Crosstalk ,a traditional form of comic storytelling,is making a comeback in China's tea houses and theaters. Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin,entertained by the apprentices of Hou Baolin,Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan--all leading crosstalk artists of years past--for only 20 yuan($2.40). The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation of crosstalk in Beijing and other places. Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out.The city was well--known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances. Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(1iterally,"face and voice"),crosstalk was the predominant form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century.In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere,temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform,although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters. Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture,from history and folk tales to social issues of the time.Although there're hundreds of traditional pieces,they're constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well.It's one of the features that have made crosstalk a public art form throughout its history. "Crosstalk was in the doldrums with competition from other art forms,especially TV,"said Wang Xiaochun,headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)."But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans,especially young people,growing aware of its rare qualities." "More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk,including some girl students,"said Wang, "They're sure that crosstalk will have a strong market." We can learn that the future of crosstalk first lies in _ . A) setting up more storytelling art schools B) beating TV and other arts C) young people's awareness of its value D) a strong market
C
(Question)
Why read, and sometimes even write poetry? That question is not difficult to answer if we change the word poetry to songs. I sing when I feel good. When I sing my favorite songs, I feel even better. Sometimes when I am listening to music and to the song words, I feel that it was written for me. A good song always makes me feel something. There are songs that I sing in my head between classes and songs that I want to sing when the school bell rings by the end of the day. They help me get through the day. _ I like songs about love and friendship. The extraordinary thing is that my feelings are more special when I sing my favorite songs in English. I also like reading. I used to avoid poetry until an e-friend told me I should recite poems and not look up the meaning of the words. Poetry uses many difficult words and idioms, but the best thing is to just forget about them. In the beginning I felt quite strange. Now I always lock the door. Reading aloud gives you a strange feeling, but when you have some practice and fall into the rhythm, and the sounds of the words, it is really a special experience. I started with small poems, but now I think I most like long poems. I have different feelings with different poems. When I have had a bad day at school, I read Keats and forget everything. When I am sad I read Wordsworth by the light of a candle. When the poem is finished, I close the book and my sadness is gone. According to the writer, _ . A) people like poems the same way they enjoy songs B) poetry is the same form of art as songs C) people always feel the same while reading poems D) the meaning of words is the key to appreciating poetry
(Answer)
A
Ques: If I had known the following things when I was in high school, my life would have been 100% easier back then and probably would have helped me greatly. I realized some of these things I was told but being young and ignorant I refused to listen. 1.Your high school sweetheart will probably not be your spouse. When I was in school, I thought my boyfriend and I were the "one and only true love". Honestly as most young people do, statistically only like 2% of people end up marrying their high school sweethearts and even if they do they probably won't be as happy as they were in high school. Being an adult is very stressful and your relationships become different. 2. _ How many kids play sports per year? How many kids are good enough to get a scholarship by playing sports? How many of them even make it to the Olympics after college or university? The kids who actually stay at home and focus on getting good at computers or math are the ones who make the most in the adult world financially. 3. It doesn't matter what university you go to. I was convinced I was going to go to a great art school when I graduated and I was so stressed out about it that I ended up dropping out of school. In reality my life wasn't over; I only got my GED a year ago but I am in a decent school now. In the real world when you go to apply somewhere all they care about is "do you have a degree or a certification"? 4. Your friends probably won't be your friends after you graduate. I really thought I was going to get an apartment with my friends and our kids were going to grow up together. The truth is, when people grow up they move, have kids, get married, and therefore change. You will change; you will not be the same person you were. High school is just a transitional period of your life. So don't worry about who is saying what about you or who is making fun of whom. Which of the following statements is FALSE? A) The writer had never heard about the advice above in high school. B) In real world employers don't care so much about which school you graduated from. C) Relationships in high school won't have great effect on your later life. D) It's not easy to earn scholarships by playing sports for high school students.
Ans: A
Question: In ancient times the most important examinations were spoken, not written. In the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, testing usually was made up of saying poetry aloud and giving speeches. In the European universities of the Middle Ages, students who were working for advanced degrees had to discuss questions in their field of study with people who had made a special study of the subject. This custom exists today as part of the process of testing candidates for the doctor's degree. Generally, however, modem examinations are written. The written examination, where all students are tested on the same questions, was probably not known until the nineteenth century. Perhaps it came into existence with the great increase in population and the development of modem industry. A room full of candidates for a state examination timed exactly by electric clocks and carefully watched over by managers, looks like a group of workers at an automobile factory. Certainly, during examinations teachers and students are expected to act like machines. One type of test is sometimes called an "objective" test. It is intended to deal with facts, not personal opinions. To make up an objective test, the teacher writes a series of questions, each of which has only one correct answer. Along with each question the teacher writes the correct answer and also three statements that look like answers to students who have not learned the material properly. Modem industry must have developed _ . A) around the 19th century B) before the Middle Ages C) in Greece or Rome D) machines to take tests
Answer:
A