“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft (the crime of stealing): a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts (warning) on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely (远程地) switch to an alternative (可替换的) password immediately if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access (进入, 使用) details.
If a thief accesses the Internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the Internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.
【小题1】The underlined expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” in Paragraph 2 can be understood as “_______”.        

“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft (the crime of stealing): a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.

The program allows users to display alerts (warning) on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.

Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version of the software, users can also send a spoken message.

The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.

In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”

The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely (远程地) switch to an alternative (可替换的) password immediately if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access (进入, 使用) details.

If a thief accesses the Internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the Internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.

Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.

Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.

1.The underlined expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” in Paragraph 2 can be understood as “_______”.        

A．to give the thief an alert mind

B．to express the owners’ anger to the thief

C．to remind the thief of his conscience (良心)

D．to make the thief give up his mind

2.Different from other security software, Retriever can _______.

A．record the stealing process

B．help recognize the lost laptop

C．lock down the computer remotely

D．send a spoken message

3.One function of the program is that it allows the owner to _______ at a distance.                         

A．change some access details for switching on the laptop

B．turn on the laptop by using the original password

C．operate the laptop by means of an alternative password

D．erase the information kept in the stolen laptop

4.Which of the following can best sum up the main idea of the passage?

A．With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.

B．A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft.

C．Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.

D．A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.

5.What does the word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．the alert message                       B．the computer

C．the program                           D．the laptop

You feel generally depressed and unable to concentrate. Your pattern of daily activity may change：you find yourself awake and active in the middle of the night；you sleep late into the day.  You stay in your room and have little contact with people except with those who speak your language. In your mind，you criticize the people around you；You are constantly comparing between life here and the perfect life back home. Above a11, you are homesick almost all the time.
If you ever find yourself behaving in these ways，you are probably suffering from culture shock. Culture shock is a psychological condition that sometimes has physical effects. It affects people who have moved away from an environment where they know how to live into a new environment where much is unfamiliar to them-the food，the weather, the language，and especially the unwritten rules for social behavior.
Culture shock is caused. therefore，by a lack of familiarity with the system of rules that the new society uses for everyday living. Language is an obvious example of one type of these rules. If your language is limited，even the simplest task can suddenly become difficult for you. However, knowledge of the language doesn’t make you free from the effects of culture shock as many Britons in the United States and many Americans in Britain will experience. Most people are unaware that each culture has its own rules for social behavior；they certainly think that polite， civilized people behave the same way worldwide. This mistaken belief will cause you to behave and judge the behavior of others according to the rules you learned as a member of your own culture. If the rules are different, then people will misunderstand your behavior, and you will misunderstand theirs.
How can you deal with culture shock? First, you need to realize that every newcomer suffers from some culture shock. You’re not the only case. Second，remember that culture shock can be cured. The process of recovery will start as you begin to become used to the new culture. Of course learning the language will help remove the obstacles to communication and will ease the job of making Mends with people. Recognizing and learning the new cultural rules of behavior, however, may be just as important. You’ll still have emotional reactions to unfamiliar situations but you’11 find yourself making jokes about them rather than condemning the entire society as “stupid.” The jokes are a good sign：they show that you are recovering.
【小题1】What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

You feel generally depressed and unable to concentrate. Your pattern of daily activity may change：you find yourself awake and active in the middle of the night；you sleep late into the day.  You stay in your room and have little contact with people except with those who speak your language. In your mind，you criticize the people around you；You are constantly comparing between life here and the perfect life back home. Above a11, you are homesick almost all the time.
If you ever find yourself behaving in these ways，you are probably suffering from culture shock. Culture shock is a psychological condition that sometimes has physical effects. It affects people who have moved away from an environment where they know how to live into a new environment where much is unfamiliar to them-the food，the weather, the language，and especially the unwritten rules for social behavior.
Culture shock is caused. therefore，by a lack of familiarity with the system of rules that the new society uses for everyday living. Language is an obvious example of one type of these rules. If your language is limited，even the simplest task can suddenly become difficult for you. However, knowledge of the language doesn’t make you free from the effects of culture shock as many Britons in the United States and many Americans in Britain will experience. Most people are unaware that each culture has its own rules for social behavior；they certainly think that polite， civilized people behave the same way worldwide. This mistaken belief will cause you to behave and judge the behavior of others according to the rules you learned as a member of your own culture. If the rules are different, then people will misunderstand your behavior, and you will misunderstand theirs.
How can you deal with culture shock? First, you need to realize that every newcomer suffers from some culture shock. You’re not the only case. Second，remember that culture shock can be cured. The process of recovery will start as you begin to become used to the new culture. Of course learning the language will help remove the obstacles to communication and will ease the job of making Mends with people. Recognizing and learning the new cultural rules of behavior, however, may be just as important. You’ll still have emotional reactions to unfamiliar situations but you’11 find yourself making jokes about them rather than condemning the entire society as “stupid.” The jokes are a good sign：they show that you are recovering.

1. 1.

   What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

   1. A.
      the causes of culture shock
   2. B.
      some signs of culture shock
   3. C.
      the cure for culture shock
   4. D.
      an explanation of culture shock
2. 2.

   What does the underlined word obstacles mean?

   1. A.
      things that make a task easy
   2. B.
      things that make at ask enjoyable
   3. C.
      things that make a task difficult
   4. D.
      things that make at ask funny
3. 3.

   What can be concluded when you find yourself making jokes about new culture?

   1. A.
      You are about to recover from culture shock.
   2. B.
      You have completely got rid of culture shock.
   3. C.
      You never suffered from culture shock before.
   4. D.
      You’re in culture shock for many years.
4. 4.

   Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The passage suggests that culture shock makes you miss your family badly.
   2. B.
      A good knowledge of the language will prevent you suffering from culture shock.
   3. C.
      In the writer’s opinion，the social rules for polite，civilized behavior are international.
   4. D.
      If you have a perfect knowledge of their language, you will never be misunderstood.