Question

【题目】

Say the words ‘reality TV’ and the show that comes into most people’s minds is Big Brother. Love it or hate it, there have been versions ( 版本) in more than seventy countries! The basic format is simple: put a group of strangers into a house, record everything they do and watch how they manage to live together.

Actually the idea wasn’t original. A similar show, The Real World, was broadcast in 1992 on MTV. But the format really became popular with the success of Big Brother, and it has been copied again and again, including celebrity versions. In similar shows, contestants ( 参赛选手) have been sent to the jungle or a desert island. In Wife Swap a mother goes to live with a family of strangers and tries to manage their homes; in Young, Dumb and Living off Mum a group of spoilt ( 宠坏的) teenagers with no life skills learn to live together and look after themselves.

So what makes these shows so attractive? Actually, living with strangers is stressful and also personality problems are common. Contestants often have to share tasks and housework and this also brings conflict. “It’s all about relationships,” says TV critic ( 批评家) Jo Barnett. “Some characters are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but they are all real people.”

But is it healthy to be so interested in other people’s private lives? And what kind of people want to appear in front of TV cameras twenty-four hours a day? Not everyone was in favour of such shows, including the first ever winner of Big Brother, Bart Spring. “I’m not a fan of the programme or of people becoming famous for being stupid.” he says.

【1】Big brother is a TV show which has versions in over 70 countries, isn’t it?

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【2】Which of the following words has the same meaning as “original” (Para. 2) ?

A.narrowB.creativeC.powerfulD.favourite

【3】What life skills can the spoilt teenagers learn in Young, Dumb and Living off Mum?

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【4】How is the life of the contestants living with strangers?

______________________

【5】What does TV critic Jo Barnett think of the characters in these shows?

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【6】Do you like to take part in this kind of activity? Add your reason(s) .

______________________

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】Yes, it is. / Yes.

【2】B

【3】To live together and look after themselves. / Living together and looking after themselves. /They can learn to live together and look after themselves.

【4】Stressful and with a lot of personality problems. / Stressful and personality problems are common.

【5】Some characters are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but they are all real people./ They are all real people and just show their ways of life.

【6】Yes. Because it’s fun. / Yes. I can make more friends and learn a lot from them. / Yes. I can learn to be independent. / No. It’s stupid to appear in front of TV cameras. / No. I don’t want to involve in others’ private lives.

【解析】

这是一篇说明文，文章主要介绍一些真人秀节目，节目参加者做的事情以及大家对节目的看法和评价。

【1】问题是反义疑问句，用yes或者no来回答。根据第一段“the show that comes into most people’s minds isBig Brother. Love it or hate it, there have beenversionsin more than seventy countries”可知《老大哥》节目在七十多个国家有自己的版本。故答案为Yes, it is. / Yes.

【2】词义猜测题。根据第二段“A similar show,The Real World”可知老大哥节目有相似的节目《真实的世界》，说明这个节目不是原创。original表达“原创的”，相当于creative。故选B。

【3】根据第三段“inYoung, Dumband Living off Muma group ofspoiltteenagers with no life skills learn to live together and look after themselves”宠坏的没生活技能的年轻人学习一起生活和怎样照顾自己。故答案为To live together and look after themselves. / Living together and looking after themselves. /They can learn to live together and look after themselves.

【4】根据第四段“living with strangers is stressful and also personality problems are common.”可知和陌生人一起生活是有压力的而且个性问题很平常。故答案为Stressful and with a lot of personality problems. / Stressful and personality problems are common.。

【5】根据第四段“Some characters are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but they are all real people”可知评论家认为有些性格让人愉悦，有些不让人愉悦，但是他们都是真正的人。因为他们显示了自己的生活方式They show their ways of life.故答案为Some characters are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but they are all real people./ They are all real people and just show their ways of life.

【6】根据第一段“Love it or hate it”，第三段“learn to live together and look after themselves”,第四段“so attractive”以及最后一段“is it healthy to be so interested in other people’s private lives”，“Not everyone was in favour ofsuch shows”以及“I’m not a fan of the programme or of people becoming famous for being stupid”可知对这些节目褒贬不一。喜欢节目的人觉得有趣,觉得可以学到东西，学会独立生活。也有人不喜欢，觉得在镜头前很蠢，不想参与到别人的私人生活。故答案为Yes. Becauseit’s fun. / Yes. I can make more friends and learn a lot from them. / Yes. I can learn to be independent. / No. It’s stupid to appear in front of TV cameras. / No. I don’t want to involve in others’ private lives.