Question

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 that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a husband or wife, 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 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. There should be a distance even between friends.

B. Friends should always be faithful to each other.

C. Friends should open their hearts to each other.

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. People leave tracks around when using modern technology.

B. Modern society has finally developed into an open society.

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 talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.

C. They rely more and more on electronic devices.

D. They use various loyalty cards for business deals.

4. According to the passage, privacy is like health because __________.

A. its importance is rarely understood

B. people don’t treasure it until they lose it

C. it is something that can easily be lost

D. people will make every effort to keep it

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.B

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文主要讲述了，当今世界，我们很难拥有隐私。我们的隐私能被任何人轻易获取。大多数美国人声称他们很注意保护隐私，但他们的行为往往就泄露了他们的隐私。保护隐私是很重要的，当它失去时，你追悔莫及。

1.第三自然段“Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times.”意思是心理学家告诉我们保持一定距离是正常的，在合适的人生阶段，合适的时间里使朋友、家人和爱人了解自己是很重要的。可知在朋友间应保持一定的距离，故选择A。

2.。第三自然段“In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. ”意思是在一些案例中，一个简单的谷歌搜索就能揭露你所想的。可知当使用高科技时，人们很容易留下痕迹。故选择A。

3.第七自然段“But people say one thing and do another. ”意思是但人们说一套做一套。文中最后两自然段提到美国人声称自己很注意隐私，但他们在生活中又把自己的隐私泄露出去。故选择B。

4. you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.”意思是当拥有它时，你不在意。只有当失去时，你希望你过去有努力去保护它。故选择B。

考点：考查议论文阅读。