Last year, A Bite of China, made by CCTVs Documentary Channel, sparked discussion not only on Chinese food, but also on locally made documentary programs.
When you think of documentaries, you may think of them as long, boring programs. But documentaries can be wonderful and bring stories from the real world into our homes. With fascinating footage（影片片段） and stories, documentaries encourage us to think about interesting issues we wouldn’t necessarily know about.
So, what makes a good documentary, and what should we pay attention to when we watch one? Here, we offer a few easy strategies to help you get the most out of watching documentaries.
Pay attention to the themes
While watching a documentary, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the themes people talk about and what ideas they focus on. Is it meant to be informative or raise a certain emotional response?
Think critically
Listen to what the people in the documentary are saying and ask yourself the following questions: If you were debating with someone or introducing a new concept, would you say the things the people in the documentary are saying? Do the arguments make sense?
Check the sources
If you’re sitting at the computer and can’t think of anything to do, why not look up the points the documentary made and see if they are accurate? You could even read more about what is presented in the documentary.
Who are the creators?
The creators or financial backers of a film will usually be involved with how the subject matter is presented. For instance, as the documentary 2016: Obama’s America was directed in large part by a conservative writer, it’s not surprising that it’s critical of President Obama from the beginning.
60. Which of the following is the most proper to describe documentaries?
A. non-fictional B. controversial C. subjective D. thoughtful
61. The passage is mainly written to ______.
A. inform us of factors of good documentaries.
B. help us enjoy documentaries better.
C. introduce ways of making documentaries.
D. help us figure out themes of documentaries.
62. Why is 2016: Obama’s America mentioned in the article?
A. Because the author dislikes Obama.
B. Because it is directed by a writer.
C. Because it is quite popular in China.
D. Because it is a persuasive example.
63. According to the passage, ______.
A. it is always difficult to get the themes of documentaries.
B. financial backers often appear in documentaries.
C. it’s better to think twice about what is in documentaries.
D. many points of documentaries are not accurate.