Use of English (2011)

The Internet affords anonymity to its users—a blessing to privacy and freedom of speech. But that very anonymity is also behind the explosion of cyber-crime that has [1] across the Web.

Can privacy be preserved [2] bringing safety and security to a world that seems increasingly [3]?

Last month, Howard Schmidt, the nation’s cyber-czar, offered the federal government a [4] to make the Web a safer place—a “voluntary trusted identity” system that would be the high-tech [5] of a physical key, a fingerprint and a photo ID card, all rolled [6] one. The system might use a smart identity card, or a digital credential [7] to a specific computer, and would authenticate users at a range of online services.

The idea is to [8] a federation of private online identity systems. Users could [9] which system to join, and only registered users whose identities have been authenticated could navigate those systems. The approach contrasts with one that would require an Internet driver’s license [10] by the government.

Google and Microsoft are among companies that already have these “single sign-on” systems that make it possible for users to [11] just once but use many different services.

[12], the approach would create a “walled garden” in cyberspace, with safe “neighborhoods” and bright “streetlights” to establish a sense of a [13] community.

Mr. Schmidt described it as a “voluntary ecosystem” in which “individuals and organizations can complete online transactions with [14], trusting the identities of each other and the identities of the infrastructure [15] which the transaction runs.”

Still, the administration’s plan has [16] privacy rights activists. Some applaud the approach; others are concerned. It seems clear that such a scheme is an initiative push toward what would [17] be a compulsory Internet “driver’s license” mentality.

The plan has also been greeted with [18] by some computer security experts, who worry that the “voluntary ecosystem” envisioned by Mr. Schmidt would still leave much of the Internet [19]. They argue that all Internet users should be [20] to register and identify themselves, in the same way that drivers must be licensed to drive on public roads.

[A]swept

[B]skipped

[C]walked

[D]ridden

[A]for

[B]within

[C]while

[D]though

[A]careless

[B]lawless

[C]pointless

[D]helpless

[A]reason

[B]reminder

[C]compromise

[D]proposal

[A]information

[B]interference

[C]entertainment

[D]equivalent

[A]by

[B]into

[C]from

[D]over

[A]linked

[B]directed

[C]chained

[D]compared

[A]dismiss

[B]discover

[C]create

[D]improve

[A]recall

[B]suggest

[C]select

[D]realize

10.

[A]released

[B]issued

[C]distributed

[D]delivered

11.

[A]carry on

[B]linger on

[C]set in

[D]log in

12.

[A]In vain

[B]In effect

[C]In return

[D]In contrast

13.

[A]trusted

[B]modernized

[C]thriving

[D]competing

14.

[A]caution

[B]delight

[C]confidence

[D]patience

15.

[A]on

[B]after

[C]beyond

[D]across

16.

[A]divided

[B]disappointed

[C]protected

[D]united

17.

[A]frequently

[B]incidentally

[C]occasionally

[D]eventually

18.

[A]skepticism

[B]tolerance

[C]indifference

[D]enthusiasm

19.

[A]manageable

[B]defendable

[C]vulnerable

[D]invisible

20.

[A]invited

[B]appointed

[C]allowed

[D]forced

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

1. [A] swept
解析：考查动词搭配。网络犯罪“席卷（swept across）”了整个网络。skip(跳过)，walk(走)，ride(骑)均不符合语境。

2. [C] while
解析：考查逻辑连词。在“带来安全与保障”的同时（while），隐私能否得到保护？这里 while 表让步/同时。

3. [B] lawless
解析：考查上下文语义。由于前文提到网络犯罪激增，因此这个世界似乎变得越来越“无法无天（lawless）”。

4. [D] proposal
解析：考查名词辨析。网络总管向联邦政府提出了一项“提议/方案（proposal）”，即后文解释的系统。

5. [D] equivalent
解析：考查名词辨析。这个系统将是物理钥匙、指纹和身份证的“高科技等价物/对应物（equivalent）”。

6. [B] into
解析：考查固定搭配。roll into one 意为“融为一体”，即把物理钥匙、指纹和身份证等功能集于一身。

7. [A] linked
解析：考查分词搭配。智能卡或数字凭证“连接/绑定（linked）”到特定的计算机上。

8. [C] create
解析：考查动词辨析。这个想法是要“建立/创造（create）”一个私人在线身份系统的联盟。

9. [C] select
解析：考查动词语义。用户可以“选择（select）”加入哪个系统。

10. [B] issued
解析：考查动词搭配。由政府“颁发/签发（issued）”的网络驾驶执照。issue a license 是固定搭配。

11. [D] log in
解析：考查短语动词。“单次登录（single sign-on）”系统使得用户只需“登录（log in）”一次，就能使用多种服务。

12. [B] In effect
解析：考查介词短语。结合后文“创造一个有围墙的花园”，意为“实际上/实质上（In effect），这种做法将创建一个……”

13. [A] trusted
解析：考查上下文呼应。前文提到了“voluntary trusted identity”，这里对应建立一个“可信的（trusted）”社区的意识。

14. [C] confidence
解析：考查名词语义。既然是可信的生态系统，个人和组织就可以“满怀信心地（with confidence）”完成交易。

15. [A] on
解析：考查介词搭配。交易“在（on）”其上运行的基础设施。run on the infrastructure 意为在基础设施上运行。

16. [A] divided
解析：考查动词语境。后文说“有人赞成，有人担忧”，说明这个计划让隐私维权人士“产生了分歧（divided）”。

17. [D] eventually
解析：考查副词辨析。这种方案迈出了第一步，它“最终（eventually）”会变成一种强制性的网络“驾照”心态。

18. [A] skepticism
解析：考查名词语境。由后文专家们的“担忧（worry）”可知，该计划遭到了专家的“怀疑（skepticism）”。

19. [C] vulnerable
解析：考查形容词辨析。专家担心，这种自愿的系统仍会让互联网的大部分区域容易受到攻击/处于“脆弱的（vulnerable）”状态。

20. [D] forced
解析：考查动词辨析。他们主张，就像司机必须持证上路一样，所有互联网用户都应被“强迫/强制（forced）”注册并确认身份。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 破折号作同位语解释说明：
"The Internet affords anonymity to its users—a blessing to privacy and freedom of speech."
 【解析】破折号后的名词短语是对前面 `anonymity` (匿名性) 的同位语解释，说明匿名性对隐私和言论自由来说是一大福音。 
2. 定语从句的嵌套与伴随状语：
"Mr. Schmidt described it as a “voluntary ecosystem” in which “individuals and organizations can complete online transactions with confidence, trusting the identities of each other and the identities of the infrastructure on which the transaction runs.”"
 【解析】`in which` 引导定语从句修饰 ecosystem。在这个从句中，`trusting...` 是现在分词短语作伴随状语，表示“带着对彼此身份的信任”。而 `on which` 再次引导定语从句修饰 `infrastructure`，指交易运行在基础设施之上。 
3. 方式状语从句：
"They argue that all Internet users should be forced to register and identify themselves, in the same way that drivers must be licensed to drive on public roads."
 【解析】前一个 `that` 引导 `argue` 的宾语从句。`in the same way that...` 引导方式状语从句，将网民必须实名注册与司机必须考驾照进行了类比。 