In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an interactional festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?
A. To bring Europe together again.
B. To honor heroes of World War 11.
C. To introduce young theatre groups.
D. To attract great artists from Europe.
2.Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?
A. They owned a public house there.
B. They came to take up a challenge.
C. They thought they were also famous.
D. They wanted to take part in the festival.
3.Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
A. they owned a public house there
B. University students.
C. Artists from around the world.
D. Performers of music and dance.
4.We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival __________.
A. has become a non-official event
B. has gone beyond an art festival
C. gives shows all year round
D. keeps growing rapidly
The Healthy Habits Survey (调查) shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1. How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
Finding: A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
Step: Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.
2. How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
Finding: Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
Step: We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs (病菌) to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
Finding: Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
Step: Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge (海绵) that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds.
1.What is found out about American seniors?
A. Most of them have good habits.
B. Nearly 30%of them bathe three days a week.
C. All of them are fighting germs better than expected.
D. About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day
2.Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands .
A. twice a day B. three times a day
C. four times a day D. eight times a day
3.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. We should keep from touching our faces.
B. There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth.
C. A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet.
D. We should wash our hands before touching a door handle.
4.The text probably comes from .
A. a guide book B. a popular magazine
C. a book review D. an official document
In all one’s lifetime, it is 28 that one spends the most time being with or dealing with, but it is precisely oneself that one has the least 29 of. When you are going upwards in life, you tend to overestimate yourself; when you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself. It's 30 that you think it wise for yourself to know your place and stay away from worldly trouble wearing a mask of cowardice, behind 31 the flow of sap in your life will be retarded (妨碍).
To get a thorough understanding of oneself 32 doing oneself a favor when it's needed. In time of anger, do yourself a favor by giving vent (发泄) to it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of 33 , do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a gloomy mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep or taking some tonic. Show yourself loving 34 about your health and daily life. Unless you know perfectly well when and how to do yourself a favor, you won't be confident and ready enough to resist the attack of illness.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself is to get a full control of ones life. Then one will 35 one's life full of color and flavor.
1.A. oneself B. yourself C. one D. you
2.A. awareness B. understanding C. sense D. mind
3.A. perhaps B. certain C. likely D. sure
4.A. it B. what C. that D. which
5.A. requires B. demands C. asks D. requests
6.A. happiness B. sadness C. illness D. danger
7.A. respect B. anxiety C. concern D. attendance
8.A. attain B. feel C. acquire D. find
“Why do we shout in anger?” a saint (圣人) asked his disciples (门徒). “Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?”
His disciples thought for a while, and one of them said, “Because we 16 our calm, we shout for that.”
“But, why do you shout when the other person is 17 next to you?” asked the saint. “Isn’t it possible to speak to him or her with a soft 18 ? Why do you shout at a person when you’re angry?”
Disciples gave some other answers but none 19 the saint. Finally he explained, “When two people are angry at each other, their 20 distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the 21 they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.”
Then the saint asked, “What 22 when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close and the distance between them is very 23 .”
The saint continued, “When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak loudly, only whisper and they get 24 closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only 25 each other and that’s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.”
The saint said finally, “When you argue, do not let your hearts get 26 , and do not say words that distance each other more, or there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not 27 the path to return!”
1.A. miss B. lose C. avoid D. refuse
2.A. already B. yet C. just D. well
3.A. voice B. sound C. attitude D. manner
4.A. excited B. satisfied C. surprised D. persuaded
5.A. heads B. brains C. backs D. hearts
6.A. faster B. slower C. louder D. earlier
7.A. happens B. matters C. decides D. concerns
8.A. short B. long C. easy D. hard
9.A. never B. ever C. too D. even
10.A. look at B. take over C. turn away D. rely on
11.A. empty B. distant C. cold D. lonely
12.A. build B. repair C. follow D. find
When it comes to the human tendency to use the right hand much more often than the left hand, we seem to have __________ it from our animal ancestors, namely monkeys and chimpanzees.
A. succeeded B. acquired C. inherited D. attained
Jim, I am sure __________ we met, we were at a rock concert, and since then we’ve known each other.
A. for the first time B. the first time C. at the first time D. at the time
