acy tends to spring from the malevolent capacity of technology, the yearning for a private realm long precedes the Brave New World of bits and bytes, of electronic surveillance, and CCTV. Indeed, anthropologists have demonstrated that there is a near-universal desire for individual and group privacy in primitive societies, and that this is reflected in appropriate social norms. Moreover, we are not alone in seeking refuge from the crowd. Animals too need privacy.At the most general level, the idea of privacy embraces the desire to be left alone, free to be ourselves—uninhibited and unconstrained by the prying of others. This extends beyond snooping and unsolicited publicity to intrusions upon the “space” we need to make intimate, personal decisions without the intrusion of the state. Thus “privacy” is frequently employed to describe a zone demarcated as “private” in which, for example, a woman exercises a choice as to whether she wishes to have an abortion, or an individual is free to express his or her sexuality. Debates about privacy are therefore often entangled with contentious moral questions, including the use of contraception and the right to pornography.In any event, it is clear that at the core of our concern to protect privacy lies a conception of the individual’s relationship with society. Once we acknowledge a separation between the public and the private domain, we assume a community in which not only does such a division make sense, but also an institutional structure that makes possible an account of this sort. In other words, to postulate the “private” presupposes the “public”.A life without privacy is inconceivable. But what purposes does privacy actually serve？ In addition to its significance in liberal democratic theory, privacy stakes out a sphere for creativity, psychological wellbeing, our ability to love, forge social relationships, promote trust, intimacy, and friendship.In his classic work, Alan Westin identifies four functions of privacy that combine the concept’s individual and social dimensions. First, it engenders personal autonomy; the democratic principle of individuality is associated with the need for such autonomy—the desire to avoid manipulation or domination by others. Second, it provides the opportunity for emotional release. Privacy allows us to remove our social mask: On any given day a man may move through the roles of stern father, loving husband, car-pool comedian, skilled lathe operator, union steward, water-cooler flirt, and American Legion committee chairman—all psychologically different roles that he adopts as he moves from scene to scene on the individual stage. Privacy gives individuals, from factory workers to Presidents, a chance to lay their masks aside for rest. To be always “on” would destroy the human organism.Third, it allows us to engage in self-uation—the ability to formulate and test creative and moral activities and ideas. And, fourth, privacy offers us the environment in which we can share confidences and intimacies, and engage in limited and protected communication.
1、Where does much of our current worry about privacy come from according to the author_________？
A、It comes from the evil power of technology.
B、It comes from the primitive societies.
C、It comes from the longing for a private realm.
D、It comes from our seeking refuge from the crowd.
2、What is the main idea of the second paragraph？.
A、It mainly explains the differences between the individual and the public._________
B、It mainly expounds what privacy is.
C、It mainly emphasizes that privacy is involved in some moral questions.
D、It mainly emphasizes the importance of privacy to women.
3、How do you understand the sentence “In other words, to postulate the ‘private’ presupposes the ‘public’”_________？
A、It means that to assume the “private” is the precondition of the “public”.
B、It means that the “private” and the “public” are entangled with each other.
C、It means that the “public” is the precondition of assuming the “private”.
D、It means that the “public” is unrelated to the “private”.
4、According to Alan Westin, how many functions does privacy have_________？
A、Five functions.
B、Three functions.
C、Two functions.
D、Four functions.
5、What is the first function of privacy mentioned in Alan’s book_________？
A、It offers a personal autonomy to satisfy the desire for not being controlled by others.
B、It provides the chance for emotional release.
C、It allows human beings to be engaged in uating themselves.
D、It offers a personal and intimate environment.
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