There are many theories about how drama (戏剧) came into being in ancient Greece.

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There are many theories about how drama (戏剧) came into being in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama developed gradually from ceremonies. The argument for this view goes as follows.
In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies. As time passed, some of them were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths (神话), provided materials for art and drama
Those who believe that drama came out of ceremonies also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, and masks were almost always used. In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the rules of ceremonies, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks, they often impersonated (扮演) other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and performed the desired effect by gestures -- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival (复活) of the Sun -- as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory finds out the theater came from the human Interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other events) are gradually formed, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a speaker and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person A closely related theory about drama traces to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations (模仿) of animal movements and sounds.
小题1:Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A．Three theories about how drama came into being are mentioned.

B．The majority of people believe drama came from ceremonies.

C．Stories were made up to explain the mysteries of the ceremonies.

D．Religious activities developed gradually from ceremonies.

小题2:We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．all measures couldn"t bring the desired results

B．religious leaders usually didn"t perform in the ceremonies

C．mistakes are unavoidable in the religious ceremonies

D．performers usually used languages to reach the desired results

小题3:The underlined part "traces to" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.

A．dates back to

B．is devoted to

C．gives way to

D．is familiar to

小题4: The best title for the text would be ______.

A．The Development of Drama	B．The History of Drama
C．The Origin of Drama	D．The Popularity of Drama

答案

小题1: D
小题2:A
小题3:A
小题4:C

解析

试题分析：这篇文章讲的是戏剧是怎么形成的，有的理论认为戏剧来自于仪式，也有人认为戏剧是人类讲故事的兴趣。
小题1:细节题：从第二段的句子：The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama developed gradually from ceremonies. 可知是戏剧从仪式中逐渐演变而来。选D
小题2:细节题：从第二段的句子：Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies.可知似乎能到来想要的结果的措施被保留下来了。可知不是所有的措施都是有效的。选 A
小题3:猜词题：最后一段的句子：Another theory finds out the theater came from the human Interest in storytelling.其中的came from和 traces to是相近的意思，就是“来自，追溯到”所以选A
小题4:主旨题：从文章第一段的句子：There are many theories about how drama (戏剧) came into being in ancient Greece.可知这篇文章讲的是戏剧是怎么形成的。选C
点评：这篇文章讲的是戏剧是怎么形成的，有的理论认为戏剧来自于仪式，也有人认为戏剧是人类讲故事的兴趣。文章分析了具体的现象。测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释。考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点。

举一反三

People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions about the word“mouth”. But some of them are not so nice. For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say “Do not bad mouth me.” Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that people’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to. The speaker might say: “I really put my foot in my mouth this time”. If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth, In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Information is often spread through word of mouth. This is general communication between people, like friends talking to each other.” How did you hear about that new movie?” someone might ask,” Oh, by word of mouth.” A more official way of getting information is through a company or government mouthpiece. This is an official spokesperson. Government –run media could also be called a mouthpiece.
Sometimes when one person is speaking, he says the same thing that his friend was going to say. When this happens, the friend might say: “You took the words right out of my mouth!” Sometimes a person has a bad or unpleasant experience with another person. He might say that experience “left a bad taste in my mouth”. Or the person might have had a very frightening experience, like being chased by an angry dog. He might say : “ I had my heart in my mouth.”
小题1:The underlined words “ down in the mouth” in Paragraph One can be best replaced by _______.

A．ashamed

B．regretful

C．satisfied

D．excited

小题2:Which could be used to describe one’s fear?

A．By word of mouth	B．Put one ‘s foot in one’s mouth
C．Take the words right out one’s mouth.	D．Have one’s heart in one’s mouth.

小题3:The second paragraph of the passage mainly tells us _____.

A．the meaning of two expressions	B．information from folk communication
C．information from official-run media	D．two different ways to get information

小题4:The author writes the passage in order to _____.

A．introduce some expressions	B．enjoy learning English
C．learn about English culture	D．use words correctly

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All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.
In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in teahouses. They prefer their tea plain with nothing else in it. Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony. It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.
Another tea drinking country is England. In England, the late afternoon is “teatime”. Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.
In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea --- “iced tea”. Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.
小题1:The passage is mainly talking about _________.
A. Chinese tea B why tea is important
C. the teatime in England D. different ways of tea drinking
小题2:The word “plain” in line 4 may mean _____________.

A．simple

B．going

C．hard

D．drink

小题3:The Chinese drink tea __________.

A．for breakfast	B．in a special way
C．when they get together	D．only in teahouses

小题4: Iced tea is popular _____________.

A．in winter

B．in England

C．for lunch

D．in America

小题5:The English like to _____________.

A．eat something with their tea	B．drink their tea plain
C．have tea with dinner	D．drink their tea in teahouses

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Thailand is a country with a long and rich history. It is also one of those countries which have many traditions which modern times fortunately have not affected. Thailand is famous for its unique culture. It is well worth noting that Thai culture handed down from one generation to the next.
Thai Classical Dance
The inspiring culture includes local music and wonderful Thai dances. The dances of course have something to do with its deep rooted Buddhist religion, fighting arts and beautiful clothing. Thai classical dance performances are generally performed by gracious(高雅的) Thai ladies wearing beautiful Thai local costumes. Most resort(旅游胜地) areas and many hotels frequently offer these Thai culture dance shows for foreign visitors.
Thai Greeting
The Thai unique gesture of greeting another person, the wai, is especially one of the great aspects of Thai culture. The wai is when a person joins both hands to either head or chest level while bending their head slightly towards their hands. This way of greeting is especially done when a younger person greets an older person and it indicates a sign of respect to their elders. Employees would also wai their managers even if the manager would be younger than themselves.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the culture center of Thailand and has been the Thai capital since the end of the eighteenth century. Observing Thai culture in Bangkok can be great experience as the combination of modern times and traditions have created a kind of unique atmosphere. Bangkok offers a package of Thai culture which is shown by numerous beautiful Buddhist temples and many examples of modern Thai architecture.
Bangkok National Museum
Another location in Bangkok where one can enjoy and see Thai culture is at the famed Bangkok national museum, which offers tourists an opportunity to view national treasures and unique Thai art pieces with its culture feature dating back as early as the late sixteenth century.
小题1:Thai classical dance is related to __________.

A．living level and education	B．ages and pretty clothing
C．the Thai’s customs	D．the Thai’s belief

小题2:If you want to watch Thai culture dance shows you can go to_______.

A．anywhere in Thailand	B．Thai resort areas or big hotels
C．Thai museums or big streets	D．Thai theaters or restaurants

小题3:In Thailand a worker uses the gesture the wai to greet _______.

A．his young boss	B．a younger stranger
C．his younger colleagues	D．his close friend

小题4:What make Thai culture in Bangkok so unique?
A, The long history and fine weather of Bangkok.
B. The mixture of the modern culture and traditions.
C. A number of beautiful Thai Buddhist temples
D. Many examples of modern Thai architecture.

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Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day). (358 words)
小题1:The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may __________.

A．help travelers pass time

B．attract lots of travelers to the UK

C．allow travelers to make flexible plans

D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation

小题2:“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably __________.

A．a hotel away from the train station	B．the tube line to Covent Garden
C．an ideal holiday destination	D．the name of a travel agency

小题3:The passage shows that the O’Neill Flat __________.

A．lies on the ground floor

B．is located in central London

C．provides cooking facilities for tourists

D．costs over £100 on average per day in late September

小题4:Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of __________.

A．half an hour	B．one hour
C．one hour and a half	D．two hours

小题5:The main purpose of the passage is __________.

A．to tell visitors how to book in advance

B．to supply visitors with hotel information

C．to show visitors the importance of self-help

D．to offer visitors some money-saving tips

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According to sociologists(社会学家), every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification(阶层). Class, power and status are important in deciding people’s rank in society.
Class means a person’s economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning ＄500,000 a year and a bus driver earning ＄50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!
Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise(行使)big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding (相应的)economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class.
To our knowledge, there aren’t too many people who aren’t millionaires in the U.S. Senate!
Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.
小题1:What can we learn about “the middle class” from Paragraph 2?

A．People earning ＄50,000 a year belong to the middle class.

B．Nearly half Americans belong to the middle class.

C．People generally consider bus drivers as the middle class.

D．Sociologists have a clear definition of the middle class.

小题2:According to the text, we know that _____.

A．power and class do not always correspond with each other

B．status refers to a person’s economic position in society

C．people with high status have a lot of control over others

D．class is less important in deciding a person’s social rank

小题3:Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?

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