高中英语阅读理解

We live in a town with three beaches.There are two parks less than 10 minutes'walk from

home  where  neighborhood children gather to play.However,what my children want to do after school is pick up a screen-any screen- and stare at it for hours.They are not alone.Today'schildren  spend  an  average of four and a half hours a day looking at screens,split between watching television and using the Internet.

In the past few years, an increasing number of people and organisations have begun coming up with plans to counter this trend.A couple of years ago film-maker David Bond realised that his children,then aged five and three,were attached to screens to the point where he was able to say"chocolate" into his three-year-old son's ear without getting a response. He realised that something needed to change, and, being a London media type, appointed himself"marketing director fro Nature".He documented his journey as he set about treating nature as a brand to

be marketed to young people.The result was  Project  Wild T hing,a film which  charts the birth

of the World Network,a group of organisations with the common goal of getting children out into nature.

"Just five more minutes outdoors can make a difference,"David Bond says."There is a lot of really interesting evidence which seems to be suggesting that if children are inspired up to the age of seven,then being outdoors will be a habit for life."His own children have got into the habit of playing outside now: "We just send them out into the garden and tell them not to come back in for a while."

Summer is upon us. There is an amazing world out there, and it needs our children as much as they need it.Let us get them out and let them play.

4. What  is  the  problem  with  the  author's children?

A．	They often annoy the neighbours.	B．	They are tired of doing their homework.
C．	They have no friends to play with	D．	They stay in front of screens for too long.

5. How did David Bond advocate his idea?

A．	By making a documentary film.	B．	By organizing outdoor activities.
C．	By advertising in London media.	D．	By creating a network of friends.

6.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "charts" in paragraph 2?

A．

records

B．

predicts

C．

delays

D．

confirms

7.What can be a suitable title for thetext?

A．	Let Children Have Fun	B．	Young Children Need More Free Time
C．	Market Nature to Children	D．	David Bond:A Role Model for Children

Leslie Nielsen's childhood was a difficult one,but he had one particular shining star in his life - his uncle,who was a well-known actor.The admiration and respect his uncle earned  inspired  Nielsen  to  make  a  career (职业) in acting .Even though he often felt he would be discovered  to  be  a  no-talent , he  moved forward ,gaining a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse and making his first television appearance a few years later in 1948. However, becoming a full- time, successful  actor  would  still  be  an  uphill  battle  for  another eight years until he landed a number of film roles that finally got him noticed.

But even then, what he had wasn't quite what he wanted. Nielsen always felt he should be  doing  comedy  but  his  good  looks  and  distinguished voice kept him busy in dramatic roles.It wasn't until 1980-32 years into his career-that he landed the role it would seem he was made

for in  Airplane!That movie led him into the second half of his career whereh is comedic presence

alone could make a movie a financial success even when movie reviewers would not rate it highly.

Did  Nielsen then feel content in his career?Yes and no.He was thrilled to be doing the comedy

that he always felt he should do,but even during his last few years,he always had a sense of curiosity,wondering what new role or challenge might be just around the corner.He never stopped working, never retired.

Leslie Nielsen's devotion to acting is wonderfully inspiring.He built a hugely successful  career with little more than plain old hard work and determination.He showed us that even a single desire, never given up on, can make for a remarkable life.

1. Why  did Nielsen  want to  be an  actor?

A．	He enjoyed watching movies.	B．	He was eager to earn money.
C．	He wanted to be likehis uncle.	D．	He felt he was good at acting.

2. What do we know about Nielsen in the second half of his career?

A．

He directed some high quality movies.

B．

He avoided taking on new challenges.

C．

He focused on playing dramatic roles.

D．

He became a successful comedy actor.

3. What does Nielsen's career story tell us?

A．

Art is long,life is short.

B．

He who laughs last laughs longest.

C．

It's never too late to learn.

D．

Where there's a will there's a way.

During an interview for one of my books,my interviewer said something I still  think aboutoften.Annoyed by the level of distraction(干扰)in his open office, he said,"That's why I have a membership at the coworking space across the street-so I can  focus. "His comment struckme as strange. After all, coworking spaces also typically use an openofficelayout (布局). But I recently came across a study that shows why his approach works.

The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative thinking .They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the background, from total silence to 50 decibels(分贝),70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however,the participants in the 70 decibels group-those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop-significantly outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.

But since the results at 70 decibels were significant,the study also suggests that the right level of background noise-not too loud and not total silence-may actually improve one's creative thinking ability.The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough to allow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus.This kind of"distracted focus"appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.

So why do so many of us hate our open offices?The problem may be that, in our  offices, we can't stop ourselvesfrom getting drawn into others' conversations while we're trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process,and yet a coworking space or a coffee shop  provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.

12.Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?

A．	It helps him concentrate.
B．	It blocks out background noise.
C．	It has a pleasant atmosphere.
D．	It encourages face-to-face interactions.

13.Which level of background noise may promote creative thinking ability?

A．	Total silence.
B．	50 decibels.
C．	70 decibels.
D．	85 decibels.

14.What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?

A．	Personal privacy unprotected.
B．	Limited working space.
C．	Restrictions on group discussion.
D．	Constant interruptions.

15.What can we infer about the author from the text?

A．	He's a news reporter.	B．	He's an office manager.
C．	He's a professional designer.	D．	He's a published writer.

You've heard that plastic is polluting the oceans-between4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, foreing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.

At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called"Strawpocalypse,"a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.

Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源)of plastic pollution, but they've recently come under fire because most people don't need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight,they cannot be recycled.Every straw that's part of Von Wong's artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone,the straw will take centuries to disappear.

In a piece from 2018,Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic:Every 60 seconds, a truckload's worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled "Truckload of Plastic, " Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic ,which were then tied together to look like they'd been dumped(倾倒)from a truck all at once.

Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.

8.What are Von Wong's artworks in tended for?

A．	Beautifying the city he lives in.
B．	Introducing eco-friendly products.
C．	Drawing public attention to plastic waste.
D．	Reducing garbage on the beach.

9.Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3?

A．	To show the difficulty of their recycling.
B．	To explain why they are useful.
C．	To voice his views on modern art.
D．	To find a substitute for them.

10.What effect would "Truckload of Plastic"have on viewers?

A．	Calming.
B．	Disturbing
C．	Refreshing
D．	Challenging.

11.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．	Artists'Opinions on Plastic Safety
B．	Media Interest in Contemporary Art
C．	Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies
D．	Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures

When almost everyone has a mobile phone,why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline (座机)?

These days you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15  who  doesn't own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere,anytime.

Still,55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter（29%） rely only on their smartphones ,according to a survey（调查）.Of  those Australians who still have a landline,a third concedethat it's not really necessary and they're keeping it as a security blanket - 19 percent say they never use it while afurther 13 percent keep it in case of emergencies. I think my home falls into that category.

More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone .Age is naturally a factor （因素）-only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlines now and then, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers who've perhaps had  the  same  home number for 50years.Age isn't the only factor;I'd say it's also to do with the makeup of your household.

Generation Xers with young families,like my wife and I,can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents,to the point where we play a game and guess who is calling before we pick up the phone （using Caller ID would take the fun out of it）.

How attached are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?

4.What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about mobile phones?

A．	Their target users.
B．	Their wide popularity.
C．	Their major functions.
D．	Their complex design.

5.What does the underlined word "concede"in paragraph 3 mean?

A．	Admit.
B．	Argue.
C．	Remember.
D．	Remark.

6.What can we say about Baby Boomers?

A．	They like smartphone games.
B．	They enjoy guessing callers'identity.
C．	They keep using landline phones.
D．	They are attached to their family.

7.What can be inferred about the landline from the last paragraph?

A．	It remains a family necessity.
B．	It will fall out of use someday.
C．	It may increase daily expenses.
D．	It is as important as the gas light.

The  Biggest  Stadiums  in  the  World

People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D. , the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world's best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome's Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city's Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.

These days,safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan's desire for a  good view  and a  comfo rt able  sea t -tend to k eep  stad ium  cap acitie s（容量 ）  slight ly lo w e r. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.

For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World  Atlas  list  so  far, which  ranks  them  by  their  stated  permanent capacity,as well as updated information from official stadium websites.

All these stadiums are still functional,still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.

• Rungrado  1st  of  May  Stadium,Pyongyang,D.P.R-Korea.Capacity.150,000.Opened：May1,1989.

• Michigan  Stadium,Ann Arbor, Michigan,U.S. Capacity:107,601.Opened.October1, 1927.

• Beaver  Stadium,State  College,Pennsylvania,U.S.Capacity:106,572.Opened:September17,I960.

• Ohio  Stadium,Columbus,Ohio,U.S.Capacity:104,944.Opened:October7,1922.

• Kyle  Field,College Station,Texas,U.S.Capacity:102,512.Opened:September24,1927.

1.How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?

A．

104,944.

B．

107,601.

C．

About150,000.

D．

About 250,000.

2.Of the following stadiums,which is the oldest?

A．	Michigan Stadium.
B．	Beaver Stadium.
C．	Ohio Stadium.
D．	Kyle Field.

3.What do the listed stadiums have in common?

A．	They host big games.
B．	They have become tourist attractions
C．	They were built by Americans.
D．	They are favored by architects

Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel( 旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around

＄25 a night,and for that,you'll often get to stay in a central location(位置) with security and comfort.

Yellow Hostel

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel.It's one of the best-rated hostels in the city,and for good reason.It's affordable,and it's got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy.As an added bonus,it's close to the main train station.

Hostel Alessandro Palace

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun.Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots,bar crawls and karaoke.There's also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

Youth Station Hostel

If you're looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel,look no further than Youth Station.It offers beautiful furnishings and beds.There are plenty of other benefits,too;it doesn't charge city tax;it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms;it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk fromthe central city station and it'sclose to all of the city's main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful,providing you with a map of the city when you arrive,and offering advice if you requiresome. However,you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?

A．

Comfort.

B．

Security.

C．

Price.

D．

Location.

Which hotel best suits people who enjoy anactive social life?

A．	Yellow Hostel.	B．	Hostel AlessandroPalace.
C．	YouthStationHostel.	D．	HotelandHostelDesArtistes.

What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?

A．	It gets noisy at night.
B．	Its staff is too talkative.
C．	It charges for Wi-Fi.
D．	It's inconveniently located.

Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.

Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?

In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club-women, or people of a different color or belief-they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.

A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender（性别）are "really, really smart." Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are "really, really smart." Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.

Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors（因素）like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with "intelligence, creativity, perseverance（毅力）, and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world."

12. What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?

A．	They're unfair.	B．	They're conservative.
C．	They're objective.	D．	They're strict.

13. What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?

A．	They think themselves smart.
B．	They look up to great thinkers.
C．	They see gender differences earlier than boys.
D．	They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs

14. Why are more geniuses known to the public?

A．	Improved global communication.
B．	Less discrimination against women.
C．	Acceptance of victors' concepts.
D．	Changes in people's social positions.

15. What is the best title for the text?

A．	Geniuses Think Alike	B．	Genius Takes Many Forms
C．	Genius and Intelligence	D．	Genius and Luck

When I was 9, we packed up our home in Los Angeles and arrived at Heathrow, London on a gray January morning. Everyone in the family settled quickly into the city except me. Without my beloved beaches and endless blue-sky days, I felt at a loss and out of place. Until I made a discovery.

Southbank, at an eastern bend in the Thames, is the center of British skateboarding, where the continuous crashing of skateboards left your head ringing .I loved it. I soon made friends with the local skaters. We spoke our own language. And my favorite: Safe. Safe meant cool. It meant hello. It meant don't worry about it. Once, when trying a certain trick on the beam（横杆）, I fell onto the stones, damaging a nerve in my hand, and Toby came over, helping me up: Safe, man. Safe. A few minutes later, when I landed the trick, my friends beat their boards loud, shouting: " Safe! Safe! Safe!" And that's what mattered-landing tricks, being a good skater.

When I was 15, my family moved to Washington. I tried skateboarding there, but the locals were far less welcoming. Within a couple of years, I'd given it up.

When I returned to London in 2004, I found myself wandering down to Southbank, spending hours there. I've traveled back several times since, most recently this past spring. The day was cold but clear: tourists and Londoners stopped to watch the skaters. Weaving（穿梭）among the kids who rushed by on their boards, I found my way to the beam. Then a rail-thin teenager, in a baggy white T-shirt, skidded（滑）up to the beam. He sat next to me. He seemed not to notice the man next to him. But soon I caught a few of his glances. "I was a local here 20 years ago," I told him. Then, slowly, he began to nod his head. "Safe, man. Safe."

"Yeah," I said. "Safe."

8. What can we learn about the author soon after he moved to London?

A．	He felt disappointed.	B．	He gave up his hobby.
C．	He liked the weather there.	D．	He had disagreements with his family.

9. What do the underlined words "Safe! Safe! Safe!" probably mean?

A．

Be careful!

B．

Well done!

C．

No way!

D．

Don't worry!

10. Why did the author like to spend time in Southbank when he returned to London?

A．	To join the skateboarding.	B．	To make new friends.
C．	To learn more tricks.	D．	To relive his childhood days

11. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．	Children should learn a second language.
B．	Sport is necessary for children's health.
C．	Children need a sense of belonging
D．	Seeing the world is a must for children.

Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding（繁育）programme, has welcomed the arrival of a rare black rhino calf（犀牛幼息）.When the tiny creature arrived on January 31. she became the 40th black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival, especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed in captivity（圈养）.

Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: "Obviously we're all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She's healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It's still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up. I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day."

The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to tell if the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to first-time mother Kisima and weighed about 32 kg. His mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500, giving the rhinos a "critically endangered" status.

4. Which of the following best describes the breeding programme?

A．

Costly.

B．

Controversial.

C．

Ambitious.

D．

Successful.

5. What does Paul Beer say about the new-born rhino?

A．	She loves staying with her mother.	B．	She dislikes outdoor activities.
C．	She is in good condition	D．	She is sensitive to heat.

6. What similar experience do Solio and Kisima have?

A．	They had their first born in January.        B .They enjoyed exploring new places	B．
C．	They lived with their grandmothers.	D．	They were brought to the reserve young

7. What can be inferred about Porn-Lympne Reserve?

A．	The rhino section will be open to the public.
B．	It aims to control the number of the animals.
C．	It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund.
D．	Some of its rhinos may be sent to the protected wild areas.

A Take a view, the Landscape（风景）Photographer of the Year Award, was the idea of Charlie Waite, one of today's most respected landscape photographers.Each year, the high standard of entries has shown that the Awards are the perfect platform to showcase the very best photography of the British landscape.Take a view is a desirable annual competition for photographers from all comers of the UK and beyond.

Mike Shepherd (2011) Skiddaw in Winter Cumbria, England

It was an extremely cold winter's evening and freezing fog hung in the air. I climbed to the top of a small rise and realised that the mist was little more than a few feet deep, and though it was only a short climb, I found myself completely above it and looking at a wonderfully clear view of Skiddaw with the sum setting in the west. I used classical techniques, translated from my college days spent in the darkroom into Photoshop, to achieve the black-and-white image（图像）.

Timothy Smith (2014) Macclesfield Forest Cheshire, England

I was back in my home town of Macclesfield to take some winter images. Walking up a path through the forest towards Shutlingsloe. a local high point, I came across a small clearing and immediately noticed the dead yellow grasses set against the fresh snow. The small pine added to the interest and I placed it centrally to take the view from the foreground right through into the forest.

1. Who would most probably enter for Take a view?

A．

Writers.

B．

Photographers.

C．

Painters.

D．

Tourists.

2. What do the works by Shepherd and Smith have in common?

A．	They are winter images.
B．	They are in black and white.
C．	They show mountainous scenes.
D．	They focus on snow-covered forests.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．

In a history book.

B．

In a novel.

C．

In an art magazine.

D．

In a biography.

Challenging work that requires lots of analytical thinking，planning and other managerial skills might help your brain stay sharp as you age，a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology suggests．

   Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany gathered more than 1，000 retired workers who were over age 75 and assessed the volunteers' memory and thinking skills through a battery of tests．Then，for eight years，the scientists asked the same group to come back to the lab every 18 months to take the same sorts of tests．

   Those who had held mentally stimulating（刺激），demanding jobs before retirement tended to do the best on the tests．And they tended to lose cognitive（认知）function at a much slower rate than those with the least mentally challenging jobs．The results held true even after the scientists accounted for the participants' overall health status．

   "This works just like physical exercise，" says Francisca Then，who led the study．"After a long run，you may feel like you're in pain，you may feel tired．But it makes you fit．After a long day at work﹣sure，you will feel tired，but it can help your brain stay healthy．"

   It's not just corporate jobs，or even paid work that can help keep your brain fit．Then points out．A waiter's job，for example，that requires multitasking，teamwork and decision﹣making could be just as stimulating as any high﹣level office work．And "running a family household requires high﹣level planning and coordinating（协调），" she says．"You have to organize the activities of the children and take care of the bills and groceries．"

   Of course，our brains can decline as we grow older for lots of reasons﹣including other environmental influences or genetic factors．Still，continuing to challenge yourself mentally and keeping your mind busy can only help．

（1）Why did the scientists ask the volunteers to take the tests？ 　　

A．	To assess their health status．
B．	To evaluate their work habits．
C．	To analyze their personality．
D．	To measure their mental ability．

（2）How does Francisca Then explain her findings in paragraph 4？ 　 　

A．	By using an expert's words．
B．	By making a comparison．
C．	By referring to another study．
D．	By introducing a concept．

（3）Which of the following is the best title for the text？ 　　

A．	Retired Workers Can Pick Up New Skills
B．	Old People Should Take Challenging Jobs
C．	Your Tough Job Might Help Keep You Sharp
D．	Cognitive Function May Decline As You Age

The traffic signals along Factoria Boulevard in Bellevue，Washington，generally don't flash the same length of green twice in a row，especially at rush hour．At 9：30am，the full red/yellow/green signal cycle might be 140 seconds．By 9：33am，a burst of additional traffic might push it to 145 seconds．Less traffic at 9：37am could push it down to 135．Just like the traffic itself，the timing of the signals changes．

    Thatis by design．Bellevue，a fast﹣growing city just east of Seattle，uses a system that is gaining popularity around the US：intersection（十字路口）signals that can adjust in real time to traffic conditions．These lights，known as adaptive signals，have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home．

   "Adaptive signals can make sure that the traffic demand that is there is being addressed，" says Alex Stevanovic，a researcher at Florida Atlantic University．

   For all of Bellevue's success，adaptive signals are not a cure﹣all for jammed roadways．Kevin Balke，a research engineer at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute，says that while smart lights can be particularly beneficial for some cities，others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference．"It's not going to fix everything，but adaptive signals have some benefits for smaller cities，" he says．

   In Bellevue，the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches．In the past，there was often an automatic reaction to increased traffic：just widen the roads，says Mark Poch，the Bellevue Transportation Department's traffic engineering manager．Now he hopes that other cities will consider making their streets run smarter instead of just making them bigger．

（1）What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 2 refer to？ 　　

A．	Increased length of green lights．
B．	Shortened traffic signal cycle．
C．	Flexible timing of traffic signals．
D．	Smooth traffic flow on the road．

（2）What does Kevin Balke say about adaptive signals？ 　　

A．	They work better on broad roads．
B．	They should be used in other cities．
C．	They have greatly reduced traffic on the road．
D．	They are less helpful in cities seriously jammed．

（3）What can we learn from Bellevue's success？ 　　

A．	It is rewarding to try new things．
B．	The old methods still work today．
C．	It pays to put theory into practice．
D．	The simplest way is the best way．

I am an active playgoer and play﹣reader，and perhaps my best reason for editing this book is a hope of sharing my enthusiasm for the theater with others．To do this I have searched through dozens of plays to find the ones that I think best show the power and purpose of the short play．

   Each play has a theme or central idea which the playwright（剧作家）hopes to get across through dialogue and action．A few characters are used to create a single impression growing out of the theme．It is not my intention to point out the central theme of each of the plays in this collection，for that would，indeed，ruin the pleasure of reading，discussing，and thinking about the plays and the effectiveness of the playwright．However，a variety of types is represented here．These include comedy，satire，poignant drama，historical and regional drama．To show the versatility（多面性）of the short play，I have included a guidance play，a radio play and a television play．

   Among the writers of the plays in this collection，Paul Green，Susan Glaspell，Maxwell Anderson，Thornton Wilder，William Saroyan，and Tennessee Williams have all received Pulitzer Prizes for their contributions to the theater．More information about the playwrights will be found at the end of this book．

   To get the most out of reading these plays，try to picture the play on stage，with you，the reader，in the audience．The houselights dim（变暗）．The curtains are about to open，and in a few minutes the action and dialogue will tell you the story．

（1）What do we know about the author from the first paragraph？ 　 　

A．	He has written dozens of plays．
B．	He has a deep love for the theater．
C．	He is a professional stage actor．
D．	He likes reading short plays to others．

（2）What does the author avoid doing in his work？ 　　

A．	Stating the plays' central ideas．
B．	Selecting works by famous playwrights．
C．	Including various types of plays．
D．	Offering information on the playwrights．

（3）What does the author suggest readers do while reading the plays？ 　　

A．	Control their feelings．
B．	Apply their acting skills．
C．	Use their imagination．
D．	Keep their audience in mind．

（4）What is this text？ 　 　

A．	A short story．
B．	An introduction to a book．
C．	A play review．
D．	An advertisement for a theater．

I remember the day shyness took over my life．I was 14 and having a French lesson．The teacher told us to record ourselves speaking about a holiday．Perfect! I recorded myself with confidence．Then，I pressed "play" to listen back．All I heard was a little kid talking．My immediate reaction was to assume I was listening to someone else's recording．But that was my voice．I realised there was something strange about me．

    My little voice has made me feel really shy．And my shyness has caused me to avoid attending events，not make important connections，and keep my ideas to myself．As a shy person，working from home，hiding behind my computer was brilliant．But the more time I spent hidden away，the more my comfort zone shrank（缩小）．Everyday interactions，like ordering a coffee，became increasingly awkward and uncomfortable．

    And then，one day I was at a big conference and it suddenly hit me like lightning．All speakers were confident，comfortable with being seen．There were no quieter voices．But the trouble is，if the loud voices are the only ones you hear，we quiet people feel even more alienated（疏远的）．The world needs a mixture of personalities．Success is not just about who can shout the loudest．The world needs quieter people，too．That day I chose to stop hiding and embrace my shyness．No more feeling like I needed to change who I am in order to succeed．No more living a small life．

    Then I created the Shy and Mighty Society，a space for shy people like me to shine，and in the process of helping others，I could also push myself forward，bit by bit．Now，I'm happy to tell people I feel shy．I'm not ashamed any more．And I know that I'm not alone．

（1）Why did the author feel strange about herself after listening to the recording？（no more than 10 words）　　

（2）What is the main idea of Para．2？（no more than 10 words）　　

（3）What does the underlined word in Para．3 mean？（1 word）　　

（4）Why did the author create the Shy and Mighty Society？ （no more than 10 words）　　

（5）Suppose you are in charge of the Shy and Mighty Society，what will you do to help other shy people？ And why？（no more than 20 words）