In recent years, Microsoft has focused on three big tasks: building robust security into its software, resolving numerous antitrust complaints against it and upgrading its Windows operating system. These three tasks are now starting to collide.
On August 27th the firm said that the successor to its Windows XP operating system, code-named Longhorn, will go on sale in 2007 without one of its most impressive features, a technique to integrate elaborate search capabilities into nearly all desktop applications. (On the bright side, Longhorn will contain advances in rendering images and enabling different computing platforms to exchange data directly between applications.) It is a big setback for Microsoft, which considers search technology a pillar of its future growth—not least as it competes against Google.
The firm's focus on security championed by Bill Gates himself—took resources away from Longhorn, admits Greg Sullivan, a lead product manager in the Windows client division. Programmers have been fixing Windows XP rather than working on Longhorn. In mid-August, Microsoft released Service Pack 2, a huge set of free software patches and enhancements to make Windows XP more secure. Though some of the fixes turned out to have vulnerabilities of their own, the patches have mostly been welcomed. Microsoft's decision to forgo new features in return for better security is one that most computer users will probably applaud.
Yet ironically, as Microsoft slowly improves the security of its products-by, for instance, incorporating firewall technology, anti-virus systems and spam filters its actions increasingly start to resemble those that, in the past, have got the firm into trouble with regulators. Is security software an "adjacent software market", in which case Microsoft may be leveraging its dominance of the operating system into it? Integrating security products into Windows might be considered "bundling" which, with regard to web browsing, so excited America's trustbusters in the 1990s. And building security directly into the operating system seems a lot like "commingling" software code, on which basis the European Commission ruled earlier this year that Microsoft abused its market power through the Windows Media Player. Microsoft is appealing against that decision, and on September 30th it will argue for a suspension of the commission's remedies, such as the requirement that it license its code to rivals.
Just last month, the European Union's competition directorate began an investigation into Microsoft and Time Warner, a large media firm, on the grounds that their proposed joint acquisition of Content Guard, a software firm whose products protect digital media files, might provide Microsoft with, undue market power over digital media standards. The commission will rule by January 2005. Microsoft, it seems, in security as elsewhere, is going to have to get used to being punished for its success. Its Windows monopoly lets it enjoy excessive profits but the resulting monoculture makes it an obvious target for viruses and regulators alike.
That Microsoft's three tasks are colliding is reflected in the fact that ______.
A.the new operating system will be marketed at a discount
B.search will be removed from the new operating system
C.all search capabilities will be combined into the desktop
D.images and data will be exchanged more directly
时间:2023-08-11 12:07:36
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The heavy-duty lubricating oil with chemical has been widely introduced in recent years()
A . additives
B . behavior
C . coolant
D . desiccant
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They have learned about()in recent years.
A、 several hundreds English words
B、 hundreds of English words
C、 hundred of English words
D、 several hundred English word
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Although recent years have seen substantial reductions in noxious pollutants from individual motor vehicles, the number of such vehicles().
A . have been steadily increasing
B . has been steadily increased
C . has been steadily increasing
D . have been steadily increased
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In more recent years,()has been used by civilians in many new ways to determine positions,such as in automobile and boat navigation,hiking,emergency rescue,and precision agriculture and mining.
A、GPS
B、GMDSS
C、AIS
D、Navtex
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( ) are the top two countries that provide the most immigrants to America in recent years.
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As for educational background, we should introduce our experience in education in recent years, such as our university, our major, and our relevant curriculum.
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A great deal of research___into the possible causes of cancer in recent years.
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In recent years a number of schools __________ in the remote western regions.
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The number of the terrorists (sponsor)_______________ by certain governments has declined in recent years.
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There have been changes in all sorts of different areas of British society.In recent years in the UK we have had a very large increase in the number of couples who get divorced
After 1969 and the Divorce Law Reform. Act we had a very rapid increase in the number of divorces.The rate increased steadily and in recent years has increased much more rapidly.But there are also quite a lot of people who do actually get married.At present the marriage rate in the UK is about 70 per cent, which has gone down since the number of people who marry has gone down qui te a lot in the last 20 years, but more significantly in the last 10 years.Quite high proportions of people now live together without marrying, and, for example, 40 per cent of children born in the UK are born to couples who aren&39;t married or are born to lone parents.There are quite a large number of lone parent families, 90 per cent of these are headed by a woman rather than a man
The average family size now in the UK is 1.8 children per couple, which
Means that there’s been quite a decline in the birth rate in the UK along with other European countries.
21.What does the passage mainly discuss?()
A.The declining divorce rate in the UK.
B.Trends in marriage and divorce in the UK.
C.The increasing divorce rate in the UK.
22.During the last ten years,()
A.the marriage rate has gone down more rapidly in the UK
B.the marriage rate has gone up a lot in the UK
C.40% of children were born to unwed couples in the UK
23.According to the passage, the cohabitation rate in the UK tends to ___
A.decline
B.soar
C.stay stable
24.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The highest divorce rate was around 1969.
B.The marriage rate has gone down in recent years.
C.The marriage rate is currently 70 percent.
25.The last paragraph tells us()
A.the birth rate in the UK is increasing at the moment
B.the birth rate in other European countries keeps increasing
C.the birth rate in the UK is decreasing rapidly now
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But in recent years, many older people ______by the banks to invest their savings in high-yielding money-market accounts.
A.have persuaded
B.are persuading
C.have been persuaded
D.being persuaded
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______recent report stated that the number of Spanish speakers in the US would be higher than the number of English speaker by_____year .
A.A; the
B.A; /
C.The ; /
D.The; a
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in more recent years, partly through canadian diplomatic efforts, things like _________ and______________ have been put on the international agenda.
A. arms control, human rights
B. economic crisis, inequality
C. organized crime, drug trafficking
D. women s issues, the environment
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With the explosion of digital media in recent year...
With the explosion of digital media in recent years, a growing number of students are spending their time in front of the small screen---whether it’s a Smartphone or tablet. In just two years, the number of US children using digital media has doubled to 72 percent, according to a survey by Common Sense Media.
On average, students spend about two hours a day in front of the screen. Watching TV makes up half of this time. But gradually, the time children spend watching TV is decreasing, with more and more time being given to digital media. Some of the common things kids do with digital media are playing games, watching videos and sending messages to friends.
The digital world can be used very effectively. In the survey, 74 percent of teachers said that digital media would improve students’ learning. As students can quickly get hold of information they need.
However, without guidance from teachers or parents, digital media may have bad influence on students’ attention span and communication skills. So it’s always best to use your smartphone and tablet carefully.
When using digital media, you need to find a balance. Just like study, too much can lead to information overload, and give you a headache. Also, make sure your smartphone or tablet doesn’t take priority over more important tasks. Give your eyes a rest, and remember: offline is just as fun as online.
1. Two years ago, the number of US children who use digital media made up _____.{A; B; C}
A. 72%
B. 36%
C. 74%
2. Which is not TRUE according to the passage?{A; B; C}
A. Using digital media is good for students’ learning.
B. Using digital media can improve students’ communication skills.
C. Students should use their digital media under adults’ guidance.
3. The underlined word “overload” in the last paragraph means _____ in Chinese.{A; B; C}
A. 重叠
B. 夸大
C. 超负荷
4. The article mentions that kids usually use digital media to _____.{A; B; C}
①play games
②send message to friends
③watch videos
④shop online
A. ①②③
B. ①②③④
C. ①③④
5. Why is the time children spend watching TV decreasing?{A; B; C}
A. Because they need a balance of study and entertainment.
B. Because the TV shows aren’t interesting at all.
C. Because they turn to spend more time on digital media.
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It is reported that the electronic industry go ________ rapidly in recent years. (
A. ahead
B.on
C . above
D . around
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How many “smog days” happened in Shijiazhuang in recent years ()
A.264days
B.195days
C.239days
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In recent years special attention has been paid __________ developing the students' productive skills. A.over B. to C. on D. in
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He is one of the growing number of Americans who in recent years have ______ dangerous sports to fill their leisure time.
A.taken off
B.taken up
C.taken in
D.taken over
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Why China’s exports have encountered so many trade remedy measures by other countries in recent years?
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() Blood sports have become a hot topic for debate in recent years. As society develops it is increasingly seen as an uncivilized activity and cruel to the helpless animals that are killed. All blood
A.Animal cruelty
B.Blood sports
C.Blood sports and uncivilized activity
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In his junior year, Gates ______ Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft()
A.stopped off
B.gave in
C.dropped out of
D.pulled up
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A cyclical companys size increases hugely in the recent years and has fluctuant earning every year. Which method is least likely to use to calculate this companys earning to formulate P/E ratio?
A.Averagehistoricalearningswhichdoesntconsidercyclicalearnings.
B.AverageROEwhichdoesntconsidercyclicalearnings.
C.Averagehistoricalearningswhichdoesntconsidercompanyssizechange.
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______ in recent years that it has almost become the rule.
A.So often this happened
B.So often has this happened
C.This happened so often
D.This has happened so often
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8. In recent years, to satisfy the needs of social and economic development, the Chinese government has sped up the training of qualified __________ urgently needed in various fields.
A.personnel
B.person
C.personal
D.personality