2008年6月大学英语四级试题(听力暂缺)(19)

The key question is: Does that matter?

For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no."

When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losting it. A survery found an overwhelming pessimism about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."

But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths(收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn donw supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist A lessandro Acauisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Socail Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠卷)。

But privacy does matter - at least sometimes. It's like health: When you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.