Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it’s likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a husband or wife, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen—the 21st century equivalent (相等物) of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread pieces you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is “no.”
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a serious depression about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me.”
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessanfro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券).
But privacy does matter—at least sometimes. It’s like health.When you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it. What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
| A．There should be a distance even between friends. |
| B．Friends should always be faithful to each other. |
| C．Friends should open their hearts to each other. |
| D．There should be fewer disagreements between friends. |
Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
| A．People leave tracks around when using modern technology. |
| B．Modern society has finally developed into an open society. |
| C．There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs. |
| D．Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities. |
What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
| A．They change behaviors that might disclose their identity. |
| B．They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it. |
| C．They rely more and more on electronic devices. |
| D．They use various loyalty cards for business deals. |
According to the passage, privacy is like health because __________.
| A．its importance is rarely understood |
| B．people don’t treasure it until they lose it |
| C．it is something that can easily be lost |
| D．people will make every effort to keep it |
Some inventions are so useful, but seem so simple, that we wonder why no one thought of them long ago.
Post-it Notes were invented about twenty years ago by Art Fry, a scientist at 3M Company. The idea for the product came from an awful experience he often had while singing in his church choir. Fry used pieces of paper as bookmarks to mark the places in his book of songs, but these bookmarks were always falling out. Around that time, Fry heard about a new adhesive (粘合剂) that a colleague, Dr. Spence Silver, had created. This adhesive was special because it was strong enough to hold papers together, but not strong enough to tear the paper when it was removed.
A short time later, Fry realized that his new invention had even more uses than being a great bookmark. He came to this realization when he wrote a note on one of his new “bookmarks”and attached it to a report he was going to give to a colleague. Soon, co-workers were asking Fry for more of his invention so that they could use the new type of notes themselves.
Fry and some other people at 3M believed so much in the new product that they asked the company to give away thousands of the “sticky pieces of paper”for trial use. When some salespeople at 3M went to offices and showed workers just how helpful the new type of notes could be, they immediately received many orders. As more and more people discovered how useful Post-it Notes could be, the product took off.How did Dr. Spence help Art Fry?
| A．His adhesive made Arts invention possible. |
| B．He offered the new adhesive to Art. |
| C．He created the Post-it Notes. |
| D．He often worked and discussed science with Art. |
Which of the following is a possible use of Post-it Notes?
| A．A postcard from abroad. |
| B．An ad in a newspaper. |
| C．A note on a friends door. |
| D．An e-mail to a friend. |
Which of the following shows the proper order of the events?
a. The company gave away many sticky pieces of paper for people to try.
b. Dr. Spence created a new adhesive.
c. Many orders were received and the Post-it Notes became successful.
d. Fry invented Post-it Notes.
e. His colleagues began to use the new types of notes themselves.
| A．d b a e c | B．b a e d c |
| C．b d e a c | D．d e a b c |
In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．Economy | B．Recreation | C．Culture | D．Science |
Tea production in Sri Lanka has thrived for decades. The tea gardens in Hatton, Sri Lanka are actually large tea estates. The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one meter apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimeters high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilograms of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into our familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its color and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment（发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.The underlined word pruning means .
| A．reasonable use of chemicals |
| B．regular cutting of the plants |
| C．frequent watering |
| D．loosening the soil |
How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?
| A．Six | B．Five | C． Four | D．Three |
What does the author imply in the passage?
| A．Fermentation is a must to enrich the flavour of black tea. |
| B．Women pickers are welcomed because they can easily find the twin leaves. |
| C．Tea production has long been prosperous in Sri Lanka. |
| D．Tea pickings can be done biweekly. |
Lily, a student of Cambridge University, has bought a bicycle and is worried about safety. Her friend, Cathryn, found this article and sent it to her.
How to make your bicycle safe?
A number of crimes are against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this from happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Never leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and carry them with you, for example lights and saddles (车座).
Locks
There are various types of locks. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop owner.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as an obstruction to thieves, which can also help the police find your bicycle. Your postcode and your house or flat number should be included and clearly recorded. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are many companies that will security mark your bicycle. They will then store your registration number and personal details in their computer database. If your bicycle is found, it will be easy to contact you.
Attention
Keep a record of the bicycle by yourself: its production, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.Which part of the article gives the information on how to lock your bicycle when you leave?
| A．Registration | B．Locks |
| C．Marking | D．Basic Security |
Which one is wrong about the security marking of a bicycle?
| A．It can help the police to find and identify the lost bike. |
| B．Some companies can assist you in doing this. |
| C．It can ensure that the thieves won't steal the bike. |
| D．A security marking database makes it easy to get in touch with the owner. |
The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle _______.
| A．by yourself and in a security company as well |
| B．either in a security company or your university |
| C．both in the bike shop and your computer |
| D．in the police station as well as a marketing company |
Which of the following information may not be necessarily recorded?
| A．your personal information and recommendation in your computer database |
| B．the signing number of the bike as well as your address |
| C．both the type of the bike and its picture |
| D．your postcode and personal details |
Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Francos world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and a muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.The reason why James attempted to kill himself was that _________.
| A．a terrible electrical accident happened to him |
| B．nobody in the world cared about him |
| C．he was struck by the lightning once more |
| D．he had to live in a dark and silent world |
What was James doing when he was struck by the lightning?
| A．Putting an end to his life |
| B．Sheltering from the rain under a tree |
| C．Taking a walk with a stick |
| D．Lying on the ground |
What does the underlined word compellent in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．convincing | B．wrong | C．unexplained | D．true |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．A Terrible Electrical Accident |
| B．What a Sudden Shock |
| C．An Unforgettable Experience |
| D．James Franco and His Wife |
Fencing or Not
Wildlife fences are constructed for a variety of reasons including to prevent the spread of diseases, to protect wildlife from poachers(偷猎者), and to help manage small populations of threatened species. Human-wildlife conflict is another common reason for building fences. Wildlife can damage valuable farm animals and crops. Some species carry diseases of agricultural concern, and a few threaten human lives. At the same time, people kill wild animals for food, trade, or to defend lives or property, and human activities destroy wildlife habitat(栖息地). Separating people and wildlife by fencing can appear to be a mutually beneficial way to avoid such harmful effects. But in a paper in the journal Science, published recently, some scientists argue that fencing should only be used if worse comes to worst.
According to the scientists, although fencing can have conservation benefits, it also has costs. When areas of wildlife habitat are changed into islands, the resulting small and isolated populations tend towards extinction, and the resulting loss of larger-bodied species can affect interactions between species in ways that cause further local extinctions. Therefore, scientists are asking that conservationists carefully weigh up the biodiversity costs and benefits of new and existing fences.
In addition to fences’ ecosystem-wide impact, the scientists don’t think they always achieve their specific aims. Construction of fences to reduce human-wildlife conflict has been successful in some places but the challenges of appropriate fence design, location, construction, and protection mean that fences often fail to deliver the anticipated benefits. In some places, fences also provide poachers with a ready supply of wire for making traps.
A variety of alternative approaches, including better caring for farm animals, community-based crop-guarding, insurance and wildlife-sensitive land-use planning are suggested to reduce conflicts between people and wildlife without the need for fencing. Some projects working with local people and government agencies in Indonesia have shown that human-elephant conflict can be dramatically reduced without using fences.
The scientists conclude that as climate change increases the importance of facilitating wildlife mobility and conserving landscape connectivity, fence removal may become an important form of climate change preparation, and so fencing of wildlife should be avoided whenever possible.What does the underlined word “mutually” in Paragraph 1 probably mean________?
| A．Indeed. | B．Outdoors. | C．Straight. | D．Both. |
According to the scientists, what will fencing influence______?
| A．Land building. |
| B．Species diversity. |
| C．Human population. |
| D．Wildlife’s body size. |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 4_______?
| A．Replacements for fences. |
| B．Wildlife-protection methods. |
| C．Effective land-use approaches. |
| D．Conflicts between human and wildlife |
The main purpose of the passage is to ________.
| A．argue and prove |
| B．inform and explain |
| C．appeal and discuss |
| D．compare and assess |