单选题
When an invention is made, the inventor has three possible courses of action open to him. he can give the invention to the world by publishing it, keep the idea secret, or patent it. A granted patent is the result of a bargain struck between an inventor and the state, by which the inventor gets a limited period of monopoly and publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates. Only in the most exceptional circumstances is the lifespan of a patent extended to alter this normal process of events. The longest extension ever granted was to Georges Valensi; his 1939 patent for color TV receiver circuitry was extended until 1971 because for most of the patent's normal life there was no colour TV to receive and thus no hope of reward for the invention. Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use and, if older than half a century, sometimes even repatent. Indeed, patent experts often advise anyone wishing to avoid the high cost of conducting a search through live patents that the one sure way of avoiding violation of any other inventor's right is to plagiarize a dead patent. Likewise, because publication of an idea in any other form permanently invalidates further patents on that idea, it is traditionally safe to take ideas from other areas of print. Much modern technological advance is based on these presumptions of legal security. Anyone closely involved in patents and inventions soon learns that most "new" ideas are, in fact, as old as the hills. It is their reduction to commercial practice, either through necessity or dedication, or through the availability of new technology, that makes news and money. The basic patent for the theory of magnetic recording dates back to 1886. Many of the original ideas behind television originate from the late 19th and early 20th century. Even the Volkswagen rear engine car was anticipated by a 1904 patent for a cart with the horse at the rear.
单选题
The passage is mainly about ______. A. an approach to patents B. the application for patents C. the use of patents D. the access to patents
单选题
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. When a patent becomes out of effect, it can be repatented or extended if necessary. B. It is necessary for an inventor to apply for a patent before he makes his invention public. C. A patent holder must publicize the details of his invention when its legal period is over. D. One can get all the details of a patented invention from a library attached to the patent office.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】本题为细节题。由A项中的关键词becomes out of effect，re-patent定位到第五段第一句话，becomes out of effect为has terminated的同义转换。原文说if older than half a century，sometimes even re-patent，而不是只要失效就可以re-patent，所以A项错误。本文第一段中已说he can give the invention to the world by publishing it, keep the idea secret, or patent it., publishing也为make public的一种方式，但它与申请专利为并列关系，而非B项所说的如果想要公开新发明就得申请专利，所以B项错误。由C项中的details和its legal period is over可定位到第二段，C项为该段最后的publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates的同义转换，所以C项正确。由D项中的a library attached to the patent office.可定位到原文倒数第二段第一句，原文说的是Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use...即专利期满后人们可以免费获得发明的细节，但D项没有说明是期满后，所以错误。另外，一般含有绝对词only，all等的选项常为错误选项。
单选题
George Valensi's patent lasted until 1971 because ______. A. nobody would offer any reward for his patent prior to that time B. his patent could not be put to use for an unusually long time C. there were not enough TV stations to provide colour programmes D. the colour TV receiver was not available until that time
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】本题为细节题。题目问George Valensi's的专利延期到1971年的原因，A项为“在那个时间之前没有人愿意给他足够的报酬”；B项为“在很长时间内他的专利都不能得到应用”；C项为“当时没有足够的电视台可以放彩色电视节目”；D项为“那之前没有彩色电视接收器”。由题目的特殊词George Valensi's和1971定位到第四段，原文为because for most of the patent's normal life there was no colour TV to receive and thus no hope of reward for the invention.即原因为在正常的专利期限内没有彩电并且因此没有给专利报酬的希望，所以本题B项正确。
单选题
The word "plagiarize" in the fifth paragraph most probably means " ______ . " A. steal and use B. give reward to C. make public D. take and change
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】本题为猜词题。问plagiarize一词的含义，四个选项的含义分别为“偷取和使用”，“给……报酬”，“公开发行”，“接受并改变”。猜词题要到原文该词附近寻找线索。由the one sure way of avoiding violation of any other inventor's right is to plagiarize a dead patent.中的avoiding violation of any other inventor's right(避免侵犯发明者的权利)和plagiarize的宾语a dead patent(失效的专利)及由Likewise(很明显为引出前一句的解释句子)引出的句子it is traditionally safe to take ideas from other areas of print中的take ideas可推测本词为“剽窃、抄袭”之意，选择A项。
单选题
From the passage we learn that ______. A. an invention will not benefit the inventor unless it is reduced to commercial practice B. products are actually inventions which were made a long time ago C. it is much cheaper to buy an old patent than a new one D. patent experts often recommend patents to others by conducting a search through dead patents
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】本题为综合理解题。问从文中可以获得哪项信息。由A项的commercial practice可定位到最后一段第二句，去掉中间的插入语为It is their reduction to commercial practice that makes news and money. 这是一个强调句，强调their reduction to commercial practice。makes news and money为A项中beneficial的同义转换，可知A项正确。B项为本文最后三句话的总结，以全概偏，所以错误。C项原文未提及。由D项的patent experts，conducting a search，dead patents可定位到原文第五段第二句话，原文中的conducting a search说的是其他人而不是patent experts，所以D项错误。