Fans of US television dramas watch their favorite series for different reasons:
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Fans of US television dramas watch their favorite series for different reasons: some want to improve their English skills, others just want to kill time.
Some TV series are more than pure entertainment―they have a certain depth. Mad Men, which returned with a sixth season recently; Monday Mornings, which just finished its first season; and Modern Family, which sweeps the awards every year, are just a few examples.
Why do these shows stand out among so many similar ones? TV critics Raymond Zhou will give you an idea of why some shows are better than others.
Period drama—More than time travel
Period dramas are intended to capture the ambience (气氛) of a particular era. Directors must therefore attract audiences as much by their recreation of a historical setting as by an interesting storyline.
Mad Men is an excellent example of this balance being struck. Set in New York during the 1960s, it accurately shows US attitudes in the workplace through the alcoholism and chain-smoking common of the time, and places an absorbing plot right in its center.
But rather than merely presenting a past decade, Mad Men’s subtle (微妙的) description of the struggles of white-collar workers at the time, both male and female, makes it stand out.
“The series’ attention to detail is superb,” Raymond Zhou said. “For example, creator Matthew Weiner makes Don Draper―the leading role of the series―drive a Buick instead of a Cadillac, because Weiner thinks the ad man lacks the self-pride to buy a luxury car. It’s this kind of attentiveness that raises the show’s artistic value.”
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Another period drama that works is Broadwalk Empire, set during the prohibition period of the 1920s and 1930s in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Heather Havrilesky at Salon magazine noted how the show “revels in the oddities(怪事) of its time, peeling back the layers of polite society to reveal a shadow world of criminals and politicians working together to keep the liquor flowing.”
Why does it appeal to viewers? Because they know that the “liquor” is a metaphor (暗喻) for today’s political scandals (丑闻).
小题1: How many US TV series are mentioned in this passage?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
小题2: The following statements are the reasons why many people are attracted by US television dramas EXCEPT that __________.| A．US television dramas merely present a past decade | | B．directors recreate a historical setting and adopt interesting storylines | | C．the dramas can improve their English skills, and help people kill time | | D．some TV series are more than pure entertainment, and they have a certain depth |
小题3: According to Raymond Zhou, Don Draper’s driving a Buick instead of a Cadillac shows __________.| A．Mad Men attaches much importance to details | | B．Mad Men places an absorbing plot right in its center | | C．the director wants to raise the show’s artistic value | | D．Mad Men’s description of the struggling white-collar workers makes it stand out |
小题4: What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Directors of US dramas. | B．US dramas and their storylines. | | C．US period dramas to kill time. | D．US dramas and their magic touch. |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:A
小题4:D |
解析
试题分析：美剧大部分都是论"季"的,每年中的一个固定季度播出, 边拍边播,一年只播放一季。文章介绍了美剧受欢迎的原因，和其中影射现实的元素。
小题1:D信息归纳题。根据文中提到的Mad Men, Monday Morning, Broadwalk Empire, Modern Family，可知一共提到了4部电视剧，选择D。
小题2:A反选题。根据文中提到的美剧吸引人的缘由可以知道它们不仅表现了某个历史背景下的故事，还影射了现代社会中的一些问题，A项不正确，可知选择A。
小题3:A细节题。根据文中第五段“The series’ attention to detail is superb,” Raymond Zhou said.，可知他举这个例子是为了说明Mad Men在细节上安排了许多重要信息，选择A。
小题4:D 主旨大意题。根据文中介绍的美剧吸引人的原因，以及美剧导演和编剧处理故事的手法，可知文章是说美剧像魔法一般的吸引力，选择D。 |
举一反三
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late, but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
Being a winner is all about creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
小题1:According to the passage, winners .| A．deal with problems rather than blame others | | B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives | | C．have responsible and able colleagues | | D．blame themselves rather than others |
小题2:The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .| A．avoid | B．accept | C．improve | D．consider |
小题3:When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .| A．blame him for his lack of responsibility | | B．find a better way to handle the problem | | C．tell him to find the cause of the problem | | D．ask a more able colleague for help |
小题4:When problems occur, winners take them as .| A．excuses for their failures | | B．barriers to greater power | | C．challenges to their colleagues | | D．chances for self-development |
小题5:Which of the following is the best title for the passage?| A．A Winner’s Secret | B．A Winner’s Problem | | C．A Winner’s Opportunity | D．A Winner’s Achievement |
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Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.
小题1:What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?| A．They are often forgotten by their owners. | | B．They are used to living outdoors. | | C．They build their own shelters. | | D．They like to stay in warm places. |
小题2:Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?| A．To know when to bring them inside. | | B．To keep them from eating bad food. | | C．To help them find shelters. | | D．To keep them company. |
小题3: If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may ___.| A．run short of clean water | B．dig deep holes for fun | | C．dirty the snow nearby | D．get lost in the wild |
小题4:What is the purpose of this text?| A．To solve a problem. | | B．To give practical advice. | | C．To tell an interesting story. | | D．To present a research result. |
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I would like to suggest that for sixty to ninety minutes each evening all television broadcasting in the United States be forbidden by law. Let us take a , reasonable look at what the results might be if such a（an） were accepted.
Families might use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction（分散注意力） of TV, they might together after dinner and actually talk to one another. It is well known that many of our ----everything in fact, from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of illness ----are caused at least in part by to communicate. By using the quiet family hour to our problems, we might get to know each other better, and to like each other better. On evenings when such talk is , families could discover more active pastimes(娱乐). Freed from TV and forced to find their own activities, they might take a together to watch the sunset they might take a walk together.
free time and no TV, children and adults might discover reading. There is more entertainment in than in a TV program. report that the generation growing up with television can hardly write an English sentence, at the college level. is often learned from reading. A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour. A different form of reading might also be done it was in the past: reading aloud. The quiet hour could become the story hour. When the ends, the TV networks might be forced to with better shows in order to get us back from our newly- discovered activities.
At first glance, this idea seems radical(激进的). will we spend the time then? The fact is: it has been only twenty-five years since television came to control American free time. Those of us thirty-five and older can childhoods without television. It wasn"t that difficult.
| 小题1: | | A．valuable | B．pleasant | C．serious | D．quick |
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| 小题2: | | A．suggestion | B．advice | C．opinion | D．offer |
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| 小题3: | | A．get around | B．sit around | C．meet with | D．stand stiff |
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| 小题4: | | A．misfortunes | B．troubles | C．affairs | D．problems |
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| 小题5: | | A．physical | B．mental | C．common | D．familiar |
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| 小题6: | | A．failure | B．attempt | C．ability | D．permission |
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| 小题7: | | A．comment | B．talk | C．discuss | D．remark |
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| 小题8: | | A．impossible | B．unpleasant | C．funny | D．unnecessary |
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| 小题12: | | A．a good book | B．a fine poem | C．a quiet hour | D．a composition |
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| 小题13: | | A．Professors | B．Scientists | C．Educators | D．Parents |
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| 小题15: | | A．Skill | B．Writing | C．Speaking | D．Listening |
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| 小题16: | | A．before | B．as | C．after | D．when |
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| 小题17: | | A．talk | B．programme | C．performance | D．quiet-hour |
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| 小题18: | | A．come across | B．come about | C．come out | D．come up |
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| 小题20: | | A．remind | B．recognize | C．remember | D．know |
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No budget for your vacation? Try home exchanges ---- swapping houses with strangers. Agree to use each other’s cars, and you can save dollars on car rentals (租赁费), too.
Home exchanges are not new. At least one group, Intervac, has been facilitating such an arrangement since 1953. But trading online is gaining popularity these days, with several sites in operation, including Home Exchanges. Founded in 1992, with some 28,000 listings, this company bills itself as the world’s largest home exchange club, reporting that membership has increased 30% this year.
The annual fee is usually less than US$100. Members can access thousands of listings for apartments, villas, suburban homes and farms around the world. Initial contact is made via e-mail, with subsequent communication usually by phone. Before a match is made, potential swappers tend to discuss a lot.
However, the concept may sound risky to some people. What about theft? Damage? These are reasonable causes for concern, but equally unlikely. As one swapper puts it, “Nobody is going to fly across the ocean or drive 600 miles to come steal your TV. Besides, at the same time they’re staying in your home, you are staying in their home.”
Exchange sites recommend that swappers discuss such matters ahead of time. They may fill out an agreement spelling out who shoulders which responsibilities if a problem arises. It does not matter if the agreement would hold up in court, but it does give the exchangers a little satisfaction.
Generally, the biggest complaint among home exchangers has to do with different standards of cleanliness. Swappers are supposed to make sure their home is in order before they depart, but one person’s idea of “clean” may be more forgiving than another’s. Some owners say if they come back to a less-than-sparkling kitchen, it may be inconvenient but would not sour them on future exchanges.
小题1:What is the second paragraph mainly about? | A．How to exchange homes. | | B．The biggest home exchange agency Intervac. | | C．The fact that home exchanges are not new. | | D．A contrast between Intervac and Home Exchanges. |
小题2:How do home exchangers normally begin their communication?| A．By phone. | B．Via a matchmaker. | | C．By e-mail. | D．Via a face-to-face meeting. |
小题3:What is recommended in the passage to deal with the concerns about theft and damage?| A．One can file a lawsuit in court. | | B．Both parties can trade online. | | C．One can damage the home of the other party in return. | | D．Both parties can sign an agreement beforehand. |
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On October 12, 1987, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots(点 )crossing the computers’ screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror(恐惧), they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of( 除掉) by computer viruses! Obviously all these computers had been infected（感染 ） by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young man fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence.（才智）These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem( 耶路撒冷 )Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the function(功能), damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading(传播) to a list of computers. Among the countries that suffering computer viruses are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible remains a problem.
小题1:The group of young men created the viruses to __________. | A．damage the computers | | B．test their ability | | C．play a trick on operators of the computers | | D．tell the world that they were intelligent |
小题2:According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _______.| A．have been in nature for years | | B．be difficult to get rid of at present | | C．exist（存在） in any computers | | D．be able to be got rid of in the near future |
小题3:The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that _______.| A．all the information stored in the computers is gone | | B．the computer’s functions are lowered | | C．the normal programs are damaged | | D．the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used |
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following is true?| A．Four countries found their computers were infected by viruses. | | B．The viruses will come to a new computer after staying in the old one for some time | | C．The Jerusalem Viruses are a great harm to human health. | | D．Scientists are trying to find a way to get rid of the viruses |
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