语言镜像：成语折射的谣言传播哲学

    China has fought against rumors for thousands of years, and many old Chinese chengyus show this long tradition. These short phrases, still widely used today, teach people to think wisely about information. Though times have changed, the problems they describe seem familiar in today’s world of fast-spreading online messages. Let’s explore how ancient stories about facing rumors connect to modern life.

Three people make a tiger

    Pang Gong was from the State of Wei. He was sent as a hostage (人质) to the State of Zhao. Before he left, Pang talked to the king of Wei, cautioning him against potential rumors of Pang’s betrayal (背叛) that Pang felt sure would spread once he was gone.

    “If one says they saw a tiger in the streets, would you believe it?” Pang asked the king.

    “No,” the king responded.

    “What if a second person claims the same?” Pang inquired.

    “Still having doubts,” the king said.

    “And if a third person asserts (断言) it?”

    “Then I’d believe it’s true,” the king answered.

    Pang’s warning coined the idiom “three people make a tiger.” The phrase is still commonly used today to describe how repeated lies can become accepted truths.

A shortcut in Zhongnan Mountain

    Lu Cangyong, a scholar during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), was a talented man who received little recognition for his work in the government. Lu decided to become a hermit (隐士), a role respected for learning and wisdom. He settled in Zhongnan Mountain near the capital Chang’an while spreading his reputation as a hermit. 

Lu’s reputation soon soared, and later the court promoted him. Years later, Lu met Sima Chengzhen, a genuine Daoist hermit from Zhongnan Mountain. Sima humorously remarked that the mountain’s greatest value lay in offering a shortcut to official positions.

    Nowadays, fake short videos have become the new “shortcut in Zhongnan Mountain” to gain traffic and exposure online.

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1.The writer starts the passage by ___________.

A listing numbers

B comparing views

C raising a question

D stating a fact

解析：选D。推理判断题。文章开头“China has fought against rumors for thousands of years, and many old Chinese chengyus show this long tradition.”是陈述中国与谣言斗争数千年这一事实，写作手法是陈述事实。故选D。

2.What was the king’s attitude towards Pang’s second question?

A Supportive.

B Uncaring.

C Skeptical.

D Disapproving.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据“‘Still having doubts,’ the king said.”可知，庞葱又问道：“如果有两个人说街市上出现了老虎，大王相信吗？”魏王说：“我会有些怀疑”。故选C。

3.What does the underlined word “soared” probably mean?

A Separated.

B Increased.

C Disappeared.

D Received.

解析：选B。B 词义猜测题。根据划线单词后面的“later the court promoted him”可知，唐代有个叫卢藏用的人，他颇有些才气，却一直得不到重用。当时，人们对隐士都非常崇拜，认为他们都是一些饱学之士。于是，卢藏用跑到终南山修炼起来，并且想方设法散布消息，好让大家都知道他去做隐士了。很快，朝廷就提拔了他。由此可知，他的名声很快就高涨起来。故选B。

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A An official report.

B A culture magazine.

C A museum guide.

D A tourist map.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。本文主要介绍了两个关于谣言的成语故事，属于中国文化，我们可以在一本文化杂志上读到本文。故选B。