2013年英语专四真题及标准答案解析汇总

20１3年英语专四真题及答案解析--汇总

【2013年英语专四真题及答案解析--听写部分参考答案】

Whaｔisａdream for?

Onｅtｈeory is that we ｄream toｒｅｌeaｓｅthe dｅep, secret deｓiｒes. We ｄo not expresｓｔheｓe desires in real life bｅcaｕｓe ｏｆｔheｒuｌes of poliｔe sｏｃiｅty.Anothｅｒthｅorｙis that dreａｍs allow us to solve pｒoblemｓthat we ｃan'tｓｏlve in real lifｅ. We go tｏsleｅｐwｉｔh a pｒoblｅm aｎd ｗaｋeｕp ｗithｔｈe soluｔｉon. This may be ａwａｙto usｅour drｅaｍｓｒathｅr ｔha ｎａpurpｏse of drｅaming. If you bｅlｉｅve that youｒｄreams are i ｍportanｔ, then ａnalyzing them mayｈelp you to focus ｏｎtheｐｒoblｅm and helpｙou tｏfｉnd tｈｅsolutiｏn. Ｔhe modern iｍagｅis that ｄｒｅams are theｂｒaｉn＇s way ｏf cleaｎiｎg up tｈe c ｏmputer’s harｄｄisk. Drｅaｍs orｇaｎize tｈe ｅｖｅntｓoｆthe ｄay ｉnto ｆoｌｄeｒs ａｎd ｄeｌeteｗｈat is noｔnｅeded．But we aｌl know thａt verｙlitｔlｅof what we dreａｍisｃoncerned with what haｐpeｎｅd ｔｏusｔhａt daｙ.

【20１３年英语专四真题及答案解析--语法部分】

51. Faciｎgｔhe boaｒd of dｉrectors, he dｉｄn’ｔdeny__＿＿＿____＿breakｉng tｈｅaｇrｅemeｎt.

A．hｉｍＢ. ｉt C．his D．itｓ

解析：本题考查动名词的逻辑主语。动名词可以有自己的逻辑(意义）主语，一般可以用名词所有格Tom's,代词宾格如him（口语)，书面语情况下一般用物主代词hｉｓ，tｈeｉr。本题选C,但我还是要吐槽,因为根本就不需要多此一举添加his, ｈe dｉdn't denｙbreaking ｔhe ａｇreｅment完全正确,比原题要精简地道许多，从写作角度来看，his根本是多余的，当然纯粹考察语法的话选C。

5２. Xｉnchun retuｒnｅd fｒom abroad a dｉfferenｔman. Thｅｉtalｉcizｅd part functions ａs a (n）__＿＿_＿_.

A. appositive(同位语)

B. ｏbｊect

C. adverｂial

D. coｍｐlemeｎｔ．

解析：此题恐怕是最受争议的题目了，有人认为选A,有人认为选Ｄ。根据EｎgliｓｈGｒammar: A Univｅrsｉty Coｕrｓｅ一书,“Ｔhe Ｓuｂｊｅｃt C ｏmｐlｅmｅｎｔ(主语补足语）is tｈe ｏbｌiｇatoｒy ｃoｎsｔitｕenｔwｈichｆollows ａｃopuｌar veｒb(系动词）ａｎd wｈiｃh cannot be made suｂjｅct in ａpassive ｃｌａuｓｅ：比如Whｏ’s therｅ？

It’ｓme/Iｔ’s Ｉ．She ｂecａme a tenｎis champion at aｖeｒy earｌy aｇe. Feel ｆｒee to aｓｋｑｕｅstions!” 一般语法书也是这么说的，有的书上把这种情况下接的名词叫做ｐreｄｉｃate ｎｏun/ｎomiｎａtｉve，接的形容词叫做prｅdicaｔeａdjｅctive。该书接着说“As wｅｌl as be aｎd ｓeem，ａｗｉde ｒａnge of vｅｒｂs cａｎbeｕsed to linkｔhe subject to its Comｐｌeｍeｎt; thｅse add meaninｇs ｏf tｒａnsition (becｏme, get，go, ｇrow,turｎ）ａnd of pｅｒception （ｓｏunｄ, smell, loｏk）amoｎｇoｔhers，” 比如I ｋnoｗit soｕnd ｓstupid. The ｓituatioｎbeｃomeｓeｖen wｏrse. 这些一般语法书也会提到，但是题目里的都不是这种现象，很多语法书对主语补语的介绍也就到此为止。好在这本书多介绍了一点,但情况很微妙。此书又说Ｍｏrｅprobｌematic ｉs the coｎｓtiｔｕｅｎt folｌowing othｅr verbs ｔhat couｌd be ｕsed iｎｔransitiveｌy wｉｔh the same mｅaning, ａs in:

SａintＥthelbｅrt wａs bｏrn a Sａｘoｎprincess. (she ｗａs bｏrn）Ｈe ｒeｔurnｅd a bｒｏken ｍaｎ. （ｈe reｔurnｅｄ)

He diｅd young．（hｅdied)

We shalｌｃonsider ｓuch coｎｓtitｕenｔs ａs Cｏmplements oｎt ｈe strengｔhｏｆthe poｓｓible parapｈrａse containiｎg be (Wheｎhe reｔurnedｈe was ａbroken maｎ；Whｅn he diｅd he ｗaｓyoｕng).

这部分恰好就是本题所代表的类型，但是从该书作者表述来看,他们也承认这样的句子很不一般，不太容易轻易判定是否为主语补语,在本书里，作者认为可以看作是主语补语，因为大概可以改写成含有系动词bｅ的句子，但作者的措辞显然没有那么肯定,有待商榷的意思。据此,本题可以选D，是主语补足语。

５３. Whichｏｆthe ｆollｏwing ｉｓａcompounｄｗord (复合词)?

A.Nonsmｏker

B. Deadline C．Meanneｓｓ D.Mis ｆit

解析:首先要知道什么是复合词。A coｍｐｏund isａword ｔhａｔｃon ｓists ｏf more than one frｅｅmoｒpheme。所谓morpheme词素是最小的音义结合体,其最大的特点是不能再被分割为更小的音义结合体。而ｆree ｍorｐｈｅme是指能独立存在使用的词素，boｕnd ｍorｐheｍｅ则是必须依附于其他单位的词素，比如前缀后缀属于boｕnｄmorpｈemｅ,如pre-,-men ｔ,在单词shipｍenｔ里,shｉp就是ｆree mｏrpｈemｅ,-menｔ则是ｂｏund。因此四个选项里只有ｄｅaｄlｉnｅ是由两个free mｏrｐhｅme构成(d ｅａd ＋line)，其他三个都有Bｏuｎd ｍｏrphｅmｅ比如nｏn, ness，mis-等。

５4. Wｈich of the fｏllowｉng ｓentenceｓcｏntains subｊunctive moo ｄ？

Ａ．Lucy insｉsted tｈat ｈeｒｓoｎget hｏｍe bｅfore 5o＇clｏｃk．

B. Ｓhe used to driｖe to work,but noｗshｅｔａkｅs thｅcity ｍｅtrｏ．

2013年考研英语一真题原文及答案完整版

2013年考研英语一真题原文及答案完整版 Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points) People are, on the whole, poor at considering background information when making individual decisions. At first glance this might seem like a strength that __1_ the ability to make judgments which are unbiased by _2_ factors. But Dr Simonsohn speculated that an inability to consider the big _3_ was leading decision-makers to be biased by the daily samples of information they were working with. _4_, he theorised that a judge _5_ of appearing too soft _6_crime might be more likely to send someone to prison __7_he had already sentenced five or six other defendants only to forced community service on that day. To __8__this idea, they turned their attention to the university-admissions process. In theory, the ____9___ of an applicant should not depend on the few others___10____ randomly for interview during the same day, but Dr Simonsohn suspected the truth was____11____. He studied the results of 9,323 MBA interviews _12_ by 31 admissions officers. The interviewers had _13_ applicants on a scale of one to five. This scale _14_ numerous factors into consideration. T he scores were _15_ used in conjunction with an applicant’s score on the GMAT, a standardised exam which is _16_out of 800 points, to make a decision on whether to accept him or her.

考研英语阅读真题考研英语二毙考题

2013考研英语阅读真题：考研英语（二）第1篇 In an essay, entitled “Making It in America,” the author Adam Davidson relates a joke from cotton country about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man and a dog. The man is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the machines.” Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly than ever replacing labor with machines or foreign workers. In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius.

2017年考研英语二真题及答案解析

2017年考研英语二真题 Section I Use of English Directions： Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points) People have speculated for centuries about a future without work.Today is no different，with academics，writers，and activists once again 1 that technology is replacing human workers. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by 2 . A few wealthy people will own all the capital，and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland.. A different and not mutually exclusive 3 holds that the future will be a wasteland of a different sort，one 4 by purposelessness：Without jobs to give their lives 5 ，people will simply become lazy and depressed. 6 today’s unemployed don’t seem to be having a great time. One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year report having depression，double the rate for 7 Americans. Also，some research suggests that the 8 for rising rates of mortality，mental-health problems，and addicting9 poorly-educated middle-aged people is shortage of well-paid jobs. Perhaps this is why many 10 the agonizing dullness of a jobless future. But it doesn’t 11 follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with unease. Such visions are based on the 12 of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment. In the 13 of work，a society designed with other ends in mind could 14 strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure. Today，the 15 of work may be a bit overblown. “Many jobs are boring，degrading，unhealthy，and a waste of human potential，” says John Danaher，a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway. These days，because leisure time is relatively 16 for most workers，people use their free time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional 17 of their jobs. “When I come home from a hard day’s w ork，I often feel 18 ，” Danaher says，adding，“In a world in which I don’t have to work，I might feel rather different”—perhaps different enough to throw himself 19 a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for 20 matters. 1. [A] boasting [B] denying [C] warning [D] ensuring 2. [A] inequality [B] instability [C] unreliability [D] uncertainty 3. [A] policy [B]guideline [C] resolution [D] prediction 4. [A] characterized [B]divided [C] balanced [D]measured 5. [A] wisdom [B] meaning [C] glory [D] freedom 6. [A] Instead [B] Indeed [C] Thus [D] Nevertheless 7. [A] rich [B] urban [C]working [D] educated 8. [A] explanation [B] requirement [C] compensation [D] substitute 9. [A] under [B] beyond [C] alongside [D] among 10. [A] leave behind [B] make up [C] worry about [D] set aside 11. [A] statistically [B] occasionally [C] necessarily [D] economically 12. [A] chances [B] downsides [C] benefits [D] principles 13. [A] absence [B] height [C] face [D] course

2013年考研英语1真题答案及解析

2013年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语一真题及答案Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points) People are, on the whole, poor at considering background information when making individual decisions. At first glance this might seem like a strength that 1 the ability to make judgments which are unbiased by 2 factors. But Dr. Uri Simonsohn speculated that an inability to consider the big 3 was leading decision-makers to be biased by the daily samles of information they were working with. 4 , he theorised that a judge 5 of apperaring too soft 6 crime might be more likely to send someone to prison 7 he had already sentenced five or six other defendants only to forced community service on that day。 To 8 this idea, he turned to the university-admissions process. In theory, the 9 of an applicant should not depend on the few others 10 randomly for interview during the same day, but Dr. Simonsoho suspected the truth was 11 。 He studied the results of 9,323 MBA interviews 12 by 31 admissions officers. The interviewers had 13 applicants on a scale of one to five. This scale 14 numerous factors into consideration. The scores were 15 used in conjunction with an applicant’s score on the Granduate Managent Adimssion Test, or GMAT, a standardized exam which is 16 out of 800 points, to make a decision on whether to accept him or her。 Dr. Simonsoho found if the score of the previous candidate in a daily series of interviewees was 0.75 points or more higher than that of the one 17 that, then the score for the next applicant would 18 by an average of 0.075 points. This might sound small, but to 19 the effects of such a decrease a candidate could need 30 more GMAT points than would otherwise have been 20 。 1. [A] grants [B]submits [C]transmits [D]delivers 2. [A] minor [B]objective [C]crucial [D] external 3. [A] issue [B]vision [C]picture [D]external 4. [A] For example [B] On average [C]In principle [D]Above all 5. [A] fond [B] fearful [C]capable [D] thoughtless 6. [A] in [B] on [C] to [D] for 7. [A] if [B] until [C] though [D] unless 8. [A] promote [B] emphasize [C] share [D]success

改革后英语专四考试新题型材料作文模拟练习及分析

自2016年起，专四考试写作部分改革，要求根据所给的题目、图表或阅读材料等，写一篇200词左右的作文。出现的新题型命题+ 材料作文对考生的阅读理解及归纳能力提出了更高的要求。考生可以 米取“简短概述材料一评论一总结”的写作模式。值得注意的是，在 写作过程中，概述材料和进行评论缺一不可，否则将可能被扣分。 例题1 PART VI WRITING Read carefully the followi ng excerpt and the n write your respo nse in NO LESS THAN 200 WORDS, i n which you should: 1) Summarize the main messageof the excerpt, and the n 2) Comment on whether students learn more from classes tha n from other resources You can support yourself with information from the excerpt. Marks will be awarded for content releva nee, content sufficie ncy, orga ni zati on and Ian guage quality. Failure to follow the above in structi ons may result in a loss of marks.

范文1 In the information age, the traditional student-teacher relati on ship has bee n affected deeply and people beg in to doubt whether stude nts can lear n more from classes tha n from other resources（. 介绍背景）According to the conventional view, teachers are still the primary source from which students obtain professional knowledge, timely class interaction, and effective supervision from teachers（. 总结第一种观点）On the contrary, nowadays, many people believe that students can learn more from other resourcessuch as Internet and TV since they are more accessible and engage students more actively in

自考《英语二》2013年10月真题解析

2013年10月真题解析 2013年10月高等教育自学考试 全国统一命题考试 英语（二）试卷真题解析 （课程代码00015） 本试卷分为选择题和非选择题两部分，满分100分，考试时间150分钟。 第一部分为选择题。考生必须在“答题卡”上按要求填涂作答。 第二部分为非选择题。 第一部分选择题 一、阅读判断（第1—10题，共10分） 短文后列出10个句子，根据短文内容判断每个句子。A是正确，B是错误，C是文中未提及。 Farms Appear in Cities When you h ear the word “farm”, you may imagine the countryside with cows and crops. But scientists say the farms of the future could be built in tall buildings in some large cities. It may be difficult to believe, but in fact, the technology for growing crops in doors already exists. Farming in the city is already happening. Some vegetables are already grown in greenhouses. Even the scientists at the South Pole research station can enjoy fresh vegetables they grow in their own greenhouse. Experts say indoor farming solves many problems. First, traditional farming takes up a lot of land. Growing crops in tall buildings — called vertical farming（垂直农业）— can solve the problem. Also, fruits and vegetables grown indoors would not face serious threats from insects and weather. Though vertical farms don’t exist yet, experts have created a plan for recycling in such farms. The water from indoor fish ponds would be used to water crops. Gases from crop waste would be used to heat the building. Waste from chicken or pigs would be reused as a source of energy. But experts believe vertical farming is not going to be easy. They say it can be difficult to control climate conditions indoors. Besides, Plants differ in their weather and lighting needs. For example, some plants like warm, sunny weather, but other plants prefer cooler temperatures. That’s not to say these difficulties won’t be overcome —but it will take time. Most experts suggest it may take about 5 to 15 years before the first vertical farms could be created. 【参考译文】 农场出现在城市里（城中农场） 当听到“农场”一词，你可能联想到乡下的母牛和庄稼等等。但科学家说，未来的农场可能会建在一些大城市的高楼里。 此事可能难以置信，可是事实上，在室内种庄稼已经存在了。城市里的农场已经出现，某些蔬菜已经在温室里生长。甚至在南极科考站，科学家们能享用他们在温室里自己栽种的新鲜蔬菜。 据专家们说室内农场可以解决许多问题。首先，传统农场占据大片土地。在高楼里种庄稼（称之为垂直农业）可以解决此问题。再者说，水果和蔬菜室内种植不会受到害虫和气候的威胁。 尽管垂直农场尚未成为现实，但是专家们已经在一些农场创建了再循环计划：把室内养鱼池的水用于浇灌农作物，把来自于农作物的废气用于建筑物的供热，来自于鸡和猪的粪便重新利用作为能源。 但是专家认为垂直农业并不是一件容易的事。他们说，控制室内气候环境是困难的。除此之外，植物对气候和光照需求有差异。例如，一些植物喜好温暖、阳光普照的气候，但另一些植物更喜欢较凉爽的温度。 并不是说这些困难不能克服——但是这将需要花时间。大多数专家指出，建立起第一个垂直农场可能需要五年到十五年的时间。 word “farm” may m ake you think of the countryside. Given [答疑编号0101]

英语二真题解析

2014年英语二真题解析 Section I Use of English 1．【答案】B concluded 【解析】题干中，一系列的研究已经_____，事实上，正常体重的人的患病风险要高于超重的人。根据句义，后面的部分实际上是研究的结论，因此concluded符合题意，其他选项denied(否认)与意义相反，doubled(翻倍)与题意较远，ensured(确保)不符合题意，因为研究不能确保后面的事实，只能得出后面的事实作为结论。所以正确答案为B。 2．【答案】A protective 【解析】题干中，对于某些健康情况，超重事实上是有_____。根据前文研究的结论，超重能减少罹患疾病的风险，说明超重具有一定的保护作用。dangerous和文章意思相反，sufficient表示充足，troublesome表示有麻烦，不符合题意，所以正确答案为A。 3．【答案】C likewise 【解析】第三句话中，较重的女人患缺钙的比例低于较瘦的女人。_____，在老年人中，一定程度上超重……。需要填入的是和前半句表示顺接的词语。A选项instead表示逆接的句意关系，B选项however也表示逆接，D 选项therefore表示因此，只有C选项likewise意为同样地;也，而且。因此正确答案为C。

4．【答案】A indicator 【解析】本句话中，_____，一定程度上超重，经常是健康的_____。A选项，表示指示器，指标。B选项objective表示客观;C选项origin表示来源，D选项example表示例子。根据前面的文章内容，已经明确指出超重代表了健康，因此超重是健康的指标。因此正确答案为A。 5．【答案】D concern 【解析】本句话的句意是，需要更加_____是，很难对肥胖加以定义。A．impact(印象);B、relevance(相关性);C．assistance(辅 助);D．concern(关注)。前文已经说到肥胖事实上有利健康，但是又面临一个问题，到底如何去定义肥胖，因此需要更加关注的是对肥的定义，其他选项均不符合题意，所以正确答案为D。 6．【答案】A in terms of 【解析】题干中,肥胖经常______体质指数，或称为BMI来定义。A．in terms of ，根据……，就……而言。B．In case of 表示在某种情况下， C．in favor of 表示赞成，以……来取代，D．in respect of，关于……。因此正确答案为A。在研究和临床测试中经常使用BMI作为衡量受试者健康的重要指标，希望考生能够记住这一背景知识，方便日后做题。 7．【答案】C equals

2013年英语一真题和答案

Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points) People are, on the whole, poor at considering background information when making individual decisions. At first glance this might seem like a strength that __1__ the ability to make judgments which are unbiased by __2___ factors. But Dr. Uri Simonsohn speculated that an inability to consider the big __3___ was leading decision-makers to be biased by the daily samles of information they were working with. __4___ , he theorised that a judge __5___ of apperaring too soft __6__ crime might be more likely to send someone to prison __7___ he had already sentenced five or six other defendants only to forced community service on that day. To __8__ this idea, he turned to the university-admissions process. In theory, the __9___ of an applicant should not depend on the few others __10___ randomly for interview during the same day, but Dr. Simonsoho suspected the truth was __11___ . He studied the results of 9,323 MBA interviews __12___by 31 admissions officers. The interviewers had__13___applicants on a scale of one to five. This scale __14___ numerous factors into consideration. The scores were __15___ used in conjunction with an applicant’s score on the Granduate Managent Adimssion Test, or GMAT, a standardized exam which is__16___ out of 800 points, t o make a decision on whether to accept him or her. Dr. Simonsoho found if the score of the previous candidate in a daily series of interviewees was 0.75 points or more higher than that of the one __17___that, then the score for the next applicant would __18___by an average of 0.075 points. This might sound small, but to __19___ the effects of such a decrease a candidate could need 30 more GMAT points than would otherwise have been __20___. 1. [A] grants [B]submits [C]transmits [D]delivers 2. [A] minor [B]objective [C]crucial [D] external 3. [A] issue [B]vision [C]picture [D]external 4. [A] For example [B] On average [C]In principle [D]Above all 5. [A] fond [B] fearful [C]capable [D] thoughtless 6. [A] in [B] on [C] to [D] for 7. [A] if [B] until [C] though [D] unless 8. [A] promote [B] emphasize [C] share [D]test 9. [A] decision [B] quality [C] status [D] success 10. [A] chosen [B] studied [C] found [D] identified 11. [A] exceptional [B] defensible [C] replaceable [D] otherwise 12. [A] inspired [B] expressed [C] conducted [D] secured 13. [A] assigned [B] rated [C] matched [D] arranged 14. [A] put [B] got [C] gave [D] took 15. [A] instead [B] then [C] ever [D] rather 16. [A] selected [B] passed [C] marked [D] introduced 17. [A] before [B] after [C] above [D] below 18. [A] jump [B] float [C] drop [D] fluctuate 19. [A] achieve [B] undo [C] maintain [D] disregard 20. [A] promising [B] possible [C] necessary [D] helpful Section II Reading Comprehension Part A Directions:

英语专四真题作文1992-2014

历年专四作文题 1992 My View on Reading Extensively You are to write in three parts. In the first part, state clearly what your view is. In the second part, support your view with appropriate reasons. In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary. 1993 My Idea of Becoming a Teacher in the Future 1994 TV: a good thing or a bad thing? 1995 Nowadays it has become fashionable for college students to take a part-time job in their spare time. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this trend. 1996 Every college student would agree that life in college is not the same as it was in the middle school. Now, you have been asked by the Student’s Union to write a passage entitled: The Main Difference between My College Life and My Middle School Life 1997 Some of your classmates think that more pressure from academic studies is not beneficial to students. You either agree or disagree with them: More pressure from academic studies does (does not) good to us 1998 It is now generally accepted that vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) are a major source of air pollution in cities. Your are to suggest only ONE way to solve the problem. One way to solve the problem 1999 We see advertisements on television everyday. Some people think that TV advertising brings as benefits, but others don’t think so. What is your opinion? A major advantage/disadvantage of advertising on television 2000 College life should be varied and colorful. And extracurricular activities are an important aspect of it. However, at present, there is much room for improvement in this regard. Write an article to the university radio entitled: The importance of extracurricular activities 2001 Travel has become part of our life. And more and more of us have come to know the significance of travel through our own experience: Travel Broadens the mind 2002 Nowadays people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of health. And they have different ways to stay healthy. For example, some exercise every day; others try to keep a balanced diet. What do you think is the best way to stay healthy?

2013年考研英语二真题及答案解析

2013年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（二）试题 Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word（s）for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.（10 points） 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 of such a society have been2for two decades but have not yet come to fruition. For example, Business Week predicted in 1975 that electronic only to 4itself several means of payment “would s oon revolutionize the very3of money itself,”　 years later. Why has the movement to a cashless society been so5in coming? Although e money might be more convenient and may be more efficient than a payments system based on paper, several factors work6the disappearance of the paper system. First, it is very7to set up the computer, card reader, and telecommunications networks necessary to make electronic money the8form of payment. Second, paper checks have the advantage that they9receipts, something that many consumers are unwilling to10. Third, the use of paper checks it takes several days11a check is cashed and funds gives consumers several days of “float”— are12from the issuer s account, which means that the writer of the check can earn interest on the funds in the meantime.13electronic payments are immediate, they eliminate the float for the consumer. Fourth, electronic means of payment may14security and privacy concerns. We often hear media reports that an unauthorized hacker has been able to access a computer database and to alter information15there. The fact that this is not an16occurrence means that dishonest persons might be able to access bank accounts in electronic payments systems and17from someone else s accounts. The18of this type of fraud is no easy task, and a new field of computer science is developing to19security issues. A further concern is that the use of electronic means of payment leaves an electronic20that contains a large amount of personal data on buying habits. There are worries that government, employers, and marketers might be able to access these data, thereby violating our privacy. 1. ［A］However