考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit37
Las Vegas, where every born loser is told he is a potential winner, has always had a way with words. Prostitution is technically illegal in the city. But a private "dance" in one's hotel room is not--even if that's just a euphemism for what a "Hot Nude Blonde" does to cheer up a visiting conventioneer.
How exactly these private dancers know which hotel rooms to visit, though, has become a thorny question. On March 14th, as The Economist went to press, a hearing began at the Nevada Public Utilities Commission to investigate a complaint brought by Eddie Munoz against Central Telephone, a local subsidiary of Sprint. Mr Munoz operates an in-room "adult entertainment" service. He also publishes the Las Vegas Informer, a free paper that lists telephone numbers for his dancing troupe.
He alleges that rival operators have hacked into the Las Vegas telephone network and systematically diverted calls made from hotel rooms to the numbers listed in the Informer to their own services. These rivals then send out their own entertainers to do the dancing--and to collect the fees that should rightfully be his. Mr Munoz says that in the heady days of the early 1990s he was making $20,000 a month from his cut of the money earned by his dancers.
Telephone firms habitually deny that hackers can break in. Sprint maintains that it "has neither found nor been presented with any evidence to date that calls have been diverted". Others are not so sure. Hilda Brauer, who protested that call-poachers had driven her "Sexy Girls" service out of business, brought a lawsuit against Sprint and her rivals in 1998, but dropped it when her money ran out. In 1998 the FBI arrested six gangsters who were scouring Las Vegas to recruit a telephone hacker they believed was working for a successful call-girl service (although nobody found him).
Mr Munoz has now hired Kevin Mitnick, a hacker who boasted last year to SecurityFocus, an online technology journal, that he used to break into Las Vegas switching systems. Mr Mitnick has diverted Mr Munoz's telephone lines to an office in Los Angeles; a temp there relays the requests for dancers back to Mr Munoz in Las Vegas. The aim is to cut Sprint out of the loop.
The hearings may shed more light on how the world's oldest profession has taken phone-hacking in its well-practised stride. And then, no doubt, as the fuss dies down, it will discreetly dim the lights and get on with business as usual。
注（1）：本文选自Economist；3/16/2002, p36-36, 1/3p；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2002年真题text 4第1题（1），text 3第5题（5），第4题（4）；2001年真题text2第2题（2）；2004年真题text 1第3题（3）；
1. From the first paragraph we learn that in Las Vegas_________________.
[A] prostitution is strictly prohibited
[B] prostitution goes on in the name of private dance
[C] private dance has taken the place of prostitution
[D] people lose money more often than they win
2. Mr. Munoz made the complaint because____________.
[A] the local telephone company failed to provide satisfactory service
[B] his rivals competed with him through illegal means
[C] his dancers stopped dancing for him
[D] he could no longer collect fees from his dancing troupe
3. The word “call-poacher” (Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means __________.
[A] a person who breaks in other people’s telephone conversations
[B] a person who eavesdrops other people’s telephone conversations
[C] a person who harasses others by making telephone calls
[D] a person who diverts other people’s telephone calls
4. We can draw a conclusion from the text that_____________.
[A] the competition in call-girl service is a fierce one
[B] public attention on the hearings will last for a relatively long period
[C] people know very little about the world’s oldest profession
[D] telephone-hacking will be used less due to the hearings
5. The author’s attitude towards the issue seems to be ___________.
[A] critical
[B] positive
[C] biased
[D] objective
答案：BADAA
篇章剖析
本篇文章是一篇说明文，介绍了黑客技术如何和最古老的卖淫行业联姻的事情。第一段介绍了变相卖淫的拉斯维加斯私人舞女。第二段和第三段介绍了一起舞蹈团体之间为了争夺顾客而转接服务电话的所引发的诉讼。第三段介绍了电话公司的说法并简单回顾了有关历史。第四段介绍了该案原告针对竞争对手的电话黑客手段所采用的黑客反击手段。最后一段对全文进行总结并得出结论：当这些喧闹平息下来时，这一行当会小心翼翼地避开公众的注意，然后照常经营下去。
词汇注释
prostitution[prRstI5tju:F(E)n] n. 卖淫
euphemism[5ju:fimizEm] n. 委婉的说法
conventioneer[kEn7venFE5niE] n. <美>与会者,会议代表
thorny[5WC:ni] adj. 棘手的；伤脑筋的
subsidiary[sEb5sidjEri] n. 子公司
troupe[tru:p] n. 舞蹈团
allege[E5ledV] v. 〈法〉指控
hack[hAk] v. 非法手段接近或进入别人的电子系统以谋取不当利益
divert[di5vE:t] v. 使转向, 使转移
heady[5hedi] adj.
poacher[5pEutFE] n. 偷猎者, 侵入者
scour[5skauE] v. 急速穿行
call-girl n. 应召女郎
switching system n. （电话的）交换系统
temp[temp] n. 临时雇员
relay[5ri:lei] v. 转播
loop[lu:p] n. (契约中的)漏洞
discreetly[dis5kri:t li] adv. 谨慎地, 小心地
难句突破
In 1998 the FBI arrested six gangsters who were scouring Las Vegas to recruit a telephone hacker they believed was working for a successful call-girl service (although nobody found him).
主体句式：The FBI arrested six gangsters
句子译文：本句是一个复杂句，宾语gangsters带有一个who引导的定语从句，在这个定语从句里又含有一个省略了whom的定语从句，该从句修饰hacker。
句子译文：1998年，联邦调查局逮捕了6个黑帮成员，当时这些黑帮成员正在拉斯维加斯四处招募一名电话黑客，他们相信这个电话黑客是为一个生意兴隆的应召女郎业务工作的（虽然谁也没有找到他）。
题目分析
1. 答案为B，属事实细节题。作者在第一段中提到，虽然法律上禁止卖淫，但并不禁止宾馆房间的私人“舞蹈”和以“热辣裸体女郎”娱乐会议代表的活动。隐含的意思是卖淫活动只是换了个旗号而已。
2. 答案为A，属事实细节题。根据文章第二段，这起投诉是针对电话公司的，原因是电话公司没有阻止Mr. Munoz的对手利用技术手段将原本打给他手下舞女的电话转接到自己人那里。作为投诉诉由，自然是电话公司服务有问题。
3. 答案为D，属猜词题。根据文章第二段，Mr. Munoz的对手利用黑客截获他手下的电话，而称这些人为call-poacher的Hilda Brauer也有类似经历，并且因此被挤出市场。可见call-poacher就是转接他人电话的人。
4. 答案为A，属推理判断题。根据上文，Mr. Munoz和Hilda都遭受了来自竞争对手的不正当竞争，而Mr. Munoz为了对付对手，也聘请了电脑黑客来帮他争夺顾客，可见“应召女郎”服务的竞争相当激烈。
5. 答案为A，属推理判断题。作者在介绍事情的来龙去脉时是以一种客观的口吻。但从文章开篇和结尾的词汇选择情况来说（Las Vegas has a way with words；fuss, etc），作者对整件事情持一种批判态度。
参考译文
拉斯维加斯是一个擅于词令的地方，在那里，每一个天生的输家都被说成是潜在的赢家。虽然按照该市的法律卖淫为非法行为，但在自己酒店房间里的不公开的“舞蹈”却不算违法---哪怕那只是“热辣金发裸女”用以娱乐来访的会议代表而使用的委婉说法。
可是，这些私人舞女究竟是怎样知道该去哪个旅馆房间的现在却成了一个棘手的问题。据《经济学人》报道，3月14日，内华达公用事业委员会举行听证会，调查艾迪·穆尼奥兹投诉中央电话公司一事。这家电话公司是斯普林特（Sprint）公司在当地的一个子公司。穆尼奥兹经营着一个室内“成人娱乐”业务。他还出版登有其舞蹈团电话号码的免费报纸《拉斯维加斯快报》。
他指控其竞争对手闯入拉斯维加斯电话网并且有系统地将旅馆打给《快报》所列号码的电话转接到他们自己的服务人员那里。然后这些竞争对手就派出自己的舞女去跳舞---并且收取本应该属于他的那份钱。穆尼奥兹说在1990年初生意红火的时候他每个月可以从手下的舞女们那里收20000美元的份钱。
电话公司按照一贯的做法否认有黑客闯入其网络。斯普林特公司声称其“既没有发现也没有人提交任何有明确日期的证据说明电话呼叫被转接了”。但这种说法令人难以信服。希尔达·布劳尔在1998年曾经起诉斯普林特公司和她的竞争对手，但最后由于钱用光了而撤诉。她断言是那些电话猎手把她的“性感女郎”服务挤出了市场。1998年，联邦调查局逮捕了6个黑帮成员，当时这些黑帮成员正在拉斯维加斯四处招募一名电话黑客，他们相信这个电话黑客是为一个生意兴隆的应召女郎业务工作的（虽然谁也没有找到他）。
穆尼奥兹现在已经雇用了凯文·米特尼克。这位电脑黑客去年曾向一份网络技术刊物《安全聚焦》夸耀自己闯入拉斯维加斯的交换系统之事。米特尼克已经将穆尼奥兹的电话线转接到了洛杉矶的一个办公室；那里的一个临时雇员再把召舞女的电话转接回拉斯维加斯穆尼奥兹那里。这么做的目的就是要绕过斯普林特公司。
这次听证会也许会让世人更清楚地了解这个世界上最古老的职业是如何将电话黑客纳入其熟悉的领域的。无疑，接下来当这些喧闹平息下来时，这一行当会小心翼翼地避开公众的注意，然后照常经营下去。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit38
Bragging about your fancy new cell phone is a fleeting pleasure; after all, today's coolest models tend to be next month's paperweights. By contrast, the half-life of a cordless phone for the home is measured in years. So if you really want to be ahead of the tech curve, forget the cell-phone wars and check out the new 5.8-GHz cordless phones.
Named after the frequency of the radio wave (measured in billions of cycles per second) that carries the signal between the handset and the base station, 5.8-GHz phones promise more clarity because there are fewer devices that operate on the same frequency and thus fewer to cause interference. If you have a cordless phone that is a couple of years old or even a new one that costs less than $50, chances are it is a 900-MHz model that is highly susceptible to static or buzzing from baby monitors, wireless speaker systems and your neighbors' 900-MHz phones. The newer 2.4-GHz units, introduced as an improvement over the 900-MHz models, do get less static, but wireless home networks and microwave ovens can still trigger a snap-crackle-pop effect. Not so the 5.8 GHz. So far, only a few companies sell the new models, and they don't come cheap. Uniden's TRU5865 costs $149, while the Vtech 5831 is $179. I preferred the Uniden because it was static free both inside my apartment and up to a block away. Its compact design hides the antenna inside the handset, and the glowing orange keys and display look sharp. The VTech got equally clear reception indoors, but I could stray only a few buildings down the block before buzzing set in.
But is it really worth an extra $100 (or more) to step up to 5.8 GHz? Maybe. When I tried out the Panasonic KX-TC1481B, a $39 900-MHz model, I could hear other conversations and even music coming through the phone. I got much clearer reception with the Motorola MA351, a $60 2.4-GHz model--except when I turned on my microwave oven and was assaulted by weird vibrating noises coming through the handset. Still, the Motorola is a decent option at a fair price.
No matter which kind of phone you're considering, a few other factors are worth keeping in mind. First, ask about battery life. While I liked the reception best on the Uniden, for example, it can go only four hours between charges vs. eight on the Vtech.
Next, find out if the phone is analog or digital. Both 5.8-MHz phones are digital, but that's not always the case with the models that use other frequencies, and this makes them an easier target for eavesdroppers. The best digitals use digital spread-spectrum (DDS) technology, which sends the signal down a broad range of frequencies to ensure that it gets through.
Finally, shop at a store that offers a money-back guarantee. That way you can torture test the phone for a few days. Then, once you're certain everything's O.K., go ahead and start bragging about it to all your friends.
注（1）：本文选自Time; 12/2/2002, p104, 3/4p, 3c；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 1；
1. How does the author introduce the topic?
[A]Explaining a phenomenon.
[B]Justifying an assumption.
[C]Posing a contrast.
[D]Making a comparison.
2. Which of the following can be an advantage of Vtech over Uniden?
[A]A longer battery life.
[B]Free of static interference.
[C]Fashionable outlook.
[D]Compact design.
3. The expression “susceptible to”(Line 5, Paragraph 2) most probably means __________.
[A]relevant with
[B]adaptable to
[C]immune from
[D]sensitive to
4. What is the most distinctive feature of 5.8-GHz phones?
[A]Fairer price.
[B]Higher clarity.
[C]More attractive model.
[D]No easier target for eavesdroppers.
5. Which of the following is true according to the text?
[A]It is worthwhile to buy any of 5.8-GHz phones.
[B]Battery life determines your selection of the phone.
[C]The earlier you bought the phone, the more static interference you got.
[D]5.8-GHz phones are becoming popular with consumers.
答案：CADBC
篇章剖析
本文是一篇说明文，详细介绍了新一代无绳电话的性能以及购买时应注意的事项。第一段指出无绳电话比手机的实用性强；第二段指出新一代无绳电话比以前的无绳电话产品的清晰度以及抗静电干扰性要强的多，并且对两款新一代无绳电话产品进行了比较；第三段指出值得购买新一代产品；第四段、五段和六段指出如何进行产品挑选。
词汇注释
cordless[5kC:dlIs]adj.不用电线的
chic[Fi:k,FIk]n.别致的款式(尤指妇女的服饰)
eliminate[I5lImIneIt]vt.排除, 消除
static[5stAtIk]adj.静态的, 静力的; n. 静电噪声
brag[brA^]v.吹牛
cell phone n.手机
fleeting adj.飞逝的；短暂的
paperweight[5peIpEweIt]n.纸镇, 书镇
half-life n.（事物衰落前的）使用（或流行）期
curve[k\:v]n.曲线, 弯曲, [棒球]曲线球, [统]曲线图表
check out v.付帐后离开, ,检验, 合格, 及格
gHz abbr. gigahertz千兆赫兹
handset[5hAndset]n.电话听筒, 手机, 手持机
base station n.基地台
MHZ 兆赫(兹)
susceptible[sE5septIb(E)l]adj.易受影响的, 易感动的, 容许...的
buzz[bQz]v.作嗡嗡声, 嗡嗡作响, 逼近
trigger[5trI^E(r)]vt.引发, 引起, 触发
compact[5kRmpAkt]adj.紧凑的, 紧密的, 简洁的
stray[streI]v.迷路, 偏离
set in v.开始, 到来, 上涨, 插入, 嵌入，开始, 涨潮
step up to 接进, 走进
assault[E5sC:lt]v.袭击
analog[5AnElR^; (?@) 5AnElC:^]n.类似物, 相似体
eavesdropper[ `i:vz9drCpE(r) ]n.偷听者
money-back adj.（消费者如对所购产品不满）有权获得退款的
torture[5tC:tFE(r)]v.破坏性试验
难句突破
If you have a cordless phone that is a couple of years old or even a new one that costs less than $50, chances are it is a 900-MHz model that is highly susceptible to static or buzzing from baby monitors, wireless speaker systems and your neighbors' 900-MHz phones.
主体句式：chances are …
结构分析：本句是一个条件从句。在从句中，两个that引导的都是定语从句，分别修饰phone 和a new one，其中one指代的也是phone；主句句形是chances are，这是一个固定用法，意思是it is most probable；主句中that引导的是定语从句，其中susceptible to的意思是“易受影响的”。
句子译文：如果你家的无绳电话是你两、三年前购买的，或者是你花了不超过50美元的价格新买的，那么你这部电话很可能是900兆赫的。这款电话极易受静电的干扰，婴儿监控器、无线扬声器系统以及邻居家的900兆赫款电话都能使它发出嗡嗡声。
题目分析
1. 答案为C，属事实细节题。文章开头就手机和无绳电话的实用性进行了对比，意在指出
无绳电话的实用性较强。
2. 答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“While I liked the reception best on the Uniden, for example, it can go only four hours between charges vs. eight on the Vtech.”。选项B是这两种无线电话的共同特征；选项C和D是Uniden的特征。
3. 答案为D，属猜词题。在文章第二段，作者就5,800兆赫无绳电话和以前的无绳电话产品在抗干扰性能进行了对比。5,800兆赫无绳电话几乎不受静电干扰的影响，而以前的产品则不同，由此可猜出词义。
4. 答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是第二段“5.8-GHz phones promise more clarity”。
5. 答案为C，属事实细节题。本题的关键是对句子“If you have a cordless phone that is a couple of years old or even a new one that costs less than $50, chances are it is a 900-MHz model that is highly susceptible to static or buzzing from baby monitors, wireless speaker systems and your neighbors' 900-MHz phones.”的理解。详细解释参见难句突破部分。
参考译文
炫耀你的新款手机如何的神奇只是瞬间的快乐，因为今天最酷的机型到下个月就只能拿它当镇纸用了。相反，家用无绳电话的使用期却是有些年头的。所以如果你真想走在科技发展的前沿，那么就请你忘掉手机大战，去试试新款5,800兆赫无绳电话吧。
这款5,800兆赫电话是以在电话听筒和基地台之间传递着信号的无线电波（每秒几十亿赫）频率来命名的。这款电话之所以能保证其音质更为清晰，原因在于几乎不存在其它同频率运转的设备，因此造成的干扰也就几乎不存在。如果你家的无绳电话是你两、三年前购买的，或者是你花了不超过50美元的价格新买的，那么你这部电话很可能是900兆赫的。这款电话极易受静电的干扰，婴儿监控器、无线扬声器系统以及邻居家的900兆赫款电话都能使它发出嗡嗡声。2，400兆赫机型被推荐为900兆赫机型的改良款，它的确能减少静电干扰，但是家庭无线网络和微波炉还是无法避免对其产生噼里啪啦的干扰作用。但是这款5,800兆赫电话不会出现这种情况。迄今为止，仅有几家公司销售新机型，而且售价不菲。友利电TRU5865型售价149美元，伟易达5831款是179美元。我偏爱友利电电话是因为无论在室内还是在一个街区之外，它都不受静电的干扰。小巧的外形设计把天线置于听筒内，色彩鲜明的橙色按键和显示器看起来非常时髦。伟易达电话的室内接收效果也同样清楚，但是我沿街区刚走了几幢楼它就开始有嗡嗡声了。
真的很值得你多花100美元（或更多）去购买5,800兆赫电话吗？或许还真值。当我试用松下售价39美元的900兆赫KX-TC1481B款无绳电话时，我能听到别人的对话，甚至还有音乐通过听筒传过来。摩托罗拉售价60美元的2,400兆赫MA351款无绳电话接听效果还要更清楚一些——当然除了我打开微波炉受到从听筒里传来的奇怪的震动噪音冲击的时候。尽管如此，摩托罗拉价格公道，算是个不错的选择。
不管你在考虑购买哪一款电话，你都应该谨记其它几个方面的因素。首先，询问电池的寿命。比如说，虽然我喜欢友利电的接听效果，但相对于伟易达8小时的电池使用时间，它的使用时间仅为4小时。
其次，看是模拟机还是数字机。两个品牌的5，800兆赫电话都是数字的。但是使用其它频率的话机通常不是这样的，这就使这些话机更容易成为偷听者的目标。最好的数字话机使用的是扩展频谱（DDS）技术，这种技术能够使信号在更广的频率范围内发送，这样能保证信号成功发送。
最后，要在提供有退款保证的商店购买。这样你就能做几天的破坏性试验。一旦你能确定这部电话各方面性能都不错，那么你就去跟所有的朋友炫耀去吧。
