A “talk show” is a show organized mainly around talk. Television talk shows have been around since the dawn of radio. Thus the start of talk shows’ golden age can be considered as 1948, even though television wasn’t common in American homes until the 1950s. From 1949 to 1973, nearly half of all daytime programming was talk.
Why are there so many talk shows? A talk show costs less than ＄100,000 per episode(一集) to produce whereas many of today’s TV series cost more than ＄1 million an episode. Thus , if successful, it can produce handsome profits . Still, it takes a lot of work . Since 1948, hundreds of talk shows have come and gone, with only a few having true staying power.
There are several types of talk shows , but while the styles might vary, the format(形式) is limited.
What we are most used to is the informal guest-host format, in which shows’hosts welcome famous people or other talk –worthy persons for an informal discussion.
The second most common format is the public issues show, in which hosts interview people in the news or experts in a given field. Shows that follow this format include both morning news programs and “issue” talk shows:
The Museum of Broadcast Communications’ Bernard M. Timberg notes two governing principles of all successful talk shows:
The host is everything :The host has a high degree of control over their show, from subject matter to comedic atmosphere . They are also the show’s brand and are responsible for it. The host can attract and refuse guests, organize their program and , in many cases, name a successor(继任者) when they retire.
Right here, right now: The second rule is that a talk show must be experienced in the present tense, whether it is broadcast live or taped in front of an audience earlier in the day. They should feel fresh, as if they are happening in the moment, even if the show is a 10-year –old rerun.
What is paragraph 1 mainly about?
| A．How talk shows appeared? | B．Why talk shows appeared? |
| C．When talk shows appeared? | D．Where talk shows appeared? |
What is an advantage of talk shows?
| A．They are easy to make. |
| B．They are cheap to produce. |
| C．They come in varied formats. |
| D．They remain successful for a long time. |
The two formats of talk shows differ in_____________.
| A．the atmosphere they create |
| B．the time they are broadcast |
| C．whether they are sent out live |
| D．whether they invite famous guests |
What is the key to talk shows’ success according to the second principle?
| A．Dealing with the most popular issues. |
| B．Giving the audience an up-to-date feeling. |
| C．Inviting the audience to the place where the shows are made. |
| D．Running the shows several times to refresh the audience’s memory. |
It is amazing to note that the Internet is still such a new device，and yet it is one of the fastest and most powerful media tools. But think about it for a moment. On the Internet，a big online company can be run by only two guys in their garage. So it is only reasonable then，that people shopping online would be a little leery of the security levels.
Internet giants such as Microsoft knew consumer confidence was the key to getting virtual(虚拟的) shopping off the ground，and they work hard to make people feel safe to shop online.
Credit card companies，too，quickly saw the potential for online shopping，and have installed things like online shopping insurance for people. If you ever have a problem with your online credit purchases，many credit card companies will happily refund(退还) your money and then set their claws on the company that wronged you. Now that’s buying power!
There are other bonuses for online shoppers，of course. No lineups，for one. No annoying mall shopping carts with broken wheels and kids crying because their parents won’t get them what they want.
When shopping online，consumers can sit down，have a coffee，and wear their slippers，not having to worry about their hair or parking，and just clicking through sale after sale. Comparison shopping couldn’t be any easier. And thanks to courier companies(快递公司) getting in on the act，you never need to wait longer than a day or two to get those all important purchases delivered right to your door.
No wonder so many companies are shaking their heads at traditional advertising and instead looking to the“virtual” world to attract online shoppers.
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “leery” in the first paragraph?
| A．confident |
| B．doubtful |
| C．hopeful |
| D．disappointed |
Consumer confidence in online shopping mainly relies on .
| A．freedom of shopping |
| B．shopping convenience |
| C．security in shopping |
| D．Internet access |
The following have made contributions to the popularity of online shopping EXCEPT .
| A．Internet giants |
| B．traditional advertisers |
| C．courier companies |
| D．credit card companies |
What does the author think of the current online shopping?
| A．Safe，fast but unrealistic. |
| B．Cheap，convenient but unsafe. |
| C．Reliable，popular but slow. |
| D．Safe，convenient and fast. |
The Brown Bear
My wife Laura and I were on the beach，with three of our children，taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small，moving aimlessly.
Just a few minutes later，I heard my daughter shouting，“Dad！The bear is right behind us！” An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back—the sign(迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally，probably because of hunger.
I held my camera tripod(三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders，and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.
Even so，this was a fight I had to win：I was all that stood between the bear and my family，who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.
The bear hit at the camera，cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face；the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move，and I sensed that my bones were going to break.
Drawing back my free hand，I struck the bear as hard as I could for five or six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur，trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling(扭打) with the bear at this point. Then，as suddenly as it had begun，the fight ended. The bear moved back towards the forest，before returning for another attack—the first time I felt panic.
Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat，the bear moved off，destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured，but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family remained clearheaded when panic could have led to a very different outcome.
The brown bear approached the family in order to .
| A．catch shore birds |
| B．start an attack |
| C．protect the children |
| D．set up a barrier for itself |
The bear finally went away after it .
| A．felt safe |
| B．got injured |
| C．found some food |
| D．took away the camera |
The writer and his family survived mainly due to their .
| A．pride |
| B．patience |
| C．calmness |
| D．cautiousness |
You may have experienced the frustration of receiving a parking fine or finding your car towed away （拖走）after leaving it parked for a couple of minutes．
But now a high tech car sticker could help motorists avoid such a situation by allowing a traffic warden（管理员）to get in touch with them．Car owners can buy the sticker and place it inside their car’s windscreen，having set it up with vital information，such as their phone number．The slim design will i nclude a sensor that will send a text message warning a driver about a coming fine when touched by a traffic warden．The message will ask them to move their car immediately．The driver could then type a reply for the warden us ing their smartphone，which will appear on the sticker’s screen．They may choose to write something along the lines of“back in two minutes”in a bid to avoid a fine．Frankfurt-based IT consultant，Daniel Kalliontzis，came up with the idea and is raising funds on Indiegogo to put his 54 sticker into production．
The smart sticker system will rely on the good will of traffic wardens and critically，a German law．The law states:“An officer has to choose the most e fficient and inexpensive way for the car owner to remove the vehicle．”It could be cheaper for the authorities to contact the driver than to tow his car．
At the time of writing，Mr Kalliontzis has raised just over 3，000 of his 50，000 goal on Indiegogo．If he manages to raise the money，the stickers will be shipped in June 2015．But it appears that car owners using the smart system could get some unnecessary warning messages，because anyone could touch the smart sticker．The first paragraph is intended to ________．
| A．highlight an awkward situation |
| B．complain about a parking fine |
| C．introduce the topic of the passage |
| D．remind motorists of the parking risk |
What may probably contribute to the application of the TowStop sticker in Germany？
| A．The sticker’s low cost． |
| B．The mass production． |
| C．The goodwill of motorists． |
| D．The law of the country． |
What can be concluded from the last paragraph about the TowStop Sticker？
| A．It takes time and efforts to put it to use． |
| B．Only traffic wardens can touch the sticker． |
| C．All car owners will use the sticker in 2015． |
| D．Kalliontzis is experienced in raising money． |
What’s the right order of the following statements according to the passage？
①A message is sent by the sensor．
②The sticker is put inside a car’s windscreen．
③A traffic warden touches the smart sticker．
④The sticker is set up with vital information．
⑤The motorist sends a message．
| A．②④⑤③① |
| B．④②③①⑤ |
| C．④②③⑤① |
| D．②④①③⑤ |
Answering the Community Needs of Our City
The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs．To better meet your needs，we have made several changes to community facilities in 2014．The followings show how we have tried to make your life better．
Transport
☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service．
☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January．
☆50 per cent of city bus stops have been upgradeD．
Communication
☆Broadband cable is now av ailable to all parts of the city．
☆All of the new Government buildings are smart wired for better computer service！
Medical Facilities
☆The new state of the art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June．
☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital，10 doctors have been employed from overseas．
☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgradeD．
Education
☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2014！
☆Rental for private schools has been reduceD．
Protection and Security
☆Extra police now patrol（巡逻）the tourist areas．
☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city areA．
Entertainment / Recreation
☆The new Central Community Building opened in May．
☆5，000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library．What is the purpose of the changes in Silver City？
A． To satisfy all the needs of the citizens．
B． To make public service improveD．
C． To better the citizens’life．
D． To meet the needs of the Silver City Council．What can we learn from the passage？
| A．Travel books are provided in the new library． |
| B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City． |
| C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital． |
| D．There are more police officers on duty now． |
The public notice is from _______．
| A．the community |
| B．the local government |
| C．the Silver City Library |
| D．a travel agency |
Shake Shack is a new kind of restaurant becoming more popular in the U．S．The restaurants are not“fast food”．They are known as“fast casual”．
Observers say Americans want more choices and fresh food when choosing where and what to eat．This trend is one reason why the fast food restaurant McDonald’s has struggled financially．In the last quarter of 2014，McDonald’s net income dropped by about $300 million．The January earnings report brought more bad news．Worldwide sales dropped for the eighth month in a row and even more than expecteD． Whi le McDonald’s is struggling to get their customers back，Shake．
Shack，is doing well in making money．The New York-based burger chain had a very successful IPO，or initial public offering，of shares at the end of January．On its first day of trading，Shake Shack went from $21 a share to just under $46 a share．Being part of the “fast casual ”trend has helped Shake Shack．Other fast casual restaurants in the U．S．include Chipotle and PanerA．
Bonnie Riggs，a restaurant expert with NPD has studied Americans’restaurant habits for almo st 30 years．She says one reason why Americans like fast casu al food is that it’s new．It’s creative，it’s something different and people like to try new things．Her study shows Americans made 61 billion visits to restaurants last year．Three out of four visits were to fast food restaurants，like McDonald’s．Fast casual is still a small percentage of restaurant visits，but it has developed fast．Just as Ms．Riggs says，“It’s growing by leaps and bounds，because they meet consumers’needs．They know it’s being prepared while they wait，it’s fresh，quality food，good tasting food at what they say are reasonable and affordable prices．”
Many Americans still like their fast fooD． They just are not going as often．They are finding other ways to have a meal．
What’s the trouble with McDonald’s？
A ．Its share goes down to $21．
B． Shake Shack has taken its place．
C． It’s not popular with Americans．
D． Its sales and income have droppeD．
We can learn from Bonnie Riggs that Americans ________．
| A．don’t like fast food any more |
| B．care only about the quality |
| C．like to try something new |
| D．pay more restaurant visits to fast casual |
What does the underlined phrase“by leaps and bounds”in ParA． 3 mean？
A． Steadily． B． Rapidly． C． Slowly． D． Normally．
Which of the following best describes fast casual？
| A．Fresh-made and tasty． |
| B．High-quality and expensive． |
| C．Farm-to-table and traditional． |
| D．Time-consuming and special． |
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