阅读理解
The trend toward rationality and enlightenment was endangered long before the advent of the World Wide Web. As Neil Postman noted in his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death, the rise of television introduced not just a new medium but a new discourse: a gradual shift from a typographic (印刷的) culture to a photographic one, which in turn meant a shift from rationality to emotions, exposition to entertainment. In an image-centered and pleasure-driven world, Postman noted, there is no place for rational thinking, because you simply cannot think with images. It is text that enables us to "uncover lies, confusions and overgeneralizations, and to detect abuses of logic and common sense. It also means to weigh ideas, to compare and contrast assertions, to connect one generalization to another." The dominance of television was not confined to our living rooms. It overturned all of those habits of mind, fundamentally changing our experience of the world, affecting the conduct of politics, religion, business, and culture. It reduced many aspects of modern life to entertainment, sensationalism, and commerce. "Americans don’t talk to each other, we entertain each other," Postman wrote. "They don’t exchange ideas; they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials." At first, the web seemed to push against this trend. When it emerged towards the end of the 1980s as a purely text-based medium, it was seen as a tool to pursue knowledge, not pleasure. Reason and thought were most valued in this garden—all derived from the project of the Enlightenment. Universities around the world were among the first to connect to this new medium, which hosted discussion groups, informative personal or group blogs, electronic magazines, and academic mailing lists and forums. It was an intellectual project, not about commerce or control, created in a scientific research center in Switzerland. And for more than a decade, the web created an alternative space that threatened television’s grip on society. Social networks, though, have since colonized the web for television’s values. From Facebook to Instagram, the medium refocuses our attention on videos and images, rewarding emotional appeals—’like’ buttons—over rational ones. Instead of a quest for knowledge, it engages us in an endless zest (热情) for instant approval from an audience, for which we are constantly but unconsciously performing. (It’s telling that, while Google began life as a PhD thesis, Facebook started as a tool to judge classmates’ appearances.) It reduces our curiosity by showing us exactly what we already want and think, based on our profiles and preferences. The Enlightenment’s motto (座右铭) of ’Dare to know’ has become ’Dare not to care to know.’
单选题
What did Neil Postman say about the rise of television?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词the rise of television，答案线索可以定位至第一段第二句。第一段第二句提到，电视的兴起不仅带来了一种新的媒体，还引出了一种新的言论：印刷文化逐渐转变为影像文化，而这又意味着从理性到情感，以及从阐述到娱乐的转变。选项A中的a change from dominance of reason to supremacy of pleasure是对原文a shift from rationality to emotions，exposition to entertainment的概括，故本题选A。文中未提及影院相关内容，且影院和家庭娱乐都属于娱乐范畴，故排除选项B。文中未提及影像技术的变革和娱乐行业开启了一个新时代，故排除选项C和选项D。
单选题
According to the passage, what is the advantage of text reading?
单选题
What does the passage say about the World Wide Web?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词the World Wide Web，以及出题顺序和文章段落顺序基本一致的原则，可以把答案线索定位至第三段第二句，it指代首段提到的the World Wide Web。第三段首句指出，万维网诞生之初看起来与当时的主流趋势相反，随后讲到，当在20世纪80年代末作为一种纯粹基于文本的媒体出现时，网络被视作一种追求知识而非娱乐的工具。选项C中的a means to quest for knowledge是对原文a tool to pursue knowledge的同义转述，故本题选C。文中只提及各个大学是最早使用网络的一批用户之一，没有说明网络是为大学开发的，也没有提及创建它的目的，故排除选项A和选项B。文中提及论坛和讨论组等信息是为了例证万维网早期的正面影响，选项D是对原文的曲解，故排除。
单选题
What do we learn about users of social media?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词social media，答案线索可以定位至第四段，social media是对第四段首句中Social networks的同义转述。第四段首句指出，社交网络为了电视的价值而对网络进行了“殖民”，第二、三两句论证了该观点：从脸书到照片墙，网络将我们的注意力重新集中在视频和图像上，奖励情感诉求——如“点赞”按钮——而不是理性诉求。它不追求知识，而是让我们对受众的即时认同产生无尽的热情，为此我们不知不觉地持续进行着这种行为。选项B是对原文表述的总结概括，其中的constantly、approval from和audience都是文中的原词复现，故本题选B。第三段最后说，网络创造了一个替代空间，而不是社交媒体用户一心想寻找可供逃避的替代空间，故排除A。选项C中的hunting for new information与原文最后一段的描述不符，故排除。选项D文中未提及，故排除。
单选题
What does a recent study find about a growing number of workers?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词a recent study和a growing number of workers，答案线索可以定位在第一段。第一段第一句指出，根据最近的一项研究，一小部分劳动力在某种程度上受到权益意识的影响，而且人数还在增加。随后该段对受权益意识影响的人进行了解释，即“工作对他们来说，不再是自己能贡献什么，而是能从中得到什么”“一贯认为自己应该得到特殊待遇和丰厚奖励的人”“无论他们的能力或表现水平如何，这种期望都存在”。综上所述，越来越多的员工觉得自己应该比现在得到更多，故选项B正确。选项A与原文相反，故排除。选项C和选项D是对第一段第三句“这会导致工作场所的运作不良，降低他们自己的工作满意度”设置的干扰项，也与原文不符，故也排除。
单选题
Why don’t some employees work hard according to many scholars?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词some employees work hard和many scholars，答案线索可以定位在第二段。第二段第三句指出，许多学者认为，这一趋势始于儿童时期，源于父母过于纵容自己的孩子。这一趋势指的就是该段第一、二句提到的“他们不会为雇主努力工作。相反，他们宁愿怠工”。所以选项B为正确答案。原文中的overindulge与选项B中的were spoiled属于同义替换。第二段第一句说的是their inflated sense of self-worth，选项A显然与此相反，故排除。选项C指的是作者在首段中提及的，对工作有正当不满的员工，故排除。原文是说这些员工小时候被父母溺爱，而不是被老板纵容，故选项D错误。
单选题
What is a manager supposed to do to enable workers to do a better job?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词a manager和enable workers to do a better job，答案线索可以定位在第二段。第二段倒数第二句指出，然而，不管这些员工是怎么想的，对管理者来说，很明显，重要的是要找到让员工保持积极性的方法。由此可知，为了激励员工做得更好，管理者应该寻求让员工保持积极性的方法。因此，选项D正确。原文中的keep them motivated与选项D中的sustain their motivation属于同义替换。其他三个选项在原文中都没有提及，故均排除。
单选题
What do the research findings reveal about ethical leaders?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词research findings和ethical leaders，答案线索可以定位在第三段。第三段第七句指出，有道德的领导者不是纵容员工或忽视他们，而是传达非常直接和明确的期望。选项C是对原文中的communicate very direct and clear expectations的同义转述，故为正确答案。选项A是利用原文中的hold employees accountable设置的干扰项，原文是说有道德的领导者要求员工对自己的行为负责，而不是员工对他们负责，故排除；选项B与原文相反，原文中说有道德的领导者对待员工的方式不太可能出现偏差，故排除。选项D在文中没有提及，故排除。
单选题
What kind of leaders are viewed as ethical by entitled employees?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】根据题干中的信息词ethical by entitled employees，答案线索可以定位在最后一段。最后一段指出，提权益要求的员工更相信有道德的领导者会兑现他们的承诺。这是因为他们(领导者)被认为是做事公平和值得信赖的。原文中的deliver on their promises与选项A中的fulfill commitments属于同义替换，故选项A为正确答案。选项B在文中没有提及，故排除。选项C利用原文词汇exercise caution设置干扰，选项内容本身原文未提及，故排除。原文最后一段第一句指出，当遇到提出权益要求的团队成员时，一个有道德的领导者显然不愿意满足他们的要求，选项D显然与此不符，故排除。