三、 閱讀理解（本大題共10小題，每小題2分，共20分）

閱讀下面的短文，從A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出一個(gè)最佳答案填空或答題，錯(cuò)選、多選或未選均無分。

Passage 1

If we were asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written in it an account of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question. It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them. Sometimes men did keep a record of the most important happenings in their country, but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a good deal about the people who lived in China 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned to write. Sometimes, of course, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. For most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call “remembered history”. Some of it has now been written down. It is not so exact or so valuable to us as written history is, because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often very helpful.
 

31. Why do we know very little about the central Africa 200 years ago?

A. Because there was nothing worth being written down at that time. B. Because the people there ignored the importance of keeping a record.

C. Because the written records were perhaps destroyed by a fire. D. Because the people there had not known how to write.

32. “Remembered history” refers to ______.

A. history based on a person’s imagination B. stories of important happenings passed down from mouth to mouth

C. songs and dances about the most important events D. both B and C

33. It can be inferred from the passage that we could have learned much more about our past than we do now if our ancestors had ______.

A. kept a written record of every past event B. not burnt their written records in wars

C. told exact stories of the most important happenings D. made more songs and dances

Passage 2

Curley says the most easily justified e-business investments are those that provide business value and improve IT efficiency. One example he cites: peer-to-peer enabled e-learning, or distance learning facilitated by technology. This provides just-in-time instruction that can be more effective and efficient than traditional education—and uses the existing corporate IT infrastructure. “This makes the investment attractive to both the business and the information technology organization,” Curley says. What makes e-business investments the same as other IT investments? Curley says it’s the need to understand the goals and the investment’s expected impact. Is the impact improved business efficiency, effectiveness or perhaps business transformation? But what makes e-business investments different? For starters, there is the pace at which investments may need to be made. The faster you move, the less likely you are to have operational excellence. The key is getting everyone to agree on the right tradeoff. Experts note healthy trends as a result of the economic downturn. Rather than blindly pouring cash into Internet divisions, for example, executives are recognizing that business is business — whether online or in person. They also recognize that all the returns aren’t obvious at the start.

34. According to the first paragraph, peer-to-peer enabled e-learning is a justified e-business investment because ______. A. it is the most profitable investment at present. B. it can provide business value and improve IT efficiency.

C. it is just as good as traditional education. D. it is the most effective and efficient way of education.

35. In Curley’s opinion, e-business investments are the same as other IT investments in that ______.

A. they both can improve business efficiency and effectiveness. B. they both can speed up the business transformation.

C. their goals and intended influence need to be understood. D. they both can bring much profit to the investors.

36. E-business investments are different from other IT investments in that ______.

A. e-business investments should be made at a slower pace. B. e-business investments should be made at a faster pace.

C. the slower one moves, the more excellent operations he will get. D. the faster one moves, the move excellent operations he will get.

37. In the last paragraph, “business is business” means that ______.

A. you can’t expect to earn much money through e-business. B. e-business is not real business for them.

C. you can pour much cash into e-business. D. e-business and traditional business have much in common.