单选题
单选题 What does the passage mainly discuss?
  • A. The acquisition of British Nuclear Fuels by Toshiba.
  • B. The acquisition of Westinghouse Electric by Toshiba.
  • C. Toshiba's expansion in nuclear power business.
  • D. Toshiba's embarking on nuclear power business.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 31-35 Japanese electronics maker Toshiba said Monday that it was buying nuclear plant builder Westinghouse Electric, the US-based unit of the British government's British Nuclear Fuels, for US ＄5.4 billion. Toshiba Chief Executive Atsutoshi Nishida said that while the price might seem quite high, Toshiba had a lot of competition for the company and that the future growth and profit potential of the business made it the correct price. "By 2020 the market for nuclear power generation is expected to grow 50 percent compared to 2005," Nishida said at a London news conference. "Toshiba is responding to this challenge by acquiring Westinghouse." Upon completion of the acquisition, Toshiba expects its nuclear power business to expand to three times the current level by 2015 as a result of operational and technological synergies, Toshiba said in a statement. Toshiba expects to close the deal within six months and is not expecting regulatory troubles, Nishida said. Westinghouse will keep its headquarters in Pennsylvania, as well as its equipment, employees and trademarks, he said. Toshiba, which makes electronic goods including DVD players, semiconductors, electric motors and power systems, is preparing for an expected surge of new investment in power plants in China, India and the US. Westinghouse, which has built most of the nuclear reactors in the United States, is likely to design the plant and service them when they come online. [分析] 主旨题。 该篇第一句指出Japanese electronics maker Toshiba said Monday that it was buying nuclear plant builder Westinghouse Electric...即日本电子产品制造商东芝公司星期一说该公司正在购买核电站建造公司Westinghouse Electric，然后作者提供了购买的具体细节，如价格及东芝公司对价位的看法、购买的原因和意义及售后事宜等。由此可见，只有B的说法“东芝公司获得Westinghouse Electric公司”符合原文主要脉络，是正确答案。 [解题关键] 1)把握新闻消息的写作特点，即在首句，尤其是前半句点名全篇主要内容，在其它各段以丰富细节支持首句主题；2)注意将原文中重点词汇归类，如文中反复出现下列单词buying，acquiring，acquisition及close the deal等，均与B项的中心词 acquisition意义相当。
单选题 Which of the following statements can NOT justify the high price that Toshiba pays in the current deal, according to the passage?
  • A. Pressure from other powerful rivals.
  • B. Prospects of development in the future.
  • C. Envisioned potential profits.
  • D. The high intrinsic value of the purchased corporation.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 关于购买价格，原文中东芝公司认为while the price might seem quite high，Toshiba had a lot of competition for the company and that the future growth and profit potential of the business made it the correct price 即虽然价格显得昂贵，但考虑到东芝公司面临的大量竞争、未来的发展和利润潜力，这桩买卖还是合算的。由此可见，其中心内容分别与选项 A、B和C对应，只有D项“被购买公司的巨大内在价值”没有在原文中提到，因此该项为正确答案。 [解题关键] 掌握同义词或短语的替换表达是解题的关键。本题中A、B和C项内容均为原文的同义替换表达。
单选题 According to Nishida, the current buying decision by Toshiba is a response to ______.
  • A. fierce competition in nuclear power business
  • B. failure in other businesses like semiconductors and DVD players
  • C. popularity of nuclear power around the world
  • D. expected increase in market demand for nuclear power generation
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 因果关系的判断。 根据原文可知东芝公司购买Westinghouse是对By 2020 the market for nuclear power generation is expected to grow 50 percent compared to 2005这一挑战的回应。由此可见，该公司购买行为的原因是其预计市场对核能电力需求的提高。因此D的说法与原文相符，是正确答案。 [解题关键] 注意通过指示代词的指代关系和表因果关系的信号词，掌握相关信息上下文的逻辑关系。本题中this challenge联系了上下文，而is responding to 指明了上下文的因果关系。
单选题 It is implied in the passage that Toshiba is quite ______ in handling the transfer of the purchased corporation.
  • A. optimistic
  • B. pessimistic
  • C. cautious
  • D. unconfident
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。 根据题干中关键词in handling the transfer of在处理交接事宜上，可定位到原文相关信息 Toshiba... is not expecting regulatory troubles东芝公司不希望有任何监管方面的麻烦出现，随后又以其详细稳妥的安排，证明了这一点。由此可推断，东芝公司对被购买公司的移交事宜的态度是乐观的。因此A的说法与原文含义相符，是正确答案。 [解题关键] 通过支持性细节理解中心句中重要短语的含义。本题expect的正确含义，需根据其后句的支持性细节描写来判断。
单选题 According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT tree?
  • A. The current deal is scheduled to be completed within half a year.
  • B. What Toshiba buys is a nuclear power supplier.
  • C. The purchased corporation is headquartered in Pennsylvania.
  • D. New nuclear plants are likely to be built in India by Toshiba.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节的找寻和判断。 原文首句提到东芝公司欲购买nuclear plant builder Westinghouse Electric即核电站建造公司Westinghouse Electric，由此可见，被购买公司显然不是a nuclear power supplier核能供应商。因此B项的说法与原文不符，是正确答案。 [解题关键] 确定各选项关键词，在听原文时，侧重对其相关信息的收集和判断。