There is always something that happens in the world that everyone fears will happen to their town, city or country: natural disasters. The scariest part of it is that no one will ever see it coming. Though technology helps us prepare, but it never actually tells the people when it's going to hit. It is always estimated but the result is never 100% accurate.
However, that is not the point of this article. Two different natural disasters in two different parts of the world have happened in the past few weeks. One was a major flood that has hit Louisiana in the United States. The other was an earthquake that hit Amatrice, Italy. However, there is a major difference in the news coverage of the two tragedies.
As for the flooding in Louisiana, it is reported that this disaster is the worst to hit the United States since Superstorm Sandy and it'll cost at least $30 million. In only the first couple of weeks, 13 people had died. However, like me, many people did not hear about this tragic event. I did not learn about it until about three weeks after it happened.
In Italy, however, it covered all media instantly. The earthquake in Italy happened on Tuesday morning. That same day, I was on Twitter and that was all that was over the news feed. Every other post was about the earthquake. Some would have the opinion that Amatrice, Italy was one of the most beautiful towns in that country. I got in deep sorrow because there were more people killed in this quake than the flooding. So far, they have a total of 73 dead and over one hundred missing.
I understand that technically the earthquake in Italy was worse than the floods in Louisiana. However, I believe that if a natural disaster happens, they all should be equally covered and taken equally seriously. We are one world united and should be there for all of the people who are in need of help. We may not be able to accurately predict disasters, but we can surely lend a hand out for the needy.
本文主要讲了两个不同的地方发生的不同的自然灾害，但是对其报道的消息却是不同的。美国的路易斯安娜州发生了洪水，也有很多受害者，但是人们直到几周后才知道这件事，而意大利发生的地震，当时就被报道出来了。作者认为自然灾害无大小，媒体应该让人们及时知晓，这样人们可以向受害者伸出援助之手。
1．What really concerns the author about the two natural disasters?
A．The death and the injured.
B．The media report.
C．The government's responsibility.
D．Their economic loss.
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。根据文中第二段there is a major difference in the news coverage of the two tragedies.可知，对于这两个自然灾害，作者关注的是媒体的报道。故选B。
2．Why did the author learn about the flood so late?
A．He didn't care about the flood.
B．He felt nervous about the news.
C．The media didn't cover it in time.
D．The flood frightened the author a lot.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据文中第三段I did not learn about it until about three weeks after it happened.可知，作者很晚才知道洪水的事情是因为媒体报道的晚。故选C。
3．What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Italy isn't good at predicting the natural disasters.
B．All natural disasters should be covered equally.
C．The world should be united into one instantly.
D．America should help Italy predict natural disasters.
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。根据文中最后一段I understand that technically the earthquake in Italy was worse than the floods in Louisiana. However, I believe that if a natural disaster happens, they all should be equally covered and taken equally seriously.可知，所有的自然灾害都需要平等的报道。故选B。
4．How is the text mainly developed?
A．By making a comparison.
B．By following the time order.
C．By listing some examples.
D．By analyzing the causes.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。本文通过讲述两个地方发生的不同自然灾害对比，说明对自然灾害的报道有所偏差。故选A。
