For the first time in modern history, less than half of the U.S. adult population now reads literature, according to a recent survey. Reading at Risk: A survey of Literary Reading in America presents a detailed review of the decline of reading’s role in the nation’s culture.
Reading at Risk is a survey of national fashion in adult literary reading. The data source for Reading at Risk is as reliable and objective (客观的) as any such survey can be. The key results of the survey are presented in the “Summary”, but the report can be further explained as: literary reading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has been speeded up, especially among the young. Reading at Risk merely shows a great cultural change that most Americans have already noted － our society’s great turn to electronic media for entertainment and information.
Reading a book requires a degree of active attention and devotion. Indeed, reading itself is a progressive skill that depends on years of education and practice. On the contrary, most electronic media such as television, recordings, and radio make fewer demands on their audiences, and indeed often require no more than passive participation. While oral culture has a rich reality and electronic media offer the considerable advantages of variety, print culture affords irreplaceable forms of focused attention and thought that make various communications and views possible. The decline in reading, therefore, equals a larger retreat (减少) from participation in public and cultural life.
What is to be done? There is surely no single solution to the present problem, just as there is no single cause. The important thing now is to understand that America can no longer take active and devoted reading for granted.
Reading is not a timeless, common ability. As more Americans lose that ability, our nation becomes less informed, active, and independent minded. These are not qualities that a free, inventive, or productive society can afford to lose.
1.The main purpose of the survey is to __________.
A. focus on the role of electronic media and reading
B. show that American young people read less and less
C. give a report of the national fashion of literary reading
D. review that less than half of the population now reads literature
2.According to the passage, reading __________.
A. requires less attention and devotion
B. demands no more than passive participation
C. limits various communications and views
D. means active participation in public and cultural life
3.The underlined phrase “cultural change” in Paragraph 2 refers to the change __________.
A. from oral culture to electronic media
B. from print culture to electronic media
C. from electronic media to oral culture
D. from electronic media to print culture
4.The author of the passage __________.
A. misunderstands oral culture
B. doubts the results of the survey
C. encourages the Americans to read more
D. agrees to the solution to the present problem in reading
A NATIONWIDE BESTSELLER
It’s likely that everything you learned about America’s ancient history is wrong.
The
new book, 1491, completely changes our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
DID YOU KNOW?
When Columbus landed there were probably more people in the Americas than there were in Europe.
The peoples of North America had such healthy life-styles that as late as the 19th century they continued to be the tallest people on earth.
Facts have shown that the Americas were populated as long as 33,000 years ago.
4,000 years ago Mesoamerican farmers developed corn in a feat (技艺) of genetic engineering that still isn’t completely understood.
COMMENTS ON 1491
“In the tradition of Jared Diamond & John McPhee, a totally new view of pre-Columbian America.”
—Richard Rhodes
“Attractively written and really absorbing …Charles C. Mann has produced a book that’s part detective story, part epic (史诗) and part tragedy (悲剧). He has taken on a vast topic: thousands of years, two huge continents, and cultures.”
— Charles Matthews, San Jase Mercury News
“Powerful and challenging”
— Alan Taylor, Washington Post
“A pleasure to read as well as a wonderful education”
— Howard Zinn
1.On the whole, 1491 is a book mainly about America’s __________.
A. life-styles B. population C. history D. agriculture
2.Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the comments on the book 1491?
A. It is interesting and instructive.
B. It is attractive and culturally related.
C. It is challenging and revolutionary.
D. It is humorous and persuasive.
3.From this passage, we can learn __________.
A. people settled in the Americas a little earlier than 1492
B. North Americans were the tallest in the 18th century in the world
C. Mesoamerican farmers knew genetic engineering 5,000 years ago
D. The population in the Americas was smaller than that in Europe in 1492
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I returned to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, after college graduation. I had been there before my mother became a minister.
Two weeks later, I told my mother I was bored. She said, “Here’re the car keys. Go and buy some fruit.” 1, I jumped into the car and speeded off.
Seeing me or rather my 2, a boy sprang up（跳起来）, 3to sell his bananas and peanuts. “Banana 300 naira. Peanut 200 naira!”
Looking at his black-striped bananas, I 4to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. He 5. I handed him a 500 naira note. He didn’t have 6, so I told him not to worry. He was 7and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I 8this same boy, I was more aware of my position in Nigerian society. I should 9this country as the son of a 10. But it was hard to find pleasure in a place where it was so 11to see a little boy who should have been in school selling fruit.
“What’s up?” I asked. He answered in 12English, “I … I no get money to buy book.” I took out two 500 naira notes. He looked around 13before sticking his hand into the car 14the bills. One thousand naira means a lot to a family that 15only 50,000 each year.
The next morning, security officers told me, “In this place, when you give a little, people think you’re a fountain of opportunity（机会）.”
16it’s right, but this happens everywhere in the world. I wondered if my little friend had actually used the money for 17.
After six months’ work in northern Nigeria, I returned and saw him again standing on the road.
“Are you in school now?”
He nodded.
A silence fell as we looked at each other, then I 18what he wanted. I held out a 500 naira note. “Take this.”
He shook his head fiercely and stepped back 19hurt.
“It’s a gift,” I said.
Shaking his head again, he handed me a basket of bananas and peanuts. “I’ve been waiting to 20these to you.”
本文讲述了作者毕业后回到尼日利亚首都阿布贾后，在街上结识了一个卖水果的小男孩并且慷慨解囊资助他入学，同时也从另一个侧面刻画了小男孩对于作者的资助的感激和惴惴不安的心理。考生只有在把握了这点才能够理解命题人的意图。从命题设置来看，命题人从语篇层次上进行命题，很好地体现了高考的命题要求。
1.A. Encouraged B. Disappointed C. Delighted D. Confused
2.A. car B. mother C. driver D. keys
3.A. willing B. afraid C. eager D. ashamed
4.A. got down B. bargained down C. put down D. took down
5.A. explained B. promised C. agreed D. admitted
6.A. change B. notes C. checks D. bills
7.A. troubled B. regretful C. comfortable D. grateful
8.A. ran after B. ran into C. ran over D. ran to
9.A. protect B. enjoy C. help D. support
10.A. minister B. headmaster C. manager D. president
11.A. lucky B. amazing C. funny D. common
12.A. old B. broken C. traditional D. modern
13.A. proudly B. madly C. curiously D. nervously
14.A. for B. with C. at D. upon
15.A. spends B. pays C. makes D. affords
16.A. Possibly B. Actually C. Certainly D. Fortunately
17.A. joys B. nuts C. books D. bananas
18.A asked B. imagined C. reminded D. realized
19.A. when B. as if C. even if D. after
20.A. send B. provide C. sell D. give
In a room above the store, where a party __________, some workers were busily setting the table.
A. was to be held B. has been held C. will be held D. is being held
With his work completed, the businessman stepped back to his seat, feeling pleased __________ he was a man of action.
A. which B. that C. what D. whether
As the twentieth century came to a close, the raw materials for a great national literature were at hand, waiting __________.
A. to use B. to be used c. to have used D. to be using
