雅思閱讀預(yù)測文章
對于雅思考生來說，想要順利拿下雅思閱讀理解，平時多看一些雅思文章并且加強練習(xí)是必須的。下面是小編為大家整理的一篇雅思閱讀預(yù)測文章，希望對大家有所幫助。
Selling Digital Music without Copy-protection Makes Sense
A. It was uncharacteristically low-key for the industry's greatest showman. But the essay published this week by Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, on his firm’s website under the unassuming title "Thoughts on Music" has nonetheless provoked a vigorous debate about the future of digital music, which Apple dominates with its iPod music-player and iTunes music-store. At issue is "digital rights management" (DRM)—the technology guarding downloaded music against theft. Since there is no common standard for DRM, it also has the side-effect that songs purchased for one type of music-player may not work on another. Apple's DRM system, called FairPlay, is the most widespread. So it came as a surprise when Mr. Jobs called for DRM for digital music to be abolished.
B. This is a change of tack for Apple. It has come under fire from European regulators who claim that its refusal to license FairPlay to other firms has "locked in" customers. Since music from the iTunes store cannot be played on non-iPod music-players (at least not without a lot of fiddling), any iTunes buyer will be deterred from switching to a device made by a rival firm, such as Sony or Microsoft. When French lawmakers drafted a bill last year compelling Apple to open up FairPlay to rivals, the company warned of "state-sponsored piracy". Only DRM, it implied, could keep the pirates at bay.
C. This week Mr. Jobs gave another explanation for his former defence of DRM: the record companies made him do it. They would make their music available to the iTunes store only if Apple agreed to protect it using DRM. They can still withdraw their catalogues if the DRM system is compromised. Apple cannot license FairPlay to others, says Mr Jobs, because it would depend on them to produce security fixes promptly. All DRM does is restrict consumer choice and provide a barrier to entry, says Mr Jobs; without it there would be far more stores and players, and far more innovation. So, he suggests, why not do away with DRM and sell music unprotected? "This is clearly the best alternative for consumers," he declares, "and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat."
D. Why the sudden change of heart? Mr Jobs seems chiefly concerned with getting Europe's regulators off his back. Rather than complaining to Apple about its use of DRM, he suggests, "those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free." Two and a half of the four big record companies, he helpfully points out, are European-owned. Mr Jobs also hopes to paint himself as a consumer champion. Apple resents accusations that it has become the Microsoft of digital music.
E. Apple can afford to embrace open competition in music players and online stores. Consumers would gravitate to the best player and the best store, and at the moment that still means Apple's. Mr Jobs is evidently unfazed by rivals to the iPod. Since only 3% of the music in a typical iTunes library is protected, most of it can already be used on other players today, he notes. (And even the protected tracks can be burned onto a CD and then re-ripped.) So Apple's dominance evidently depends far more on branding and ease of use than DRM-related "lock in".
F. The music giants are trying DRM-free downloads. Lots of smaller labels already sell music that way. Having seen which way the wind is blowing, Mr Jobs now wants to be seen not as DRM's defender, but as a consumer champion who helped in its downfall. Wouldn't it lead to a surge in piracy? No, because most music is still sold unprotected on CDs, people wishing to steal music already can do so. Indeed, scrapping DRM would probably increase online-music sales by reducing confusion and incompatibility. With the leading online store, Apple would benefit most. Mr Jobs's argument, in short, is transparently self-serving. It also happens to be right.
Questions 1-7 Do the following statemets reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
Write your answer in Boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
TRUE if the statement reflets the claims of the writer
FALSE if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossbile to say what the writer thinks about this
1. Apple enjoys a controlling position in digital music market with its iPod music-player and iTunes music-store.
2. DRM is a government decree issued with a purpose to protect downloaded music from theft by consumers.
3. Lack of standardization in DRM makes songs bought for one kind of music player may not function on another.
4. Apple has been criticized by European regulators since it has refused to grant a license FairPlay to other firms.
5. All music can be easily played on non-iPod music devices from Sony or Microsoft without too much fiddling.
6. Apple depends far more on DRM rather than branding for its dominance of the digital music devices.
7. If DRM was cancelled, Sony would certainly dominate the international digital music market.
Questions 8-10 Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 8-10 on your answe sheet.
8. Which of the following statements about Mr. Jobs'idea of DRM is NOT TRUE?
A. DRM places restrictions on consumer'choice of digital music products available.
B. DRM comples iTunes buyers to switch to a device made by Sony or Microsoft.
C. DRM constitutes a barrier for potential consumers to enter digital music markets.
D. DRM hinders development of more stores and players and technical innovation.
9. The word "unfazed" in line 3 of paragraph E, means___________.
A. refused
B. welcomed
C. not bothered
D. not well received
10. Which of the following statements is TRUE if DRM was scapped?
A. Sony would gain the most profit.
B. More customers would be “locked in”.
C. A sudden increase in piracy would occur.
D. Online-music sales would probably decrease.
Questions 11-14 Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Reading Passage 1 for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
Mr. Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, explains the reason why he used to defend DRM, saying that the company was forced to do so: the record companies would make their music accessible to …11...only if they agreed to protect it using DRM; they can still…12…if the DRM system is compromised. He also provides the reason why Apple did not license FairPlay to others: the company relies on them to …13….But now he changes his mind with a possible expectation that Europe's regulators would not trouble him any more in the future. He proposes that those who are unsatisfactory with the current situation in digital music market should …14… towards persuade the music companies to sell their music DRM-free.
Notes to Reading Passage 1
1. low-key：抑制的，受約束的，屈服的
2. showman：開展覽會的人，出風(fēng)頭的人物
3. unassuming：謙遜的，不夸耀的，不裝腔作勢的
4. iPod：(蘋果公司出產(chǎn)的)音樂播放器
5. iTunes store：(蘋果公司出產(chǎn)的)在線音樂商店
6. get off person's back: 不再找某人的麻煩，擺脫某人的糾纏
7. gravitate: 受吸引，傾向于
8. unfazed: 不再擔(dān)憂，不被打擾
Keys and explanations to the Questions 1-13
1. TRUE
See the second sentence in Paragraph A "… the future of digital music, which Apple dominates with its iPod music-player and iTunes music-store."
2. FALSE
See the third sentence in Paragraph A "…At issue is 'digital rights management' (DRM)—the technology guarding downloaded music against theft."
3. TRUE
See the fourth sentence in Paragraph A "Since there is no common standard for DRM, it also has the side-effect that songs purchased for one type of music-player may not work on another."
4. TRUE
See the second sentence in Paragraph B "It has come under fire from European regulators who claim that its refusal to license FairPlay to other firms has 'locked in' customers."
5. NOT GIVEN
The third sentence in Paragaph B only mentions music from the iTunes store, nothing about that of Sony or Microsoft. "Since music from the iTunes store cannot be played on non-iPod music-players (at least not without a lot of fiddling)."
6. FALSE
See the last sentence in Paragraph E "So Apple's dominance evidently depends far more on branding and ease of use than DRM-related 'lock in'".
7. NOT GIVEN
See the fourth sentence in Paragraph F only mentions music generally, no particular information about business prospect of Sony "Indeed, scrapping DRM would probably increase online-music sales by reducing confusion and incompatibility."
8. B
See the fourth sentence of Paragraph C "All DRM does is restrict consumer choice and provide a barrier to entry, says Mr Jobs; without it there would be far more stores and players, and far more innovation."
9. C
See the third sentence of Paragraph E and the context "Mr Jobs is evidently unfazed by rivals to the iPod. Since only 3% of the music in a typical iTunes library is protected, most of it can already be used on other players today."
10. A
See the last four sentences of Paragraph F "Wouldn't it lead to a surge in piracy? No, because most music is still sold unprotected on CDs, people wishing to steal music already can do so. Indeed, scrapping DRM would probably increase online-music sales by reducing confusion and incompatibility. With the leading online store, Apple would benefit most."
11. the iTunes store
See the second sentence of Paragraph C "They would make their music available to the iTunes store only if Apple agreed to protect it using DRM."
12. withdraw their catalogues
See the third sentence of Paragraph C "They can still withdraw their catalogues if the DRM system is compromised."
13. produce security fixes
See the fourth sentence of Paragraph C "Apple cannot license FairPlay to others, says Mr Jobs, because it would depend on them to produce security fixes promptly."
14. redirect their energies
See the second sentence of Paragraph D "Rather than complaining to Apple about its use of DRM, he suggests, those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free."
附：雅思閱讀技巧之填空題
填空題(summary)又叫摘要題。該類題目是一小段文字，是原文或原文中的幾個段落主要內(nèi)容的縮寫或改寫，我們稱之為摘要。摘要中有幾個空白部分要求考生填空。
按照范圍，摘要可分為兩種：全文摘要和部分段落摘要。全文摘要，摘要信息來自全文，題目空格的數(shù)目較多。部分段落摘要，摘要信息來自原文某幾個連續(xù)的段落，題目空格的數(shù)目較少。最近考試中出現(xiàn)的大部分是部分段落摘要，信息來自原文連續(xù)的兩到三段，題目空格的數(shù)量在5題左右。
對于部分段落摘要，有的在題目要求中會指出它來自原文的哪些段落，如Complete the summary below of the first two paragraphs of the Reading Passage.但大部分的部分段落摘要只是在題目要求中說它是原文的一個摘要或部分段落摘要，并不指出它來自原文的哪些段落。
我們在做這類題的時候首先應(yīng)該做的都應(yīng)該是分析需要雅思閱讀填空題詞性。這樣可以簡化我們的做題過程并且在做題遇到困難時縮小選擇范圍。
劍四T1P1:In 1764 Dr Johnson accepted the contract to produce a dictionary. Having rented a garret, he took on a number of 4.________ who stood at a long central desk. Johnson did not have a 5.________ available to him, but eventually produced definitions of in excess of 40,000 words written down in 80 large notebooks. On publication, the Dictionary was immediately hailed in many European countries as a landmark. According to his biographer, James Boswell, Johnson's principal achievement was to bring 6.________to the English language. As a reward for his hard work, he was granted a 7.________ by the king.
我們在不看文章的前提下先分析一下這幾個空格所需單詞的詞性.首先句子In 1764 Dr Johnson accepted the contract to produce a dictionary. Having rented a garret, he took on a number of 4.________ who stood at a long central desk中,空格前面是a number of表明空中應(yīng)該填的是名詞，且為名詞復(fù)數(shù)，空后面的who決定了4種所填一定是表示人的名詞，因此總結(jié)起來4所填的為表人的可數(shù)名詞復(fù)數(shù)形式。 Johnson did not have a 5.________ available to him 句中的空格5前面有不定冠詞”a”表示所填的詞一定是一個可數(shù)名詞且為單數(shù)形式。再往空前追溯我們會發(fā)現(xiàn)所要找的這個可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)有非常重要的表否定的 “did not have”，這就決定了我們找的并不是主語所擁有的東西，所以在文中尋找時應(yīng)更加注意否定詞和可數(shù)名詞單數(shù)。并且這種情況下我們在原文中一定能夠找到 “a”，如果我們在定位到答案所在句子中發(fā)現(xiàn)這句話中只有一個a，那么表明a后面的那個詞一定為我們的答案。如果我們定位到的是一個范圍，在句子范圍內(nèi)有不止一個“a“，那么我們就需要根據(jù)句意對符合句子形式的答案進行逐一的排除。According to his biographer, James Boswell, Johnson's principal achievement was to bring 6.________to the English language.空前為動詞bring，因此空中所填的應(yīng)該是bring這個動作的實施對象，即句子的賓語，也就是帶來的東西，因此應(yīng)該填名詞。As a reward for his hard work, he was granted a 7.________ by the king.7和5道理相同，要注意空前的a，因此判定這個空所要填的一定也是一個單數(shù)的可數(shù)名詞。
通過這個題目我們可以看出在做填空題的時候，有些題目其實是有捷徑可以走的。比如當(dāng)看到一個題目中有空前是“a”的題目可以在定位后優(yōu)先做，其次是那些空前帶有介詞的空，因為介詞的數(shù)量畢竟是少數(shù)，且很多固定搭配的情況下并不會進行替換，即使替換，其可替換的范圍也遠遠小于動詞和形容詞，因為如果空前有介詞的話，我們也可以先找相同的介詞，如果沒有再通過動詞介詞的搭配進行答案的進一步尋找。
在找到相對簡單的題目的答案后，再根據(jù)填空題的順序原則對原文進行向上或者向下的尋找。因為填空題雖然為順序的，但我們并不一定要死板的從第一個空開始做，而是應(yīng)該根據(jù)文中的定位詞，以及題目的具體情況對文章和題目進行具體問題具體分析，用靈活的方法解題。
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