B
Libraries around the world still keep old books hundreds of years old. But will we be able to read today’s digital books in hundreds of years? Librarians are worried. Even now, we cannot open some files (文件) from 20 or 25 years ago. Will our digital works be lost in a digital black hole? Will we face the loss of valuable information?
Technology is changing fast. Old ways of keeping information are gone now, or they are no longer supported by new technology. For example, many people used floppy discs (软盘) to save files years ago, but today few machines can open them. Also, millions of songs and pieces of music were saved on tapes or CDs, but now most old music players no longer work. Another problem is that websites often change or close down, and all the information on them can fall into the digital black hole.
Books, however, are quite easy to keep. We do not need special tools or technology to read them. If you keep them in a dry and safe place, they will stay safe for a long time. Li Shizhen’s great medical book Ben Cao Gang Mu came out in 1593. Amazingly, three copies from the first printing still survive today. That is not bad for a book more than 400 years old.
Today, to some researchers, printed books remain a safe way to keep information. In 2014, a professional group began to raise money to print a famous online encyclopedia into 1,000 books. This would make sure that even if digital technology fails, the knowledge can still be kept.
For now, when it comes to storing information, printed copies seem to be the safest choice. However, future technology might develop and provide new ways to solve the problem of the digital black hole. Time will tell.
(
A. How music players are developing.
B. How technology is changing over time.
C. Why old machines are no longer used today.
D. Why technology may cause information loss.
(
A. To discuss why this book is still important.
B. To show printed books can last for a long time.
C. To tell when the earliest printed book came out.
D. To explain how easy it is to keep printed books.
(
A. Libraries should keep more digital books.
B. Digital books are less valuable than printed ones.
C. Technology is still looking for better ways to keep information.
D. Technology will soon solve the problem of the digital black hole.
Libraries around the world still keep old books hundreds of years old. But will we be able to read today’s digital books in hundreds of years? Librarians are worried. Even now, we cannot open some files (文件) from 20 or 25 years ago. Will our digital works be lost in a digital black hole? Will we face the loss of valuable information?
Technology is changing fast. Old ways of keeping information are gone now, or they are no longer supported by new technology. For example, many people used floppy discs (软盘) to save files years ago, but today few machines can open them. Also, millions of songs and pieces of music were saved on tapes or CDs, but now most old music players no longer work. Another problem is that websites often change or close down, and all the information on them can fall into the digital black hole.
Books, however, are quite easy to keep. We do not need special tools or technology to read them. If you keep them in a dry and safe place, they will stay safe for a long time. Li Shizhen’s great medical book Ben Cao Gang Mu came out in 1593. Amazingly, three copies from the first printing still survive today. That is not bad for a book more than 400 years old.
Today, to some researchers, printed books remain a safe way to keep information. In 2014, a professional group began to raise money to print a famous online encyclopedia into 1,000 books. This would make sure that even if digital technology fails, the knowledge can still be kept.
For now, when it comes to storing information, printed copies seem to be the safest choice. However, future technology might develop and provide new ways to solve the problem of the digital black hole. Time will tell.
(
D
) 39. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?A. How music players are developing.
B. How technology is changing over time.
C. Why old machines are no longer used today.
D. Why technology may cause information loss.
(
B
) 40. Why does the writer mention Ben Cao Gang Mu?A. To discuss why this book is still important.
B. To show printed books can last for a long time.
C. To tell when the earliest printed book came out.
D. To explain how easy it is to keep printed books.
(
C
) 41. What would the writer most probably agree with?A. Libraries should keep more digital books.
B. Digital books are less valuable than printed ones.
C. Technology is still looking for better ways to keep information.
D. Technology will soon solve the problem of the digital black hole.
答案：39.D 40.B 41.C
解析：
【分析】
解答此类阅读理解题目，需先定位题目对应段落，结合段落主旨、举例作用及作者观点分析选项，排除干扰项得出答案。
【解析】
39题：定位第二段，该段首句指出技术快速变化，旧的信息保存方式消失或不被新技术支持，随后列举软盘、磁带CD、网站变更等例子，均说明技术变化可能导致信息丢失，对应选项D。
40题：定位第三段，该段首句表明印刷书易保存，接着以《本草纲目》为例，是为了证明印刷书能长时间保存，对应选项B。
41题：定位最后一段，作者提到未来技术可能发展，提供解决数字黑洞问题的新方法，说明作者认为技术仍在寻找更好的信息保存方式，对应选项C。
【答案】
39.D 40.B 41.C
【知识点】
阅读理解主旨大意、阅读理解细节理解、阅读理解推理判断
【点评】
本题考查学生对英语阅读理解中段落主旨、举例论证作用及作者观点的理解能力，需准确提取原文关键信息，对比选项排除干扰项，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6
解答此类阅读理解题目，需先定位题目对应段落，结合段落主旨、举例作用及作者观点分析选项，排除干扰项得出答案。
【解析】
39题：定位第二段，该段首句指出技术快速变化，旧的信息保存方式消失或不被新技术支持，随后列举软盘、磁带CD、网站变更等例子，均说明技术变化可能导致信息丢失，对应选项D。
40题：定位第三段，该段首句表明印刷书易保存，接着以《本草纲目》为例，是为了证明印刷书能长时间保存，对应选项B。
41题：定位最后一段，作者提到未来技术可能发展，提供解决数字黑洞问题的新方法，说明作者认为技术仍在寻找更好的信息保存方式，对应选项C。
【答案】
39.D 40.B 41.C
【知识点】
阅读理解主旨大意、阅读理解细节理解、阅读理解推理判断
【点评】
本题考查学生对英语阅读理解中段落主旨、举例论证作用及作者观点的理解能力，需准确提取原文关键信息，对比选项排除干扰项，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6