Question

    Electronic book publishing has many of the same risks and opportunities as electronic music publishing. By delivering text direct to the reader’s computer screen, the e-book could cut down costs, and allow creators to deal directly with their audience, by passing (绕开) traditional publishers and traders. But it also raises the possibility of mass piracy (盗版). Phil Rance, founder and managing director of Online Originals, a London-based e-book publisher, sums it up, “No one wants Napster (在线音乐服务) to happen to books.”

Indeed, the most popular MP3 may have put the frighteners on an industry that generally operates some way behind the “bleeding edge”. The Meta Group, a leading US-based market researcher, says publishers are far too concerned about protecting their rights, “We believe all the recent legal control over Napster is like putting a finger in a river that is already overflowing. Publishers need to deal with reality and come up with new ways to develop wide electronic distribution, asking the question: How can we use the certainty of wide distribution to our advantage.”

At the moment, most publishers would like to limit the use of e-books to the person who bought them, or to the computer used to download them. If that can be done, e-books become just an extra income stream in a publishing industry that would continue to operate the way it does today, according to Terry Robinson, business manager for Adobe’s e-paper group. “If you’ve cracked the digital rights aspect, you’ve cracked the market.” He says.

Robert Nichols, Books Director at BOL agrees, “Rights management is absolutely important. Publishers just say that ‘until copyright is secure, we are not going to talk’.”

1.According to the text, what is the similarity of e-books to electronic music?

A.They both avoid industry management.

B.They both result in piracy. (剽窃)

C.They both bring in much money to creators.

D.They both lead to price reduction.

2.From the text, we can infer that ________.

A.wide use of e-books may increase the income

B.the publishing markets should be brought back to normal

C.publishers haven’t agreed on rights management up to now

D.most publishers prefer e-books for the extra income

3.What do publishers care most about e-books?

A.Price B.Copyright

C.Quality D.Design

4.Which of the following can be the best title for this text?

A.The E-book-a New and Big Challenge B.The E-book-an Extra Income Stream

C.An Economic Rise from E-books D.Changes Brought by E-books

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。主要阐述了电子书和电子音乐一样有危险和机会，即电子书面临巨大的挑战。电子书和电子音乐一样有危险和机会，即电子书面临巨大的挑战。出版商最关心的是版权，但是出版商们对出版行业的权利管理有着不同的意见。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中Electronic book publishing has many of the same risks and opportunities as electronic music publishing. By delivering text direct to the reader’s computer screen, the e-book could cut down costs, and allow creators to deal directly with their audience, by passing traditional publishers and traders. But it also raises the possibility of mass piracy.（电子图书出版与电子音乐出版有着许多相同的风险和机遇。通过将文本直接传送到读者的电脑屏幕上，电子书可以降低成本，并允许创作者直接与读者打交道，而不必经过传统的出版商和贸易商。但这也增加了大规模盗版的可能性。）可知，现在的电子书和电子音乐的相似之处在于他们的价格会大幅度降低。再根据 But it also raises the possibility of mass piracy (盗版). 和“No one wants Napster (在线音乐服务) to happen to books.”可知电子书有可能增加盗版的风险，而电子音乐已经导致了盗版，所以B错误，故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中At the moment, most publishers would like to limit the use of e-books to the person who bought them, or to the computer used to download them.（目前，大多数出版商希望将电子书的使用限制在购买电子书的人或下载电子书的电脑上。）可知，出版商们对出版行业的权利管理有着不同的意见，即还没有统一的观点，故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据最后一段中Publishers just say that until copyright is secure，we are not going to talk.（出版商只是说，在版权得到保护之前，我们不会再讨论。）可知出版商最关心的是版权，故选B。

4.主旨大意题。纵观全文和根据第一段中"Electronic book publishing has many of the same risks and opportunities as electronic music publishing.（电子图书出版与电子音乐出版有着许多相同的风险和机遇。）以及文章主要内容可知主要说明了如今的电子书和电子音乐一样有危险和机会，即电子书面临巨大的挑战。故选A。