全国大学英语四级模拟题2及答案Word格式文档下载.docx
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TheTroubleWithTelevision
Itisdifficulttoescapetheinfluenceoftelevision.Ifyoufitthestatisticalaverages,bytheageof20youwillhavebeenexposedtoatleast20,000hoursoftelevision.Youcanadd10,000hoursforeachdecadeyouhavelivedaftertheageof20.TheonlythingsAmericansdomorethanwatchtelevisionareworkandsleep.
Calculateforamomentwhatcouldbedonewithevenapartofthosehours.Fivethousandhours,Iamtold,arewhatatypicalcollegeundergraduatespendsworkingonabachelor'
sdegree.In10,000hoursyoucouldhavelearnedenoughtobecomeanastronomerorengineer.Youcouldhavelearnedseverallanguagesfluently.Ifitappealedtoyou,youcouldbereadingHomerintheoriginalGreekorDostoyevskyinRussian.Ifitdidn'
t,youcouldhavewalkedaroundtheworldandwrittenabookaboutit.
Thetroublewithtelevisionisthatitdiscouragesconcentration.Almostanythinginterestingandrewardinginliferequiressomeconstructive,consistentlyappliedeffort.Thedullest,theleastgiftedofuscanachievethingsthatseemmiraculoustothosewhoneverconcentrateonanything.ButTelevisionencouragesustoapplynoeffort.Itsellsusinstantgratification(满意.Itdivertsusonlytodivert,tomakethetimepasswithoutpain.
Television'
svarietybecomesanarcotic(麻醉的,norastimulus.Itsserial,kaleidoscopic(万花筒般的exposuresforceustofollowitslead.Theviewerisonaperpetualguidedtour:
30minutesatthemuseum,30atthecathedral,30foradrink,thenbackonthebustothenextattraction—exceptontelevision.,typically,thespansallottedarcontheorderofminutesorseconds,andthechosendelightsaremoreoftencarcrashesandpeoplekillingoneanother.Inshort,alotoftelevisionusurps(篡夺;
侵占oneofthemostpreciousofallhumangifts,theabilitytofocusyourattentionyourself,ratherthanjustpassivelysurrenderit.
Capturingyourattention—andholdingit—istheprimemotiveofmosttelevisionprogrammingandenhancesitsroleasaprofitableadvertisingvehicle.Programmersliveinconstantfearoflosinganyone'
sattention—anyone'
s.Thesurestwaytoavoiddoingsoistokeepeverythingbrief,nottostraintheattentionofanyonebutinsteadtoprovideconstantstimulationthroughvariety,novelty,actionandmovement.Quitesimply,televisionoperatesontheappealtotheshortattentionspan.
Itissimplytheeasiestwayout.Butithascometoberegardedasagiven,asinherentinthemediumitself;
asanimperative,asthoughGeneralSarnoff,oroneoftheotheraugustpioneersofvideo,hadbequeathed(遗留;
传于toustabletsofstonecommandingthatnothingintelevisionshalleverrequiremorethanafewmoments'
Concentration.
Initsplacethatisfine.Whocanquarrelwithamediumthatsobrilliantlypackagesescapist
entertainmentasamass-marketingtool?
ButIseeitsvaluesnowpervadingthisnationanditslife.Ithasbecomefashionabletothinkthat,likefastfood,fastideasarethewaytogettoafast-moving,impatientpublic.
Inthecaseofnews,thispractice,inmyview,resultsininefficientcommunication.Iquestionhowmuchoftelevision'
snightlynewseffortisreallyabsorbableandunderstandable.Muchofitiswhathasbeenaptlydescribedas"
machine-gunningwithscraps."
Ithinkthetechniquefightscoherence.Ithinkittendstomakethingsultimatelyboring(unlesstheyareaccompaniedbyhorrifyingpicturesbecausealmostanythingisboringifyouknowalmostnothingaboutit.
IbelievethatTV'
sappealtotheshortattentionspanisnotonlyinefficientcommunicationbutdecivilizingaswell.Considerthecasualassumptionsthattelevisiontendstocultivate:
thatcomplexitymustbeavoided,thatvisualstimulationisasubstituteforthought,thatverbalprecisionisananachronism.Itmaybeold-fashioned,butIwastaughtthatthoughtiswords,arrangedingrammaticallyprecise.
Thereisacrisisofliteracyinthiscountry.Onestudyestimatesthatsome30millionadultAmericansare"
functionallyilliterate"
andcannotreadorwritewellenoughtoanswerthewantadorunderstandtheinstructionsonamedicinebottle.
Literacymaynotbeaninalienablehumanright,butitisonethatthehighlyliterateFoundingFathersmightnothavefoundunreasonableorevenunattainable.Wearenotonlynotattainingitasanation,statisticallyspeaking,butwearefallingfurtherandfurthershortofattainingit.And,whileIwouldnotbesosimplisticastosuggestthattelevisionisthecause,Ibelieveitcontributesandisaninfluence.
Everythingaboutthisnation—thestructureofthesociety,itsformsoffamilyorganization,itseconomy,itsplaceintheworld—hasbecomemorecomplex,notless.Yetitsdominatingcommunicationsinstrument,itsprincipalformofnationallinkage,isonethatsellsneatresolutionstohumanproblemsthatusuallyhavenoneatresolutions.Itisallsymbolizedinmymindbythehugelysuccessfulartformthattelevisionhasmadecentraltotheculture,the30-secondcommercial:
thetinydramaoftheearnesthousewifewhofindshappinessinchoosingtherighttoothpaste.
Whenbeforeinhumanhistoryhassomuchhumanitycollectivelysurrenderedsomuchofitsleisuretoonetoy,onemassdiversion?
Whenbeforehasvirtuallyanentirenationsurrendereditselfwholesaletoamediumforselling?
SomeyearsagoYaleUniversitylawprofessorCharlesL.Black.Jr.,wrote:
"
...forcedfeedingontrivialfareisnotitselfatrivialmatter-"
Ithinkthissocietyisbeingforced-fedwithtrivialfare,andIfearthattheeffectsonourhabitsofmind,ourlanguage,ourtoleranceforeffort,andourappetiteforcomplexityareonlydimlyperceived.IfIamwrong,wewillhavedonenoharmtolookattheissueskepticallyandcritically,toconsiderhowweshouldberesidingit.Ihopeyouwilljoinwithmeindoingso.
1.InAmericapeopledosleepingandwatchingtelevisionsmorethananythingelse.
2.FromthepassageweknowthetimeanaverageAmericanspendsonwatchingTVcouldhavemadethepersonlearntobecomeanastronomerorengineer.
3.ThetroublewithTVisthatitdistractspeople’sattentionandencouragesthemtomakenoeffortstowardtheirlife.
4.TVprogrammersbasethisoperationontheattractionoflong-spanattentionofaudiences.
5.AccordingtotheauthortheimpropertelevisionoperationinAmericansocietywillbelikelyto
makethingseventuallyboring.
6.AmericanswillfaceaseriousproblemofilliteracyduetothenegativeimpactofTV.
7.InAmericansocietyliteracyisacertainrightthatcannotbedeprived.
PartⅢListeningComprehension(35minutes
SectionA
Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD,anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.ThenmarkthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2withasinglelinethroughthecentre.
11.ATwoblocks.BFiveblocks.
CThreeblocks.DFourblocks.
12.AHesuggeststhatshebuythesweaterinanothercolor.
BHesuggeststhatshebuyajacketinsteadofthesweater.
CHesuggeststhatshebuythesweateratitsoriginalprice.
DHesuggeststhatshebuythesweateronFriday.
13.AItwascleaned.
BTherewasalargesale.
CTheemployeeshadtoworkverylate.
DTherewasarobbery.
14.ABeabadboy.BEattoofast.
CGotoagame.DSkiphislunch.
15.AAsalesman.BAtelephonerepairman.
CAplumber.DAnelectrician.
16.AShedidn’tunderstandwhatEvawassaying.
BEvashouldhavebeenmoreactive.
CEvadidn’tseemtobenervousatallduringherpresentation.
DEvaneedstraininginpublicspeakinglessons.
17.AWhethertochangehisjob.
BAskingforahighersalary.
CAcceptinganewsecretary.
DGettingabetterposition.
18.AHecouldhelpherwiththeproblems.
BHecouldgoouttogetherwithher.
CSheshouldgooutforawhile.
DSheshoulddotheproblemsherself.
Questions19to22arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.
19.AInanapartmentcomplex.
BInahotel.
CAtafriend’shouse.
DHejustarrivedtodayanddoesnothaveaplacetosleepyet.
20.AThesizedoesnotmattertohim.
BHeneedsaplacewithtwobedrooms.
CHejustwantstoshareaplacewithotherstudents.
DHeneedsaverylargeapartment.
21.AProximitytotheuniversity.
BBenefitsthathiswifeandchildwouldenjoy.
CCost.
DSize.
22.ALackofairconditioning.
BDistancefromtheuniversity.
DLackoflaundryfacilitiescloseby.
Questions23to25arebasedontheconversationyouhavejustheard.
23.AItneedscleaning.
BItneedsregularservicing.
CItneedsanewbattery.
DItwasruinedbywater.
24.A$3.99.B$5.50.C$6.99.D$9.50.
25.ATheshopguaranteesthebatteryforayear.
BThemanwillcleanitatnoextra.
CThemancanrepairwatchesveryquickly.
DTheshopisofferingaspecialdiscount.
SectionB
Inthissection,youwillhear3shortpassages