The Beijing Youth Daily on Thursday called attention to the struggles of traditional operas in China. The newspaper said the number of unique traditional Chinese opera styles had decreased to 286 from 368 in 1959, with three disappearing every two years on average. Altogether, 74 opera styles had only one troupe left, and most were at the risk of fading away. Xie Boliang, a professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, said, "It is well known that people should be held accountable for soil erosion, but why do we feel at ease when traditional operas fade away?" Overwhelmed by modern culture and entertainment such as movies, TV programs and pop music, traditional Chinese operas have been severely marginalized. Despite being included on the state-level Intangible Cultural Heritage list, some operas still have no place to perform. Because of the market slump and low salaries, more traditional Chinese opera practitioners are finding other work, as are many directors and playwrights. Sun Jiazheng, chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said traditional operas are important carriers of Chinese culture, and should be preserved. The State Council issued a circular in July calling for the promotion and protection of traditional Chinese operas, saying that it would allocate financial support and extend preferential policies to opera troupes and schools. The passage might come from _ . A) a science fiction B) a news website C) the introduction of an art gallery D) a brochure about operas
B
There was once a farmer who had a fine olive orchard. He was very hardworking, and the farm always prospered under his care. But he knew that his three sons despised the farm work, and were eager to make wealth, through adventure. When the farmer was old, and felt that his time had come to die, he called the three sons to him and said, "My sons, there is a pot of gold hidden in the olive orchard. Dig for it, if you wish it." The sons tried to get him to tell them in what part of the orchard the gold was hidden, but he would tell them nothing more. After the farmer was dead, the sons went to work to find the pot of gold. Since they did not know where the hiding-place was, they agreed to begin in a line, at one end of the orchard, and to dig until one of them should find the money. They dug until they had turned up the soil from one end of the orchard to the other, round the tree-roots and between them. But no pot of gold was to be found. It seemed as if someone must have stolen it, or as if the farmer had been wandering in his wits. The three sons were bitterly disappointed to have all their work for nothing. The next olive season, the olive trees in the orchard bore more fruit than they had ever given. When it was sold, it gave the sons a whole pot of gold. And when they saw how much money had come from the orchard, they suddenly understood what the wise father had meant when he said, "There is gold hidden in the orchard. Dig for it, if you wish it." Why didn't the sons find the pot of gold? A) There was no gold in the soil. B) The farmer cheated them. C) The gold was hidden in the olive trees. D) Someone had stolen the gold.
A
Q: Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning. Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bedandbreakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America's bedandbreakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bedandbreakfast inns have only a few rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do. Staying at a bedandbreakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone's home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationists say they enjoy the chance to meet local families. Staying at the bedandbreakfast inns, _ . A) the owners will show the travelers around the area B) the travelers don't have to pay for the telephone or television C) the travelers can meet and talk with the local people D) the travelers needn't pay anything
A: C
*Question*
Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first longspan bridge to carry motor traffic, and it quickly became the model for the great suspension bridges of the following century. Spanning New York's East River, it provided the first traffic artery between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn. Before that, the only transportation was by ferries, which were slow and could be dangerous in winter. The construction of a bridge over the EastRiver had been discussed since the early 19th century, but the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 _ all consideration of the project. When the war ended in 1865, the bridge became an important issue once more. In 1867, the New York State passed an act setting up the New York Bridge Company for the purpose of constructing a bridge between Manhattan Island and Brooklyn. John Augustus Roebling was chosen to design the bridge. Born in Germany in 1806, he held aggressive views as a student and was listed by the German police as a dangerous figure. He emigrated to America in 1830 to escape political discrimination. Roebling proposed a bridge with a span of 1,500 feet (465 m), with two towers in the East River serving as the main piers. The bridge that was actually built is longer--1,597 feet (486 m), the longest suspension bridge at that time. According to the passage, which of the following correctly describes John Augustus Roebling? A) He participated in the Civil War and was seriously wounded. B) He was the first person to propose the construction of the bridge. C) He was chosen to design the bridge because of his aggressive views. D) He moved to America because he was discriminated against in his home country.
**Answer**
D