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For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romantic languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, operagoers also had a certain appearance in people’s mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to associate opera with the common people. That means no formal suits, old-styled theatre or bank-breaking ticket prices. And because young people don’t or won’t come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such usual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera’s choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas”, shortened versions of child-friendly operas. This summer’s production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists’ Training Program.
Which is the main idea of this passage?

A.Opera is famous for its long history.
B.Opera is only performed for rich people.
C.Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.
D.Young people are not interested in opera.

The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means _________.

A.breaking up the old rules B.changing the dresses
C.making the audience at ease D.advertising themselves

Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because _________.

A.they can be performed in public libraries
B.short versions are easy to perform
C.it is hard to find long versions
D.they can make people interested

The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to _________.

A.celebrate its 75th anniversary
B.reduce the cost
C.attract young people
D.make Cinderella popular

From the passage we can infer that _________.

A.the tickets for opera are very expensive
B.opera is performed in a difficult language
C.opera is not so popular an art form today
D.students enjoy performing opera very much
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I’ve always known that dogs are clever, but even I was surprised when I heard about a dog called Red, at the Battersea Dog’s Home in London.
The home has been caring for lost and unwanted animals for over 140 years. Recently, the staff there got a shock when they came to work in the morning. They found that some of the dogs had got out of their kennels(狗窝) during the night, opened cupboards and taken out food and toys. And it happened again and again. The manager described how as many as nine dogs were escaping every night. “ When we came in, dogs were running around having fun and causing a lot of mess. ”
Someone or something was unlocking (开锁) the kennels during the night. The manager decided to put in cameras to record how the dogs were getting out.
When she and her staff played back the recording, they saw Red, a three-year-old dog, put his nose through the bars of his kennel and use his teeth to press the button(按钮) that opened his door. That was clever enough, but Red did more: he unlocked the kennels next to his and let the dogs out too. The group broke into cupboards and stole dog biscuits and toys to play with.
The manager said, “ It’s surprising that Red worked out how to open his own kennel and let all his friends out.” I suppose, Red didn’t like to party alone.
The story has a happy ending: after Red was shown on TV, several people came and offered to give him a new home as a family pet.
What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To ask people to look after unwanted dogs.
B.To describe dogs escaping from the Dog’s Home.
C.To give an example of how clever a dog can be.
D.To introduce the work done by the Battersea Dog’s Home.

What did Red do after he got out of his kennel at night?

A.He slept in a cupboard.
B.He let the other dogs out.
C.He took biscuits and toys back to the other dogs.
D.He showed the other dogs how to unlock their doors.

What can we learn from the text?

A.Red didn’t like being at the Dog’s Home.
B.Red and his friends had a good time when they escaped.
C.Red and his friends enjoyed being recorded by the cameras.
D.Red and the other dogs escaped because they were hungry.

The underlined phrase “ worked out” in paragraph 5 means .

A.found the way and dealt with
B.made the plan of
C.thought carefully about
D.was ready for

Which of the following was the topic of the TV program about Red?

A.A dog that can unlock doors.
B.A night when kennels were unlocked.
C.Parties for the missing dogs.
D.Battersea Dog’s Home.

A lot more people are about to get a chance to buy Google Glass. It’s the Internet-connected eyewear that has become the hottest sale.
Google will sell the “Explorer” version(版本) of Glass to any U.S. person who places an online order for the device beginning at 9am. PDT April 15. The product will cost $1,500. Google is saying how many sets of Glass will be available during the limited-time offer.
This version of Glass, though, still isn’t the perfect product that Google hopes to sell in stores later this year.
For now, Google is still trying to recruit(招聘) more people willing to serve as volunteers for its attempt to build a wearable device that features some of the same feature as a smart phone. “ Our Explorers are moms, bakers, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new view that is making Glass better,” Google said.
The device has a small screen attached above the right eye. A user can check e-mails, see Twitter post or get directions without having to use a phone. It can also take hands-free photos and video through voice-activated(声控的) commands. The ability to record images so easily has raised safely concerns about drivers wearing Glass. The lawmakers have to draw up new rules forbidding use of the device in moving vehicles.
Google regards Glass as a breakthrough(突破). It will make it easier for people to surf the Internet while on the go. They also hope that the device could help police officers, firefighters, doctors and reporters do their jobs better.
What is special about Google Glass?

A.People can only order it online.
B.It’s cheaper than the ordinary glasses.
C.People can explore the Internet with it.
D.It doesn’t contain any actual glass in the future.

Google is still trying to recruit more volunteers to _____________.

A.improve their products
B.sell their products
C.advertise their products
D.wear their products

We can use Google Glass to do the following EXCEPT_____________.

A.check e-mails B.make a call
C.take video D.find your way

What problem may Google Glass bring to people?

A.Its screen is too small for people to surf the Internet.
B.It may cause traffic accidents if people use it while driving.
C.Users must use their hands to take photos.
D.It is difficult for many people to learn to use.

Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific. It is tiny and has only nine islands with a population of just 11,000. In 1999, it was the third- poorest country in the world. The islanders earned just $1,000 each year.
But then something unusual happened. Tuvalu received an internet domain (领土) name—the letters “tv”. These letters were very interesting for many companies around the world. A communication company from California offered to buy the domain name “tv” for $40 m. For the Tuvalans this was a very large amount of money. The islanders became very rich.
Because of global warming, and because the islands are only 3m above sea level, Tuvalu will probably become the first country in the world that will disappear under the sea.
You can already see signs of the rising sea on Tuvalu. Some beaches are disappearing and you can see tree roots by the ocean. Cyclones(旋风)used to be very rare but they now appear a few times a year, and the rains that come with the cyclones cause flooding. Despite these problems, the Tuvalans had their new money. They could use it to buy themselves a future. Or at least they could use it to buy some time. Paul Lindsay, a documentary film-maker, took these questions with him all the way to Tuvalu, and came back with an incredible (难于置信的)story. As the water rises, the Tuvalans are using the money to develop the land. They are building new houses, planning nightclubs, restaurants and hotels and new cars are driving around on new roads. The residents do not think this is strange: “Just because we are sinking, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to raise our standards of living.” Sam Teo, Tuvalu’s minister for natural resources told Lindsay.
Which of the following information about Tuvalu is WRONG?

A.It only has a population of 11,000 people.
B.The average income of the Tuvalans is $1000 in 1999.
C.Tuvalu is only 3m high above sea level.
D.The Tuvalans received $40 million when they sold the domain name.

The biggest problem for the Tuvalans is _________.

A.poverty B.global warming
C.The small population D.cyclones

Which of the following match the beginnings with the endings is correct?
①The Tuvalans became rich…
②By the end of the century…
③The Tuvalans are spending their money
④When the sea rises…
a.on roads, cars and new buildings
b.the sea will cover the islands completely.
c.the Tuvalans will have to leave their islands
d.when they sold their internet domain name.

A.①-d, ②-b, ③-a, ④-c B.①-c, ②-d, ③-b, ④-a
C.①-c, ②-b, ③-a, ④-d D.①-d, ②-c, ③-a, ④-b

Why did Paul Lindsay come to Tuvalu?

A.To make a documentary film to record the life of the Tuvalans.
B.To understand the living condition of the Tuvalans.
C.To know how the Tuvalans survive despite all of their problems.
D.To discover the reason for the Tuvalans not to improve their living standards.

Today tell you a series of information about how students in other countries can attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Two years ago we broadcast our Foreign Student Series. Since then we have got more requests for information about how to attend American schools. So we will offer new reports in our series with the most current information.
Each week, we will discuss a part of the process of becoming an international student in the United States. Each report will also appear on the Internet at www. Tingroom.com. Currently you can find the programs from the last time our series aired.
Foreign students who want to study in the United States have many questions. How do I find out about American colleges? How do I choose the right one for me? What tests must I take? What kinds of documents will I need? How much will it cost? We will answer these and other questions in our reports.
We will discuss the American system of higher education. We will tell about financial aid and rules about working in jobs while a student. We will discuss required tests and explain English language requirements. And we will tell where to find help in other countries.
Our reports will also describe a few of the three thousand colleges and universities in the United States. We will discuss programs of study as well as living situations at American schools. For students without the ability to come to the United States, we will tell how to take classes by computer. We will also examine how the threat of terrorism has changed some of the rules for study in the United States.
In researching our series, we talked not only to officials in education and government, but also to some foreign students. Most students say planning ahead helped make their educational experience successful. That is the purpose of this series—to help you plan.
We would like to hear from anyone who has a question about studying in the United States. We will try to answer as many questions as possible as part of our series in the coming weeks. Send your questions to special @ voanews.com.
The series of report probably comes from________.

A.TV B.Internet
C.radio D.newspaper

The report intends to ___________.

A.introduce education in America
B.help foreign students learn more about education in America
C.advertise for American colleges and universities
D.attract more foreign students to study in America

How many ways of getting the information about studying in America are mentioned?

A.1 B.2 C.3 D.4

The contents of the program include the following EXCEPT_________.

A.discussion about the educational system in America
B.description about some colleges and universities in America
C.help foreign students to plan
D.teach how to use computer

Have you visit the flowing famous museums? Many famous museums throughout the world can offer you good chances to admire art. Florida International University(FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see, but it does so without a building, or even a wall for its drawings and paintings.
FIU has opened the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. What you need is just a computer linked to a telephone. That’s enough.
You can call the telephone number of a University computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.
Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he started the museum because computer artists had no place to show their work.
A computer artist could only record his pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others to see on their computers. He could also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist will have to need a very expensive laser printer.
Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art or computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostak said the FIU museum will make computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.

The main purpose of this text is to give information about____________.

A.famous museums throughout the world
B.an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A
C.art exhibitions in Florida International University
D.the latest development in computer art in the USA

To see the art in FIU museum, which of the following should you have at first?

A.some records or floppy discs
B.a computer and a printer
C.your own pictures and drawings
D.a computer connected by telephone line

The museum was started when ___________.

A.FIU wanted to encourage computer scientists
B.Robert Shostak decided to help computer artists
C.art students needed a place to show their works
D.computer scientists wanted to do something about art

The words “an audience” in the last paragraph refers to ___________.

A.art students
B.computer owners
C.exhibits in the museum
D.those who will enjoy art

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