People are being tricked into Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information.
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 Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules . 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 everyone 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 suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning, which is why I’m considering canceling 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 know. That’s too high a price to pay. What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A.It provides loads of information to its users. |
B.It earns money by putting on advertisements. |
C.It is a website that sends messages to users who want to get married. |
D.It makes money by selling its users’ personal data. |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A.They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook. |
B.They are unwilling to give up their personal information. |
C.They don’t identify themselves when using the website. |
D.They care very little about their personal information. |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A.To obey the Federal guidelines. |
B.To expand its business. |
C.To improve its users’ connection |
D.To provide better service to its users |
Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A.He is dissatisfied with its present service. |
B.He finds many of its users untrustworthy. |
C.He doesn’t want his personal data badly used. |
D.He is upset by its frequent rule changes. |
For many parents , raising a teenager is like fighting a long war ,but years go by without any clear winner . Like a border conflict between neighboring countries ,the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace ,but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict . In part ,this is because neither is willing to admit .any responsibility for starting it . From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course .theteens see it in exactly the same way , except oppositely . Both feel trapped
In this article. I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things . Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom ,the preferred style of clothing , the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school ,or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends .Second ,blaming , the goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong . Third , needing to be right ,It doesn’t matter what the topic is –politics. The taws of physics ,or the proper way to break an egg –the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong .for both wish to be considered an authority --- someone who actually knows something --- and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately , as long as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other ,they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress
55. Why does the author compare the parent—teen war to a border conflict?
A. both can continue for generations .
B. Both are about where to draw the line
C. Neither has any clear winner
D. Neither can be put to an end
56. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict.
B. The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict
C. The teens accuse their parents of misleading them
D. The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents
57.Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
A. give orders to the other
B. know more than the other
C. gain respect from the other
D .get the other to behave properly
58. What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A. causes for the parent –teen conflicts
B. Examples of the parent –teen war.
C. Solutions for the parent –teen problems
D. Future of the parent-teen relationship
It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night.The morning after the storm,though,was beautiful:blue skies,warm air and a calm,inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realised it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him.I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same.I’m so glad I did.
On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast,but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape.After allm it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea.As we got on board,we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.
On approaching them,we saw it was a mother whale with her baby.We couldn’t beliece it ----there aren’t any whales along the coast here.The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badlly polluted that nothing could surive.
The little baby whale ----actually as big as our boal----was obviously stuck and could not move.The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly,making big whirlpools(漩涡) and waves.”She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,”my father said.At this point,myfather moved our boat in a semicirele to the other side and ,heading the boat towards the baby whale,pushed it gently.With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappared under water.Then it swam up right beside its mum.They stuggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction.We hurried up to the whales
and tried to lead them towards the bay channel.Showly,they let us lead them,some-times rising from the water right beside us to breathe----and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes.Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea,the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half.That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day,Nearly four decades later ,I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.
51. The author says “I’m so glad I did .”(in Para.2)because __________.
A. be witnessed the whole process of fishing
B. he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea
C. he experienced the rescue of the whales
D. he spent the weekend with his family
52. The harbour survived the storm owing to____________.
A. the shape of the harbour
B. the arms of the bay
C. the still water in the channel
D. the long coast line
53. The mother whale failed to help her baby because__________.
A. she had stayed in the polluted water for too long
B. the whirlpools she had made were not big enough
C. she had no other whales around to tutu to for help
D. the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction
54.what is the theme of the story?
A. Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness
B. Fishing provides excitement for children
C. It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals
D. it’s vital to protect the environment
Section B Task-based reading 10%
Directions:The people below are all looking for a place for different purposes. After the description of these people, there is information about six places A-F. Decide which place would be most suitable for the person mentioned in questions 61-65 and then mark the correct (A-F) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph about one place which you do not need to use.
A.Literature Camp: A group of famous writers will be present at the camp, offering studies in the development of Chinese literature from 1919 to 1949.You will visit seven museums relating to contemporary (当代的) literature. |
B.Exciting Holiday Camp:You can enjoy yourself climbing, sailing and swimming taught by trained adults in a camp near a lake. All meals are provided. The camp is open throughout June, July and August, and each session lasts for two weeks. It aims at boys and girls aged 9 to 14. |
C.Seagull (海鸥) Sailing Holidays: Suitable for all ages. You can learn to sail in three weeks. We offer teaching from qualified staff. Flats or apartments are provided in a beautiful, quiet fishing village. Breakfast, dinner and a packed lunch are included in the price of the holiday. |
D.Grace Island Hotel: Short stays (3 —4 days) available. Famous for its excellent cooking, the hotel provides opportunities to relax and enjoy the heated swimming pool, beautiful music and top class bars and restaurants, with entertainment every night. All rooms have a sea view. |
E. Students’Working Holidays: A really cheap but healthy holiday. You can enjoy picking fruit in the heart of France. Accommodation (住宿) provided in farmhouses. All meals included. Free transportation is also provided. Why not write for further details?
F. History Tours: We offer tours to Egypt with guides. The tour includes lectures about the history of Egypt and visits to museums. Travel by coach or riverboat. Accommodation in top hotels. Tours last 2 — 3 weeks.
61.____ Mike and Susan are university students. They want to take a holiday this summer, but they don’t have much money. They are dreaming of going to France.
62.____ Bill Smith is a businessman. He is tired and needs a rest, but he does not have much time for a holiday. He wants to get away from city life and stay somewhere near the sea. He is interested in cooking.
63.____ Susan has three weeks to spend on holiday. She doesn’t like sports, and she doesn’t like relaxing on the beach either. She enjoys sightseeing and learning about foreign countries’ history.
64. ____Kelly studies Chinese in Beijing. She is interested in Chinese literature. She has some free time and would like to attend some kind of activity to learn about Chinese modern literature.
65. ____Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and their three sons like outdoor holidays. They have never tried sailing, but they would like to learn. During their three-week holiday, they want to enjoy themselves in a beautiful, quiet fishing village.
Breathe, wave and smile.Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement(graduation ceremony).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(美国的爱国誓言).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core(the most important part) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
1. What’s the article mainly about?
A.An American high school’s graduation ceremony.
B.The opening ceremony of a sports meeting.
C.A presentation of college diplomas.
D.A US college’s farewell party.
2. Which of the following statements about the author is FALSE?
A. She was one of the graduates.
B. She was a foreign exchange student.
C. She was excited to receive her diploma.
D. She felt it great to be at the ceremony
3. The right order of the following events is______.
a.Diplomas were presented to graduates. b.Students gave farewell speeches.
c.The US national anthem was played. d.The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e.Seniors went into the stadium.
A. b,c,a,d,e B. c,d,b,e,a C. d,b,e,a,c D. e,d,c,b,a
4.From the text, we can conclude that_______.
A.a diploma ensures a good job
B.a diploma guarantees a bright future
C.the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life
D.everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma
5. According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
A. Hollywood superstars went to attend the commencement.
B. Every single senior became a superstar on the commencement day.
C. All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives.
D. When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were loud cheers.
The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card(信用卡) fraud. Your card information can even be on sale on an illegal website. Websites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care. Online shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they had bought.
The thieves then go shopping with your card number—or sell the information over the Internet. Computer hackers(黑客)have broken down security system, raising questions about the safety of card holder information.
Several months ago, 25,000 customers of a CD universe, an online music retailer(批发商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Website after the retailer refused to pay $ 157,828 to get back the information.
Credit-card firms are now fighting against online fraud. Master-card is working on plans for web-only credit-cards, with a lower credit limit. The card can be used only for shopping online. However , there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.
Ask about your credit-card firm’s online rules: under British law, cardholders are responsible for the first $ 78 of any fraudulent spending. And shop only at secure sites: send your credit-card information only if the website offers advanced security system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The website address may also start with https://--the extra “s” stands for security. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password safe: most online sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your password with care.
1. The underlined word “fraud” in the first paragraph probably means ______.
A. cheating B. sale C. payment D. use
2. According to this passage most people worry about shopping on the Internet because ______.
A. a great number of stolen credit-cards are sold on the Internet every day
B. fraud on the Internet happens very often
C. many Websites break down every day
D. there are too many illegal Websites on the Internet
3. Thieves usually get the information of the credit-card ______.
A. because many customers lost their cards
B. by paying money for people working in the information companies
C. because of the carelessness of the customers
D. by stealing the information from Websites
4. If the passwords of your credit-cards are not properly kept, _____.
A. the bank and the shop will suffer great losses
B. you will not be able to get back your information
C. you might suffer great losses
D. the bank will answer for your loss
5. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. How to Beat Online Credit-card Thieves
B. How to Shop on the Internet
C. Never Use Credit-card Without an Advanced Computer
D. Why Thieves Steal Credit-card Information