Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American
spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with ... Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American
spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with
information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the “great game” of espionage-spying as a “profession。” These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well。
The latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen’s e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it “open-source intelligence,” and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open- Source Solutionswhose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world。
Among the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com。
Straitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information
collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine。“As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,” says Friedman, a former political science professor. “And we'll hear back from some of them。” Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That’s where Straitford earns its keep。
Friedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success. Straitford's briefs
don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be
wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice。
21. The emergence of the Net has
[A] received support from fans like Donovan。 [B] remolded the intelligence services.
[C] restored many common pastimes。 [D] revived spying as a profession。
22. Donovan's story is mentioned in the text to [A] introduce the topic of online spying。 [B] show how he fought for the U.S。
[C] give an episode of the information war。 [D] honor his unique services to the CIA。
23. The phrase “making the biggest splash” (Line 1, Paragraph 3)most probably means
[A] causing the biggest trouble。 [B] exerting the greatest effort。 [C] achieving the greatest success。 [D] enjoying the widest popularity。
24. It can be learned from paragraph 4 that
[A] Straitford's prediction about Ukraine has proved true. [B] Straitford guarantees the truthfulness of its information. [C] Straitford's business is characterized by unpredictability. [D] Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information。 25. Straitford is most proud of its [A] official status. [B] nonconformist image。 [C] efficient staff. [D] military background。 名师解析
21. The emergence of the Net has 网络的出现已经
[A] received support from fans like Donovan. 得到了多诺文这样的爱 好者的支持。
[B] remolded the intelligence services. 重新塑造了情报业。 [C] restored many common pastimes. 恢复了许多常见的娱乐活动。 [D] revived spying as a profession. 使情报业成为一个职业。 【答案】 B
【考点】 事实细节题。
【分析】 第一段最后一句话“These days the Net, which has remade such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mailis reshaping Donovan’s vocation as well。”从上文中我们已经得知“Donovan’s vocation”指的就是“spying”(间谍)也就是“intelligence services” (情报行业)。关键在于对“reshape”一词的理解它的含义是“重新塑造”。 [B]其实就是原文的另一种表述方式。“remold”就是“reshape”的意思都 表示“重新塑造改造”。干扰项“revive”的意思是“(使)苏醒 (使)复 兴 (使)复活 (使)再生效 回想”言下之意是将某一样已灭亡或已很脆 弱的东西重新复活或者复兴。而第一段并没有提到间谍行业曾经消失的信息 从第二段中我们了解到互联网推动了情报行业的发展也没有找到任何关于情 报行业曾经中断的内容所以[D]的说法是不正确的。[C]“restore”的含义是 “使恢复 使回复”言下之意是将原来不完整的或者破碎的东西给复原。原 文中没有提到。[A]的错误在于对第一句话的误读。“would have loved”表示 虚拟语气是对当时情况的一种假设而这种假设的情况在当时是不存在的。 这句话的真实意思是如果“疯狂的Bill Donovan还在世的话他会爱上互联 网的”。可见“Donovan”在世的时候并没有互联网所以[A]将“Donovan”说
成是“互联网的爱好者”的说法是错误的。
22. Donovan’s story is mentioned in the text to 本文提到多诺文的
故事是为了 [A] introduce the topic of online spying. 引出网络间谍这个话题。 [B] show how he fought for the U.S.. 显示多诺文如何为美国效力的。 [C] give an episode of the information war. 提供情报战的一个片断。 [D] honor his unique services to the CIA. 表彰他为中情局所作的独特 贡献。
【答案】 A
【考点】 作者意图题。
【分析】 本文提到比尔·多诺文只有第一段而文章的中心思想讲的是 “情报工作”和“互联网”的关系以及“情报工作”在网络时代的巨大变化 等等。由此不难看出多诺文作为一个间谍只是为文章展开讨论前提供了一个 引子因此[A]为正确答案。
23. The phrase“making the biggest splash”(Line 1, Paragraph 3) most probably means
短语“making the biggest splash”(第三段第一行)的意思很有可能是 [A] causing the biggest trouble. 造成最大的麻烦。 [B] exerting the greatest effort. 付出最大的努力。 [C] achieving the greatest success. 取得最大的成功。 [D] enjoying the widest popularity. 受到最广泛的欢迎。 【答案】 C
【考点】 词义题。
【分析】 考生应该能够根据上下文对“make a splash”这个短语进行合理 的推理。在中情局举办的一次比赛中“Straitford”公司获胜了被认为是 “make a splash”因此可见这里的逻辑很清楚即“成功”和“make a splash”的意思是非常接近的。由此可以推断出[C]是正确的。
24. It can be learned from paragraph 4 that 从第四段中我们可以得知 [A] Straitford’s prediction about Ukraine has proved true。
Straitford公司关于乌克兰的预测被证明是正确的。 [B] Straitford guarantees the truthfulness of its information.
Straitford公司担保它提供的信息的真实性。
[C] Straitford’s business is characterized by unpredictability。 Straitford公司的经营的一个特点是不可预测性。
[D] Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information. Straitford公司能够提供相当可靠的信息。 【答案】 D
【考点】 推断题。
【分析】 第四段首句指出“该公司的总裁乔治·弗莱德曼说他把网络世 界视为情报收集和情报发布两者之间相互增强的工具这就是间谍们的梦想。 上周他的公司正在收集从远在世界的另一角落传来的零散的信息预测在乌 克兰将发生一场危机。弗莱德曼以前是政治科学教授他说‘一旦这个报道 公布我们将从乌克兰突然新增500个注册用户我们将听到其中一些人的回 应。’当然开放源的间谍活动的确有它的风险因为很难区分正确与错误的信 息。这正是Straitford公司挣钱的地方。”[A]的说法没有根据因为文中只 说了“Straitford”公司作出了关于乌克兰局势的预测并没有信息说明预言 是否成真。[B]的说法与原文意思有些不符。第四段最后一句说“开放源的间谍 活动的确有它的风险因为很难区分正确与错误的信息。Straitford公司就是
考研英语真题阅读理解试题与名师解析十六
