Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the covers of some of the old pulp magazines (廉价并且趣味低级的杂志), the Bug-Eyed Monster, embodying every trait and feature that most people find repulsive, is about to grab, and presumably ravish, a sweet, blonde, curvaceous, scantily clad Earth girl. This is unfortunate because it demeans and degrades a worthwhile and even important literary endeavor. In contrast to this unwarranted stereotype, science fiction rarely emphasizes sex, and when it does, it is more discreet than other contemporary fiction. Instead, the basic interest of science fiction lies in the relation between man and his technology and between man and the universe. Science fiction is a literature of change and a literature of the future, and while it would be foolish to claim that science fiction is a major literary genre at this time, the aspects of human life that it considers make it well worth reading and studying for no other literary from does quite the same things.
What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre which postulates a change (for human beings) from conditions as we know them and follows the implications of these changes to a conclusion. Although this definition will necessarily be modified and expanded, it covers much of the basic groundwork and provides a point of departure.
The first point—that science fiction is a literary subgenre—is a very important one, but one which is often overlooked or ignored in most discussions of science fiction. Specifically, science fiction is either a short story or a novel. There are only a few dramas which could be called science fiction, with Karel Capek’s RUR (Rossum’s Universal Robots) being the only one that is well known, the body of poetry that might be labeled science fiction is only slightly larger. To say that science fiction is a subgenre of prose fiction is to say that it has all the basic characteristics and serves the same basic functions in much the same way as prose fiction in general, that is, it shares a great deal with all other novels and short stories.
Everything that can be said about prose fiction, in general, applies to science fiction. Every piece of science fiction, whether short story or novel, must have a narrator, a story, a plot, a setting, characters, language, and theme. And like any prose, the themes of science fiction are concerned with interpreting man’s nature and experience in relation to the world around him. Themes in science fiction are constructed and presented in exactly the same ways that themes are dealt with in any other kind of fiction. They are the result of a particular combination of narrator, story, plot, character, setting, and language. In short, the reasons for reading and enjoying science fiction, and the ways of studying and analyzing it, are basically the same as they would be for any other story or novel.
1.Science fiction is called a literary subgenre because （ ）.
2.The final sentence in the passage implies that （ ）.
3.From the last paragraph, we know that people read science fiction especially for （ ）.
4.An appropriate title for this passage would be （ ）.
5.According to the author, the popular image of science fiction is（ ）.
问题1选项
A.it is not important enough to be a literaiy genre
B.it cannot be made into a dramatic presentation
C.it shares characteristics with other types of prose fiction
D.to call it a “genre” would subject it to literary jargon
问题2选项
A.the reader should turn next to commentaries on general fiction
B.there is no reason for any reader not to like science fiction
C.the reader should compare other novels and stories to science fiction
D.those who can appreciate prose fiction can appreciate science fiction
问题3选项
A.the discovery of meaning
B.the beauty of language
C.the display of character
D.the psychological complexity
问题4选项
A.On the Inaccuracies of Pulp Magazines
B.Toward a Definition of Science Fiction
C.A Type of Prose Fiction.
D.Beyond the Bug-Eyed Monster.
问题5选项
A.prejudiced
B.impartial
C.worthy
D.admiring
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:B
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
Science fiction is called a literary subgenre because ______. 科幻小说被称为文学的分支，因为______。
A. it is not important enough to be a literary genreA. 它的重要性不足以成为一种文学体裁
B. it cannot be made into a dramatic presentationB. 它不能被制作成戏剧性的表现形式
C. it shares characteristics with other types of prose fictionC. 它与其他类型的散文小说有共同的特点
D. to call it a “genre” would subject it to literary jargonD. 称它为“体裁”会使它受到文学术语的限制
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Science fiction is called a literary subgenre可以定位答案所在区域为第三段。根据第三段最后一句：To say that science fiction is a subgenre of prose fiction is to say that it has all the basic characteristics and serves the same basic functions in much the same way as prose fiction in general, that is, it shares a great deal with all other novels and short stories（说科幻小说是散文小说的一个分支，意思是说它具有所有的基本特征，并以与散文小说大致相同的方式发挥同样的基本功能，也就是说，它与所有其他小说和短篇小说有很多共同之处），由此可知正确答案为C选项。
【干扰项排除】A、B、D选项均属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The final sentence in the passage implies that ______. 这段话的最后一句暗示：______。
A. the reader should turn next to commentaries on general fictionA. 读者接下来应该看看对一般小说的评论
B. there is no reason for any reader not to like science fictionB. 任何读者都没有理由不喜欢科幻小说
C. the reader should compare other novels and stories to science fictionC. 读者应该将其他小说和故事与科幻小说进行比较
D. those who can appreciate prose fiction can appreciate science fictionD. 能够欣赏散文小说的人可以欣赏科幻小说
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The final sentence可以定位原文最后一句：In short, the reasons for reading and enjoying science fiction, and the ways of studying and analyzing it, are basically the same as they would be for any other story or novel（简而言之，阅读和欣赏科幻小说的道理，以及研究和分析科幻小说的方法，基本上与阅读其他故事或小说是一样的），由此可推测出能欣赏散文小说的那些人也能欣赏科幻小说，因为阅读它们的方法基本一样，所以正确答案为D选项。
【干扰项排除】A、B、C选项均属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
From the last paragraph, we know that people read science fiction especially for ______. 从最后一段话中，我们知道人们阅读科幻小说特别是为了______。
A. the discovery of meaning A. 发现意义
B. the beauty of language B. 语言之美
C. the display of character C. 人物形象的展示
D. the psychological complexity D. 心理上的复杂性
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the last paragraph可以确定答案所在区域为最后一段。根据最后一段关键信息：And like any prose, the themes of science fiction are concerned with interpreting man’s nature and experience in relation to the world around him（像任何散文一样，科幻小说的主题都是关于解释人类与周围世界的关系的本质和经验），由此可推测阅读科幻小说应该是为了发现意义，所以正确答案为A选项。
【干扰项排除】B、C、D选项均属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
An appropriate title for this passage would be ______. 这篇文章合适的标题是______。
A. On the Inaccuracies of Pulp Magazines A. 论低俗小说杂志的不准确之处
B. Toward a Definition of Science Fiction B. 走向科幻小说的定义
C. A Type of Prose Fiction C. 散文小说的一种类型
D. Beyond the Bug-Eyed Monster D. 超越“虫眼怪”
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】根据第二段关键信息：What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre（什么是科幻小说？首先，下面的定义应该是有帮助的：科幻小说是一种文学分支），由此可知文章介绍了科幻小说的定义，后文则继续介绍了它的特点、主题以及与其他文学作品的相同点，所以文章合适的标题是“走向科幻小说的定义”，正确答案为B选项。
【干扰项排除】A、C、D选项均属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, the popular image of science fiction is ______. 根据作者的说法，科幻小说的流行形象是______。
A. prejudiced A. 有偏见的
B. impartial B. 不偏不倚的
C. worthy C. 有价值的
D. admiring D. 赞美的
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】根据第一段关键信息：Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the covers of some of the old pulp magazines…This is unfortunate because it demeans and degrades a worthwhile and even important literary endeavor（许多人似乎认为，科幻小说的典型特征是一些旧版低俗杂志的封面……这是不幸的，因为它贬低和削弱了一个有价值的，甚至是重要的文学努力），由此可知作者认为科幻小说的流行形象是有偏见的，所以正确答案为A选项。
【干扰项排除】B、C、D选项均属于曲解原文。
