认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格只填一个单词。
Ticket tax fuels Indian cinema strike
Cinemas in Mumbai, Bollywood’s homeland are striking against high taxes on ticket sales.
Owners of Mumbai’s single-screen theatres will keep their shutters (百叶窗) down until Friday to protest about taxes, which they say are driving them out of business.
More than a third of single-screen cinemas in the state of Maharashtra have closed down in the last five years. According to the Cinema and Exhibitors Association of India, just 700 are still in operation. The association blames the closing down on Maharashtra’s high rate of entertainment tax. Its president, R V Vidhani, says that cinemas must pay a tax for every ticket sold, which is 45%, and this makes it hard to break even. It’s the highest of all states across India. The majority of the states in India pay zero entertainment tax. Mr Vidhani says his members had decided to go ahead with a one-week closure after getting no response from the state government on the matter.
It is not just a high tax rate contributing to the shrinking（收缩）number of traditional cinemas, however. Large costs and declining box office takings also make times tougher.
Mr Vidhani has run the New Excelsior Theatre in South Mumbai since 1974. Last week a screening of Bollywood movie Tanu Weds Manu sold just 71 tickets despite a capacity of more than 1,000. Whether it’s a full house or an empty screening, running costs are more or less the same. “Air conditioning, regular business — every expenditure (支出) is the same, but the income has stopped.”
The cricket (板球) World Cup is not helping matters, according to Mr Vidhani. “The World Cup is creating the biggest problem,” he says. “These people are crazy so far as the cricket is concerned. When India is playing, occupancy in the theatre is just 15%.”
Mumbai’s city centre is dotted with empty cinemas.
So after remaining empty for six years, the Novelty theatre is perhaps more fortunate than its neighbours: it is to be reborn as a four-screen multiplex cinema.
Over the last decade the number of multiplexes in India has risen sharply. Despite higher ticket prices, with more choice on offer and typically newer facilities they pose fierce competition to the traditional single-screen theatres.
“Competition from the multiplexes is really tough,” Mr Vidhani says. “Then there is competition from the movie window being narrow. Movies are being released much quicker on television than they used to be so people can pretty much watch movies for free at home.
“With rising incomes, everyone’s going out and buying DVD players or VCD players. Content is available for the asking whether it is official or pirated(盗版).”
Unless single-screen theatres can become special destinations in their own right, while also offering up-to-date facilities, Jehil Thakkar thinks the decline is a trend that will continue, especially as multiplex cinemas spread to smaller towns.
“They are large corporate chains,” he says. “They have the ability to spend money on branding and advertising, so to a large extent the small cinema guys are fighting a losing battle.”
Ticket tax fuels Indian cinema strike
| The current (1) ▲ of cinema business in Mumbai |
● Many single-screen cinemas are (2) ▲ . |
| The causes of the closing down of cinemas |
Cinemas in Mumbai have to pay a tax (3) ▲ than any other places in India. It costs a lot to (4) ▲ a cinema whether it’s a full house or an empty screening. The occupancy is (5) ▲ by people’s enthusiasm for cricket. Single-screen cinemas are (6) ▲ with competition from multiplex cinemas, which offer more choices and (7)▲ facilities. A quicker release of movies on television is to (8) ▲ . People prefer to watch DVD or VCD rather than go to the cinema. |
| The (9) ▲ of single-screen cinemas |
The trend of decline will continue. Single-screen cinemas are certain to (10) ▲ the battle. |
But still there is a danger that grows every year. Airliners get larger. Some airplanes can hold over 300 passengers. And the air itself becomes more and more crowded. If one giant airliner crashed into another in mid-air,600 lives could be lost.
Air traffic controllers tell the pilot exactly when to turn, when to climb，and when to come down. The air traffic controllers around a busy airport like London Heathrow may handle 2, 500 planes a day. Not all of them actually land at the airport. Any plane that flies near the airport comes under the orders of the controllers there.
Recently such a disaster almost happened. One，with 69 passengers, had come from Toronto, and the other, with 176 passengers , from Chicago. An air traffic controller noticed on his radar screen that the two planes were too close to each other. He ordered one to turn to the right and to climb. But he made a mistake. He ordered the wrong plane to do this. Fifteen seconds later it flew directly in front of the second plane. They avoided each other at last. The distance between them was less than that of a large swimming pool.
| A．Even a small mistake could cause a disaster. |
| B．Two large jets were flying towards the airport. |
| C．Nowadays people like traveling more by air than by car. |
| D．Today, air travel is far safer than driving a car on a busy motorway. |
E. This is an example of the danger that grows every year.
F. In a word, air travel is more dangerous，we should choose others.
G. From the moment an airliner takes off to the moment it lands, every movement is watched on radar screens.
任务型阅读（共10小题：每小题1分，满分10分）
请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意：每空格1个单词。
Living in a foreign country is fun, but it isn’t always easy. There are many differences between cultures and although some of these differences are unimportant, they can cause a lot of embarrassments. I spoke to a few foreign friends about how they experienced culture shock in China.
Aubin arrived two months ago from Europe to take part in a language programme in Shanghai. Before he left, he was actually taught the differences between European and Chinese cultures, including everything from table manners to classroom behavior. However, some things have still taken him by surprise. For example, he couldn’t understand why waiters did not want to accept the tips he gave them after meals in restaurants. I had to explain to him that people don’t usually tip in China and that this comes from the Confucian (儒家的，孔子的) idea that one must avoid accepting any undue(不适当的) income.
Another friend, Julia, came to Guangzhou from London to teach at a language school. After a month, she told me that she was really let down(失望的) by her students. I asked her why and she told me that they were so quiet that she was the only person talking in class and it felt like the children were punishing her by making her talk to the walls! I explained to her that the children were simply respectful, but she said that it would be more respectful if they answered her questions.
And it is not only the West and the East that have cultural differences. Even Korea and China, two countries that are very close to each other, have differences too. “I thought Chinese and Korean people were similar in some ways,” said my friend Ji-Hyun in perfect Chinese, “but I was wrong. In ancient times the Chinese used to take their shoes off before entering a house. They don’t do that anymore, but Korean people still do! I keep getting that wrong even though I’ve been here for five years!”
Luckily, whether we take our shoes off or not, or leave unnecessary tips, the world still runs perfectly. In my opinion, cultural differences should simply be seen as a way of making life interesting. Imagine how boring it would be if we all did everything in exactly the same way! Learning to understand and respect differences is, after all, what life is all about.
| Living with differences |
|
| Theme |
People will meet a |
| Aubin couldn’t understand why waiters refused to |
|
| Julia felt really |
|
| Ji-Hyun believed there were some similarities between Chinese and Korean people and thought it was wrong that people wore their shoes when they |
|
| We should consider cultural differences as a way to We would be |
Many people often lose their chance to live life to the fullest because of procrastination, which means that they always delay doing something that must be done at once. Moreover, because they often put off their plans till “tomorrow”, they are less likely to achieve their goals and will give up their dreams and goals finally. As a result, we can say that procrastination is the enemy of a progressive lifestyle.
Now that we know procrastination is something bad, why do some people not take immediate action? Well, there are some things that result in procrastination. Depending on someone else rather than doing by oneself is one of the things. Whenever you wait for something to happen before you act, you make it easier to delay your goals and dreams until “someday”. Another cause of procrastination is that people do not value each moment in their day. Actually, it’s surprising how much you can do if you just decide to do little things with the little time you have. Also those who often procrastinate can always find a good reason for something they refuse to do at once.If you are one of those who often delay, then it’s time for you to make a decision to act now because things happen only when we decide to act. Get down to doing something like losing weight, saving money or spending more time with family. Don’t let these things continue to be a desire for you to do “someday”, but make a decision to do it now.
Once you have made your decision, write down the plan and take action immediately. Making plans can help you think carefully about how you are going to do what you need to do. After understanding how to do what you want to do, get doing with the plan. It doesn’t matter how small the move you make is as the little things you do accumulate（累积）over time and move you to be closer to your goals. So, don’t wait until tomorrow; instead, start now! Just make use of every moment you have to do something that is helpful in realizing your dreams and goals.
Here is a challenge that will also move you to be closer to your dreams and goals if taken seriously. Make a list of ten things you have been putting off. It could be anything from getting a health examination, calling a friend or family member, to getting the car fixed and cleaning up the garbage, etc. And then try to develop the habit of doing them immediately!
| Stay away from procrastination |
||
| Paragraph outline |
Supporting details |
|
| Problems with procrastination |
Procrastination can make one Procrastination can Some people don’t make progress just because of procrastination. |
|
| People who delay doing things are usually not People don’t realize that each Procrastination also has something to do with making |
||
| Ways to stop procrastination |
Make a decision. |
If you want to do something, do it |
| Plan and act. |
By making a plan, you will Spend your time doing those |
|
| Make a list. |
List ten things you like to delay. Make it a(n) |
When difficult people express themselves orally, they generally want at least two things: they’ve been heard and they’ve been understood. As a good communicator should be a good listener, five steps are advocated toward good listening.
The first step is cooperating（合作）. How does a difficult person know that you’ re listening and understanding? In fact, it’s through the way you look and sound while he is talking. You may help him to fully express his thoughts and feelings. You do this by nodding your head in agreement, making certain sounds of understanding.
When the person begins to repeat what’s been said, it’s signal of step two: turning back. It means that you repeat back some words he is using, sending a clear signal that you’re listening carefully and that you think what he is saying is important.
Having heard what he has to say, the next step is clarifying. At this point, you start to gather information about what is being communicated. Ask some open-ended questions, which will allow you to figure out what intention he is hoping to satisfy.
The fourth step is to summarize（概括） what you’ve heard. This allows you to make sure that both you and the difficult person are on the same page. When you do this, two things happen. First, if you’re missed something, he can fill in the details（细节）. Second, you’ve shown that you’re making an effort to understand completely. This increases the possibility of gaining cooperation from him.
Having listened carefully, you’ve now arrived at the point of confirming with the person that he feels satisfied that his thoughts have been fully voiced. Ask if he feels understood.
When enough sincere listening, questioning, and remembering are brought together, understanding is usually achieved and a difficult person becomes less difficult and more cooperative.
| Topic |
|
| Reason |
Difficult people hope they have been heard and |
| . .Repeat some .Collect information about the person’s expressions and find his .Give a .Confirm that the person gains |
|
| Result |
A difficult person will be |
| Comment |
You may unlock the doors to difficult people’s |
Acting is voluntarily entering the psyche(心灵) of another personality and thinking according to a different set of values. It lets you explore the various possibilities of what you could be. Just being your own self can be boring at times but acting gives you an opportunity to be someone else for a while. It lets you deeply explore what it means to be human!
To play a role, you must embrace(接受) the character you're acting with open arms. Understand the plot of the play and the psyche of your character. Try to understand why your character behaves the way it does. Learn the lines or dialogues thoroughly and explore the thought behind every sentence. This will help you picture the circumstances in which the character finds itself.
To be that person, there is no way you can live the life he or she has, but you can draw parallels from your own life, which will help you relate to the person. You have to draw parallels from your own experience and actually try to feel what the character feels. Say the lines only when you "feel" the way your character does. Let them come out naturally.
Only through practice will you get closer to actually be that person, and many acting exercises can help you. Try saying the dialogue giving the correct facial expressions in front of a mirror. Learn the techniques of raising as well as lowering your voice. Practice acting out the expressions like joy, sorrow, laughter, anger, disapproval, satisfaction etc. These facial expressions, if mastered well, can make your acting experience happy.
In short, your experience off stage and the awareness with which you live your life are the keys you need to unlock your acting potential. Confidence, sincerity and the ability to let go of yourself will turn into a great acting performance!
Title: How to act___________________of acting
●exploring the various possibilities of what you could be
●avoiding _____________ by being someone else for a while
●exploring the ______________ of being human
II. Tips for acting
Understanding
●understanding ___________and your character's psyche
●knowing ____________for your character's behavior
●reading between the lines
Drawing
●experiencing your character's feelings by drawing parallels from ._________
●saying the dialogues as.________________ as your character does
Practicing
●giving correct facial expressions while saying lines before .______________
●learning the techniques of ____________ your voice
●acting out different expressions_____________
You can perform well as long as you are confident and sincere and can let go of yourself.
粤公网安备 44130202000953号