Part IV Reading Comprehension Reading in Depth (35 minutes)
22、Undoubtedly, Internet technology will change the way we live, work, communicate and do business. But beware of those who proclaim(声明)this to be a New Era of profitability. As in the so-called New Eras of the past brought on by earlier technological breakthroughs -- this one carries the seeds of its own destruction. The phenomenal growth of Internet businesses is already fueling a Klondike-style gold rush, with far too many diggers looking for far too little gold. Economics teaches us that it is hard to become an upstart with a basically free commodity. Think of ice in the Arctic,sand in the desert, seawater in the ocean or, for that matter, the seemingly (表面上)unlimited "hot air" on the Net.
　　In the 20th century, the proliferation of cars, radios, movies, televisions, mass retailers and computers all inspired a sense that we had begun a New Era. Each breakthrough promised new fiches and unprecedented prosperity for the innovators. But in the long run, they always failed to deliver to investors the expected rewards.
　　Why the letdowns? In part because every great innovator invariably attracted great imitators,who competed with the original and eventually depressed his "excessive" profit margin by commoditizing the invention. Furthermore, great inventions have always been followed by greater innovations (创新), which, through the process known as creative destruction, render the previous new technology obsolete. And when inventions become vital to the economy, they are frequently brought under the control of governments via regulation, nationalization and, in extreme cases, expropriation.
　　Take the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825. Its success led to the great American canal boom of the 1830s. It ended just a few years later in a tremendous failure, as most of the other canals failed to make money. The Erie, too, began to suffer from competition, first from railroads and, eventually, from trucks. In the end, the railroad industry -- which helped create an unprecedented industrial boom -- proved to be disastrous for most investors. By 1895, most U. S. railroads had to be restructured.
　　Now familiar technologies like cars, radios, cash registers and mainframe computers were all at some point new and revolutionary. But the spread of the technologies led inevitably to the demise of their creators' "excessive" profits, as each became just another commodity, Don't think for a minute that the Internet will be any different.
It is implied in the passage that_____________
A．the growth of the Internet business is too fast
B．the spread of a new invention can make people live better
C．most Internet companies are unlikely to be out of business
D．some survived Internet companies can achieve some meaningful earnings
23、The current booming of Internet industry is compared to_____________
A．ice in the Arctic
B．sand in the desert
C．seawater in the ocean
D．a Klondike-style gold rush
24、One of the reasons, why the inventions failed to deliver to investors the expected rewards is________
A．the policies of the states
B．the lacked innovations
C．the commercialization of the invention
D．the competition, from other investors
25、The Erie Canal is mentioned in the passage because___________
A．it ended just a few years later in a tremendous failure
B．it suffered from competition from railroads and trucks
C．it proved to be less profitable than its investors expected
D．its success led to the great American canal boom in the 1830s
26、The author's attitude towards the future of Internet is_________
A．optimistic
B．pessimistic
C．objective
D．indifferent
27、Questions27-32are based on the following passage.
　　Worry is one of the most common forms of emotional distress in our culture. Almost everyone spends a considerable amount of present moments worrying about the future. And virtually all of it is for nothing. Obsessive (过分的) worry will never make things any better. In fact, such worry will very likely help you to be less effective in dealing with the present.
　　In order to reduce worry, it is necessary to understand the subconscious psychological "
payoffs" for choosing to worry in the first place. "I can't do a thing. I'm too worded about... " This is a common sorrow, and one with a payoff that keeps you standing still and avoiding the risk of action. Clearly, it is easier, if less rewarding, to worry than to be an active.
　　If you weigh too much, you may eat more when you worry; hence, you have a good reason for hanging on to the worry behavior. Similarly, you may find yourself smoking more in troublesome situations, and can use the worry to avoid giving up smoking. The same anxious reward system also applies to health. It may be easier for you to worry about chest pains than to risk finding out the truth, and then having to deal directly with yourself.
　　Worry can bring a lot of diseases such as tension headaches and backaches. While these may not seem to be payoffs, they do result in considerable attention from others and justify much self-pity as well. And some people would rather be pitied than fulfilled.
　　Now that you understand the psychological support system for neurotic worry, you can begin to devise some measures for reducing the number of troublesome worry bugs that breed in this incorrect zone.
　　Begin to view your present moments as times to live, rather than times to worry about the future. When you" catch yourself worrying, ask yourself, "What am I avoiding now by using up this moment with worry?" Then begin to attack whatever you're avoiding. "
The passage is mainly concerned with _________
A．the negative effects of worry
B．the positive effects of worry
C．the causes of worry
D．the diseases caused by worry
28、The author thinks that worry___________
A．never does any good in solving problems
B．is a form of emotional distress commonly found among people
C．makes people more considerate
D．drives people more active
29、It can be inferred from the passage that_________
A．everybody is suffering from worry
B．people have all realized the fact that worry leads to nothing
C．a little worry might make things better
D．it often happens that what you worry about will never come true
30、The word "payoffs" ( Line 1, Para. 2) can be best replaced by "__________"
A．methods
B．solutions
C．results
D．benefits
31、It is implied in the passage that__________
A．people will feel sympathetic for you if you suffer from certain disease
B．some people would rather just worry about their problems than take any actions
C．people should not regard the present moments as times to enjoy
D．people should establish right attitudes towards worry