4. What kind of atmosphere does the writer want to create in this passage ?

A. Quiet .　　　　　 B. Peaceful .　　　　　　　 C. Lonely . 　　　 D. Frightening

答案：1. C　　 2. D　　 3. A　　 4. D .

[高考点拨]

THE INFLUENCE OF TELEVISION

　　 Those who doubt TV’s influence on our lives might consider the effect of automobile on American society . When the automobile first appeared on the highways , most Americans saw it as a horseless carriage , not as an important symbol of a new way of life. Similarly , those of us who grew up before television tend to think of it as just another medium in a series of 20^th-century mass-communication systems , such as movies and radio . But television is not just another medium .

　　 If you were born before 1950, television came into your life after your formative years . Even if you are now a TV fan , it will be difficult for you to understand the changes it has brought . For example, imagine spending six hours a day at the local cinema when you were 12 years old . No parent would have allowed it. Yet, among the children we asked , nearly half the 12- year – olds watch an average of six or more hours of television per day . For many of them the habit continues into adulthood(成年). From our surveys(调查), we estimate(估计)that about one third of all American adults(成年人)watch an average of four or more hours of television per day .

　　 None of us is totally dependent upon television for our view of the world . However , many of us have not had the opportunity to observe the reality of police stations , courtrooms(法庭), corporate board rooms(法人会议室)；or hospital operating rooms . Critics(评论家)complain about the stereotyped(不变的)characters and plots of TV dreams . But many viewers look on them as representative(代表)of the real world .

　　 If adults can so easily accept the reality of television, imagine its effect on children . By the time the average American child reaches public school, he has already spent several years in an electronic nursery school . At the age of 10, the average child spend more hours a week in front of the TV screen than in the classroom , Given continuous exposure(暴露)to the world of TV, it’s not surprising that the children we tested seemed to be more strongly influenced by TV than the adults .

　　 At the other end of the life cycle, television becomes the steady and often the only companion of the elderly . As failing eyesight makes reading difficult , and getting around becomes a problem , many old people spend much of the day watching TV . Here the action of fictional drama helps make up for the inaction of their lives .

3. What did Frank think was going to happen ?

　　 A. Someone was going to rob the house .

　　 B. The stranger would get himself hurt .

　　 C. The stranger would spend the night in the Oakfield House .

　　 D. Somebody was going to make a telephone call .

2. Frank said something about the weather to the stranger because _________ .

　　 A. he wanted to know what the weather would be the next day

　　 B. he wanted to start a conversation

　　 C. he was a very friendly person

　　 D. he wanted to hide his nervousness

1. Frank was feeling shame at _________ .

　　 A. having walked so quickly

　　 B. having made a big noise at midnight

　　 C. having been afraid

　　 D. having been so anxious to go home

6. 作者写作意图题：

　　 作者的意图时指作者在文中表达的意思，也就是写作目的。只有掌握作者的写作意图， 我们才能了解文章的深层含义， 从而全面正确，深刻把握思想。作者的写作意图通常隐藏在字里行间， 所以需要从以下几个方面来看：

　　 (1)熟悉文体

　　 (2)寻找 key word, topic sentence

　　 (3)善于把握讽刺，反语等常见修辞方法。

　　 (4)把握作者的语气， 严肃或轻松， 幽默或讽刺， 平和或激动， 乐观或悲观。

　　 通常有以下几种题型：

　　 (1)What is the writer’s attitude towards　 _____　 .

　　 (2)The writer tries to tell us　 ___　 .

　　 (3)The author’s tone would be best described as _______ .

　　 The big Town Hall clock was striking midnight when Frank began to cross the bridge . The dark night air was cold and slightly wet, and the street lamp gave little light .

　　 Frank was anxious to get home and his footsteps rang loudly on the pavement . When he reached the middle of the bridge he thought he could hear someone coming near behind him . He looked back but could see no one . However , the sound continued and Frank began to walk more quickly . Then he slowed down again , feeling shame at having acted so foolishly . There was nothing to fear in a town as quiet as this .

　　 Just then , he heard short , quick steps closely behind him . By the time he reached the other side of the bridge , he could almost feel someone at his heels . He turned round and there stood a man in a large overcoat . A hat was pulled down over his eyes and very little of his face could be seen . Frank said something about the weather , trying to sound friendly and calm . The man did not answer but asked rudely where Oakfield House was . Frank pointed to a big house in the distance and the stranger continued his way .

　　 Then Frank wondered why the stranger had wanted to find Oakfield House at such an hour .

　　 He knew that the people who lived there were very rich . Almost without realizing what he was doing , he began following the stranger quickly . The man was soon outside the house and Frank saw him look up at the windows . A light was still on and the man waited until it went out . When about half an hour had passed , Frank saw him climb noiselessly over the wall and heard him drop on the ground on the other side .

　　 Now Frank realized what was going to happen . He walked quickly and silently across the street towards a telephone box on the corner .

1. What is the advice given in the text?

　　 A. Never drive faster than 30 mils an hour.

　　 B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident

　　 C. Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving

　　 D. Drive slowly while you’re not wearing a safety belt.

　　 答案：C

5. 深层含义题：

　　 指的时文章里没有直接说出来但隐含在文章内的意义。主要考察学生探索和理解深层含义的能力。它要求学生在理解作者所暗示的内容基础上，根据作者的创作意图和文中叙述的事实做出正确结论。

　　 这种题型中多有suggest, indicate, imply　 等词语。

Example：

　　 Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, “But , Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”

　 Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt----　 a mistake 75% of the US population make every day.　 The big question is why.

There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago.　 The following are three of the most common.

Myth Number One:　 It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.

Truth: Sorry, but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing.　 And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield or door to do it.　 Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”.

Myth Number Two: Safety belt “trap”: people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.

Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents.　 People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.

Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren’t needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour.

Truth: When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, and unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10　 metres.

4. From the last paragraph , we can infer that __________ .

　　 A. deep-sea divers do not use cameras

　　 B. photographers cannot find jobs today

　　 C. there are different kinds of cameras

　　 D. early man found a way to make photographers aid scientists

　　 答案：1. B　　 2. A　　 3. A　　 4. C

3. The reason why photography has become a growing hobby lies in the fact _________ .

A. it’s easy to use camera and take pictures

B. people do not like to go to photographers

C. people can make their own films

　　 D. it’s easy to make pictures permanent

2. On the whole , this passage is about ________ .

　　 A. the development of photography

　　 B. the life of George Eastman

　　 C. how photographers aid scientists

　　 D. George Eastman invented the first camera