A group of Russian criminals have stolen l.2 billion username and password combinations for more than 500 millione-mail addresses. It's the largest known theft on the Internet, according to a report of The New York Times.
Cyber security firm Hold Security discovered the security breach(漏洞 ). The firm found that the group of criminals collected personal information from 420,000 websites, including household names and small Internet sites. The criminals were based in a small city in south central Russia. They hacked websites inside Russia as well as big companies in the U.S. and other countries ,The New Times reports.
The criminals found hundreds of thousands of weak websites and attacked their coding，Hold Security said. Alex Holden is chief information security officer of Hold Security. “The hackers did not just target U.S. companies；they targeted any website they could get，” Holden said. “And most of these sites are still easy to attack”.
According to Hold Security, the criminals have been using the stolen information to send junk mail through e-mail and on social networks like Twitter. They can also use the 500 million stolen e-mail -addresses to plan other crimes. They could use information from bank e-mails to steal your identity or sell the e-mail address to other criminals to make quick cash.
The reported break-ins are the latest events to raise doubts about security at big and small companies. Last winter, hackers stole 40 million credit card numbers and 70 million addresses, phone numbers and other personal information from the retailer Target Corp. The brand is still working to regain its shoppers' trust.
John Prisco is a CEO of a security firm. He says security hacks are more common than many people and companies realize. "This issue reminds me of an iceberg, where 90% of it is actually under water," Prisco said in an e-mailed statement. So many cyber breaches today are not actually reported, because companies are losing information and they are not even aware of it. "
Security experts believe hackers will continue breaking into computer networks unless companies become more protective of personal information.
1. What did a group of Russian criminals do according to the report?
A. They stole e-mail addresses of the Internet users.
B. They destroyed the websites of some big companies.
C. They attacked American companies in southern Russia.
D. They downloaded the secret information of some banks.
2. According to Alex Holden, the criminals entered some websites easily because .
A. some websites don't have their own coding
B. most of the websites lack protective measures
C. Russia is more developed in computer science
D. the hackers are equipped with high technology
3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?
A. The criminals are fond of using social networks.
B. The criminals sell the stolen information for money.
C. The stolen information causes great economic losses.
D. The stolen information could bring harmful effects.
4. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 imply?
A. We cannot tell how large an iceberg is just from the part on the water.
B. Many companies are unwilling to report their information stolen.
C. Many companies are not aware their information has been stolen.
D. People usually can see just a small part of an iceberg.
STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember with People In America in VOA Special English. Today we remember the singer and actress Lena Horne. During her sixty-year career performing, Lena Horne entertained people with her beauty and rich, emotional voice. She used her fame to fight social injustices toward African-Americans.
Lena Horne was born in New York. At sixteen, Lena became a dancer at the famous club in New York City in 1933. After taking voice lessons, she soon became a singer. In 1940, Lena Horne became the first African-American to perform with an all-white jazz hand. After performing at a club in Hollywood, California, she caught the attention of filmmakers. She soon began making movies. Her films became very popular. In the 1940s, Lena Horne was the first African-American in Hollywood to sing a long -term contract with a major movie studio. Her deal with MGM stated that she would never play the role of a servant. She refused to play roles that represented African-Americans disrespectfully.
Lena Horne once said that World War II helped make her a star. She was popular with both black and white soldiers. She sang on army radio programs and traveled to perform for the troops. These experiences led to Lena Horne's work in the civil rights movement.
Lena Horne sang at rights gatherings. She took part in the march on Washington protest in 1963. It was during this event that Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. She protested racial separation at the hotels where she performed. She took action so that she and her musicians would be allowed to stay in those hotels. B1ack musicians at the time generally stayed in black neighborhoods.
At the age of eighty, she said she did not have to act like a white woman that Hollywood hoped she would become. She said: "I'm me, and I'm like nobody else."
Lena Horne died in New York in 2010.
1. How old was Lena Horne when she died?
A. 93 years old. B. 98 years old.
C. 86 years old. D. 88 years old.
2. We can infer from the passage that_____
A. black women were forbidden to perform in the film in the 1940s
B. Lena Horne didn't make any films in the 1960s
C. Lena Horne liked staying at hotel very much
D. black actresses often played roles of servants in the film in the 1940s
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Lena Home became the first African-American in Hollywood in her forties.
B. Dena Horne was a friend of Martin Luther King.
C. Lena Horne was involved in civil rights activities in the 1960s.
D. Lena Horne took an active part in sports activities.
4. This text is developed
A. by space B. by time
C. by process D. by comparison
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love(早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression(忧郁症). The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self". According to the study, even though boys would say "lose themselves in a romantic relationship", this "loss of self" is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marianm Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression--eating or mood changes--and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity(成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
1.What's the main idea of the passage?
A. Puppy love may bring young people depression.
B. Parents should forbid their children's love.
C. Romance is a two-edged sword for adults.
D. Romance is good for young people.
2.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A. Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.
B. Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.
C. Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.
D. Careless parents whose children are deep in love.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.
B. Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.
C. Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.
D. The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.
4.What's the author's attitude towards puppy love?
A. Confused. B. Disapproving.
C. Disinterested. D. Scared.
Moral science is taught as a subject in most schools but with little effect. Perhaps part of the problem lies in the fact that morality is not a science, strictly speaking. It is too much of a social phenomenon, and also has too much of the personal and subjective things mixed within. Besides, morality itself changes with generations. So it is impossible to be defined in a textbook.
I remember sitting through forty minutes of moral lessons, which told stories about little children who never told lies and were rewarded for their goodness. It had little effect and left no impression on me, though.
If moral science has to be taught as a subject in schools, it needs a participatory (参与其中的 ) approach. When you tell a child about morals, you also have to deal with social norms(规范) and cultural differences. You have to explain that morality can be subjective, and be able to co-exist in society. You will probably have to refer to the morals of the present time.
The best way to tell a child how to live is to show him what is valued. If a child likes his friend, you have to make the child think about why. Once the child notices and recognizes goodness in others, he or she is likely to develop it as well.
In fact, children learn most of their morals by watching people around them. They absorb behavior patterns from teachers and older students. They watch to see what is rewarded and who is punished. They learn on the sports field and through social work. Moral science lessons should simply consist of letting them live and interact, and watch you support correct values and reward good behavior.
1.Which is NOT the reason that moral science is taught in schools but with little effect?
A. Morality doesn't strictly belong to a science.
B. Morality is more like a social phenomenon.
C. Morality can't be written down in textbooks.
D. Different generations have different moral ideas, '
2.The author describes his own experience of having moral lessons in order to .
A. explain telling lies not moral for little children
B. advise people should be rewarded for their goodness
C. show he has no opinions about moral science
D. prove moral lessons in schools have little effect
3.When you tell a child about morals, you should .
A. teach him to share personal moral ideas with others
B. tell him about social norms and cultural differences
C. explain that nobody can influence his moral ideas
D. say that the present morals are likely to be changed
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A. The influence of people's behavior on morals.
B. The value of teachers' setting a good example.
C. The best way of teaching children about morals.
D. The importance of rewarding good behavior.
One woman is having a very merry Christmas, indeed, all thanks to the honesty and determination of a complete stranger.
“When I saw it, I said, ‘God, this is really a pretty .Somebody's going to heartbroken,” said Shirley Grandey , 62, who was a volunteer for keeping the environment clean.
When Grandey was a large pile of pine needles and dirt at the end of her hard work day, she never to come across someone's diamond ring lying alone among a pile of .
Knowing the ring probably had special , Grandey held onto the jewelry and made it her 16 to find the owner.
“I said, 'Oh God ,I have to find the , "'recalled Grandey before making the decision to contact the TV station, to help the word. "It was definitely a ring. It was intertwined（缠绕）and had their on it．”
Her efforts ．
“The brother of the girl saw it on and told her," said Grandey, who couldn't have been happier to return the ring to its original owner, Julie Sanalitro.
“I was screaming and running around the house,” Sanalitro told the news station. "We always come to our tree from there to celebrate Christmas Day," she said.
When Sanalitro called to the ring, she explained it was a gift from her boyfriend, who had only given it to her two months ago when they reunited.
She was not only able to answer all of Grandey's questions about the ring, she was the original owner, but Grandey added, “I knew it was hers the moment she was walking up.”
“We just hugged each other and she had a few tears," the volunteer explained.
All that Crandey asks from this is simply for people to “pay it forward.” She said. “ I would want someone to give it back to me if I lost my ring, so just try to pay it forward.”
1.A. gift B. handkerchief C. necklace D. ring
2.A. putting away B. cleaning up C. keeping up D. bringing up
3.A. expected B. wanted C. understood D. imagined
4.A. furniture B. equipment C. luggage D. garbage
5.A. object B. design C. value D. form
6.A. duty B. work C. ability D. agreement
7.A. designer B. owner C. photographer D. artist
8.A. print B. explore C. spread D. write
9.A. luck B. wedding C. marriage D. love
10.A. photos B. names C. addresses D. words
11.A. paid off B. paid up C. paid back D. paid out
12.A. television B. telephone C. radio D. phone
13.A. nice B. lost C. ugly D. lovely
14.A. take B. buy C. get D. lift
15.A. rescue B. transport C. convey D. describe
16.A. recently B. immediately C. actively D. likely
17.A. successfully B. properly C. obviously D. similarly
18.A. remembering B. ensuring C. forgetting D. telling
19.A. kind B. angry C. close D. learned
20.A. accident B. origin C. experience D. evidence
--Tom often plays the record very loud at midnight in his apartment.
-- _____!
A. Just your luck B. Better not
C. It can’t be helped D. That’s too much
