Question

【题目】 Soaps are television serial (连续的) dramas of a highly dramatic and sentimental (情感的) nature. They are called soaps because many of them were originally funded by soap companies. They were appealing to an audience primarily made up of house wives. Soaps tell us a lot about the viewers they are produced for. These long-running serials, with potentially endless episodes (集), are concerned with everyday life. They are generally aimed at the lower classes in a country.

In the US, the most popular soaps usually feature the lives of the rich, the charming and the beautiful. Their houses are always beautiful, big and well decorated. The characters lead exciting lives. Most of these characters are very ambitious. One of the most popular soaps is The bold and the Beautiful. The name says it all really! It is set in Los Angeles and centred on the attractive and wealthy Forrester family and their impossibly gorgeous fashion house business. It is probably the most watched soap in the world.

The British prefer to see ordinary characters rather than the gorgeous high-flyers of the US soaps. They prefer to view on TV what they have experienced personally and what they actually see around them. They believe that one should accept one’s station in life and not attempt to be more than one actually is.

Coronation Street, first shown in 1960, is the longest-running British TV soap opera. It is watched by about one-third of the British population, more often by women, by older people, and especially by people from lower socio-economic groups. EastEnders is another popular British show, though it appeals to a younger generation. Again the characters tend to be working class. In addition to women, young people and men are also given strong roles in order to reach a wider audience.

Thus the soaps can teach us a lot about the audience that they are intended for. The characters, settings and even the story lines can show us what appeals to British and American people.

【1】What’s the relationship between soaps and soap companies according to Paragraph 1?

A.Soap companies are named after soaps.

B.Soap companies support soaps financially.

C.Soap companies depend on soaps for promoting their products.

D.Soap companies make soaps appealing to the public.

【2】How does the author introduce US soaps in Paragraph 2?

A.By using examples.B.By making comparisons.

C.By analyzing causes.D.By describing processes.

【3】Which is the difference between British soaps and American soaps?

A.The audience they are intended for.B.Their popularity and influence.

C.The characters’ class and the settings.D.Their tradition and history.

【4】What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To show his love for soaps.

B.To remember some of the classic soaps.

C.To introduce American and British soaps.

D.To encourage audience to watch more soaps.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】C

【4】C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了肥皂剧的定义以及美国肥皂剧和英国肥皂剧的区别。

【1】细节理解题。根据第一段第二句“They are called soaps because many of them were originally funded by soap companies.”可知，许多肥皂剧最初是由肥皂公司资助的。故选B项。

【2】推理判断题。根据第二段第五句“One of the most popular soaps is The bold and the Beautiful.”以及整段内容可知，作者在第二段中通过实例介绍了肥皂剧。故选A项。

【3】推理判断题。根据第三段第一、二句“The British prefer to see ordinary characters rather than the gorgeous high-flyers of the US soaps. They prefer to view on TV what they have experienced personally and what they actually see around them.”可知，英国人更喜欢看到普通人物，而不是美国肥皂剧中华丽的高调人物。他们更喜欢在电视上看到他们亲身经历过的事情和他们周围的真实情况。再由最后一段最后一句“The characters, settings and even the story lines can show us what appeals to British and American people.”可推知，英国肥皂剧和美国肥皂剧的区别在于人物的类别和背景。故选C项。

【4】推理判断题。文章一开始介绍肥皂剧的定义，然后介绍美国肥皂剧和英国肥皂剧的区别，尤其由最后一段最后一句“The characters, settings and even the story lines can show us what appeals to British and American people.”可推知，C项“为了介绍美国肥皂剧和英国肥皂剧”概括了本文的核心内容，是作者写本文的意图。故选C项。