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

　　參考答案：

　　1. [B] 意為：根據人們的興趣對目標市場進行劃分。參閱第一段最后一句。該句的意思是：在這種小范圍播送模式中，每個頻道有一個專門領域，即向某個特定的目標市場播送某種電視節目。

　　2. [D] [A]意為：訂閱者付的款。參閱第二段第二句。

　　3. [B] 第三段第二句提到，即使家里有50個頻道，美國人一半時間都是在看那四個全國性地面電視網絡，或當地的和公共的頻道，或有線電視頻道，這些頻道播送的都是綜合節目。另外，第四段提到了專門頻道(the niche channels)收視率低。

　　4. [A] 該詞意為“劃分”、“分割”。

　　5. [D] 意為：注意力集中的程度。最后一段提到了看電視和聽收音機的區別，指出，聽收音機對多數人來說是一項次要的活動，人們在工作和駕車(當屬主要活動)過程中可以聽收音機;而看電視屬于重要活動——雖然人們看電視也有時相當被動，并且經常看電視時吃東西或交談。人們聽收音機的目的是將注意力從正在做的事情上移開，他們看電視的目的是不去想沒在做的事情。

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