单选题 Video games have become increasingly popular in both arcades and the average American home. People of all ages and from all walks of life are enjoying hours of entertainment by feeding their time and quarters into these flashing, beeping machines. Many skeptics as well as prospective arcade owners have asked what it is that gives Pac Man, Centipede, and a multitude of other popular games their magnetic appeal to millions of players. As a video player myself, I believe there are many answers to that question but three are outstanding.
Before a full-scale attack is launched against young video players for "throwing away" their quarters, one should first consider the rising costs of more traditional forms of entertainment. For instance, eighteen holes of miniature golf or ten frames of bowling will cost the player at least two dollars, and one movie costs four bucks. For just two dollars, a video player can get at least eight games, and the better he gets, the longer he can play. Compare that record with the game of miniature golf, where the better one becomes, the shorter amount of time he gets to play.
Not only are the games less expensive than other forms of entertainment, but they are also more in tune with the important issues of the day. Even those people who have never been interested in science are beginning to appreciate how much science influences our lives today. Video games, which are the products of advanced technology and uncontrolled imagination, have brought today"s youth closer than ever to the exciting world of science by games. In fact, there are even cartridges which teach garners how to program computers. It is exciting to be involved with the most up-to-date ideas of the day, and video games help provide people with the opportunity to be involved.
Besides the fact that they help people to get involved in technology, video games also provide an outlet for the emotions and the ego. If a man gets frustrated with his boss, for example, he can go to the arcade after work to destroy enemy cruisers rather than drown his anxieties in liquor. Also, for those who feel they are not capable of excelling at anything, the games provide challenges which are easily mastered with patience and practice. It gives a person a good feeling to know that he has broken his own record or that of someone else.
单选题 It can be inferred that Pac Man and Centipede are ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 首段第2句中Pac Mac, Centipede与a multitude of other popular games为并列成分,由此可见,Pac Mac, Centipede是popular games,D中的prevalent与popular同义,因此D为本题答案。
单选题 What can we learn about miniature golf from the second paragraph?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 第2段末句中where引出的定语从句表明C为本题答案。该段倒数第2句也有the better...,the longer...的句式,但该句是对任何电子游戏的描述,而非迷你高尔夫球的描述,因此含有the longer time的A不正确;另外,该段没有提及游戏先进与否对游戏持续时间的影响,因此A和B都属于无中生有;D中the less he pays for the game没有在原文提及。
单选题 It is implied in the third paragraph that video games are appealing because ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 第3段首句中的in tune with,第3句中的brought today"s youth closer to...,以及末句都表明电子游戏使人们紧跟科学的潮流,因此B为本题答案。
单选题 The last paragraph points out that playing video games can help people ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] B中的psychological与末段首句中的emotions和ego都属于心理学的范畴,由此可见,B表达的内容与原文相同,为本题答案。
单选题 What is the author"s purpose of writing the passage?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 首段末句表明作者将从三个方面说明电子游戏的特点,而从文章来看,这三个特点均为优点,因此A为本题答案。首段开头两句表明电子游戏很流行,末句表明他要找到电子游戏流行的原因,因此,本文的目的是为了“说明”,而非为了“推销”,因此B不正确。