沖刺閱讀final x等多個文件

鐘叔沖刺閱讀（一二）提速版Apparentlyeveryoneknowsthatglobalwarmingonlymakesclimatemoreextreme.Ahot,drysummerhastriggeredanotherfloodofsuchclaims.And,whilemanyinterestsareatwork,oneoftheplayersthatbenefitsthemostfromthisstoryarethemedia:thenotionof“extreme”climatesimplymakesformorecompellingnews.

ConsiderPaulKrugmanwritingbreathlesslyintheNewYorkTimesaboutthe“risingincidenceofextremeevents,”HeclaimsthatglobalwarmingcausedthecurrentdroughtinAmerica’sMidwest,andthatsupposedlyrecord-highcornpricescouldcauseaglobalfoodcrisis.

ButtheUnitedNationsclimatepanel’slatestassessmenttellsuspreciselytheopposite.For“NorthAmericathereismediumconfidencethattherehasanoverallslighttendencytowardlessdryness”Moreover,thereisnowaythatKrugmancouldhaveidentifiedthisdroughtasbeingcausedbyglobalwarmingwithoutatimemachine;Climatemodelsestimatethatsuchdetectionwillbepossibleby2048,attheearliest.

And,fortunately,thisyear’sdroughtappearsunlikelytocauseafoodcrisis,asglobalriceandwheatsuppliesretainplentiful.Moreover,Krugmanoverlooksinflation:Priceshaveincreasedsix-foldsince1969.so,whilecomfutures(期貨)didsetarecordofaboutS8perbushel(葡式耳)inlateJuly,theinflation-adjustedpriceofcornwashigherthroughoutmostofthe1970s,reaching516in1974.

Finally,Krugmanconvenientlyforgetsthatconcernsaboutglobalwarmingarethemainreasonthatcornpriceshaveskyrocketedsince2005.Nowadays40percentofcorngrownintheUnitedStatesisusedtoproduceethanol（乙醇）,whichdoesabsolutelynothingfortheclimate,butcertainlydistortsthepriceofcorn—attheexpenseofmanyoftheworld’spoorestpeople.

BillMickbbensimilarlyworriesinTheGuardianabouttheMidwestdroughtandcornprices.HeconfidentlytellsusthatragingwildfiresfromNewMexicoandColoradotoSiberiaare“exactly”whattheearlystagesofglobalwarminglooklike.

Infact,thelatestoverviewofglobalwildfiresuggeststhatfireintensityhasdeclinedoverthepast70yearsandisnowclosetoitspreindustriallevel.

Whenwell-meaningcampaignerswantustopayattentiontoglobalwarming,theyoftenenduppitchingbeyondthefacts.And,whilethismayseemjustifiedbyanoblegoal,such“policybypeople”tacticsrarelywork,andoftenbackfire.

Rememberhow,inthewakeofHurricaneKatrinain2005,AlGoreclaimedthatwewereinstoreforevermoredestructivehurricanes?Sincethen,hurricaneincidencehasdroppedoffthecharts.Exaggeratedclaimsmerelyfuelpublicdistrustanddisengagement.

Thatisunfortunate,becauseglobalwarmingisarealproblem,andwedoneedtoaddressit.２１.Inwhatwaydothemediabenefitfromextremeweather?

A)Theycanattractpeople’sattentiontotheirreports.

B)Theycanchoosefromagreatervarietyoftopics.

C)Theycanmakethemselvesbetterknown.

D)Theycangivevoicetodifferentviews.

２２.Whatistheauthor’scommentonKrugman’sclaimaboutthecurrentdroughtinAmerica’sMidwest?

A)Atimemachineisneededtotestifytoitstruth.

B)Itisbasedonanerroneousclimatemodel.

C)Itwilleventuallygetproofin2048.

D)Thereisnowaytoproveitsvalidity.

２３.Whatisthechiefreasonfortheriseincornpricesaccordingtotheauthor?

A)Demandforfoodhasbeenrisinginthedevelopingcountries.

B)Aconsiderableportionofcornisusedtoproducegreenfuel.

C)Climatechangehascausedcornyieldstodropmarkedly.

D)Inflationrateshavebeenskyrocketingsincethe1970s.

２４.Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutglobalwildfireincidenceoverthepast70years?

A)Ithasgotworsewiththeriseinextremeweathers.

B)Itsignalstheearlystagesofglobalwarming.

C)Ithasdroppedgreatly.

D)Itisrelatedtodrought.

２５.Whatdoestheauthorthinkoftheexaggeratedclaimsinthemediaaboutglobalwarming?

A)Theyarestrategiestoraisepublicawareness.

B)Theydoadisservicetoaddressingtheproblem.

C)Theyaggravatepublicdistrustaboutscience.

D)Theycreateconfusionaboutclimatechange.Forhundredsofmillionsofyears,turtles(海龜)havestruggledoutoftheseatolaytheireggsonsandybeaches,longbeforetherewerenaturedocumentariestocelebratethem,orGPSsatellitesandmarinebiologiststotrackthem,orvolunteerstohand-carrythehatchlings(幼龜)downtothewater’sedgelesttheyedisorientedbyheadlightsandcrawltowardsamotelparkinglotinstead.AformidablewallofbureaucracyhasbeenerectedtoprotecttheirprimenestingontheAtlanticcoastlines.Withallthatattentionpaidtothem,you’dthinkthesecreatureswouldatleasthavethegratitudenottogoextinct.

ButNatureisindifferenttohumannotionsoffairness,andareportbytheFishandWildlifeServiceshowedaworrisomedropinthepopulationsofseveralspeciesofNorthAtlanticturtles,notablyloggerheads,whichcangrowtoasmuchas400pounds.TheSouthFloridanestingpopulation,thelargest,hasdeclinedby50%inthelastdecade,accordingtoElizabethGriffin,amarinebiologistwiththeenvironmentalgroupOceana.ThefigurespromptedOceanatopetitionthegovernmenttoupgradethelevelofprotectionfortheNorthAtlanticloggerheadsfrom“threatened”to“endangered”—meaningtheyareindangerofdisappearingwithoutadditionalhelp.

Whichraisestheobviousquestion:whatelsedotheseturtleswantfromus,anyway?Itturnsout,accordingtoGriffin,thatwhilewehavedoneagoodjobofprotectingtheturtlesfortheweekstheyspendonland(asegg-layingfemales,aseggsandashatchlings),wehaveneglectedtheyearsspendintheocean.“Thethreatisfromcommercialfishing,”saysGriffin.Trawlers(whichdraglargenetsthroughthewaterandalongtheoceanfloor)andlonglinefishers(whichcandeploythousandsofhooksonlinesthatcanstretchformiles)takeaheavytollonturtles.

Ofcourse,likeeveryotherenvironmentalissuetoday,thisisplayingoutagainstthebackgroundofglobalwarmingandhumaninterferencewithnaturalecosystems.Thenarrowstripsofbeachonwhichtheturtleslaytheireggsarebeingsqueezedononesidebydevelopmentandontheotherbythethreatofrisingsealevelsastheoceanswarm.Ultimatelywemustgetahandleonthoseissuesaswell,oracreaturethatoutlivedthedinosaurs(恐龍)willmeetitsendatthehandsofhumans,leavingourdescendantstowonderhowcreaturesouglycouldhavewonsomuchaffection.

２６.We

can

learn

from

the

first

paragraph

that

________.

A．human

activities

have

changed

the

way

turtles

survive

B．efforts

have

been

made

to

protect

turtles

from

dying

out

C．government

bureaucracy

has

contributed

to

turtles?

extinction

D．marine

biologists

are

looking

for

the

secret

of

turtles?

reproduction

２７.What

does

the

author

mean

by

“Nature

is

indifferent

to

human

notions

of

fairness”

(Line

1,

Para.

2)?

A．Nature

is

quite

fair

regarding

the

survival

of

turtles.

B．Turtles

are

by

nature

indifferent

to

human

activities.

C．The

course

of

nature

will

not

be

changed

by

human

interference.

D．The

turtle

population

has

decreased

in

spite

of

human

protection.

２８.What

constitutes

a

major

threat

to

the

survival

of

turtles

according

to

Elizabeth

Griffin?

A．Their

inadequate

food

supply.

B．Unregulated

commercial

fishing.

C．Their

lower

reproductively

ability.

D．Contamination

of

sea

water

２９．How

does

global

warming

affect

the

survival

of

turtles?

A．It

threatens

the

sandy

beaches

on

which

they

lay

eggs.

B．The

changing

climate

makes

it

difficult

for

their

eggs

to

hatch.

C．The

rising

sea

levels

make

it

harder

for

their

hatchlings

to

grow.

D．It

takes

them

longer

to

adapt

to

the

high

beach

temperature.

３０．The

last

sentence

of

the

passage

is

meant

to

________.

A．persuade

human

beings

to

show

more

affection

for

turtles

B．stress

that

even

the

most

ugly

species

should

be

protected

C．call

for

effective

measures

to

ensure

sea

turtles?

survival

D．warn

our

descendants

about

the

extinction

of

species

Text３

What’shotfor2007amongtheveryrich?AS7.3milliondiamondring.AtriptoTanzaniatohuntwildanimals.Oh.andeinequality.

Sure,someleftishbillionaireslikeGeorgeSoroshavebeenrailingagainsteinequalityforyears.Butincreasingly,centristandright-wingbillionairesarestartingtoworryabouteinequalityandthefateofthemiddleclass.

InDecember.MortimerZuckermanwroteacolumninU.SNews&WorldReport,whichheowns.“Ournation’scorebargainwiththemiddleclassisdisintegrating,”lamented(哀嘆)the117th-richestmaninAmerica.“Mostofoureconomicgainshavegonetopeopleattheverytopoftheeladder.Averageeforahouseholdofpeopleofworkingage,bycontrast,hasfallenfiveyearsinarow.”Henotedthat“TensofmillionsofAmericansliveinfearthatamajorhealthproblemcanreducethemtobankruptcy.”

WilburRossJr.hasechoedZuckerman’sangeroverthebitterstrugglesfacedbymiddle-class

Americans.“It’sanoutragethatanyAmerican’slifeexpectancyshouldbeshortenedsimplybecausethecompanytheyworkedforwentbankruptandendedhealth-carecoverage,”saidtheformerchairmanoftheInternationalSteelGroup.

What’shappening?TheveryricharejustastrendyasyouandI,andcanbesowhenitcomestopoliticsandpolicy.GiventherecentchangeofcontrolinCongress,popularityofmeasureslikeincreasingtheminimumwage,andeffortsbyCalifornia’governortoofferuniversalhealthcare,theseguysdon’tneedtheirownpersonalweathermentoknowwhichwaythewindblows.

It’spossiblethatplutocrats(有錢有勢的人)areexpressingsolidaritywiththestrugglingmiddleclassaspartofanefforttoinsulatethemselvesfromconfiscatory(沒收性的)taxpolicies.Buttheprospectthateinequalitywillleadtohighertaxesonthewealthydoesn’tkeepplutocratsupatnight.Theycanlivewiththat.

No,whattheyfearwasthatthepoliticalchallengesofsustainingsupportforglobaleconomicintegrationwillbemoredifficultintheUnitedStatesbecauseofwhathashappenedtothedistributionofeandeconomicinsecurity.

Inotherwords,ifmiddle-classAmericanscontinuetostrugglefinanciallyastheultrawealthygroweverwealthier,itwillbeincreasinglydifficulttomaintainpoliticalsupportforthefreeflowofgoods,services,andcapitalacrossborders.AndwhentheUnitedStatesplacesobstaclesinthewayofforeigninvestorsandforeigngoods,it’slikelytoencouragereciprocalactionabroad.Forpeoplewhobuyandsellcompanies,orwhoallocatecapitaltomarketsallaroundtheworld,that’stherealnightmare.３１.

What

is

the

current

topic

of

common

interest

among

the

very

rich

in

America?

A)

The

fate

of

the

ultrawealthy

people.

B)

The

disintegration

of

the

middle

class.

C)

The

inequality

in

the

distribution

of

wealth.

D)

The

conflict

between

the

left

and

the

right

wing.

３２.

What

do

we

learn

from

Mortimer

Zuckerman?s

lamentation?

A)

Many

e

families

have

failed

to

make

a

bargain

for

better

welfare.

B)

The

American

economic

system

has

caused

many

companies

to

go

bankrupt.

C)

The

American

nation

is

ing

more

and

more

divided

despite

its

wealth.

D)

The

majority

of

Americans

benefit

little

from

the

nation?s

growing

wealth.

３３．From

the

fifth

paragraph

we

can

learn

that

____________.

A)

the

very

rich

are

fashion-conscious

B)

the

very

rich

are

politically

sensitive

C)

universal

health

care

is

to

be

implemented

throughout

America

D)

Congress

has

gained

popularity

by

increasing

the

minimum

wage

３４．What

is

the

real

reason

for

plutocrats

to

express

solidarity

with

the

middle

class?

A)

They

want

to

protect

themselves

from

confiscatory

taxation.

B)

They

know

that

the

middle

class

contributes

most

to

society.

C)

They

want

to

gain

support

for

global

economic

integration.

D)

They

feel

increasingly

threatened

by

economic

insecurity.

What

may

happen

if

the

United

States

places

obstacles

in

the

way

of

foreign

investors

and

foreign

goods?

A)

The

prices

of

imported

goods

will

inevitably

soar

beyond

control.

B)

The

investors

will

have

to

make

great

efforts

to

re-allocate

capital.

C)

The

wealthy

will

attempt

to

buy

foreign

companies

across

borders.

D)

Foreign

countries

will

place

the

same

economic

barriers

in

return.

Text４

Untilrecently,theUniversityofKentprideditselfonitsfriendlyimage.Notanymore.Overthepastfewmonthsithasbeenworkinghard,withthehelpofmediaconsultants,todownplayitscosyreputationinfavourofsomethingmoreacademicandserious.

Kentisnotaloneinconsideringanimagerevamp.Changestonextyear’sfundingregimearebothforcinguniversitiestojustifychargingstudentsupto9,000infees.

Nowadays,universitiesputtingmuchmoreofafocusontheirbrandsandwhattheirvaluepropositionsare.Whileinthepastuniversitieshaveoftenfocusedonstudentsociallifeandattractionsoftheuniversitytowninrecruitmentcampaigns,theyarenowconcentratingonmoretangibleattractions,suchasemploymentprospects,engagementwithindustry,andlecturercontacthours,makingclearexactlywhatstudentsaregoingtogetfortheirmoney.

Theproblemforuniversitiesisthatifthosebenefitsfailtomaterialise,studentsnotice.ThatworriesRobBehrens,chiefexecutiveoftheOfficeoftheIndependentAdjudicator(OIA),whichdealswithstudentcomplaints.“Universitiesneedtobeextremelycarefulthat…theydescribetherealityofwhat’sgoingtohappentostudents,”hesays.“Becausecompetitionisgoingtogetgreaterforattractingstudents,thereisadangerthatuniversitieswillgotheextramile.”

OneuniversitytoldprospectiveengineeringstudentstheywouldbeabletodesignacarandraceitatBrandsHatch,whichneverhappened,hesays.“Ifuniversitiesspentasmuchmoneyonhandlingcomplaintsandappealsappropriatelyastheyspendonmarketing,theywoulddobetteratkeepingstudents,andintheNationalStudentSurveyreturns,”hesays.

OngoingresearchbyHeisttrackingprospective2012studentssuggeststhattheyarenotonlyingmoresophisticatedinthinkingaboutwhattheywantfromauniversity,butarealsospendingmoretimeresearchingevidencetobackupinstitutionalclaims.

Hencethegrowingimportanceofthestudentsurveyandleaguetables.FromnextSeptember,allinstitutionswillalsobeexpectedtopublishontheirwebsiteskeyinformationsets,allowingeasiercomparisonbetweeninstitutions-andbetweenpromisesandreality-ofstudentsatisfactionlevels,courseinformation,andthetypesofjobsandsalariesgraduatesgoonto.

Asaresult,itishardlysurprisingthatuniversitiesarebeginningtochangethewaytheymarketthemselves.Whilethebestformofmarketingforinstitutionsistobegoodatwhattheydo,theyalsoneedtobeclearabouthowtheyaredifferentfromothers.

Anditisvitalthatonceaninstitutionclaimstobeparticularlygoodatsomething,itmustliveuptoit.Themomentyoupositionyourself,youeexposedbecauseyouhaveplayedyourjoker,andifyoufailinthatyouareintrouble.３６.WhatwastheUniversityofKentfamousfor?

A.Itscomfortablecampuslife.

B.Itsup-to-datecourseofferings.

C.Itsdistinguishedteachingstaff.

D.Itsdiverseacademicprograms.３７.Whatareuniversitiestryingtodotoattractstudents?

A.Improvetheirlearningenvironment.

B.Upgradetheircampusfacilities.

C.Offermorescholarshipstothegifted.

D.Presentabetteracademicimage.３８.WhatdoesRobBehrenssuggestuniversitiesdoinmarketingthemselves?

A.Publicisetheachievementsoftheirgraduates.

B.Gotoextralengthstocatertostudents’needs.

C.Refrainfrommakingpromisestheycannothonour.

D.Surveytheexpectationsoftheirprospectivestudents.３９.Whatisstudents’chiefconsiderationinchoosingauniversity?

A.Whetheritpromisesthebestjobprospects.

B.Whetheritisabletodeliverwhattheywant.

C.Whetherisrankshighamongsimilarinstitutions.

D.Whetherisoffersopportunitiesforpracticaltraining.４０.Whatmustuniversitiesshowtowinrecruitmentcampaigns?

A.Theyarepositionedtomeetthefutureneedsofsociety.

B.Theyareresponsibletostudentsfortheirgrowth.

C.Theyareeverreadytoimprovethemselves.

D.Theyareuniqueonewayoranother.Theconceptofmanversusmachineisatleastasoldastheindustrialrevolution,butthisphenomenontendstobemostacutelyfeltduringeconomicdownturnsandfragilerecoveries.Andyet,itwouldbeamistaketothinkwearerightnowsimplyexperiencingthepainfulsideofaboomandbustcycle.Certainjobshavegoneawayforgood,outmodedbymachines.Sincetechnologyhassuchaninsatiableappetiteforeatinguphumanjobs,thisphenomenonwillcontinuetorestructureoureconomyinwayswecan’timmediatelyforesee.

Whenthereisexponentialimprovementinthepriceandperformanceoftechnology,jobsthatwereoncethoughttobeimmunefromautomationsuddenlyethreatened.Thisargumenthasattractedalotofattention,viathesuccessofthebookRaceArgumenttheMachine,byErikBrynjolfssonandAndrewMcAfee,whobothhailfromMIT’sCenterforDigitalBusiness.

Thisisapowerfulargument,andascaryone.Andyet,JohnHagel,authorofThePowerofPullandotherbooks,saysBrynjolfssonandMcAfeemissthereasonwhythesejobsaresovulnerabletotechnologyinthefirstplace.

HagelsayswehavedesignedjobsintheU.Sthattendtobe“tightlyscripted”and“highlystandardized”onesthatleavenoroomfor“individualinitiativeorcreativity.”Inshort,thesearethetypesofjobsthatmachinescanperformmuchbetteratthanhumanbeings.ThatishowwehaveputagianttargetsignonthebacksofAmericanworkers,Hagelsays.

It’stimetoreinventtheformulaforhowworkisconducted,sincewearestillrelyingonavery20thcenturynotionofwork,Hagelsays.Inourrapidlychangingeconomy,wemorethaneverneedpeopleintheworkplacewhocantakeinitiativeandexercisetheirimagination“torespondtounexpectedevents.”That’snotsomethingmachinesaregoodat.Theyaredesignedtoperformverypredictableactivities.

AsHagelnotes,BrynjolfssonandMcAfeeindeedtouchedonthispointintheirbook.Weneedtoreframeraceagainstthemachineasracewiththemachine.Inotherwords,weneedtolookatthewaysinwhichmachinecanaugmenthumanlaborratherthanreplaceit.Sothentheproblemisnotreallyabouttechnology,butrather,“howdoweinnovateourinstitutionsandourworkpractices?”

31.Accordingtothefirstparagraph,economicdownturnswould.

[A]easethecompetitionofmanvs.machine

[B]highlightmachines’threattohumanjobs

[C]provokeapainfultechnologicalrevolution

[D]outmodeourcurrenteconomicstructure

32.TheauthorsofRaceAgainsttheMachinearguethat.

[A]technologyisdiminishingman’sjodopportunities

[B]automationisacceleratingtechnologicaldevelopment

[C]certainjobswillremainintactafterautomation

[D]manwillfinallywintheraceagainstmachine

33.HagelarguesthatjobsintheU.Sareoften.

[A]performedbyinnovativeminds

[B]scriptedwithanindividualstyle

[C]standardizedwithoutacleartarget

[D]designedagainsthumancreativity

34.Accordingtothelastparagraph,BrynjolfssonanMcafeediscussed.

[A]theprediceabilityofmachinebehaviorinpractice

[B]theformulaforhowworkisconductedefficiently

[C]thewaysmachinesreplacehumanlaborinmoderntimes

[D]thenecessityofhumaninvolvementintheworkplace

35.Whichofthefollowingcouldbethemostappropriatetitleforthetext?

[A]HowtoInnovateOurWorkPractices

[B]MachineswillReplaceHumanLabor

[C]CanWeWintheRaceAgainstMachines

[D]EconomicDownturnsStimulateInnovationsTheUS$3-millionFundamentalphysicsprizeisindeedaninterestingexperiment,asAlexanderPolyakovsaidwhenheacceptedthisyear’sawardinMarch.Anditisfarfromtheonlyoneofitstype.AsaNewsFeaturearticleinNaturediscusses,astringoflucrativeawardsforresearchershavejoinedtheNobelPrizesinrecentyears.Many,liketheFundamentalPhysicsPrize,arefundedfromthetelephone-number-sizedbankaccountsofInternetentrepreneurs.Thesebenefactorshavesucceededintheirchosenfields,theysay,andtheywanttousetheirwealthtodrawattentiontothosewhohavesucceededinscience.What’snottolike?Quitealot,accordingtoahandfulofscientistsquotedintheNewsFeature.Youcannotbuyclass,astheoldsayinggoes,andtheseupstartentrepreneurscannotbuytheirprizestheprestigeoftheNobels,Thenewawardsareanexerciseinself-promotionforthosebehindthem,sayscientists.Theycoulddistorttheachievement-basedsystemofpeer-review-ledresearch.Theycouldcementthestatusquoofpeer-reviewedresearch.Theydonotfundpeer-reviewedresearch.Theyperpetuatethemythofthelonegenius.

Thegoalsoftheprize-giversseemasscatteredasthecriticism.Somewanttoshock,otherstodrawpeopleintoscience,ortobetterrewardthosewhohavemadetheircareersinresearch.AsNaturehaspointedoutbefore,therearesomelegitimateconcernsabouthowscienceprizes—bothnewandold—aredistributed.TheBreakthroughPrizeinLifeSciences,launchedthisyear,takesanunrepresentativeviewofwhatthelifesciencesinclude.ButtheNobelFoundation’slimitofthreerecipientsperprize,eachofwhommuststillbeliving,haslongbeenoutgrownbythecollaborativenatureofmodernresearch—aswillbedemonstratedbytheinevitablerowoverwhoisignoredwhenitcomestoacknowledgingthediscoveryoftheHiggsboson.TheNobelswere,ofcourse,themselvessetupbyaveryrichindividualwhohaddecidedwhathewantedtodowithhisownmoney.Time,ratherthanintention,hasgiventhemlegitimacy.Asmuchassomescientistsmaycomplainaboutthenewawards,twothingsseemclear.First,mostresearcherswouldacceptsuchaprizeiftheywereofferedone.Second,itissurelyagoodthingthatthemoneyandattentioncometoscienceratherthangoelsewhere,Itisfairtocriticizeandquestionthemechanism—thatisthecultureofresearch,afterall—butitistheprize-givers’moneytodowithastheyplease.Itiswisetotakesuchgiftswithgratitudeandgrace.

31.TheFundamentalPhysicsPrizeisseenas[A]asymboloftheentrepreneurs’wealth.[B]apossiblereplacementoftheNobelPrizes.[C]anexampleofbankers’investments.[D]ahandsomerewardforresearchers.32.Thecriticsthinkthatthenewawardswillmostbenefit[A]theprofit-orientedscientists.[B]thefoundersofthenewawards.[C]theachievement-basedsystem.[D]peer-review-ledresearch.33.ThediscoveryoftheHiggsbosonisatypicalcasewhichinvolves[A]controversiesovertherecipients’status.[B]thejointeffortofmodernresearchers.[C]legitimateconcernsoverthenewprizes.[D]thedemonstrationofresearchfindings.34.AccordingtoParagraph4,whichofthefollowingistrueoftheNobels?[A]Theirendurancehasdonejusticetothem.[B]Theirlegitimacyhaslongbeenindispute.[C]Theyarethemostrepresentativehonor.[D]Historyhasnevercastdoubtonthem.35.Theauthorbelievesthatthenewawardsare[A]acceptabledespitethecriticism.[B]harmfultothecultureofresearch.[C]subjecttoundesirablechanges.[D]unworthyofpublicattention.20102Overthepastdecade,thousandsofpatentshavebeengrantedforwhatarecalledbusinessmethods.receivedoneforits“one-click”onlinepaymentsystem.MerrillLynchgotlegalprotectionforanassetallocationstrategy.Oneinventorpatentedatechniqueforliftingabox.

Nowthenation’stoppatentcourtappearscompletelyreadytoscalebackonbusiness-methodpatents,whichhavebeencontroversialeversincetheywerefirstauthorized10yearsago.Inamovethathasintellectual-propertylawyersabuzztheU.S.courtofAppealsforthefederalcircuitsaiditwoulduseaparticularcasetoconductabroadreviewofbusiness-methodpatents.InBilski,asthecaseisknown,is“averybigdeal”,saysDennis’D.CrouchoftheUniversityofMissouriSchooloflaw.It“hasthepotentialtoeliminateanentireclassofpatents.”

Curbsonbusiness-methodclaimswouldbeadramaticabout-face;becauseitwasthefederalcircuititselfthatintroducedsuchpatentswithits1998decisionintheso-calledstateStreetBankcase,approvingapatentonawayofpoolingmutual-fundassets.Thatrulingproducedanexplosioninbusiness-methodpatentfilings,initiallybyemerginginternetcompaniestryingtostakeoutexclusivepinhtstospecifictypesofonlinetransactions.Later,moveestablishedcompaniesracedtoaddsuchpatentstotheirfiles,ifonlyasadefensivemoveagainstrivalsthatmightbentthemtothepunch.In2005,IBMnotedinacourtfilingthatithadbeenissuedmorethan300business-methodpatentsdespitethefactthatitquestionedthelegalbasisforgrantingthem.Similarly,someWallStreetinvestmentfilmsarmedthemselveswithpatentsforfinancialproducts,evenastheytookpositionsincourtcasesopposingthepractice.

TheBilskicaseinvolvesaclaimedpatentonamethodforhedgingriskintheenergymarket.TheFederalcircuitissuedanunusualorderstatingthatthecasewouldbeheardbyall12ofthecourt’sjudges,ratherthanatypicalpanelofthree,andthatoneissueitwantstoevaluateiswhetheritshould”reconsider”itsstatestreetBankruling.

TheFederalCircuit’sactioncomesinthewakeofaseriesofrecentdecisionsbytheSupremeCourtthathasnarrowedthescopeofprotectionsforpatentholders.LastApril,forexamplethejusticessignaledthattoomanypatentswerebeingupheldfor“inventions”thatareobvious.ThejudgesontheFederalcircuitare“reactingtotheanti-patienttrendatthesupremecourt”,saysHaroleC.wegner,apatentattorneyandprofessoratJorgeWashingtonUniversityLawSchool.26.Business-methodpatentshaverecentlyarousedconcernbecauseof

[