湖北省黄冈市2014高考英语 阅读理解暑假训练五.docVIP

黄冈市2014高考英语阅读理解暑假训练（5）及答案 One of the most fascinating things about television is the size of the audience. A novel can be on the “best seller” lists with a sale of up to 100,000 copies, but a popular TV show might have 70 million TV viewers. TV can make anything or anyone well-known overnight. This is the principle behind “quiz” or “game” shows, which put ordinary people on TV to play a game for prizes and money. A quiz show can make anyone a star, and it can give away thousands of dollars. Charles Van Doren, an English instructor, became rich and famous after winning money on several shows. He even had a career as a television personality. But one of the losers proved that Charles Van Doren was cheating. It turned out that the show’s producers, who were pulling the strings, gave the answers to the most popular contestants beforehand. Why? Because if the audience didn’t like the person who won the game, they turned the show off. The result of this cheating was a huge scandal(丑闻). Based on the show off, a movie titled “Quiz Show” is on 40 years later. Charles Van Doren is no longer involved with TV. But game shows are still here, though they aren’t taken seriously. In fact, some of them try to be as ridiculous as possible. There are shows that send strangers on vacation trips together, or that try to cause newly-married couples to fight on TV, or that punish losers by humiliating(羞辱) them. The entertainment now is to see what people will do just to be on TV. People still win money, but the real prize is to be in front of an audience of millions. 45. What is the most important thing as to television? A. How many viewers they can attract B. Becoming the best seller on the list C. How much money can be given away D. The number of people attending shows 46. What does the underlined part “pulling the strings” probably mean? A. Planning the shows with effort B. Drawing the curtain on the stage C. Controlling the result secretly D. Playing “quiz” o