Reading to oneself is a modern activity
which was almost unknown to the scholars of the classical. In{{U}} (1)
{{/U}}world during the fifteenth century the term " reading"{{U}} (2)
{{/U}}meant reading aloud. Only during the nineteenth century did silent
reading become commonplace. One should be wary, however, of{{U}} (3)
{{/U}}that silent reading came about simply because reading aloud is a(n){{U}}
(4) {{/U}}to others. Examination of factors related to the{{U}}
(5) {{/U}}development of silent reading reveals that it became the
usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the tasks
themselves changed in{{U}} (6) {{/U}}. The last century
saw a steady gradual increase in{{U}} (7) {{/U}}and thus in the number
of readers. As readers increased, the number of potential listeners{{U}} (8)
{{/U}}, and thus there was some{{U}} (9) {{/U}}in the need to read
aloud. As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the
flourishing of reading as a{{U}} (10) {{/U}}activity in such public
places as libraries, railway carriages and offices, where reading aloud would{{U}}
(11) {{/U}}distraction to other readers. Towards the
end of the century there was still{{U}} (12) {{/U}}argument over whether
books should be used for information or treated{{U}} (13) {{/U}}, and
over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way{{U}}
(14) {{/U}}weakening. Indeed this argument still remains with us in
education.{{U}} (15) {{/U}}its virtues, the old shared literacy culture
had gone and was{{U}} (16) {{/U}}by the printed mass media on the one
hand and by books and periodicals for a{{U}} (17) {{/U}}readership on
the other. By the end of the century students were being
recommended to adopt attitudes to books and to use skills in reading them which
were inappropriate,{{U}} (18) {{/U}}not impossible, for the oral reader.
The social, cultural, and technological changes in the century had greatly{{U}}
(19) {{/U}}what the term "reading"{{U}} (20)
{{/U}}.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】考查上下文语义衔接。本题要求填入一个形容词，可以利用上义词复现这一技巧。during the fifteenth century就是所填词的下义词，即15世纪。它既不属干contemporary，也不属于modern world；而[D] western则与本文主题无关。只有[C]medieval“中世纪的”，指14到16世纪之间，包括了15世纪。
【答案解析】考查形近词辨析。四个选项都是同根词，[A] literate是形容词，表示“能读会写的，识字的”，如果表达的是会读写的人越来越多，则应用increase in the literate, the后面接形容词表示某类人。[B] illiterate“文盲”或“不识字的，没受教育的”，与文中意思相反；选项[C] literacy是名词，指的是“有读写能力，有文化”，该句要表达的是文化素质提高，因此是increase in literacy; [D] literature“文学，作品”，不符合题意。
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】考查上下文语义衔接。前一分句讲读者数目增加了readers increased，那么相应地听别人读书的人应该是减少了。与increased形成反义词复现的只有[B] declined“下降”。而且从As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common...也可得到证实。其他选项，[A] receded“后退，倒退”，不能用来修饰the number；[C]increased、[D]expanded“膨胀，扩张”均与文义相反。
【答案解析】考查上下文语义衔接。空格所在句与上一句之间的逻辑关系是因果关系，由as和so连接。上一句讲的是reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common。本题需要填入一个形容词与上文形成对比，应选[A] private“私人的”。该句句意：随着读书作为一种为听众服务而存在的活动愈来愈不常见，它逐渐变成一种大众场所普遍的私人活动。其他选项[B] overt“公开的”、[C] public“大众的，公开的”与文义相反；[D] secret“秘密的”与空格后的public相矛盾，秘密活动怎么会在大众场所进行?
【答案解析】考查上下文逻辑衔接。本题涉及到上下文的逻辑关系，而且难度较大，因为空格所在处实际为一个省略主谓语的插入成分，即if (it is) not impossible，指的是students were being recommended...这件事可能的话。如果选其他三项，则说明impossible与inappropriate并列，都修饰attitudes与skills，说被推荐的读书态度与读书使用的技能是不可能的，显然不合逻辑，不可能怎么还会推荐呢，所以排除其他三项而选[B]。