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 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 — the 21st century equivalent 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 crumbs (碎屑) 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 an overwhelming pessimism 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 fraction 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 Alessandro 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.What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked" ?A.People's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.B.In the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets.C.People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.D.Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.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 disputes between friends.Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"?A.Modern society has finally evolved 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 do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection?A.They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.B.They use various loyalty cards for business transactions.C.They rely more and more on electronic devices.D.They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.According to the passage, privacy is like health in that .A.people will make every effort to keep itB.its importance is rarely understoodC.it is something that can easily be lostD.people don't cherish it until they lose it
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 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 — the 21st century equivalent 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 crumbs (碎屑) 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 an overwhelming pessimism 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 fraction 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 Alessandro 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.
What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked" ?
A.People's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.
B.In the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets.
C.People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.
D.Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.
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 disputes between friends.
Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"?
A.
Modern society has finally evolved 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 do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection?
A.They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B.They use various loyalty cards for business transactions.
C.They rely more and more on electronic devices.
D.They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
According to the passage, privacy is like health in that .
A.people will make every effort to keep it
B.its importance is rarely understood
C.it is something that can easily be lost
D.people don't cherish it until they lose it
题目解答
答案
- (1)A
- (2)C
- (3)B
- (4)D
- (5)D
解析
文章讨论了在21世纪,个人隐私变得越来越难以保护,因为现代技术使得个人数据更容易被获取和分析。作者通过几个例子说明了隐私泄露的普遍性和严重性。
步骤 2:分析问题
问题要求解释作者所说的“21世纪的裸体等价物”是什么意思。根据文章,这指的是个人隐私在现代技术下变得容易被他人获取,就像被“裸体”一样。
步骤 3:分析心理学家的建议
心理学家建议在适当的时间和场合向朋友、家人和爱人逐步展示自己。这表明即使在亲密关系中,也应该保持一定的界限。
步骤 4:分析为什么作者说“我们生活在一个你无法保守秘密的世界”
作者认为,现代技术使得个人数据更容易被追踪和分析,因此很难保守秘密。这与现代技术的使用有关,因为人们在使用现代技术时会留下痕迹。
步骤 5:分析大多数美国人对隐私保护的态度
大多数美国人虽然表示关心隐私,但在实际行为上却很少采取措施保护隐私。他们更愿意接受折扣和优惠,即使这意味着要提供个人数据。
步骤 6:分析隐私和健康的关系
作者将隐私比作健康,认为当人们拥有隐私时,他们不会注意到它的价值,只有当隐私被侵犯时,他们才会意识到其重要性。