People are being lured (引诱）onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up their personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Face book because people don't reallyknow what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook-you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things— your city, your photo, your friends' names—were set, by default(默认)to be shared with every one on the Internet.
According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a "less satisfying experience".
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the pages totally. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. "I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them," Schrage admits.
I think that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning. That is why I'm considering deactivating(撤销）my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't trust. That's too high a price to pay.Why do people give their personal information to Facebook according to Paragraph 1?
| A．Because they can get some money from Facebook. |
| B．Because their information is not important. |
| C．Because they are promised to have a fun and free service. |
| D．Because they can also get other people's information. |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
| A．They are unwilling to give up their personal information. |
| B．They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook. |
| C．They don't identify themselves when using the website. |
| D．They care very much about their personal information. |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
| A．To give better service to its users. | B．To obey to the Federal guidelines. |
| C．To improve its users' connection. | D．To expand its business. |
Why does Senator Charles Schumer support publicly?
| A．Setting guidelines for advertising on websites. |
| B．Banning the sharing of users' personal information. |
| C．Making regulations for social-networking sites. |
| D．Removing ads from all social-networking sites. |
Some people believe that international sports create goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused mainly by minor national competitions.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation（愤慨）after a hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the loser’s objection to the final decision. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was very angry and he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（停赛）of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not give up the first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their competition. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player popped the ball into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sports are played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism（爱国主义）.According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.
| A．caused national pride for athletes |
| B．created goodwill between the nations |
| C．hardly showed any international friendship |
| D．led to less misunderstanding between countries |
What did the manager mean by saying “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished”?
| A．His team would no longer take part in international games. |
| B．There should be no hockey matches organized by the Federation. |
| C．Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions. |
| D．The International Hockey Federation should be dismissed forever. |
By taking the basketball game for example, the author wants to prove that ________.
| A．too much patriotism was displayed in the games |
| B．the announcement to prolong the match was wrong |
| C．the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision |
| D．the team was right in refusing to accept the silver medals |
What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
| A．Sports should be played for the love of one’s nation. |
| B．Unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games. |
| C．International competitions will lead to misunderstanding. |
| D．The organization for the Olympic Games must be reformed. |
That“Monday morning feeling”could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2, 600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 percent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 percent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11, 000 Italians proved 8 a. m. on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewest heart attacks in both countries.
The finding could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol（胆固醇）but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them, ”he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal（内分泌）changes in their bodies, ”Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavorable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot（血凝块）which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activities,”said Willich.Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, ________.
| A．is not as serious as people thought |
| B．is the first killer in Germany and Italy |
| C．is created by researchers in Germany and Italy |
| D．is harmful to working people in developed countries |
To protect people from a heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to ________.
| A．people’s working time | B．people’s living place |
| C．people’s diet and lifestyle | D．people’s nationalities |
It can be learned from this passage that the heart attack has something to do with all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．blood pressure | B．heart rate | C．hormonal changes | D．blood type |
If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be?
| A．Improve working conditions. | B．Never go to work on Mondays. |
| C．Stay with a doctor on Mondays. | D．Get up late on Monday mornings. |
HK’s Family Affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.
In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup（阵容）includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.
For more information, please check:
www. hk. artsfestival. orgThe press conference must have been held ________.
| A．in Hong Kong | B．in Europe |
| C．in Beijing | D．in England |
By means of“discount packages”you can pay ________.
| A．nothing for the cost |
| B．less than the usual cost |
| C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket |
| D．for the festival ticket but not for hotel rooms |
According to the text, we do NOT have any information about ________.
| A．who will perform on stage | B．what programmes there will be |
| C．when the 32nd Art Festival will be held | D．which theatres will put on performances |
The main purpose in writing this text is ________.
| A．to make the 32nd Art Festival known | B．to announce the plan of the art festival |
| C．to introduce the cost of the art festival | D．to sell a service during the art festival |
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:
For washing the car...........................................$5.00
For making my own bed this week...................$1.00
Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50
Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25
Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00
Getting a good report card................................$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00
Total .......................................................... ......$14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”“All paid.”.What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Part-time Job | B．Mother’s Love, No Charge |
| C．Payment for House Work. | D．Greedy Mother |
The writer wrote the passage in order to ______.
| A．show that children should be paid for their housework |
| B．show that children should not be paid for their housework |
| C．show a clever way of teaching children |
| D．tell children how to spend their spare time |
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
| A．Clever. | B．Greedy. | C．Cold-hearted. | D．Selfish. |
From the last passage we know that ______.
| A．the boy got all the money he wanted |
| B．the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy |
| C．the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework |
| D．the mother was angry with what the boy said |
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is achieved through the use of a turntable (转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when it is pushed by those at the table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place on the lazy Susan.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet (橱柜). In this sense, the lazy Susan is a type of shelving unit within the cabinet that is able to turn around its axis(轴心) . One may turn the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods in storage. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets that are located at a right angle (直角) to each another. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
It is believed that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan in the 18th century, though it was called “dumbwaiter” at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph (留声机). The turntable may have developed into the lazy Susan later.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term “lazy Susan” was used in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term “dumbwaiter” is still used rather than “lazy Susan”. The reason for the naming of it is still a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan.What is a “lazy Susan”?
| A．A waitress | B．A convenient tool | C．A table | D．A cabinet |
According to those who believed Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, _______.
| A．his daughter was very lazy | B．the lazy Susan didn’t exist until the 18th century |
| C．Thomas Edison was his friend | D．Thomas Edison didn’t invent the phonograph |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
| A．the lazy Susan can work by itself |
| B．the lazy Susan was named after Thomas Edison’s daughter |
| C．how the lazy Susan got its name remains unknown |
| D．the lazy Susan was invented in Britain |
The writer wrote the passage mainly to _________.
| A．discuss how the lazy Susan was named | B．teach us how to make a lazy Susan |
| C．introduce Thomas Edison’s inventions | D．tell us what a lazy Susan is and its origin |