——摘自《2009考研英语历年真题阅读理解精读笔记》
TEXT 4
It never rains but it pours.Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them—especially in America—the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity.Left, until now, to odd, lowlevel IT staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of datarich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information protection is now high on the boss’s agenda in business of every variety.
Several massive leakages of customer and employee data this year—from organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the American defense contractor Science Applications International Corp and even the University of California, Berkeley—have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business processes in search of potential vulnerabilities.
“Data is becoming an asset which needs to be guarded as much as any other asset,”says Haim Mendelson of Stanford University’s business school.“The ability to guard customer data is the key to market value, which the board is responsible for on behalf of shareholders”.Indeed, just as there is the concept of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), perhaps it is time for GASP, Generally Accepted Security Practices, suggested Eli Noam of New York’s Columbia Business School.“Setting the proper investment level for security, redundancy, and recovery is a management issue, not a technical one,” he says.
The mystery is that this should come as a surprise to any boss.Surely it should be obvious to the dimmest executive that trust, that most valuable of economic assets, is easily destroyed and hugely expensive to restore—and that few things are more likely to destroy trust than a company letting sensitive personal data get into the wrong hands.
The current state of affairs may have been encouraged—though not justified—by the lack of legal penalty (in America, but not Europe) for data leakage.Until California recently passed a law, American firms did not have to tell anyone, even the victim, when data went astray.That may change fast: lots of proposed datasecurity legislation is now doing the rounds in Washington, D.C.Meanwhile, the theft of information about some 40 million creditcard accounts in America, disclosed on June 17th, overshadowed a hugely important decision a day earlier by America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that puts corporate America on notice that regulators will act if firms fail to provide adequate data security.
36. The statement: “It never rains but it pours” is used to introduce
［A］ the fierce business competition. ［B］ the feeble bossboard relations.
［C］ the threat from news reports.［D］ the severity of data leakage.
37. According to Paragraph 2, some organizations check their systems to find out
［A］ whether there is any weak point. ［B］ what sort of data has been stolen.
［C］ who is responsible for the leakage. ［D］ how the potential spies can be located.
38. In bringing up the concept of GASP the author is making the point that
［A］ shareholders’ interest should be properly attended to.
［B］ information protection should be given due attention.
［C］ businesses should enhance their level of accounting security.
［D］ the market value of customer data should be emphasized.
39. According to Paragraph 4, what puzzles the author is that some bosses fail to
［A］ see the link between trust and data protection.
［B］ perceive the sensitivity of personal data.
［C］ realize the high cost of data restoration.
［D］ appreciate the economic value of trust.
40. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that
［A］ data leakage is more severe in Europe.
［B］ FTC’s decision is essential to data security.
［C］ California takes the lead in security legislation.
［D］ legal penalty is a major solution to data leakage.
ability15［E5biliti］n.①能力，智能；②才能，才干
account22［E5kaunt］n.①账（目，户）；②叙述，说明；③价值，地位；v.（for）①说明，解释；②占；
③（take into）考虑；顾及
act11［Akt］v.①行动，做事；②（on）起作用；③表演；④（for）代表，代替；n.①行为，动作；②（一）幕；③法令，条例
adequate3［5Adikwit］a.足够的，充分的，恰当的
affair2［E5fZE］n.事，事情，事件
agenda2［E5dVendE］n.议事日程
application4［7Apli5keiFEn］n.①请求，申请（书，表）；②应用，运用；③施用，敷用
appreciate3［E5pri:Fieit］v.①感谢，感激；②正确评价，欣赏，赏识
asset2［5Aset］n.资产，有用的东西
attend5［E5tend］v.①出席，参加；②（to）照顾，护理；③关注，注意
attention14［E5tenFEn］n.①注意（力），留心；②立正
author69［5C:WE］n.①作者；②创始人
behalf5［bi5hB:f］n.利益，支持，好处
board5［bC:d］n.①板，纸板；②全体委员，委员会，部门；③伙食；船舷；v.上船（车，飞机）
business36［5biznis］n.①商业，生意；②事务，业务，职责；③企业；④贸易量；⑤行业，业务
commission4［kE5miFEn］n.①委员会；②委任，委托（书），代办；③佣金，手续费
competition16［kCmpi5tiFEn］n.①比赛；②竞争
concept15［5kCnsept］n.概念，观念，思想
concern20［kEn5sE:n］v.①涉及，关系到；②（常与with，about，in连用）关心，挂念；③担心，担忧；n.①（利害）关系；②关心，挂念；③担心，担忧
corporation10［7kC:pE5reiFEn］n.公司，企业，团体
current7［5kQrEnt］n.①电流，水流，气流；②潮流，趋势；a.①当前的，现在的；②通用的，流行的，最近的
data22［5deitE］n.（datum的复数）资料，数据
dim1［dim］a.暗淡的，模糊的
disclose2［dis5klEuz］v.揭示，泄露
diverse3［dai5vE:s］a.多种多样的，（from）不同的
economic23［7i:kE5nCmik］a.经济（上）的，经济学的
emphasize6［5emfEsaiz］v.强调
employee7［emplCi5i:］n.雇工，雇员
encourage13［in5kQridV］v.鼓励，怂恿
enhance7［in5hB:ns］v.提高，增强
essential11［i5senFEl］a.①（to）必要的，必不可少的；②本质的，基本的；n.①本质，要点；②必需品
executive6［ig5zekjutiv］n.总经理，董事，行政负责人；a.执行的，实施的
federal14［5fedErEl］a.联邦的
feeble1［5fi:bl］a.虚弱的，无力的
fierce3［fiEs］a.①凶猛的，残忍的；②激烈的，强烈的
firm14［fE:m］a.①坚固的，稳固的；②坚决的，坚定的；n.公司，商号
gasp1［gB:sp］n.喘息，气喘；v.①喘息；②气吁吁地说
headline3［5hedlain］n.大字标题
infer21［in5fE:］v.推论，推断
information44［7infE5meiFEn］n.①通知，报告；②情报，信息
intricate1［5intrikEt］a.错综复杂的，复杂精细的
investment11［in5vestmEnt］n.投资，投资额
issue18［5iFu:］v.①流出，放出；②发行，发表，颁布；n.①发行（物），（报刊）期号；②问题，争论点，争端
justify8［5dVQstifai］v.证明…是正当的，为…辩护
lead21［li:d］v.①领导，引导；②领先，占首位；③（to）通向，导致，引起；④经验，过（生活）；n.带领，引导；n.铅
legal11［5li:gEl］a.①法律的，法定的；②合法的，正当的
legislation4［7ledVis5leiFEn］n.①立法；②法规
link9［liNk］v.连接，联系；n.环节，链环
locate3［lEu5keit］v.①查找；②使…坐落于，位于
major11［5meidVE］a.（较）大的，（较）重要的；n.①专业，主修科目；②专业学生；③少校；v.（in）主修，专攻
management11［5mAnidVmEnt］n.①经营，管理；②管理部门
massive3［5mAsiv］a.①巨大的；大规模的；②严重的
mystery2［5mistEri］n.①神秘，神秘的事物；②神秘小说，侦探小说
nasty2［5nAsti］a.①肮脏的，卑劣的，下流的；②令人厌恶的
obvious13［5CbviEs］a.明显的，显而易见的
odd5［Cd］a.①奇数的，单的；②奇怪的，古怪的；③单只的，不成对的；④临时的，不固定的；⑤带零头的，余的
organization6［7C:gEnai5zeiFEn］n.①组织体制；②团体，机构
paragraph66［5pArEgrB:f］n.①段，节；②小新闻，短评
peer2［piE］n.同等的人，贵族；vi.凝视，窥视；vt.与…同等，封为贵族
penalty2［5penlti］n.处罚，惩罚
perceive5［pE5si:v］v.①察觉，感知；②理解，领悟
potential13［pE5tenF(E)l］a.①潜在的，可能的；②势的，位的；n.潜能，潜力
principle7［5prinsEpl］n.①原理，原则；②主义，信念；③（行动的）规则，准则
process34［prE5ses］n.①过程，进程；②工序，制作法；③工艺；v.加工，处理
propose4［prE5pEuz］v.①提议，建议；②提名，推荐；③求婚
puzzle4［5pQzl］n.难题，谜，迷惑；v.（使）迷惑，（使）为难
recovery4［ri5kQvEri］n.①痊愈，复元；②（经济）复苏
responsible11［ris5pCnsEbl］a.①（for，to）应负责的，有责任的；②可靠的，可信赖的；③责任重大的，重要的
restore3［ris5tC:］v.①恢复，使回复；②归还，交还；③修复，重建
school44［sku:l］n.①学校；②（大学里的）学院，系；③学派，流派
science58［5saiEns］n.①科学；②学科
security8［si5kjuEriti］n.安全
sensitive7［5sensitiv］a.①（to）敏感的，易受伤害的；②灵敏的
setting6［5setiN］n.①安置，安装；②落山；③（固定东西的）柜架底座；④环境，背景
severe3［si5viE］a.①严厉的，严格的；②剧烈的，严重的，严峻的，艰难的
solution4［sE5lu:F(E)n］n.①解答，解决办法；②溶解，溶液
spy6［spai］n.间谍；v.①当间谍，刺探；②察觉，发现
staff5［stB:f］n.①全体职工，全体人员；②杠，棒；③参谋部；v.配备工作人员
statement7［5steitmEnt］n.声明，陈述
suite1［swi:t］n.（一批）随员，（一套）家具，套房
system31［5sistEm］n.①系统，体系；②制度，体制
theft1［Weft］n.偷窃，失窃
threat9［Wret］n.①恐吓，威胁；②坏兆头，危险迹象
threaten8［5Wretn］v.①恐吓，威胁；②有…危险，快要来临
victim3［5viktim］n.牺牲品，受害者
according47［E5kC:diN］ad.依照，根据
astray1［Es5trei］ad.迷途地， 入歧途地
compliance1［kEm5plaIEns］n.依从， 顺从
contractor1［kEn5trAktE］n.订约人， 承包人
corporate4［5kC:pErit］a.①公司的；②法人的；③共同的，全体的
given22［5giv(E)n］a.特定的，假设的
governance1［5^QvEnEns］n.统治， 管理
hugely2［hju:dVlI］ad.巨大地， 非常地
hurriedly1［5hQridli］ad.仓促地，慌忙地
inevitably3［in5evitEbli］ad.不可避免
insecurity3［7insi5kjuEriti］n.不安全，不安全感
leakage2［5li:kidV］n.漏，泄漏，渗漏
overshadow1［7EuvE5FAdEu］v.遮蔽，使黯然失色
redundancy2［ri5dQndEnsi］n.冗余，过剩
regulator1［5re^juleitE］n.管理者
restoration1［5restE5reiFEn］n.恢复，复职，赔偿
sensitivity2［5sensi5tiviti］n.敏感，灵敏（度），灵敏性
severity1［si5veriti］n.严肃，严重
shareholder6［5FZEhEuldE］n.股东
telecom3［5telEkCm］n.（=telecommunication）电信
vulnerability1［9vQlnErE`bIlEtI］n.弱点， 攻击
