Have you ever used Facebook? Many people are being lured (引诱) onto it with the promise of a fun，free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of 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 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．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 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．Its original business model，which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page，totally failed．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(议员) 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 is only the beginning，which 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 know．That's too high a price to pay．
What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
| A．It is a website that sends messages to targeted users． |
| B．It makes money by putting on advertisements． |
| C．It profits by selling its users'personal data． |
| D．It provides loads of information to its users． |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
| A．They are reluctant 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 little about their personal information． |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
| A．To provide better service to its users． |
| B．To follow the Federal guidelines． |
| C．To improve its users'connectivity． |
| D．To expand its scope of business． |
Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
| A．He is dissatisfied with its current service． |
| B．He finds many of its users untrustworthy． |
| C．He doesn't want his personal data abused． |
| D．He is upset by its frequent rule changes． |
The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
The clock struck 12."Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.”
The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learnt. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were_____ .
| A．asleep | B．working in bed | C．outside | D．quietly laughing at him |
Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because ________. .
| A．it was too late at night |
| B．he was very tired |
| C．his eyes l ids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
| D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
The best title for the passage would be __________ .
| A．The Night Before the Examination | B．Working Far into the Night |
| C．A Slow Student | D．Going Over My Lessons |
Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (扑), locking its jaws (颌)on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (伤口) in her right leg, a puncture（穿刺） wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (细菌) on the teeth of the crocodile. This passage is most likely to be found in _____.
| A．a travel guide | B．a newspaper | C．a textbook | D．a novel |
The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
| A．swimming in the river |
| B．standing on the river bank |
| C．watching the crocodile |
| D．fishing in the water |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
| A．Her eyes were badly poked. |
| B．She had eight wounds altogether. |
| C．One of her fingers also got hurt. |
| D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg. |
According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
| A．brave | B．diligent | C．quick | D．humorous |
Some snakes eat other snakes, even poisonous ones. The poison does not do them any harm(伤害). Snakes can swallow(吞下) things that are bigger around than they themselves are. This is possible because the jawbones(腭骨) are loosely joined, and the mouth can stretch（伸展）to make room for a fat animal. The snake’s slim body stretches to make space for the animal when it is inside.
Many snakes eat birds’ eggs or frogs（青蛙）. Others eat pests（害虫）, mice and other animals that harm crops on farms. Because snakes do this valuable work, you should never kill one. It is too dangerous for you to kill a poisonous one. Leave that job to experts. Which of the following groups of food is usually had by a snake?
| A．Mice, crops, birds’ eggs. |
| B．Pests, frogs, some animals, plants. |
| C．Birds’ eggs, frogs, all animals, other snakes. |
| D．Mice, frogs, pests, some animals, other snakes. |
We should not kill a snake because
| A．it is poisonous |
| B．it can do something useful for man |
| C．it will strike you in return |
| D．we are not experts |
Snakes may do some valuable work by
| A．eating pests, mice and some harmful animals |
| B．doing harm to other animals |
| C．eating birds’ eggs and frogs |
| D．both A and C |
In writing this passage the writer mainly wants us to
| A．have a better impression(印象) about snakes |
| B．like snakes |
| C．kill snakes with the help of experts |
| D．regard snakes as one of man’s best friends |
The World's Largest Insect .This giant insect can be used as a toy.
A child ties one end of a string to a stick and the other end around the "neck" of an insect. Holding the stick, the child lets the insect go. With a loud whirring sound, the insect takes off, pulling the string in a large curve over the child's head. The child laughs as the stick jumps around. The child is African, and the toy is the African Goliath beetle, the largest insect in the world.
The Goliath is a true insect because it has six legs and a body that is divided into three parts. Like all beetles, it has two pairs of wings. The front pair are thick and stiff and protect the back pair, which are soft. It is these soft back wings that make the beetle fly forward. They also cause the loud whirring sound the beetle makes when it flies. To steer, the beetle twists and turns its legs the same way you steer a bike by turning its front wheel.
African children often use the Goliath beetle as a toy. Although it is over 15 centimeters long, it is quite harmless. The African Goliath beetle is _______.
| A．the world's largest insect |
| B．a toy used in many parts of the world |
| C．the only insect found in Africa |
| D．the world's smallest insect |
What do African children often use the Goliath beetle as?
| A．a tool. | B．a toy. | C．harmfull insects. | D．Good animals. |
We know the Goliath beetle is a true insect because it _______.
| A．makes a whirring sound when it flies | B．has both soft and hard wings |
| C．has six legs and a body with three parts | D．can fly |
When flying, the Goliath steers by_______.
| A．turning its soft back wings |
| B．twisting and turning its hard front wings |
| C．twisting and turning its legs |
| D．twisting and turning its whole body |
In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest growing U. S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian-American students .
| A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| B．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| C．still worry about unfair treatment in society |
| D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents |
What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture. |
| B．Hard work and intelligence. |
| C．Parents’ help and a limited knowledge of English. |
| D．Asian culture and the American educational system. |
Few Asian American students major in human sciences mainly because .
| A．their English is not good enough |
| B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas |
| C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures |
| D．they know little about American culture and society |
Why do “both explanations” (Para. 3) worry Asian Americans?
| A．They are afraid they will again be isolated from American society in general. |
| B．People will think that Asian students only rely on their parents for success. |
| C．Asian Americans will be a threat to other minorities. |
| D．American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character. |