2010年考研英语一试题及答案（完整版）

　　hiting Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Text 2

　　Over the past decade,thousands of patents have seen granled for what are called business methods.Amazon com received one for its―one-click‖online payment systern Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy.One invenlor patented a tochnique for lying a box

　　Now the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale hack on business-method patents, which have been controversial e,ver since they were first authorized 10 years ago In a movethat has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz the U.S court of Appeals for the federal ctrcuit sald it would usea particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. Inre Bijskl, as the case is known, is―a very big deal‖， says Dermis'D Crouch of the University of Missoun

　　School of law.It ―has the potential to elinate an entire class of patmts‖

　　Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face because it was the federal circuit itself that introduced such patents with is 1998 decision in the so-called state Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive pinhts to specific types of online transactions. Later, move established companies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might bent them to the punch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents despite tha fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice。

　　The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court’s judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluste is wether it should ―reconsider‖ its state street Bank ruling。

　　The Federal Circuit’s action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme. Count that has nurrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for ―inventions‖ that are obvious. The judges on the Federal circuit are ―reaction to the anti_patent trend at the supreme court‖ says Harole C wegner, a partend attorney and professor at aeorge Washington University Law School。

　　26. Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because of

　　[A] their limited value to business

　　[B] their connection with asset allocation

　　[C] the possible restriction on their granting

　　[D] the controversy over authorization

　　27. Which of the following is true of the Bilski case?

　　[A] Its rulling complies with the court decisions

　　[B] It involves a very big business transaction

　　[C] It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit

　　[D] It may change the legal practices in the U.S。

　　28. The word ―about-face‖(Line 1, Paro 3)most probably means

　　[A] loss of good will

　　[B]increase of hostility

　　[C]change of attitude

　　[D] change of auiuled

　　29.We learn from the last two pamgraphs that business-meihod Pateats

　　[A] are immune to legal challenges

　　[B] are of ten unnecessarily issued

　　[C] lower the esteem for pateat holders

　　[D] increase the incidence of risks

　　30.Which of the following would bethe subject ofthe text?

　　[A]A looming threat to bvamess-melhcd patents

　　[B]Protection for business-method patent holders

　　[C]A legal case regarding business-methodpatents

　　[D] A prevailing tread against business-method patents