New era of Microsoft in digital music.docx

Unit42 SEATTLE Music fans have often viewed Microsoft as something like a bad cover band, one that pumped out uninviting facsimiles of Apples iPod and iTunes with its Zune music players and service. Now that the Zune brand is dead, Microsoft is once again in search of a hit in digital music. But this time, to improve its odds of success, it is marshaling some of its most powerful brands as never before: Windows and the Xbox.On Monday, the company plans to announce a service called Xbox Music that will offer access to a global catalog of about 30 million songs. The service will let consumers listen free to any song on computers and tablets running the latest version of its Windows software, as well as on the Xbox console. Microsoft will not initially limit how much music can be streamed, though that could change over time. The service is part of a broad set of bets Microsoft is making this fall to help regain ground it has lost to competitors, especially Apple and Google. In addition to Windows 8, a major new version of its flagship operating system that will start shipping Oct. 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system for mobile phones and its first Microsoft-designed computer, a tablet device called Surface.In an aggressive push to persuade lots of people to use the service, Microsoft will package the software for Xbox Music with Windows 8. The arrangement could awaken antitrust concerns about Microsofts use of Windows to gain toeholds in new markets. Microsofts do-over in the market is a sign of how a strong music service has come to be seen as a prerequisite for any serious player in the gadget business. Apple first showed the way with that strategy by making it simple to buy songs from the iTunes Store, helping it sell more iPods. Google and Amazon have also gotten in on the act, adding music stores to their Android and Kindle devices. In addition to competing with those big companies, Xbox Music is entering a landscape thick with independent music services that offer their own variations on the listening experience. Spotify, for example, provides on-demand listening to a large library of music, while Pandora programs radio stations tailored to its listeners individual tastes.Scott Porter, principal program manager for Xbox Music, said many music fans today relied on a variety of services like those, along with more traditional sellers of songs like iTunes, to satisfy all their musical needs. This approach, though, can be tedious. “The dilemma is that music has become work,” he said. “Our vision for Xbox Music is that it shouldnt have to be work.” Xbox Music incorporates elements of all of those services. There is an option to buy songs, so a music fan can own them permanently with minimal restrictions. There are Pandora-like radio stations built around songs and similar-sounding music.注（1）：本文选自The New York Times注（2）：本文习题模仿对象:本文习题的1, 2, 3, 4模仿2010年真题Test 2的4, 2, 3, 5题，5模仿2011年真题Text 1的第5题。1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that D .A Music fans do not like Microsoft any longer.B Zune was substituted by other service.C Windows and the Xbox are Microsofts most powerful brands.D Microsoft plans to regain success in digital music with its powerful brands.2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text? A .A The service provides consumers with songs on computers, tablets and Xbox console with no charge. B Microsoft wont restrict the amount of the music download as the time went by.C Microsoft is sure that the service can beat Apple and Google.D Windows 8 and its Windows Phone and its first Microsoft-designed computer will release simultaneously.3. The word “toehold” (Line3, paragraph 3) most probably means C .A insistenceB supportCsuccessD patience4. Which of the following would be the topic of the text? D.A Microsoft introduces its powerful service: Windows and Xbox.B Microsoft turns to Window and Xbox instead of its traditional style.C Microsofts Zune service was obsolete.D By virtue of the Windows and Xbox, Microsoft attempts to win victory in music field.5. From the text we can see that the writer seems D .A positiveBnegativeCdoubtfulDobjective词汇注释facsimile fksml n. 传真机；复写 marshal m()l v.排列console knsl n.控制台，操纵台 flagship flgpn.旗舰，佼佼者antitrust nttrst adj.反垄断的 kindle knd()l v.点火，点燃toehold thld n.小立足点 prerequisite prirekwzt n.先决条件gadget gdt n.小配件 incorporate nkpret v.合并，包含难句突破In addition to Windows 8, a major new version of its flagship operating system that will start shipping Oct. 26, the company is close to releasing a new version of its Windows Phone operating system for mobile phones and its first Microsoft-designed computer, a tablet device called Surface.主体句式 In addition to Windows 8, the company is releasing Windows Phone and computer。结构分析 这个长句看上去结构复杂，主要是因为其中有很多的修饰成分（前置定语和后置定语），a major new version of是对Windows 8进行补充说明，其中这里面包含一个定语从句，进一步补充说明其发售时间，而后面是由and连接的两个并列句，介绍Windows系统移动电话和平板电脑届时也会发售。句子译文 除了即将在10月26号发售的新一代操作系统Windows8，届时，一款专门为手机用户研发的Windows移动电话操作系统和微软自主研发的平板电脑Surface，也将于10月26号前后推出。题目分析1. D 推理题。文章中Now that the Zune brand is dead, Microsoft is once again in search of a hit in digital music. But this time, to improve its odds of success, it is marshaling some of its most powerful brands as never before: Windows and the Xbox. 由此可见，微软是想重振雄风。A，B和C选项陈述的都是客观事实，D选项是在这三个事实的基础上推断而来，即推出Microsoft这一计划。2. A 细节题。原文对应信息是The service will let consumers listen free to any song on computers and tablets running the latest version of its Windows software, as well as on the Xbox console. 这项服务器能让用户免费听电脑或微软控制台上的任何歌曲。其他选项与原文意思不符。B和D选项的意思与文章原文相反，C选项意义模糊，不能肯定，皆与题意不符。3. C 语义题。Toehold本身拆开来时toe和hold,字面意思是脚趾头站立，译意是站得住脚，有可供脚站的地方。 由The arrangement could awaken antitrust concerns about Microsofts use of Windows to gain toeholds in new markets.得知，这项安排将打击反垄断控诉，为了在新市场中赢得toeholds。根据常识可知赢得的一般都是积极方面，好的方面，而且全文一直说的是微软想赢得新的胜利。因此toehold有成功的意思。4. D推断题。纵观全篇文章，主要是介绍微软为了大数字音乐领域大出风头，决定用自身强有力的品牌Windows和Xbox来增加其胜算的筹码。A，B和C选项皆是文章中的一个事实，不能以偏概全就作为文章的主题。5. D 情感态度题。本文作者自始至终都以非常客观的角度介绍“微软计划”在数字音乐领域大出风头。没有加入个人的观点，即使是对该计划一些成果的表述也不是作者自己的看法，而是引用事实或他人的评价。篇章剖析 本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述了微软利用Windows和Xbox想在数字音乐领域重振雄风。第一段主要讲了为了洗刷微软在以往历史中借用Zune的劣迹，微软前所未有的将采用Windows 和Xbox. 第二段详细介绍了Xbox这个音乐软件的作用和便利性。第三段接着讲述了微软把Xbox预装到Window系统里，强调拥有强大音乐服务器的重要性。第四段通过与传统听歌模式的对比，更加突出Xbox这一软件的高端性，强调Xbox做的更加面面俱到。参考译文音乐迷们通常会把微软看作是一个糟透了的翻唱乐队，它自身的音乐播放器和服务器“Zune”一直都在模仿Apple系统里ipod和iTunes软件。现如今，“Zune”品牌已不复存在，但是微软还想在数字音乐领域大出风头。但是这次，为了增加胜算，它集结了自身几个最具影响力的品牌：Windows和Xbox。这种情况在以前还从未有过。周一，公司计划公布一种新的音乐播放工具，名为Xbox音乐，这个工具能为用户提供来自全球约3000万首歌曲。只要用户的电脑或掌上设备或Xbox的操控面板上