Use of English (2013)

Given the advantages of electronic money, you might think that we would move quickly to the cashless society in which all payments are made electronically. [1], a true cashless society is probably not around the corner. Indeed, predictions have been [2] for two decades but have not yet come to fruition. For example, Business Week predicted in 1975 that electronic means of payment “would soon revolutionize the very [3] of money itself,” only to [4] itself several years later. Why has the movement to a cashless society been so [5] in coming?

Although electronic means of payment may be more efficient than a payment system based on paper, several factors work [6] the disappearance of the paper system. First, it is very [7] to set up the computer, card reader, and telecommunications networks necessary to make electronic money the [8] form of payment. Second, paper checks have the advantage that they [9] receipts, something that many consumers are unwilling to [10]. Third, the use of paper checks gives consumers several days of “float”—it takes several days [11] a check is cashed and funds are [12] from the issuer’s account, which means that the writer of the check can earn interest on the funds in the meantime. [13] electronic payments are immediate, they eliminate the float for the consumer.

Fourth, electronic means of payment may [14] security and privacy concerns. We often hear media reports that an unauthorized hacker has been able to access a computer database and to alter information [15] there. The fact that this is not an [16] occurrence means that dishonest persons might be able to access bank accounts in electronic payments systems and [17] from someone else’s accounts. The [18] of this type of fraud is no easy task, and a new field of computer science is developing to [19] security issues. A further concern is that the use of electronic means of payment leaves an electronic [20] that contains a large amount of personal data. There are concerns that government, employers, and marketers might be able to access these data, thereby violating our privacy.

1.

[A]Moreover

[B]However

[C]Therefore

[D]Otherwise

2.

[A]off

[B]back

[C]over

[D]around

3.

[A]power

[B]concept

[C]history

[D]role

4.

[A]reverse

[B]resist

[C]resume

[D]reward

5.

[A]silent

[B]sudden

[C]slow

[D]steady

6.

[A]for

[B]against

[C]with

[D]on

7.

[A]expensive

[B]imaginative

[C]sensitive

[D]productive

8.

[A]similar

[B]original

[C]temporary

[D]dominant

9.

[A]collect

[B]copy

[C]provide

[D]print

10.

[A]give up

[B]take over

[C]bring back

[D]pass down

11.

[A]before

[B]after

[C]since

[D]when

12.

[A]kept

[B]borrowed

[C]withdrawn

[D]released

13.

[A]Unless

[B]Because

[C]Until

[D]Though

14.

[A]hide

[B]express

[C]ease

[D]raise

15.

[A]analyzed

[B]shared

[C]stored

[D]displayed

16.

[A]unsafe

[B]unnatural

[C]unclear

[D]uncommon

17.

[A]steal

[B]choose

[C]benefit

[D]return

18.

[A]consideration

[B]prevention

[C]manipulation

[D]justification

19.

[A]call for

[B]fight against

[C]adapt to

[D]cope with

20.

[A]chunk

[B]chip

[C]trail

[D]path

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

1. [B] However. 解析：前文说“你可能认为我们会迅速走向无现金社会”，后文说“真正的无现金社会大概还未到来”。前后为转折关系，故选 However（然而）。

2. [D] around. 解析：考查固定搭配。predictions have been around 意为“预测已经存在/流传了二十年（却尚未实现）”。

3. [B] concept. 解析：考查词义搭配。“改变了货币本身的概念（concept）”。电子支付彻底颠覆了人们对“钱”是什么的认知，其他选项如 power, history, role 均不如 concept 贴切。

4. [A] reverse. 解析：商业周刊曾经预言电子支付会很快带来变革，“结果却在几年后推翻/撤回（reverse）了自己（的预言）”，因为预言并未如期实现。only to do sth 表示出乎意料的坏结果。

5. [C] slow. 解析：首段总结句：为什么走向无现金社会的运动到来得如此缓慢（slow）？这与第一句的 move quickly 形成鲜明对比。

6. [B] against. 解析：后文列举了阻碍无现金社会的因素，因此这些因素是起“阻碍”作用的。work against 意为“对...不利 / 阻碍”。

7. [A] expensive. 解析：第一大因素：建立计算机、读卡器等网络是非常昂贵的（expensive）。

8. [D] dominant. 解析：建立这些网络是为了使电子货币成为占主导地位的（dominant）支付形式。其他选项（相似的、最初的、暂时的）不合逻辑。

9. [C] provide. 解析：纸质支票的优势在于它们能提供（provide）收据。这是支票的功能属性。

10. [A] give up. 解析：消费者不愿意放弃（give up）这种提供收据的优势。

11. [A] before. 解析：考查固定句型。It takes (time) before... 意为“需要花费（多长时间）才（发生某事）”。这里指需要好几天支票才被兑现。

12. [C] withdrawn. 解析：金融词汇。资金从账户中被提取/扣除，用 withdrawn (withdraw 的过去分词)。

13. [B] Because. 解析：因果逻辑。因为（Because）电子支付是即时的，所以它们消除了消费者的浮存期（float）。

14. [D] raise. 解析：搭配用法。电子支付可能引发/引起（raise）安全和隐私的担忧（concerns）。

15. [C] stored. 解析：黑客访问数据库并修改存储（stored）在那里的信息。过去分词作后置定语。

16. [D] uncommon. 解析：双重否定表肯定。这并非罕见的（uncommon）情况，意味着这种事经常发生。

17. [A] steal. 解析：不诚实的人访问电子支付账户，目的是从别人账户里偷窃（steal）。

18. [B] prevention. 解析：对这种欺诈的预防（prevention）绝非易事。后面紧接着说计算机科学正在开发新技术来应对安全问题。

19. [D] cope with. 解析：计算机科学的一个新领域正在发展，以应对/处理（cope with）安全问题。

20. [C] trail. 解析：固定表达。电子支付会留下电子痕迹/轨迹（trail），其中包含大量个人数据。chip 指芯片，path 偏向物理路径，trail 常指无形的痕迹。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. Only to do 的意外结果：
"For example, Business Week predicted in 1975 that electronic means of payment 'would soon revolutionize the very concept of money itself,' only to reverse itself several years later."
【解析】only to do sth 常常表示一个出乎意料的、往往是令人失望的结局。这里表示《商业周刊》当初信誓旦旦地预言，结果几年后却只能“自己打脸（撤回预言）”。

2. It takes + time + before 句型：
"Third, the use of paper checks gives consumers several days of 'float'—it takes several days before a check is cashed and funds are withdrawn from the issuer’s account..."
【解析】it takes + 时间段 + before... 是非常地道的英语表达，翻译为“需要多长时间之后才……”。此外，这段出现了高频金融词汇：float (浮存期/在途资金)，cash a check (兑现支票)，withdraw funds (提取资金)。

3. 同位语从句与双重否定：
"The fact that this is not an uncommon occurrence means that dishonest persons might be able to access bank accounts in electronic payments systems and steal from someone else’s accounts."
【解析】句子的主语是 The fact，that 引导同位语从句解释事实的内容。not an uncommon occurrence 构成了双重否定，意为“（黑客入侵）这种事很常见”，增强了句子的警示语气。