【推荐1】In order to help customers find what they want quickly, it’s important to keep the thousands of titles in the Main Street Movies store organized properly. This section of the Employee Handbook will tell you how to organize videos.

Each Main street Movies store has three main sections:

.1.New Releases Wall.
.2.Film library.
.3.Video Games.
New Releases Wall. Almost 70 percent of movie rentals are new releases, and that is the first place where most customers go when they enter the store. The center section of shelves on this wall holds Hottest Hits. When new titles come into the store, place them on this wall in alphabetical order. The shelves beside Hottest Hits are called Recent Releases. The New Releases Wall, including the Hottest Hits and Recent Releases shelves, holds about 350 titles.

Film Library. The thousands of titles in the Film Library are organized into categories. The films within each category are displayed alphabetically. Here are the categories and their two-letter computer codes:

AC	Action	DR	Drama	HO	Horror
CH	Children	FA	Family	MU	Music
CO	Comedy	FL	Foreign Language	SC	SCIENCE Fiction

Foreign Language titles include films that were originally made in a foreign language and films with foreign language subtitles. A sticker on the back of each box tells which type of film it is.

Video Game. All the video games in Main street Movies are arranged in alphabetical order. Although video games represent only a small percentage of our inventory(库存), they are stolen more often than any other type of goods in our store. Therefore, video games are never displayed on the shelves. Shelves in the Video Game section hold cardboard with pictures and information about each game. When a customer wants to rent a particular game, you then find the game from the locked case behind the counter.

1. Whom do you think this passage is most probably addressed to?

A．The readers in the store.

B．The manager of the store.

C．The customers in the store.

D．The salespersons of the store.

2. In which order are the new movies moved in the store?

A．From Hottest Hits to Film Library to Recent Releases.

B．From Film Library to Hottest Hits to Recent Releases.

C．From Recent Releases to Film Library to Hottest Hits.

D．From Hottest Hits to Recent Releases to Film Library.

3. Why can’t video games be seen on the shelves?

A．Because they’ve been sold out.

B．Because they’re in the storehouse.

C．Because they’re in a locked case behind the counter.

D．Because they represent a small percentage of the inventory.

4. How can a customer find a film with foreign language subtitles?

A．Check the computer.

B．Look at the back of the box.

C．Check the center section.

D．Watch a few minutes of the film.

【推荐2】In any theatrical performance the actors are just a small part of the people needed.

Once the play has been decided by the director, the actors must be chosen. This is done by casting, a very skillful and important occupation. The actors will create a success or a failure out of a production. They have to be right for the part they will play, and also work well with the director.

Production planning is the next important step. The style of the play is confirmed (确定) and then a small model of the different rooms on stage (the sets) is created. It will be important that the sets can be taken down and rebuilt easily as the production may be moved to different theatres.

Detailed drawings of each set are produced and the Workshop, Paintshop and Props Department go to work. The Props Department is responsible for some of the stage furniture plus the extra items which the actor will need while they are on stage.

The Costume Designer decides how all the actors will be dressed. This includes shoes, hats, costumes, jewels. Costume makers have fittings with the actors to get the costume sizes right for the whole cast. Wigs (假发) and make-up are dealt with by another set of experts.

It is the Stage Planning team who schedule rehearsals (排练) and decisions made here will affect how the production is organized.

The Stage Department is responsible for making sure that everything at the theatre is in place and working properly. Before the play is performed, they will have a technical run of the performance in which the Lighting and Sound team work to create the right effects.

Few realize how many people are behind the scenes every time the curtain rises at the theatre!

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The course of a theatrical performance.

B．The course of choosing actors.

C．The importance of a director’s job.

D．The work behind the stage.

2. The actors of a play are decided after________.

A．the rehearsal	B．the production planning
C．the casting	D．the discussion of a play’s style

3. It is important that the sets can be taken down because________.

A．it will save much money

B．the sets will often be used in different theatres

C．the director wants to create the right effects

D．it will make the stage convenient for the actors to use

4. Which of the following shows the correct steps of a theatrical performance?
a. creating stage settings        b. finishing the casting
c. deciding a play        d. having rehearsals

A．b﹣a﹣d﹣c.	B．b﹣a﹣c﹣d.
C．c﹣b﹣a﹣d.	D．a﹣b﹣c﹣ d.

【推荐3】The spiders have long, scary legs. Some spiders even bite. But Spider-Man is another story. He might help people see spiders less negatively, a new study finds.

After Menachem Ben-Ezra, a proud fan of the Marvel films and also a psychologist, saw the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp(黄蜂), he walked out with a sudden scientific idea that he should measure people before they went into the theater, and afterwards to see if the fear of ants would be reduced or changed.

Ben-Ezra and his colleagues asked 424 people questions, about one-quarter of them about spiders, such as “Did you find them scary?” “Did seeing one make your hearts race and palms sweat?” A second group received similar questions, this time about ants. The last two groups got the same questions about other insects. Afterward, everyone watched videos. Group one got a Spider-Man movie. Group two saw Ant-Man and the Wasp. Groups three and four watched unrelated video---wheat waving peacefully in the breeze.

After viewing the movie, Ben-Ezra again asked the participants how they felt about spiders, ants or other insects in general---and found the ant and spider exposures seemed to make people insensitive and less afraid. Between 3.5 and 6.1 percent of people experience such a phobia(恐惧症) of spiders. Phobias can stop people from traveling, working and enjoying their lives.

Ben-Ezra hopes that their movie research might help people with phobias. But they caution that people with phobias shouldn’t just run out and watch movies and expect their fear to go away. “What we did is only the first step in a very long road,” Ben-Ezra says. “We didn’t say you’ll be cured. We don’t have evidence for that.” But eventually, presenting people’s fears in a positive context---such as a superhero movie---might help people surmount their fear or disgust. After all, if spiders produce Spider-Man, maybe they’re not so bad.

1. What method did Ben-Ezra use in his study?

A．By giving examples.	B．By asking questions.
C．By analyzing causes.	D．By making assumptions.

2. What does the underlined word “surmount” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Overcome.

B．Subscribe.

C．Intervene.

D．Estimate.

3. What did Ben-Ezra advise people to do with phobias?

A．They should travel, work and enjoy their lives.

B．They should keep their phobias of insects a secret.

C．They should adopt a positive attitude to their fear.

D．They should watch more super-hero Marvel movies.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．The Insect Phobia Cured with Wasp.	B．The Positive Energy of Superheroes.
C．Spider-Man’s Spider Fear.	D．Fighting Spider Fear with Spider-Man.

【推荐1】Does stress cause gray hairs? Many people believe that stress can cause your hair to lose its color. In fact, it is an old wife’s tale that being upset all the time can result in hair graying early. Here is a closer look at this situation and why some believe that this old wife’s tale could be true.

As one ages, the hairs on the head also age. In fact, just about everything on the human body begins to show signs of wear after a while. Hairs on the head grow and finally die. They are replaced, but in the process something else happens when old hairs are replaced by new hairs. The color of pigment is also added to them. However, as one ages, this pigment becomes less and less available. At first, hairs will have a limited amount of pigment and they will appear to be gray in color. In time, they will lose all of their pigment and will be white.

Many things are known to cause graying, and genetics is a very powerful factor. If one of your parents turns gray at an early age, there is a good chance that you will too. Some people begin the graying process in high school, while others may be over the age of forty.

If you are whites, you will probably notice graying in your mid-thirties. Blacks may be well into their forties. This is not always true, but it is common practice.

Constant worry and stress can have many bad effects on the human body. It is a known fact that stressful times can cause one to suffer hair loss. It would make sense that if stress can cause these problems, perhaps it also may lead to graying. However, there is no sound evidence to support this. On the other hand, many doctors believe that there may be a link between graying and constant state of anxiety or stress.

1. As one ages, his hairs will become white because _________.

A．stress can cause the hair to lose its color

B．his hair will die and be replaced by new hair

C．the color will be added to the new hair

D．his hair will lose all of the pigment

2. Which of the following is TRUE about hair graying according to the passage?

A．Genetics is the only known cause of hair graying.

B．Stress is the main cause of hair graying for high school students.

C．Generally speaking, whites’ hairs become gray earlier than blacks.

D．Hair graying actually has nothing to do with your anxiety or stress.

3. There is sound evidence to support that __________.

A．worry and stress lead to hair graying

B．worry and stress do harm to your body

C．the old wife’s tale is true

D．graying is not linked with stress at all

4. What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us an old wife’s tale.

B．To tell us stress is harmful to our bodies.

C．To tell us stress may not cause gray hairs.

D．To tell us genetics is a powerful factor.

【推荐2】When asked to point out one or two things that are the most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars.

A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don’t want, an end to the relationship.

The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you’re wrong — even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view. And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: consider the friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture (培养).

1. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Easy Ways to Make Friends	B．Ups and Downs is Friendship
C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship	D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends

2. “Wronged person” underlined in the text refers to a person ________.

A．who has been mistaken for another

B．who has been blamed unfairly

C．who has treated friends badly

D．who has admitted his mistakes

3. What should we do if we follow the author's second suggestion?

A．Stick to our own point of view.

B．Avoid making mistakes.

C．Make an apology first.

D．Change our lifestyles.

【推荐3】Susan was a shy girl. She always had a hard time talking with new people. But when she grew up. she became a reporter. This job is usually for a person who likes to talk in front of people. But Susan thought that her shyness made her a better reporter. "Being shy makes me more believable people feel more comfortable around me. "she said.

It is reported that almost 50% of the people say that they are shy. Some people are not shy when they are with their friends. But when they are in a new place, they become quiet and shy.

Why are some people shy? Scientists did a study on two-month-old babies. They found that one of every five babies was very active. These active babies liked to make noise. And one of every five babies was always quiet. These quiet babies might be shy when they grew up.

Family also affects shyness. For example, children are more likely to be shy if their family always tell them that they are wrong. Studies show that if parents have fewer friends and fewer family activities. their children usually become shy.

In fact, shy people are often good at listening. They are good friends because they listen more than they talk. This can also make them successful.

1. What did Susan become when she grew up?

A．A nurse	B．A reporter.
C．A writer	D．A singer.

2. It is reported that almost ___________of the people say that they are shy.

A．30%	B．40%
C．50%	D．60%

3. What kind of baby might be shy when they grow up?

A．Naughty babies.	B．Active babies.
C．Noisy babies.	D．Quiet babies

4. What's the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．Family also affects shyness.	B．Shy people talk less.
C．Shyness can be an advantage.	D．Babies are usually quiet.

5. Shy people are often good at____________.

A．Talking	B．singing
C．listening	D．working