Have you ever used Facebook? Many people are being lured (引诱) onto it with the promise of a fun,free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information.Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening.Even if they know what the company is up to,they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth.

The biggest problem,however,is that the company keeps changing the rules.Early on,you keep everything private.That was the great thing about Facebook — you could create your own little private network.Last year,the company changed its privacy rules so that many things — your city,your photo,your friends' names—were set,by default (默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet.

According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage,the company is simply making changes to improve its service,and if people don't share information,they have a “less satisfying experience”.

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money.Its original business model,which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page,totally failed.Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington.In April,Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy.He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.“I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning,which is why I'm considering deactivating(撤销) my account.Facebook is a handy site,but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know.That's too high a price to pay.

1.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C. It profits by selling its users'personal data.

D. It provides loads of information to its users.

2.What does the author say about most Facebook users?

A. They are reluctant to give up their personal information.

B. They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook.

C. They don't identify themselves when using the website.

D. They care very little about their personal information.

3.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A. To provide better service to its users.

B. To follow the Federal guidelines.

C. To improve its users'connectivity.

D. To expand its scope of business.

4.Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A. He is dissatisfied with its current service.

B. He finds many of its users untrustworthy.

C. He doesn't want his personal data abused.

D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.

The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.

Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.

But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.

There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material is collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.

1.What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?

A. Using too much packaging.

B. Recycling too many wastes.

C. Making more products than necessary.

D. Having more material than is needed.

2. The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.

A. the tendency of cutting household waste

B. the increase of packaging recycling

C. the rapid growth of super markets

D. the fact of packaging overuse

3.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A. Unpackaged products are of bad quality.

B. Supermarkets care more about packaging.

C. It is improper to judge quality by packaging.

D. Other products are better packaged than food.

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Fighting wastefulness is difficult.

B. Needless material is mostly recycled.

C. People like collecting recyclable waste.

D. The author is proud of their consumer culture.

The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health.

There are plenty of "energy drinks" on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!

But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine (咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much.

Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee has limited( 限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.

1.Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ________.

A. they have beautiful colors and cool names

B. they have lots of caffeine

C. they can keep them awake and better at sports

D. they are said to be helpful to health

2.The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause _____.

A. heart problems B. nervousness

C. sleeping difficulty D. possible health dangers

3. The underlined word "discouraged" can be replaced(替换) with "________".

A. encouraged B. stopped C. helped D. disliked

4.From the passage we can know that _________.

A. advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks

B. energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study

C. sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks

D. energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers

5.Which of the following can be the best title(标题) of the passage?

A. What's the Use of Energy Drinks?

B. Who Can Drink Energy Drinks

C. What's That in Energy Drinks?

D. Why Can't We Buy Energy Drinks?

Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?

Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms(微生物). But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink.

However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom.

As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach(过滤) into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer.Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead.

1.Tap water begin to acquire an off taste because of .

A. BPA B. the glass

C. the microorganism D. carbon dioxide

2. According to Paragragh 2 , tap water that's been left sitting out for 12 hours____.

A. tastes better B. is still safe to drink

C. contains few microorganisms D. is most likely undrinkable

3. What should we do with plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car?

A. Throw them away. B. Refill them with fresh water.

C. Use them after they cool down. D. Clean them and use them again.

4.Which of the following is true about BPA?

A. It is safe for people to use.

B. It is a kind of new material.

C. It can cause great harm to people.

D. It is the main material to make plastic.

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