News Item Texts

Text 1.

An asteroid similar in size to the Golden Gate Bridge will whip past Earth later this month – the largest and fastest asteroid to pass close to our planet this year. But don’t worry, it won’t get too close.

The asteroid, officially known by NASA as 231937 (2001 FO32), is about 1,300 to 2,230 feet wide, according to observations made by the NEOWISE team, putting it at the smaller end of the scale. It has an orbit period of 810 days.

The asteroid is smaller than the last notable one to make a close approach to Earth, but it will be three times closer, NASA said in a statement Thursday.

2001 FO32 is set to come within 1.25 million miles of Earth at 11:02 AM. ET on March 21, just one day after the spring equinox. That’s close enough for NASA to classify it as “potentially hazardous” in its database of near-earth asteroids, a designation is given when they come within about 4.65 million miles of earth and are larger than 500 feet in diameter.

This diagram depicts the elongated and inclined orbit of 2001 FO31 as it travels around the Sun (white ellipse). Because of this orbit, when the asteroid makes its close approach to Earth, it will be travelling at an unusually fast speed of 77,000 mph.

It will zoom past at almost 77,000 miles per hour, or 21 miles per second – peaking scientists’ interests as one of the fastest space rocks known to fly past Earth. The asteroid is “unusually speedy” due to its highly inclined and elongated orbit around the Sun, which makes it closer to the Sun than Mercury and twice as far from the Sun as Mars.

“This is the closest predicted approach in 2021 for any moderately large asteroid, where ‘moderately large’ means at least several hundred meters in size,” Paul Chodas, the Director of the Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies, told CBS News.

However, it poses no risk of impact, and scientists know its path very accurately, having studied it for about two decades.

“As 2001 FO32 makes its inner solar system journey, the asteroid picks up speed like a skateboarder rolling down a halfpipe, and then slows after being flung back out into deep space and swinging back toward the Sun,” NASA said.

 

1.    The text is about ……….

A.   a new invention

B.   a social phenomenon

C.   a discovery in science

D.   a natural phenomenon

E.   technology development

 

2.    From the text, we know that the asteroid will be ……….

A.   bigger than the latest one

B.   more than 2,230 feet wide

C.   five times closer to Earth

D.   closer to Mercury than the Sun

E.   the fastest space rocks known to fly past Earth

 

3.    The scientists have researched the asteroid for about ……….

A.   one year

B.   two years

C.   ten years

D.   twenty years

E.   twenty-five years

 

4.    “That’s close enough for NASA to classify it as “potentially hazardous” in its database of near-earth asteroids, ….” (Paragraph 4).

What is the similar meaning of the word ‘hazardous’?

A.   boring

B.   doubtful

C.   annoying

D.   disgusting

E.   dangerous

 

Text 2.

A rare mouse–deer – one of the smallest hoofed animals in the world – has been born at a Hampshire Zoo.

The Javan chevrotain was born weighing 370 g (13oz) at Marwell Zoo near Winchester, which is currently closed to the public due to the pandemic.

Keepers said the youngster was born to parents Gus and Gwen in the zoo’s tropical house and was “doing well”.

Tim Rowlands, from the zoo, said, “All deer species will hide their young until they are older, so they will only really come out to feed the hide again.”

“There are very few zoos who care for any of the mouse–deer species as they are so small in size, very secretive, and nocturnal, so any youngster born is great news for the conservation breeding program.”

It’s not known exactly how many of the animals live in the wild on the Indonesian island of Java.

When born, the young are the size of a rat and can run and jump soon after birth. The young suckle occasionally, and only at night.

Marwell Zoo, which is home to more than 140 species, is currently closed to the public because of lockdown restrictions.

 

5.    What is the best title for the text?

A.   Marwell Zoo is Closed Temporarily

B.   Javan Mouse–Deer is Moved to Marwell Zoo

C.   Many New Species was Born at Marwell Zoo

D.   Rare Javan Mouse–Deer was Born at Marwell Zoo

E.   The Mouse–Deer Species at Marwell Zoo Increases

  

6.    Why is the born mouse–deer great for a conservation breeding program?

A.   People like mouse–deer.

B.   Many people want to keep it.

C.   Only a few zoos care for mouse–deer.

D.   The population of mouse–deer increases.

E.   It will be the most favorite animal at the zoo.

 

7.    Why can people not see the young mouse–deer every moment?

A.   It is afraid of crowds.

B.   It suckles occasionally.

C.   It is a nocturnal animal.

D.   Its parent keeps it from disturbance.

E.   Its parent will hide it until it is older.

 

8.    From the text we can conclude that the newborn mouse–deer is ……….

A.   lazy

B.   active

C.   stupid

D.   courageous

E. adaptive

Text 3.

An Indonesian village has been inundated by blood–red water after flooding hit a local batik factory.

The crimson dye was released through the street of Jenggot in Central Java on Saturday.

The area, south of the city of Pekalongan, is famed for its traditional wax and dye batik textiles.

Thousands of social media users shared images of the coloured water washing through the village.

A local relief official confirmed they were genuine.

“The red flood is due to the batik dye, which has been hit by the flood,” Dimas Arga Yudha told Reuters news agency. “It will disappear when it mixes with rain after a while.”

 

9.    What is the main cause of the red flood in Jenggot?

A.   A natural phenomenon

B.   A chemical spill

C.   A broken water pipe

D.   A flood at a batik factory

E.   A volcanic eruption

 

10.    What did Dimas Arga Yudha say about the red flood?

A.   It was a dangerous situation.

B.   It would last for many days.

C.   It was caused by a mysterious substance.

D.   It would eventually disappear.

E. It was a common occurrence in the area.

Text 4.

At least 48 people have been killed and dozens injured after a train derailed in a tunnel in Taiwan on Friday. The train, an express traveling from Taipei to Taitung carrying many tourists at the start of a long weekend, came off the rails after apparently hitting a truck north of Hualien in eastern Taiwan. It is the island’s worst rail disaster in at least four decades.

“The train was full, carrying more than 400 people,” the fire department official said. “Between 80 and 100 passengers were evacuated from the first four carriages of the train, while carriages five to eight have ‘deformed’ and are hard to gain access to,” he added. In footage released by the fire department, a lady can be heard shouting from inside the tunnel, “Is everyone out in carriage four?”

The official Central News agency reported that a truck that was ‘not parked properly’ was suspected of sliding into the path of the train.

 

11.What will the readers probably feel after reading the news?

A.   Doubtful

B.   Confused

C.   Disappointed

D.   Terrified

E.   Sorrowful

 

12. What was the condition of the last four carriages of the train?

A.   Intact

B.   Slightly damaged

C.   Severely damaged

D.   Completely destroyed

E.   Safe

 

13.How many people were estimated to be on the train at the time of the accident?

A.   Over 400

B.   Around 300

C.   Less than 200

D.   Approximately 500

E.   More than 600

 

14.What was the main cause of the train derailment in Taiwan?

A.   Natural disaster

B.   Human error

C.   Mechanical failure

D.   Terrorist attack

E.   Social phenomenon

 

15.From the text we know that ……….

A.   there were 18 victims of the accident

B.   there were 400 passengers on the train

C.   the train crashed to a parked car

D.   the accident occurred at the end of a long weekend

E.   the train accident was the worst in the last forty years

 

Text 5.

North Korea won’t compete in this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic, officials have said.

The country’s national Olympic Committee decided not to participate in the Games to protect athletes from the “world public health crisis caused by COVID-19,” a website run by the North’s sports ministry said.

The decision is also a blow to those hoping Pyongyang’s participation could help the secretive state build bridges with South Korea and its other regional rivals.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry official said he had hoped that the Tokyo Olympics would be a chance to “foster peace and reconciliation” between the two Koreas.

“We regret it could not happen,” he added in a statement.

 

16.Why is the text written?

A.   To entertain readers

B.   To relate one’s experience

C.   To explain why an event occurred

D.   To describe how an event happened

E.   To inform a newsworthy event

 

17.The participant of North Korea in the Tokyo Olympics will symbolize ……….

A.   peace

B.   sports

C.   entertainment

D.   health

E.   prestige

 

18.Which word best describes North Korea's decision to not participate in the Olympics?

A.   bold

B.   cautious

C.   aggressive

D.   careless

E.   passive

 

19.Why did North Korea decide not to participate in the Tokyo Olympics?

A.   Due to political tensions with South Korea

B.   Because of financial constraints

C.   To protect athletes from the COVID-19 pandemic

D.   Due to a disagreement with the International Olympic Committee

E.   Because of the cultural diversity

 

20.What was South Korea's hope for the Tokyo Olympics regarding North Korea?

A.   To defeat North Korea in athletic competitions

B.   To improve diplomatic relations with North Korea

C.   To isolate North Korea from the international community

D.   To exploit North Korea's weaknesses

E. To mess up the reconciliation