TV Games Shows

　　One of the most fascinating things about television is the size of the audience. A novel can be on the "best sellers" list with a sale of fewer than 100,000copies, 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 the prize and money. A quiz show can make anyone a star, and it can give away thousands of dollars just for fun. But all of this money can create problems. For instance, in the 1950s, quiz shows were very popular in the U.S. and almost everyone watched them. Charles Van Doren, an English instructor¹, 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 strings², gave the answers to the most popular contestants³ beforehand⁴. Why? Because if the audience didn't like the person who won the game,  they turned the show off. Based on his story, a movie under the title" 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 as 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 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.

1. TV can make a beggar world-famous overnight.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

2. the principle behind " quiz " or " game" shows is to put ordinary people on TV to play a game for prizes and money.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

3. Prizes and money are usually provided by TV stars and large  companies for winners.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

4. One of the TV personalities⁵, Charles Van Doren was proved to be cheating by persuading the Show's producers to give him the answers beforehand.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

5. The huge scandal⁶ of cheating in TV games shows was not exposed until 40 years later in the movie " Quiz Show".

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

6. Nowadays game shows are not treated as seriously as they used to be.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

7. Winners of present-day TV shows no longer get money from the shows.

   A. Right            B. Wrong            C. Not mentioned

参考答案:

TV Games Shows

1.  A. 答案查找的线索词：world-famous overnight（一夜成名）或 beggar（乞丐）。从第一段开始查找，不难在第一段的最后一句中找到含有world-famous overnight的相关句，于是对照原句和问题句，原句说电视可让anything（一切）和 anyone（一切人）一夜成名，所以当然包括beggar，所以这句话正确。

2.  B. 该句是一长句，解这道题的关键首先是读懂问题句的结构，了解它说的是什么。该句是说“猜谜节目背后的原则是为了让普通人参加赢取奖品和奖金的电视节目”。答案查找的线索词：ordinary people (普通人)。从第二段开始查找（因为问题一的答案在第一句的最后依据），不难在第二段的第一句中找到含有ordinary people的相关句。对照原句和问题句，不难发现原句的结构与问题句的结构有所不同： 原句中有代词：this，说“这就是猜谜节目背后的原则”，而代词往往指代前一句的内容，可见“TV can make anything or anyone well-known overnight.”才是猜谜节目背后的原则。所以该句说法错误。

3.  C. 答案查找的线索词：provide(提供)或 companies and TV stars（电视明星和大公司）。从第二段开始查找，但查找完全文也没发现这些线索词，可见该问题并没在原文中提到，所以答案为：not mentioned。

4.  B. 答案为B。该句也是长句，所以首先要弄清楚问题句的大意。 该问题句说“Charles Van Doren被证明通过劝说节目制作人事先给他答案来进行欺骗”。 答案查找的线索词：Charles Van Doren(人名) 和cheating（欺骗）。从第二段开始查找，不难从第二段的第五行开始找到含有Charles Van Doren的相关句，再找另一线索词：cheating，于是又进一步在该段找到直接相关行（7-10行）。对照原文和问题句，不难发现原文是说“为了吸引观众，节目制作人主动把答案事先告诉Charles Van Doren”。所以该句说法错误。

5.  B. 该句也是长句，所以首先要弄清楚问题句的大意。 该问题句说“大量电视节目中的欺骗丑闻40年以后才在名为‘quiz show’的电影中被暴光”。 答案查找的线索词：40 years和 Quiz Show。从第二段短末开始查找，不难从第二段的最后一句找到含有这两个线索词的直接相关句。不难发现原文并不是说“40年后该电影才暴光这一丑闻”，原句只是说“名为Quiz Show的电影在40年后才上演”，所以该句说法错误。

6.  A. 答案查找的线索词：nowadays（现在）或 seriously（严肃地）。从第三段开始查找，不难在第三段的第二句中找到含有seriously的相关句。对照原句和问题句，原句说“这种节目仍然在电视上播放，但人们对它的态度不再象从前那样认真。”，与问题句的大意相符，所以这句话正确。

7.  B. 答案查找的线索词：get money from the shows(从节目中得到钱)。从第三段开始查找，不难在第三段的最后一句中找到与get money from the shows语义相近的词：win money.对照原句和问题句，原句说人们仍然可以赢得钱，所以问题句的大意与原句不符