Question

【题目】Television has turned 88 years old on September 7, 2015, and it has never looked better. In its youth, television was a piece of furniture with a tiny, round screen showing unclear pictures of low-budget programs. In spite of its shortcomings, it became popular. Between 1950 and 1963, the number of American families with a television jumped from 9% to 92% of the population.

As the audience got larger, the technology got better. Television sets became more reliable through the 1960s. The reception (接收效果) improved. The picture improved. The major networks started broadcasting programs in color.

Even greater improvements were coming according to Sanford Brown, who wrote an article for the Post in 1967. Surprisingly, just about every prediction he made in the article became a reality. For example: All sets in the not-distant future will be color instruments. He also predicted that TV sets would become smaller, simpler, more reliable and less expensive and may forever put the TV repairman out of work. Smaller sets do not, of course, mean smaller screens. TV engineers expect screens to get much bigger. However, today’s 3-D TV is even farther away, if it’s coming at all. There is some doubt whether the public would be eager to pay for it, in view of people’s cold reception given to 3-D movies.

But the technology with the greatest potential, according to Brown, was cable television (有线电视), which was still in its early stages then. As he predicted, the future of cable television was highly interactive (互动的). It wasn’t cable television that gave Americans their electronic connection to the world, however. It was the Internet. He even foresaw the future office: using picture phones, big-screen televisions for conferences, and computers providing information at the touch of a button.

Brown ever said, “The future of television is no longer a question of what we can invent. It’s a question of what we want.”

【1】What can we infer about television sets in the 1960s?

A. They were very popular with Americans.

B. The reception showed no improvement.

C. They showed black-and-white pictures.

D. They were out of order now and then.

【2】Which of the followings did Sanford Brown fail to predict?

A. Television’s good quality.

B. The invention of 3-D TV.

C. The future office’s model.

D. The potential of cable TV.

【3】What is the text mainly about?

A. The shortcomings of television.

B. The bright future of television.

C. The development of television.

D. The invention of television.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】B

【3】C

【解析】

试题分析：本文为说明文，讲述电视机的发展。

【1】A考查推断理解。从原文“it became popular. Between 1950 and 1963, the number of American families with a television jumped from 9% to 92% of the population.”可知电视变得很流行。在1950至1963年美国拥有电视机的家庭的数量从人口的9%猛增到92%。可推出电视机很受美国人欢迎，故选A。

【2】B 考查细节理解。从第三段第四句“He also predicted that TV sets would become smaller, simpler, more reliable and less expensive and may forever put the TV repairman out of work.”他也预言电视机变得更小，更简便，更便宜而且使修电视机的人永远失业。可知，电视机的质量更好了。排除A项。第四段第一句“the technology with the greatest potential, according to Brown, was cable television (有线电视).”按照布朗的说法这项技术的潜能就是有线电视。排除D。根据第四段最后一句“He even foresaw the future office: using picture phones, big-screen televisions for conferences, and computers providing information at the touch of a button.”他甚至预见未来的办公室：使用可视电话，开会的大电视屏幕以及一按按钮就获得信息的电脑。排除C。故选B。

【3】C考查主旨大意理解。根据第一段“, television was a piece of furniture with a tiny, round screen showing unclear pictures of low-budget programs.”；第二段“Television sets became more reliable through the 1960s. The reception (接收效果) improved.” 第三段“Even greater improvements were coming according to Sanford Brown, who wrote an article for the Post in 1967.”；第四段“But the technology with the greatest potential, according to Brown, was cable television (有线电视),”；第五段“Brown ever said, “The future of television is no longer a question of what we can invent”可知道，本文讲述的是电视的发展。故选C。