Question

【题目】A new commodity brings about a highly profitable, fast-growing industry,urging antitrust（反垄断）regulators to step in to check those who control its flow. A century ago, the resource in question was oil. Now similar concerns ares being raised by the giants（巨头）that deal in data, the oil of the digital age. The most valuable firms are Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft. All look unstoppable.

Such situations have led to calls for the tech giants to be broken up. But size alone is not a crime. The giants’ success has benefited consumers. Few want to live without search engines or a quick delivery. Far from charging consumers high prices, many of these services are free (users pay, in effect, by handing over yet more data). And the appearance of new-born giants suggests that newcomers can make waves, too.

But there is cause for concern. The internet has made data abundant, all-present and far more valuable, changing the nature of data and competition. Google initially used the data collected from users to target advertising better. But recently it has discovered that data can be turned into new services: translation and visual recognition, to be sold to other companies. Internet companies’ control of data gives them enormous power. So they have a “God’s eye view” of activities in their own markets and beyond.

This nature of data makes the antitrust measures of the past less useful. Breaking up firms like Google into five small ones would not stop remaking themselves: in time, one of them would become great again. A rethink is required — and as a new approach starts to become apparent, two ideas stand out.

The first is that antitrust authorities need to move form the industrial age into the 21st century. When considering a merger(兼并), for example, they have traditionally used size to determine when to step in. They now need to take into account the extent of firms’ data assets(资产) when assessing the impact of deals. The purchase price could also be a signal that an established company is buying a new-born threat. When this takes place, especially when a new-born company has no revenue to speak of, the regulators should raise red flags.

The second principle is to loosen the control that providers of on-line services have over data and give more to those who supply them. Companies could be forced to consumers what information they hold and how many money they make form it. Govemments could order the sharing of certain kinds of data, with users’ consent.

Restarting antitrust for the information age will not be easy But if govemments don’t wants a data oconomy by a few giants, they must act soon.

【1】Why is there a call to break up giants?

A. They have controlled the data market

B. They collect enormous private data

C. They no longer provide free services

D. They dismissed some new-born giants

【2】What does the technological innovation in Paragraph 3 indicate?

A. Data giants’ technology is very expensive

B. Google’s idea is popular among data firms

C. Data can strengthen giants’ controlling position

D. Data can be turned into new services or products

【3】By paying attention to firms’ data assets, antitrust regulators could .

A. kill a new threat B. avoid the size trap

C. favour bigger firms D. charge higher prices

【4】What is the purpose of loosening the giants’ control of data?

A. Big companies could relieve data security pressure.

B. Governments could relieve their financial pressure.

C. Consumers could better protect their privacy.

D. Small companies could get more opportunities.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】C

【3】B

【4】D

【解析】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要论述了数据信息垄断企业的发展导致的后果以及反垄断的措施、对反对数据垄断的未来展望。

【1】A细节理解题。根据第一段第三句Now similar concerns ares being raised by the giants（巨头）that deal in data, the oil of the digital age.和第二段第一句Such situations have led to calls for the tech giants to be broken up.可知，人们呼吁打破垄断的原因是因为数据信息垄断机构控制了数据市场，故选A项。注意B项中private data，文中并没有提到私人数据，是易错项。

【2】C推理判断题。根据第三段第四、五句But recently it has discovered that data can be turned into new services: translation and visual recognition, to be sold to other companies. Internet companies’ control of data gives them enormous power.可知，数据可以转化为新的服务和商品，被卖给其他公司；互联网公司对数据的控制给了它们巨大的力量。据此可以判断，说明了数据增强了垄断公司的控制地位，故选C项。

【3】B细节理解题。根据第五段第二、三句When considering a merger(兼并),for example, they have traditionally used size to determine when to step in. They now need to take into account the extent of firms' data assets(资产) when assessing the impact of deals.可知，反垄断组织在传统上用公司的大小来决定何时介入，而现在则要考虑公司的资产规模和数据规模来评估；据此可知，关注数据评估，旨在避免陷入传统的“以公司大小”评估的陷阱，故选B项。

【4】D细节理解题。根据文章第六段中的Thesecondprincipleistoloosenthecontrolthatprovidersofonlineserviceshaveoverdataandgivemoretothosewhosupplythem.和第六段内容可知，第二个原则是放松对在线服务提供商的控制，使其对提供数据的人有更多的控制权；据此可以判断，放松控制的目的是让小公司更有机会发展，故选D项。