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Unit 7-Reading Activity

The document discusses hackers who attend the DEF CON conference to identify security vulnerabilities. It aims to dispel misconceptions that hackers are always malicious by showing that DEF CON attendees seek to improve security through Capture the Flag games and informing industries of their findings. The writer appreciates their passion and dislikes assumptions that they are only computer geeks concerned with labels or possessions.

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mateokarolys2004
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19 views

Unit 7-Reading Activity

The document discusses hackers who attend the DEF CON conference to identify security vulnerabilities. It aims to dispel misconceptions that hackers are always malicious by showing that DEF CON attendees seek to improve security through Capture the Flag games and informing industries of their findings. The writer appreciates their passion and dislikes assumptions that they are only computer geeks concerned with labels or possessions.

Uploaded by

mateokarolys2004
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CTT de los Andes Language Center

English Program

Unit 7: A hacker’s life.

Names: Mateo Karolys, Grace Yepez, Sebastián Izurieta, Vanessa Villalva, Katherin
Vera.
CTT de los Andes Language Center
English Program

1. Read the article and answer the questions.

a) What do DEF CON hackers do to help improve internet security?


CTT de los Andes Language Center
English Program

Answer: DEF CON hackers examine various systems, such as the internet,
mobile communications, household door locks, and more. They identify and address
security gaps, and their findings are passed on to industries for system improvement.

b) What is a common misconception about who hackers are?


Answer: A common misconception is that hackers are often portrayed as
malicious individuals, such as a seventeen-year-old illegally hacking into the
U.S.'s defense secrets. The passage suggests that this portrayal is a gross
misrepresentation of what most hackers do.

c) What do hackers look at apart from online security?


Answer: Hackers at DEF CON look at a wide range of systems, including the
internet, mobile communications, and household door locks. They explore
vulnerabilities in various technologies and not just limited to online security.

d) What do hackers do with the information they find?


Answer: The passage doesn't explicitly mention what hackers do with the
information they find. However, it suggests that their findings are passed on to
the industries responsible for designing these systems, presumably for
improvement and addressing security vulnerabilities.

e) What does the writer like about the people at DEF CON?
Answer: The writer likes that people at DEF CON are not concerned about
labels or material possessions. They appreciate the accomplishment and
knowledge rather than focusing on clothing, car labels, or where someone
works.

f) What phrase sums up what Capture the Flag is?


Answer: The phrase that sums up what Capture the Flag is would be "a cyber
game of attack and defense between the best hackers."

g) What does the writer think about the passwords used by most internet users?
Answer: The writer thinks that if someone dismisses DEF CON attendees as
just a group of computer geeks, they may be someone who uses the same
password for ninety percent of their online transactions, indicating a lack of
awareness or concern for security.

h) What really motivates the hackers at DEF CON?


Answer: The hackers at DEF CON are motivated by a passion for online
freedom and safety, as well as the challenge of finding security gaps in various
systems. They are described as fanatical about protecting data from both
criminals and big business.

2. . Find collocations in the article that mean the following:


CTT de los Andes Language Center
English Program

a) feeling of pride in achieving something (para 1) _ sense of


accomplishment_________
b) a very false description (para 2) ____ gross misrepresentation__________
c) a lack of politeness (para 5) __ bad manners_______
d) with poor lighting (para 6) ___ dimly lit________
e) a person who is expert in (and obsessed with) computer technology (para 8)
_______ computer geek___
f) large-scale or important commercial activity (para 9) ___ big business_____

3. The word “accomplishment” in paragraph 6 is the opposite of:

a) Achievement
b) Opportunity
c) Failure
d) Frustration

4. The pronoun “it” in line 5, refers to:

a) The hackers.
b) Computer addicts.
c) Love the challenge.
d) Security hacks.

5. The relative pronoun “who” in line 18, refers to:

e) An amateur.
f) Breaking into your own home.
g) A professional.
h) Five minutes faster.

6. The pronoun “this” in line 41, refers to:

i) Capture the flag.


j) Competition.
k) Conference.
l) Most famous.

7. Why does the author say” But that is actually a gross misrepresentation of
what most hackers do” in paragraph 2:
CTT de los Andes Language Center
English Program

m) To persuade the reader to carry on reading the passage.


n) To point out the result of an action.
o) To introduce the general idea of the following paragraph.
p) To demonstrate that a portrayal is erroneous.

8. Why does the author say” But it isn’t just criminals we need to protect our
data from” in paragraph 9:

q) To mention that there are more dangers to be aware of.


r) To illustrate an example of a possible danger.
s) To restate an idea followingly mentioned.
t) To recall a previously mentioned endangerment.

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