英语听力精选进阶版 6266

Sony has hired private investigators¹ following the theft of personal data belonging to more than 100 million online gamers.

On Tuesday the company admitted that there had been a cyber attack on the Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) network in April. The network hosts popular internet games including EverQuest and Free Realms.

This news followed an announcement last week of another security breach² affecting 77 million Playstation users.

Initially³, Sony believed that its SOE database had not been compromised, but they have now admitted that hackers⁵ took the names, e-mail addresses and other information of up to 25 million PC and Facebook gamers. In addition, the payment details of around twenty thousand non-US customers were taken.

In a statement, Sony warned customers to be on the lookout⁶ for any contact via e-mail, telephone or post purporting⁸ to be official Sony correspondence. Such an email would be an example of 'phishing' – an attempt to acquire sensitive information via email or the internet.

The electronics giant had already apologised for the Playstation hack⁴, and promised to help users defend themselves from cyber attack, saying: 

"We will provide a complimentary⁹ offering to assist users in enrolling¹⁰ in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs."

Such promises haven't been enough to stop some people calling for the CEO Howard Stringer to resign. Sony's shares have dropped by 4% since mid-April.

Quiz

Is this statement true, false or not given? Over 100 million users of SOE have had their personal details stolen. 

False - the SOE hack relates to 25 million PC and Facebook gamers.

Is this statement true, false or not given? At first, Sony didn't realise that the SOE network had undergone a cyber attack. 

True - "Initially, Sony believed that its SOE database had not been compromised".

What did Sony do to reassure¹¹ users after the Playstation hack? 

They offered users access to identity theft protection services.

Look at the article. Can you see a verb meaning to pretend? 

To purport⁷ to be.

Look at the article. Can you see an adjective meaning free? 

Complimentary.

Glossary 词汇表

personal data 个人资料 

cyber attack 网络攻击 

security breach 破坏安全的行为 

to be compromised （网络安全）受到攻击 

hacker 黑客 

payment details 银行支付信息 

to be on the lookout for something 对… 保持警戒 

to purport to be someone or something 假以、打着… 的旗号 

phishing 网络仿冒、网络钓鱼（一种网络攻击手段） 

sensitive information 敏感信息 

a hack 网络攻击 

identity theft 身份盗窃

1 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

3 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

4 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

5 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

6 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

7 purport   

n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是...

参考例句：

• Many theories purport to explain growth in terms of a single cause.许多理论都标榜以单一的原因解释生长。
• Her letter may purport her forthcoming arrival.她的来信可能意味着她快要到了。

8 purporting   

v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cindy Adams (Columnist) : He's purporting to be Mother Teresa. 辛迪？亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。 来自互联网
• To prohibit certain practices purporting to be sales by auction. 本条例旨在对看来是以拍卖方式作出的售卖中某些行为予以禁止。 来自互联网

9 complimentary   

adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的

参考例句：

• She made some highly complimentary remarks about their school.她对他们的学校给予高度的评价。
• The supermarket operates a complimentary shuttle service.这家超市提供免费购物班车。

10 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

11 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。