Not being the greatest fan in the world of live performance, I took a deep breath before I en tered the building, the castle theatre, and prepared myself to be bored, expecting to find it more interesting to watch the audience than the show. Then I got the shock of my life. Wadaiko Inchiro are a group of ten young Japanese men and women using traditional drums with a history going back more than 1500 years. The drums were once used for festivals and religious ceremonies and also as a means of communication during wars. Today they give an ear-blasting performance which punches out rhythms with the power to wind you. They're a welcome relief from the Scottish pipers. Unlike other performances, the best seats are at the back of the house. Not only will your ears be protected from full blast, but you will get a fantastic view of the whole set. On stage are some of the biggest drums you will ever see and a cast wearing red, white and black headscarf. There had been almost no publicity for the show, but the house was full of people desperate, one could only assume, for something a bit different from the unrelenting performances appearing at this world-famous festival. The solid 60-minutes show starts as it means to go on. The drums rumble into fever-pitch action as the ten-strong company strike their sticks with startling control. Their rhythmic frenzy almost immediately drugs you into submission. Trapped inside the beating of the drums, you carried swiftly through warrior war cries to emotional rhapsodies . Not only is this display musically impressive, but the dance is strikingly beautiful. Moving between the enormity of the drums, the slight Japanese characters have complete synchronicity with the flying of their sticks, which they ceremonially cross and use to command. The biggest drum is played only by Inchiro, the leader of the group. When I ask why this is so, he refuses to admit that he is being precious about this monster of an instrument and says, "When someone else can play it as I do, I will happily... We can learn from the passage that _ . A) the drums have been linked with religion for a long time B) the show was more exciting at the beginning than at the end C) the drummers make controlled movements with their drums D) the best place to see the show is the seats nearest to the drummers
A
(Question)
Don't worry, be happy and, according to new research, you will also be healthy. It is estimated that over the course of one year, Americans suffer 1 billion colds. But new research shows that all it may take to avoid this common affliction is a positive and upbeat attitude. People who are energetic, happy and relaxed are less likely to catch a cold than those who are depressed, nervous or angry, finds a new study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Healthy volunteers first underwent an emotional assessment in which they were asked to rate their tendency to experience positive and negative emotions--how often they felt pleased, relaxed, happy, or anxious, depressed and hostile. The subjects were next given a squirt up the nose of a rhinovirus, the nasty little germ that causes colds. Researchers then watched the volunteers to see who came down with a cold and waited to see how the unlucky ill manifested their cold symptoms. "We found that people who regularly experience positive emotions, when exposed to rhinovirus, are ly protected from developing illness," said Dr. Sheldon Cohen, lead author of the study and a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University." Increases in positive emotional styles were linked with decreases in the rate of clinical colds, but a negative emotional style had no effect on whether or not people got sick," Cohen said. So how can your emotions influence your health? In simple terms, when the brain is "happy" it sends messages to our organs that help keep the body healthy and sound." It's like a drug that is released by your state of mind and simply changing the state of mind can produce effects on the rest of the body through the nervous system and hormones," said Dr. Neil Shulman, associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and author of Doc Hollywood. "Your chance of developing the common cold, pneumonia, or even cancer may very well be decreased by keeping your brain in a healthy state." In addition,... By saying " American suffer 1 billion colds." the writer means that _ A) America has a population of at least 1 billion. B) Americans tend to suffer colds because they live in cold areas. C) The cold is a very common illness in America D) Americans are always in a negative emotion.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Below are Top 10 Scholarly Stars in America in 2011. It's not always about fame and fortune for these celebs - education is a priority in their lives. Find out what scholarly stars have earned degrees and diplomas or are returning to the classroom as you head back to school. No. 10: James Franco James has attended FOUR prestigious universities in his life: UCLA, New York University, Columbia University and Yale University. We hear he's is so serious about school, he missed the Oscar nominations to attend class! No. 9: Natalie Portman Natalie Portman is so Ivy League: she graduated from Harvard University in 2003, thanks to her parents, who she says always made sure she put her studies before her acting. No. 8: Haley Joel Osment When students at NYU heard Haley Joel would be joining them as a freshman in 2006, they chalked the campus' sidewalks with his famous Sixth Sense movie line: "I see dead people." No. 7: Emma Watson Although Emma Watson put her education on hold to wrap up the Harry Potter film series, in July 2011 she announced that she was going back to school at Brown University to complete her degree. No. 6: Dakota and Elle Fanning Celeb sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are stars on screen and in class. Dakota was her high school's homecoming queen two years in a row while Elle, who still attends middle school, somehow manages to balance her acting career with math tests and gym class. No. 5: Mara Wilson Mara Wilson graduated from NYU in 2009. Mara, who played the adorable Nattie in Mrs. Doubtfire, eventually grew up and headed to New York to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts; she graduated in 2009. No. 4: Tyra Banks Tyra Banks is known for being a savvy businesswoman, but even the best could use some formal training. She enrolled in Harvard Business School in 2011 and even went so far as to live in a dorm with her fellow classmates! "We live in dorms," confirmed the TV star. "I have my own room but we share a kitchen, living room and study area. It's mandatory dorms. I freaked out. In the... From the above, we can come to the conclusion that _ . A) Spielberg received a formal film education before he turned director B) both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education C) Tyra Banks is sharing the same room with her classmates in Harvard D) Shakira and Haley Joel Osment are studying in university separately
Ans:
B