artificial satellites use gravity to stay in their orbits. Earth’s gravity pulls everything toward the center of the planet. To stay in the earth’s orbit, the speed of a satellite must adjust to the tiniest changes in the pull of gravity. The satellite’s speed works against earth’s gravity just enough so that it doesn’t go speeding into space or falling back to the earth.
Rockets carry satellites to different types and heights of orbits, based on the tasks they need to perform. Satellites closer to the earth are in low-earth orbit, which can be 200-500 miles high. The closer to the earth, the stronger the gravity is. Therefore, these satellites must travel at about 17,000 miles per hour to keep from falling back to the earth, while higher-orbiting satellites can travel more slowly.
1. What is Paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?| A．The appearance of artificial satellites. | B．The components of artificial satellites. |
| C．The basic function of artificial satellites. | D．The specific mission of artificial satellites. |
| A．Providing electrical power. | B．Recording changes observed. |
| C．Monitoring space environment. | D．Processing information received. |
| A．By relying on powerful rockets to get out of gravity. |
| B．By orbiting at a fixed speed regardless of gravity’s pull. |
| C．By changing speed constantly based on the pull of gravity. |
| D．By resisting the pull of gravity with advanced technologies. |
| A．They are more affected by earth’s gravity. |
| B．They take advantage of rockets more effectively. |
| C．They have weaker pull of gravity in higher orbits. |
| D．They are equipped with more advanced instruments. |
3 . China’s space medicine experts have started planning to set up a “space hospital” to serve astronauts, according to Du Jichen, a leading scientist and president of the Aerospace Center Hospital in Beijing.
“We are carrying out extensive research, experiments and tests on the ground to advance the first work on a space hospital that can be fixed inside a manned spacecraft like our space station. The purpose of this project is that it will enable our space explorers to travel deeper and stay healthy during their journey,” said Du.
“The research, design and construction of such a space-based clinic will also help to lead the development of our country’s medical technology and hardware, thus promoting the entire medical and healthcare sectors,” Du said. Chinese space medicine experts have been discussing a sustainable approach to keep astronauts fit and treat possible health conditions in lengthy spaceflights.
“A mainstream idea is that we can place a small ‘medical complex’ inside the space station or other spacecraft that can meet the basic needs of diagnosis and treatment,” the scientist said.
Du said that with the medical facility, astronauts will be able to use self-examination instruments to make a diagnosis if they do not feel well, and then can take timely medical measures. Currently, medical support for astronauts mostly relies on doctors on the ground.
The biggest challenge in this program is that engineers must figure out how to pack medical devices into a very limited space, Du said, adding that they need to upgrade current technologies and use interdisciplinary (跨学科) teamwork to achieve this goal. Medical scientists and engineers have conducted a great deal of research to prepare Chinese astronauts for the missions, Du said.
They have focused on the impact on astronauts’ health during long-term space missions, as well as investigating how the special environment inside the space station, especially its weightlessness, will affect astronauts’ health, particularly their cerebral functions.
1. What does the “space hospital” aim to do?| A．Train astronauts in space. | B．Keep astronauts healthy in space. |
| C．Ensure the safety of space explorers. | D．Help to carry out more experiments. |
| A．The space hospital will improve astronauts’ medical conditions. |
| B．The medical & healthcare system needs to be updated. |
| C．Long flights never cause health problems for astronauts. |
| D．Astronauts can get timely medical treatments. |
| A．How to examine and treat astronauts. | B．How to advance medical technologies. |
| C．How to combine many subjects together. | D．How to fit medical equipment to a limited space. |
| A．Spacecrafts. | B．Doctors. | C．Weightlessness. | D．Spaceflights. |
4 . Bottle gardens are loved by many people. What’s a bottle garden? A bottle garden is exactly what it sounds like: a tiny garden planted in an object like a bottle._
By following some tips, you’ll have your bottle garden planted and thriving (茁壮成长) in no time. The first step in creating a bottle garden is selecting (挑选) the bottle. Clear bottles can allow the most sunlight to enter.
Then you should keep in mind that bottles with openings big enough to fit your hand through can make planting easier.
When the bottle is ready, put inside some rich soil and plants suitable for a bottle garden. Once you grow the plants in the way you like, remember to place your bottle in a bright space which won’t have direct sunlight. East-facing windows often work well for this purpose.
| A．How do the bottle gardens work? |
| B．Such gardens don’t have a very long history. |
| C．They make thoughtful and eco-friendly gifts. |
| D．Why would anyone want to grow a garden in a bottle? |
| E．If you choose a colored bottle, select plants that prefer low levels of light. |
| F．If not, you’ll have to use tools to work the soil and plants inside the bottle. |
| G．You can also use a grow light if your home doesn’t have any suitable windows. |
5 . Tom Sawyer Play Is an Adventure
A 35-minute hand-clapping, foot-stomping musical version of a Mark Twain favorite returns with this Tall Stacks festival.
“Tom Sawyer: A River Adventure” has all the good stuff, including the fence painting, the graveyard, the island and the cave. It is adapted by Joe McDonough, with music by David Kisor. That’s the local stage writing team that creates many of the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s original musicals, along with the holiday family musicals at Ensemble Theatre.
This year Nathan Turner of Burlington is Tom Sawyer, and Robbie McMath of Fort Mitchell is Huck Finn.
Tumer, a 10th-grader at School for Creative and Performing Arts, is a familiar presence on Cincinnati’s stages. He is a star act or of Children’s Theatre, having played leading roles in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and is fresh from Jersey Production “Ragtime”.
McMath is a junior at Beechwood High School. He was in the cast of “Tom Sawyer” when it was first performed and is a Children’s Theatre regular, with five shows to his credit. This summer he attended Kentucky’s Governor’s School for the Arts in Musical Theatre.
Note to teachers: Children’s Theatre has a study guide demonstrating how math and science can be taught through “Tom Sawyer.” For downloadable lessons, visit the official website of Children’s Theatre.
1. Who wrote the music for “Tom Sawyer: A River Adventure”?| A．David Kisor. | B．Joe McDonough. |
| C．Nathan Turner. | D．Robbie McMath. |
| A．They study in the same school. | B．They worked together in ”Ragtime“. |
| C．They are experienced on stage. | D．They became friends ten years ago. |
| A．Research funding. | B．Training opportunities. |
| C．Technical support. | D．Educational resources. |
In the spring sun, my aunt and I headed for her flower shop. Normally I would be delighted to help in her shop, but not recently because of Rosa. Rosa was my sister, just one month old, who was settled in my old bedroom. For ten years, the small room was full of my toys and books. But now it was transformed into her baby room, decorated like a garden with pinks and yellows. My space, my old life, was gone.
“Here we are!” We arrived at the shop, a wave of colour and sweet smell washing over me. My aunt said I could pick some flowers for Mum and Dad. I used to love this, but today I was so overcome with tiredness and envy. Why bother to bring them flowers when they were enjoying Rosa at home without me?
Silently I helped my aunt arrange flowers. “Your mum told me there hasn’t been much shut eye recently for any of you.” “Not much, since Rosa the alarm clock was installed (安装).” I complained with a huge yawn (哈欠).
“I remember having to creep (蹑手蹑脚地走) around like a worn-out mouse when your mum was a baby. I spent the first months hating her so much.” “But you and Mum seem so close,” I said, guiltily hiding away my envy of Rosa.
“Now we are. But it took me years to grow into the role of big sister. Few flowers blossom (绽放) overnight, you know.” She pulled me in for aside hug, glancing up at the clock, and suggested I take a walk outside.
Behind her shop was a field dotted with spring flowers. Stepping into the field, I began to pick little flowers. It was like gathering my childhood memories. I remembered how I’d sit with Dad, making flower chains, crowning (授予) each other with the silliest titles: Queen of Junk Food and King of Mess. My smile grew wider. The shining yellow flowers reminded me of the color in Rosa’s baby room. Was she awake? I wondered.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Suddenly I saw two familiar figures walking towards me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rosa was wide awake in her baby basket beside the picnic blanket.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . My grandchild, Harold, was celebrating his 7th birthday. Asked what
Harold remembered me telling of these
I followed the
As I presented the perfectly crafted fudge to Harold, his eyes sparkled with
| A．colour | B．gift | C．plan | D．game |
| A．did | B．witnessed | C．bought | D．considered |
| A．stick | B．pie | C．candy | D．soup |
| A．changes | B．failures | C．thrills | D．hardships |
| A．fact | B．reason | C．belief | D．theory |
| A．complained | B．resisted | C．persisted | D．agreed |
| A．story | B．recipe | C．grandson | D．thought |
| A．avoided | B．regretted | C．enjoyed | D．kept |
| A．scary | B．interesting | C．amazing | D．awkward |
| A．quiet | B．proper | C．regular | D．difficult |
| A．ahead | B．late | C．fine | D．wrong |
| A．joy | B．intelligence | C．humor | D．inspiration |
| A．stood for | B．weighed on | C．struck at | D．washed over |
| A．education | B．involvement | C．growth | D．fun |
| A．interruption | B．request | C．answer | D．pleasure |
8 . How to Care for Indoor Plants
If you’ve ever had an indoor plant that’s quickly withered (枯萎), you might believe that you don’t have a green thumb or you’re not cut out for growing plants.
Stick your finger in the soil to determine how wet it is below the surface. If you put your finger into the soil up to your joint, you can feel if your plant needs more water. If the soil feels damp, then you don’t need to water it.
Use water that is at room temperature. 68F or 20C is the best temperature to keep the water that you’re using to water your plants.
Use a hand-held moisture (水分) meter to ensure water levels in your soil.
| A．Keep potting soil moist, but not wet. |
| B．Indoor plants are not necessarily good for us. |
| C．Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case. |
| D．Test whether your finger is long enough to put into the soil. |
| E．You can use a thermometer to determine the temperature of the water. |
| F．Over-watering can lead to rotting of the root which you need to fix. |
| G．Moisture meters are the most accurate way to determine how hydrated your plants are. |
9 . Perhaps some of your richest and most satisfying experiences have been with people to whom you can just talk, talk, talk. As you speak, previously untapped springs of ideas and emotions begin to flow; you hear yourself saying things you never thought you knew.
Happiness, in the final analysis, comes from other people, from a feeling of kinship with the world. An evening of good conversation with congenial friends is about the cheapest form of happiness you can buy — and about the most exhilarating.
Of course, there are all kinds of talkers, and all kinds of talk. Let’s look at some of them.
Saying little, meaning much
There is a well-known anecdote about Cal Coolidge, “Silent Cal”.
A young newspaperwoman was sitting next to him at a banquet, so the story goes, and turned to him mischievously.
“Mr Coolidge,” she said, “I have a bet with my editor that I can get you to say more than two words to me this evening.”
“You lose,” Coolidge rejoined simply.
Words, words, words
Jimmy talks and talks and talks — it’s not so much the quantity you object to as the repetitiousness. He phrases, rephrases, and re-rephrases his thoughts — using far more words than necessary, overwhelming you with words, drowning you with them, until your only thought is to escape, or maybe how to die.
Words that convince
Jack expresses his ideas forcefully, almost brilliantly, and in a way that calls for wholehearted assent and agreement from an intelligent listener.
Dull and flat
Some people are completely lacking in originality and imagination — and their speech shows it. Everything they say is trite, hackneyed, commonplace — their words and speech patterns are an indication of dull, unquestioning minds.
1. Coolidge can be described as___________.| A．expressive | B．laconic | C．inactive | D．talkative |
| A．expressive | B．laconic | C．fluent | D．wordy |
| A．mental keenness | B．meaninglessness |
| C．noisiness | D．awkwardness |
| A．original | B．unique | C．stimulating | D．uninteresting |
10 . The Best Museums to Visit in Singapore
From the essential museums to tick off your list to cool art spaces you never knew existed, here’s the essential guide to Singapore’s art galleries.
Singapore’s culture scene is wildly underrated, more so than most would think. This is especially since it is home to some of the best museums and galleries in the region. This October, get out of your comfort zone and fill your free time getting reacquainted with Singapore’s art and culture scene.
The Ones You Can’t Miss
National Gallery Singapore
Formerly the Supreme Court and City Hall, this behemoth of an art museum—it’s the largest of its kind in Singapore—focuses on Southeast Asian art from the 19th century up until today. And with several kid—friendly exhibits and installations, the little ones have lots to check out, too. Round off the day by having a cocktail at the museum’s rooftop bar Smoke & Mirrors, which overlooks the Singapore skyline.
National Museum of Singapore
Previously known as Singapore History Museum, the National Museum of Singapore is the largest local museum. It comprises two main galleries: the Singapore History Gallery, which traces the history of Singapore from its beginnings in the 14th century to the present day, and the Singapore Living Galleries, which focus on four themes: food, fashion, film and photography. Check out the museum’s permanent exhibition, Story of the Forest, and experience the treasured collection of the National Museum brought to life through a spectacular digital presentation.
ArtScience Museum
Fusing art and science, the 21 gallery spaces here have hosted some of the most famous exhibitions in the world. We’ re talking about those that feature the sets, costumes and props from blockbuster films such as Titanic and the Harry Potter franchise. Its permanent exhibition, Future World, is a mind—bender: designed by Japanese arts collective teamLab, the show takes visitors on an interactive journey of lights, digital art and magic.
Asian Civilisations Museum
The Asian Civilisations Museum is the first in the region to represent an integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. It boasts 11 galleries showcasing more than 1,300 artefacts from the civilisations of China, South Asia and West Asia. Don’t miss # SGFASHIONNOW, the museum’s first display of contemporary Singapore fashion in the context of Asia’s cultural heritage.
1. What does the website most probably serve as?| A．Tourists’ comprehensive guide. | B．Tourists’ guide to museums. |
| C．Tourists’ planner. | D．Museums’ manager. |
| A．the National Gallery Singapore | B．the National Museum of Singapore |
| C．the ArtScience Museum | D．the Asian Civilisations Museum |
| A．The National Museum of Singapore boasts 11 galleries showcasing more than 1,300 artefacts |
| B．The ArtScience Museum promotes artistic experimentation in the mediums of print and paper. |
| C．The National Gallery Singapore serves as a platform to showcase the rich history of Chinatown areas. |
| D．The Asian Civilisations Museum presents pan-Asian cultures and civilisations from various aspects. |
