考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇：Unit 10

Unit 10

Focus on what you do best. This age-old strategy has worked well for RealNetworks, Microsoft’s main competitor in multimedia software for the Internet. Now, the smaller Seattle-based firm is trying a novel way to contain the software giant. On October 29th, it released the underlying recipe, or source-code, of its RealPlayer software and will soon do the same for its other programs—giving away a big chunk of its intellectual property.

This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998, when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft’s chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser (an initiative that yielded few real results until this June, when the first serious new version of the open-source browser, Mozilla, was released). Yet RealNetworks is not playing defence. It is trying to encourage the creation of a common multimedia software infrastructure for every kind of file format and device, thus thwarting Microsoft’s ambitions in this promising market.

The firm hopes that others in the industry（volunteer programmers, media firms and hardware makers）will take the code, called Helix DNA, improve it and make it run on new devices, such as mobile phones and home stereos, turning RealNetworks’ software into an industry standard. Clever licensing terms are supposed to ensure that this standard does not splinter and that the firm still makes money.

Individual developers, universities and other non-profit organisations can modify the software as they please, and even redistribute it for free, so long as they also publish the source-code for their changes. This is a sort of payment in kind, for RealNetworks is then allowed to use these contributions. Firms, on the other hand, must pay royalty fees if they distribute more than 1m copies of the code. They also have to make sure that their software works with other Helix DNA products. The software’s development community already has 2,000 members. And several hardware makers back the effort. But there are risks. Afraid of piracy, media groups are suspicious of anything that might be related to hackers（although they also do not want to depend on, and pay for, technology controlled by Microsoft）. The self-created competition could also hurt RealNetworks if customers decide its commercial products, which will be based on the open source-code but with extra features, are not worth paying extra for.

RealNetworks’ move is another sign that the software industry is going hybrid. Mixing elements of proprietary software, where the source-code is tightly controlled, with open-source programs enables firms to expand a market, harvest the ideas of others and, they hope, still make money. Even Microsoft is edging this way: it recently announced that partners can now look at—but not modify or reuse—the source-code for Passport, its controversial digital-identity service.

注（1）：本文選自Economist；

注（2）：本文習(xí)題命題模仿對象為2004年真題Text 1。

1. What is the RealNetworks’ new way of stopping Microsoft?

A) By selling its intellectual property.

B) By doing what it is good at.

C) By releasing the free source-code.

D) By severe competition with Microsoft.

2. Which of the following can be a disadvantage of releasing the source-code?

A) It can bring about self-created competition.

B) It can defeat Microsoft’s ambitions in this market.

C) It can use the improved software.

D) It can get royalty fees from some firms.

3. The expression “a desperate echo”（Line 1, Paragraph 2） most probably means ______.

A) a useless repetition

B) a poor resemblance

C) a shabby product

D) a dangerous copy

4. What does the move of RealNetworks suggest?

A) Microsoft fails to control the software market.

B) Software market is becoming a mixed market.

C) RealNetworks wants to make more money.

D) Software market is not fixed or stable.

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A) Netscape had a sheer failure for its publishing the source-code.

B) RealNetworks wants to occupy the source-code market.

C) RealNetworks wants to make profits by releasing the free source-code.

D) Microsoft has to change its managing strategy.

篇章剖析

本文介紹了RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司通過公布RealPlayer播放器軟件秘訣（即源碼）試圖牽制微軟公司的做法。第一段指出RealNetworks試圖用一種新方法——公布RealPlayer播放器軟件秘訣（即源碼）來牽制微軟這個軟件業(yè)巨人；第二段指出RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司主動出擊，想要牽制微軟的野心；第三段和第四段詳細(xì)介紹這一方案的操作、實(shí)施以及獲利手段；第五段指出軟件業(yè)的新跡象以及對微軟的影響。

詞匯注釋

chokehold /?t???kh??ld/ n. 掐脖子

thwart /θw??t/ vt. 反對，阻撓，挫敗

splinter /?spl?nt?/ v. （使）裂成碎片 n. 裂片

royalty /r???lti/ n. 版稅；特許使用費(fèi)，（專利權(quán)的）使用費(fèi)；王位；特權(quán)階層

edge /ed?/ vi. 徐徐移動 vt. 使鋒利 n. 刃

難句突破

This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998, when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft’s chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser（an initiative that yielded few real results until this June, when the first serious new version of the open-source browser, Mozilla, was released).

主體句式：This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998.

結(jié)構(gòu)分析：本句句型結(jié)構(gòu)并不復(fù)雜，關(guān)鍵是理解個別詞的含義?！癲esperate echo”的含義是“危險(xiǎn)的仿效”；when是并列連詞，相當(dāng)于and just at that time，意思是“在那時”；struggling in Microsoft’s chokehold作伴隨狀語來修飾Netscape，其中chokehold的意思是“掐脖子”；web browser的意思是“網(wǎng)絡(luò)瀏覽器”；括號里的句子做進(jìn)一步的補(bǔ)充說明，其中an initiative之前省去了which was；that引導(dǎo)定語從句來修飾an initiative；定語從句中when還是并列連詞，Mozilla是open-source browser的同位語。

句子譯文：這聽起來似乎像是對1998年的一次危險(xiǎn)仿效。那年，因被微軟“掐著脖子”而奮起掙扎的Netscape公司發(fā)表了其網(wǎng)絡(luò)瀏覽器的源碼（在今年6月它推出了真正意義上的最新版開放源碼瀏覽器——Mozilla——之前，這種主動出擊幾乎沒有給它帶來任何實(shí)際效果）。

題目分析

1. C 細(xì)節(jié)題。文章在開頭提到“集中注意力做你最拿手的事”這一古老的策略對微軟公司在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)多媒體軟件領(lǐng)域的主要競爭對手RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司十分奏效。現(xiàn)在，RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司要使用一種新辦法，那就是“it released the underlying recipe, or source-code”。

2. A 細(xì)節(jié)題。原文對應(yīng)信息是第四段末句：“The self-created competition could also hurt RealNetworks if ...”。

3. D 語義題。從文中“when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft’s chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser”，我們可判斷RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司和Netscape公司的做法一樣；從括號中的“an initiative that yielded few real results until this June”，我們可判斷Netscape公司的做法是極不成功的、危險(xiǎn)的。

4. B 推理題。原文對應(yīng)信息是末段首句：“RealNetworks’ move is another sign that the software industry is going hybrid.”，理解這句話的關(guān)鍵是要知道什么是hybrid。接下來的句子做出了解釋“Mixing elements of proprietary software, where the source-code is tightly controlled, with open-source programs enables firms to expand a market”，詞組“mix... with”意為“和…混合”。

5. C 細(xì)節(jié)題。文章兩次提到了“make money”，一句是第三段末句“Clever licensing terms are supposed to ensure that this standard does not splinter and that the firm still makes money.”，另一句是末段倒數(shù)第二句“...they hope, still make money.”。從這些句子我們可看出“賺錢”是RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司實(shí)施這一新舉措的目的。

參考譯文

“集中注意力做你最拿手的事”這一古老的策略對微軟公司在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)多媒體軟件領(lǐng)域的主要競爭對手RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司十分奏效。目前，這家位于西雅圖的小型公司正試圖用一種新方法來牽制微軟這個軟件界巨人。10月29日，這家公司發(fā)布了RealPlayer播放器軟件秘訣，即源碼，這一做法將很快適用于該公司的其他程序。同時，這也會使公司讓出一大部分知識產(chǎn)權(quán)。

這聽起來似乎像是對1998年的一次危險(xiǎn)仿效。那年，因被微軟“掐著脖子”而奮起掙扎的Netscape公司發(fā)表了其網(wǎng)絡(luò)瀏覽器的源碼（在今年6月它推出了真正意義上的最新版開放源碼瀏覽器——Mozilla之前，這種主動出擊幾乎沒有給它帶來任何實(shí)際效果）。但RealNetworks網(wǎng)絡(luò)公司并不是在打防御戰(zhàn)。它正大力創(chuàng)建一個適用于所有文件格式和驅(qū)動程序的公共多媒體軟件基礎(chǔ)結(jié)構(gòu)，這樣，它就在這個很使人看好的市場上有力地牽制住了微軟的野心。

該公司希望業(yè)內(nèi)其他公司（志愿參加的程序設(shè)計(jì)公司、傳媒公司和硬件制造公司）采用這種被稱為Helix DNA的代碼，對它加以改進(jìn)，并在新裝置（諸如移動電話和家用音響）上運(yùn)行，最終把RealNetworks公司的軟件變成一種行業(yè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。在精明的許可證發(fā)放條款保護(hù)下，這一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)不會被分成碎塊，保證公司仍有錢可賺。

個體開發(fā)商、大學(xué)和其他非盈利性組織，只要他們也能把其更改后程序的源碼公布于眾，可根據(jù)他們的意愿對該軟件進(jìn)行修改，甚至可以免費(fèi)發(fā)放。這實(shí)際上是一種實(shí)物支付方式，因?yàn)榈搅四莻€時候，RealNetworks公司也可使用這些改進(jìn)的軟件成果。另一方面，如果其他公司銷售了100萬份以上的源碼，他們須支付特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)。他們還要保證他們的軟件與其他Helix DNA產(chǎn)品兼容。軟件開發(fā)業(yè)已擁有2,000余名成員。一些硬件制造商也支持這一舉動。但是風(fēng)險(xiǎn)依然存在。由于擔(dān)心被盜版，傳媒組織對一切可能與黑客有關(guān)的舉動都表示懷疑（盡管他們也不想依賴微軟的技術(shù)并支付技術(shù)使用費(fèi)）。但是自我制造的競爭也可能會傷害RealNetworks公司，如果客戶認(rèn)為不值得為以開放源碼為基礎(chǔ)但具有極佳特點(diǎn)的商業(yè)產(chǎn)品額外付錢的話。

RealNetworks公司的舉動表明了另一種跡象，即軟件業(yè)混合發(fā)展模式方興未艾。把那些源碼受嚴(yán)格控制的專有軟件成分（組件）與開放源碼程序加以組合能拓展公司市場、集思廣益，并且——他們希望——仍可賺錢。連微軟公司也正以這種方式小心翼翼地行事：最近微軟公司發(fā)出公告，說合伙人現(xiàn)在可以查看——但不能更改或再使用——Passport（微軟有爭議的數(shù)字驗(yàn)證服務(wù)）的源碼。