Ask your grandparents what cookies are, and you’ll probably be told they are tasty treats made from flour, sugar, butter, and a few other ingredients. Ever since 1994, however, the term has taken on a completelydifferent meaning related to the internet. In that year, a 23-year-old American programmer named Lou Montulli invented the cookie. Fast-forward to the present day, and cookies have become not only commonplace but also a subject of growing concern, particularly third-party ones.
Cookies in the digitalage have a few different names: internet cookies, web cookies, browser cookies, or just cookies. In the most basic terms, a cookie is a piece of text that contains some personal information about a user, such as log-in details or shopping cart contents. One type of cookie is called a first-party cookie. These are designed to make the user’s experience of a website smoother and more enjoyable. Generated by the website being visited, first-party cookies allow things like sign-in data to be automatically filled and language preferencesto be retainedfrom visit to visit. Without first-party cookies, visitors to websites would need to inputinformation again and again every single time they visit a site.
On the other hand, third-party cookies are not created by the website a person visits but by other websites, or “third parties.” These are typically used for monitoringusers’ online activity and building detailed profilesbased on those patterns. Unlike first-party cookies, which improve user experience, third-party cookies are intended to help advertisers better target consumers. This is why individuals will often see ads that feature products related to their online searches.
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
ingredient
[ɪnˋgridɪənt]
n. （食品）成分；（成功的）要素
=
component
What are the ingredients of the cake?
這個蛋糕的成分是什麼？
Trust is an important ingredient in a successful relationship.
信任在一段成功的關係裡是很重要的要素。
多益綠色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
completely
[kəmˋplitlɪ]
adv. 徹底地
●
digital
[ˋdɪdʒɪt!]
a. 數位的
Nowadays, smartphones contain digital cameras, and that's why digital cameras themselves have become less popular.
如今，智慧手機包含了數位相機，這就是為什麼數位相機本身變得沒那麼受歡迎的原因。
Sales of digital music albums greatly outnumber sales of physical albums. 數位音樂專輯的銷量大大超過了實體專輯的銷量。
高中 Level 4
●
contents
[kənˋtɛnts]
n. 內容物（恆用複數）
●
content
[kənˋtɛnt]
adj. 滿足的（= satisfied）
n. 滿足
vt. 使滿足（= satisfy）
Alex was content with his performance in the speech contest.
艾力克斯對他在演講比賽的表現很滿意。
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s drink toour heart’s content.
各位先生女士，我們開懷地暢飲吧。
Lounging on this beach all day contents me.
整天懶洋洋地躺在沙灘上讓我很滿足。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
generate
[ˋdʒɛnə͵ret]
vt. 產生（光、電、熱）；造成，引起
The dam generates electricity for the local community.
該座水壩發電供當地社區使用。
Tourism generates more income for the seaside resort.
旅遊業為濱海勝地帶來較多的收入。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
preference
[ˋprɛfərəns]
n. 偏愛
Fewer parents these days have a preference for baby boys over baby girls.
現今偏好生男寶寶而非女寶寶的父母越來越少了。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
retain
[rɪˋten]
.vt. 保留，保有
=
maintain
=
sustain
=
detain
You’d better retain copies of the documents for at least one year.
這幾份文件的副本你最好留著至少一年別丟。
The boxer succeeded in retaining histitle as the heavyweight champion.
那位拳擊手成功地衛冕重量級冠軍。
