单选题 Cyberspace, data superhighway, multi media — for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telephones will change our lives for ever. Yet for all the talk of a forthcoming technological Utopia, little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor. As with all new high technology, while the West concerns itself with the "how", the question of "for whom" is put aside once again. Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communications revolution has affected the world economy. Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries, and transnational corporations take full advantage of it. Terms of trade, exchange and interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods. The electronic economy made possible by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets — with destructive impact on the have-nots. For them the result is instability. Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine. As "futures" are traded on computer screens, developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies. So what are the options for regaining control? One alternative is for developing countries to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications themselves — so-called " development communications" modernization. Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries'' economies. Communications technology is generally exported from the U. S. , Europe or Japan; the patents, skills and ability to manufacture remain in the hands of a few industrialized countries. It is also expensive, and imported products and services must therefore be bought on credit — credit usually provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain. Furthermore, when new technology is introduced there is often too low a level of expertise to exploit it for native development. This means that while local elites, foreign communities and subsidiaries of transnational corporations may benefit, those whose lives depend on access to the information are denied it.
单选题 From the passage we know that the development of high technology is in the interests of________.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】文章多处表明信息技术发展于富国有利、于穷国无利:穷国利益未受重视;富国加强了对全球市场的控制,使穷国长期依赖、受制于富国等。所以A项为正确答案。文中虽然也提到技术发展会给穷国中的elite带来好处,但这不是作者的主要观点,因此A项为最佳答案。
单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that________.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】本题考查对主旨句…little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor的理解。A、C、D三项均不是文中的观点。
单选题 Why does the author say that the electronic economy may have a destructive impact on developing countries?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】这在第二段最后一句有明确表述。过去分词短语made possible by information technology修饰主语The electronic economy。with介词短语说明整个句子,表示结果。haves指“富国”,have-nots指“穷国”。
单选题 The development of modern communications technology in developing countries may________.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】根据第四段Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries'' economies可知,D项表述正确,故选D项。
单选题 The author''s attitude toward the communications revolution is________.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】文中着重强调通信技术革命给发展中国家带来的负面影响,认为在这一革命中,富国与穷国的差距越来越大,对穷国不公平。这显然是一种批判性的态度。