首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
In 1742 Benjamin Franklin invented a new type of stove, for which he was offered a patent. Franklin refused it, arguing in his a
In 1742 Benjamin Franklin invented a new type of stove, for which he was offered a patent. Franklin refused it, arguing in his a
admin
2016-11-09
43
问题
In 1742 Benjamin Franklin invented a new type of stove, for which he was offered a patent. Franklin refused it, arguing in his autobiography that because "we enjoyed great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours."
Most inventors are not as generous as the "Newton of Electricity": They want to turn their inventions into a profit. The patent system, which was developed independently in 15th-century Venice and then in 17th-century England, gave entrepreneurs a monopoly to sell their inventions for a number of years. Yet by the 1860s the patent system came under attack. Patents, critics argued, inhibited future creativity by allowing inventors to
rest on their laurels
. Recent economic research backs this up.
The pharmaceutical industry makes the best case for patents (and makes the most of patents when they are approved). Medical research and development (R&D) is costly. Moreover, although a patent application must be filed straight after a drug discovery, clinical trials necessary for drug approval may take several years. This shortens the effective life of the patent, which causes problems. In order to prove the efficacy of a drug, pharmaceuticals have to match the length of a clinical trial to the expected survival time of the patients. A clinical trial for patients with a spreading cancer lasts only three years compared to an 18-year-long trial for those suffering from a milder, localized cancer. Since a typical patent is in force for 20 years, firms only have two years of effective patent length left to commercialize a new drug against the localized cancer.
The data paint a gloomy picture. Pharmaceutical companies conduct 30 times more clinical trials for recurrent cancer drugs than for preventive drugs. They divert their R&D expenditures away from more curable, localized cancers and focus on incurable spreading and recurrent cancers instead. The patent system encourages pharmaceuticals to pump out drugs aimed at those who have almost no chance of surviving the cancer anyway. This patent distortion costs the U.S. economy around $89 billion a year in lost lives.
A one-size-fits-all patent system does not cater to the specifics of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. But tailoring patent law may encourage lobbying and corruption. A careful reform of the patent system is necessary: Complete abolition of patents will not be enough to save cancer patients’ lives.
The underlined words "rest on their laurels" in Paragraph 2 probably mean________.
选项
A、feel satisfied with what they have achieved
B、be motivated to create more inventions and profits
C、have a good rest after a long span of hard work
D、accumulate much wealth in a short time
答案
A
解析
根据该句中前面的文字可以推断rest on their laurels不是褒义的。对当时专利制度持批评态度的人认为这种体系不利于未来的创作发明,原因是享受专利的人可以如何如何。rest on one’s laurels是个成语,意义为be satisfied with what one has already achieved(对自己的成就感到满意),言外之意就是“不思进取,故步自封”。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/KUHO777K
0
研究生英语学位课统考(GET)
相关试题推荐
Thatexperiencesinfluencesubsequentbehaviourisevidenceofanobviousbutneverthelessremarkableactivitycalledrememberin
TheUnitedStatesisacountrymadeupofmanydifferentraces.Usuallytheyaremixedtogetherandcan’tbetoldfromoneanoth
TheUnitedStatesisacountrymadeupofmanydifferentraces.Usuallytheyaremixedtogetherandcan’tbetoldfromoneanoth
Tousitseemssonaturaltoputupanumbrellatokeepthewateroffwhenitrains.Butactuallytheumbrellawasnotinvented
Personalityistoalargeextentinherent—A-typeparentsusuallybringaboutA-typeoffspring.Buttheenvironmentmustalsohav
Shopperswhohaveflockedtoonlinestoresfortheirholidayshoppingarelosingprivacywitheverymouseclick,accordingtoa
Sherefusedto______thedoorkeytothelandladyuntilshegotbackherdeposit.
TheEnglishweatherdefiesforecastandhenceisasourceofinterest______toeveryone.
InwhatwaydoesTVdiscourageconcentration,accordingtothetext?Theauthorapprovesoftheideathat______.
InwhatwaydoesTVdiscourageconcentration,accordingtothetext?Bydescribingnewsas"machine-gunningwithscraps",thea
随机试题
用倾斜法铣削具有两段工作曲线的等速圆盘凸轮,已知Ph1=75.9mm,Ph2=72.19mm,若假定导程Ph’=80mm。试求分度头倾斜角α1、α2和立铣头扳转角β1、β2。
男,10个月,吐泻1周,嗜睡、口渴、尿量减少,皮肤弹性差,前囟眼眶明显凹陷,脉细速,四肢稍凉,测血钠125mmol/L,考虑为( )
在突发公共卫生事件发生期间,散布谣言、哄抬物价、欺骗消费者,扰乱社会秩序、市场秩序的,由公安机关或者工商行政部门依法给予什么,构成犯罪的,依法追究刑事责任
A.水醇法B.酸碱法C.盐析法D.活性炭E.醇醚法纯化总皂苷通常采用方法是()
以下制裁形式属于行政处分的是()。
【背景资料】某城市轨道交通工程项目,在施工过程中项目经理部对施工阶段的质量控制措施摘录如下。(1)单位工程、分部工程和分项工程开工前,施工负责人向分包方全体人员进行书面技术交底。(2)项目经理对监理工程师提出的设计变更要求在执行前向
施工作业交底是最基层的技术和管理交底活动,()要对施工作业交底进行监督。
下列各句中,没有语病的一项为:
网卡的功能是将PC机或服务器连接到网络上,下面关于以太网网卡的叙述中,不正确的是______。
Whatpositiondoesthewriterapplyfor?Sheappliesforthe______Whendoessheknowthatthereceiverneedscandidates
最新回复
(
0
)