Question

【题目】 Born in the 1950s, shopping malls were once the symbol of the U.S. consumer culture, but many are now dying out.

Dying shopping malls can be found across the United States, often in middle-class suburbs. Economic decline in certain areas together with an upward trend towards online shopping and new forms of urban shopping centers have pushed the once seemingly unbeatable shopping malls into decline. It is estimated that 15 to 50 percent of shopping malls may close in the coming decades.

American shopping culture follows its housing culture. Numerous shopping malls were therefore born after the Second World War, as Americans with cars and fat wallets moved to the suburbs. U.S. shopping malls were built at a rapid pace as shoppers fled cities, peaking in the mid-1990s when they were being built at a rate of 140 a year. Thus, too many shopping malls are left though construction has gradually decreased since then.

Currently, there are around 1,500 shopping malls across the U.S. Most share a handful of similar feature. They usually contain two or three stories of stores separated by walkways. Food courts serve pizza and other fast food. Parking lots are big enough to easily misplace a car.

Shopping malls in Europe might contain grocery stores or childcare centers, while those in Japan are often built around mass transit (交通枢纽). But the suburban American shopping malls are hard to get to and mainly sell clothes and gifts.

As many shopping malls became redundant (过剩的), leaders in many U.S. towns who once fought for malls now struggle with how to transform them to new uses. Highland Mall in Texas is being transformed into a community college campus, and Lakeland Mall in Florida now houses a megachurch (大型教会). Others have been redeveloped to include housing, offices and even green space. However, it is hard to imagine every shopping mall meeting the demands for such transformations.

【1】What is this passage mainly about?

A.The introduction to American consumer culture.

B.The changes in Americans' shopping habits.

C.The growth of American shopping centers.

D.The decline of American shopping malls.

【2】When did the construction speed of IS shopping malls reach the highest point?

A.After the Second World WarB.In the mid-1990s.

C.After mass transit appeared.D.In the 2000s.

【3】What do many U.S. towns do to solve the redundant shopping malls?

A.They make them look different from each other.

B.They make them more accessible to the public.

C.They change them to serve other purposes.

D.They move them to the urban areas.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】B

【3】C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了美国曾经盛极一时的购物中心正在衰落。

【1】主旨大意题。根据第一段Born in the 1950s, shopping malls were once the symbol of the U.S. consumer culture, but many are now dying out. (购物中心诞生于20世纪50年代，曾是美国消费文化的象征，但现在许多购物中心正在衰落)结合文章说明了购物中心的衰落的原因和当初修建的原因。以及随着许多购物中心变得多余，许多美国城镇通过将购物中心改造成其他用途来解决这一问题。由此可知，文章主要介绍了美国购物中心的衰落。故选D。

【2】细节理解题。根据第三段中U.S. shopping malls were built at a rapid pace as shoppers fled cities, peaking in the mid-1990s when they were being built at a rate of 140 a year. (随着购物者逃离城市，美国的购物中心建设速度很快，在上世纪90年代中期达到顶峰，当时购物中心的建设速度为每年140座)可知，购物中心的建设速度在20世纪90年代中期达到最高点。故选B。

【3】细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句As many shopping malls became redundant, leaders in many U.S. towns who once fought for malls now struggle with how to transform them to new uses. (随着许多购物中心变得多余，许多曾经为购物中心而战的美国城镇的领导人现在正在努力把它们变成新的用途)可知，许多美国城镇通过将购物中心改造成其他用途来解决多余的购物中心。故选C。

文章主题和中心思想的阐述往往需要大量细节信息的支持，这些细节对于理解全文内容至关重要，同时也是归纳和概括文章中心思想的基础。命题人往往会要求考生根据不同的要求阅读文章，以获得某些特定的信息，或准确地寻求所需的细节，并对细节进行直接或间接辨认和理解。文章细节的理解可以细化为：（1）一一对应型。（2）语言转述型。（3）语意理解型。（4）是非辨别型。（5）事实排序型。

如第二小题属于一一对应型，根据第三段中U.S. shopping malls were built at a rapid pace as shoppers fled cities, peaking in the mid-1990s when they were being built at a rate of 140 a year. (随着购物者逃离城市，美国的购物中心建设速度很快，在上世纪90年代中期达到顶峰，当时购物中心的建设速度为每年140座)可知，购物中心的建设速度在20世纪90年代中期达到最高点。故选B。