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passage three
questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
microsoft is no longer the world’s biggest company by market capitalization. three other u.s. companies have overtaken the software giant in terms of stock market value. the firm’s value has gone down sharply by 41% so far this year, from nearly $600 billion to $358 billion. much of the reason for the fall has been the uncertainty prompted by the on-going anti-trust case. it has been overtaken by general electric, now worth $506 bn, intel, worth $441 bn and cisco systems, $436 bn.
over the past year microsoft shares have from a high of $120 to $68 in early trading on 7 june. meanwhile rival cisco has seen its share price rise by $25 to more than $60 as the company has gained its role in providing the hardware for the internet. and for most of the year it has been competing with computer chip maker intel for the second place. intel’s pentium chips are widely used in personal computers worldwide.
the company that now holds the title of the world’s biggest company is an industrial giant which makes everything from toasters to jet engines. ge has sales of $110 bn—nearly ten times that of microsoft and 340,000 employees worldwide. it has seen its profits grow by 15% a year to $11 bn. ge capital services, its financial subsidiary, make up nearly half its sales. ge produces power generation systems, locomotive, medical imaging equipment and electrical appliances. it also owns the u.s. television network nbc and its financial news subsidiary, cnbc, and ironically, a joint venture with microsoft to provide news on the internet.
microsoft’s shares now face a further period of uncertainty as the company’s legal battle continues. it could also face difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees whose pay has been boosted by their share options. the seattle based firm is likely to go to an appeals court on any rulings. it losses from lawsuits brought by competitors, who would be able to claim triple（三倍）damages for any losses suffered. and with its energy and resources tied up in the lawsuits, the company may find it difficult to continue to innovate in the future, or move so aggressively to buy up competitors.
31.microsoft’s shares are devalued drastically owing to ____.
a) fierce competition from rivals
b) its involvement in a lawsuit（诉讼）
c) the court rulings
d) the decrease in sales volume
32.cisco systems’ share price has risen considerably ____.
a) after it has overtaken part of microsoft’s shares
b) after it has beaten intel and risen to the second place
c) since it has gained a firm footing in the market
d) because it is developing jointly with microsoft
33.which is now the second biggest company in the united states?
a) general electric. b) intel.
c) cisco systems.d) ge capital services.
34.which of the following companies is owned by general electric and microsoft together?
a) ge capital services. b) nbc.c) cnbc. d) msnbc.
35.why is it difficult for microsoft to retain employees?
a)because it faces an uncertain future.
b)because it will have problem innovating itself.
c)because it will have problem paying them.
d)because it may be bought up by its competitors one day.
31.【答案】b。【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】第一段指出，市值下降的原因是正在进行的反垄断带来了不确定性。选项b中的lawsuit指“诉讼案件”，所以选b。
32. 【答案】c。【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】第二段中的meanwhile rival cisco has seen its share price rise $25 to more than $60 as the company has gained its role in providing the hardware for the internet这句话说明了cisco的股价上升是由于它赢得了为互联网提供硬件设备的市场地位。所以选项c“在市场上建立坚实的基础”是正确答案。
33. 【答案】b。【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】第一段末尾的it has been overtaken by general electric, now worth $506 bn, intel, worth $441 bn and cisco systems, $436 bn表明微软的市值已经被市值5060亿的通用、4410亿的英特尔和4360亿的cisco三家公司超过。排第二位是英特尔，所以选b。
34.【答案】c。【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】第三段明确指出，cnbc是通用与微软的合资公司，负责提供网上新闻。所以选c。
35. 【答案】a。【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】文章最后一段的主题句是“如果公司的法律纠纷持续不断，微软的股票将会面临更大的不确定性。” （microsoft’s shares now face a further period of uncertainty as the company’s legal battle continues.）由此可见，员工不愿意在微软工作是因为该公司的前景已经不像以前那样看好了。所以选a。