I was eight when my neighbors got a TV. It was small and expensive, but that didn’t matter. IT WAS WONDERFUL. Everyone in the building came up to the fifth floor to see this latest wonder of the modern world. That was in 1948.
Soon, a lot of people got a TV, but not us. My parents didn’t think it was good for children. Being a good son, I didn’t argue with them. But I secretly watch TV—at my friends’ homes.
By 1955, televisions weren’t so expensive and were much larger. My parents still thought they were not good for us, but my sisters insisted, saying they were the only people in the neighborhood who didn’t have one. All their friends talked about certain programs and actors, but they couldn’t. Their friends laughed at them, which made them feel very unhappy. My youngest sister cried, saying she was never going back to school and that life without a TV wasn’t worth living. Nothing my parents said made her feel better. The next morning, without telling us, they went out and got a new TV.
When we were young our parents allowed us to watch TV for two hours a night. And we couldn’t watch until our homework was finished. But after a year or two, TV wasn’t exciting or new anymore. It became just another part of our lives like shoes or soap. My parents still had fears about TV. We were going to forget how to read, and TV was going to fill our minds with violence, they said.
Today people still argue about the value of TV. Nobody can deny the power of TV, which has a powerful influence on our lives. On average, Americans spend 30 hours a week watching TV. Is this influence good or bad? This is an unanswerable question indeed: It is hard enough to measure influence; and it is even harder to decide what is good and what isn’t. What is good, I suppose, is that many people are concerned about TV’s influence and that we have the power to change what we don’t like.
The people of Monhegan Island, 18 kilometers away off the coast of Maine, don’t have electricity, and they decided; once again, that they liked that way. Electricity, they think, would make life too easy and spoil their way of life. Maybe the young people wouldn’t want to go to town dances anymore. Maybe they would be more interested in staying at home and watching TV.
1.How old was the author, when their family got a TV?
A. About 15. B. 8. C. 18. D. About 10.
2.The author’s parents finally decided to buy a TV because _______.
A. they wanted to meet their daughters’ needs .
B. the children couldn’t go to school without a TV
C. the sisters would like to be like their friends
D. they had to do as the youngest daughter told them to
3.The author thinks “to judge whether a TV’s influence is good or bad” is ________.
A. concerning B. hard C. meaningless D. important
4.The last paragraph is written to show ________.
A. the disadvantage of TV
B. TV influences people a great deal
C. the advantage of TV
D. we can change what we don’t like
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
This morning, as I was getting close to the supermarket, I saw a small 36 gathering around an elderly woman with blood under her face. I stopped and asked if I could 37 . I told her I was certified（授予证书的）in first aid. Then I 38 someone for a first aid kit（工具箱）. But she didn’t want help, saying she was fine. But she wasn’t fine. I asked her to 39 with me and we 40 about her routine of getting groceries. People brought out ice packs, water and paper towels from the 41 nearby. I put on the gloves from the first aid kit, and cleaned her up a bit, but 42 I just talked to her and held her hand.
Two 43 happened to be passing by and 44 to help check her out a bit. Finally, after ten minutes the 45 arrived and I talked to the emergency medical team and they __46 .
I was certified in first aid years back, and I got re-certified a month ago, but I never 47 it once. However, I realized being certified isn’t 48 about providing the aid. I didn’t stop the bleeding. I didn’t 49 to examine her. Mostly it was about providing comfort for people in a difficult 50 . The certification gave me the 51 to do that: to kneel on the sidewalk, holding an old woman’s hand, and to help make those _ 52 few minutes just a little bit better.
If you’re not certified in first aid, I can’t 53 it strongly enough. It takes four hours of your time at your 54 Red Cross. With what you’ll 55 , maybe you’ll be able to help someone like the old lady one day.
1.A. people B. public C. traffic D. crowd
2.A. watch out B. look out C. help out D. make out
3.A. paid B. sent C. applied D. scolded
4.A. stay B. walk C. accompany D. shop
5.A. looked B. cared C. talked D. quarreled
6.A. hospital B. supermarket C. station D. office
7.A. mostly B. maybe C. simply D. extremely
8.A. policemen B. volunteers C. clerks D. doctors
9.A. refused B. stopped C. lay D. woke
10.A. ambulance B. family C. driver D. officer
11.A. operated on B. turned up C. ran away D. took over
12.A. liked B. noticed C. used D. met
13.A. necessarily B. possibly C. hopefully D. commonly
14.A. want B. teach C. permit D. try
15.A. place B. situation C. life D. position
16.A. harm B. confidence C. lesson D. wish
17.A. confusing B. moving C. scary D. friendly
18.A. recommend B. demand C. support D. explain
19.A. formal B. national C. local D. private
20.A. recognize B. offer C. allow D. Learn
The window _________ a beautiful view out over the river.
A. covers B. spares C. applies D. Affords.
Mr King, _________ company my sister works, donated a large amount of money this time.
A. whose B. in which C. in whose D. Which
I saw Helen at the party last month. It _________ a year since we met last time.
A. was B. is C. has been D. would be
We will do what we can to get the goods _________ on time.
A. delivered B. deliver C. to deliver D. Delivering
