Digital television(by satellite or cable)allows literally hundreds of channels.Many people expect this to change fundamentally the nature of television programming and viewing，from a broadcast medium(dominated by big networks like Britain‘s BBC and ITV and the big U.S.networks，showing a mixture of programme types with something for everyone)to a “narrowcast” medium more like today’s magazines and radio.On this narrowcast model，each channel would specialize in a particular niche：one programme type aims at one specific target market.

　　One widely assumed benefit of this approach is that，as with magazines，the audiences of these niche channels would be strongly segmented，so that，for instance，the gardening channel would be mostly watched by home owners with gardens，many of whom would be relatively affluent retired people.The argument is that，as with gardening magazines today，such a channel could generate revenue both from subscriptions(since it would be tailored to that target audience)and from advertising(not just for gardening products，but also for other products and services such as cruise holidays and financial services aimed at the same target market)。

　　Some of this is happening already，especially in countries with high cable penetration，notably the USA where the average family already has fifty channels.However，even in homes with fifty channels，half the viewing is still of the four national terrestrial networks or of local，public or cable channels showing general mixed programming.

　　More important，even for the niche channels the degree of audience segmentation and involvement is surprisingly low.For instance，whereas U.S，radio stations are typically listened to by relatively few people but for many hours per week，the niche TV channels are watched only occasionally by those who watch them at all.

　　This reflects a fundamental difference between radio，which people mostly listen to as a secondary activity while working or driving，and television which—although watched fairly passively and often combined with desultory eating or conversation—is a primary activity.People listen to radio to take their minds off what they are doing，they watch television to take their minds off what they are not doing.

　　1. The narrowcast model is based on the idea that____.

　　[A] digital transmission will change the nature of television broadcasting

　　[B] the target market is segmented according to people‘s interests

　　[C] channels that show a mixture of programme types are no longer popular

　　[D] specialists like television channels with no advertising in them

　　2. It is implied in the second paragraph that today‘s magazines are run with____.

　　[A] payment from subscribers

　　[B] money earned from advertising

　　[C] financial support from the rich retired people

　　[D] both A and B

　　3. Surveys indicate that the most often watched programme in the United States is____.

　　[A] the narrowcast [B] the general type

　　[C] the particular type [D] the gardening channel

　　4. The word“segmentation”in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to____.

　　[A] division [B] preference

　　[C] subscription [D] activity

　　5. It seems the chief difference between watching television and listening to radio lies in____.

　　[A] the number of the audience

　　[B] the availability of the media

　　[C] the domain of interest

　　[D] the degree of attentiveness

　　参考答案：

　　1. [B] 意为：根据人们的兴趣对目标市场进行划分。参阅第一段最后一句。该句的意思是：在这种小范围播送模式中，每个频道有一个专门领域，即向某个特定的目标市场播送某种电视节目。

　　2. [D] [A]意为：订阅者付的款。参阅第二段第二句。

　　3. [B] 第三段第二句提到，即使家里有50个频道，美国人一半时间都是在看那四个全国性地面电视网络，或当地的和公共的频道，或有线电视频道，这些频道播送的都是综合节目。另外，第四段提到了专门频道(the niche channels)收视率低。

　　4. [A] 该词意为“划分”、“分割”。

　　5. [D] 意为：注意力集中的程度。最后一段提到了看电视和听收音机的区别，指出，听收音机对多数人来说是一项次要的活动，人们在工作和驾车(当属主要活动)过程中可以听收音机;而看电视属于重要活动——虽然人们看电视也有时相当被动，并且经常看电视时吃东西或交谈。人们听收音机的目的是将注意力从正在做的事情上移开，他们看电视的目的是不去想没在做的事情。

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