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 some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, 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 (民意测验) 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.
1.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A. Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B. Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C. There should be a distance even between friends.
D. There should be fewer disagreements between friends.
2. Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
A. Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B. People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C. There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs.
D. Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities.
3.What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
A. They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B. They use various loyalty cards for business deals.
C. They rely more and more on electronic devices.
D. They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
4.According to the passage, privacy is like health because __________.
A. people will make every effort to keep it
B. its importance is rarely understood
C. it is something that can easily be lost
D. people don’t cherish it until they lose it
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a passage from the Bible about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.” “Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that medical checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?” It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
1.From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage __________.
A. with his family B. with Evelyn
C. all by himself D. with his children
2.During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.
A. she looked lovely in her new clothes
B. he could afford time to care for her
C. he was willing to be a good husband
D. she was seriously ill
3.The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?
A. He praised her sweater, which puzzled her.
B. She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated.
C. He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her.
D. He was so good to her that she thought she would be dying.
4.By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.
A. he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life
B. he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband
C. he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change
D. he is beginning to regret what he did to his wife before
The young couple had another quarrel. They were sitting silently when the landlady came in and asked, “You don’t 31 the house any more?” He kept silent and she 32 shook her head.
The landlady began 33 the house. After looking around, the landlady screamed, “See how you have 34 my house? The walls are full of nails! How could I rent it to others?”
She began looking around her 35 room. Four years ago on the wedding night, he felt deeply 36 to her, saying, “I feel so sorry to you for 37 you live in this small room. In the future I will buy our own big house.”
This tiny room has two nails on the wall next to the door, one for her bag and the other 38 . At that time, she threw all her stuff such as her bag and umbrella on the 39 once she entered the room, staring at the whole 40 and feeling terribly upset. Then he began 41 more nails into the wall. There were three nails on the left, on which 42 his clothes yesterday and four on the right used to 43 their wedding photo frame.
The landlady started to pull the nails out with a tool. After the nails were 44 , the walls were left with countless holes. Suddenly, she felt heartbroken as if she were 45 nonstop through these holes.
She 46 to her feet and exclaimed, “Stop removing the nails! We will rent the house 47 we buy our own!” He gazed at her surprised, and then turned round, tears over his cheek.
She 48 realized that marriage was like a wall and that all 49 and “cold wars” were like the nails on the wall. 50 , when they were removed, only a wall with holes would remain. But if all the nails were still in their own places, the wall was still complete and reliable.
1.A. like B. clean C. rent D. keep
2.A. simply B. barely C. coldly D. proudly
3.A. observing B. examining C. watching D. spotting
4.A. shared B. ruined C. kept D. decorated
5.A. familiar B. dirty C. empty D. bright
6.A. devoted B. attached C. optimistic D. guilty
7.A. leaving B. having C. asking D. getting
8.A. clothes B. pictures C. umbrellas D. hats
9.A. floor B. wall C. ceiling D. door
10.A. trouble B. mess C. confusion D. order
11.A. putting B. striking C. driving D. beating
12.A. hung B. fastened C. dropped D. swung
13.A. connect B. fix C. hang D. put
14.A. replaced B. separated C. unfastened D. removed
15.A. crying B. aching C. bleeding D. disturbing
16.A. jumped B. held C. stuck D. got
17.A. if B. unless C. as D. until
18.A. especially B. eventually C. fortunately D. sadly
19.A. chaos B. troubles C. quarrels D. challenges
20. A. Therefore B. Besides C. Thus D. However
As a wise department manager, he possesses a unique way to ______ huge tasks into small and doable units.
A. break through B. break away C. break off D. break down
Most Asian women try to be shaded from the sun while touring in Europe in summer, fearing that the strong sunshine may ______ the aging process of their skin.
A. accumulate B. protect C. accelerate D. develop
Professional and skilled as she is in drama, there are ______ when she can make some funny mistakes while acting in a movie.
A. situations B. occasions C. scenes D. conditions
