17．Once upon a time，science fiction was just a style among other styles．There were crime stories，there were horror stories，there was literary fiction-and there was science fiction．But today science themes dominate these other styles．It's difficult to think of much modern crime，horror or"serious"fiction that doesn't involve science．
And it's not just books．With every second movie and computer game having a sci-fi element，science fiction seems to have controlled our entire entertainment culture．It's clear that if we want to define science fiction we should relate it to the role that science plays in our lives．Perhaps the place to start is by noting when it began．
Although some experts have claimed to be able to trace sci-fi back to ancient times，it is more plausible to find it in initial form in the 19th century，when industrial societies arose．One of the features that set industrial societies apart from other kinds was the increasing part that science played in everyday life．Factories with vast machines turned out huge quantities of goods，which were transported by trains，motor vehicles and ships all over the world．Cities were built on the back of technology，with electricity in homes and hospitals helping everyone to lead healthier，more convenient lives．All of these changes had great effects not only on people's real lives，but on their imaginative ones．
Writers began to articulate these changing physical and mental landscapes，eventually giving science fiction a large and devoted fan base of especially young readers，who found that it spoke to their curiosity about the future that science would create．
But sci-fi reflected fears about science more than it did hopes．These typical early science fiction novel might be a UK novel like H．G．Wells'The War of the Worlds （1897）．With great skill，Wells played upon the fears of technology by imagining Earth under threat by a civilization-that of men from Mars．
The science fiction of today expresses the impact of the computing revolution，robotics and our environmental challenges，while it is less concerned with"little green men from Mars"and other themes of past sci-fi．
Given that science，technology and politics are always intertwined （交織），contemporary science fiction often has a great deal to say about power．Many recent novels-like American Cory Doctorow's Little Brother （2008）-are concerned with government and security service"conspiracies （陰謀）"against the people，particularly as the revelations of whistleblowers like Edward Snowden sink in．This can give sci-fi writing a"skeptical"feel．
This underlines one of the features that remains constant between the beginnings of the empire of science fiction and its state today．
As then，so now：We want to read about how fearful the future will be，not how it will be a paradise （天堂）．
32．The underlined word"dominate"in Paragraph 1probably means"D"．
A．induce
B．represent
C．interfere
D．influence
33．What caused science fiction to appear in the 19th century？B
A．The curiosity of young readers about the future．
B．The changes that the industrial revolution brought about．
C．People's stretched imagination affected by their real life．
D．People's fears about science rather than hopes．
34．What is mostly conveyed in contemporary science fiction？C
A．Our earth is threatened by aliens from Mars．
B．Modern crime and horror are involved in science．
C．Power is a very important element to ensure security．
D．Entertainment culture and environmental issues are crucial．
35．What's the main idea of the passage？B
A．The impact of the science fiction．
B．The development of the science fiction．
C．The content of the science fiction．
D．The characteristic of the science fiction．
分析 短文主要介紹了科幻小說對其他文體的影響，并介紹其起源和現代科幻小說與以前的不同．
解答 32．D，詞義猜測題，根據后一句It's difficult to think of much modern crime，horror or"serious"fiction that doesn't involve science，很難想到與科學無關的現代犯罪小說或恐怖小說，可以推測科學這個主題是影響著這些文體的，該詞的意思是"影響"，故答案為D．
33．B，細節理解題，根據句子Writers began to articulate these changing physical and mental landscapes，eventually giving science fiction a large and devoted fan base of especially young readers，who found that it spoke to their curiosity about the future that science would create可知，工業革命帶來的種種變化使得19世紀出現了科幻小說，故答案為B．
34．C，細節理解題，根據句子contemporary science fiction often has a great deal to say about power可知，現代的科幻小說注重的是能力，故答案為C．
35．B，主旨大意題，短文主要介紹了科幻小說對其他文體的影響，并介紹其起源和現代科幻小說與以前的不同，因此主要講的是科幻小說的發展，故答案為B．
點評 解答任務型閱讀理解題，首先對原文材料迅速瀏覽，掌握全文的主旨大意．因為閱讀理解題一般沒有標題，所以，速讀全文，抓住中心主旨很有必要，在速讀的過程中，應盡可能多地捕獲信息材料．其次，細讀題材，各個擊破．掌握全文的大意之后，細細閱讀每篇材料后的問題，弄清每題要求后，帶著問題，再回到原文中去尋找、捕獲有關信息．最后，要善于抓住每段的主題句，閱讀時，要有較強的針對性．對于捕獲到的信息，要做認真分析，仔細推敲，理解透徹，只有這樣，針對題目要求，才能做到穩、準．
