ReadingComprehensionEx1.doc

Reading Comprehension Ex. 1 Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value. The concept dates back to 1623 when the first patent (专利) law to (1) IP rights was passed. IP rights protect the artist from having his/her creative ideas (2)_______ by another. For example, if somebody generated an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights. If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/she must consult the (3) artists, who will normally be (4) financially for its use. Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing. But today, intellectual (5) rights, are also enjoyed by those who create music, (6) and literature. In recent years, IP rights have been the (7) of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether, the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a (8)________ of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, from a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be (9)________ today free of charge using the Internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically (10)________ the way in which we view IP rights. A. art B. recording C. income D. downloaded E. convenient F. protect G. affecting H. copied I. property J. least K. original L. focus M. cities N. rewarded O. reshape Federal Express is a company that specializes in rapid overnight delivery of high-priority packages. The first company of its type, Federal Express was founded by the youthful Fred Smith in 1971, when he was only 28 years old. Smith had actually developed the idea for the rapid delivery service in a term paper for an economics class when he was a student at Yale Univ