单选题 Cyberspace, data superhighways, multi media—for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telephones will change our lives forever. 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】[解析] 细节题。本题问高新技术的发展符合谁的利益，考查了对文章主题的把握，参见文章大意。文章中有多处信息，比如说第二段最后一句话说信息技术使电子经济成为可能，但是这却使富国加强了对世界市场的控制，对穷国造成的是毁灭性的影响。第四段最后一句话也讲购买新的技术造成了穷国对富国的依赖，对穷国的经济也是永久性的限制。由此可见，高新技术的发展对富国有利，符合它们的利益，所以选A项。

单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 推断题。本题要求对全文进行推断。这种题目一般要看作者在文章中的观点句。参见文章第一段第二句“然而对于所有有关即将来临的技术乌托邦的言论来说，很少有人注意到这些发展对穷人的影响”，说明穷国的利益没有被给予足够的考虑，所以B项对。A项是文章中没有的观点。本文讲穷国如果依赖很少一些产品的出口就会变成国际经济机器的小零件，也就是富国的附庸，并没有说要鼓励出口，所以C项不对。作者也没有提到发展中国家的信息技术应该现代化，所以D项不对。

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】[解析] 细节题。本题问作者为什么说电子经济对发展中国家可能有毁灭性的影响。根据题干关键词，可知问题指向文章第二段末句：信息技术使电子经济成为可能，但是这却使富国加强了对世界市场的控制，对穷国造成的是毁灭性的影响。with destructive impact on the have-nots中的with引导独立主格结构表示结果，前面的句子是造成这个结果的原因，也就是这使得发达国家可以控制国际市场，所以A项对。B、C项文章中没提到。D项讲这限制了发展中国家的工业发展，非常容易误选，因为这和第四段最后一句的后半句内容是一致的。但是，首先这句话偏离了考点，而且this leads to...and perhaps permanent constraints...中的this是指代发展中国家买进最新的计算机和通讯技术的，而问题是电子经济对发展中国家为什么有毁灭性的影响。选择项中的it是指代the electronic economy的，所以D项不能选，这是典型的移花接木。