单选题 Television—that most pervasive (遍布的) and persuasive of modern technologies, marked by rapid change and growth—is moving into a new era, an era of extraordinary sophistication and versatility, which promises to reshape our lives and our world. It is an electronic revolution of sorts, made possible by the marriage of television and computer technologies.
The word "television", derived from its Greek (tele: distant) and Latin (vision: sight) roots, can literally be interpreted as sight from a distance. Very simply put, it works in this way: through a sophisticated system of electronics, television provides the capability of converting an image (focused on a special photoconductive plate within a camera) into electronics impulses, which can be sent through a wire or a cable. These impulses, when fed into a receiver (television set), can then be electronically reconstituted into that same image.
Television is more than just an electronics system, however. It is a means of expression, as well as a vehicle for communication, and as such becomes a powerful tool for reaching other human beings.
The field of television can be divided into two categories determined by its means of transmission. First, there is broadcast television, which reached the masses through broad-based airwave transmission of television signals. Second, there is non-broadcast television, which provided for the needs of individuals or specific interest groups through controlled transmission techniques.
Traditionally, television has been a medium of the masses. We are most familiar with broadcast television because it has been with us for thirty-seven years in a form similar to what exists today. During those years, it has been controlled, for the most part, by the broadcast networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, who have been the major purveyors (传播者) of the news, information and entertainment. These giants of broadcasting have not only shaped television but our perception (感觉) as well. We have come to look upon the picture tube as a source of entertainment, placing our role in this dynamic medium as the passive viewer.
单选题 With which topic is the passage primarily concerned?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 主旨题。文章开篇就提到电视将走进一个新时代，它将改变我们的生活和我们的世界。接下来，又从电视工作原理、电视对人们的意义、电视节目的传输方式以及电视广播公司等几方面讲述了电视在当今社会所扮演的角色。故答案为C。
单选题 The word "put" (2nd sentence of 2nd Para.) could best be replaced by which of the following?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 语义题。前一句中作者把电视解释为远距离图像。接下来，作者试着用更加具体详细的方式解释电视的工作原理。因此，Very simply put可以理解为“简单地说”，这里，put意为“表达”。故答案为A。
单选题 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a function of electronics in television transmissions?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 细节判断题。本题考查电视工作原理中电子学的应用。根据题干关键词electronics定位到原文第二段。原文第二段尾句中的converting an image...into electronics impulses与选项A对应；原文第二段第二句中的be sent through a wire or a cable与选项B对应；原文第二段尾句中的fed into a receiver与选项D对应。原文第二段尾句提及的是在receiver显示相同的图像，不是把一种图像转换成另一种图像。故答案为C。
单选题 What field of television is intended for specific groups?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节事实题。根据题干关键词specific定位到第四段尾句。文章第四段提到，电视可以分为两种，一种是无线电视广播，面对的是广大观众，另一种是非无线电视广播，面对的是个别观众或特殊兴趣人群，这种电视节目信号是通过受限制的传输技术传送的。因此为少数人所播放的电视是non-broadcast television。故答案为D。
单选题 Which of the following statements about the relationship between television and its viewers can best be inferred from the passage?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 细节推断题。原文尾段最后两句提出，这些电视广播界的巨头们(指各大电视广播公司)不但使得电视成为一种娱乐的源泉，还使得我们成了消极被动的观众，也就是说人们看电视时是不动脑筋的，被动地接收电视节目所传达的信息。故答案为A(观众在观看电视节目时，没有扮演主动的角色)，而其他几项在文中均未提及。