2020考研英语阅读理解精读100篇：Unit 42
Unit 42
Music fans have often viewed Microsoft as something like a bad cover band, one that pumped out uninviting facsimiles of Apple’s iPod and iTunes with its Zune music players and service. Now that the Zune brand is dead, Microsoft is once again in search of a hit in digital music. But this time, to improve its odds of success, it is marshaling some of its most powerful brands as never before: Windows and the Xbox.
On Monday, the company plans to announce a service called Xbox Music that will offer access to a global catalog of about 30 million songs. The service will let consumers listen free to any song on computers and tablets running the latest version of its Windows software, as well as on the Xbox console. Microsoft will not initially limit how much music can be streamed, though that could change over time. The service is part of a broad set of bets Microsoft is making this fall to help regain ground it has lost to competitors, especially Apple and Google. In addition to Windows 8, a major new version of its flagship operating system that will start shipping on Oct. 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system for mobile phones and its first Microsoft-designed computer, a tablet device called Surface.
In an aggressive push to persuade lots of people to use the service, Microsoft will package the software for Xbox Music with Windows 8. The arrangement could awaken antitrust concerns about Microsoft’s use of Windows to gain toeholds in new markets. Microsoft’s do-over in the market is a sign of how a strong music service has come to be seen as a prerequisite for any serious player in the gadget business. Apple first showed the way with that strategy by making it simple to buy songs from the iTunes Store, helping it sell more iPods. Google and Amazon have also gotten in on the act, adding music stores to their Android and Kindle devices. In addition to competing with those big companies, Xbox Music is entering a landscape thick with independent music services that offer their own variations on the listening experience. Spotify, for example, provides on-demand listening to a large library of music, while Pandora programs radio stations tailored to its listeners’ individual tastes.
Scott Porter, principal program manager for Xbox Music, said many music fans today relied on a variety of services like those, along with more traditional sellers of songs like iTunes, to satisfy all their musical needs. This approach, though, can be tedious. “The dilemma is that music has become work,” he said. “Our vision for Xbox Music is that it shouldn’t have to be work.” Xbox Music incorporates elements of all of those services. There is an option to buy songs, so a music fan can own them permanently with minimal restrictions. There are Pandora-like radio stations built around songs and similar-sounding music.
注（1）：本文选自The New York Times；
注（2）：本文习题模仿对象：习题第1、2、3、4题模仿2010年真题Text 2的第4、2、3、5题，第5题模仿2011年真题Text 1的第5题。
1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that ______.
A) music fans do not like Microsoft any longer
B) Zune was substituted by other services
C) Windows and the Xbox are Microsoft’s only powerful brands
D) Microsoft plans to regain success in digital music with its powerful brands
2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A) The service provides consumers with songs on computers, tablets and Xbox console with no charge.
B) Microsoft won’t restrict the amount of the music download as time goes by.
C) Microsoft is sure that the service can beat Apple and Google.
D) Windows 8 and its Windows Phone and its first Microsoft-designed computer will release simultaneously.
3. The word “toehold”（Line 3, Paragraph 3）most probably means ______.
A) insistence
B) support
C) success
D) patience
4. Which of the following would be the topic of the text?
A) Microsoft introduces its powerful service: Windows and Xbox.
B) Microsoft turns to Windows and Xbox instead of its traditional style.
C) Microsoft’s Zune service was obsolete.
D) With the help of Windows and Xbox, Microsoft attempts to win victory in the field of music.
5. From the text we can see that the writer seems ______.
A) positive
B) negative
C) doubtful
D) objective
篇章剖析
本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述了微软想利用Windows和Xbox在数字音乐领域重振雄风。第一段主要讲微软原有品牌Zune已不复存在，为了在数字音乐领域增加胜算，微软集结了Windows和Xbox；第二段详细介绍Xbox Music的特点和上市时间；第三段接着指出，微软试图在数字音乐领域立足表明拥有强大的音乐服务对小型应用程序领域的商家十分重要；第四段通过与传统听歌模式的对比，突出了Xbox Music的高端性，强调它做得更加面面俱到。
词汇注释
facsimile /fækˈsɪməli/ n. 复制品；传真机
marshal /ˈmɑːʃl/ v. 整顿；集合
console /kənˈsəʊl/ n. 控制台，操纵台
flagship /ˈflægʃɪp/ n. 王牌产品；旗舰；佼佼者
antitrust /ˌæntiˈtrʌst/ adj. 反垄断的
toehold /ˈtəʊhəʊld/ n. 立足点
prerequisite /ˌpriːˈrekwəzɪt/ n. 先决条件，前提
gadget /ˈgædʒɪt / n. 小型应用程序；小配件
incorporate /ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt/ v. 包含；合并
难句突破
In addition to Windows 8, a major new version of its flagship operating system that will start shipping on Oct. 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system for mobile phones and its first Microsoft-designed computer, a tablet device called Surface.
主体句式：The company is close to releasing a new version of...and its first...computer...
结构分析：这个长句看上去结构复杂，主要是因为其中有很多的修饰成分（前置定语和后置定语）。a major new version of...作Windows 8的同位语，起补充说明的作用，其中包含一个that引导的定语从句，进一步补充说明Windows 8的发售时间，而后面由and连接的两个并列短语作releasing的宾语，介绍Windows移动电话操作系统和平板电脑也即将发售。
句子译文：除了即将在10月26号发售的新一代王牌操作系统Windows 8，一款专门为手机用户研发的Windows移动电话操作系统和微软首次自主设计的平板电脑Surface，也即将推出。
题目分析
1. D 推理题。文章中提到：Now that the Zune brand is dead, Microsoft is once again in search of a hit in digital music. But this time, to improve its odds of success, it is marshaling some of its most powerful brands as never before: Windows and the Xbox. 由此可见，微软是想重振雄风。A、B和C选项表述都不准确，只有D选项是基于第一段内容可以推出的结论，故为答案。
2. A 细节题。原文对应信息是The service will let consumers listen free to any song on computers and tablets running the latest version of its Windows software, as well as on the Xbox console. 由此可知，这项服务能让用户免费听任何歌曲，故A选项正确。B、C、D选项与原文意思不符。
3. C 语义题。toehold本身拆开来是toe和hold，字面意思是“用脚趾头站立”，意译是“站得住脚”。由The arrangement could awaken antitrust concerns about Microsoft’s use of Windows to gain toeholds in new markets. 可知，微软利用Windows操作系统试图在新市场中赢得toeholds。根据常识可知，赢得的一般都是积极的、好的东西，而且全文一直说的都是微软想赢得新的胜利。因此，toehold在这里有“成功”的意思。
4. D 推断题。纵观全文，本文主要是介绍微软为了在数字音乐领域重振雄风，决定用自身强有力的品牌Windows和Xbox来增加其胜算的筹码。A、B和C选项皆是文章中的部分内容，不能以偏概全作为文章的主题。
5. D 情感态度题。本文作者自始至终都从非常客观的角度介绍微软的计划——希望在数字音乐领域重振雄风。作者没有加入任何个人观点，即使是对该计划取得的一些成果的表述也不是作者自己的看法，而是引用的事实或他人的评价。
参考译文
音乐迷们通常会把微软看做是一个糟透了的翻唱乐队，其音乐播放器和音乐服务Zune一直都在模仿苹果系统里的iPod和iTunes软件。如今，Zune品牌已不复存在，但是微软还想在数字音乐领域大出风头。但是这次，为了增加胜算，它前所未有地集结了几个自身最具影响力的品牌：Windows和Xbox。
周一，微软公司计划公布一种新的音乐服务，名为Xbox Music，它能为用户提供全球约3000万首歌曲。只要用户的电脑或平板电脑上安装了Windows软件的最新版本，在电脑或者在Xbox的操控面板上该服务允许用户免费收听任何歌曲。微软在最初将不限制音乐流量，但将来说不定。今年秋季，微软重拳出击，志在收复输给竞争对手尤其是苹果和谷歌的失地，这项服务的推出是微软一系列反击举措的一部分。除了即将在10月26号发售的新一代王牌操作系统Windows 8，一款专门为手机用户研发的Windows移动电话操作系统和微软首次自主设计的平板电脑Surface，也即将推出。
为了积极吸引更多的用户来使用这项服务，微软将把Xbox Music软件预装到Windows 8系统里。针对微软利用Windows操作系统试图在新市场立足这一事态，可能会引起新一轮的反垄断担忧。微软在这一市场的卷土重来说明，对于小型应用程序商业领域的任何一位严肃的商家来说，拥有一项强大的音乐服务是何等的重要。苹果公司最先演示了如何实现这一策略，它利用从iTunes Store里购买歌曲的便利性卖掉了更多的iPod。谷歌和亚马逊也有同样的举措，分别在它们的安卓和Kindle设备里安装了音乐商店软件。除了与这些大公司相抗衡，Xbox Music踏入了充斥着各种独立音乐服务的战场，这些服务带给用户不同的听觉体验。比如，Spotify为用户提供海量音乐点播，而潘多拉音乐电台则专门为满足用户的个人品位而设。
Xbox Music的项目经理斯科特·波特说，如今的音乐迷都依赖诸如Spotify和潘多拉音乐电台，以及像iTunes这种较传统的出售音乐的平台来满足他们所有听歌的需求。这些方式迟早会令人乏味。斯科特说：“这些方式的窘境在于只着重于音乐本身，而我们对Xbox Music的理解则是它是一个音乐播放平台。”Xbox音乐包含了以上所有的服务项目。你可以在Xbox里购买歌曲，这样你就能最大自由地永久收藏它们。Xbox Music也有类似于潘多拉的基于歌曲和类似音乐的广播电台。
