6．The greatest contribution to civilization in the century may well be the air-conditioning-and American leads just as amazing is the speed with which this situation came to be．Air-conditioning began to spread in industries as a production aid during World WarⅡ．Today most Americans need to take air-conditioning for granted to homes，offices，factories，theatres，shops，studios，schools，hotels，and restaurants，and we can see it almost everywhere in today's America．
But not everybody is aware that high cost and easy comfort are merely two of the effects of the vast cooling of American．In fact，air conditioning has substantially altered the country's character and customs．
Many of the byproducts are so conspicuous（顯而易見的） that they are scarcely noticed．To begin with，air-conditioning transformed the face of America by making possible those glassy，boxy，sealed-in skyscrapers．It has been indispensable，no less，to the functioning of sensitive advanced computers，whose high operating temperatures require that they be constantly cooled…
It has，at will，forced families into going back into families with closed doors and shut windows to improve the effects of the air-conditioning，reducing the interactions of neighborhood life．I think there is no need explaining the seriousness of this consequence（后果）．It is really surprising that the public's often noted withdrawal into self-pursuit and privacy has kept in pace with the historic spread of air-conditioning．Though science has little studied how habitual air-conditioning affects mind and body，some medical experts suggest that，like other technical avoidance of natural changes in climate，air-conditioning may damage the human capacity to adapt to stress．If so，air-conditioning is only like many other greatly useful technical developments that liberate（解放） man from nature by increasing his productivity and power in some way-while indirectly weakening him in others．
32．According to this passage，which of the following played a role in the forming of the unique character of U．S．？B
A．Its advanced computerized civilization．
B．Its excessive use of air-conditioning．
C．Its public's retreating into self-pursuit．
D．Its greatest contribution to human civilization．
33．According to the author，the chief consequence brought about by the wide application of air-conditioning isB．
A．the loss of human capacity to adapt to changes in climate
B．the reduction of social communications of neighborhood life
C．the active life style of all its users
D．the decreased human production and power
34．The tone of this passage reveals that air-conditioningD．
A．has little effect on its users
B．has more effect on body than on mind
C．brings only damage to its users
D．does harm as well as good to its users
35．What is the author's overall attitude towards air-conditioning？C
A．Neutral B．Objective
C．Critical D．Compromising．
分析 文中講述了在美國到處都使用空調，給人們帶來好處的同時也帶來一定消極作用．
解答 32-35 BBDC
32．B 細節(jié)題．根據(jù)第一段Today most Americans need to take air-conditioning for granted to homes，offices，factories，theatres，shops，studios，schools，hotels，and restaurants，and we can see it almost everywhere in today's America可知，在美國家里、辦公司等很多場所都在使用空調，以至于都把空調當成理所當然的事情，故選B．
33．B 推理題．根據(jù)forced families into going back into families with closed doors and shut windows to improve the effects of the air-conditioning，reducing the interactions of neighborhood life可知，為了空調效果很多人都把門窗關閉，阻礙了鄰里之間的互動交往，故選B．
34．D 細節(jié)題．根據(jù)文中最后一句If so，air-conditioning is only like many other greatly useful technical developments that liberate（解放） man from nature by increasing his productivity and power in some way-while indirectly weakening him in others．可知空調給人們帶來福利的同時也帶來了一定的副作用，即通過創(chuàng)造力解放天性，間接削弱了某方面的能力，故選D．
35．C 情感態(tài)度．文中一些關鍵詞，如：at will、forced等詞表達了作者一種批判的思想，對待空調既提及好處，同時也提及所帶來的弊端，故選C．
點評 本文是一篇日常生活類閱讀，題目涉及多道細節(jié)理解題，推理判斷題．做題時學生應仔細閱讀原文，把握文章主要內容，聯(lián)系文章上下文內容并結合所給選項含義，從中選出正確答案，一定要做到有理有據(jù)，切忌胡亂猜測．
