2008年12月英语六级阅读及词汇(四)

　　 ★Lesson4★
　　文章中出现的语言现象：对比关系(极端对比、一般对比)、转折、例子、绝对
　　 In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
　　注：点名文章讲的脱口秀，而且是JS和OW脱口秀
　　 Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "trash talk(废话)". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever - common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes (灾难),yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments(困境) of other people's lives.
　　 Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work weekly, to getting to know your neighbors.
　　 Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
　　注：dump倾销，反倾销anti-dump
　　 Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audience are middle - class Americans. Most of these people have the time. money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18 - to 21 - year - olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.
　　 While the two shows are as different as night and day. both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.
　　注：1. circuit圈子
　　 2. ironically具有讽刺意味的
　　 21.Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are______.
　　 A) more family - oriented
　　 B) unusually popular
　　 C) more profound
　　 D) relatively formal
　　注：第一段
　　 22.Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear distasteful, the audience______.
　　 A) remain fascinated by them
　　 B) are ready to face up to them
　　 C) remain indifferent to them
　　 D) are willing to get involved in them
　　注：第二段eat up，B和D是一回事。
　　 23.Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
　　 A) A new type of robot.
　　 B) Racist hatred.
　　 C) Family budget planning.
　　 D) Street violence.
　　注：第三段最后举了三个例子。
　　 24.Despite their different approaches, the two talk shows are both________.
　　 A) ironical
　　 B) sensitive
　　 C) instructive
　　 D) cynical
　　注：instructive-in引导+struct结构→有启发的，cynical愤世嫉俗的
　　 25.We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows_______.
　　 A) have monopolized the talk show circuit
　　 B) exploit the weaknesses in human nature
　　 C) appear at different times of the day
　　 D) are targeted at different audiences
　　注：monopolise垄断，D对应倒数第二段。