2013年浙江省杭州市外国语学校高考英语（阅读理解提分训练）每日一练14.docVIP

倒数第八周星期 A With the development of modern society and high tech, it is becoming more and more convenient for people to communicate. Meanwhile, virtual world has begun to exist. Virtual entertainment sites let you chat, feed the dog and shop in a way that feels real. But they are also the gateway to the real-world trouble. Virtual property(虚拟财产), which you gain through computer games and social networking sites, is a billion dollar global industry. For example, fantasy worlds like Secondlife, and World of Warcraft issue their own currencies, and players can make a profit by trading in the real world or setting up clothing stores. The currencies are bought with hard cash and profits made online can be converted back into real-world money. But even in imaginary worlds, property ownership can go hand in hand with property theft. Last week, several netizens went to Tencent’s headquarters to file a complaint, accusing the company of not adequately protecting their accounts. They’d had their QQ Show avatar and clothes stolen. “Virtual property theft is occurring today all over the world,” says Professor Greg Lastowka, an American specialist in Internet law. “Local police are often confused by claims of virtual theft, thinking it has no real value,” says Lastowka. Reports of stolen virtual property are becoming increasingly frequent, but the law is slow to respond. China has no specific law to protect virtual property. Without clear legal rules, players cannot prove ownership, so the police might not bother with the case. Virtual property may appear to be something that only has meaning in an imaginary world. Yet somebody has spent real-world time and money on making it their own. To them, it has value, and if someone else takes it, that’s theft. In case of theft, users can report it to the Internet department of the local public security bureaus. Users can also take some action to protect their virtual property. They should not accep