Lesson 2

Read the paragraph from "Hackers: The Internet's Immune System." We are often terrified and fascinated by the power hackers now have. They scare us. But the choices they make have dramatic outcomes that influence us all. So I am here today because I think we need hackers, and in fact, they just might be the immune system for the information age. Sometimes they make us sick, but they also find those hidden threats in our world, and they make us fix it. In this paragraph, which idea is implied but not directly stated?

Common social and media perceptions of hacking can prevent people from seeing its true value.

What textual evidence from "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head" supports the idea that, at times, a successful hack requires more than just breaking complex computer codes? Select all that apply.

From there, for example, people will then believe you when you say you are "out in the field" and need access to a password that is sitting on your desk at the office. Mitnick, of course, finessed his actions constantly: this allowed him to gain access to everything from birth certificates to top-secret source code for the mobile phones of the 1980s and 1990s. If, however, you exploit the human emotion of people wanting to help their fellow humans, then when you call-up the headquarters of a major company, name-drop a few key people within the organisation, and "chat-up the other person," it becomes relatively easy to extract nuggets of information that can be used as bait to persuade other people to reveal additional information.

Which sentence uses the word sew correctly?

Grandma is going to sew the patch onto your jacket.

Which ideas from "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head" support the belief that hackers are not well-understood members of society? Select all that apply.

Hackers have a criminal reputation because of their ability to hack into many secured cyber spaces. Hackers can be considered mentally ill because of their tendency to impulsively hack and break the law.

The author of "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head" states that a crucial component of computer hacking lies in "the dark science of social engineering (or 'hacking the human')." What idea is implied but not directly stated in this sentence?

Hackers manipulate human emotions and behaviors in order to access the information they need.

Read the paragraph from "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head." While public appearances by Mitnick and his ilk may fascinate (he is certainly not regarded as one of the "bad guys" by the admirers who flock for his autograph), the fact that such events are something of a media circus can obscure more serious analysis of his personality traits and psychological profile. What happens when someone like the young Mitnick applies for a job with a conventional employer? Where does their motivation lie, and what can employers do if they suspect they've put a hacker on the payroll? Which option best explains the potential concerns raised in this paragraph?

Hiring a hacker might mean jeopardizing a company's well-being.

Which idea from "Hackers: The Internet's Immune System" supports the presenter's claim that the world is a better place because of hackers?

Once hackers obtain crucial information, they share it with the public, so that everyone is aware of what is actually happening behind closed doors.

Which paragraph about spiders is written in the style and tone of informative writing?

Spiders are arachnids, which differ from insects in many ways. Arachnids have eight legs instead of six, they have two main body parts instead of three, and they never grow antennae. Spiders can be found on almost every continent on Earth.

Which sentences use passive voice appropriately? Select all that apply.

The downtown branch of Midland Bank was robbed last night. Strong aftershocks were detected several hours after the earthquake.

Read the sentence. The author of "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head" claims that the act of hacking is a deep-seated psychological illness. What textual evidence supports this statement? Select all that apply.

These disorders often come with an obvious "addiction" to the sheer thrill of hacking, born of having found ways around the supposed ingenuity of "invulnerable" cyber security defences. A consideration of the hacker generation of the 1970s and 1980s suggests behaviours that appear driven by a mixture of arrogance plus an inability to easily distinguish right and wrong from good and bad. ...

Read the sentence. The presenter of "Hackers: The Internet's Immune System" proposes the idea that the world needs hackers because they publicize important information. What textual evidence supports this statement? Select all that apply.

They've uncovered corruption, abuse. They've hacked popes and politicians, and I think their effect is larger than simple denial of service attacks that take down websites or even leak sensitive documents. I think that, like Robin Hood, they are in the business of redistribution, but what they are after isn't your money. It's not your documents. It's your attention. They grab the spotlight for causes they support, forcing us to take note, acting as a global magnifying glass for issues that we are not as aware of but perhaps we should be. They have been called many names from criminals to terrorists, and I cannot justify their illegal means, but the ideas they fight for are ones that matter to us all. The reality is, hackers can do a lot more than break things. They can bring people together.

Read the sentence. Throughout "Cyber-psychopathy: What Goes On in a Hacker's Head" the author presents the idea that essentially no one is completely safe from a hacker attack. What textual evidence supports this statement?

Today, cybercriminals use a hybrid mix of social engineering and client-side computer exploits to get at organisations' ICT systems.

Read the sentence. Only two students in our class were prepared for the debate; as a result, they dominated the discussion. Which word most precisely matches the meaning of dominated as it is used in the sentence?

controlled

Read the sentence. The scientist wanted to fabricate a new compound. Read the dictionary definition for fabricate. fabricate (fab-ri-kate) v. 1. to doctor 2. to contrive 3. to fake 4. to create Which definition of fabricate is used in the sentence?

definition 4

Read the passage. The Smiths' picnic outing was delayed until they finally found a cooler to put the drinks in. And then they had a flat tire in the driveway. Which options correctly identify instances of contested usage in the passage? Select all that apply.

ending a sentence with a preposition starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction

Read the sentence. As the weather turned to pouring rain, we yelled, "Carpe diem!" and decided to play outside in the little streams that were collecting on the sidewalk. The words carpe diem are a Latin phrase that means "seize the day." In the context of the sentence, which is the best definition of carpe diem?

enjoy the present

Which option contains the correct meaning of the prefix mis- as it is used in the word misconception?

in an improper manner

Read the sentence. In an informative text, the writer uses a(n) _[blank 1]_ tone for the purpose of _[blank 2]_. Which options most accurately complete the sentence? Select all that apply.

objective; examining complex ideas neutral; presenting facts

Read the sentences. Noses in the air, the children guessed that Mom was trying a new recipe from her cookbook. Indeed, the smell radiating from the kitchen was quite pungent and encouraged them to leave the house for some fresh air. What does pungent mean as it is used in the sentence?

strong