Question

Thirty-two people watched Kitty Genovese being killed right beneath their windows. She was their neighbor. Yet none of the 32 helped her. Not one even called the police. Was this in gunman cruelty? Was it lack of feeling about one’s fellow man?

Not so, say scientists John Barley and Bib Fatane. These men went beyond the headlines to seek the reasons why people didn’t act. They found that a person has to go through two steps before he can help. First he has to notice that is an emergency.

Suppose you see a middle-aged man fall to the side-walk. Is he having a heart attack? Is he in a coma from diabetes(糖尿病)? Or is he about to sleep off a drunk?

Is the smoke coming into the room from a leak in the air conditioning? Is it steam pipes? Or is it really smoke from a fire? It’s not always easy to tell if you are faced with a real emergency.

Second, and more important, the person faced with an emergency must feel personally responsible. He must feel that he must help, or the person won’t get the help he needs.

The researchers found that a lot depends on how many people are around. They had college students in to be tested. Some came alone. Some came with one or two others. And some came in large groups. The receptionist started them off on the tests. Then she went into the next room. A curtain divided the testing room and the room into which she went. Soon the students heard a scream, the noise of file cabinets falling and a cry for help. All of this had been pre-recorded on a tape-recorder.

Eight out of ten of the students taking the test alone acted to help. Of the students in pairs, only two out of ten helped. Of the students in groups, none helped.

In other words, in a group, Americans often fail to act. They feel that others will act. They, themselves, needn’t. They do not feel any direct responsibility.

Are people bothered by situations where people are in trouble? Yes. Scientists found that the people were emotional, they sweated, they had trembling hands. They felt the other person’s trouble. But they did not act. They were in a group. Their actions were shaped by the actions of those they were with.

1. The purpose of this passage is ____________.

A. to explain why people fail to act in emergencies

B. to explain when people will act in emergencies

C. to explain what people will do in emergencies

D. to explain how people feel in emergencies

2.The researchers have conducted an experiment to prove that people will act in emergencies when ____________.

A. they are in pairs     B. they are in groups

C. they are alone        D. they are with their friends

3. The main reason why people fail to act when they stay together is that ____________.

A. they are afraid of emergencies

B. they are unwilling to get themselves involved

C. others will act if they themselves hesitate

D. they do not have any direct responsibility for those who need help

4.The author suggests that ____________.

A. we shouldn’t blame a person if he fails to act in emergencies

B. a person must feel guilty if he fails to help

C. people should be responsible for themselves in emergencies

D. when you are in trouble, people will help you anyway

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文属于说明文，主要分析了人们在遇见紧急情况的时候，没有立刻采取行动的原因。

1.A 主旨大意题。根据第二段They found that a person has to go through two steps before he can help. First he has to notice that is an emergency(紧急情况).可知文章是说人们在紧急情况下怎么反映。研究人员发现在紧急情况下，当人们采取措施帮助他人之前，他们要经历过两个阶段。再结合第一段中的例子可知本文主要分析人们为什么在紧急情况下没有立刻行动。故A正确。

2.C 细节理解题。根据章倒数第三段的句子Eight out of ten of the students taking the test alone acted to help.可知参加测试的学生有独自一人时，百分之八十的人会帮忙，可知单独一人时，人们可能会帮忙。选C。

3.D 细节理解题。文章倒数第二段最后两句They, themselves, needn't. They do not feel any direct responsibility.可知人多的时候，他们并没有感觉自己有直接的责任，可能会认为自己没必要负责。故D正确。

4.推理判断题。本文主要解释了为什么人们会在遇见紧急情况的时候没有帮助他人，分析了人们的在帮助他人之前两个心理过程，并解释了当我们独自一人遇见紧急情况时，反而会主动帮助他人的原因。也就是说当遇见紧急情况的时候，人们没有立刻行动，是有原因的，我们不应该因此而责备他人。故A正确。

【名师点睛】

本文5.

1、把握文章逻辑结构：把握文章逻辑结构对于做主旨题很有帮助，因为文章主题出现的位置对应于文章逻辑结构中的一个部分。高考阅读理解文章的主要逻辑结构有：

1). 时间顺序。按时间先后说明某一理论的发展，或某一研究成果由过去至现在的情况。属于这种结构的主题通常在首段或末段。

2). 文章按照“总括，一般”的逻辑结构布局。首段做总的说明，其他段落分别说明或具体论述首段的观点。属于这种结构的文章主题在首段。

3). 文章按照“一般，总括”的逻辑结构布局。前面几段分别说明，末段总结。主题在末段。 4). 文章按照“对比”的逻辑结构布局。进行对比的各事物之间的基本共同点或差异为主题。 5). 文章按照“分类”的逻辑结构布局。分类说明的各层次，各层次相加为主题。

2、抓主题句: 主题句表达文章的中心思想，其它句子均围绕它进行说明或议论。它在文章中的通常位置为第一段首句、第一段末句和全文末句等地方。所以阅读时对这些地方要特别关注。

3、概括段落大意： 往往段落大意的合并就是文章的主题句。

4、根据论述详略确定：通常与主题有关的部分有较详尽的论述，而与主题关系不够密切的部分论述较简略。

5、寻找关键词：有些段落大意就散落在关键词上

考点：考查说明文阅读