单选题 In the 90's, people went crazy about wireless. Electronic communications once thought bound permanently to the world of cables and hard-wired connections suddenly were sprung free, and the possibilities seemed endless. Entrenched monopolies would fall, and a new uncabled era would usher in a level of intimate contact that would not only transform business but change human behavior. Such was the view by the end of that groundbreaking decade-the 1890s.
To be sure, the wild publicity of those days wasn't all hot air. Marconi's "magic box" and its contemporaneous inventions kicked off an era of profound changes, not the least of which was the advent of broadcasting. So it does seem strange that a century later, the debate once more is about how wireless will change everything. And once again, the noisy confusion is justified. Changes are on the way that are arguably as earth shattering as the world's first wireless transformation.
Certainly a huge part of this revolution comes from introducing the most powerful communication tools of our time. Between our mobile phones, our BlackBerries and Treos, and our Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) computers, we're always on and always connected-and soon our cars and our appliances will be, too. While there has been considerable planning for how people will use these tools and how they'll pay for them, the wonderful reality is that, as with the Internet, much of the action in the wireless world will ultimately emerge from the imaginative twists and turns that are possible when digital technology trumps the analog mindset of telecom companies and government regulators.
Wi-Fi is itself a shining example of how wireless innovation can shed the tethers of conventional wisdom. At one point, it was assumed that when people wanted to use wireless devices for things other than conversation, they'd have to rely on the painstakingly drawn, investment-heavy standards adopted by the giant corporations that earn a lot through your monthly phone bill. But then some researchers came up with a new communications standard exploiting an unlicensed part of the spectrum. It was called 802.11, and only later sexed up with the name Wi-Fi.
Though the range of signal was only some dozens of meters, Wi-Fi turned out to be a great way to wirelessly extend an Internet connection in the home or office. A new class of activist was born: the bandwidth liberator, with a goal of extending free wireless internet to anyone venturing within the range of a free hotspot. Meanwhile, Apple Computer seized on the idea as a consumer solution, others followed and now Wi-Fi is as common as the modem once was.

单选题 Wireless technology is introduced as ______.

A. an important fruit in daily life
B. the opening of a new uncabled era
C. a supplement to cable communications
D. a new type of monopoly

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节由题干中的信息定位至首段第一句。在19世纪90年代，人们对无线技术产生狂热。接着对该情况进行分析：一度被认为与光缆和有线连接捆绑在一起的电子通讯变成不受约束的了，看起来有无限机会。这引起的结果是已经建立的垄断将被打破，新的无线时代到来。可见首句中提到无线技术的目的是为了说明a new uncabled era would usher，故B项为正确答案。此题是针对第一段内容命题，属于事实细节考查类题目，根据题干在文章中进行定位。根据wireless定位至首段，整段的中心意思是新的无线时代来临，与B项符合。这里没有就wireless technology对日常生活的影响做出评价，排除A项；也没有提到wireless与cables的关系，排除C项；首段在第三句提到monopolies would fall，没有提到wireless technology是否构成新的垄断问题，排除D项。

单选题 The assumption of the future is not all hot air because ______.

A. Marconi made a profound change in the past
B. the wireless technology will change everything
C. the possibility of wireless technology is justified
D. the wireless technology is already sophisticated

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节根据题干中的not all hot air定位至第二段。首句指出对无线时代来临的大肆宣扬并不全是空话。接着作者进行了说明马可尼发明的无线电报和其他同时期的发明揭开了一个伟大的变革新时代。一个世纪之后，就无线技术如何改变生活所进行的第二次争论看起来很奇怪，而这再次证明了无线技术会给人们的生活带来巨变。恰好可以解释C项内容，故该项为正确答案。此题是针对第二段内容的考查，是事实细节题。根据题干中的all hot air定位到文章的第二段。 A项是对第二句中profound changes的曲解，这里是说马克尼的发明引起了巨大改变，不是他本身进行改变；该段第三句提到wireless will change everything，这是人们争论的内容，不是not all hot air的原因，排除B项；文章没有对无线技术是否复杂进行说明，排除D项。

单选题 By mentioning Internet, the author means that ______.

A. the wireless technology will be popularized as the Internet
B. we are always online and always connected
C. the Internet will be wireless soon
D. the wireless technology will become a monopoly

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断由题干中的Internet定位至第三段。...the wonderful reality is that，as with the Internet，much of the action in the wireless world will ultimately emerge...正像Internet一样，无线世界的很多行为将最终从构想中出现，发展为现实。由此可以推断A项为正确答案。此题是对第三段内容的考查，属于推理判断类型题，由题干中的Internet定位至第三段。文章没有对上网问题进行解释，B项过于绝对；从与with the Internet的对比可以看出，the Internet的形式并未提及，排除C项；此处也没有提到垄断问题，D项为过度推断。

单选题 According to the passage, the Wi-Fi standard ______.

A. is based on the conventional wisdom
B. adopted an unlicensed part of the spectrum
C. relies on the standards by the giant corporations
D. is created solely by some geeks

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节本文前三段已经设题，本题定位时注意浏览后两段内容。由题干中的Wi-Fi和standard定位至第四段。其中exploiting an unlicensed part of the spectrum与B项为同义替换，故为正确答案。本题针对第四段内容命题，考查事实细节，由题干中的Wi-Fi和standard定位至第四段。an unlicensed part of the spectrum与B选项相互照应，即为答案。第四段首句提到conventional wisdom，但是与标准无关，排除A项；第四段第二句提到standards adopted by the giant corporations．从第三句可知Wi-Fi并没有采取该方式，而是开发了一个新标准，排除C项；文中没有提到geeks(奇怪的人)，排除D项。

单选题 From the author's point of view, the Wi-Fi technology will ______.

A. be replaced soon
B. be controlled by giant corporations like Apple
C. extend to every home and office
D. become a necessity as a mode

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节从题干和各个选项可以看出这是对Wi-Fi技术前景的判断，英文文章中在对某一事物进行了介绍之后，通常会对其进行简单归纳和总结，可以判断本题最有可能出现在末段。末句中的now Wi-Fi is as common as the modem once was与D项一致，故该项为正确答案。此题针对最后一段的内容命题，考查的是事实细节。关于Wi-Fi技术的未来，可以在最后一段中找到，now Wi-Fi is as common as the modem once was．与D项符合。文中没有提到可以取代Wi-Fi的新技术，排除A项；最后一段中提到Apple Computer，只是说该公司用Wi-Fi技术为用户提供解决方案，排除B项；C项属于过度推断。