A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef
　　Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward.
"Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
　　This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified(威严的) face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir."
　　"I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?"
　　"It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!"
　　"Pleasure?"
　　"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..."
　　Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(奚落，讥笑) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
　　"It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!"
　　"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
　　"Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came…sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
　　"Ho Ho! Poor relations?"
　　"Yes."
　　"Rossetti?"
　　"No. Thackeray."
　　"Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray."
　　"Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living."
"It’s very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
　　"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn’t hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" …

1. 1.

   While meeting with Alec, Rebecca feels _______during the whole course

   1. A.
      nervous and uneasy
   2. B.
      excited and hopeful
   3. C.
      amazed and comfortable
   4. D.
      pleased but embarrassed
2. 2.

   Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca’s impression of Alec?

   1. A.
      unfriendly and ta lkative
   2. B.
      forceful and daring
   3. C.
      gentle and reliable
   4. D.
      older than expected
3. 3.

   What is Rebecca’s real purpose of making this visit?

   1. A.
      To see Alec himself
   2. B.
      To see Alec's mother
   3. C.
      To confirm that they are of the same family
   4. D.
      To make known their relationship and seek help
4. 4.

   From the passage, we can conclude that Alec appears quite friendly to Rebecca largely because __________

   1. A.
      Rebecca is his distant relation
   2. B.
      Rebecca looks polite to him
   3. C.
      Rebecca is a pretty girl
   4. D.
      Rebecca looks ridiculous

People are being lured (引诱)onto Facebook 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 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, it’s 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.
【小题1】What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?