Question

Sports account for a growing amount of income made on the sales of commercial time by television companies. Many television companies have used sports to attract viewers from particular sections of the general public，and then they have sold audiences to advertisers.

An attraction of sport programs for the major U.S. media companies is that events are often held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons―the slowest time periods of the week for general television viewing. Sport events are the most popular weekend programs，especially among male viewers who may not watch much television at other times during the week. This means the television networks are able to sell advertising time at relatively high prices during what normally would be dead time for programming.

Media corporations also use sports to attract commercial sponsors that might take their advertising dollars elsewhere if television stations did not report certain sports. The people in the advertising departments of major corporations realize that sports attract viewers. They also realize that most business travelers are men and that many men make family decisions on the purchases of computers， cars and life insurance.

Golf and tennis are special cases for television programming. These sports attract few viewers， and the ratings(收视率)are unusually low. However, the audience for these sports is attractive to certain advertisers. It is made up of people from the highest income groups in the United States，in?cluding many lawyers and business managers. This is why television reporting of golf and tennis is sponsored by companies selling high-priced cars,business and personal computer, and holiday trips. This is also why the networks continue to carry these programs regardless of low ratings.

Advertisers are willing to pay high fees to reach high-income consumers and those managers who make decisions to buy thousands of "company cars" and computers. With such viewers，these programs don, t need high ratings to stay on the air.

(   ) 8. Television sport programs on weekend afternoons        .

A.  result in more sport events

B.  get more viewers to play sports

C.  make more people interested in television

D.  bring more money to the television networks

(   ) 9. Why would weekend afternoons become dead time without sport programs?

A.  Because there would be few viewers.

B.  Because the advertisers would be off work.

C.  Because television programs would go slow.

D.  Because viewers would pay less for watching television.
(   ) 10. In many families,men make decisions on        .

A. holiday    B. sports viewing
C. television shopping    D. expensive purchases
(   ) 11. The ratings are not important for golf and tennis programs because        .

A.  their advertisers are carmakers

B.  their viewers are attracted by sports

C.  their advertisers target at rich people

D.  their viewers can afford expensive cars 

(   ) 12. What is the passage mainly about?

A.  Television viewers are mostly male viewers.

B.  Rich viewers contribute most to television companies.

C.  Sports are gaining importance in advertising on television.

D.  Commercial advertisers are the major sponsors of sport events.

Answer 1

8. D细节理解题。才艮据第二段最后一句Thismeans the television networks are able to sell advertising time at relatively high prices during what normally would be dead time for programming."可知，周末的体育节目能给电视台带来很多的利益。

9. A细节理解题。根据第二段第一句"Saturday and Sunday afternoons―the slowest time periods of the week for general television viewing."和"among male viewers who may not watch much television at other times during the week"可知,周末本来就很少人看电视，因此如果取消体育节目，便几乎没有人在周末下午看电视了。

10. D细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句"many men make family decisions on the purchases of computers, cars and life insurance"可知，男人对一些贵重物品的购买拥有决定权。

11. C推理判断题。根据最后一段内容可知，电视台不在乎他们播放高尔夫和网球时收视率低，因为他们的目标是少教高收入人群，即rich pe?ople 

12. C主旨大意题。本文主要在讲电视台通过播放体育节目而让广告商注入资金。