The World Wide Web has been steadily creating a widespread surge in social capital through E-mail conversations, chat rooms, newsgroups, and e-zones. These ongoing connections are not an underground phenomenon, but a mainstream movement that is rapidly overwhelming traditional business models, according to the authors of another recent book, The Cluetrain Manifesto. "Our longing for the Web is rooted in the deep resentment we feel towards being managed," writes co-author David Weinberger, a columnist and commentator on the Web"s effect on business. The Cluetrain Manifesto argues that knowledge workers are finding it intolerable that their employers require them to speak in artificial "business voices". The Web has become the ideal alternative: a public place where people can converse in their "authentic voices", outside of an organization"s official communications channel. Some of the social capital generated by these independent Web conversations is being used by its creators to circumvent the authority of corporations. For example, a car owner who thinks he was overcharged for service to his vehicle posts an inquiry to a newsgroup for people who own the same model of ear. Group members respond with their advice and personal experiences of getting their own cars serviced. The newsgroup is not owned or controlled by the car company. In fact, a mechanic employed by the car company participates in the conversation, offering his knowledge of what charges are reasonable and how company policies vary from dealer to dealer, and even suggesting which dealerships offer the best service. According to co-author Rick Levine, the mechanic "was speaking for his company in a new way: honestly, openly, probably without his boss"s explicit sanction." In effect, an employee of the company independently joined a network of consumers to directly help satisfy a customer. "Companies need to harness this sort of caring and let its viral enthusiasm be communicated in employees" own voices," writes Levine, former Web Architect for Sun Microsystem"s Java Software group. As more and more people work online and form Web relationships, shared knowledge could become increasingly personal in cyberspace. Whether business joins in the conversations or not, it seems likely that this fast-growing strain of social capital will remain valuable for those who help to create it.
单选题 The word "overwhelming"(Paragraph 1) probably means
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：语义理解题。本文开篇首句指出"互联网正通过电子邮件交流、聊天室、新闻板块及电子利：区使得社会资本大范围地稳步增加"。接下来，作者引用一本新出版的书的作者们的话对这一点加以说明。该句指出"据一本最近新出版的书《线索车宣言》的作者们称，这些正在发生的联系不是秘密现象，而是一种主流运动，这种运动正在快速…传统的商业模式"。从句中的not an underground phenomenon及but a mainstream movement可以判断出，这里作者显然在说互联网是更为先进的商业模式，或者取代、或者战胜传统的商业模式。四个选项中，只有"取代"有此含义，故为本题正确选项。
单选题 Employees like on-line conversation during the business because
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。第二段首句指出"该书的合作者David Weinberger是关于互联网对商业影响的专栏作家和评论家，他写道：我们对互联网的向往源于对受人控制的深恶痛绝"。由此很容易得出，人们喜欢网上交流是因为不喜欢受人控制，故可得出"他们不会受到别人的控制"是正确选项。
单选题 Employees with on-line relationships can benefit the company because
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析：推理判断题。本文第四段前两句指出"该书的合作者Rick Levine指出，这名机械师以一种新的方式代表公司讲话：诚实，公开，很可能没经过老板的明确同意。实际上，公司的一名雇员独立地加入了一个消费者团体，并通过直接提供帮助满足了消费者"。由这两句可以推出，在网上建立关系的员工可为公司带来好处，这是因为他们能够像朋友一样，为顾客提供帮助。
单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that the company
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析：推理判断题。本文第四段第二句指出"实际上，公司的一名雇员独立地加入一个消费者团体，并通过直接提供帮助满足了消费者"。此外，第五段末句指出"不管公司是否加入这些交流，这种快速增长的社会资本方式看起来对那些帮助创建它的人来说是有价值的"。由此可知，"公司可以利用个人网上建立的联系"正确。
单选题 According to the passage, what does social capital refer to?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析：推理判断题。文中开篇首句指出"互联网正通过电子邮件交流、聊天室、新闻板块及电子社区使得社会资本大范围地稳步增加"。且文章末段又指出"随着越来越多的人在网上工作，形成互联网关系，分享知识在网络世界会变得越来越个人化。不管公司是否加入这些交流，这种快速增长的社会资本方式看起来对那些帮助创建它的人来说是有价值的"。显然这种快速增长的社会资本是指作者刚刚提及的 Web-relationships。