When is a media company not a media company? When it’s on the Internet. YouTube and Facebook convey what their users read and watch, and sell advertising next to it. Edited content, financed by advertising? It sounds a lot like the model that dominated media for much of the 20th century. And yet these firms have long claimed to be mere "platforms”,passively hosting content they say they are neither able nor willing to assess. It's true that they are not like traditional media companies. Much of their content is donated by their users; and algorithms (算) not editors, decide what is most worthy of attention. But they are getting more like them every day.
The anger over “fake news” has led Facebook to employ fact checkers, hire editorial staff to control the algorithms, crack down on the spread of junk and invest in tools to help out journalists.
So what kind of media companies are Facebook, YouTube and the rest? Not good ones. Their enormous power to inform, and the huge potential value of forming connections between people around the world, have in fair measure been wasted by prioritising attention-grabbing content 一 regardless of its quality, truthfulness or seriousness, which has made the online content cheap and its tone rude.
The tech giants are now coming under increasing pressure to clean up their acts. Perhaps more exactly, the advertisers have begun to revolt (反抗):Google and Facebook now take nine out of every 10 new dollars spent on online advertising, although they have been accused of marking their own homework'", making unconvincing and unverifiable (无可考证的)claims about its effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the companies are avoiding responsibility for setting rules over their services. Excuses that the problem is too technically complex are not convincing: their engineers have proven skillful at cracking down on, say, copyright violation when it suits the firms. Nor does a firm position on free speech hold up: history is filled with examples of how a fair balance can be struck. Those have involved dialogue and democratic considerations that social media companies have thus iar mostly disdained (轻视).They should do so no longer. The firms have enjoyed the privileges and profits of media for long enough: it's time they picked up the responsibilities too.
1.What does the author think of YouTube and Facebook's claim in Paragraph 1?
A.It is unexpected. B.It is absurd.
C.It is practical. D.It is influential.
2.YouTube and Facebook aren't considered as good media companies mainly because of .
A.their low quality content B.their prejudice against morality
C.their being a time-waster D.their lack of control of speech
3.According to the text, tech giants' advertising business .
A.may not actually satisfy advertisers' needs
B.has invited users^ questioning of privacy issues
C.will be cut down to respond to public discontent
D.may not gain profit as ad spending keeps rising
4.In the last paragraph, the author suggests that new media companies should .
A.improve their overall technology
B.abandon the democratic ideal of free speech
C.take responsibility for regulating copyright issues
D.act as a medium despite their Internet background
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
When is a media company not a media company? When it’s on the Internet. YouTube and Facebook convey what their users read and watch, and sell advertising next to it. Edited content, financed by advertising? It sounds a lot like the model that dominated media for much of the 20th century. And yet these firms have long claimed to be mere "platforms”,passively hosting content they say they are neither able nor willing to assess. It's true that they are not like traditional media companies. Much of their content is donated by their users; and algorithms (算) not editors, decide what is most worthy of attention. But they are getting more like them every day.
The anger over “fake news” has led Facebook to employ fact checkers, hire editorial staff to control the algorithms, crack down on the spread of junk and invest in tools to help out journalists.
So what kind of media companies are Facebook, YouTube and the rest? Not good ones. Their enormous power to inform, and the huge potential value of forming connections between people around the world, have in fair measure been wasted by prioritising attention-grabbing content 一 regardless of its quality, truthfulness or seriousness, which has made the online content cheap and its tone rude.
The tech giants are now coming under increasing pressure to clean up their acts. Perhaps more exactly, the advertisers have begun to revolt (反抗):Google and Facebook now take nine out of every 10 new dollars spent on online advertising, although they have been accused of marking their own homework'", making unconvincing and unverifiable (无可考证的)claims about its effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the companies are avoiding responsibility for setting rules over their services. Excuses that the problem is too technically complex are not convincing: their engineers have proven skillful at cracking down on, say, copyright violation when it suits the firms. Nor does a firm position on free speech hold up: history is filled with examples of how a fair balance can be struck. Those have involved dialogue and democratic considerations that social media companies have thus iar mostly disdained (轻视).They should do so no longer. The firms have enjoyed the privileges and profits of media for long enough: it's time they picked up the responsibilities too.
1.What does the author think of YouTube and Facebook's claim in Paragraph 1?
A.It is unexpected. B.It is absurd.
C.It is practical. D.It is influential.
2.YouTube and Facebook aren't considered as good media companies mainly because of .
A.their low quality content B.their prejudice against morality
C.their being a time-waster D.their lack of control of speech
3.According to the text, tech giants' advertising business .
A.may not actually satisfy advertisers' needs
B.has invited users^ questioning of privacy issues
C.will be cut down to respond to public discontent
D.may not gain profit as ad spending keeps rising
4.In the last paragraph, the author suggests that new media companies should .
A.improve their overall technology
B.abandon the democratic ideal of free speech
C.take responsibility for regulating copyright issues
D.act as a medium despite their Internet background
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May the 14th, 1984. He is the creator of the social media site Facebook. He was a star student at school, winning prizes in astronomy, maths and physics. He was also good at Classical studies. He studied Psychology and Computer Science at Harvard University, which is where he created Facebook. His invention led to his becoming Time magazine’s Person Of The Year for 2010.
Zuckerberg excelled in everything he did in his youth. He was captain of the school fencing team, spoke many languages and was a highly skilled computer programmer. While other kids played computer games, he designed them. He created his first network while in high school to connect all of the computers - in his father’s dental surgery. He also built a media player which attracted the interest of Microsoft and AOL.
Zuckerberg started at Harvard in September 2002. In his first year, he created Facemash, a Facebook predecessor (前身), which let students select the college’s best looking people from a selection of photos.
He launched Facebook from his Harvard room in February 2004. It was the start of a rollercoaster ride that would connect half a billion people worldwide and make him the world’s youngest billionaire.
Mark Zuckerberg is now one of the most influential people on the planet. He has dined with the president of the USA and regularly attends global economic summits and technology conferences. He stated: “The thing I really care about is the mission, making the world open.” In 2010, Zuckerberg signed a promise, in which he promised to donate at least half of his life wealth to charity.
1.The underlined word “excelled in” can be replaced by ________.
A.was addicted to B.did well in
C.was absorbed in D.looked forward to
2.The 2nd paragraph is mainly about young Zuckerberg's ________.
A.advantages in sports B.computer programming ability
C.brilliant performance in many fields D.great attraction to Microsoft and AOL.
3.When did Zuckerberg invent Facebook?
A.In 1984 B.In 2010
C.In 2002 D.In 2004
4.What can we infer from the text?
A.Zuckerberg built his social media site after graduating from university.
B.Zuckerberg’s Facebook predecessor helped him become world famous.
C.Zuckerberg’s donation made him Time magazine's Person Of The Year for 2010.
D.Zuckerberg is not only an intelligent computer giant but also a kind billionaire.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1.When is the competition held?
A. On December 7th. B. On December 12th. C. On December 17th.
2.Where is the competition to be held this year?
A. Near a lake. B. At the Town Hall. C. At the radio station.
3.What is the prize for the first-prize winner?
A. A ride on a plane. B. A talk with a musician. C. A visit to a school.
4.How can people get more information?
A. By speaking to Maggie in person.
B. By going to the radio station.
C. By making a phone call.
高三英语长对话困难题查看答案及解析
This is not an economical way to get more water; , it is very expensive.
A. on the contrary B. on the other hand
C. in short D. in all
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
An Australian company, Smart Car Technologies, has developed a system that lets drivers know when they’re speeding.When the technology becomes commercially available, it could help lead-footed drivers avoid tickets and also save lives.The company that developed the product hopes to convince Australian government agencies to put the technology into use in their automobile fleets.
The product, called Speed Alert, links real-time location data and speed obtained with the help of GPS(全球定位系统) to a database of posted speed limits stored in a driver’s PDA or programmable mobile phone.The setup of the product does not need to be hooked(钩住) up to a car’s speedometer.In fact, it is entirely portable.It will also work with newer phones and PDAs that have built-in GPS receivers.If a driver exceeds(超过) the speed limit, the speed is shown and an alert sounds.
Michael Paine, an Australian vehicle design engineer and traffic safety consultant, was hired to analyze the product.He told Live Science that his colleagues in the road safety field are “very enthusiastic” about what they’re now calling “intelligent speed alert.” Other research, according to Paine, shows that 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve speeding.There is also a potentially future use: “Since the system is so portable, it would be easy to make it a requirement for teenage drivers to always use a speed alert device when driving,” Paine said.“The system even has the function to record speeding violations(违背), so parents can monitor their teenage drivers.”
The product will soon go on sale in Sydney.
41.What’s the purpose of the new product_______.
A.To inform us of the new car system. B.To introduce some improvement in cars.
C.To limit certain drivers to safe driving. D.To popularize the built-in car system.
42.Lead-footed drivers refer to the ones .
A.who drive too carelessly B.that drive extremely fast
C.who are partly disabled D.that drive too slowly
43.The second paragraph mainly talks about .
A.the project of the built-in product B.why the system becomes popular
C.the functions of GPS in cars D.how the product is programmed
44.Which of the following is true of Speed Alert according to Michael Paine?
A.Most of the traffic deaths can be avoided.
B.Speeding violations can be easily found out.
C.The system will excite some teenage drivers.
D.The product will not be available for adults.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
“Cash is king” is an age-old saying. 1. When in Berlin, do not count on getting around easily with just a credit card. “Cash only” signs hang on front doors of shops and restaurants across the city.
2. After all, Germany is Europe’s leading economy and famous technological know-how. But, even while some of its neighbors in Europe and elsewhere are quickly swapping physical money for new pay technologies, many Germans prefer their euro bills. Cash is quick and easy to use, they argue. It provides a clear picture of personal spending, keeps transactions (交易) more private and is widely accepted in the country.
A study by the country’s central bank said Germans carried an average of 107 euros in their wallet. 3. Three-quarters of Americans in a U.S. bank survey said they carried less than $50, and one-quarter said they kept $10 or less in their wallet.
4. In 2008, for the first time, Germans used plastics for payments more than bills. According to a report, in Cologne, 48.6% of sales took place with a debit or a credit card, compared with 48.3% in cash.
Still, Germany has one of the highest rates of cash use in the European Union. The most important reasons for the close relationship of Germans to cash are their needs for protection of personal data, security and confidentiality (保密) of payments. 5. But the average German’s need for security will be sure to slow the process.
A. This may be surprising to some.
B. It’s far more than what Americans carry.
C. Change may happen in future generations.
D. Germany is not the only country that prefers cash.
E. For much of Germany, however, the phrase is still up to date.
F. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never heard of the saying.
G. That’s not to say that Germans rule out other modern payment methods.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
the Internet is , I do not think it is a good idea to spend too much time on it.
A.When; greatly beneficial B.As; a great benefit
C.While; of great benefit D.Now; of no benefit
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is not until recently ______ the scientists have found proof of there being water on Mars.
A.when | B.that | C.how | D.what |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
When and where to go for the on-salary holiday yet.
A. hasn’t been decided B. is not being decided
C. are not decided D. haven’t been decided
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
April Food’s Day is coming. Be careful not to be________when others play tricks on you.
A.brought in B.caught in C.taken in D.made in
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析