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.

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.

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.

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

It's a small gas station that has snacks, drinks, cigarettes, and candies. The young man behind the counter knows his __36__　 by name and what they normally want to buy. He treats children and adults with equal　 __37__. He reads science fiction behind the counter when business is　 __38__.

One day, three people rushed in and grabbed food off the shelves as fast as they could,　 __39__　 not intending to pay for it. He hit the “panic button” , then went over the counter and　 __40__　 the front door. It was obvious that they were homeless, and equally obvious that they weren't going　 __41__　 with their ill?gotten gains. They　 __42__　 the food and simply crowded together in panic—knowing the police were　 __43__　 the way.

Imagine what they must have felt like when they were told they didn't have to steal if they were that　 __44__. “We have food in the back, expired (到期)but still　 __45__　 to eat. If you need food, you　 __46__　 have some.”

They were told to　 __47__　 what they had dropped and put it back, and then asked to straighten out the mess. They were doing just that　 __48__　 the police arrived. The officers were told the situation was under control and the police were no longer　 __49__.

This wasn't what they had　 __50__. They were being treated as human beings who could right the wrong they'd done. Shocked, they quickly followed orders to take turns and use the restroom to clean up.

Soon three　 __51__　 people walked out with all the　 __52__　 their arms could hold. They were　 __53__　 that，if they needed to come back again, they were to ask and not just grab.

And then the young man went back to read until the next customer came in. He would be the　 __54__ person in the world to claim he was a hero. But he gave three people something they were in desperate need of—a　 __55__amount of self?respect and a little bit of hope.

36．A.friends　　 B．neighbors　C．customers 　 D．passengers

37．A.respect 　 B．pride 　C．wisdom　 　　 D．privilege

38．A.slow　 　 B．busy C．heavy 　 D．swift

39．A.bravely 　 B．reasonably C．hardly 　 D．obviously

40．A.opened 　 B．locked C．closed 　 D．broke

41．A.nowhere B．somewhere C．anywhere 　　 D．everywhere

42．A.hid B．lifted 　C．swallowed 　 D．dropped

43．A.in B．on C．off D．by

44．A.anxious B．cautious 　C．courageous 　 D．hungry

45．A.safe B．easy C．sweet 　 D．unique

46．A.must B．can 　C．should 　 D．need

47．A.hold up B．hand out 　C．pick up D．hand in

48．A.when　 　　 B．after 　C．before 　 D．since

49．A.popular 　 B．necessary C．reliable D．important

50．A.wanted　 B．desired C．expected 　　 D．admired

51．A.dirtier 　　 B．cleaner C．cleverer　 　　 D．quicker

52．A.money　　 　　　 B．cigarettes C．drinks 　 D．food

53．A.reminded B．warned C．ordered D．persuaded

54．A.first B．last 　C．best 　　 D．worst

55．A.large B．fair 　C．small 　　 D．full

 Are you still wishing your friends and partners “Happy New Year”? In the first few days of a new year, we say these three words countless times. The ___16___ is that we say them almost without thinking. The result of such a wish is that it ___17___ its meaning and power.

Last month, I ___18___ Dada J P Vaswani’s first speech after his return from the US. The ___19___ of his speech was “In 2012, all will be fine”. While sharing one of his many ___20___ ideas, he said that while “Happy New Year” is a nice greeting, there’s a more beautiful and encouraging way to ___21___ others—“Happy New You!”

Those three ___22___ words show that New Year is a time to leave behind our ___23___ and step forward. It’s the time to renew ourselves by getting rid of the negative things of the past — ___24___, pain and so on. It’s also the right time to give up thoughts of fear and failure.

For those who are ___25___ what to change, Dada has a simple suggestion: write down all the things that you don’t ___26___ about yourself… every single one. They could be small or big, easy or difficult — ___27___ write them all down. Putting them on ___28___ brings clearness of thought, which is the first step towards bringing about any change.

So this New Year, let’s wish each other “Happy New You” and then ___29___ that trend all through the year. Each time you wish others, you will be ___30___ not only them but also yourself to leave behind sadness and the past — because it’s time for being Happy and New.

 

1.A. mind           B. idea             C. thought      D. problem

2. A. proves        B. loses                C. hides            D. shows

3. A. ruined        B. remembered       C. attended     D. missed

4. A. opinion       B. design           C. structure        D. topic

5. A. beautiful     B. funny            C. old          D. normal

6. A. surprise      B. wish             C. require      D. disappoint

7. A. short         B. unusual          C. exciting     D. new

8.A. friends        B. dreams           C. wishes       D. disappointments

9.A. anger          B. calm             C. Excitement  D. desire

10.A. avoiding      B. fearing              C. forgetting   D. wondering

11. A. like             B. think            C. care         D. ask

12.A. still             B. just             C. sometimes    D. never

13.A. paper         B. mind             C. cloth            D. bed

14.A. explain       B. continue         C. improve      D. check

15. A. helping          B. replacing            C. reminding    D. pleasing

 

完形填空。从短文后所给各题的四个选项中选出一个能填入空格的最佳答案，每小题1.5分，共30分。

My name's Jim Shelley and I'm an addict(有瘾的人）.With these words I began to_36__the problem, the problem of my telephone addiction. I used to call people_37___, from the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep,I__38__to be phoned, I wanted to phone, Just one more call. It started socially --a few calls each day. It seemed__39___, just a quick chat.

 Gradually though, the __40___got worse. Soon it was__41___use,until,finally,addiction. And it began to affect my__42___.During the work day, I would disappear for a quick 43 . If I couldn't make a call, I spent the whole time waiting for the phone to ring. Getting more and more__44___,in the end, I would ring someone, then someone else,__45___myself just one more call. I was phoning people and__46___messages to make sure__47___calls would see me through the day.

I used to arrive at friends homes and before the door was closed, go straight for the phone with the___48___"Is it OK if I just use the phone...?"At work, I became__49___when my fellow workers tried to__50___me from using the phone. And one day I hit my boss(with the phone). Finally the police caught me___51___a phone box that had take my last one pound coin, and I was__52___to see a psychiatrist(心理医生）. I haven't__53__a phone in the house for three weeks now, and it's several days__54___I used a phone box. I try not to watch TV because there are__55___people on it making phone calls. My name is Jim Shelley and I am an addict.

36.A.face            B.find         C.accept      D.notice

1.A.now and then    B.all the time    C.at home     D.at work

2.A.tried           B.asked         C.waited      D.invited

3.A.polite          B.important      C.fine        D.special

4.A.condition       B.situation        C.result      D.effect

5.A.frequent        B.regular         C.unusual    D.particular

6.A.friends         B.study           C.family     D.work

7. A. a call         B. a secret         C. an accident    D. a reply

8.A.hopeful        B.delighted        C.frightened     D.anxious

9.A.forcing         B.telling         C.giving    D.limiting

10.A.sending        B.taking         C.passing    D.recording

11.A.long          B.immediate      C.enough    D.surprising

12.A.saying          B.demands       C.with    D.words

13.A.careful        B.mad       C.determined    D.helpless

14.A.save           B.reduce      C.protect      D.stop

15.A.destroying      B.using        C.stealing      D.emptying

16.A.offered        B.guided       C.ordered      D.reminded

17.A.missed        B.had          C.accepted    D.fixed

18.A.as            B.when        C.if      D.since

19.A.always        B.just      C.more      D.different 

 

Jim is  ___ person, and everyone is willing to be ______ with him.

A. so kind a, friends     B. so a kind, friends

C. so kind a, friend     D. so a kind, friend