D
When Pope Francis recently told a reporter that he stopped watching television 25 years ago, it reminded me that several of my friends had gone TV-free as well. They had really quit TV? It seemed fairly unlikely.
And so it was. It turned out that most Americans who "cut the cord " are not getting rid of their TV sets. What they're doing, like my friends, is canceling their cable or satellite TV contracts. Not such a major move, but nice cost savings. You can still watch lots of TV programming these days on your computer or TV by subscribing to an online streaming service. Netflix is currently the most popular of those.
There is, however, a small group of the population that has adopted a true zero-tolerance policy when it comes to television. Listen to what was said about TV by none other than Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor In 2010 following his terminal cancer diagnosis, he called out TV as the enemy of productivity. "If you really want to have time back in your life," he said, "unplug you TV and put it in a closet and put a blanket over it."
My friend Laura Schiff, a former journalist, appreciates that point all too well. "Television always felt like a waste of time," she told me the other day. When her old TV failed, she decided not to replace it. "No regrets. Without TV I get a much deeper understanding of the world and what's going on around us." The amazing irony (讽刺): Schiff's late father, Arthur Schiff was the genius behind such memorable TV marketing catchphrases (广告语) as "Act now and you'll also receive...and "But wait, there's more!"
For some Americans, there is no "more". There is already too, too much 一 too much stupid programming, too much commercials for products no one needs. Most of all, “TV robs us of our precious time," as author Joshua Fields Millbum said in his book, Everything That Remains.
12. We learn from paragraph 2 that most Americans who cut the cord ______.
A. stop watching TV completely
B. get rid of their TV sets
C. canceling their TV contracts to save money
D. still watch lots of programs through cable TV
13. According to the passage, Netflix is probably ________ .
A. a popular online streaming service
B. a satellite TV station
C. a new brand of TV sets
D. a most popular TV program currently
14. Why was Randy Pausch against television?
A. It was a waste of money.
B. He had little time to spare for it.
C. It was a waste of productive time.
D. He suffered from headaches because of it.
15. We can infer from the last paragraph that some Americans _______.
A. demand changes in television
B. will never believe TV catchphrases
C. spend more time watching TV
D. will never watch TV
【答案】12. C 13. A 14. C 15. D
【解析】
本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一些美国人对电视排斥的现状。
【12题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中的It turned out that most Americans who "cut the cord " are not getting rid of their TV sets. What they're doing, like my friends, is canceling their cable or satellite TV contracts. Not such a major move, but nice cost savings.可知， 结果发现，大多数“切断电源线”的美国人并没有摆脱电视机；像我的朋友一样，他们正在做的是取消有线电视或卫星电视合同；这不是很大的变动，但是节省了不少成本。由此可知，大多数美国人切断了电源线是为了取消电视合同以节省开支。故选C项。
【13题详解】
推理判断题。根据第二段中的You can still watch lots of TV programming these days on your computer or TV by subscribing to an online streaming service. Netflix is currently the most popular of those.可知， 现在你仍然可以通过订阅在线流媒体服务在电脑或电视上观看大量的电视节目。Netflix目前是其中最受欢迎的。我们可以推断Netflix可能是流行的在线流媒体服务。故选A项。
【14题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段中的Listen to what was said about TV by none other than Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor In 2010 following his terminal cancer diagnosis, he called out TV as the enemy of productivity.可知， 听听2010年卡内基梅隆大学教授兰迪•波许在癌症确诊后对电视的评价，他将电视称为生产力的敌人。由此可知，兰迪·波许反对电视的原因是电视在浪费生产力，浪费生产时间。故选C项。
【15题详解】
推理判断题。根据第三段中的There is, however, a small group of the population that has adopted a true zero-tolerance policy when it comes to television.及第四段中的"Television always felt like a waste of time," she told me the other day. When her old TV failed, she decided not to replace it. "No regrets. Without TV I get a much deeper understanding of the world and what's going on around us."可知，然而，有一小部分人在电视上采取了真正的零容忍政策；作者的一个朋友的旧电视坏了，她决定不再换电视，她认为没有电视，她对世界和周围发生的事情有了更深刻的了解。由此可知，一些美国人将永远不会再去看电视。故选D项。
When Pope Francis recently told a reporter that he stopped watching television 25 years ago, it reminded me that several of my friends had gone TV-free as well. They had really quit TV? It seemed fairly unlikely.
And so it was. It turned out that most Americans who "cut the cord " are not getting rid of their TV sets. What they're doing, like my friends, is canceling their cable or satellite TV contracts. Not such a major move, but nice cost savings. You can still watch lots of TV programming these days on your computer or TV by subscribing to an online streaming service. Netflix is currently the most popular of those.
There is, however, a small group of the population that has adopted a true zero-tolerance policy when it comes to television. Listen to what was said about TV by none other than Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor In 2010 following his terminal cancer diagnosis, he called out TV as the enemy of productivity. "If you really want to have time back in your life," he said, "unplug you TV and put it in a closet and put a blanket over it."
My friend Laura Schiff, a former journalist, appreciates that point all too well. "Television always felt like a waste of time," she told me the other day. When her old TV failed, she decided not to replace it. "No regrets. Without TV I get a much deeper understanding of the world and what's going on around us." The amazing irony (讽刺): Schiff's late father, Arthur Schiff was the genius behind such memorable TV marketing catchphrases (广告语) as "Act now and you'll also receive...and "But wait, there's more!"
For some Americans, there is no "more". There is already too, too much 一 too much stupid programming, too much commercials for products no one needs. Most of all, “TV robs us of our precious time," as author Joshua Fields Millbum said in his book, Everything That Remains.
12. We learn from paragraph 2 that most Americans who cut the cord ______.
A. stop watching TV completely
B. get rid of their TV sets
C. canceling their TV contracts to save money
D. still watch lots of programs through cable TV
13. According to the passage, Netflix is probably ________ .
A. a popular online streaming service
B. a satellite TV station
C. a new brand of TV sets
D. a most popular TV program currently
14. Why was Randy Pausch against television?
A. It was a waste of money.
B. He had little time to spare for it.
C. It was a waste of productive time.
D. He suffered from headaches because of it.
15. We can infer from the last paragraph that some Americans _______.
A. demand changes in television
B. will never believe TV catchphrases
C. spend more time watching TV
D. will never watch TV
【答案】12. C 13. A 14. C 15. D
【解析】
本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一些美国人对电视排斥的现状。
【12题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中的It turned out that most Americans who "cut the cord " are not getting rid of their TV sets. What they're doing, like my friends, is canceling their cable or satellite TV contracts. Not such a major move, but nice cost savings.可知， 结果发现，大多数“切断电源线”的美国人并没有摆脱电视机；像我的朋友一样，他们正在做的是取消有线电视或卫星电视合同；这不是很大的变动，但是节省了不少成本。由此可知，大多数美国人切断了电源线是为了取消电视合同以节省开支。故选C项。
【13题详解】
推理判断题。根据第二段中的You can still watch lots of TV programming these days on your computer or TV by subscribing to an online streaming service. Netflix is currently the most popular of those.可知， 现在你仍然可以通过订阅在线流媒体服务在电脑或电视上观看大量的电视节目。Netflix目前是其中最受欢迎的。我们可以推断Netflix可能是流行的在线流媒体服务。故选A项。
【14题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段中的Listen to what was said about TV by none other than Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor In 2010 following his terminal cancer diagnosis, he called out TV as the enemy of productivity.可知， 听听2010年卡内基梅隆大学教授兰迪•波许在癌症确诊后对电视的评价，他将电视称为生产力的敌人。由此可知，兰迪·波许反对电视的原因是电视在浪费生产力，浪费生产时间。故选C项。
【15题详解】
推理判断题。根据第三段中的There is, however, a small group of the population that has adopted a true zero-tolerance policy when it comes to television.及第四段中的"Television always felt like a waste of time," she told me the other day. When her old TV failed, she decided not to replace it. "No regrets. Without TV I get a much deeper understanding of the world and what's going on around us."可知，然而，有一小部分人在电视上采取了真正的零容忍政策；作者的一个朋友的旧电视坏了，她决定不再换电视，她认为没有电视，她对世界和周围发生的事情有了更深刻的了解。由此可知，一些美国人将永远不会再去看电视。故选D项。
