The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don’t know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams(欺诈). We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late. By the time these “solutions”(解决方案) become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it’s not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you’re hearing is actually real.
That’s because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation(处理) and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use. At this year’s I/O Conference, a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.
These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision. A decade of data breaches(数据侵入) of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother’s name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they’re able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller’s, tricking you into “confirming” your address, mother’s name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.
We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications—using apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.
Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to get harder from here on out.
1.How does the author feel about the solutions to problem of robocalls?
A.Panicked. B.Confused. C.Embarrassed. D.Disappointed.
2.Taking advantage of the new technologies, scammer can ________.
A.aim at victims precisely B.damage databases easily
C.start campaigns rapidly D.spread information widely
3.What does the passage imply?
A.Honesty is the best policy.
B.Technologies can be double-edged.
C.There are more solutions than problems.
D.Credibility holds the key to development.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted
B.Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls
C.Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous
D.How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology
Money with no strings attached. It’s not something you see every day. But at Union Station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read, “Give What You Can, Take What You Need.”
People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. “People of all ages, races, and socio-economic(社会经济的) backgrounds gave and took,” said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. “We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars.” Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip(片段) shows one man who had found a $ 20 bill pinning it to the board.
“What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles,” Bridges said. “There’s a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most.” Most people who took dollars took only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.
While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy. He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.
“After all, everyone has bad days and good days,” he said. “Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand.”
1.What does the expression “money with no strings attached” in paragraph 1 mean?
A.Money spent without hesitation.
B.Money not legally made.
C.Money offered without conditions.
D.Money not tied together.
2.What did Bridges want to show by mentioning the bride?
A.Women tended to be more sociable.
B.The activity attracted various people.
C.Economic problems were getting worse.
D.Young couples needed financial assistance.
3.Why did Bridges carry out the project?
A.To do a test on people’s morals.
B.To raise money for his company.
C.To earn himself a good reputation.
D.To promote kindness and sympathy.
Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s “me” time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half(53 percent) have breakfast alone and nearly half(46 percent) have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?” Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he’s on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction(交流). “I reflect on how my day’s gone and think about the rest of the week,” he said. “It’s a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn’t feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
1.What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?
A.Food variety.
B.Eating habits.
C.Table manners.
D.Restaurant service.
2.Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?
A.To meet with her coworkers.
B.To catch up with her work.
C.To have some time on her own.
D.To collect data for her report.
3.What do we know about Mazoleny?
A.He makes videos for the bar.
B.He’s fond of the food at the bar.
C.He interviews customers at the bar.
D.He’s familiar with the barkeeper.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The trend of having meals alone.
B.The importance of self-reflection.
C.The stress from working overtime.
D.The advantage of wireless technology.
During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.
1.What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?
A.Unkind. B.Lonely. C.Generous. D.Cool.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The classification of the popular.
B.The characteristics of adolescents.
C.The importance of interpersonal skills.
D.The causes of dishonorable behavior.
3.What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?
A.They appeared to be aggressive.
B.They tended to be more adaptable.
C.They enjoyed the highest status.
D.They performed well academically.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last
B.The Higher the Status, the Beer
C.Be the Best—You Can Make It
D.More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness
书面表达
假如你的朋友向你征求学习英语的方法。请就下面的内容写一封回信。
1．朗读背诵，帮你记忆，养成用英语思维的习惯。
2．多听，多交际，可以提高听说能力。
3．记日记，提高书面表达能力。
注意：1. 背诵learn…by heart；用英语思维think in English
2．词数100左右
3．信的开头已给出，不计入词数。
Dear Simon,
I have received your letter about asking me for the advice about learning English. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes.
Yours truly,
Mary
短文改错
By midday the sun was very strong, Jim was so tired to walk. There was no trees near the road, so he rested under a big rock. After drinking some water, he took his shirt, lying down on the ground and fell asleep at once. He was very tired that he didn’t wake up until the evening. He was just about to jump while he felt something moving near his feet. He looked up and saw a long black snake. Jim was so frightening that he didn’t dare to move. The snake began to crawl (爬) across his legs. It crawled on and on until it was disappeared under the rocks, Jim jumped to his feet, picked up his shirt and ran down the road.
