Cyberspace, data superhighways, multi media—for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telepho

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问题    Cyberspace, data superhighways, multi media—for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telephones will change our lives forever. Yet for all the talk of a forthcoming technological Utopia, little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor. As with all new high technology, while the West concerns itself with the "how", the question of "for whom" is put aside once again.
   Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communications revolution has affected the world economy. Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries, and transnational corporations take full advantage of it. Terms of trade, exchange and interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods. The electronic economy made possible by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets—with destructive impact on the have-nots.
   For them the result is instability. Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine. As "futures" are traded on computer screens, developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies.
   So what are the options for regaining control? One alternative is for developing countries to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications themselves—so-called "development communications" modernization. Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries’ economies.
   Communications technology is generally exported from the U.S., Europe or Japan; the patents, skills and ability to manufacture remain in the hands of a few industrialized countries. It is also expensive, and imported products and services must therefore be bought on credit—credit usually provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain.
   Furthermore, when new technology is introduced there is often too low a level of expertise to exploit it for native development. This means that while local elites, foreign communities and subsidiaries of transnational corporations may benefit, those whose lives depend on access to the information are denied it.
It can be inferred from the passage that

选项 A、international trade should be expanded.
B、the interests of the poor countries have not been given enough consideration.
C、the exports of the poor countries should be increased.
D、communications technology in the developing countries should be modernized.

答案B

解析 推断题。本题要求对全文进行推断。这种题目一般要看作者在文章中的观点句。参见文 章第一段第二句“然而对于所有有关即将来临的技术乌托邦的言论来说,很少有人注意到这些 发展对穷人的影响”,说明穷国的利益没有被给予足够的考虑,所以B项对。A项是文章中没有 的观点。本文讲穷国如果依赖很少一些产品的出口就会变成国际经济机器的小零件,也就是富 国的附庸,并没有说要鼓励出口,所以C项不对。作者也没有提到发展中国家的信息技术应该 现代化,所以D项不对。
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