考研英语（阅读）-试卷64(总分60,考试时间90分钟)2. Reading ComprehensionSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods. received one for its "one-click" online payment system. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box. Now the nation" s top patent court **pletely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. In re Bilski, as the case is known, is "a very big deal," says Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of law. It "has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents." Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramaticabout-face, because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision in the so-called State Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging **panies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions. Later, move **panies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might beat them to the punch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents, despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice. The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal Circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court" s judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate is whether it should "reconsider" its State Street Bank ruling. The Federal Circuit" s **es in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example, the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for "inventions" that are obvious. The judges on the Federal Circuit are "reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court," says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.1. Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because ofA. their limited value to businesses.B. their connection with asset allocation.C. the possible restriction on their granting.D. the controversy over their authorization.2. Which of the following is true of the Bilski case?A. Its **plies with the court decisions.B. It involves a very big business transaction.C. It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit.D. It may change the legal practices in the U.S..3. The word "about-face"(Para. 3)most probably meansA. loss of good will.B. increase of hostility.C. change of attitude.D. enhancement of dignity.4. We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patentsA. are immune to legal challenges.B. are often unnecessarily issued.C. lower the esteem for patent holders.D. increase the incidence of risks.5. Which of the following would be the subject of the text?A. A looming threat to business-method patents.B. Protection for business-method patent holders.C. A legal case regarding business-method patents.D. A prevailing trend against business-method patents.When it comes to the slowing economy,Ellen Spero isn"t biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn" t cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as she" d like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I"m a good economic indicator," she says. "I provide a service that people can do without when they"re concerned about saving some dollars." So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middlebrow Dillard"s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don"t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too." she says. Even before Alan Greenspan"s admission that America" s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year"s pace. But don"t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy" s long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening. Consumers say they"re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there" s a new gold rush happening inthe $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel **fortable about their ability to find and keep a job. Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interestrates. Employers wouldn"t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan"s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting.6. By "Ellen Spero isn"t biting her nails just yet"(Para. 1), the author meansA. Spero can hardly maintain her business.B. Spero is too much engaged in her work.C. Spero has grown out of her bad habitD. Spero is not in a desperate situation.7. How do the public feel about the current economic situation?A. Optimistic.B. Confused.C. Carefree.D. Panicked.8. When mentioning "the $4 million to $ 10 million range"(Para. 3)the author is talking aboutA. gold market.B. real estate.C. stock exchange.D. venture investment.9. Why can many people see "silver linings" to the economic slowdown?A. They would benefit in certain ways.B. The stock market shows signs of recovery.C. Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom.D. The purchasing power would be enhanced.10. To which of the following is the author likely to agree?A. A new boom, on the horizon.B. Tighten the belt, the single remedy.C. Caution all right, panic not.D. The more ventures, the more chances.Over the past decade, **panies had perfected the art of creating automatic behaviors—habits—among consumers. These habits have **panies earn billions of dollars when customers eat snacks or wipe counters almost without thinking, often in response to a carefully designed set of daily cues. "There are fundamental public health problems, like dirty hands instead of a soap habit, that remain killers only because we can" t figure out how to change people" s habits," said Dr. Curtis, the director of Hygiene Center at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. "We wanted to learn from private industry how to create new behaviors that happen automatically." **panies that Dr. Curtis turned to—Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever—had invested hundreds of millions of dollars finding the subtle cues in consumers" lives that corporations could use to introduce new routines. If you look hard enough, you" 11 find that many of the products we use every day—chewing gums, skin moisturizers, disinfecting wipes, air fresheners, water purifiers, health snacks, teeth whiteners, fabric softeners, vitamins—are results of manufactured habits. A century ago, few people regularly brushed their teeth multiple times a day. Today, because of shrewd advertising and public health campaigns, many Americans habitually give their pearly whites a cavity-preventing scrub twice a day, often with Colgate, Crest or one of the other brands. A few decades ago, many people didn"t drink water outside of a meal. Then **panies start-ed bottling the production of far-off springs, and now office workers unthinkingly sip bottled water all day long. Chewing gum, once bought primarily by adolescentboys, is now featured in commercials as a breath freshener and teeth cleanser for use after a meal. Skin moisturizers are advertised as part of morning beauty rituals, slipped in between hair brushing and putting on makeup. "Our products succeed when they become part of daily or weekly patterns," said Carol Berning, a consumer psychologist who recently retired from Procter & Gamble, **pany that sold $76 billion of Tide, Crest and other products last year. "Creating positive habits is a huge part of improving our consumers " lives, and it" s essential to making new **mercially viable." Through experiments and observation, social scientists like Dr. Berning have learned that there is power in tying certain behaviors to habitual cues through ruthless advertising. As this new science of habit has emerged, controversies have erupted when the tactics have been used to sell questionable beauty creams or unhealthy foods.11. According to Dr. Curtis, habits like hand washing with soapA. should be further cultivated.B. should be changed gradually.C. are deeply rooted in history.D. are basically private concerns.12. Bottled water, chewing gun and skin moisturizers are mentioned in Paragraph 5 so as toA. reveal their impact on people" s habits.B. show the urgent need of daily necessities.C. indicate their effect on people" s buying power.D. manifest the significant role of good habits.13. Which of the following does NOT belong to products that help create people" s habits?A. Tide.B. Crest.C. Colgate.D. Unilever.14. From the text we know that some of consumer"s habits are developed due toA. perfected art of products.B. automatic behavior creation.C. commercial promotions.D. scientific experiments.15. The author"s attitude toward the influence of advertisement on people" s habits isA. indifferent.B. negative.C. positive.D. biased.The great recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning. Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults. And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years. No one tries harder than the joblessto find silver liningsin this national economic disaster. Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others. In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off. At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending. But for the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off. In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S., lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive, and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms.Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes. Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one. Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross them—especially for young people. The research of Till V on Wachter, the economic at Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them that are left behind. In the Internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden within American society. More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society"s character. In many respects, the U. S. was more socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history, and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results. We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric. But they certainly will reshape it, and all the more so the longer they extend.16. By saying "to find silver linings"(Para. 2)the author suggests that the jobless try toA. seek subsidies from the government.B. explore reasons for the unemployment.C. make profit from the troubled economy.D. look on the bright side of the recession.17. According to Paragraph 2, the recession has made peopleA. realize the national dream.B. struggle against each other.C. challenge their prudence.D. reconsider their lifestyle.18. Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions mayA. impose a heavier burden on immigrants.B. bring out more evils of human nature.C. promote the advance of rights and freedoms.D. ease conflicts between races and classes.19. The research of Till V on Wachter suggests that in the recession graduates from elite universities tend toA. lag behind the others due to decreased opportunities.B. catch up quickly with experienced employees.C. see their life chances as dimmed as the others.D. recover more quickly than the others.20. The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society isA. certain.B. positive.C. trivial.D. destructive.。
