1、Taming the Apex Predators of TechTo rein in monopolies, maybe we need to rethink what a monopoly is.为了控制垄断，也许我们需要重新考虑什么是垄断。You wanted to make software? Microsoft would crush you. You wanted to start an online service? Microsoft would destroy you. You wanted to make a browser to navigate the World Wi
2、de Web? Chomp! It was that last one that finally stopped Mr. Gates and Microsoft. The government accused the company of being a monopoly and of engaging in anticompetitive practices against Netscape and its Navigator browser. As a matter of fact, In 2001 the government won a landmark case against th
3、e company that required it to submit to more oversight and make it easier for other companies to offer competing software.In recent years tech has backtracked, except this time we have several Apex Predators instead of just one. Google and Facebook are the most obvious. More and more people in the m
4、edia and in politics, as well as consumers, have become fearful of these companies for the damage they can do and the unregulated power they wield.Something has to be done, but what? Even as distrust of big tech companies increases and governments move to control them, their businesses have never be
5、en more successful.One option is privacy legislation. Europe passed such a law in 2016. While there is no national privacy law in the United States, California will soon have a state-level law, and other states are considering similar reforms. However, the likelihood of the United States passing a n
6、ational privacy law with teeth is small. Then there are the fines, such as a multibillion-dollar one that the Federal Trade Commission is considering to punish Facebook for privacy violations. While the fine would be the largest the agency has ever levied, it would also be far too small to make a di
7、fference. Meanwhile, theres a lot of talk about the ways that countries can work together to improve the online ecosystem. While practiced in theory, very little of this hand-wringing is likely to result in any rules properly. Finally theres the biggest gun: Using antitrust law to break up big tech
8、companies. Calls for antitrust action have become increasingly loud, however that had to hurt, even if the blow is likely to be glancing, since antitrust cases are slow-moving and hard to pull off.None of this is good for consumers, except perhaps by the measure of convenience, because the choices t
9、hey have are limited and never likely to challenge the status quo. In other words, these companies are Apex Predators, too. You dont have to be as powerful as Bill Gates once was to be just as harmful. The question now is: How do we get consumers on top of the food chain for once?Apple has and will
10、continue to argue that it is not a monopoly in either hardware and software which is true. But the case, though narrow, is still a flashing neon sign of change. It centers on rethinking the idea of what a monopoly is with an eye to the power of the network effect. Even if a company doesnt completely
11、 dominate its sector, if its platform can exercise what amounts to an iron-fisted control over consumers, perhaps it should be considered a monopoly after all.（选自newyork times）1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A. We are supposed to make good use of Microsoft.C. The governments getting in
12、volved makes other competitive software possible.B. We cant ignore Gates great achievement and success.D. The government builds good relationship with companies.2. What suggestion is offered in the fifth paragraph?A. Taking the Google and Facebooks users into consideration.B. Realizing the different
13、 parts the Google and Facebook play.C. Ending the service competition between Google and Facebook.D. Building good relationship between Google and Facebook.3.The author uses the forth paragraph to display .A. every possible means is worth trying.B. there is no effective solution to the problem.C. It
14、 is unlikely to reach an agreement on one thing.D. the joint effort is important for online ecosystem.4.Which can best describe the tone of the author in the last paragraph?A. Favorable B. Doubtful C. Negative D. Objective译文：你想制作软件吗？微软会粉碎你的。你想启动在线服务吗？微软会毁了你。你想创建一个浏览器来浏览万维网吗？ mp！正是最后一件事最终使盖茨先生和微软停了下来
15、。政府指责该公司为Netscape及其Navigator浏览器的垄断者，并从事反竞争行为。事实上，在2001年，政府赢得了针对该公司的具有里程碑意义的诉讼，要求该公司接受更多的监督，并使其他公司更容易提供竞争软件。近年来，技术回溯了，除了这次我们有几个Apex Predators而不是一个。谷歌和Facebook是最明显的。越来越多的媒体和政治界人士以及消费者对这些公司感到恐惧，担心它们可能造成的损失以及所施加的不受管制的权力。必须做些什么，但是呢？即使对大型科技公司的不信任感增加，并且政府开始控制它们，但它们的业务从未像现在这样成功。一种选择是隐私立法。欧洲于2016年通过了这样的法律。尽管
16、美国没有国家隐私法，但加州很快将制定州级法律，其他州也在考虑进行类似的改革。但是，美国通过有牙齿的国家隐私法的可能性很小。然后还有罚款，例如数十亿美元的罚款，联邦贸易委员会正在考虑对侵犯隐私权的Facebook进行惩罚。虽然罚款将是该机构有史以来最大的罚款，但罚款额也太小而无济于事。同时，关于国家可以如何合作改善在线生态系统的讨论很多。尽管从理论上进行了实践，但这种折磨很少能正确地制定任何规则。最后，最大的武器是：利用反托拉斯法来拆分大型科技公司。由于反托拉斯案件进展缓慢且难以展开，因此呼吁采取反托拉斯行动的呼声越来越响亮，但即使受到打击，也不得不受到伤害，尽管打击可能一目了然。除了对便利性的
17、考虑外，这些都不对消费者有好处，因为他们的选择是有限的，绝不可能挑战现状。换句话说，这些公司也是Apex Predators。你不必像比尔盖茨曾经一样有害一样强大。现在的问题是：如何使消费者一次站在食物链的顶端？苹果已经并且将继续辩称，它在硬件和软件上都不是垄断者，这是事实。但是这种情况虽然狭窄，但仍然是变化的霓虹灯。它着眼于重新思考什么是垄断，并着眼于网络效应的力量。即使一家公司没有完全控制自己的行业，但如果其平台可以行使对消费者的坚决控制权，那么它毕竟应该被视为垄断。答案及解析： 1. C推理判断题，考查文中具体信息解析：根据第一段前面提出一些问题和不好的答案，接着用了一强调句It was
18、 that last one that finally stopped Mr. Gates and Microsoft.后面说明政府指责该公司垄断和从事反竞争行为，使公司接受更多监管，并让其他公司更容易地提供与之竞争的软件，由此可知政府的介入生产生了效果，故选C项。 2. A推理判断题，考查文中具体信息解析：根据这一段最后一句 The question now is: How do we get consumers on top of the food chain for once ?以及前面的None of this is good for consumers可知，此处是建议把消费者放在食物链的顶端以重视起来，由此可知选项A符合题意。 3. B考查细节题，考查文中具体信息解析：根据第四段列举了隐私立法、罚款、各国合作来改善在线生态系统和利用反垄断法拆分大型科技公司等四种方法，都是效果甚微，由此推断知作者借此段来说明没有什么有效的问题解决方法。故选B项。 4. D考查判断推理题，考查做出判断和推理
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