In spite of the uncertainty of the economy, the movie industry has been stricken by a box-office outburst. Suddenly it seems as if everyone is going to the movies, with ticket sales this year up 17.5 percent, to $1.7 billion.
And it is not just because ticket prices are higher. Attendance has also jumped, by nearly 16 percent. If that pace continues through the year, it would amount to the biggest box-office increase in at least two decades.
Americans, for the moment, just want to hide in a very dark place. People want to forget their troubles, and they want to be with other people. Helping feed the outburst is the mix of movies, which have been more audience-friendly in recent months as the studios have tried to adjust after the discouraging sales of more serious films.
As she stood in line at the 18-screen Bridge theater complex here on Thursday to buy weekend tickets for “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,” Angel Hernandez was not thinking much about escaping reality. Instead, Ms. Hernandez, a Los Angeles parking lot attendant and mother of four young girls, was focused on one very specific reality: her wallet.
“Spending hundreds of dollars to take them to Disneyland is ridiculous right now,” she said. “For $60 and some candy money I can still be a good mom and give them a little fun.”
A lot of parents may have been thinking the same thing Friday, as “Jonas Brothers” sold out more than 800 theaters, and was expected to sell a powerful $25 million or more in tickets.
The film industry appears to have had a hand in its recent good luck. Over the last year or two, studios have released movies that are happier, scarier or just less depressing than what came before. After poor results for a rush of serious dramas built around the Middle East, Hollywood got back to comedies(喜剧).
1.Which of the following is not a reason for the improvement of the movie industry?
A. A growing number of people are going to the cinema.
B. People are richer with the development of economy.
C. More comedies are made than serious films.
D. People have to pay more to watch a movie.
2.Ms. Hernandez purchased the movie tickets because ________.
A. she tried to escape reality B. she was a crazy movie fan
C. she was fond of Disneyland D. she wanted to please her kids
3.According to the text, which of the following number is not used to describe the shooting up of the movie industry?
A.17.5% B. $1.7 billion C. $60 D. $25 million
4.The passage is developed mainly by ________.
A. presenting the effect and analyzing the causes
B. following the order of time
C. describing problems and drawing a conclusion
D. making comparison of ideas
They’re WILD animals
By Ernst-Ulrich Franzen
March 11, 2010 (3) Comments
The story about the woman who lost some fingers while feeding a bear at a zoo in Manitowoc, after she ignored warnings and barriers(栅栏), reminded me of the story I heard about a couple who put their baby on the back of a wild horse in South Dakota to get a really cute picture. We all do silly things at times — no one is immune — but treating wild animals as lovely pets has to fall into a special category. Teddy bears and Disney movies aren’t actually representative of real bears.
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1.TosaLeft - Mar 11, 2010 10:46AM
Don’t you think that maybe, just maybe some alcohol was involved?
2.tk421 - Mar 11, 2010 11:09 AM
It was already approved that alcohol was involved. Stories that begin with a drunk person saying “Hey, I got an idea, watch this!” rarely end well.
3.Tristan Kloss - Mar 11, 2010 11:41 AM
Alcohol certainly isn’t involved when people decide to keep “pets” like chimpanzees, baby tigers, etc. Stupidity, definitely. Dogs are pets because of thousands of years of domestication. Even farm animals, which have been kept by humans for thousands of years as well, aren’t let in the house. So why keep animals that treat human contact with, at best, indifference(冷淡、不在乎) and, at worst, violence?
1.In Ernst-Ulrich Franzen’s opinion, the woman lost her fingers because ________.
A. the zoo keepers didn’t warn her of the danger
B. she didn’t know the bear was a wild animal
C. she was somehow influenced by cartoon characters
D. she climbed over the barriers and angered the bear
2.TosaLeft thinks the wounded woman ________.
A. may have been drunk B. may be a little stupid
C. was addicted to wine D. fed wine to the bear
3.tk421 means a drunk person ________.
A. should be forbidden to enter the zoo B. usually gets himself into trouble
C. is often fond of making up stories D. usually likes to show himself off
4.What does Tristan Kloss think of people treating wild animals as pets?
A. Kind. B. Illegal. C. Loving. D. Stupid.
Going back to school is a very exciting event for my two boys. It means getting new school bags and books, and seeing friends again after the summer holiday.
My oldest son, 9-year-old Salem, asked me several times where we would go to buy a backpack, while my other son, 6-year-old Abdullah, asked what school would be like this year.
For the last three years, school was a nightmare for many children and their parents as violence increased and there were more attacks on schools and teachers. As a result, many parents prevented their children from going to school. One of six children in this country did not attend primary school in 2009. Many kids who did attend school were accompanied by a parent for the entire day to make sure nothing happened to their children.
For poor families or those with large families, back to school can be an expensive time. The government gives some help to those living in poor neighborhoods, and school bags, note books and other items(商品) are given for free.
Most of the merchants who sell notebooks and pens now sell their products out on the street instead of in stores. They sit on the ground and lay their items on the ground or they have a small table to sell their goods.
The bags cost between $10 and $20, while clothes and shoes cost between $20 and $30. I found all the things I needed for my sons and even bought something for myself. I spent about $50 on each of them, including school uniforms.
At the end of the day, we returned to our home carrying many shopping bags filled with items that made my children happy and excited to go back to school. I just hope this school year will be a peaceful one.
1.The author’s children are ________ to go to school.
A. eager B. afraid C. unwilling D. surprised
2.The underlined word “nightmare” is the closest in meaning to ________.
A. fantasy B. dream world C. prison D. terrible situation
3.Many children are not going to school mainly because of ________.
A. the terrible education system B. security problems and poverty
C. parents’ distrust in schools D. the government’s inability
4.As a parent, the author ________.
A. is unable to afford his kids’ schooling B. is unwilling to send his kids to school
C. hopes his kids have a happy school life D. complains school education costs too much
请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D中），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the subway station, playing his violin. People quickly going home for the weekend 1their paces and put some 2into the hat of the young man.
The next day, the young artist came again, and put his 3on the ground gently. Different from the day before, he 4a large piece of paper on the ground and put some stones on it. Then he 5the violin and began playing.
Before long, the young violinist was 6by people, who were all attracted by the words on that paper. It said, “7, a gentleman named George Sang put a(n) 8thing into my hat 9. Please come to claim it soon.”
It caused a great excitement and people 10what it could be. After about half an hour, a middle-aged man ran there in a hurry and 11through the crowd to the violinist and grabbed his 12and said, “Yes, it’s you. I knew that you’re an 13man and would certainly come here.”
The violinist took out a lottery ticket(彩票) on which George Sang’s name was seen and gave it to George, who 14the lottery ticket and kissed it, then he 15with the violinist.
The story turned out to be like this: George Sang 16a lottery ticket a few days ago. The awards opened yesterday and he won a prize of $500, 000. So he felt very 17after work the night before and felt the music was so wonderful that he put 50 dollars in the hat. 18, the lottery ticket was also thrown in.
Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest 19always be with us. If we bear ourselves in a dishonest way, we may succeed 20. However, from the long-term view, we will be losers.
1.A. sped up B. slowed down C. set D. kept
2.A. money B. tickets C. food D. cards
3.A. violin B. wallet C. hat D. note
4.A. found B. noticed C. laid D. stuck
5.A. moved B. cleaned C. admired D. adjusted
6.A. surrounded B. praised C. encouraged D. questioned
7.A. Last week B. Yesterday morning C. This afternoon D. Last night
8.A. useful B. important C. new D. strange
9.A. on purpose B. at once C. by mistake D. with care
10.A. knew B. wondered C. realized D. noticed
11.A. walked B. forced C. passed D. rushed
12.A. violin B. ticket C. shoulders D. ears
13.A. honest B. interesting C. important D. exciting
14.A. seized B. received C. dropped D. purchased
15.A. argued B. danced C. left D. stayed
16.A. printed B. possessed C. lost D. bought
17.A. happy B. desperate C. grateful D. hopeful
18.A. Therefore B. However C. Besides D. Fortunately
19.A. can B. may C. should D. would
20.A. finally B. completely C. happily D. temporarily
—Let’s back up. Where was I?
—______.
A. You were in the kitchen. B. You left your book at home.
C. You were having a rest. D. You were talking about the cause.
Good job! Not a single mistake ______ in your homework.
A. you made B. made you C. did you make D. you did make
