31年考研英語歷年真題及答案下載

2004年全國碩士研究生入學(xué)統(tǒng)一考試英語試題SectionIIIReadingComprehensionPartADirections:Readthefollowingfourtexts.Answerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosing[A],[B],[C]or[D].MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.(40points)Text1Huntingforajoblatelastyear,lawyerGantRedmonstumbledacrossCareerBuilder,ajobdatabaseontheInternet.Hesearcheditwithnosuccessbutwasattractedbythesite'sapersonalsearchagent."It'saninteractivefeaturethatletsvisitorskeyinjobcriteriasuchaslocation,title,andsalary,thenE-mailsthemwhenamatchingpositionispostedinthedatabase.Redmonchosethekeywordslegal,intellectualproperty,andWashington,D.C.Threeweekslater,hegothisfirstnotificationofanopening."Istruckgold,"saysRedmon,whoE-mailedhisresumetotheemployerandwonapositionasin-housecounselforacompany.Withthousandsofcareer-relatedsitesontheInternet,findingpromisingopeningscanbetime-consumingandinefficient.Searchagentsreducetheneedforrepeatedvisitstothedatabases.ButalthoughasearchagentworkedforRedmon,careerexpertsseedrawbacks.Narrowingyourcriteria,forexample,mayworkagainstyou:"Everytimeyouansweraquestionyoueliminateapossibility."saysoneexpert.Foranyjobsearch,youshouldstartwithanarrowconcept一whatyouthinkyouwanttodo—thenbroadenit."Noneoftheseprogramsdothat,"saysanotherexpert."There'snocareercounselingimplicitinallofthis."Instead,thebeststrategyistousetheagentasakindoftipservicetokeepabreastofjobsinaparticulardatabase;whenyougetE-mail,consideritaremindertocheckthedatabaseagain."Iwouldnotrelyonagentsforfindingeverythingthatisaddedtoadatabasethatmightinterestme,“saystheauthorofajob-searchingguide.Somesitesdesigntheiragentstotemptjobhunterstoreturn.WhenCareerSite'sagentsendsoutmessagestothosewhohavesignedupforitsservice,forexample,itincludesonlythreepotentialjobs--thoseitconsidersthebestmatches.Theremaybemorematchesinthedatabase;jobhunterswillhavetovisitthesiteagaintofindthem—andtheydo."Onthedayafterwesendourmessages,weseeasharpincreaseinourtraffic,“saysSethPeets,vicepresidentofmarketingforCareerSite.Eventhosewhoaren'thuntingforjobsmayfindsearchagentsworthwhile.Someusethemtokeepaclosewatchonthedemandfortheirlineofworkorgatherinformationoncompensationtoarmthemselveswhennegotiatingforaraise.Althoughhappilyemployed,RedmonmaintainshisagentatCareerBuilder."Youalwayskeepyoureyesopen,hesays.Workingwithapersonalsearchagentmeanshavinganothersetofeyeslookingoutforyou.HowdidRedmonfindhisjob?Bysearchingopeningsinajobdatabase.Bypostingamatchingpositioninadatabase.Byusingaspecialserviceofadatabase.ByE-mailinghisresumetoadatabase.Whichofthefollowingcanbeadisadvantageofsearchagents?Lackofcounseling.Limitednumberofvisits.Lowerefficiency.Fewersuccessfulmatches.Theexpression"tipservice”(Line4,Paragraph3)mostprobablymeans.advisorycompensationinteractionreminderWhydoesCareerSite'sagentoffereachjobhunteronlythreejoboptions?LA」Fofocusonbetterjobmatches.Toattractmorereturningvisits.Toreservespaceformoremessages.Toincreasetherateofsuccess.Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothetext?Personalsearchagentsareindispensabletojob-hunters.SomesiteskeepE-mailingjobseekerstotracetheirdemands.Personalsearchagentsarealsohelpfultothosealreadyemployed.Someagentsstopsendinginformationtopeopleoncetheyareemployed.Text2Overthepastcentury,allkindsofunfairnessanddiscriminationhavebeencondemnedormadeillegal.Butoneinsidiousformcontinuestothrive:alphabetism.This,forthoseasyetunawareofsuchadisadvantage,referstodiscriminationagainstthosewhosesurnamesbeginwithaletterinthelowerhalfofthealphabet.IthaslongbeenknownthatataxifirmcalledAAAAcarshasabigadvantageoverZodiaccarswhencustomersthumbthroughtheirphonedirectories.LesswellknownistheadvantagethatAdamAbbotthasinlifeoverZoeZysman.Englishnamesarefairlyevenlyspreadbetweenthehalvesofthealphabet.YetasuspiciouslylargenumberoftoppeoplehavesurnamesbeginningwithlettersbetweenAandK.ThustheAmericanpresidentandvice-presidenthavesurnamesstartingwithBandCrespectively;and26ofGeorgeBush*spredecessors(includinghisfather)hadsurnamesinthefirsthalfofthealphabetagainstjust16inthesecondhalf.Evenmorestriking,sixofthesevenheadsofgovernmentoftheG7richcountriesarealphabeticallyadvantaged(Berlusconi,Blair,Bush,Chirac,ChretienandKoizumi).Theworld'sthreetopcentralbankers(Greenspan,DuisenbergandHayami)areallclosetothetopofthealphabet,evenifoneofthemreallyusesJapanesecharacters.Asaretheworld'sfiverichestmen(Gates,Buffett,Allen,EllisonandAlbrecht).Canthismerelybecoincidence?Onetheory,dreamtupinallthesparetimeenjoyedbythealphabeticallydisadvantaged,isthattherotsetsinearly.Atthestartofthefirstyearininfantschool,teachersseatpupilsalphabeticallyfromthefront,tomakeiteasiertoremembertheirnames.Soshort-sightedZysmanjuniorgetsstuckinthebackrow,andisrarelyaskedtheimprovingquestionsposedbythoseinsensitiveteachers.Atthetimethealphabeticallydisadvantagedmaythinktheyhavehadaluckyescape.Yettheresultmaybeworsequalifications,becausetheygetlessindividualattention,aswellaslessconfidenceinspeakingpublicly.Thehumiliationcontinues.Atuniversitygraduationceremonies,theABCsproudlygettheirawardsfirst;bythetimetheyreachtheZysmansmostpeopleareliterallyhavingaZZZ.Shortlistsforjobinterviews,electionballotpapers,listsofconferencespeakersandattendees:alltendtobedrawnupalphabetically,andtheirrecipientsloseinterestastheyploughthroughthem.WhatdoestheauthorintendtoillustratewithAAAAcarsandZodiaccars?Akindofoverlookedinequality.Atypeofconspicuousbias.Atypeofpersonalprejudice.Akindofbranddiscrimination.Whatcanweinferfromthefirstthreeparagraphs?InbothEastandWest,namesareessentialtosuccess.ThealphabetistoblameforthefailureofZoeZysman.CustomersoftenpayalotofattentiontocompaniesJnames.Someformofdiscriminationistoosubtletorecognize.The4thparagraphsuggeststhat.questionsareoftenputtothemoreintelligentstudentsalphabeticallydisadvantagedstudentsoftenescapefromclassteachersshouldpayattentiontoalloftheirstudentsstudentsshouldbeseatedaccordingtotheireyesightWhatdoestheauthormeanbyamostpeopleareliterallyhavingaZZZ”(Lines 2-3,Paragraph5)?They are getting impatient.They are noisily dozingoff.They are feeling humiliated.Theyarebusywithwordpuzzles.Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothetext?PeoplewithsurnamesbeginningwithNtoZareoftenill-treated.VIPsintheWesternworldgainagreatdealfromalphabetism.Thecampaigntoeliminatealphabetismstillhasalongwaytogo.Puttingthingsalphabeticallymayleadtounintentionalbias.Text3Whenitcomestotheslowingeconomy,EllenSperoisn'tbitinghernailsjustyet.Butthe47-year-oldmanicuristisn'tcutting,fillingorpolishingasmanynailsasshe'dliketo,either.Mostofherclientsspend$12to$50weekly,butlastmonthtwolongtimecustomerssuddenlystoppedshowingup.Speroblamesthesofteningeconomy."I'magoodeconomicindicator,"shesays."Iprovideaservicethatpeoplecandowithoutwhenthey'reconcernedaboutsavingsomedollars."SoSperoisdownscaling,shoppingatmiddle-browDillard'sdepartmentstorenearhersuburbanClevelandhome,insteadofNeimanMarcus."Idon'tknowifotherclientsaregoingtoabandonme,too."shesays.EvenbeforeAlanGreenspan'sadmissionthatAmerica'sred-hoteconomyiscooling,lotsofworkingfolkshadalreadyseensignsoftheslowdownthemselves.FromcardealershipstoGapoutlets,saleshavebeenlaggingformonthsasshopperstempertheirspending.Forretailers,wholastyeartookin24percentoftheirrevenuebetweenThanksgivingandChristmas,thecautiousapproachiscomingatacrucialtime.Already,expertssay,holidaysalesareoff7percentfromlastyear'space.Butdon'tsoundanyalarmsjustyet.Consumersseemonlymildlyconcerned,notpanicked,andmanysaytheyremainoptimisticabouttheeconomy'slong-termprospects,evenastheydosomemodestbe1t-tightening.Consumerssaythey'renotindespairbecause,despitethedreadfulheadlines,theirownfortunesstillfeelprettygood.Homepricesareholdingsteadyinmostregions.InManhattan,“there'sanewgoldrushhappeninginthe$4millionto$10millionrange,predominantlyfedbyWallStreetbonuses,"saysbrokerBarbaraCorcoran.InSanFrancisco,pricesarestillrisingevenasfrenziedoverbiddingquiets."Insteadof20to30offers,nowmaybeyouonlygettwoorthree,"saysJohnTealdi,aBayAreareal-estatebroker.Andmostfolksstillfeelprettycomfortableabouttheirabilitytofindandkeepajob.Manyfolksseesilverliningstothisslowdown.Potentialhomebuyerswouldcheerforlowerinterestrates.Employerswouldn'tmindalittlefewerbubblesinthejobmarket.Manyconsumersseemtohavebeeninfluencedbystock-marketswings,whichinvestorsnowviewasanecessaryingredienttoasustainedboom.Dinersmightseeanupside,too.GettingatableatManhattan'shotnewAlainDucasserestaurantusedtobeimpossible.Notanymore.Forthat,Greenspan&Co.maystillbeworthtoasting.By"EllenSperoisn'tbitinghernailsjustyet"(Lines1-2,Paragraph1),theauthormeans.SperocanhardlymaintainherbusinessSperoistoomuchengagedinherworkSperohasgrownoutofherbadhabitSperoisnotinadesperatesituationHowdothepublicfeelaboutthecurrenteconomicsituation?Optimistic.Confused.Carefree.Panicked.Whenmentioning"the$4millionto$10millionrange”(Lines3-4,Paragraph3)theauthoristalkingabout.goldmarketrealestatestockexchangeventureinvestmentWhycanmanypeoplesee"silverliningswtotheeconomicslowdown?Theywouldbenefitincertainways.Thestockmarketshowssignsofrecovery.Suchaslowdownusuallyprecedesaboom.Thepurchasingpowerwouldbeenhanced.Towhichofthefollowingistheauthorlikelytoagree?Anewboom,onthehorizon.Tightenthebelt,thesingleremedy.Cautionallright,panicnot.[DJFhemoreventures,themorechances.Text4Americanstodaydon'tplaceaveryhighvalueonintellect.Ourheroesareathletes,entertainers,andentrepreneurs,notscholars.Evenourschoolsarewherewesendourchildrentogetapracticaleducationーーnottopursueknowledgeforthesakeofknowledge.Symptomsofpervasiveanti-intellectualisminourschoolsaren'tdifficulttofind."Schoolshavealwaysbeeninasocietywherepracticalismoreimportantthanintellectual,"sayseducationwriterDianeRavitch."Schoolscouldbeacounterbalance."Ravitch'slatestbook,LeftBack:ACenturyofFailedSchoolReforms,tracestherootsofanti-intellectualisminourschools,concludingtheyareanythingbutacounterbalancetotheAmericandistasteforintellectualpursuits.Buttheycouldandshouldbe.Encouragingkidstorejectthelifeofthemindleavesthemvulnerabletoexploitationandcontrol.Withouttheabilitytothinkcritically,todefendtheirideasandunderstandtheideasofothers,theycannotfullyparticipateinourdemocracy.Continuingalongthispath,sayswriterEarlShorris,“Wewillbecomeasecond-ratecountry.Wewillhavealesscivilsociety.”"Intellectisresentedasaformofpowerorprivilege,“writeshistorianandprofessorRichardHofstadterinAnti-IntellectualisminAmericanLite,aPulitzer-Prizewinningbookontherootsofanti-intellectualisminUSpolitics,religion,andeducation.Fromthebeginningofourhistory,saysHofstadter,ourdemocraticandpopulisturgeshavedrivenustorejectanythingthatsmellsofelitism.Practicality,commonsense,andnativeintelligencehavebeenconsideredmorenoblequalitiesthananythingyoucouldlearnfromabook.RalphWaldoEmersonandotherTranscendentalistphilosophersthoughtschoolingandrigorousbooklearningputunnaturalrestraintsonchildren:"Weareshutupinschoolsandcollegerecitationroomsfor10or15yearsandcomeoutatlastwithabellyfulofwordsanddonotknowathing."MarkTwain'sHuckleberryFinnexemplifiedAmericananti-intellectualism.Itsheroavoidsbeingcivilized-goingtoschoolandlearningtoread—sohecanpreservehisinnategoodness.Intellect,accordingtoHofstadter,isdifferentfromnativeintelligence,aqualitywereluctantlyadmire.Intellectisthecritical,creative,andcontemplativesideofthemind.Intelligenceseekstograsp,manipulate,re-order,andadjust,whileintellectexamines,ponders,wonders,theorizes,criticizesandimagines.Schoolremainsaplacewhereintellectismistrusted.Hofstadtersaysourcountry'seducationalsystemisinthegripsofpeoplewho"joyfullyandmilitantlyproclaimtheirhostilitytointellectandtheireagernesstoidentifywithchildrenwhoshowtheleastintellectualpromise."WhatdoAmericanparentsexpecttheirchildrentoacquireinschool?Thehabitofthinkingindependently.Profoundknowledgeoftheworld.Practicalabilitiesforfuturecareer.Theconfidenceinintellectualpursuits.WecanlearnfromthetextthatAmericanshaveahistoryof.undervaluingintellectfavoringintellectualismsupportingschoolreformsuppressingnativeintelligenceTheviewsofRavitchandEmersononschoolingare.identicalsimilarcomplementaryoppositeEmerson,accordingtothetext,isprobably.apioneerofeducationreformanopponentofintellectualismascholarinfavorofintellectanadvocateofregularschoolingWhatdoestheauthorthinkofintellect?Itissecondtointelligence.Itevolvesfromcommonsense.Itistobepursued.Itunderliespower.PartBDirections:ReadthefollowingtextcarefullyandthentranslatetheunderlinedsegmentsintoChinese.YourtranslationshouldbewrittenclearlyonANSWERSHEET2.(10points)Therelationoflanguageandmindhasinterestedphilosophersformanycenturies.61)TheGreeksassumedthatthestructureoflanguagehadsomeconnectionwiththeprocessofthought,whichtookrootinEuropelongbeforepeoplerealizedhowdiverselanguagescouldbe.Onlyrecentlydidlinguistsbegintheseriousstudyoflanguagesthatwereverydifferentfromtheirown.Twoanthropologist-linguists,FranzBoasandEdwardSapir,werepioneersindescribingmanynativelanguagesofNorthandSouthAmericaduringthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury.62)Weareobiigedtothembecausesomeoftheselanguageshavesincevanished,asthepeopleswhospokethemdiedoutorbecameassimilatedandlosttheirnativelanguages.Otherlinguistsintheearlierpartofthiscentury,however,whowerelesseagertodealwithbizarredatafrom“exotic”language,werenotalwayssograteful.63)ThenewlydescribedlanguageswereoftensostrikinglydifferentfromthewellstudiedlanguagesofEuropeandSoutheastAsiathatsomescholarsevenaccusedBoasandSapiroffabricatingtheirdata.NativeAmericanlanguagesareindeeddifferent,somuchsoinfactthatNavajocouldbeusedbytheUSmilitaryasacodeduringWorldWarIItosendsecretmessages.Sapir'spupil,BenjaminLeeWhorf,continuedthestudyofAmericanIndianlanguages.64)Beinginterestedintherelationshipoflanguageandthought,Whorfdevelopedtheideathatthestructureoflanguagedeterminesthestructureofhabitualthoughtinasociety.Hereasonedthatbecauseitiseasiertoformulatecertainconceptsandnotothersinagivenlanguage,thespeakersofthatlanguagethinkalongonetrackandnotalonganother.65)Whorfcametobelieveinasortoflinguisticdeterminismwhich,initsstrongestform,statesthatlanguageimprisonsthemind,andthatthegrammaticalpatternsinalanguagecanproducefar-reachingconsequencesforthecultureofasociety.Later,thisideabecametobeknownastheSapir-Whorfhypothesis,butthistermissomewhatinappropriate.AlthoughbothSapirandWhorfemphasizedthediversityoflanguages,Sapirhimselfneverexplicitlysupportedthenotionoflinguisticdeterminism. SectionIVWritingDirections:Studythefollowingdrawingcarefullyandwriteanessayinwhichyoushoulddescribethedrawing,interpretitsmeaning,andsupportyourviewwithexamples.Youshouldwriteabout200wordsneatlyonANSWERSHEET2.(20points)

2004年考研英語真題答案SectionI:ListeningComprehension(20points)PartA(5points)1.d4.November5.22PartB(5points)A(technology)forecaster;governmentagencies;(A)meaningful(exercise);opentochange;Trustandcooperation.PartC(10points)11.[D]12.[B]13.[C]14.[D]15.[A]16.[C]17.[B]18.[A]19.[A]20.[C]SectionII:UseofEnglish(10points)21.[C]22.[D]23.[A]24.[D]25.LA]26.[B]27.[C]28.[D]29.[A]30.[B]31.[A]32.[C]33.[D]34.[B]35.La]36.[B]37.[B]38.[D]39.[A]40.[C]SectionIII:ReadingComprehension(50points)PartA(40points)41.[C]42.[A]43.[D]44.[B]45.[C]46.[A]47.[D]48.[C]49.[B]50.[D]51.LD]52.[A]53.[B]54.[A]55.LC]56.[C]57.[A]58.[D]59.[B]60.[C]PartB(10points).希臘人認(rèn)為,語言結(jié)構(gòu)與思維過程之間存在著某種聯(lián)系。這ー觀點(diǎn)在人們尚未認(rèn)識(shí)到語言的千差萬別以前就早已在歐洲扎下了根。.我們之所有感激他們（兩位先驅(qū)）,是因?yàn)樵诖酥?這些（土著）語言中有一些已經(jīng)不復(fù)存在了,這是由于說這些語言的部族或是消亡了,或是被同化而喪失了自己的本族語言。.這些新近被描述的語言與已經(jīng)得到充分研究的歐洲和東南亞地區(qū)的語言往往差別顯著,以至于有些學(xué)者甚至指責(zé)Boas和Sapir編造了材料。.Whorf對(duì)語言與思維的關(guān)系很感興趣,逐漸形成了這樣的觀點(diǎn):在一個(gè)社會(huì)中,語言的結(jié)構(gòu)決定習(xí)慣思維的結(jié)構(gòu)。.Whorf進(jìn)而相信某種類似語言決定論的觀點(diǎn),其極端說法是:語言禁錮思維,語言的語法結(jié)構(gòu)能對(duì)ー個(gè)社會(huì)的文化產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響。SectionIV:Writing(20points)66.參考范文Lookatthispicture.Amanisrunningtowardtheendofarace,sweatingallover.Perhapsthereisnothingspecialaboutthemanandtherace,yettheendlineleavesadeepimpressiononusforitisboth“finishline"and"startingline”ifwelookatitfromadifferentangle.Thepicturetellsusalotaboutlife.Anordinaryrunnermaythinkthathisachievementcallsforcelebrationforhehasreachedhisgoal.Butanambitiousrunnerwillwellrealizethathissuccessisthestartingpointforanewrace.Obviously,thewaywelookatthingsdetermineshowfarwewillgo.Ifwefeelsatisfiedwiththeabilitytoreadandwrite,perhapswewillnotstrivetogetacollegeeducation.Again,ifwethinkaBachelor1sdegreeisquiteenough,wewillnottakepainstopasstheexaminationforpostgraduate.Lifeisjustlikeanendlessrace.Ifwedon'tpreparefornewraces,weareeitherdisqualifiedfromtheraceorsurpassedbyothers.That'swhythefinishlineisalsoastartingline.Ilikethispicture.Imayhavebeenrunningthisendlessrace,butIhavebeenpushedforwardbymyparentsorpeoplearoundme.Fromnowon,Iwillbecomemoreactiveandtaketheinitiative,forthepicturehasreallyenlightenedme.(233words)2003年全國碩士研究生入學(xué)統(tǒng)一考試英語試題SectionIIUseofEnglishDirections:Readthefollowingtext.Choosethebestword(s)foreachnumberedblankandmark[A],[B],[C]or[D]onANSWERSHEET1.(10points)Teachersneedtobeawareoftheemotional,intellectual,andphysicalchangesthatyoungadultsexperience.Andtheyalsoneedtogiveserious21tohowtheycanbest22suchchanges.Growingbodiesneedmovementand23 ,butnotjustinwaysthatemphasizecompetition.24theyareadjustingtotheirnewbodiesandawholehostofnewintellectualandemotionalchallenges,teenagersareespeciallyself-consciousandneedthe25thatcomesfromachievingsuccessandknowingthattheiraccomplishmentsare26byothers.However,thetypicalteenagelifestyleisalreadyfilledwithsomuchcompetitionthatitwouldbe27toplanactivitiesinwhichtherearemorewinnersthanlosers,28 ,publishingnewsletterswithmanystudent-writtenbookreviews,29studentartwork,andsponsoringbookdiscussionclubs.Avarietyofsmallclubscanprovide30opportunitiesforleadership,aswellasforpracticeinsuccessful31dynamics.Makingfriendsisextremelyimportanttoteenagers,andmanyshystudentsneedthe32ofsomekindoforganizationwithasupportiveadult33visibleinthebackground.Intheseactivities,itisimportanttorememberthattheyoungteenshave34attentionspans.Avarietyofactivitiesshouldbeorganized35participantscanremainactiveaslongastheywantandthengoonto36elsewithoutfeelingguiltyandwithoutlettingtheotherparticipants37 .Thisdoesnotmeanthatadultsmustacceptirresponsibility.38,theycanhelpstudentsacquireasenseofcommitmentby39 forrolesthatarewithintheir40andtheirattentionspansandbyhavingclearlystatedrules.[A]thoughtideaopinionadvice[A]strengthenaccommodatestimulateenhance[A]carenutritionexerciseleisure[A]IfAlthoughWhereasBecause[A]assistanceguidanceconfidencetolerance[A]claimedadmiredignoredsurpassed[A]improperriskyfairwise[A]ineffectasaresultforexampleinasense[A]displayingdescribingcreatingexchanging[A]durableexcessivesurplusmultiple[A]groupindividualpersonnelcorporation[A]consentinsuranceadmissionsecurity[A]particularlybarelydefinitelyrarely[A]similarlongdifferentshort[A]ifonlynowthatsothatevenif[A]everythinganythingnothingsomething[A]offdownoutalone[A] On the contraryOn the averageOn the wholeOn the otherhand[A] makingstandingplanningtaking[A]capabilitiesresponsibilitiesproficiencyefficiencySectionIIIReadingComprehensionPartADirections:Readthefollowingfourtexts.Answerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosing[A],[B],[C]or[D].MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1(40points)Text1WildBillDonovanwouldhavelovedtheInternet.TheAmericanspymasterwhobuilttheOfficeofStrategicServicesintheWorldWarIIandlaterlaidtherootsfortheCIAwasfascinatedwithinformation.Donovanbelievedinusingwhatevertoolscametohandintheugreatgame“ofespionage--spyingasaaprofession.”ThesedaystheNet,whichhasalreadyre-madesucheverydaypastimesasbuyingbooksandsendingmail,isreshapingDonovan'svocationaswell.Thelatestrevolutionisn'tsimplyamatterofgentlemenreadingothergentlemen'se-mail.Thatkindofelectronicspyinghasbeengoingonfordecades.Inthepastthreeorfouryears,theWorldWideWebhasgivenbirthtoawholeindustryofpoint-and-ci.ickspying.Thespookscallitaopen-sourceintelligence,"andastheNetgrows,itisbecomingincreasinglyinfluential.In1995theCIAheldacontesttoseewhocouldcompilethemostdataaboutBurundi.Thewinner,byalargemargin,wasatinyVirginiacompanycalledOpenSourceSolutions,whoseclearadvantagewasitsmasteryoftheelectronicworld.AmongthefirmsmakingthebiggestsplashinthisnewworldisStraitford,Inc.,aprivateintelligence-analysisfirmbasedinAustin,Texas.Straitfordmakesmoneybysellingtheresultsofspying(coveringnationsfromChiletoRussia)tocorporationslikeenergy-servicesfirmMcDermottInternational.M.StraitfordpresidentGeorgeFriedm