Question

In the computer age, most of us take a broadband（宽带）Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files（档案文件）download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.

There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.

Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs（郊区）, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.

But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.

Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.

Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.

1.The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.

A．a rare challenge                        B．a desirable plan

C．an efficient device                      D．a hidden problem

2.What can we know from the third paragraph?

A．Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.

B．Internet service providers care about rural（农村的）customers.

C．Computer is popular in developing countries.

D．It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.

3.Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.

A．make TV and telephone available everywhere

B．bring great change to people’s everyday life

C．make it possible for more people to use the Internet

D．bring faster Internet connections to users

4.What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?

A．The broadband connection’s getting faster.

B．More and more Internet users.

C．more and more Internet connections.

D．The rapid progress in cell phone technology.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.D

2.D

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：文章介绍虽然现在网络很普及，但是偏远地区，就会很难获得网络。这个问题可以通过手机技术来解决。

1.猜词题：从第二段的句子：You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.可知如果住在偏远地区，就会很难获得网络，这是个隐藏的问题。选D

2.细节题：从第三段的句子：Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. 偏远地区很难获得网络，选D

3.细节题：从第四段的句子：But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users.可知科技使人们使用网络成为可能。选 C

4.细节题：从最后一段的句子：If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.可知这个问题可以通过手机技术来解决。选D

考点：考查科普类短文

点评：本文考查细节题为主，细节题可以在文章中直接找到与答案有关的信息?或是其变体。搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息。在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节。做这类题一般采用寻读法?即先读题，然后带着问题快速阅读短文，找出与问题有关的词语或句子，再对相关部分进行分析对比，找出答案。