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2000年广东省普通高等学校本科插班生考试英语试题PartIReadingComprehension(40%)PassageOneThemanofManySecrets--HarryHoudini--wasoneofthegreatestAmericanentertainersinthetheaterthiscentury.Hewasamanfamousforhisescapes-fromprisoncells,fromwoodenboxesfloatinginrivers,fromlockedtanksfullofwater.HeappearedintheatersalloverEuropeandAmerica.CrowdscametoseethegreatHoudiniandhis“magic”tricks.Ofcourse,hissecretwasnotmagic,orsupernaturalpowers.Itwassimplystrength.Hehadtheabilitytomovehistoesaswellashemovedhisfingers.Hecouldmovehisbodyintoalmostanypositionhewanted.Houdinistartedworkingintheentertainmentworldwhenhewas17,in1891.HeandhisbrotherTheoperformedcardtricksinaclubinNewYork.TheycalledthemselvestheHoudiniBrothers.WhenHarrymarriedin1894,heandhiswifeBessworkedtogetherasmagicianandassistant.Butforalongtimetheywerenotverysuccessful.ThenHarryperformedhisfirstprisonescape,inChicagoin1898.Harrypersuadedadetectivetolethimtrytoescapefromtheprison,andheinvitedthelocalnewspapermentowatch.ItwasthepublicitythatcamefromthisthatstartedHarryHoudini’ssuccess.Harryhadfingerstrainedtoescapefromhandcuffsandtoestrainedtoescapefromanklechains.Buthisbiggestsecretwashowheunlockedtheprisondoors.Everytimehewentintotheprisoncell,Bessgavehimakissforgoodluck-andasmallskeletonkey,whichisakeythatfitsmanylocks,passedquicklyfromhermouthtohis.Harryusedtheseprisonescapestobuildhisfame,Hearrangedtoescapefromthelocaljailofeverytownhevisited.Intheafternoon,thepeopleofthetownwouldreadaboutitintheirlocalnewspapers,andintheeveningeveryseatinthelocaltheaterwouldbefull.Whatwastheresult?World--widefame,andanamerememberedtoday.1.Accordingtothepassage,Houdini’ssuccessinprisonescapesdependson______.A.hismagictricksandunhumanpowersB.hisspecialtricksandaskeletonkeyC.hisunusalabilityandaskeletonkeyD.hisunhumantalentsandmagictricks2.Inthefourthparagraph.theword“this”refersto______.A.theprevioussentenceB.thepublicityC.theplace,ChicagoD.thetime,18983.Accordingtothepassage,howdidHoudinigetthekeywhichhelpedhimunlockprisondoors?A.Hetookthekeyfromhiswife’smouth.B.Hiswifepassedittohishandwhilekissinghim.C.Hiswifegaveittohimbyamagictrick.D.Hegotitinhismouththroughakissbyhiswife.4.ItcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatHoudinibecamefamous______.A.whenhewasabout24B.whenhewasabout17C.aftertheyear1894D.beforetheyear18985.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?A.HoudiniusedtobeafamousmagicianintheU.S.A.B.HoudiniwasfirstrecognizedwidelyinChicago.C.Houdinienteredtheentertainmentworldtogetherwithhiswife.D.Houdiniownedhisgreatsuccesstohissmallskeletonkey.PassageTwoChildrenlearnalmostnothingfromtelevison,andthemoretheywatchthelesstheyremember.Theyregardtelevisionpurelyasentertainment,resentprogramsthatdemandonthemandaresurprisedthatanybodyshouldtakethemediumseriously.Farfrombeingover--excitedbyprograms,theyaremildlyboredwiththewholething.Thesearethemainconclusionsfromanewstudyofchildrenandtelevision.Theauthor--CardiacCullingfordconfirmsthatthemodernchildisaninterestedviewer.Thestudysuggeststhatthereislittlepointinthelaterhours.Morethanathirdofthechildrenregularlywatchtheirfavoriteprogramsafter9p.m.All11year-oldshavewatchedprogramsaftermidnight.Apartfromtheobviouswasteoftimeinvolved,itseemsthatallthisviewinghaslittleeffect.Childrendon’tpaycloseattention,saysCullingford,andtheycanrecallfewdetails.Theycanrememberexactlywhichprogramstheyhaveseenbuttheycanrarelyexplaintheelementsofaparticularplot.Recallwasin“reverseproportiontotheamounttheyhadwatched”.Itispreciselybecausetelevision,unlikeateacher,demandssolittleattentionandresponsethatchildrenlikeit,arguesCullingford.Programsseekingtoputoverseriousmessagesarestronglydisliked.Soarepeoplewhofrequentlytalkonscreen.Whatchildrenlikemost,andrememberbest,aretheadvertisements.Theyseethemasshortprogramsintheirownrightandparticularlyenjoyhumourouspresentation.Butagain,theyreactstronglyagainsthigh-pressureadvertisementthatattemptopenlytoinfluencethem.Ontheotherhand,theyarenotemotionallyinvolvedintheprograms.Iftheyadmirethestars,itisbecausetheactorsleadbetterlivesandearnalotofmoney,notbecauseoftheirfictionalskillswithfastcarsandshootingvillains.Theyareperfectlyclearaboutthefunctionsofadvertisements;bytheageof12,onlyonein10childrenbelieveswhatevenfavoriteadssayabouttheproduct.AndsaysCullingford,educationaltelevisionisprobablyleastsuccessfulofallinimparting（传播）attitudesorinformation.6.Thestudyofchildrenandtelevisionshowsthat______.A.itisuselessfortelevisioncompaniestodelayadultviewingtothelaterhours.B.itisawasteoftimeforchildrentowatchadultsprogramsonTV.C.childrenshouldnotwatchtelevisionprogramslateintothenight.D.childrenaresupposedtolearnalotfromtelevisionprograms.7.“Recallwasinreverseproportiontotheamounttheyhadwatched”(paragraph2)hasalmostthesamemeaningas______.A.“themoretheywatchthelesstheyremember”.(paragraph1)B.“Programsseekingtoputoverseriousmessagesarestronglydisliked”(paragraph2)C.“Theyseethemasshortprogramsintheirownright”.(paragraph2)D.“educationaltelevisionisprobablyleastsuccessfulofallinimpartingattitudesorinformation”.(paragraph3)8.Whichofthefollow