高考英语外刊阅读天天练阅读理解五

高考英语外刊阅读天天练：阅读理解模拟训练五

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In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in Maui, misinformation and conspiracy theories have spread online,

underscoring the shortcomings of social media firms’ enforcement policies following disasters.

Conspiracy theories including that the fire was started intentionally by a secret “energy weapon” and that a shadowy cabal

of global elites set the blazes purposefully to clear the land for their own nefarious uses have gained popularity. The trend

draws on existing far-right tropes that global-minded organizations such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum

are plotting to forcibly move people into “smart cities” where their freedoms will be severely curtailed by advanced

technologies. Social media users have blamed figures like Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey for starting the blazes, which have

killed at least 111 people.

“What they don’t talk about is in January how they had in Maui a smart city conference to turn Maui into an entire smart

island, changing everything to electric, renewables, solar panels and pushing everybody into electric vehicles – 15-minute

smart cities,” a man says in one widely shared video.

Experts say the spread of such theories can be attributed to the algorithms central to tech platforms, which prioritize content

that receives more engagement.“We know companies like Meta weigh the most important material on the platforms based

on engagement, which often tends to be either vitriolic content, conspiratorial content or something that’s controversial,” said

Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project (TTP). “After disasters, when there is a lot of online content related to

a particular event, these mechanisms help to amplify some of that harmful content above more authoritative sources.”

Meanwhile, the conspiracy theories have become so widespread that Hawaiian officials have addressed them, with the

office of governor Josh Green saying in a statement, “there is no truth to the horrendous assertion that the fires were

deliberately set to raze the historic town of Lahaina”.

Conspiracy theories like these are only expected to intensify as such disasters are set to increase amidst the climate crisis.

【The Guardian(August 19, 2023)】

1. Who started the devastating wildfires in Maui?

A. a shadowy cabal of global elites like Elon Musk

B. someone who invented a secret “energy weapon”

C. global-minded organizations

D. not clearly stated

2. The underlined word “curtailed” can be best replaced by__________

A. sustained

B. damaged

C. promoted

D. encouraged

3. What can we learn from Katie Paul’s words in paragraph four?

A. tech platforms prefer more authoritative sources which receives more engagement

B. something controversial usually receive more engagement on the platforms

C. the mechanisms on the platforms help to publicize authoritative content

D. no particular event can gain popular attention after disasters

4. What will probably be discussed in the following paragraphs?

A. how to crash the plot of moving people into “smart cities”

B. the serious damage caused by conspiracy theories

C. How to solve the spreading of conspiracy theories

D. The disasters produced by the climate crisis.

② Three people in New York and Connecticut have died as a result of flesh-eating bacterial infections, prompting authorities

to warn residents about the potential dangers of consuming raw shellfish or exposure to salt or brackish water.

One person from Suffolk county in New York, as well as two people in Connecticut, have died from vibriosis, a rare

bacterial infection caused by several species of bacteria, including Vibrio vulnificus（弧菌病）.

In a statement released on Wednesday, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said authorities were investigating the

infections as the state’s health department urged healthcare providers to consider vibriosis when diagnosing wound infections

or sepsis of unknown origin.“While rare, the vibrio bacteria has unfortunately made it to this region and can be extraordinarily

dangerous,” said Hochul.“As we investigate further, it is critical that all New Yorkers stay vigilant and take responsible

precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, including protecting open wounds from seawater and for those with

compromised immune systems, avoiding raw or undercooked shellfish which may carry the bacteria,” she added.

In a statement to the Guardian on Thursday, a spokesperson from the Connecticut department of public health (DPH) said

that two individuals who contracted vibriosis and died were in the Connecticut waters of the Long Island, although in two