.阅读理解
(2014·东北三省四市第一次联考)
In the past, they were laughed at for being eggheads(书呆子) wearing glasses with a passion for the pointless. But now, being a member of their group has become a source of pride, with Collins online dictionary naming the term “geek” as UK's “Word of the Year” on December 16.
“Geek” tops the list for 2013 because of its “positive makeover”， a spokeswoman for Collins Dictionary told The Scotsman newspaper.
The word originally appeared in the 19th century as a variant(变形) of “geck”， meaning “a simpleton(傻瓜)”.
“In the 1980s, the word still had a negative meaning, referring to someone who was boring and socially awkward. However, from the late 20th century, due to the increasing importance of technology in society, the word has come to mean a clever, switchedon and cool person，” noted The Scotsman.
In September, the dictionary changed the main definition of “geek” from “someone preoccupied with computing” to “a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a specific subject”.
“‘Geek’ is a great example of a word that has evolved from having a negative meaning to having a positive one，” Ian Brookes, consultant editor to Collins Dictionary told The Guardian. “This change in meaning represents a positive change in views of specialist expertise(专长，专业知识), and is a result of the influence of technology on people's lives.”
The Telegraph's John Bingham believes that the transformation of the word was helped along by the success of the US movie The Social Network, about the creation of the US website Facebook. “Commentators said the film showed that it had become fashionable to be a geek”， Bingham wrote.
文章大意：本文是一篇说明文。戴着瓶底眼镜的书呆子们曾经被嘲笑为无用的“geek”，然而时代在变化，咸鱼也有翻身的一天!柯林斯字典给了这个词一个全新的、积极的含义。
1.The underlined word “makeover” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
A.evolution B.result
C.influence D.response
答案：A 词义猜测题。根据文章第一段的第二句“But now, being a member of their group has become a source of pride, with Collins online dictionary naming the term ‘geek’ as UK's ‘Word of the Year’ on December 16.”和第三段“The word originally appeared in the 19th century as a variant(变形) of ‘geck’， meaning ‘a simpleton(傻瓜)’.”前后对比可知，此处makeover意为“华丽转身”，与倒数第二段的第一句“‘Geek’ is a great example of a word that has evolved from having a negative meaning to having a positive one”相呼应。evolution意为“进化”;result意为“结果”;influence意为“影响”;response意为“回应”。故选A项。
2.When did the word “geek” begin to have a positive meaning?
A.In the 20th century. B.From the 1990s.
C.In the 1980s. D.At the end of 2013.
答案：B 细节理解题。根据第四段的第一句“In the 1980s, the word still had a negative meaning...”和第二句“However, from the late 20th century... the word has come to mean a clever, switchedon and cool person”对比可知，“geek”这个词实现意义上的华丽转身是在20世纪90年代。故选B项。
3.According to the article，“geek” now mainly refers to ______.
A.someone who is addicted to computing and new technology
B.someone who is boring and unfashionable
C.someone who is smart but awkward in social situations
D.someone who is wellinformed and devoted to a certain field
答案：D 细节理解题。根据倒数第三段中的“a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a specific subject”可知，“geek”现在主要指那些博学的学者型人物。故选D项。
4.What helped to transform the meaning of “geek” from negative to positive according to the article?
a.The effect of technology.
b.The news media's promotion.
c.The influence of Collins Dictionary.
d.The popularity of The Social Network.
A.a，b B.b，c
C.a，d D.c，d
答案：C 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段第一句...“by the success of the US movie The Social Network, about the creation of the US website Facebook.”可知，“geek”词义的华丽转身来源于电影The Social Network的成功。根据倒数第二段最后一句中的“is a result of the influence of technology on people's lives”可知，这是科技进步对人们生活影响的结果。故选C项。
