单选题
The Western is a uniquely genre which has found expression in the medious of literature, radio, television and the movies. Westerns derive their name from the fact that they are set West of the Mississippi before these areas were developed and settled. Many Westerns thus take place in frontier outposts in the latter half of the Nineteenth Century. Westerns, while not as popular as they once were, continue to be produced because their setting remains compelling and allows for the expression of some basic human conflicts. Popular icons of the Western include the gun, the horse, the saloon and the open prairie. The Western portrayed a violent and isolated society which placed a premium on freedom and independence. Often Westerns showed conflict between white settlers and Native Americans. Another common conflict was between the focus of law and order, often represented by the town sheriff, and criminal elements such as cattle rustlers, bank robbers and guns for hire. Westerns were particularly popular from the turn of the 20th Century up until the mid 1960s. In the early part of the century Western stories usually appeared in inexpensive 'pulp' magazines. In the 1920s radio dramas such as the Lone Ranger came into vogue. Westerns reached their greatest audience, however with the large number of movies made from the mid 1930s to mid 1960s. Western movie stars such as John Wayne, Gary Cooper and more recently Clint Eastwood have remained extremely popular with the American public. With the advent of television in the 1950s, a new avenue opened up for the Western and programs such as Gunsmoke and Bonanza exposed a whole new generation to the mythology of the American West. Westerns are often thought to be crude and unsophisticated as they paint a romanticized and unrealistic portrait of the American West of the time. While this may be true of many Westerns, some critics have noted that the best Westerns often show an ever present tension in American sociey: between the need for society on the one hand and the desire of individuals to express their personal impulses on the other hand. Because this is fundamental to US culture, the Western genre will likely to be with us for years to come.
单选题
What is the reason for naming a genre as The Western?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】细节题。题干问，西部文艺名字从何而来?定位于第一段Westerns derive their name from the fact that they are set West of the Mississippi before these areas were developed and settled. derive from意为“来源于”。原句意为“西部文艺这个名称来源于：在这些地方被开发和定居之前，人们将密西西比河西部作为背景”。即选项B，置于密西西比河西部的背景。
单选题
Besides conflicts between white settlers and native Americans, what is the other conflict portrayed in Westerns?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】细节题。题干问，除了白人定居者和美洲土著人之间的冲突外，在西部文学作品中还描绘了什么样的冲突?根据conflict这一关键词，定位于原文第二段最后一句Another common conflict was between the forces of law and order. 即此题的答案，法律的强制力与秩序之间的矛盾。regulation也是“秩序，规则”的意思。
单选题
The word 'advent' (Line 7, Para.3) is closest in meaning to ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】语义题。advent一词的原句为With the advent of television in the 1950s a new avenue opened up for the Western...意为“20世纪50年代，电视的出现为西部文艺开辟了新道路”。选项A“发明”，选项B“抑制”，选项D“进化”，均不符合。选项C“出现”为近义词替换。