Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children's theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old "little theatres", as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community. In the 1880s, "little theatre'' was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old "little theatres", as mist simply want to infuse little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills. From the passage we know that community theatres can _ . A) help young people ,make more money B) prevent young people getting into trouble C) help young people enter the colleges D) encourage young people to become more responsible
B
(Question)
The use of lotteries to allocate school places is to be reviewed by the British government because more than 20 percent of children are failing to get into their first-choice schools in parts of the country. The struggle for secondary school places has reached record levels this year, increasing anxiety for hundreds of thousands of families. A report from 43 local authorities suggests that in many areas, up to a fifth of children face disappointment. Families in London are the hardest hit. This week is admissions week, when about 570,000 families will receive notice about their child's secondary school acceptance. As the recession forces more parents to consider a state education rather than a private one for their children, more than a third of local authorities have noted rises in the number of applications for secondary school places. This year, just 62 percent of children in Richmond-upon-Thames got into their parents' first-choice school, down from 64 percent last year. The council said this was caused by an increase in applications. In another London authority, Tower Hamlet, 71.1 percent of children were admitted to their parents' first choice school. In Leeds and Warwickshire, 85 percent were successful. In Derby the figure was 81 percent, while in Wiltshire, Stockport and Lincolnshire, the figure was 89 percent. In many authorities, the figures are similar to those of last year. Exceptions include Brighton and Hove, which introduced a lottery system to allocate oversubscribed places last year. This year, it has seen a 3.5 percent increase in the number of children obtaining their first choice, bringing the total to nearly 88 percent. However, more than 5 percent of children in this area have been allocated a place at a school that was not among any of their choices. Lotteries are being used at the government's suggestion by a small number of oversubscribed schools in around twenty-five local authorities. They were meant to prevent middle-class parents from abusing the system by buying or renting... The purpose of using lottery system is to _ . A) keep middle-class parents buying or renting homes close to the best schools. B) increase the number of children obtaining their first choice C) decrease the number of applications for some good schools D) create equality between children from different social classes
(Answer)
D
Ques: US universities are among the best in the world. Since World War II, American scientists --- mostly working in universties or colleges --- have won more than half of all Nobel Prizes in physics and medicine. Foreign students rush to the United States by the tens of thousands. Last year they earned more than one quarter of the doctoral degrees awarded in the country. Yet while American universities produce the great research and great graduate program, they sometimes pay little attention to the task that lies at their very core: the teaching of undergraduate students. With the increase in fees, educators feel obliged to improve undergraduate teaching. In speeches and interviews the nation's higher educators have rediscovered teaching. Robert Rosenzweig, president of the Association of American Universities, said, "Our organization was never very concerned about teaching. In the last 18 months, we have spent more time on undergraduate education than on any other subject." Despite such promising efforts, no one doubts that research still outranks teaching at some of the leading universities, not least because it is a surer and faster way to earn status. Some people don't think it has to be that way. They argue that the reward system for college faculty can be changed, so that professors will be encouraged to devote more time and effort to teaching. They say that they are beginning to believe that the first ten years of the 21st century may come to be remembered as the decade of the undergraduate. That would bring it full circle. For more than two centuries after the founding of Harvard College in 1636, the instruction of undergraduate students was an essential condition of American higher education. What would be the best title for the passage? A) University education in the US B) University education challenged C) Teaching and research in universities D) Undergraduate teaching rediscovered
Ans: D
Ques: (ALAUDDIN VALLEY) -- Russia's relationship with Tajikistan has _ following an incident involving a Russian pilot who was arrested -- after making an emergency landing in the Central Asian nation. Russia responded by beginning to drive out Tajik guest workers, a move that threatens Tajikistan's entire economy. In total, some 700,000 Tajik citizens work in Russia. In the past quarter, they sent home some $742 million in remittances . Overall, the money guest workers send back makes up half of the republic's government budget. The Alauddin Valley is in the Fann Mountains in eastern Tajikistan. The place long held an attraction for Russian writers and adventurers. Later, during the Soviet era, it was a popular tourist destination. Yet establishing a strong relationship with the people of the mountainous region is not easy. Men are seldom seen in the area. Nearly every family has at least one breadwinner working in Russia, if not more. The farm work falls to the women, who divide it up among themselves. Each summer, the village chooses the most experienced and skilled women to take all of the cows (up to 300 of them) to the summer pastures high up on in the mountains. The women spend four months there with their children since there is no one to leave the children with. They milk the cows and prepare products for the winter: cheese, butter and so on. These fermented goods get them through the winter when snow and avalanches cut off all contact with civilization. Residents here generally have two questions for visiting Russians. The first one is obvious: Is President Dmitri Medvedev going to limit the entry of Tajik guest workers? The second question is less obvious: Are there cows in Moscow? The Alauddin Valley's women truly can't imagine life without either. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A) There are more men than women in Tajikistan B) Women in the Alauddin Valley do half the farm work C) Tajikistan is perhaps not very rich D) In summer all women spend four months in the mountains
Ans:
C