Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value. The concept dates back to 1623, when the first patent law to protect IP rights was passed. IP rights protect an artist from having his/her creative ideas copied by another. For example, if somebody generated an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights. If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/she must consult the original artists, who will normally be rewarded financially for its use. Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing, but today intellectual property rights are also enjoyed by those who create music, art and literature.
In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether: the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a recoding of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, from a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights.
1.According to the writer, in the beginning, IP rights were mainly of use to _______.
A. those creating music, art and literature
B. novelists
C. those not receiving financial reward for their work
D. engineers and inventors
2.What do we know about the Internet according to the passage?
A. It does not affect the way we understand IP rights.
B. It sells songs and films.
C. It makes IP rights harder to protect.
D. It prevents the production of artwork.
3.According to paragraph 2, what has “taken the world by storm”?
A. Intellectual property rights. B. Free downloading.
C. The Internet. D. The large number of songs, films and books.
4.A possible title for this passage could be _______.
A. IP Rights and Our Attitudes B. Ways to Protect Your IP Rights
C. The Present and the Future of IP rights D. A History of IP Rights
Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had ___36____ from just the two of us in a ___37____ into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just ___38___ our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you ___39___? Well, as Apple grew we ___40___ someone who I thought was very talented to ___41___ the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge (分歧) and ___42___ we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors ___43___with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. ___44___ had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating（毁灭性的）.
I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to ___45___ for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to ___46___ on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been ___47___, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn’t see it then, but it ___48___ that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the ___49___ of being a ___50____ again, less sure about everything. It freed me to ___51___ one of the most creative periods of my life.
I’m pretty sure _ _52___ of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was ___53___ tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Don’t lose ___54___. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t ___55___. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it.
－By Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer
1.A. grown B. begun C. removed D. kept
2. A. bedroom B. farm C. garage D. kitchen
3.A. announced B. declared C. released D. coped
4.A. managed B. started C. installed D. entitled
5.A. provided B. sorted C. promoted D. hired
6.A. run B. involve C. open D. engage
7.A. instantly B. constantly C. eventually D. frequently
8. A. risked B. supported C. pleased D. sided
9.A. Which B. What C. Whichever D. Whatever
10. A. apologize B. reveal C. head D. stand
11.A. imply B. put C. impress D. dawn
12.A. resisted B. rejected C. solved D. interrupted
13.A. made out B. come out C. turned out D. tried out
14.A. darkness B. lightness C. carelessness D. business
15.A. waiter B. pioneer C. beginner D. visitor
16.A. enter B. relieve C. preview D. expect
17.A. something B. none C. everything D. anything
18. A. careful B. acceptable C. hopeful D. awful
19.A. courage B. patience C. imagination D. faith
20.A. settle B. recall C. claim D. deny
-- .
-- Take it easy. You are well prepared for it, aren’t you?
A. No pains, no gains B. I have butterflies in my stomach
C. There is no smoke without fire D. The world is my oyster
- Look! It’s raining again.
-- Why _________it rain on Sundays? We are always staying inside! What a nuisance!.
A. need B. can C. must D. should
If I hadn’t stood under the ladder to catch you when you fell, you _________ now.
A. wouldn’t be smiling B. couldn’t have smiled C. won’t smile D. didn’t smile
My mother opened the drawer to _________ the knives, forks and spoons.
A. put away B. put up C. put on D. put together
