单选题 Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
Amongst the most popular books being written today are those which are usually classified as science fiction. Hundreds of titles are published every year and are read by all kinds of people. Furthermore, some of the most successful films of recent years have been based on science fiction stories.
It is often thought that science fiction is a fairly new development in literature, but its ancestors can be found in books written hundreds of years ago. These books were often concerned with the presentation of some form of ideal society, a theme which is still often found in modern stories.
Most of the classics of science fiction, however, have been written within the last one hundred years. Books by writers such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to mention just two well-known authors, have been translated into many languages.
Modern science fiction writers don't write about men from Mars or space adventure stories. They are more interested in predicting the results of technical developments on society and the human mind; or in imagining future worlds which are a reflection of the world which we live in now. Because of this their writing has obvious political undertone (言外之意).
In an age where science in fact frequently overtakes science fiction, the writers may find it difficult to keep ahead of scientific advances. Those who are sufficiently clear-sighted to see the way we are going, however, may provide a valuable lesson on how to deal with the problems which society will inevitably face as it tries to master its new technology and come to terms with a continually changing view of the world.
单选题 When did science fiction come into existence?
  • A. A few years ago.
  • B. Within the last one hundred years.
  • C. Hundreds of years ago.
  • D. Thousands of years ago.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节题。根据题干关键信息，定位到文章第二段第一句It is often thought that science fiction is a fairly new development in literature, but its ancestors can be found in books written hundreds of years ago. 由此可见，作者认为科幻小说早在几百年前就出现了。故C)为正确答案。 [避错指导] 选项A)和D)在文中没有文字依据；B)项“近一百年中”在文中特指经典科幻小说出现的时间。
单选题 ______ is NOT likely to be reflected in modern science fiction.
  • A. Space adventure
  • B. Prediction of technical developments
  • C. Some form of ideal society
  • D. Imagination of the world in which we could live
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。根据题干关键信息，定位到第三段第一句Modern science fiction writers don't write about men from Mars or space adventure stories. 当代科幻小说家不再写火星来客或太空探险故事。故A)为正确答案。 [避错指导] 选项B)、C)、D)是原文有关信息的转述，与文中信息一致。
单选题 It can be concluded that modern science fiction ______.
  • A. shows the writer's viewpoints
  • B. is worse than that in the past
  • C. has been written only by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells
  • D. tells stories about men from Mars
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。文章第四段第二句…or in imagining future worlds which are a reflection of the world which we live in now. 可知作者在书中想象的未来社会——我们现在居住的社会的反映；结合本段第三句Because of this their writing has obvious political undertone (言外之意).“因此他们的创作有明显的政治意味。”可见，作者认为科幻小说反映了作家自己的观点。所以正确答案为A)。
[避错指导] 选项B)在文中没有文字依据；Verne和Wells是作者举出的例子而不是所有科幻名著的作者，故排除C)、D)与文章信息矛盾，应排除。
单选题 From this passage we can infer that science fiction ______.
  • A. is a fairly new development in literature
  • B. is a popular form of literature
  • C. describes things that happen in developed countries
  • D. reflects the technical advances in the past
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。由文章第一段第一句Amongst the most popular books being written today are those which are usually classified as science fiction. 可知，科幻小说是受人欢迎的文学形式。所以正确答案为B)。 [避错指导] 文章开始就提到与人们通常认为的不同，科幻小说已经有一定历史了，因此选项A)与文中信息矛盾；C)和D)在文中没有文字依据。
单选题 Which of the following statements is true?
  • A. Science fiction often overtakes scientific progress.
  • B. Writers may find it easy to keep ahead of scientific advances.
  • C. Science fiction is based on successful films.
  • D. The writers who can see clearly the way we are going will give us valuable instructions.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。依据选项，结合原文逐项判断，发现选项D)与文章最后一段最后一句Those who are sufficiently clear-sighted tO see the way we are going, however, may provide a valuable lesson on how to deal with the problems which society will inevitably face as it tries tO master its new technology and come to terms with a continually changing view of the world. 那些目光敏锐的人能看清我们前进的方向，也许能就如何应对我们无法回避的问题提供宝贵的经验教训。故选项D)与原文相符。 [避错指导] A)，B)两项表达的是同一个意思，均与文中信息相反；第一段提到许多成功的电影改编自科幻小说，而C)项恰与之相反，故可排除。