1 . A night at the movies is always a good idea. But when you leave the theater and realize you just dropped $45 on a ticket and some snacks, you’ll wish you had been patient enough to wait until the movie came out on Netflix. The average movie ticket price in the United States in 2000 was $5.39; now, a ticket is over $9.

The main reason that movie tickets have gotten so expensive is because of inflation (通货膨胀). It was actually more expensive to go to the movies in the 70s than it is now. A ticket in 1978 cost $2.34. If you plug that into an inflation calculator, the same ticket would cost you $9.46 today. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, the average cost for a ticket today is $9.11.

Another reason you need to spend some of your life savings to see a movie on the big screen is that theaters are competing with streaming services that produce their own films, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. And let’s be honest, sitting at home on your sofa or in your bed is more comfortable than sitting in a cold theater.

Because of streaming technology, theaters have to do something to bring in customers. Attractions—including alcohol, reclining seats (躺椅), surround sound, and 3-D movies are all examples of that. And those upgrades come at a price, leading to more expensive tickets.

“There’s all that extra cost, and it’s really important for theater owners and companies to make that experience as enjoyable as possible,” Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theatre Owners told Marketplace. “Because you’re offering a superb experience—audience expectations are for the latest and greatest technology. Audiences are willing to pay more for a particular experience.”

1. According to the passage, what makes movie tickets so expensive?

A．The viewers are wealthier than before.

B．The movie theatres offer popcorns, alcohol for free.

C．Inflation has made the ticket price appear higher than before.

D．The popular movies with famous stars deserve the high price.

2. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Netflix is always a better choice for movie viewers than theatres

B．with comfortable seats, theatres are more attractive than streaming services

C．the viewers actually pay more for the updates of the movie theatres

D．the theater owners and companies update the theaters to make the theatres famous

3. Which of the following would Patrick Corcoran most probably agree with?

A．It’s unwise for viewers to pay so much to watch a movie in the theater.

B．The high price of a movie ticket is supposed to agree with a wonderful experience.

C．It’s a waste of money to provide the latest technology in the theatre.

D．The viewers would prefer to sit at home on the sofas or in the beds.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Behind the Increasing Price of Movie Tickets

B．Technological Improvement on Movie Theatres

C．The Competition between Movie Theatre and Streaming Services

D．How to Save the Viewers’ Wallets

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

It's time to reconsider food. Around the globe, food problems threaten wildlife, wild places and the planet itself. Today, 7. 3 billion people consume 1. 6 times     1     the earth's natural resources can supply. By 2050, the world's population     2       (reach) 9 billion and the demand for food will double.

So how do we produce more food for more people without     3     (expand) the land and water already in use? We can't double the amount of food.       4     (fortunate), we don't have to—we just have to double the amount of food available now instead.       5     short, we must freeze the footprint of food.

In the near- term, food production is enough to provide for all, but it doesn't reach everyone who needs it. About 1. 3 billion tons of food     6     (waste) each year—four times the amount     7     (need) to feed the more than 800 million people who are     8     (hunger) .

By improving efficiency and productivity while reducing waste and shifting consumption     9     (pattern), we can produce enough food for everyone by 2050 on roughly     10     same amount of land we use now.