高中英语阅读理解

Minutes after the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater's 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment in preparation for the building's end.

The film classic The Last Picture Showwas the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-be to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed appropriate. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.

Bradford said that large modern theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater's location(位置) was also a reason. "This used to be the center of town," he said. "Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses."

Last week some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were abandoned because of financial problems. Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

The theater audience said good-by as Bradford locked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater has shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.

24. In what way was yesterday's cleanup at the Plaza special?

A．	It made room for new equipment.
B．	It signaled the closedown of the theater.
C．	It was done with the help of the audience.
D．	It marked the 75th anniversary of the theater.

25. Why was The Last Picture Showput on?

A．	It was an all-time classic.	B．	It was about the history of the town.
C．	The audience requested it.	D．	The theater owner found it suitable.

26. What will probably happen to the building?

A．	It will be repaired.	B．	It will be turned into a museum.
C．	It will be knocked down.	D．	It will be sold to the city government.

27. What can we infer about the audience?

A．	They are disappointed with Bradford.	B．	They are sad to part with the old theater.
C．	They are supportive of the city officials.	D．	They are eager to have a shopping center.

San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

San Francisco Winery Tour

Running: February 1st through April 30th

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.(Included in tickets price)

Departing from the Cannery: Tell time upon request.

Duration(时长)：2 hours

Price: ＄90

Back to the Fifties Tour

Running: August 16th through August 31st

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco's most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

Departing form the Cannery 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Duration:2 hours

Price:＄90

Spooky Halloween Tour

Running: October 10th through October 31st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district .Authentic fire gear （服装）is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco

Departing from the Cannery:6:30 pm and 8:30 pm

Duration :1 hour and 30 minutes

Price: Available upon request

Holiday Lights Tour

Running: December 6th through December 23nd

This tractive four takes you to some of San Francis's most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

Departing from the Cannery 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm

Duration: I hour and 30 minutes

Advance reservations required.

（1）Which of the tours is available in March?

A．	San Francisco Winery Tour.
B．	Back to the Fifties Tour.
C．	Spooky Hallowen Tour.
D．	Holiday Lights Tour.

（2）What can tourists do on Back to the Fifties Tours?

A．	Go to Treasure Island.
B．	Enjoy the holiday scenes.
C．	Have free ice cream.
D．	Visit the Presidio district.

（3）What are tourists required to do to go on Holiday Lights Tour?

A．	Take some drinks.
B．	Set off early in the morning.
C．	Wear warm clothes.
D．	Make reservations in advance.

When a leafy plant is under attack ，it doesn't sit quietly. Back in 1983,two scientists,Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin,reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm.What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds,VOCs for short.

Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked.It's a plant's way of crying out.But is anyone listening?Apparently.Because we can watch the neighbours react.

Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away.But others do double duty .They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers.Once they arrive,the tables are turned .The attacker who are natural enemies to the attackers . Once they arrive,the tables are turned.The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.

In study after study,it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The damage is usually more serious on the first plant,but the neighbors ,relatively speaking ,stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.

Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don't know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to "overhear" the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn't a true, intentional back and forth.

Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate(亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There's a whole lot going on.

32. What does a plant do when it is under attack?

A．	It makes noises.	B．	It gets help from other plants.
C．	It stands quietly	D．	It sends out certain chemicals.

33. What does the author mean by "the tables are turned" in paragraph 3?

A．	The attackers get attacked.
B．	The insects gather under the table.
C．	The plants get ready to fight back.
D．	The perfumes attract natural enemies.

34.Scientists find from their studies that plants can          .

A．	predict natural disasters	B．	protect themselves against insects
C．	talk to one another intentionally	D．	help their neighbors when necessary

35.what can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．	The word is changing faster than ever.
B．	People have stronger senses than before
C．	The world is more complex than it seems
D．	People in Darwin's time were imaginative.

Terrafugia Inc .said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight,bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year.The wehicle-named the Transition - has two seats wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car.The Transition,which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the flies using a 23-gallon tank of gas and bums 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.

Around 100 people have already put down a ＄10,000 deposit to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will likely rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don't expect it to show up in too many driveways. It's expected to cost ＄279,000.And it won't help if you're stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.

Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to making the flying car a reality. The govemment has already permitted z&the company to use special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety siandards.

Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration's decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition,a requirement pilots would find relatively easy to meet.

28. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．	The basic data of the Transition.	B．	The advantages of flying cars.
C．	The potential market for flying cars.	D．	The designers of the Transition.

29. Why is the Transition unlikely to show up in too many driveways?

A．	It causers traffic jams.	B．	It is difficult to operate.
C．	It is very expensive.	D．	It bums too much fuel.

30. What is the govemment's attitude to the development of the flying car?

A．	Cautious	B．	Favorable.
C．	Ambiguous.	D．	Disapproving.

31. What is the best title for the text?

A．	Flying Car at Auto Show	B．	The Transition's Fist Flight
C．	Pilots'Dream Coming True	D．	Flying Car Closer to Reality

I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn't want me for the film- it wanted somebody as well known as Paul- he stood up for me. I don't know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.

The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft（技艺）and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other- but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core （核心）of our relationship off the screen.

We shared the brief that if you're fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back- he with his Newman's Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn't see each other all that regularly, but sharing thatbrought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.

I last saw him a few months ago. He'd been in and out of the hospital.He and I both knew what the deal was,and we didn't talk about it.Ours was a relationship that didn't need a lot of words.

24.Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to author at first?

A．	Paul Newman wanted it.
B．	The studio powers didn't like his agent.
C．	He wasn't famous enough.
D．	The director recommended someone else.

25.Why did Paul and the author have a lasting friendship?

A．	They were of the same dge.
B．	They worked in the same theater.
C．	They were both good actors.
D．	They han similar charactertics.

26.What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．	Their belief.
B．	Their care for chileden.
C．	Their success.
D．	Their support for each other.

27.What is the author's purpose in writing the test?

A．	To show his love of films.
B．	To remember a friend.
C．	To introduce a new movie.
D．	To share his acting experience.

In the coming months, we are bringing together artists form all over the globe, to enjoy speaking shakespeare's plays in their own language, in our globe, within the architecture shakespeare wrote for.please come and join us.

National Theatre Of China Beijing|Chinese

This great occasion(盛会) will be the national theatre of china's first visit to the uk. The company's productions show the new face of 21 ^stcentury chinese theatre. This production of  Shakespeare's Richard III will be directed by the National's Associate Director,Wang Xiaoying.

Date&Time:Saturday 28 April,2.30pm&Sunday 29 April,1.30pm&6.30pm

Marjanishvili Theatre   Tbilisi l Georgian

One of the most famous theatres in Georgia,the Marjanishvili,founded in 1928,appears regularly at theatre festivals all over the world. This new production of As You Like It is helmed（指导）by the company's Artistic Director Levan Tsuladze.

Date & Time :Friday 18May,2.30pm&Sunday 19May,7.30pm

Deafinitely Theater London l British Sign Language （BSL）

By translating the rich and humourous taxt of Love's Labour's Lost into the physical language of BSL,Deafinitely Thertre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare's comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.

Date&Time:Tueaday 22 May,2.30pm&Wednesday 23 May,7.30pm

Habima National Theatre Tel Aviv l Hebrew

The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-languege theatre worldwide,Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution,the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s,Since 1958,they have been recognized as the national theatre of Israel.This production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.

Date Date&Time:Monday 28May,7.30&Tuesday 29 May,7.30pm

21.which play will be performed by the National Theatre of China?

A．	Richard Ⅲ.	B．	Lover's Labour's Lost
C．	As You Like It	D．	The merchant of Venice

22.What is special about Deafinnitely Theatre?

A．	Tt has two groups of actors	B．	It is the leading theatre in London
C．	It performs plays in BSL	D．	It is good at prducting comedies

23.When can you see a play in Hebrew?

A．	Onsuturday 28Apil.	B．	On Sunday 29 April
C．	On Tuesday 22 May.	D．	On Tuesday 29 May

A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it's an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it's all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5＇ 5＇ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container- perhaps just a drinking cup - to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.

To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher'sproductivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up - and out - the side of the hole.

Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet's center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won't have to break down the still every time you need a drink.

32. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?

A．	It's delicate.	B．	It's expensive.
C．	It's complex.	D．	It's portable.

33. What does the underlined phrase "the water catcher" in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．	The tube.	B．	The still.
C．	The hole.	D．	The cup.

34. What's the last step of constructing a working solar still?

A．	Dig a hole of a certain size.	B．	Put the cup in place.
C．	Weight the sheet's center down.	D．	Cover the hole with the plastic sheet.

35. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form          .

A．	the plastic tube	B．	outside the hole
C．	the open air	D．	beneath the sheet

Some of the world's most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It's Jason Moran's job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.

"Jazz seems like it's not really a part of the American appetite," Moran tells National Public Radio's reporter Neal Conan. "What I'm hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It's actually color, and it's actually digital."

Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. "The music can't be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same," says Moran.

Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller's music for a dance party, "Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music," says Moran. "For me, it's the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context," says Moran, "so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster."

28．Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?

A．	To remember the birth of jazz.
B．	To protect cultural diversity.
C．	To encourage people to study music.
D．	To recognize the value of jazz.

29．What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．	Jazz becoming more accessible.
B．	The production of jazz growing faster.
C．	Jazz being less popular with the young.
D．	The jazz audience becoming larger.

30．What can we infer about Moran's opinion on jazz?

A．	It will disappear gradually.
B．	It remains black and white.
C．	It should keep up with the times.
D．	It changes every 50 years.

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

A．	Exploring the Future of Jazz.
B．	The Rise and Fall of Jazz.
C．	The Story of a Jazz Musician.
D．	Celebrating the Jazz Day.

I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

24. What is unavoidable in the author's rescue work according to paragraph 1?

A．	Efforts made in vain.
B．	Getting injured in his work.
C．	Feeling uncertain about his future.
D．	Creatures forced out of their homes.

25. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A．	To rescue a woman.
B．	To take care of a woman.
C．	To look at a baby owl.
D．	To cure a young owl.

26. What made the chick calm down?

A．	A new nest.
B．	Some food.
C．	A recording.
D．	Its parents.

27. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A．	It's unexpected.
B．	It's beautiful.
C．	It's humorous.
D．	It's discouraging.

Pacific Science Center Guide

◆ Visit Pacific Science Center's Store

Don't forget to stop by Pacific Science Center's Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located(位于) upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laster Dome.

◆ Hungry

Our exhibits will feed your mind but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour before Pacific Science Center closes.

◆ Rental Information

Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.

◆S upport Pacific Science Center

Since 1962 Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion(热情) for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and beings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and community events all over Washington State. It's an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Wish pacificorganzier.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.

21. Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?

A．	In Building 1.
B．	In Building 3.
C．	At the last Dome.
D．	At the Denny Way entrance.

22. What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?

A．	Train Science teachers.
B．	Distribute science books.
C．	Distribute scientific research.
D．	Take science to the classroom.

23. What is the purpose of the last part of the text?

A．	To encourage donations.
B．	To advertise coming events.
C．	To introduce special exhibits.
D．	To tell about the Center's history.

Bad news sells. If it bleeds, it leads. No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers.But now that information is being spread and monitored(监控) in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules. By tracking people's e-mails and online posts, scientists have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.

"The 'if it bleeds' rule works for mass media," says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. "They want your eyeballs and don't care how you're feeling. But when you share a story with your friends, you care a lot more how they react. You don't want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer."

Researchers analyzing word-of-mouth communication-e-mails, Web posts and reviews, face-to-face conversations-found that it tended to be more positive than negative(消极的), but that didn't necessarily mean people preferred positive news. Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more good things than bad things? To test for that possibility, Dr. Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times' website. He and a Penn colleague analyzed the "most e-mailed" list for six months. One of his first findings was that articles in the science section were much more likely to make the list than non-science articles. He found that science amazed Times' readers and made them want to share this positive feeling with others.

Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad. They needed to be aroused(激发) one way or the other, and they preferred good news to bad. The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr. Berger explains in his new book, "Contagious: Why Things Catch On."

12 .What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to?

A．	News reports.	B．	Research papers.
C．	Private e-mails.	D．	Daily conversations．

13.What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer?

A．	They're socially inactive.
B．	They're good at telling stories.
C．	They're inconsiderate of others.
D．	They're careful with their words.

14.Which tended to be the most e-mailed according to Dr. Berger's research?

A．	A . Sports new.	B．	Science articles.
C．	Personal accounts.	D．	Financial reviews.

15 .What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．	Sad Stories Travel Far and Wide
B．	B .Online News Attracts More People
C．	Reading Habits Change with the Times
D．	Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks

If you are a fruit grower-or would like to become one-take advantage of Apple Day to see what's around.

It's called Apple Day but in practice it's more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but sinceit has

caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.

Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn't taste of anything special, it's still worth a try, as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cat's Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.

There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it's a pipe dreamfor most apple lovers who fall for it.

At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.

Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园).If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.

8.What can people do at the apple events?

A．	Attend experts' lectures.	B．	Visit fruit-loving families.
C．	Plant fruit trees in an orchard.	D．	Taste many kinds of apples.

9.What can we learn about Decio?

A．	It is a new variety.	B．	It has a strange look.
C．	It is rarely seen now.	D．	It has a special taste.

10.What does the underlined phrase "a pipe dream" in Paragraph 3mean?

A．	A practical idea.	B．	A vain hope.
C．	A brilliant plan.	D．	A selfish desire.

11.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．	To show how to grow apples.
B．	B .To introduce an apple festival.
C．	To help people select apples.
D．	To promote apple research.

On one of her trips to New York several years ago, Eudora Welty decided to take a couple of New York friends out to dinner. They settled in at a comfortable East Side cafe and within minutes, another customer was approaching their table.

"Hey, aren't you from Mississippi?" the elegant, white-haired writer remembered being asked by the stranger. "I'm from Mississippi too."

Without a second thought, the woman joined the Welty party. When her dinner partner showed up, she also pulled up a chair.

"They began telling me all the news of Mississippi," Welty said. "I didn't know what my New York friends were thinking."

Taxis on a rainy New York night are rarer than sunshine. By the time the group got up to leave, it was pouring outside. Welty's new friends immediately sent a waiter to find a cab. Heading back downtown toward her hotel, her big-city friends were amazed at the turn of events that had changed their Big Apple dinner into a Mississippi.

"My friends said: 'Now we believe your stories,'" Welty added. "And I said: 'Now you know. These are the people that make me write them.'"

Sitting on a sofa in her room, Welty, a slim figure in a simple gray dress, looked pleased with this explanation.

"I don't make them up," she said of the characters in her fiction these last 50 or so years. "I don't have to."

Beauticians, bartenders, piano players and people with purple hats, Welty's people come from afternoons spent visiting with old friends, from walks through the streets of her native Jackson, Miss., from conversations overheard on a bus. It annoys Welty that, at 78, her left ear has now given out. Sometimes, sitting on a bus or a train, she hears only a fragment(片段) of a particularly interesting story.

5.What happened when Welty was with her friends at the cafe?

A．	Two strangers joined her.
B．	Her childhood friends came in.
C．	A heavy rain ruined the dinner.
D．	Some people held a party there.

6.The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 6 refers to Welty's＿＿＿＿.

A．

readers

B．

parties

C．

friends

D．

stories

7.What can we learn about the characters in Welty's fiction?

A．	They live in big cities.
B．	They are mostly women.
C．	They come from real life.
D．	They are pleasure seekers.

Music

Opera at Music Hall:1243 Elm Street. The season runs June through August, with additional performances in March and September. The Opera honors Enjoy the Artsmembership discounts. Phone: [phone]. http://www.cityopera.com.

Chamber Orchestra:The Orchestra plays at Memorial Hall at 1406 Elm Street, which offers several concerts from March through June. Call 723-1182 for more information. http://www.chamberorch.com.

Symphony Orchestra:At Music Hall and Riverbend. For ticket sales, call 381-3300. Regular season runs September through May at Music Hall in summer at Riverbend. http://www.symphony.org/home.asp.

College Conservatory of Music (CCM):Performances are on the main campus(校园) of the university, usually at Patricia Cobbett Theater. CCM organizes a variety of events, including performances by the well-known LaSalle Quartet, CCM's Philharmonic Orchestra, and various groups of musicians presenting Baroque through modern music. Students with I.D. cards can attend the events for free. A free schedule of events for each term is available by calling the box office at 556-4183. http://www.ccm.uc.edu/events/calendar.

Riverbend Music Theater:6295 Kellogg Ave. Large outdoor theater with the closest seats under cover (price difference).Big name shows all summer long! Phone:[phone]. http://www.riverbendmusic.com.

1.Which number should you call if you want to see an opera?

A．	241-2742.	B．	723-1182.
C．	381-3300.	D．	232-6220.

2.When can you go to a concert by Chamber Orchestra?

A．

February.

B．

May.

C．

August.

D．

November.

3.Where can students go for free performances with their I.D. cards?

A．	Music Hall.	B．	Memorial Hall.
C．	Patricia Cobbett Theater.	D．	Riverbend Music Theater.

4.How is Riverbend Music Theater different from the other places?

A．	It has seats in the open air.
B．	It gives shows all year round.
C．	It offers membership discounts.
D．	It presents famous musical works.

FLORENCE, Italy-Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and elderly, but in order to stay she's had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.

Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant(移民) population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.

Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become a more vehicle for intolerance than integration(融合). Others say it's only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.

Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.

Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy's then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants' children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy.

Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence(居住权) would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.

Italians always "see me as a foreigner," an outsider, even though she's stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said.

28. Why does Cojochru have to take a language test?

A．	To continue to stay in Italy.	B．	To teach her children Italian.
C．	To find a better job in Italy.	D．	To better mix with the Italians.

29. Some people worry that the new language requirement may ________.

A．	reduce Italy's population quickly	B．	cause conflicts among people
C．	lead to financial difficulties	D．	put pressure on schools

30. What do we know about Cojochru?

A．	She lives with her sister now in Italy.
B．	She enjoys learning the Italian language.
C．	She speaks Italian well enough for her job.
D．	She wishes to go back to her home country.