阅读理解。
Not all awards are as noble as the Nobel Prize. Even though most countries have a system for recognizing,
honoring and rewarding people who have done something good in their countries, there are now hundreds of
awards and awards ceremonies for all kinds of things.
The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time for the (mostly) American film industry to tell itself how
good it is, an annual opportunity for lots of big stars to give each other awards and make tearful speeches. But
it's not only films-now there are also Grammies, Brits, the Mercury Prize and the MTV and Q awards for music.
In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker prize can expect to see their difficult, literary novel hit the bestseller lists
and compete with the "Da Vinci Code" for popularity. The Turner Prize is an award for a British contemporary
artist-each year it causes controversy (争论) by apparently giving lots of money to artists who do things like
display their beds, put animals in glass cases or-this year-build a garden shed.
Shakespeare never won a prize, nor did Leonardo da Vinci or Adam Smith or Charles Dickens. It would be
possible to say, however, that in the past, scientists and artists could win "patronage" from rich people-a king
or a lord would give the artist or scientist money to have them paint their palaces or help them develop new
ways of making money. With the change in social systems across the world, this no longer happens. A lot of
scientific research is now either funded by the state or by private companies. Perhaps awards ceremonies are
just the most recent face of this process. However, there is more to it than that. When a film wins an Oscar,
many more people will go and see it, or buy the DVD. When a writer wins the Nobel Prize, many more people
buy their books. When a group wins the MTV awards, the ceremony is seen by hundreds of thousands of
people across the world. The group sells lots more records.
Most awards ceremonies are now sponsored by big organizations or companies. This means that it is not
only the person who wins the award who benefits-but also the sponsors. The MTV awards, for example, are
great for publicizing not only music, but also MTV itself! On the surface, it seems to be a "win-win" situation,
with everyone being happy, but let me ask you a question-how far do you think that publicity and marketing are
winning here, and how much sincere recognition of achievement is taking place?
1. Which of the following awards often confuses the public by giving a prize to people who do unusual things?
[ ]
A. The Turner Prize.
B. The Booker Prize.
C. The Mercury Prize.
D. The Oscars.
2. From the context of the paragraph we can infer that "patronage" was perhaps _____.
[ ]
A an official position in the government
B the works of ancient scientists and artists
C. the professional qualification for a post
D. an old-fashioned form of prize-giving
3. Which of the following questions does the third paragraph mainly give the answer to?
[ ]
A. How does the social system in history develop across the world?
B. Why can someone win a prize and why not for someone else?
C. Why have all these awards and awards ceremorues appeared recently?
D. Why did Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Adam Smith and Charles Dickens never wm prizes?
4. At the end of the text: the writer shows concern about whether _____.
[ ]
A. people are really being given credit for what they have done
B. people are happy to do something good for their countries
C. it is worthwhile to launch.so many awards
D. so many awards will continue to be given around the world
5. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?
[ ]
A. The Oscars are given to (usually) American film stars and directors.
B. The Booker Prize can help someone who is not usually successful become successful.
C. When people win awards, they usually become richer and more famous.
D. The MTV awards publicize the people who win them more than the people who are giving them.