1 . The first-ever fine for space junk was issued in early October in a case of off-planet environmental enforcement (执法). The television company, Dish Network, was hit with a $125,000 fine by the United States government for failing to remove a satellite in orbit that would have risked a collision (撞击) with other space equipment, a safety concern that will only grow with time as off-planet activities increase.
According to NASA, debris (碎片) orbiting in space can travel up to 15 kilometres per second, which is nearly 10 times faster than the velocity (速度) of a bullet. A huge amount of damage can be caused by something just a few centimetres in size, meaning that every effort must be taken to keep space as clear as possible. Collisions that take place in space have an effect back on Earth. Damaged satellites impact our ability to use the Internet and navigation (导航), leaving increasingly global critical infrastructure in an unstable state.
One solution for this may be to send autonomous space vehicles into orbit, which can then catch and effectively de-orbit space junk. By utilizing tools such as robotic arms, or nets, this approach will require very precise track and fine cooperation in order to be successful. Such measures are yet to catch up with the increase in space activity and pollution currently occurring. Therefore, fines and regulatory enforcement may presently be the only realistic method to hold organizations accountable.
The Dish Network satellite, fined $125,000 by the Federal Communications Commission, failed to de-orbit as a lack of fuel stopped the satellite from fully decommissioning (退役) a safe distance from Earth, falling short by around 75 miles (120 kilometres). It is hoped that significant fines like these will serve as a warning for companies, forcing them to make sure the safe decommissioning of their space operations.
1. Why was Dish Network fined?| A．It left space junk in orbit. | B．It increased off-planet activities. |
| C．It made collisions among space equipment. | D．It sent too much space equipment to space. |
| A．Space junk may turn into bullets. | B．Debris fragments are too tiny to track. |
| C．Debris may cause great damage in space. | D．A bad space environment will destroy the Earth. |
| A．The harm of space junk. | B．Ways to remove space junk. |
| C．Types of autonomous space vehicles. | D．Approaches to stopping satellites. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Approving. |
1. 骑行者缺乏安全意识；
2. 说明佩戴头盔的好处；
3. 呼吁同学们在骑电动车时佩戴头盔。
注意：1. 词数100左右，可以适当增加细节，行文连贯；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear fellow students,
A regulation has been issued recently that all citizens shall wear a helmet while riding an electric bicycle.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you!
The Student Union
3 . Have you ever heard a rumor spread around by students at your school? Rumors, like fake news, can often misinform individuals and lead them to believe false information.
In an attempt to settle this problem, the country of Singapore has passed a bill that bans companies and individuals from publishing false information online.
This law, known as The Protection From Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, has caused a public outcry (强烈的抗议), as the government has been given the power to remove content that it considers inaccurate or against the public’s interest.
Since Singapore’s citizens are part of different racial and religious groups, the government fears that rumors or fake news can increase tensions within an already small country.
With the new law coming into effect, Singapore’s government now has the authority to monitor news sites, social media platforms, and other databases of information to determine whether the content is falsified. The government can order for the removal of fake news, and publishers of this information can receive prison time and fines up to one million Singapore dollars!
Critics fear that the bill threatens their freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Since national issues and world news are generally discussed on online platforms, many are concerned that this new bill will prevent individuals from talking freely and having healthy conversations.
Several companies, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have offices situated in Singapore, meaning that the new law will affect their company operations. Social media companies in Singapore could face a decline in activity, as users may fear posting their opinions and being punished by the government.
Others are concerned that the law does not clearly state what a “false statement” is. Such an ambiguity might allow the government to misuse their power, even though the intention is to curtail the mow of false information and rumors throughout Singapore.
This law does give rise to several concerns related to freedom and privacy and it will be interesting to see what Singapore’s government will do to deal with this problem.
1. Why are some people against the bill?| A．They think the bill can’t get rid of fake news. |
| B．They belong to different racial and religious groups. |
| C．They think their freedom of speech may be harmed. |
| D．They don’t want to increase tensions in their country. |
| A．Punish publishers of fake news. |
| B．Monitor telephone conversations. |
| C．Prohibit certain people from going online. |
| D．Fine fake-news makers any amount of money. |
| A．Their users’ privacy may be disturbed. |
| B．Their income will increase very slowly. |
| C．Their illegal activities will come to light. |
| D．Their social media may become less active. |
| A．prove | B．accelerate |
| C．promote | D．decrease |
