Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes)

　　Directions:In this part,you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7,mark

　　Y (for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

　　N (for NO)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

　　NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.

　　For questions 8-10,complete the sentences with information given in the passage.

　　Computer Crime

　　A computer crime is generally defined as one that involves the use of computers and software for illegal purposes. This doesn’t mean that all the crimes are new types of crime. On the contrary, many of these crimes, such as embezzlement of funds, the alteration of records, theft, vandalism, sabotage, and terrorism, can be committed without a computer. But with a computer, these offenses can be carried out more quickly and with less chance that the person responsible for the crime will be discovered.

　　Computer crimes are on the rise and have been for the last twelve years. Just how much these computer crimes cost the American public is in dispute, but estimates range from $3 billion to $5 billion annually. Even the FBI, which attempts to keep track of the growth or decline of all kinds of crimes, is unable to say precisely how large a loss is involved; however, it estimates that the average take from a company hit by computer crime is $600,000. A number of reasons are given for the increase in computer crime: (A) more computers in use and, thus, more people who are familiar with basic computer operation; (B) more computers tied together in satellite and other data—transmission networks; and (C) the easy access of microcomputers to huge mainframe data bases.

　　The Criminal

　　Movies and newspaper stories might lead us to believe that most computer crimes are committed by teenage “hackers”—brilliant and basically good children who let their imagination and technical genius get them into trouble. But a realistic look at the crimes reveals that the offender is likely to be an employee of the firm against which the crime has been committed, i.e., an “insider”.

　　Difficulty of Detection and Prevention

　　Given the kind of person who commits a computer crime and the environment in which the crime occurs, it is often difficult to detect who the criminal is. First of all, the crime may be so complex that months or years go by before anyone discovers it.

　　Second, once the crime has been revealed, it is not easy to find a clear trail of evidence that leads back to the guilty party. After all, looking for “weapons” or fingerprints does not occur as it might in the investigation of more conventional crimes.

　　Third, there are usually no witnesses to the computer crime, even though it may be taking place in a room filled with people. Who is to say if the person at the next terminal, calmly keying in data, is doing the company’s work or committing a criminal act?

　　Fourth, not enough people in management and law enforcement know enough about computer technology to prevent the crimes. Authorities have to be familiar with the computer’s capabilities within a given situation to guard against its misuses. In some large cities, such as Los Angeles, police departments have set up specially trained computer crime units.

　　But even when an offender is caught, the investigators, attorneys (律师), judges, or juries may find the alleged crime too complicated and perplexing to handle. More attorneys are specializing in computer law and studying the computer’s potential for misuse.

　　After a computer crime has been discovered, many companies do not report it or prosecute (起诉) the person responsible. A company may not announce the crime out of fear that the pubic will find out the weaknesses of its computer system and lose confidence in its organization. Banks, credit card companies, and investment firms are especially sensitive about revealing their vulnerabilities (脆弱性) because they rely heavily on customer trust.

　　To avoid public attention, cautious companies will often settle cases of computer tampering out of court. And if cases do go to trial and the offenders are convicted, they may be punished only by a fine or light sentence because the judge or jury isn’t fully trained to understand the nature and seriousness of the crime.

　　Not all companies are timid in apprehending computer criminals. For example, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company decided it had to get tough on violators. So when the company discovered that one of its computer technicians had embezzled $200,000 by entering false benefit claims, it presented it findings to the state’s attorney and aided in the prosecution of the technician. The technician was found guilty and sentenced to prison, not just for the computer misuse, but also for grand theft and insurance fraud. Connecticut General now has a policy of reporting all incidents of theft or fraud, no matter how small.

　　提示:在实考试卷中，8-10题在答题卡1上。

　　1. The FBI knows exactly how large a loss is involved in computer crimes.

　　2. It has become easy for microcomputer owners to use huge mainframe data bases.

　　3. It is implied in the Paragraph 3 that most computer criminals are the employees of the concerned companies.

　　4. Many companies dont report computer crimes because law procedures against computer crimes usually cost a lot of money.

　　5. When computer crime takes place in a room filled with people, there are usually many witnesses to the crime.

　　6. The passage is mainly about the increase of computer crimes in America and the difficulties in combating computer crimes.

　　7. Computer crimes are on the rise because more cheap microcomputers are available.

　　8. According to the passage, computer crimes has been on the rise for the

　　last years.

　　9. Connecticut General Life Insurance company is cited as of companies that took serious measures to fight against computer crimes.

　　10. Banks, credit card companies, and investment firms are especially sensitive about revealing their vulnerabilities because they place too much reliance on .

　　参考答案：

　　1. N.该句句意为:美国联邦调查局确切知道计算机犯罪造成了多大损失。本题解题依据为本文第二段 “Even the FBI,which attempts…is involved”，该句大意为:尽管FBI致力于对各种犯罪的上升和下降有清晰认识，但并不能精确说明损失多大，所以与原文之意不合。

　　2. Y. 该句句意为:计算机拥有者很容易利用大量计算机数据库，本题解题依据为第二段最后一段话“…the easy access of microcomputers to huge mainframe data bases.”与原文之义吻合。

　　3. Y. 该句句意为: 本文第三段暗示大多数利用计算机犯罪者是相关公司雇员。本题解题依据为文章第三段最后一句话，其大意为: 现实情况表明很可能是该公司雇员内部人…,与原文所述之义吻合。

　　4. N. 该句句意为: 许多公司不举报计算机犯罪是因为法律诉讼通常花费很多钱。解题依据为本文第九段第一和第二句话，他们不举报是害怕公众发现其计算机系统的弱点而对其丧失信心。据此可确定与原文所述不符。

　　5. N. 该句句意为: 当计算机犯罪在满是人的房间里发生时，通常有很多证人指证犯罪。本题解题依据为本文第六段第一句话，该句大意为:即使计算机犯罪发生在满是人的房间里，通常也无证人。据此可知该句所述之义与原文不符。

　　6. Y. 该句句意为:本篇文章主要是关于计算机犯罪的增长及与之作斗争的困难性，通览全文，尤其根据小标题的提示,我们不难看出文章主要论述了计算机犯罪与日俱增及难于发觉和阻止诸方面的原因，即文章的中心思想，与原文所述主旨吻合。

　　7. NG.该句句意为:计算机犯罪上升是因为有更多便宜的计算机。本文第二段用a，b，c列出了计算机犯罪增加的三大原因，其中并未提及计算机便宜这一点。

　　8. twelve 答案依据为第二段第一句话。

　　9. an example “…be cited as an example”,表示“引用…来作为一个例证”答案依据为文章最后一段第二句话。但原文没有直接照抄的语言，只能根据理解完成此空。

　　10. customer trust 答案依据为本文第九段最后一句话。