2

Reading is thought to be a kind of conversation between the reader and the text. The reader puts questions, as it were, to the text and gets answers. In the light of these he puts further questions, and so on.

For most of the time this “conversation” goes on below the level of consciousness. At times, however, we become aware of it. This is usually when we are running into difficulties, when mismatch is occurring between expectations and meaning. When successful matching is being experienced our questioning of the text continues at the unconscious level.

Different people converse with text differently. Some stay very close to the words on the page; others take off imaginatively from the words, interpreting, criticizing, analyzing and examining. The former represents a kind of comprehension which is written in the text. The latter represents higher levels of comprehension. The balance between these is important, especially for advanced readers.

There is another conversation which from our point of view is equally-important, and that is to do not with what is read but with how it is read. We call this a “process” conversation as opposed to a “content” conversation. It is concerned not with meaning but with the strategies（策略）we employ in reading. If we are an advanced reader our ability to hold a content conversation with a text is usually pretty well developed. Not so our ability to hold a process conversation. It is precisely this kind of conversation that is of importance when we are seeking to develop our reading to meet the new demands being placed upon us by studying at a higher level.

1．Reading as a kind of conversation between the reader and the text becomes conscious only when____.

A．the reader's expectations agree with what is said in the text

B．the reader has trouble understanding what the author says

C．the reader asks questions and gets answers

D．the reader understands a text very well

2．At a lower level of comprehension, readers tend to____.

A．read a text slowly

B．read without thinking hard

C．interpret a text in their own way

D．concentrate on the meaning of words only

3．A “process” conversation has to do with____.

A．the application of reading strategies

B．matching our expectations with the meaning of a text

C．the development of our ability to check the details

D．determining the main idea of a text

4．According to the passage, it is of great importance for readers at a higher level to maintain a balance between____.

A．conscious and unconscious levels of comprehension

B．the readers' expectations and the meaning of a text

C．lower and higher levels of comprehension

D．interpreting and criticizing a text

5．If we want to develop our reading ability at an advanced level, we should____.

A．learn to use different approaches in reading different texts

B．make our reading process more conscious

C．pay more attention to the content of a text

D．take a critical attitude towards the author's ideas

1．【答案】B

【精析】文章第二段：“For most of the time this ‘conversation' goes on below the level of consciousness. At times, however, we become aware of it. This is usually when we are running into difficulties, when mismatch is occurring between expectations and meaning.”此题的关键是读出at times相当于题目中的when。

2．【答案】D

【精析】文章第三段：“Some stay very close to the words on the page.”故选D项。

3．【答案】A

【精析】文章第四段：“We call this a ‘process' conversation as opposed to a ‘content' conversation. It is concerned not with meaning but with the strategies we employ in reading.”这里的关键是读出it指代的是process。

4．【答案】C

【精析】文章第三段：“The latter represents higher levels of comprehension. The balance between these is important, especially for advanced readers.”这里的advanced readers即题目中的readers at a higher level。

5．【答案】A

【精析】文章最后一段最后一句：“It is precisely this kind of conversation that is of importance when we are seeking to develop our reading to meet the new demands being placed upon us by studying at a higher level.”故A项对。