2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

New E-Commerce Law Takes Effect

China’s new e-commerce law, which was passed last August, took effect on January 1. The law comes amid the rapid development of China into the world’s largest e-commerce market.

The law aims to regulate the market and create a sound     1     environment. It covers the requirement for registration and licensing of e-commerce operators, taxation, electronic payment, etc. It also     2     other important aspects of e-commerce, including false advertising, consumer protection, data protection, intellectual property and cybersecurity.

The new law will apply to three types of operators. These include e-commerce     3     operators like Taobao, third-party merchants who sell goods and services on e-commerce platforms, and online vendors (供应商) who do business via other network     4    , such as social media sites. It means that merchants who sell goods through non-traditional e-commerce platforms, such as WeChat, will fall under the new law. These sellers will now need to finish their business registration and pay     5     taxes.

The law will make all e-commerce platform operators     6     responsible with the merchants for selling any fake or knock-off goods on their websites. Before the law took effect, individual merchants were solely responsible when caught selling liable (负有偿付责任的) goods.

The implementation of the law may bring     7     on online retail (零售) companies and merchants selling goods through social media sites. Many private shopping agents (known as daigou) are considering whether to continue the service under the new policy since it will increase the management cost and lead to a rise in the product price.

But the new law does not aim to     8     small to medium sized online retailer. Instead, it helps lay the legal foundation for the growth of the e-commerce business industry,     9     order in the market and further promotes its growth.

Besides, the law will help clean up China’s reputation as a     10     source of fake or knock-off goods. In the long term, consumers will benefit from it.

3 . Communities across the world are starting to ban facial recognition technologies. The efforts are well intentioned, but banning facial recognition is the wrong way to fight against modern surveillance （监 视）.Generally, modern mass surveillance has three broad components: identification, correlation and discrimination.

Facial recognition is a technology that can be used to identify people without their consent. Once we are identified, the data about who we are and what we are doing can be correlated with other data. This might be movement data, which can be used to "follow” us as we move throughout our day. It can be purchasing data, Internet browsing data, or data about who we talk to via email or text. It might be data about our income, ethnicity, lifestyle, profession and interests. There is an entire industry of data brokers who make a living by selling our data without our consent.

It's not just that they know who we are; it's that they correlate what they know about us to create profiles about who we are and what our interests are. The whole purpose of this process is for companies to treat individuals differently. We are shown different ads on the Internet and receive different offers for credit cards. In the future, we might be treated differently when we walk into a store, just as we currently are when we visit websites.

It doesn't matter which technology is used to identify people. What's important is that we can be consistently identified over time. We might be completely anonymous （匿名的）in a system that uses unique cookies to track us as we browse the Internet, but the same process of correlation and discrimination still occurs.

Regulating this system means addressing all three steps of the process. A ban on facial recognition won't make any difference. The problem is that we are being identified without our knowledge or consent, and society needs rules about when that is permissible.

Similarly, we need rules about how our data can be combined with other data, and then bought and sold without our knowledge or consent. The data broker industry is almost entirely unregulated now. Reasonable laws would prevent the worst of their abuses.

Finally, we need better rules about when and how it is permissible for companies to discriminate. Discrimination based on protected characteristics like race and gender is already illegal, but those rules are ineffectual against the current technologies of surveillance and control. When people can be identified and their data correlated at a speed and scale previously unseen, we need new rules.

Today, facial recognition technologies are receiving the force of the tech backlash （抵制），but focusing on them misses the point. We need to have a serious conversation about all the technologies of identification, correlation and discrimination, and decide how much we want to be spied on and what sorts of influence we want them to have over our lives.

1. According to Para. 2, with facial recognition _______.

A．one’s lifestyle changes greatly

B．one's email content is disclosed

C．one's profiles are updated in time

D．one's personal information is released

2. We can learn from the passage that _______.

A．discrimination based on new tech surveillance is illegal

B．different browsing data bring in different advertisements

C．using mobiles anonymously keeps us from being correlated

D．data brokers control the current technologies of surveillance

3. The underlined part “the point^，,in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.

A．people's concern over their safety

B．the nature of the surveillance society

C．proper regulation of mass surveillance

D．the importance of identification technology

4. The author wrote this passage to _______.

A．call for banning facial recognition technologies

B．advocate the urgent need for changes in related laws

C．inform readers of the disadvantages of facial recognition

D．evaluate three broad components in modem mass surveillance

4 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

It is a common sight on campus or in the streets: a young person rides by on an electric scooter, traveling quickly and proudly. But Beijing’s traffic authorities have said that starting on Sept.5, people who are caught riding electric scooters on public roads or bicycle lanes will be fined 10 yuan. They will also be given a warning not to use the vehicles on public roads again.

The announcement was made after traffic police in Shanghai started a campaign to get electric scooters off public roads, with police officers stopping riders because the scooters could cause traffic problems.

The Beijing Consumer Association said it had tested more than 20 electric scooters of different brands recently and found that most had substandard brakes. It added that 16 of the tested scooters could go faster than the maximum 20 km per hour set for electric bikes. According to the traffic police, people who ride electric scooters at certain speeds can easily bump into the vehicles in the vehicle lane and hurt people who walk in the bicycle lanes.

But seeing the benefits that electric scooters have brought to young people, experts are worried that the ban may take effect slowly.

Electric scooters are a great answer to the ‘last mile problem’ of getting from a public transport station to one’s home. They’re light enough to throw over your shoulder. They’re easy to ride just about anywhere and don’t need a lot of physical effort. The scooter can travel 25 km on one charge. It’s convenient and easy to control.

They are also good for environment. Unlike cars and buses, electric scooters produce no carbon dioxide, need no fuel and make almost no noise.

For many young people, they use them to copy cool celebrities they have seen in videos.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Have you ever heard a rumor spread around by students at your school? Rumors, like fake news, can often misinform individuals and lead them to believe false information.

In an attempt to settle this problem, the country of Singapore has passed a bill that bans companies and individuals from publishing false information online.

This law, known as The Protection From Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, has caused a public outcry (强烈的抗议), as the government has been given the power to remove content that it considers inaccurate or against the public’s interest.

Since Singapore’s citizens are part of different racial and religious groups, the government fears that rumors or fake news can increase tensions within an already small country.

With the new law coming into effect, Singapore’s government now has the authority to monitor news sites, social media platforms, and other databases of information to determine whether the content is falsified. The government can order for the removal of fake news, and publishers of this information can receive prison time and fines up to one million Singapore dollars!

Critics fear that the bill threatens their freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Since national issues and world news are generally discussed on online platforms, many are concerned that this new bill will prevent individuals from talking freely and having healthy conversations.

Several companies, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have offices situated in Singapore, meaning that the new law will affect their company operations. Social media companies in Singapore could face a decline in activity, as users may fear posting their opinions and being punished by the government.

Others are concerned that the law does not clearly state what a “false statement” is. Such an ambiguity might allow the government to misuse their power, even though the intention is to curtail the mow of false information and rumors throughout Singapore.

This law does give rise to several concerns related to freedom and privacy and it will be interesting to see what Singapore’s government will do to deal with this problem.

1. Why are some people against the bill?

A．They think the bill can’t get rid of fake news.

B．They belong to different racial and religious groups.

C．They think their freedom of speech may be harmed.

D．They don’t want to increase tensions in their country.

2. What does the government have the right to do under the new law?

A．Punish publishers of fake news.

B．Monitor telephone conversations.

C．Prohibit certain people from going online.

D．Fine fake-news makers any amount of money.

3. How will the new law affect social media companies in Singapore?

A．Their users’ privacy may be disturbed.

B．Their income will increase very slowly.

C．Their illegal activities will come to light.

D．Their social media may become less active.

4. What does the underlined word in paragraph 8 probably mean?

A．prove	B．accelerate
C．promote	D．decrease

6 . Consumers who value their privacy (隐私) can limit what they post on Facebook and adjust settings on sites such as Instagram. But Internet service providers (ISPs) have the best advantage point on what consumers do online, and there’s much less you can do about it. After all, your ISP is the conduit (中转机构) for everything you read, view, or shop for while you’re accessing the web at home.

New rules governing the way ISPs can use consumers’ data were adopted in 2016 and scheduled to go into effect this December. But they were rejected by Congress this spring That leaves the future of broadband (宽带) privacy practices unsettled. Consumers say they want more, not less, regulation of broadband privacy. In a nationally representative survey of 1,008 Americans conducted in early May for the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 80 Percent of respondents told us that ISPs should need to get permission before sharing consumers’ data. Six out of 10 didn’t think ISPs should be allowed to sell or share this information at all. Eighty-five percent of respondents said the data rightfully belongs to them.

Under the recently defeated rules，broadband providers would have faced a new login requirement, forcing them to get permission before using data such as web browsing histories. Opponents of the rules said it was unfair to hold ISPs to stricter standards than Internet companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook, which are regulated more loosely.

Going forward, state laws could pick up some of the conflict. By the end of May, more than a dozen states had proposed some laws mentioning the issue. Privacy protection bills were also being discussed in Washington, D. C. But privacy experts don’t expect much from the bills. After all, this is the same Congress that voted to roll back the existing privacy protections.

1. What do the new rules focus on?

A．Keeping the Internet steady.

B．Settling broadband practices.

C．Forbidding ISPs to use consumers’ data.

D．Protecting Internet consumers’ privacy.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Regulations on ISPs using consumers’ data.

B．A survey of privacy conducted by Congress.

C．Consumers, opinions about broadband privacy.

D．The argument about who owns consumers’ data.

3. What does the underlined part “Opponents of the rules” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Broadband providers.	B．Internet companies.
C．Internet consumers.	D．Survey representatives.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．The future of broadband privacy will be clear.

B．Internet companies rejected the rules together with ISPs.

C．Privacy experts have a negative attitude to the privacy protection bills.

D．Consumers will go on arguing with Congress about the Internet privacy.

7 . With a presidential campaign, health care and the gun control debate in the news these days, one can’t help getting sucked into the flame wars that are Internet comment threads. But psychologists say this addictive form of vitriolic (刻薄) back and forth should be avoided — or simply checked by online media outlets — because it actually damages society and mental health.

A perfect storm of factors come together to cause the rudeness and aggression seen in the comments’ sections of Web pages, said Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. First, commenters are often nearly nameless, and thus, unaccountable for their rudeness. Second, they are at a distance from the target of their anger — be it the article they’re commenting on or another comment on that article — and people tend to go against distant abstractions more easily than living, breathing talkers. Third, it’s easier to be nasty in writing than in speech, hence the now somewhat out-of-date practice of leaving angry notes (back when people used paper), Markman said.

And finally, Edward Wasserman, Knight Professor in Journalism Ethics at Washington and Lee University, noted another cause of the vitriol: bad examples set by the media. “Unfortunately, mainstream media have made a fortune teaching people the wrong ways to talk to each other. People understandably conclude anger is the political vernacular (行话), that this is how public ideas are talked about,” Wasserman wrote in an article on his university’s website. “It isn’t.”

In Markman’s opinion, media outlets should cut down on the anger and hatred that have become the model in reader exchanges. “It’s valuable to allow all sides of an argument to be heard. To a greater degree, someone who is making a reasonable point but with an angry tone is hurting the nature of the argument, because they are promoting people to respond in a similar way,” he said.

For their part, people should seek out actual human beings to communicate with, Markman said — and we should make a point of including a few people in our social circles who think differently from us. “You’ll develop a healthy respect for people whose opinions differ from your own; the back-and-forth negotiation that goes on in having a conversation with someone you don’t agree with is a skill and it’s not easy to master it,” Markman said.

1. Why do psychologists encourage people to stop attacking each other online?

A．The social problems are too complex to figure out.

B．The online media outlets will review the comments.

C．The action does harm to society and individuals.

D．The Internet users are easily attached to hot topics.

2. What can we learn from the analysis by Markman?

A．People are cautious to make vitriolic remarks online.

B．The targets online are more likely to be commented on.

C．Understanding the literal meaning is easier than oral language.

D．An argument with an angry tone can promote its power.

3. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?

A．To show different ways of expressing opinions.

B．To reveal the severe problems of the public media.

C．To raise the awareness of proper communication.

D．To urge people to carry out actual offline communications.

8 . Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation (航空) administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016.

China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible (难理解的).

One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t.” But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “May day” — unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call (遇难信号).

Like their international counterparts (对应物), Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms (同音异义字) or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.

The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.

1. What does the underlined word “impedes” in Para 1 mean?

A．improves	B．helps
C．misleads	D．limits

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin.

B．Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well.

C．It isn’t necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016.

D．“May day” is a distress call in our everyday life.

3. What is the purpose of the Chinese aviators using the terms yao for one and guai for seven?

A．To avoid misunderstanding.

B．To communicate with their international counterparts.

C．To pass the test.

D．To avoid their accents.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents

B．Chinese Pilots

C．Rich Chinese Languages

D．Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot

9 . An old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrograd to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small danger to herself. It was pointed out to her that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied: “I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.” It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled（授权）the pedestrian to walk down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get anywhere. Individual liberty would have become social chaos.

There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means .It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of everybody must be limited. When the policeman steps into the middle of the road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny（暴政）, but of liberty.

Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract（契约）. In matters which do not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free as 1 like. If I go down the street dressed strangely, who shall say me no? We have a whole kingdom in which we rule alone and can do what we choose. But directly we step out of that kingdom, our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty.

We all tend to forget this. A reasonable consideration for the rights or feelings of others is the base of social conduct.

1. What does the first paragraph serve as?

A．A background.

B．An introduction.

C．A comment.

D．An explanation.

2. Which is an example of getting liberty-drunk?

A．Park anywhere you like.	B．Walk along the pavement.
C．Wear whatever you like.	D．Make loud noises in the wild.

3. What might the author have stated his “rule of the road” (Paragraph 2) as?

A．Follow the orders of policemen.	B．Do what you like in private.
C．Never walk in the middle of the road.	D．Do not behave inconsiderately in public.

4. What does the underlined word “qualified” (Paragraph 3) mean?

A．Limited.

B．Ruined.

C．Improved.

D．Educated.

10 .         There have always been laws against copying other people’s ideas. However, when copying was only limited to copying something by hand, problems were solved easily. The solution was always the destruction or removal of the copy. Nowadays, the rise of the Internet has made the issue of intellectual property (知识产权) more complicated.
        Almost every bit of information can be cut and pasted (粘贴) with a few clicks of a mouse. Many art forms such as writings, films, and music need new protection to ensure that people do not simply transfer them for free. Online illegal copying has been blamed for a huge reduction in the sales of many records because it is hard to convince people to buy something that they can get for free. Even the ideas behind traditional games, such as Scrabble, have been used without the owners’ permission.
        Old laws have been struggling to keep up. While music companies have been successful in persuading courts that action should be taken against people who illegally download music, the law is difficult to carry out. Furthermore, intellectual property rights vary widely from country to country, so it’s up for debate which laws apply. Finally, there is the fact that many people simply do not see the act as theft (盗窃), since once the work has been digitized there is no clear physical object to steal in the first place.
        All of these issues mean that companies involved with intellectual property — ideas or easily digitized information — are fighting desperately to get people to pay for the information they use, rather than paying for an object like a CD that they use. While the companies have sometimes been successful, the practical barriers to full protection seem insurmountable.
        Finally, all that concerned parties can do is hope that their few successes scare off others and try to find new ways of making money.
1. Why do writings, films, and music need protection？

A．They are very expensive.

B．They are impossible to copy.

C．It is easy to make CDs, books, and movies.

D．They are easily able to be transferred when in digital form.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a problem of carrying out intellectual property rights?

A．Laws are not the same in all countries.

B．People do not see copying information as theft.

C．It is very hard to catch people who are breaking the law.

D．Internet service providers do not want to cooperate with the police.

3. The underlined word “insurmountable” in Paragraph 4 means “________”.

A．extremely expensive	B．impossible to overcome
C．against the law	D．hard to prove

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A．Music and films will be unnecessary in the future.

B．New laws are necessary but difficult to put into practice.

C．The Internet is likely to become more important in the future.

D．Laws are just a way for greedy companies to control their products.