2013年雅思考试阅读模拟练习及答案十一.doc

2013年雅思考试阅读模拟练****及答案十一
A.
It was uncharacteristically low-key for the industry’s greatest showman. But the essay published this week by Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, on his firm’s website under the unassuming title “Thoughts on Music” has heless provoked a vigorous debate about the future of digital music, which Apple dominates with its iPod music-player and iTunes music-store. At issue is “digital rights management”(DRM)—the technology guarding downloaded music against theft. Since there is mon standard for DRM, it also has the side-effect that songs purchased for one type of music-player may not work on another. Apple’s DRM system, called FairPlay, is the most widespread. So it came as a surprise when Mr. Jobs called for DRM for digital music to be abolished.
B.
This is a change of tack for Apple. It e under fire from European regulators who claim that its refusal to license FairPlay to other firms has “locked in” customers. Since music from the iTunes store cannot be played on non-iPod music-players (at least not without a lot of fiddling), any iTunes buyer will be deterred from switching to a device made by a rival firm, such as Sony or Microsoft. When French lawmakers drafted a bill last pelling Apple to open up FairPlay to rivals, pany warned of
“state-sponsored piracy”. Only DRM, it implied, could keep the pirates at bay.
C.
This week Mr. Jobs gave another e