A baby mermaid was just born in Finland; Justin Bibber is getting married; iphone 6 is going to be released this year…We read rumors every day on the Internet. With the help of social media, rumors — no matter whether they are true or false — spread like wildfire, and sometimes we can’t be sure what to believe.
Now, an international group of researchers might be able to make it easier for us. They are working on a lie detector that could separate online truth from lies, Discovery news reported.
Named after the Greek goddess Pheme, famed for spreading bad rumors, the system is far from a traditional lie detector, which works by attaching a machine to a potential liar. Instead, Pheme analyzes the rumor directly.
When a rumor comes out, on a micro blog, for example, Pheme can trace the source of information to see if it was released by reliable sources like experts or news agencies. If it wasn’t, Pheme then examines the history and background of the account to identify whether it was created just to spread rumors — whether it’s what’s called an “Internet bot.”
After finding the source of the rumor, the system can keep a close eye on how other users react to the rumor — either confirming or denying it — to help analyze and further determine the reliability of the information.
Some people might find the Pheme system unnecessary based on the idea that false rumors never survive for long and people always get to the truth over time. While that’s a fair point, there is a certain class of rumors, such as “a tiger is at large” or “an asteroid (小行星) is about to hit the Earth”, that can cause panic among people and thus lead to serious consequences.
These are cases when we need to be able to check for accuracy quickly. “Our system aims to help with that, by tracking and verifying information in real time,” lead researcher Kalina Bontcheva, at the University of Sheffield, UK, told the BBC.
According to Bontcheva, Pheme is still under development and won’t be ready for another 18 months.
Until then, there’s an old fashioned technique that you can use to protect yourself from false information — ask questions, check sources and don’t believe any claim until you’ve seen the evidence for it.
1.What is the article about?
A. Tips on how to deal with rumors online.
B. Factors that make rumors so easy to spread.
C. A new device that can check whether online rumors are true or not.
D. An introduction to some types of lie detectors.
2.By writing the first paragraph, the writer intends to ________.
A. share with readers some exciting news
B. warn readers not to trust anything on the Internet
C. tell readers rumors are out of control
D. introduce the topic of the passage
3.What makes Pheme different from a traditional lie detector?
A. It works by attaching a machine to a potential liar.
B. It examines a statement’s truthfulness directly.
C. It can identify a rumor and prevent it from spreading.
D. It is controlled by what is called an “Internet bot”
4.How does the Pheme system determine the reliability of a piece of information?
A. Based on the reliability of its sources and the history of its authors.
B. Based on how the majority of people react to it.
C. By collecting and examining relevant information to further confirm it.
D. By making use of an “Internet bot” to track and verify the information.
5.Which of the following statements might the author agree with?
A. The Pheme system is not very helpful because all rumors eventually die down.
B. The Pheme system will be ready to help social networks become more accurate by the end of 2014.
C. The Pheme system can identify almost all kinds of rumors on social networking sites.
D. The Pheme system aims to respond to rumors quickly so as to reduce the impact of false ones.
Plan on traveling around the USA this summer．If you need help in arranging the trip，or want ideas about where to go and what to do, there are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true．
http：//byways．org
The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads．Some are natural routes，such as Route l along the California coast．Others focus on history(such as Route 6) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Strip)．For each, you are provided with a map，told the route’s length and how long is allowed，and given detailed suggestions on sights and stop-offs．
www．oyster．com
This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and resorts．The reviews are impressively thorough--covering locations，rooms，cleanliness，food and so on．Importantly，these are not promotional photos by the hotels，but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors．Search facilities are excellent．From the 243 hotels reviewed in the New York，you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations，facilities and styles，or just pick out a selection of the best．
www．101usaholidays．co．uk
This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas to the USA．It’s an impressively diverse selection，ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine—tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley．Narrow down what you are looking for--whether by price，region，theme and who will be traveling--and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view．It’s a really clever design．
www．mousesavers．com
Walt Disney World in California can make dreams come true，but the price is not affordable for the majority of people．
So turn to long established Mousesavers．com，dedicated to giving big discounts on tickets，hotels and dining at Walt Disney World．The website also offers general money—saving tips，suggestions for cheap and free stuff and brief coverage of other Florida and California theme parks．
1.If you are going to the USA for the man-made attractions，you can drive along________
A．Route l B．Route 6
C．the Las Vegas Trip D．the California coast
2.Why are the photos of the hotels in US cities and resorts real in WWW．oyster．com?
A．Because they were taken by customers who once lived there．
B．Because there are comments of customers on each photo.
C．Because there are qualifications of the authority．
D．Because they are taken by inspectors of the website．
3.Travel ideas for a big family’ with kids and the old are available at ．
A．http：／／byways．org
B．www．oyster．com
C．www．101 us holidays．co．uk
D．www．mouse savers．com
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．WWW.mouse savers.com is a newly established website．
B．Discounted tickets of Walt Disney World are not available for everyone．
C．California’s Napa Valley is famous for its wine.
D．The National Scenic Byways Proclaim covers all the roads in the USA．
5.Where does the text probably come from?
A．A news report． B．A tourist brochure．
C．A culture journal． D．A health column．
A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favourite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.
When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby (大厅). While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, “Oh, it's beautiful！”
At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said “Sayonara” and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong?
Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet clients (客人) casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safe keeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.
Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn't even given them a gift!
1.In the four Japanese gentlemen's eyes, Geri took their cards ________．
A．disrespectfully B．embarrassingly
C．politely D. excitedly
2.Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?
A．Because they had finished the task.
B．Because they couldn't bear Geri's behaviour any longer.
C．Because Geri had something more important to do.
D．Because Geri felt embarrassed.
3.What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A．ignorance. B．mistake.
C. sadness D．carelessness.
4.The third mistake Geri made was that she ________．
A．used her own card as a conversation starter
B．took her clients' cards with one hand
C．met her clients in jeans
D．kept her clients' cards in a wrong place
5.What lesson can we draw from this story?
A．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
B．Think twice before you take any action.
C．Honesty is the best policy.
D．Don't claim to know what you don't know.
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
As a child, I was very competitive. It didn’t matter __ I was playing sports, working in class, or earning money. I looked at everything as a ___ and I always wanted to be the ___ _.
At the age of seven, I __ _ selling vegetables door to door and soon was addicted to ___ __. It was a great way to help others and make ____ __. I began selling everything I could get my ___ _ on. I learned early, however, that my success in selling wasn’t only the result of getting people to buy a particular item, ____ _ rather that people bought from me largely because they liked me and ____ _ me. That distinction really ____ __ my life.
As I focused more ____ __ helping people, I noticed more and more business opportunities around me. It’s funny how that ____ __. After my ninth birthday, I started my first business. The one ability that has really helped me the most is being able to recognize a “____ _” in the marketplace and then figure out what needs to be done in order to ___ __ the idea into a money-making opportunity.
Over the following years I started several different ____ __. I have been fortunate enough to make my first million before ____ __ from high school and buy my own house by the age of twenty.
So if you’ve got an idea or a passion for ____ __, it’s good to get started now. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Opportunities are all around you, but you won’t see them ___ _ you look for them. In the worse case, you learn from your ___ _ and increase your chances of success the next time. So do what ____ __ inspires you. It’s never too early – or too late – to pursue your passion and achieve your dream.
1.A. that B. whether C. what D. which
2.A. chance B. challenge C. luck D. fortune
3.A. happiest B. favorite C. best D. luckiest
4.A. set B. enjoyed C. started D. shared
5.A. swimming B. shopping C. skipping D. selling
6.A. journey B. sense C. money D. choice
7.A. hands B. arms C. legs D. knees
8.A. so B. but C. or D. and
9.A. cheated B. agreed C. trusted D. required
10.A. recognized B. shaped C. developed D. conducted
11.A. over B. through C. along D. on
12.A. produces B. works C. looks D. acts
13.A. deal B. promise C. change D. need
14.A. look B. take C. turn D. get
15.A. experiences B. trips C. classes D. businesses
16.A. dropping B. graduating C. persuading D. preventing
17.A. anything B. nothing C. something D. everything
18.A. unless B. if C. after D. since
19.A. travels B. views C. mistakes D. advantages
20.A. really B. wrongly C. hardly D. nearly
Mr. Brown’s condition looks very serious and it is doubtful if he will ________.
A. pull back B. pull up
C. pull through D. pull out
When talking about doing exercise, you should choose an activity that you enjoy and _____ that you will stick with.
A. the one B. one
C. 不填 D. another
