It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple’s case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator(参议员) Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
“We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”
On Sunday, Mr. Schumer said that he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light. Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
“It worries people to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission,” Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. “If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion, then surely technology exists to close it, and that’s exactly what must happen.”
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he said. “If it’s not changed, then we’ll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn’t work then we’ll consider legal approach.”
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be more vigilant(警醒的) in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy.The senators spoke with officials at both Apple and Google___________.
| A．to urge them not to invade consumers’ privacy |
| B．to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information |
| C．to stop them from developing the technology of taking photos |
| D．to keep them from obtaining the location information for each photo |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Privacy invasion from Apple has existed for a long time. |
| B．Mr. Schumer takes the privacy concerns caused by Apple and Google seriously. |
| C．Privacy invasion from Google has existed for a long time. |
| D．Apple and Google have decided to make a change. |
Mr. Schumer’s letter to the F.T.C. mainly shows that the technology to open the door to privacy invasion___________.
A. causes privacy invasion to happen frequently
B. can be used if permitted
C. causes people to worry about the safety of their personal information
D. causes personal information to be posted online without permissionIf the privacy concerns can’t be solved with the help of the F.T.C., ___________.
A. The senators will force the companies not to invade privacy
B. The companies will be closed
C. The companies will be fined
D. The senators will turn to lawWhere can we read about the passage?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a travel brochure. |
| C．In a science report. | D．In a textbook. |
Before the early 1960’s people interested in the differing roles of the left and right hemispheres(半球) of the brain depended almost entirely on facts drawn from animal research, form studies of patients with one-sided brain damage. But it was possible to find out which brain hemisphere was most involved in speech and other functions in normal people by having them listen to two different words coming to the two ears at the same time. This became known as the “dichotic listening” procedure. When several word pairs are given in a row, people are unable to report them all, and most right-handers prefer to report, and report more correctly, words given to their right ears. This seems to be related to the fact that signals from the right ear, although sent to both hemispheres, are better sent to the left hemisphere which controls speech. People who have speech represented(回忆) in the right hemisphere, a very unusual occurrence even in left-handed people, more correctly report what their left ears hear.
In contrast to the right-ear advantage for speech, there is generally a left-ear advantage for another type of auditory(听觉的) signal: music. When right-handed people listen to melodic patterns they report them better from the left ear.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the passage?
| A．An Introduction to Speech Damage in Patients with Brain Damage. |
| B．An Investigation into the Role of the Brain’s Hemispheres. |
| C．An Analysis of Left and Right-handed People. |
| D．An Examination of “Dichotic Listening”. |
The “dichotic listening” procedure could best be described as hearing _______.
| A．two different words in the same ear twice |
| B．the same word twice in the same ear |
| C．two different words in different ears |
| D．two different words twice in two ears |
according to the passage, right-handed people normally _______.
| A．have better hearing in their both ears |
| B．have little difficulty in reporting words given to their right ears |
| C．are unable to report word pairs given to their left ears |
| D．correctly report word pairs given in a row |
according to the passage, music is best appreciated when heard by _______.
| A．the left ear of right-handers |
| B．people with a left-ear advantage |
| C．left-handers in their right ears |
| D．right-handed people who understand melodic patterns |
Zipped into a bag, it looks like a large umbrella. Unfolded, it goes along the street like any other bicycle.
It's the "A-bike", the brainchild (脑力劳动的产物) of British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who made history in the 1970s by developing the world's first pocket calculator. He described his new invention as "the world's smallest, lightest foldable bicycle".
"My original thought was that if you could have a bicycle that was dramatically lighter and more firm than the ones that exist today, it would change the way in which bicycles are used,"said Sinclair.
The mini-bike, showed in Singapore last week and set to go on sale worldwide in 2005 at a price of nearly US$300, is built for riders as heavy as 112 kilograms and is height-adjustable（可调整高度的）. It takes about 20 seconds to fold or unfold.
Its wheels are a quarter the size of those on a regular bicycle, but Sinclair promises a smooth ride for most cyclists. "You require no extra energy to ride the A-bike and it can go up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour)," he said. Constructed mainly of plastic, the 5.5-kilogram bicycle folds into a package of less than 0.03 cubic meters （立方米）.
Sinclair also invented the first pocket TV in 1984 and the futuristic C5 electric tricycle in 1985. He said he hoped the bicycle would attract common citizens, officials, campers or anyone needing transport for a short trip and he said the next step for the A-bike was to add an electric motor in a few years. The most important character of this kind of bike is its ________ .
| A．big size |
| B．light weight |
| C．beautiful appearance |
| D．foldable structure |
The wheels of a regular bicycle is ________ the size of this kind of bike.
| A．four times |
| B．three times |
| C．one-fourth |
| D．one-third |
This kind of new bike is mainly made of ________ .
| A．plastic | B．packages | C．bags | D．metal |
The best title of the text is ________ .
| A．World's smallest foldable bicycle arriving |
| B．A new bike, a large umbrella |
| C．A foldable bike, a large bag |
| D．A great inventor of a new bike |
This kind of new bike hasn't been fixed with ________ .
| A．a wheel |
| B．an electric motor |
| C．pedal |
| D．a hand |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23.It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month.
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon，on Sydney's northern beaches，around dawn when he was attacked.The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months.
“The father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing(激烈扭动)about in the water，”the police said.“Fortunately，the shark swam away and the boy was helped to the shore by his father.”
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller said，“It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water.”He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to the shore.“There was a lot of pain，as you can imagine.”The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries.
Police said the bites “cut through to the bone”，but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures (骨折)．He was in a stable condition now.
Several beaches were closed after the attack.Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark，while the police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks.But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy.“I don't even know if he saw it，”Miller said.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches，but attacks on humans are still relatively rare.However，there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month，one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor，not far from the famous Opera House，and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise.There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor，which has increased fish stocks.Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment，attracting sharks closer to the shore as they chase fish.Many shark species，including the Great White—the man-eaters made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters.The report mainly tells us ________.
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
The underlined word “savaged” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．
| A．attracted | B．dragged | C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House.
C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all the year round.
D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches.About the injury of the boy we know that ________.
| A．he was losing much blood when he was dragged out |
| B．he was very nervous when he was sent to hospital |
| C．he may be in danger of losing his leg |
| D．he was injured in the right leg |
All the following are the causes of Australia's sharks' increasing EXCEPT that ________.
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australian waters |
| D．the film Jaws has made the Great White famous |
A HOUSE WITH A HISTORY
Foulsham House is a fine,stone house of the 1790s.It stands by the River Byre,in twenty－five hectares（公顷）of the best farmland in the southwest.
Smithson built the house,and the story goes back to George,the young Prince of Wales,who fell in love with the beautiful lady Kitty Wake,at one of the first Lord Foulsham’s wild woods parties.In the past many great men rode on the hills about Foulsham House,and many fine ladies took tea in the Green Room.
The house has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms,two living－rooms and a dining room with a real Adam fire－place（壁炉）.The gentleman’s library has a view over the park and the river.All rooms are light and airy（空气通畅的）,with wood,high windows,and wood floors.
At the back of the house,where the third Lord Foulsham kept the horses,there is garage－space（停车的地方）for four cars.In many other ways,this house of the 1790s meets the needs of the 2000s.
If you wish to know more about Foulsham House,write to:
Harvey,Platt,Longford & Sons,
Castle Green, Gilham, Byreside.The writer writes this passage to ________.
| A．persuade people to buy it |
| B．give some information about Foulsham House |
| C．tell a love story |
| D．describe the beauty of a best farmland |
People say that ________.
| A．Smithson built the house for Lord Foulsham’s wild parties |
| B．Prince George fell in love with Kitty Wake at Foulsham House |
| C．Prince George and Kitty Wake fell in love with the Green Room |
| D．Lord Foulsham fell in love with a lady in Wales |
The library ________.
| A．has a fine view of the park and the river |
| B．is where great men and fine ladies took tea |
| C．has an Adam fire－place,and a real wood floor |
| D．has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms and two living－rooms |
All the rooms in the house ________.
| A．have a view over the park and the river |
| B．are light,and have good windows to let in fresh air |
| C．have high floors and wood windows |
| D．have fire－places and wood floors |
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
| A．they have their houses there |
| B．they settle there now |
| C．they want to make their home there |
| D．they like that land very much |
“Side-by-side” living style means _______.
| A．to make friends with native people |
| B．to keep their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| C．the groups of people who live nearby |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
according to the passage, people in the USA ________.
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．live in a kind of “side-by-side” society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side-by-side” living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People. |
| D．“Side-by-side” Living Style in America. |