阅读理解
Sylvester and I are watching television advertisements because we need information for a class
research project. We have to discuss realism and dreams in television advertising, and so we are
looking for examples of things that are not true in television advertisements. The question we are asking
is, "Is the advertisement true to life, or does it offer an unreal picture of the product?"
Sylvester is keeping track of the lies, and he already has quite a long list. He says that all housewives
seem to live in lovely homes, dress beautifully, and love their household chores. They smile and boast
about floor cleaners and proudly display their dirty clothes, dirty table-tops, and dirty children. In
addition, he has never seen men doing housework. Sylvester thinks that this view of family life is filled
with things that are not true.
I am keeping track of the people who appear in the advertisements. I have found handsome men
chasing after beautiful women, and they are always recommending brand X tooth-paste or brand Y
cologne (科隆香水). I see teenagers and children with their friends, having wonderful time at parties
and at school, and they are usually enjoying large, happy family gatherings. I think that these
advertisements are also filled with things that aren't true.
Sylvester and I have discovered that much of American life is pictured unrealistically on television.
Teenagers do not always have fun at parties, and very few people love doing chores. People do have
problems but few of these are ever shown in advertisements. Instead, we watch Cinderella discover a
miracle floor cleaner, finish the kitchen chores, and waltz off to the ball. Our heads are filled with these
dreams, and they also suggest that, for any problem, brand Z will provide the instant cure. Sylvester and
I will have very few facts and a lot of dreams to write about in our research reports.
1. Why are the speaker and Sylvester watching television?
A. They are looking for good products.
B. They are trying to be like TV people.
C. They are interested in advertising.
D. They are doing a school project.
2. What does the author think about how teenagers are shown?
A. It is incomplete.
B. It is unrealistic.
C. It is true to life.
D. It is too boring.
3. Sylvester and the author have come to the conclusion that television advertising ______.
A. truly reflects American life
B. is lacking in much imagination
C. seldom shows problems
D. gives great fun to children
4. The most suitable title for the passage is ______.
A. A Class Research Project on TV
B. American Life to Be Shown
C. Children Like to Sylvester Advertisements
D. Untrue Things in TV Advertising
