26. Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because of
- A. their limited value to businesses.
- B. their connection with asset allocation.
- C. the possible restriction on their granting.
- D. the controversy over their authorization.
答案：C
答案句：Now the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. … In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents.
参考译文：现在，国家最高专利法院似乎完全准备缩减商业方法专利，这些专利自10年前首次被授权以来一直备受争议。… 在一项令知识产权律师们议论纷纷的举措中，美国联邦巡回上诉法院表示，它将利用一个特定案例对商业方法专利进行广泛审查。
定位线索：题干“Business-method patents have recently aroused concern”对应答案句“the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents”和“conduct a broad review of business-method patents”；文中“scale back”和“broad review”对应选项C“the possible restriction on their granting”（可能限制其授予）。
解析：题干问商业方法专利最近引起关注的原因。答案句明确指出最高专利法院准备“scale back”（缩减）商业方法专利，并要进行“broad review”（广泛审查），这直接对应选项C“the possible restriction on their granting”（可能限制其授予）。选项A“limited value to businesses”在文中未提及，属于无中生有；选项B“connection with asset allocation”只是文中举例，并非原因；选项D“controversy over their authorization”是背景信息，但题干问的是“recently aroused concern”的原因，即法院的行动，而非争议本身。
27. Which of the following is true of the Bilski case?
- A. Its ruling complies with the court decisions.
- B. It involves a very big business transaction.
- C. It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit.
- D. It may change the legal practices in the U.S.
答案：D
答案句：In re Bilski, as the case is known, is “a very big deal,” says Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of Law. It “has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents.” … The Federal Circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court’s judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate is whether it should “reconsider” its State Street Bank ruling.
参考译文：密苏里大学法学院丹尼斯·D·克劳奇说，这个被称为“比尔斯基案”的案件“事关重大”。它“有可能消除一整类专利”。… 联邦巡回法院发布了一项不寻常的命令，称该案将由法院全部12名法官审理，而不是通常的三人合议庭，并且它想要评估的一个问题是是否应该“重新考虑”其道富银行案的裁决。
定位线索：题干“Which of the following is true of the Bilski case”对应答案句“In re Bilski, as the case is known, is ‘a very big deal’”和“has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents”；文中“has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents”对应选项D“It may change the legal practices in the U.S.”（它可能改变美国的法律实践）。
解析：题干问关于比尔斯基案哪个说法正确。答案句指出该案“has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents”（有可能消除一整类专利），且法院将“reconsider”其道富银行案裁决，这暗示该案可能改变法律实践，对应选项D。选项A“Its ruling complies with the court decisions”文中未提及裁决结果，属于无中生有；选项B“It involves a very big business transaction”曲解了“a very big deal”的含义，这里指案件重要而非交易大；选项C“It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit”与原文“would be heard by all 12 judges”矛盾。
28. The word “about-face” (Line 1, Para. 3) most probably means
- A. loss of goodwill.
- B. increase of hostility.
- C. change of attitude.
- D. enhancement of dignity.
答案：C
答案句：Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision in the so-called State Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets.
参考译文：对商业方法专利主张的限制将是一个戏剧性的彻底转变，因为正是联邦巡回法院自己在1998年所谓的道富银行案裁决中引入了此类专利，批准了一种汇集共同基金资产的方法的专利。
定位线索：题干“The word ‘about-face’ (Line 1, Para. 3)”对应答案句“Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face”；文中“because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents”表明之前是支持，现在要限制，对应选项C“change of attitude”（态度转变）。
解析：题干要求猜测“about-face”的含义。答案句说“对商业方法专利主张的限制将是一个戏剧性的about-face”，因为“正是联邦巡回法院自己引入了此类专利”，即之前支持、现在限制，这体现了态度的转变，对应选项C“change of attitude”。选项A“loss of goodwill”（失去善意）、选项B“increase of hostility”（敌意增加）、选项D“enhancement of dignity”（尊严提升）均与上下文语境不符，属于无中生有。
29. We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patents
- A. are immune to legal challenges.
- B. are often unnecessarily issued.
- C. lower the esteem for patent holders.
- D. increase the incidence of risks.
答案：B
答案句：Last April, for example, the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for “inventions” that are obvious. … The judges on the Federal Circuit are “reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court,” says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
参考译文：例如，去年四月，法官们表示，太多显而易见的“发明”被授予了专利。… 乔治华盛顿大学法学院专利律师兼教授哈罗德·C·韦格纳说，联邦巡回法院的法官们“正在对最高法院的反专利趋势做出反应”。
定位线索：题干“We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patents”对应答案句“too many patents were being upheld for ‘inventions’ that are obvious”；文中“too many patents were being upheld for ‘inventions’ that are obvious”对应选项B“are often unnecessarily issued”（经常被不必要地授予）。
解析：题干问从最后两段可以了解到商业方法专利的什么情况。答案句指出“太多显而易见的‘发明’被授予了专利”，即许多专利是不必要的，对应选项B“are often unnecessarily issued”。选项A“are immune to legal challenges”与文中“anti-patent trend”和“reacting”矛盾；选项C“lower the esteem for patent holders”文中未提及，属于无中生有；选项D“increase the incidence of risks”与比尔斯基案中“hedging risk”无关，属于偷换概念。
30. Which of the following would be the subject of the text?
- A. A looming threat to business-method patents.
- B. Protection for business-method patent holders.
- C. A legal case regarding business-method patents.
- D. A prevailing trend against business-method patents.
答案：A
答案句：Now the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. … Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision in the so-called State Street Bank case, approving … The Federal Circuit’s action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the Supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders.
参考译文：现在，国家最高专利法院似乎完全准备缩减商业方法专利，这些专利自10年前首次被授权以来一直备受争议。… 对商业方法专利主张的限制将是一个戏剧性的彻底转变，因为正是联邦巡回法院自己在1998年所谓的道富银行案裁决中引入了此类专利。… 联邦巡回法院的行动是在最高法院最近一系列缩小专利持有人保护范围的裁决之后采取的。
定位线索：题干“Which of the following would be the subject of the text”对应答案句“the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents”和“Curbs on business-method claims”和“The Federal Circuit’s action”；文中“scale back”和“Curbs”对应选项A“A looming threat to business-method patents”（对商业方法专利的迫在眉睫的威胁）。
解析：题干问文章的主题。答案句贯穿全文，首段提出商业方法专利，第二段指出法院准备“scale back”（缩减），第三段提到“Curbs”（限制），末段说明法院行动是“reacting to the anti-patent trend”，整体围绕对商业方法专利的威胁展开，对应选项A。选项B“Protection for business-method patent holders”与文章主旨相反；选项C“A legal case regarding business-method patents”只是文章部分内容，不能概括全文；选项D“A prevailing trend against business-method patents”虽相关，但“prevailing trend”程度过重，文章强调“threat”而非已成趋势。