阅读理解。
It's beyond your imagination that 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
phone bills. All of the things may happen to you one day.
To our horror, some of these things have already happened to us. It was reported that recently huge
amounts of personal information of the clients (客户) on a certain website was let out. 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, but few boundaries remain nowadays. The digital bread
crumbs (碎屑) 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 asked about privacy, most Americans 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 number of Americans change any behaviors
in an effort to preserve their privacy. A series of tests about privacy have revealed that people will give
up personal information 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. 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.
2. What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
A. Most people are willing to change behavior that might disclose their identity.
B. People can refuse the temptation from merchants in daily life.
C. People rely more and more on advanced technology and can do little about it.
D. People know a lot about the importance of privacy but hardly do anything about it.
3. According to the author, privacy is in common with health in that _______.
A. people will make every effort to keep it
B. its importance is hardly understood
C. it is something that can easily be lost
D. people don't value it until they lose it
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. No privacy, no health
B. Treasure your privacy
C. Boundaries are important between friends
D. The information age has its own shortcomings
