" Sesame Street" (芝麻街) has been called "the longest street in the world". That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of America's exports soon after it went on the air in the New York in 1969.
In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half of the nation's pre-school children. Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from "Sesame Street" are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.
The program uses songs, stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. Tests have shown that children have benefited from watching "Sesame Street". Those who watch five times a week learn more than the occasional viewers. In the United States the program is shown at different times during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.
Why has "Sesame Street" been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch "Sesame Street" along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on "Sesame Street". But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.
Why has "Sesame Street" been called "the longest street in the world"?
A. The program has been shown ever since 1969.
B. The program became one of America's major exports soon after it appeared on TV.
C. The program is now being watched in most parts of the world.
D. The program is made in the longest street in New York.
Questions 23-26
According to the information given in the text, choose the correct answer or answers firm the choices given.
Since 1950, the percentage of ______.
American women with jobs has increased.
B. American men with jobs has decreased.
C. Japanese and Italian women with jobs has remained stable.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
A Library at Your Fingertips
A few years ago, at the height of the dotcom boom, it was widely assumed that a publishing revolution, in which the printed word would be supplanted by the computer screen, was just around the corner. It wasn't: for many, there is still little to match the joy of cracking the spine of a good book and settling down for an hour or two of reading. A recent flurry of activity by big technology companies--including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo!--suggests that the dream of bringing books online is still very much alive.
The digitising of thousands of volumes of print is not without controversy. On Thursday November 3rd, Google, the world's most popular search engine, posted a first instalment of books on Google Print, an initiative first mooted a year ago. This collaborative effort between Google and several of the world's leading research libraries aims to make many thousands of books available to be searched and read online free of charge. Although the books included so far are not covered by copyright, the plan has attracted the ire of publishers.
Five large book firms are suing Google for violating copyright on material that it has scanned and, although out of print, is still protected by law. Google has said that it will only publish short extracts from material under copyright unless given express permission to publish more, but publishers are unconvinced. Ironically, many publishers are collaborating with Google on a separate venture, Google Print Publisher, which aims to give readers an online taste of books that are commercially available. The searchable collection of extracts and book information is intended to tempt readers to buy the complete books online or in print form.
Not to be outdone, Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, has unveiled plans for its own foray into the mass e-book market. The firm, which began ten years ago as an online book retailer, now sells a vest array of goods. No doubt piqued that Google, a relative newcomer, should impinge upon its central territory, Amazon revealed on Thursday that it would introduce two new services. Amazon Pages will allow customers to search for key terms in selected books and then buy and read online whatever part they wish, from individual pages to chapters or complete works. Amazon Upgrade will give customers online access to books they have already purchased as hard copies. Cutomers are likely to have to pay aroud five cents a page, with the bulk going to the publisher.
Microsoft, too, has joined the online-book bandwagon. At the end of October, the software giant said it would spend around $200 million to digitise texts, starting with 150000 that are in the public domain, to avoid legal problems. It will do so in collaboration with the Open Content Alliance, a consortium of libraries and universities. (Yahoo! has pledged to make 18000 books available online in conjunction with the same organisation.) On Thursday, coincidentally the same day as Google and Amazon announced their initiatives, Microsoft released details of a deal with the British Library, the country's main reference library, to digitise some 25 million pages, these will be made available through MSN Book Search, which will be launched next year.
These companies are hoping for a return to the levels of interest in e-books seen when Stephen King, a best-selling horror writer, published "Riding the Bullet" exclusively on the internet in 2000. Half a million copies were downloaded in the first 48 hours after publication. This proved to be a high-water mark rather than a taste of things to come. While buyers were reluctant to sit in front of a computer screen to read the latest novels, dedicated e-book-reading gadgets failed to catch on. Barnes and Noble, a leading American bookshop chain, began sellin
A. people would read fewer 'paper' books.
B. companies like Amazon would go bankrupt.
C. the dotcom boom would soon end.