SECTION II Reading (50 minutes)

　　Part A

　　Directions: Read the following two texts. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.

　　Text 1

　　Passwords are everywhere in computer security. All too often, they are also ineffective. A good password has to be both easy to remember and hard to guess，but in practice people seem to pay attention to the former. Names of wives, husbands and children are popular. “123456” or “12345” are also common choices.

　　That predictability lets security researchers (and hackers) create dictionaries which list common passwords, useful to those seeking to break in. But although researchers know that passwords are insecure，working out just how insecure has been difficult. Many studies have only small samples to work on.

　　However, with the co-operation of Yahoo!，Joseph Bonneau of Cambridge University obtained the biggest sample to date— 70 million passwords that came with useful data about their owners.

　　Mr Bonneau found some interesting variations. Older users had better passwords than young ones. People whose preferred language was Korean or German chose the most secure passwords;those who spoke Indonesian the least. Passwords designed to hide sensitive information such as credit-card numbers were only slightly more secure than those protecting less important things, like access to games. “Nag screens” that told users they had chosen a weak password made virtually no difference. And users whose accounts had been hacked in the past did not make more secure choices than those who had never been hacked.

　　But it is the broader analysis of the sample that is of most interest to security researchers. For, despite their differences，the 70 million users were still predictable enough that a generic password dictionary was effective against both the entire sample and any slice of it. Mr Bonneau is blunt：“An attacker who can manage ten guesses per account will compromise around 1% of accounts. ” And that is a worthwhile outcome for a hacker.

　　One obvious solution would be for sites to limit the number of guesses that can be made before access is blocked. Yet whereas the biggest sites, such as Google and Microsoft, do take such measures, many do not. The reasons of their not doing so are various. So it’s time for users to consider the alternatives to traditional passwords.

　　26. People tend to use passwords that are _____.

　　[A] easy to remember [B] hard to figure out

　　[C] random numbers [D ] popular names

　　【答案】A

　　27. Researchers find it difficult to know how unsafe passwords are due to _____.

　　[A ] lack of research tools [C] limited time of studies

　　[B ] lack of research funds [D] limited size of samples

　　【答案】D

　　28. It is indicated in the text that _____.

　　[A] Indonesians are sensitive to password security

　　[B] young people tend to have secure passwords

　　[C] nag screens help little in password security

　　[D] passwords for credit cards are usually safe

　　【答案】C

　　29. The underlined word “compromise” in Para. 5 most probably means _____.

　　[A ] comprise [ B ] compensate

　　[C] endanger [D] encounter

　　【答案】C

　　30. The last paragraph of the text suggests that _____.

　　[A] net users regulate their online behaviors

　　[B] net users rely on themselves for security

　　[C ] big websites limit the number of guesses

　　[D ] big websites offer users convenient access

　　【答案】B

　　Text 2

　　John Lubbock, a British member of the Parliament, led to the first law to safeguard Britain' s heritage—the Ancient Monuments Bill. How did it happen?

　　By the late 1800s more and more people were visiting Stonehenge for a day out. Now a World Heritage Site owned by the Crown, it was, at the time, privately owned and neglected.

　　But the visitors left behind rubbish and leftover food. It encouraged rats that made holes at the stones’ foundations, weakening them. One of the upright stones had already fallen over and one had broken in two. They also chipped pieces off the stones for souvenirs and carved pictures into them, says architectural critic Jonathan Glancey.

　　It was the same for other pre-historic remains, which were disappearing fast. Threats also included farmers and landowners as the ancient stones got in the way of working on the fields and were a free source of building materials.

　　Shocked and angry, Lubbock took up the fight. When he heard Britain’ s largest ancient stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire was up for sale in 1871 he persuaded its owners to sell it to him and the stone circle was saved.

　　“Lubbock aroused national attention for ancient monuments,’’ says Glancey. “At the time places like Stonehenge were just seen as a collection of stones, ancient sites to get building materials.”

　　“Lubbock knew they were the roots of British identity. He did for heritage what Darwin did for natural history. ”

　　But Lubbock couldn’t buy every threatened site. He knew laws were needed and tabled the Ancient Monuments Bill. It proposed government powers to take any pre-historic site under threat away from uncaring owners, a radical idea at the time.

　　For eight years he tried and failed to get the bill through parliament. Finally，in 1882，it was voted into law. It had，however, been watered down; people had to willingly give their ancient monuments to the government. But what it did do was plant the idea that the state could preserve Britain' s heritage better than private owners.

　　Pressure started to be put on the owners of sites like Stonehenge to take better care of them.

　　31. According to the text, Stonehenge in the late 18(K)s was _____.

　　[A] a royal property [B] utterly neglected

　　[C] legally protected [D] a public property

　　【答案】B

　　32. One stone in Stonehenge fell over because _____.

　　[A] rats weakened its foundation

　　[B] farmers cut it to build houses

　　[C] visitors carved pictures into it

　　[D] visitors chipped pieces off it

　　【答案】A

　　33.Lubbock proposed a bill to _____.

　　[A] push people to learn history

　　[B] ensure government function

　　[C] enforce ancient site protection

　　[D]push visitors to behave properly

　　【答案】C

　　34. When the bill was voted into law in 1882, it had been made less _____.

　　[A] severe [B] biased [C] implicit [D] complex

　　【答案】A

　　35. This text is mainly about _____.

　　[A] a famous British Parliament member

　　[B] the value of ancient heritages in the UK

　　[C] the history and protection of Stonehenge

　　[D] the origin of the Ancient Monuments Bill

　　【答案】D

　　Part B

　　Directions: Read the texts from a magazine in which five women wrote to respond to an article on mother- daughter relationship. For questions 36 —40，match the name of each person to one of the statements (A -G) given below. Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.

　　Lucy：

　　As the mother of two girls，I was moved to tears by your article，because it echoed so many of my own feelings. I don，t think I should feel ashamed or that I am failing my child in any way because I feel like this. I think it’s really normal and I love the way you have put into words what so many mums feel at this stage in their lives.

　　Anna:

　　My husband and I both read this article and we think it is moving, thoughtful, and the ending is wonderful. People cannot deny that jealousy is a natural emotion between children and parents. It is wonderful to see someone emotionally mature enough to be so aware of their own feelings. And celebrate them. You have written what I am sure most mothers feel, but are too scared to admit.

　　Beth：

　　There is some form of jealousy between mother and daughter. I remember suspecting that my mother was jealous of me but kept it under wraps. I understood that my mother was not happy with my father and the good relationship between myself and him. The strange thing is years later. My own daughter and her father have a good relationship with each other and I can feel jealousy creeping in...

　　Clare:

　　When I realized my daughter had become a young woman, I was not jealous. At first I felt sad that I had lost my little girl, then I accepted this and rejoiced in her loveliness. I feel protective towards her because it is too natural for young girls to meet men. Offer your child advice on things

　　like wearing fancy clothes which men do see as charming，and hope that she enjoys her life.

　　Ruth：

　　I think that a mature person judges herself based on her own qualities. A loving mother does not compare herself to her children and advertise her unhealthy thoughts to the world in a newspaper. I am surrounded all day at work by hot, smart young undergraduates, many of whom are

　　hotter and smarter than 1 was at their age. When they succeed socially and academically, I feel happy for them.

　　Now match the name of each person (36 -40) to the appropriate statement.

　　Note：there are two extra statements.

　　Statements

　　36. Lucy [A] You have spoken out the true feelings of mothers like me.

　　37. Anna [B] It is helpful for mothers to reveal their hidden feelings.

　　38. Beth [C] Emotionally mature mothers understand their daughters.

　　39. Clare [D] I understand my mother now，being a mother myself.

　　40. Ruth [E] You have expressed what most mothers feel but dare not say.

　　[F] Do your duty as a mother and hope for the best for your daughter.

　　[G] A mother should not envy her children and make public her improper feelings.

　　【答案】36.A 37.E 38.D 39.F 40.G

　　Part C

　　Directions: Read the following text from which five sentences have, been removed. Choose from the sentences A-G the most suitable one to fill each numbered gap in the text (41 -45). There are TWO extra sentences that you do not need to use. Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.

　　Whenever I hear a recording of John Denver singing “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” I find myself smiling, drawn to a love of the sun and outdoors I’ve had for decades as a Michigan native. Walking barefoot to the lake, playing shiftless in the sunlight, and breathing fresh air feel good. __41__

　　Studies have found higher rates of high blood pressure among people with the lowest sun exposure. One reason may be due to nitric oxide，a gas whose production is stimulated when your skin is exposed to (he sun' s rays. __42__ Vitamin D, which sunlight helps your body produce, is also linked to better heart health. So walk outdoors for 15 to 30 minutes daily.

　　__43__Research on 280 volunteers there found that people had a reduced heart rate, and lower blood pressure when they walked through a forest than when they spent time in an urban area.

　　One of the consequences of modem society is that rarely is our body in direct contact with the ground. The earth has an electrical current. __44__ Although “earthing” or “grounding’，is considered alternative by mainstream medicine, research shows that the practice seems to be able to reduce heart disease risk. So, walk around barefoot whenever possible, let your backyard grass tickle your feet, and dig your toes into sandy beaches.

　　__45__ A 2011 British review of 11 studies found that people who exercised outside generally reported more energy and less anger. tension, and depression—all factors contributing to heart attack—than those who worked out indoors.

　　[A] Exercising indoors is another option.

　　[B] It reduces both heart attack and stroke risks.

　　[C] Exercising outdoors may be more beneficial than working out indoors.

　　[D] In Japan，walking through forests for healing has become a popular practice.

　　[E] Direct contact with it may be a stabilizing force for good health.

　　[H] As a doctor, I can tell you they are also very good for your heart,

　　[G] You’ll get greater health benefits exercising where it’s green.

　　【答案】41.F 42.B 43.D 44.E 45.C

　　Part D

　　Directions: Read the following text from which 10 words have been removed. Choose from the words A—O the most suitable one to fill each numbered gap in the text (46 -55). There are FIVE extra words that you do not need to use. Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET.

　　Some of the greatest successes you can think of began with failure. What a big __46__ a little continued effort and determination can make.

　　Workplace expert Nan Russell，author of “ The Titleless Leader：How to Get Things Done When You ’ re Not in Charge，” offers a number of __47__ of people who were deemed failures—and then turned successful.

　　Albert Einstein was __48__ to be mentally challenged as a child and told he would never amount to anything. Need we say how that one turned out?

　　Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because the editor thought he lacked __49__ .

　　Chester Carlson’s early Xerox machines were __50__ by 20 companies before he finally found a business partner.

　　Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before inventing the light bulb. There are many quotes from the great inventor that are worth __51__ to memory. Here’ s just one：“ Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how__ 52__ they were to success when they gave up. ”

　　So, while failure may not feel good, it，s often an essential part of success, the trial-and-error that can lead to greater things. If you spend all your time __53__ about past mistakes, you might not notice when real opportunity arrives，so by all __54__, learn from your mistakes —then put them behind you, roll up your sleeves and get back to work.

　　Here’ s one more quote from Edison for us to think about : “If we all did the things we are __55__ of, we would astound ourselves. ’’

　　[A] capable [B] close [C] combination

　　[D]committing [E] contributing [F]creativity

　　[G] difference [H] encouraged [I]examples

　　[J] judged [K] means [L]rejected

　　[M] typical [N] ways [O]worrying

　　【答案】46.G 47.I 48.J 49.F 50.L 51.E 52.B 53.O 54.K 55.A