For the first time in modern history,less than half of the U.S.adult population now reads literature,according to a recent survey.Reading at Risk A Survey of Lilerary Reading in America presents a detailed review of the decline of reading’s role in the nation’s culture.
Reading at Risk is a survey of national fashion in adult literary reading.The data souree for Reading at Risk is as reliable and objective(客观的)as any such survey can be.The key results of the survey are presented in the “Surnmary”,but the report can be further exploined as:literary teading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups,but the rate of decling has been speeded up,especially among the young.Rcading at Risk merely shows a great cultural change that most Americans have already noted－our society’s great turn to clectronic media for entertainment and information.
Reading a book requires a degree of active attention and devotion.Indced,reading itself is a progressive skillo that depends on years of cducation nand practice.On the contrary,most electronic media such as television,recordings,and radio make fewer demands on their audiences,and indced require no more than passive participation.While oral culture has a rich reality and electronic media offer the commdenbic atteation of variety.print culture affords irreplaceable forms of focused and thought than make varicen communications and views possible.The deline in reading.thenfore ,equals a larger retreat(减少)from participation in public and culutural life.
What is to be done?There is surely no single solution to the pretent problem.just as there is no single cause .The important thing now is to underwand that America can no longer take active and devoted reading for granted.
Reading is not a timeless,common ability.As more Americans love thus ability .out nation becomes less informed,active ,and independent minded .There are not speakeras that a free, inventive,or productive society can afford to love.
1.The main purpose of the survey is to _______.
A.focus on the role of electronic media ang reading
B.show that American young people read less and less
C.give a report of the national of literary reading
D.review that less that half of the population now reads litersture
2.According to the passage ,reading _______.
A.requires less attention and devotion
B.demsnds no more than passive participation
C.limits various communications and views
D.means active participation in pubnlic and cultural life
3.The underlined phrase “cultural chang”in Paragraph 2 refers to the change _______.
A.from oral culture to electronic media
B.from print culture to electronic to electronic media
C.from electronic media to oral
D.from electr onic media to print culture
4.The author of the passage ________.
A.misunderstands oral culture
B.doubts the Americans to read more
C.encourages the Americans to read more
D.agrees to the solution to present problem in reading