Dinner and a movie was a two-part affair. But increasingly, the two have been combined into a single experience, allowing moviegoers to get fries and a beer while they watch the latest superhero blockbuster. Full-service theaters have become a Friday-night pastime for Americans.
Dine-in cinemas are not altogether new. In the late 1980s, brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin opened one in Portland. A decade later, inspired by the Mcmenamins, Tim and Karrie league began pairing trendy beer with hits like The Craft at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. But in recent years, the trend has expanded from niche (小众) to mainstream. There are now 29 Alamo locations nationwide, from Omaha to El Paso.
Full-service theaters appeal to a broader, more regionally diverse customer base. At Movie Tavern in Roswell, Ga. for instance, you can order popcorn shrimp while watching Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. AMC, the biggest U.S. movie-theater company, launched DINE-IN, where meals can be ordered with the push of a button. For the most upscale experience, you’ll have to fly to Paris, where EuropaCorp First Class, owned by the Fifth Element director Luc Besson, serves luxurious champagne and caviar (鱼子酱).
The rise in full-service moviegoing goes with declining ticket sales across the industry more broadly. North American movie attendance in 2018 dropped to what appears to be a 27-year low. The downward tendency is the continuation of a 15-year trend. Between lots of uninspired remakes hitting theaters, younger audiences choosing to consume content on their smart phones and the dramatic rise in the popularity of streaming (流媒体), it’s no wonder that theater owners are seeking creative ways to attract customers off their couches. It’s working: despite a 2% decline in movie attendance over four years, AMC DINE-IN achieved 4% growth in just two.
Full-service theaters are not without complaints. Despite servers’ attempts at stealth (悄悄的行动), many find them distracting when serving food. And as expensive as traditional theater concessions have become, prices tend to get dearer once pancetta (意大利熏肉) enters the mix.
But for those with the funds, the full-service theater offers reason enough to quit online movies.
1.The combination of dinner and a movie __________.
A.is a new business model appearing recently.
B.pairs trendy drinks with films in 29 nations.
C.introduces the latest movies and the dearest food.
D.gains much popularity despite the decline in ticket sales
2.The underlined word “upscale” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.
A.comfortable B.creative C.expensive D.inspiring
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the passage?
A.Ticket sales remain almost the same in the past 15 years.
B.Uninspired remade films are the major complaint of audience.
C.Full-service theaters are a creative way to promote ticket sales.
D.Full-service theaters provide a perfect experience for all audiences.
4.The passage is intended to __________.
A.argue if online movies are beneficial
B.introduce a popular pattern of recreation
C.call on people to quit expensive online movies
D.blame the decreasing movie attendance on streaming
There’s a blue house in central Florida that’s hard to miss. It’s somewhat famous among people who live nearby — it’s painted to look like Starry Night”, the iconic painting by Vincent van Gogh — but not everyone is a fan of the larger-than-life artwork.
“We had not originally intended to paint the house like this,” Nancy Nemhauser, who lives there with her husband, Lubomir Jastrzebski, and their adult son, told TODAY. They started by painting the wall that runs outside of their home, because it was “in disrepair” and they wanted it to look nice. The couple said they even asked permission from the city to paint the wall, and were told it was OK.
“So we went ahead and started having the wall painted by an artist who has his work shown throughout South America,” Nemhauser said. They chose Van Gogh because their son, who has autism (自闭症), is a fan — and they hoped that the mural would come in handy if he ever wandered far from home.
“God forbid he were to be in a situation where he did not have the ability to tell people his address clearly. We’re hoping that he would have the ability to at least say that he belongs at the Van Gogh house,” Nemhauser said. The couple added that their son loves the look of the house. “There’s some magical connection I think between Van Gogh and autistic kids, because Van Gogh was possibly also autistic,” Jastrzebski said.
After the couple painted the wall, they got a citation (传票) from the city stating that the wall painting was considered graffiti (涂鸦), and that the wall must match the house. That’s when they decided to paint the entire house to look like “Starry Night” — knowing that’s not quite what the city had in mind, but confident that they weren’t breaking any law.
Since then, they’ve been fined $10,600. In February, they filed a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming the city is violating their right to freedom of expression.
Neither Mount Dora city officials nor their lawyer would comment on the issue. But in February, they did say in a statement that they were trying to preserve the residential character of our neighborhoods, and that the house “may present a distraction to safe vehicle operation along the street which fronts the home”.
Nemhauser and Jastrzebski add that many neighbors love the house, and thousands of people have signed an online petition (请愿) in support of keeping the painting. While both sides are in settlement talks, the fate of the mural is still up in the air. The family said they were ready to battle for what they believe in.
1.What was the couple’s initial intention to paint the wall?
A.To beautify the damaged wall.
B.To respond to the call of the city.
C.To assist an artist to show his work.
D.To express their son’s admiration to Van Gogh.
2.What does the underlined phrase “God forbid” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.May God forgive us.
B.It’s forbidden by God.
C.Even God can’t help it.
D.We hope it does not happen.
3.What’s Mount Dora city officials’ attitude towards the unique house?
A.Supportive. B.Disapproving.
C.Ambiguous. D.Understanding.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.“Starry Night” house in Florida arouses a heated debate.
B.Neighbors sign an online petition in support of “Starry Night” house.
C.The magical connection between Van Gogh and autistic kids.
D.Homeowners battle for their “Starry Night” house in Florida.
Jim McGee was once an Air Force pilot in Vietnam. In 2017, he was seriously ill because his kidneys(肾)were gone.
Jim immediately started dialysis(透析)，but a person of his age on dialysis usually lives only about four years. Transplants are a long-shot alternative. The National Kidney Foundation estimates that 13 people die every day while waiting for a donor with the right blood and tissue types. Jim’s wife, Shirley McGee, and some family friends offered but weren’t a match.
Desperate, Shirley had T-shirts made that said “I’m in need of a donor.” Her husband would wear one whenever he went to downtown Sarasota. No luck.
In early 2018, Jim didn’t feel like attending a reunion of some Air Force buddies in Monterey, California. "I said, ‘Is it really worth going to Monterey to sit in dialysis for two days?’”Jim recalls. "And my wife said, ‘ Yeah，come on. You really want to see your friends.’And I am glad I made that decision.”
In California, Jim reunited with six fellow airmen, including one he hadn’t seen in nearly 50 years: Doug Coffman. The two had met when they both were learning Vietnamese before they went overseas. Jim told Doug and his other comrades about his predicament(困境).
Doug, then 70, happened to have the right blood type and immediately decided to help. But could he? Shirley’s guess was that doctors would tell Doug what they had told her: You’re too old. He immediately had his doctor send his medical records to Georgetown Medical Center, where Jim was being treated.
Within a month, Doug was cleared for major testing. The testing revealed not only that Doug’s tissue type matched Jim’s but also that he had the kidneys of a 35-year-old. When the doctors gave him the OK to donate, Doug immediately called Jim, and asked for the first surgery date available. On September 18，2018，Doug went into surgery at 7:30 a. m.; Jim followed at 9:30 a. m. By noon, they were both in the recovery room. The transplant was a success.
1.Which of the following can best describe Shirley?
A.Knowledgeable and talkative . B.Reasonable and energetic.
C.Outgoing and thankful. D.Helpful and considerate.
2.How did Jim feel about his illness just before going to Monterey?
A.Discouraged. B.Satisfied. C.Ashamed. D.Nervous.
3.Why did Jim McGee decide to go to Monterey?
A.To seek help. B.To practice Vietnamese.
C.To meet his fellow airmen. D.To have a thorough examination there.
4.What can we know about Doug Coffman?
A.He was too old to help. B.He acted without delay in helping Jim.
C.He seldom visited his doctor. D.He was 35 years younger than his age.
Welcome to Princeton
Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that enrolls students of all background and interests. Established in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the arts and humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering. As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels in the discovery and spread of knowledge and understanding. Meanwhile, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.
Campus Life
A vast range of cultural, educational, athletic and social activities are available to Princeton students. Getting involved in campus life is the quickest way to become a part of the University community, and to create one's own Princeton experience. Campus life activities are built around the concepts of encouraging each community member to express his or her talents and to respect all members of our community.
Library
Princeton University Library consists of the Firestone Library and nine buildings across campus. The library's collections include more than 8 million books and impressive rare books, prints and other materials that require special handling. The library's extensive electronic resources include databases and journals, images and digital maps. Exhibitions from the library's rich collections are free and open to the general public.
Aid Program
Our aid program is designed to encourage all qualified students-regardless of financial circumstances-to consider applying for admission to Princeton. Any family, who feels they may need help to pay for a Princeton education is welcome to apply for aid.
For more information, please visit: http://www.princeton.edu.
1.What makes Princeton University outstanding among research universities?
A.Its long history. B.Its high level in discovery.
C.Its undergraduate teaching. D.Its wide range of institutions.
2.What can you enjoy as a Princeton University student?
A.Free undergraduate education. B.Access to rare books and databases.
C.Free membership of sports clubs. D.The quickest way to show talents.
3.The aid program of Princeton University is intended for_____.
A.any student from low-income families B.qualified applicants to pay for Princeton
C.every student admitted into university D.top students majoring in Finance
假如你是李华，得知为了培养青少年国际视野，鼓励参与可持续发展，The You think Center 正在招募Storyteller，分享自己对节约资源的经验、建议等。请写信申请加入。主要内容包括：
1. 介绍自己；
2. 阐明自己的优势；
3. 希望被录用。
注意：1. 词数 100 左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir/Madam,
Looking forward to your early reply.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者(从第 11 处起)不计分。
A social media influencer is someone who has a plenty of followers online. What that person says, or does, or buys, or wear can influence the decisions of their followers! That is why we call him “social media influencers” and simply “influencers”. I like Miss Manners best between all the influencers. She continual guides me in my online activity and acts as my social compass on a daily basis. When in doubt, I thought to myself “what will Miss Manners do?”. What I’m eager follow is not Miss Manners herself but the overall idea behind her and what she represents. It’s all about be polite, interesting and engaging, which is the point of social media.
