Can you imagine a stranger will read your e-mails without your permission or s

题型：不详难度：来源：

Can you imagine a stranger will read your e-mails without your permission or scan the website you’ve visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phones bills? All of the things may happen to you one day.
In fact, it’s likely that 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 or even do something that may bring a disaster to you.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, and that it’s important to reveal to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain nowadays. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can leak the deepest thought in your mind. 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 ask Americans about privacy, most of them say they are really concerned about losing it. And 60 percent of the respondents say they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me”.
But people say one thing and do another. Only a small 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 track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information such as telephone number, address, or social security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cent-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. Without privacy, one will be naked in front of others.
小题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 quarrels between friends.

小题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.

小题3:What should be the best title for the text?

A．No Privacy, No Health

B．Treasure Your Privacy

C．Boundaries are Important between Friends

D．The information Age Has Its Own Shortcomings

答案

小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:B

解析

略

举一反三

Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same one color may mean something differently in different places of the world?
In the English-speaking world, black is the color of mourning—people wear black at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed（伤亡）. Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the color of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.
Even within the English-speaking area, it is not difficult to find color contradictions（矛盾）.A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical, because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white-collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.
One does not have to cross an area to find color differences. Would you rather be red-blooded or a blue-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression “blueblood” comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly told the world that they had “blue blood”. Actually they meant that they had no Moorish or Jewish blood. But then why “blue” blood? Because they were fair-skinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管)stood out appearing blue.
小题1: Yellow is concerned with anger in ________________.

A．India	B．Britain
C．China	D．Italy

小题2:Both Britain and America would probably agree that ________________.

A．a redcap is a porter in a station

B．black is the color of mourning

C．red stands for beauty and excellence

D．a black-coated worker is employed in an office

小题3: In Britain , a redcap is a

A．porter

B．nobleman

C．clerk

D．military policeman

小题4:The best title for this reading selection is ________________.

A．The Origin of Blue Blood

B．Colors that Carry Bad Meanings

C．The Meaning Concerned with Certain Colors

D．The Development of the Symbolic Use of Colors

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

The CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs’ story about death
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered（遇到）to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors’ code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another biopsy（活组织检查）and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.
This was the closest I’ve been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn’t waste it repeating someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma（教条）----which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
小题1:The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because_________.

A．he had to rest at home

B．his disease was not serious at all

C．his disease couldn’t be cured

D．he had to wait for the result of the test

小题2: How did the author feel after the diagnosis?

A．Angry

B．Excited

C．Optimistic

D．Hopeless

小题3:What does the author think of death?

A．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.

B．He thinks it is not the end of life.

C．He thinks it is impossible to avoid.

D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life

小题4: In the author’s opinion, we should ____________.
A. follow others’ advice
B. take no notice of diseases
C. take exercise and keep healthy
D have the courage to follow our heart

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

As is known to all, colors appear in every language to express people’s feeling and thoughts. Then, what is the situation in American English?
Red is a hot color. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland Jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The color black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. People or things on a blacklist are connected with things illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the back side of the paper money.
小题1:Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT _______.

A．something unfair	B．small hot-tasting peppers
C．the person who is very angry	D．popular music like Dixieland Jazz

小题2:When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she _______.

A．enjoys himself in boating	B．is hit by a high wave
C．has a stomachache	D．likes trees and grass

小题3:In the writer’s eyes, what is related to a black day?

A．Being sent a beautiful gift.	B．Passing a very difficult test.
C．Failing in an important interview.	D．Being invited to an exciting party.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Michael, a normal American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal in order to connect with the office. After work he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn’t talk to any other human beings, and he doesn’t see any people except the ones on television. Michael is imaginary, but his life style is very possible. The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from communicating with our fellow human beings.
The world of business is one area in which technology is separating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their job at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they’re dealing with. Also, the way employees are paid will change. Workers’ salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.
Another area in which technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms.
小题1:The underlined sentence in the first paragraph means _______.

A．Michael is a person full of imagination and his dreams can come true

B．Michael is not a real person but the life style does exist

C．Michael has ambitions but he can’t make his dreams come true

D．Michael is full of imagination and his life style is common nowadays

小题2:What does the author discuss in the last paragraph ?

A．Technology is changing ways of entertainment.

B．People will never go to the concert in future.

C．How to borrow videotapes at home.

D．How to see a movie at home.

小题3: What is the main idea of the passage?

A．We may no longer need to communicate with other people.

B．Modern technology seems to be separating people.

C．We may no longer need to work in the office.

D．Modern technology makes it possible for us to work at home.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should alsobe quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
小题1:The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

A．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us

B．inspiring words give us confidence

C．negative words may let us down

D．words have a lasting effect on us

小题2: There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______

A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

B．we can benefit from talking to ourselves

C．talking to ourselves always gives us courage

D．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

小题3: The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______

A．praise ourselves	B．remind ourselves
C．make ourselves relaxed	D．give ourselves amusement

小题4:The author would probably hold the view that ___________

A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers

B．negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

C．people tend to remember friendly words

D．it is better to think twice before talking to others

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案