Ⅰ.阅读理解

　　In a computer age, a broadband Internet connection is very popular now. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today's connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.

　　There's a hidden problem: you have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don't, it's slow dial­up access for you. And for those living really far away, there may be no Internet access at all.

　　Technology experts often talk about the "last mile" problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs (郊区), it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant (不情愿的) to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn't cover the expense.

　　But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren't available everywhere.

　　Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper and more efficient fiberoptic cables (光缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users. Still, the "last mile" problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn't have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology has any indication, it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.

　　语篇解读：如今互联网发展迅速，这使得越来越多的人能够用上网络。但是在偏远地区，互联网的接入仍然是个问题，文章就如何解决这一问题给出了说明。

　　1．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

　　A．Internet connections have been popular everywhere.

　　B．Internet service providers are willing to care about rural customers.

　　C．The problem of Internet access hasn't been completely dealt with.

　　D．Computers can't become popular in developing countries.

　　解析：选C　推理判断题。根据第二段的内容可知，离大城市较远的地区有可能根本无法使用互联网，即互联网的接入问题还没有完全得到解决，故选C项。

2．Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements ________.