When you're surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?
According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computera single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters to record the computer user's age, gender, location, favorite movies and hobbies. The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc.，a New York company, uses sophisticated software called a " beacon" to capture what people are typing on a website.
Lotame packages that data into profiles（个人资料）about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Batches of such data may be sold for a few dollars. The survey of The Wall Street Journal discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.
The "cookie"-a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing firms which might be used to remember your preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites is already old news. There are new and more complex tools such as " beacons " which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage. These beacons instantly assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented （空前的）threats. Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.
Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous and the data is used harmlessly. But the technology has grown so powerful that even some of the biggest websites in the US don't know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. These include MSN. com and Yahoo, com.
Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising something you've been planning to buy, don't be amazed that your computer can read your mind. The purpose of the passage is to __________.
| A．introduce a tiny file in a computer single code |
| B．show how your individual information was let out when you surf the Internet |
| C．show how to protect your privacy |
| D．introduce a sophisticated software called a " beacon" |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A．Lotame sells the profiles about individuals to companies seeking customers with their age, gender, location, hobbies and names. |
| B．spying on Internet users is the fastest-growing business on the World Wide Web. |
| C．some of the biggest websites in the US know they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. |
| D．a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters can record users' information. |
It can be inferred that __________.
| A．because the data is used harmlessly the Internet users around the world will not face threats |
| B．when a person surf the Internet, his personal details may be let out without his knowledge |
| C．your computer can really read your mind |
| D．MSN. com and Yahoo. com use software to capture what people are typing on a website |
According to the passage，"beacon"__________.
| A．is a tiny text file put on your PC by websites |
| B．is a software that can package that data into profiles about individuals |
| C．can assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions |
| D．is not more complex than the "cookie" |
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery(电池)was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City_________.
| A．to visit a friend |
| B．to see his parents |
| C．to pay at the cash register |
| D．to have more gas for his car |
The words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “______”.
| A．turned off | B．moved off | C．put up | D．set up |
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
| A．He had it pulled back to the gas station. |
| B．The couple sent him a business card. |
| C．The couple offered to help him. |
| D．He called his friend for help. |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because_______.
| A．something went wrong with the lights |
| B．the meeting lasted a whole day |
| C．he forgot to turn off the lights |
| D．he drove too long a distance |
By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show______.
| A．how to write a thank-you letter |
| B．how to deal with car problems |
| C．the kind-heartedness of older people |
| D．the importance of expressing thanks |
Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds (灰狗) and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive(好斗的) because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children.
Greyhounds can live for 12 – 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don’t need a lot of space, don’t make a lot of noise, and don’t eat a lot for their size.
Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these.
Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they’re slim (苗条的) they don’t have the leg problems like other dogs the same height. But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside. The text is written mainly______.
| A．to tell people how to raise greyhounds |
| B．to let people know more about greyhounds |
| C．to explain why greyhounds are aggressive |
| D．to describe greyhounds of different colors |
It can be inferred that greyhounds_______.
| A．love big doghouses |
| B．like staying in bed all day |
| C．make the best guard dogs |
| D．need some exercise outdoors |
Why does the author say that greyhounds make great pets?
| A．They are big in size. |
| B．They live a very long life. |
| C．They can run races for some time. |
| D．They are quiet and easy to look after. |
If you keep a pet greyhound, it is important________.
| A．to keep it slim |
| B．to keep it warm |
| C．to take special care of its legs |
| D．to take it to animal doctors regularly |
American agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug has received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Norman Borlaug is often called "the man who saved a billion lives" and "the father of the Green Revolution."
His work helped fight starvation in India and Pakistan in the nineteen sixties. He won the nineteen seventy Nobel Peace Prize.
He, ninety-three years old ,still works as an adviser at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico.
In accepting the medal, he urged Congress and the administration to increase development assistance for agriculture. He said the world needs better and more technology to deal with hunger. In his words: "Hunger and poverty and misery are very fertile soils into which to plant all kinds of 'isms,' including terrorism."
In the 1940s, Norman Borlaug and a team developed highly productive and disease-resistant wheat for farmers in Mexico. About twenty years later, millions of people in India and Pakistan were in danger from grain shortages.
The improved wheat from Mexico also grew well in South Asia, combined with changes in growing methods. Norman Borlaug persuaded farmers to use more fertilizers and pesticide chemicals and to water their crops with irrigation systems. Also many a crop can be planted in the same field. The results were big production gains that many believe saved as many as a billion lives.
President Bush noted that hunger still affects much of the developing world. He said the most fitting honor for Norman Borlaug is to lead a second Green Revolution that feeds the world. Yet his support for new agricultural technologies has been criticized at times over the years.
Some researchers worry about the effects of industrial methods of modern farming.
Population researcher Paul Ehrlich, for example, wrote a nineteen sixty-eight book called
"The Population Bomb." He predicted that population growth would cause widespread harm to the planet.
But now, some people are saying there should be greater attention and respect for Norman Borlaug. A major theme of his work is that people can deal with difficulties and that technology can improve their lives.Norman Borlaug is called “the Father of the Green Revolution” mainly lies in that_______.
| A．he developed highly productive wheat to help fight against hunger |
| B．he made a great contribution to fighting against terrorism and hunger |
| C．he developed a kind of wheat that is environmentally friendly |
| D．he sticks to the belief that technology can improve our lives. |
The best title for the passage would be________.
| A．Norman Borlaug, the Father of the Green Revolution |
| B．Golden Moments----a Long-life Struggle |
| C．Hunger------a Serious Problem That Affects the Developing World. |
| D．Norman Borlaug, the Savior of the Developing Country. |
Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
| A．Despite his age, Norman Borlaug still works for the improvement in agriculture |
| B．Norman Borlaug thinks that hunger and poverty tend to breed crimes and evil |
| C．Without Norman Borlaug’s work, hunger problem wouldn’t completely be settled now |
| D．Paul Ehrlich thinks that population growth would cause widespread harm to the planet. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
| A．Congress and the administration are to blame for hunger and poverty |
| B．not all people are in favor of his new agricultural technologies |
| C．people can defeat terrorists by improving modern farming |
| D．the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor given by Congress. |
When I come across a good essay in reading newspapers,I am often inclined to cut and keep it.But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the opposite side is as much interesting.It may be a discussion of the way to keep in good health,or advice about how to behave and conduct oneself in society.If I cut the front essay,the opposite one is bound to suffer damage,leaving out half of it or keeping the text without the subject.As a result,the scissors would stay before they start,or halfway done when I find out the regretful consequence that inevitably(不可避免地) causes my repentance.
Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time,both deserving your attention.You can only take up one of them,the other has to wait or be given up.But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left behind.Thus you are caught in a fix and feel sad.How come that nice opportunities and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once?It may happen that your life changes dramatically on your preference of one alternative to the other.
In fact that is what life is like:we are often faced with the two opposite aspects of a thing which are both desirable like newspaper cutting.It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only after we are engaged in another.The former may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind.I still remember a philosopher’s remarks:“When one door shuts,another opens in life.” So a casual or passive choice may not be a bad one.
Whatever we do in our lifetime,wherever life’s storm tosses us,there must be something we can achieve,some shore we can land,that opens up new vistas to us.Don’t forget God always keeps an alternative door open for every one.While the front door is closed,there must be another open for you.When the writer finds a good article in reading newspapers,______.
| A．he is always glad to cut and keep it |
| B．he is always hesitant to cut and keep it |
| C．he often has a desire to cut and keep it |
| D．he often finds it difficult to decide which side to cut and keep |
The writer feels regretful because______.
| A．he fails to choose a good essay |
| B．he fails to cut the two essays on both sides well |
| C．he finds the essay on the opposite side is better |
| D．he finds that he just keeps the text without the subject |
What’s the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 2?
| A．You’re trapped in a trouble. |
| B．You find it difficult to fix something. |
| C．You are trapped in a situation where you can’t decide which choice is better. |
| D．You have so many opportunities that you don’t know which to choose. |
Which one do you think is the best title of this passage?
| A．Paper Cutting | B．Two Opposite Sides |
| C．Difficult Choices | D．Another Door |
The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated(发行) privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets(小册子) or broadsides.
In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors(前身) of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666.
In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed(查禁).Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war’s end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America’s newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers.
In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth—the emergence(出现) of the “Penny Press”;it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Handwritten newsletters came out publicly in Renaissance Europe. |
| B．The first printed newspaper was seen about six hundred years ago. |
| C．The first successively published newspaper in the English-speaking world was corantos. |
| D．In America the first newspaper was successful as soon as it appeared. |
What does the underlined phrase “Penny Press” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．People can press pennies easily. |
| B．People can produce newspapers with little cost. |
| C．It is a penny factory. |
| D．The name of the press owner is Penny. |
What is the main reason for newspapers in the USA increasing so fast in the 1830s?
| A．The pass of the Bill of Rights in 1791. |
| B．Newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs. |
| C．Advances in printing and papermaking technology. |
| D．All the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged |
Which of the following is NOT a newspaper?
| A．Public Occurrences. |
| B．The Boston News-Letter. |
| C．The Bill of Rights. |
| D．The London Gazette. |