15000 bài tập tách từ đề thi thử môn Tiếng Anh có đáp án (Phần 72)
76 câu hỏi
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Today’s cars are smaller, safer, cleaner, and more economical than their predecessors, but the car of the future will be far more pollution-free than those on the road today. Several new types of automobile engines have already been developed than run on alternative sources of power, such as electricity, compressed natural gas, methanol, steam, hydrogen, and propane. Electricity, however, is the only zero-emission option presently available.
Although electric vehicles will not be truly practical until a powerful, compact battery or other dependable source of current is available, transport experts foresee a new assortment of electric vehicles entering everyday life: shorter-range commuter electric cars, three-wheeled neighborhood cars, electric delivery vans, bikes and trolleys.
As automakers work to develop practical electrical vehicles, urban planners and utility engineers are focusing on infrastructure systems to support and make the best use of the new cars. Public charging facilities will need to be as common as today’s gas stations. Public parking spots on the street or in commercial lots will need to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to charge their batteries while they stop, dine, or attend a concert. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the most convenient parking in transportation centers might be reserved for electric cars.
Planners foresee electric shuttle buses, trains, buses and neighborhood vehicles all meeting at transit centers that would have facilities for charging and renting. Commuters will be able to rent a variety of electric cars to suit their needs: light trucks, one-person three-wheelers, small cars, or electric/gasoline hybrid cars for longer trips, which will no doubt take place on automated freeways capable of handling five times the number of vehicles that can be carried by freeway today.
The following electrical vehicles are all mentioned in the passage EXCEPT ________ .
vans
trains
planes
trolleys
The author’s purpose in the passage is to ________ .
criticize conventional vehicles
support the invention of electric cars
narrate a story about alternative energy vehicles
describe the possibilities for transportation in the future
The passage would most likely be followed by details about _______.
automated freeways
pollution restrictions in the future
the neighborhood of the future
electric shuttle buses
The word “compact” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ________ .
long-range
inexpensive
concentrated
squared
In the second paragraph, the author implies that _______ .
a dependable source of electric energy will eventually be developed.
everyday life will stay much the same in the future.
a single electric vehicle will eventually replace several modes of transportation.
electric vehicles are not practical for the future.
According to the passage, public parking lots of the future will be ________ .
more convenient than they are today
equipped with charging devices
much larger than they are today
as common as today’s gas stations
The word “foresee” in this passage could best be replaced with ________ .
count on
invent
imagine
rely on
The word “commuters” in paragraph 4 refers to ________
daily travelers
visitors
cab drivers
shoppers
Read the follwing passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
The rules of etiquette in American restaurants depend upon a number of factors the physical location of the restaurant, eg., rural or urban; the type of restaurant, eg., informal or formal; and certain standards that are more universal. In other words, some standards of etiquette vary significantly while other standards apply almost anywhere. Learning the proper etiquette in a particular type of restaurant in a particular area may sometimes require instruction, but more commonly it simply requires sensitivity and experience. For example, while it is acceptable to read a magazine in a coffee shop, it is inappropriate to do the same in a more luxurious setting. And, if you are eating in a very rustic setting it may be fine to tuck your napkin into your shirt, but if you are in a sophisticated urban restaurant this behavior would demonstrate a lack of manners. It is safe to say, however, that in virtually every restaurant it is unacceptable to indiscriminately throw your food on the floor. The conclusion we can most likely draw from the above is that while the types and locations of restaurant determine etiquette appropriate to them, some rules apply to all restaurant.
With what topic is this passage primarily concerned?
Rules of etiquette.
Instruction in proper etiquette.
The importance of good manners.
Variable and universal standards of etiquette.
According to the passage, which of the following is a universal rule of etiquette?
Tucking a napkin in your shirt.
Not throwing food on the floor.
Reading a magazine while eating.
Eating in rustic settings.
What does the word “it” in line 5 refer to?
learning the proper etiquette
clear instruction
knowing the type of restaurant
sensitivity
Which of the following words is most similar to the meaning of “rustic” in line 7?
agricultural
ancient
unsophisticated
urban
The word “manners” in line 9 could best be replaced by which of the following?
experience
character
ceremony
tact
The author uses the word “draw” in line 10 to mean ________.
pick out
drag away
evoke
infer
What is the author’s main purpose in this passage?
To assist people in learning sophisticated manners
To describe variations in restaurant manners
To simplify rules of restaurant etiquette
To compare sophisticated and rustic restaurants
Read the follwing passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Niagara Falls, one of the most famous North American natural wonders, has long been a popular tourist destination. Tourists today flock to see the two falls that actually constitute Niagara Falls: the 173-foot-high Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of the Niagara River in the Canadian province of Ontario and 182-foot-high American Falls on the U.S. side of the river in the state of New York. Approximately 85 percent of the water that goes over the falls actually goes over Horseshoe Falls, with the rest going over American Falls.
Most visitors come between April and October, and it is quite a popular activity to take a steamer out onto the river and right up to the base of the falls for a close-up view. It is also possible to get a spectacular view of the falls from the strategic locations along the Niagara River, such as Prospect Point of Table Rock, or from one of the four observation towers which have heights up to 500 feet.
Tourists have been visiting Niagara Falls in large numbers since the 1800’s; annual visitation now averages above 10 million visitors per year. Because of concern that all these tourists would inadvertently destroy the natural beauty of this scenic wonder, the State of New York in 1885 created Niagara Falls Park in order to protect the land surrounding American Falls. A year later Canda created Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side of the Niagara, around Horseshoe Falls. With the area surrounding the falls under the jurisdiction of government agencies, appropriate steps could be taken to preserve the pristine beauty of the area.
What is the major point that the author is making in this passage?
Niagara Falls can be viewed from either the American side or the Canadian side.
A trip to the United States isn’t complete without a visit to Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls has had an interesting history.
It has been necessary to protect Niagara Falls from the many tourtists who go there.
The word “flock” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by ________.
come by plane
come in large number
come out of boredom
come without knowing what they will see
According to the passage, which of the following best describes Niagara Falls?
Niagara Falls consists of two rivers, one Canadian and the other American.
American Falls is considerably higher than Horseshoe Falls.
The Niagara River has two falls, one in Canada and one in The United States.
Although the Niagara River flows through the United States and Canada, the falls are only in the United States.
A “steamer” in paragraph 2 is probably ________.
a bus
a boat
a walkway
a park
The expression “right up” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ________.
turn to the right
follow correct procedures
travel upstream
all the way up
The passage implies that tourists prefer to ________.
visit Niagara Falls during warmer weather
see the falls from a great distance
take a ride over the falls
come to Niagara Falls for a winter vacation.
According to the passage, why was Niagara Falls created?
To encourage tourists to visit Niagara Falls
To show off the natural beauty of Niagara Falls
To protect the area around Niagara Falls
To force Canda to open Queen Victoria Park
The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses ________.
additional ways to observe the falls
steps taken by government agencies to protect the falls
a detailed description of the division of the falls between the United States and Canada
further problems that are destroying the area around the falls
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Very few people in the modern world obtain their food supply by hunting and gathering in the natural environment surrounding their homes. This method of harvesting from nature's provision is the oldest known subsistence strategy and has been practised for at least the last two million years. It was, indeed, the only way to obtain food until rudimentary farming and the domestication of wild animals were introduced about 10,000 years ago.
Because hunter-gatherers have fared poorly in comparison with their agricultural cousins, their numbers have dwindled, and they have been forced to live in marginal environments, such as deserts and arctic wastelands. In higher latitudes, the shorter growing seasons have restricted the availability of plant life. Such conditions have caused a greater dependence on hunting, and on fishing along the coasts and waterways. The abundance of vegetation in the lower latitudes of the tropics, on the other hand, has provided a greater opportunity for gathering a variety of plants. In short, the environmental differences have restricted the diet and have limited possibilities for the development of subsistence societies.
Contemporary hunter-gatherers may help us understand our prehistoric ancestors. We know from the observation of modern hunter-gatherers in both Africa and Alaska that a society based on hunting and gathering must be very mobile. While the entire community camps in a central location, a smaller party harvests the food within a reasonable distance from the camp. When the food in the area has become exhausted, the community moves on to exploit another site. We also notice seasonal migration patterns evolving for most hunter-gatherers, along with a strict division of labor between the sexes. These patterns of behavior may be similar to those practised by mankind during the Paleolithic Period.
The word “domestication” in the first paragraph mostly means ________.
adapting animals to suit a new working environment
hatching and raising new species of wild animals in the home
teaching animals to do a particular job or activity in the home
making wild animals used to living with and working for humans
According to the passage, subsistence societies depend mainly on ________.
hunter-gatherers’ tools
nature’s provision
farming methods
agricultural products
In the lower latitudes of the tropics, hunter-gatherers ________.
can free themselves from hunting
have better food gathering from nature
live along the coasts and waterways for fishing
harvest shorter seasonal crops.
A typical feature of both modern and prehistoric hunter-gatherers is that ________.
they live in the forests for all their life
they don’t have a healthy and balanced diet
they don’t have a strong sense of community
they often change their living places
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned?
Harvesting from the natural environment had existed long before farming was taken up.
The environmental differences produce no effect on subsistence societies.
The number of hunter-gatherers decreases where farming is convenient.
Hunting or fishing develops where there are no or short growing seasons.
According to the author, most contemporary and prehistoric hunter-gatherers share ________.
some methods of production
some patterns of behavior
some restricted daily rules
only the way of duty division
Which of the following would serve as the best title of the passage?
Hunter-gatherers and Subsistence Societies
Evolution of Humans’ Farming Methods
A Brief History of Subsistence Farming
Hunter-gatherers: Always on the Move
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road. Some of these are made on public transport but most are by private car.
In Britain many people rely on their cars for daily local activities, e.g. getting to work, doing the shopping, and visiting friends. People living in urban areas may use buses, trains or, in London, the Underground, to get to city centres, mainly because traffic is often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car. Some places in the country may have a bus only two or three times a week so people living there have no choice but to rely on their cars.
In the US large cities have good public transportation systems. The El railroad in Chicago and the underground systems of New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, DC are heavily used. Elsewhere, most Americans prefer to use their cars. Families often have two cars and, outside major cities, have to drive fairly long distances to schools, offices, shops, banks, etc. Many college and even high-school students have their own cars.
Long-distance travel in Britain is also mainly by road, though railways link most towns and cities. Most places are linked by motorways or other fast roads and many people prefer to drive at their own convenience rather than use a train, even though they may get stuck in a traffic jam. Long-distance coach/bus services are usually a cheaper alternative to trains, but they take longer and may be less comfortable. Some long-distance travel, especially that undertaken for business reasons, may be by air. There are regular flights between regional airports, as well as to and from London. A lot of freight is also distributed by road, though heavier items and raw materials often go by rail.
In the US much long-distance travel is by air. America has two main long-distance bus companies, Greyhound and Trailways. Amtrak, the national network, provides rail services for passengers. Private railway companies such as Union Pacific now carry only freight, though in fact over 70% of freight goes by road.
The main problems associated with road transport in both Britain and the US are traffic congestion and pollution. It is predicted that the number of cars on British roads will increase by a third within a few years, making both these problems worse. The British government would like more people to use public transport, but so far they have had little success in persuading people to give up their cars or to share rides with neighbours. Most people say that public transport is simply not good enough. Americans too have resisted government requests to share cars because it is less convenient and restricts their freedom. Petrol/gasoline is relatively cheap in the US and outside the major cities public transport is bad, so they see no reason to use their cars less.
(Extracted from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Oxford University Press, 2000)
In Britain and the US most people travel by ________.
sea
rail
road
air
According to the passage, people in London may prefer the Underground to their own cars due to ________.
cheap tickets
air pollution
long distances
heavy traffic
It is mentioned in paragraph 3 that the public transportation systems in the US are good in ________.
some states
all cities
large states
large cities
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
Few college students in the US have their own cars.
Families in the US often have more than one car.
Most Americans prefer to drive their cars outside large cities.
The underground systems are popular in some major US cities.
The phrase “at their own convenience” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ________.
at the latest time and nearest place
at an appropriate time and place
at an early time and nearby place
at the fastest time and nearest place
According to the information in paragraph 3, long-distance travellers in the US can choose ________ mode(s) of transport.
one
two
three
four
It is stated in the passage that the major problems of road transport in Britain and the US are ________.
speeding and bad roads
accidents and pollution
traffic jams and pollution
drink-driving and traffic jams.
The word “they” in the last sentence of the passage can best be replaced by ________.
the government
major cities
Americans
neighbours
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
It's often said that we learn things at the wrong time. University students frequently do the minimum of work because they‘re crazy about a good social life instead. Children often scream before their piano practice because it‘s so boring. They have to be given gold stars and medals to be persuaded to swim, or have to be bribed to take exams. But the story is different when you're older.
Over the years, I‘ve done my share of adult learning. At 30, I went to a college and did courses in History and English. It was an amazing experience. For starters, I was paying. so there was no reason to be late – I was the one frowning and drumming my fingers if the tutor was late, not the other way round. Indeed, if I could persuade him to linger for an extra five minutes. It was a bonus, not a nuisance. I wasn‘t frightened to ask questions, and homework was a pleasure not a pain. When I passed an exam, I had passed it for me and me alone, not for my parents or my teachers. The satisfaction I got was entirely personal.
Some people fear going back to school because they worry that their brains have got rusty. But the joy is that. although some pans have rusted up, your brain has learnt all kinds of other things since you were young. It has learnt to think independently and flexibly and is much better at relating one thing to another. What you lose in the rust department, you gain in the maturity department.
In some ways, age is a positive plus. For instance. when you’re older, you get less frustrated. Experience has told you that, if you‘re calm and simply do something carefully again and again, eventually you'll get the hang of it. The confidence you have in other areas – from being able to drive a car, perhaps – means that if you can't, say, build a chair instantly, you don‘t, like a child, want to destroy your first pathetic attempts. Maturity tells you that you will, with application, eventually get there.
I hated piano lessons at school, but I was good at music. And coming back to it, with a teacher who could explain why certain exercises were useful and with musical concepts that, at the age of ten, I could never grasp, was magical. Initially, I did feel a bit strange, thumping out a piece that I‘d played for my school exams, with just as little comprehension of what the composer intended as I‘d had all those years before. But soon. complex emotions that I never knew poured out from my fingers, and suddenly I could understand why practice makes perfect.
It is implied in paragraph 1 that________.
young learners are usually lazy in their class
teachers should give young learners less homework
young learners often lack a good motivation for learning
parents should encourage young learners to study more
The writer's main point in paragraph 2 is to show that as people grow up, ________
they cannot learn as well as younger learners
they have a more positive attitude towards learning
they tend to learn less as they are discouraged
they get more impatient With their teachers
While doing some adult learning courses at a college, the writer was surprised ________.
to have more time to learn
o be able to learn more quickly
to feel learning more enjoyable
to get on better With the tutor
In paragraph 3. the word “rusty" means ________.
not as good as it used to be through lack of practice
impatient because of having nothing to do
covered with rust and not as good as it used to be
staying alive and becoming more active
The phrase “get there" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “________ "
have the things you have long desired
achieve your aim with hard work
arrive at an intended place with difficulty
receive a school or college degree
All of the following are true about adult learning EXCEPT ________.
experience in doing other things can help one's learning
young people usually feel less patient than adults
adults think more independently and flexibly than young people
adult learners have fewer advantages than young learners
It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that maturity is a positive plus in the learning process because adult learners________.
pay more attention to detail than younger learners
have become more patient than younger learners
are less worried about learning than younger learners
are able to organize themselves better than younger learners
It is implied in the last paragraph that when you learn later in life, you ________.
should expect to take longer to learn than when you were younger
find that you can recall a lot of things you learnt when younger
can sometimes understand more than when you were younger
are not able to concentrate as well as when you were younger
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Scientists have developed a new bionic computer chip that can be mated with human cells to combat disease. The tiny device, smaller and thinner than a strand of hair, combines a healthy human cell with an electronic circuitry chip. Doctors can control the activity of the cell by controlling the chip with a computer.
It has long been established that cell members become permeable when exposed to electrical impulses. Researchers have conducted genetic research for years with a trial-and-error process of bombarding cells with electricity in an attempt to introduce foreign substances such as new drug treatments or genetic material. They were unable to apply a particular level of voltage for a particular purpose. With the new invention, the computer sends electrical impulses to the chip, which triggers the physicians to open a cell‘s pores with control.
Researchers hope that eventually they will be able to develop more advanced chips whereby they can choose a particular voltage to activate particular tissues, whether they be muscle, bone, brain, or others. They believe that they will be able to implant multiple chips into a person to deal with one problem or more than one problem.
The word “strand" in the second sentence is closest in meaning to ________.
chip
type
color
thread
The author implies that scientists are excited about the new technology because ________.
it is possible to kill cancer with a single jolt.
It is less expensive than current techniques.
It allows them to be able to shock cells for the first time.
it is more precise than previous techniques
The word “eventually" in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
in the future
especially
possibly
finally
The author implies that up to now. the point of applying electric impulse to cells was to ________.
open their walls to introduce medication
kill them
combine cells
stop growth
The author states that scientists previously were aware that ________.
electric impulses could affect cells
electric charges could harm a person
cells interact with each other through electrical charges
they could control cells with a separate compute
The word they in the first sentences of the third paragraph refers to________.
chips
tissues
voltages
researchers
The author indicates that it is expected doctors will be able to ________.
place more than one chip in a single person
place one large chip in a person to control multiple problems
place a chip directly inside a cell
place a chip inside a strand of hair
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the question
Foot racing is a popular activity in the US. It is seen not only as a competitive sport but also as a way to exercise, to enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded people, and to donate money to a good cause. Though serious runners may spend months training to compete, other runners and walkers might not train at all. Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time or simply to enjoy the fun and excrcise. People of all ages, from those of less than one year (who may be pushed in astrollers) to those in their eighties, enter into this sport. The races are held on city streets, on college campuses, through parks, and in suburban areas, and they are commonly 5 to 10 kilometers in length.
The largest footrace in the world is the 12-kilometer Bay to Breakers race that is held in San Francisco every spring. This race begins on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the west side at the Pacific Ocean. There may be 80.000 or more people running in this race through the streets and hills of San Francisco. In the front are the serious runners who compete to win and who might finish in as little as 35 minutes. Behind them are the thousands who take several hours to finish. In the back of the race are those who dress in costumes and come just for fun. One year there was a group of men who dressed like Elvis Presley, and another group consisted of firefighters who were tied together in a long line and who were carrying a fire hose. There was even a bridal party, in which the bride was dressed in a long white gown and the groom wore a tuxedo. The bride and groom threw flowers to bystanders, and they were actually married at some point along the route.
The main purpose of this passage is to ________.
encourage people to exercise
describe a popular activity
make fun of runners in costume
give reasons for the popularity of foot races
Which of following is NOT implied by author?
Foot races appeal to a variety of people.
Walkers can compete for prizes.
Entering a race is a way to give support to an organization.
Running is a good way to strengthen the heart.
The word “beat” as used in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by which of the following?
incline
overturn
outdo
undermine
In what lines does the author give reasons for why people enter footraces?
Line 1-2
Line 4-5
Line 8-11
Line 13-14
The word “costumes” as used in paragraph 2 most likely refers to ________.
outfits
uniforms
cloaks
suits
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this passage?
Some runners looked like Elvis Presley
Some runners were ready to put out a fire.
Some runners were participating in a wedding
Some runners were serious abot winning
Which of following best describes the organization of this passage?
chronological order
specific to general
cause and result
statement and example
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the question
Overpopulation, the situatuon of having large numbers of people with too few reources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can result from high population density, or from low amounts of resources, or from both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a certain number of people can be supported on a given area of land, and that number depends on how much food and other resources the land can provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming, gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even large areas of land can support only small numbers of people because these labor-intensive subsistence activities produce only small amounts of food.
In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and the countries of Western Europe, overpopulation generally is not considered a major caus of poverty. These countries produce large quantities of food through mechanized farming, which depends on commercial fertilizers, large-scale irrigation, and agricultural machinery. This form of production provides enough food to support the high densities of people in metropolitan areas.
A country’s level of poverty can depend greatly on its mix of population density and agricultural productivity. Bangladesh, for example, has one of the world’s highest population densities, with 1, 147 persons per sq km. A large majority of the people of Bangladesh engage in low – productivity manual farming, which contributes to the country’s extremely high level of poverty. Some of the smalleer countries in Western Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, have high population densities as well. These countries practice mechanized farming and are involved in high-tech industries, however, and there fore have high standards of living.
At the other end of the spectrum, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have population densities of less than 30 persons per sq km. Many people in these countries practice manual subsistence farming; these countries also have infertile land, and lack the economic resources and technology to boost productivity. As a consequence, these nations are very poor. The United States has both relatively low population density and high agricultural productivity; it is one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
High birth rates contribute to overpopulation in many developing countries. Children are assets to many poor families because they provide labor, usually for farming. Cultural norms in traditionally rural societies commonly sanction the value of large families. Also, the governments of developing countries often provide little or no support, financial or political, for family planning; even people who wish to keep their families small have difficulty doing so. For all these reasons, developing countries tend to have high rates of population growth.
(From “Poverty” by Thomas J. Corbett)
Which of the following is given a definition in paragraoh 1?
Overpopulation
Population density
Simple farming
Poverty
What will suffer when there are excessively high population densities?
Available resources
skilled labor
Farming methods
Land area
The phrase “that number” in paragraph 1 refers to the number of ________.
people
densities
resources
countries
In certain countries, large areas of land can only yield small amounts of food because ________.
there is lack of mechanization
there are small numbers of laborers
there is an abundance of resources
there is no shortage of skilled labor
Bangladesh is a country where the level of poverty depends greatly on ________.
its population density only
both population density and agricultural productivity
population density in metropolitan areas
its high agricultural productivity
The phrase “engage in” in paragraph 3 is losest in meaning to ________.
escape from
look into
give up
participate in
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
In certain developed countries, mechanized farming is applied.
In sub-Saharan African countris, productivity is boosted by technology.
There is no connection between a country’s culture and overpopulation.
All small countries in Western Europe have high population densities.
Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
High Birth Rate and its Consequences.
Overpopulation: A Cause of Poverty.
Overpopulation: A Worldwide Problem
Poverty in Developing Countries.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions
At 7pm on a dark, cold November evening, thousands of people are making their way across a vast car park. They’re not here to see a film, or the ballet, or even the circus. They are all here for what is, bizarrely, a global phenomenon: they are here to see Holiday on Ice. Given that most people don’t seem to be acquainted with anyone who’s ever been, the show’s statistics are extraordinary: nearly 300 million people have seen Holiday on Ice since it began in 1943; it is the most popular live entertainment in the world.
But what does the production involve? And why are so many people prepared to spend their lives travelling round Europe in caravans in order to appear in it? It can't be glamorous, and it's undoubtedly hard work. The backstage atmosphere is an odd mix of gym class and workplace. A curtained-off section at the back of the arena is laughably referred to as the girls' dressing room, but is more accurately described as a corridor, with beige, cracked walls and cheap temporary tables set up along the length of it. Each girl has a small area littered with pots of orange make-up, tubes of mascara and long false eyelashes.
As a place to work, it must rank pretty low down the scale: the area round the ice-rink is grey and mucky with rows of dirty blue and brown plastic seating and red carpet tiles. It's an unimpressive picture, but the show itself is an unquestionably vast, polished global enterprise: the lights come from a firm in Texas, the people who make the audio system are in California, but Montreal supplies the smoke effects; former British Olympic skater Robin Cousins is now creative director for the company and conducts a vast master class to make sure they're ready for the show's next performance.
The next day, as the music blares out from the sound system, the cast start to go through their routines under Cousins’ direction. Cousins says, The aim is to make sure they're all still getting to exactly the right place on the ice at the right time - largely because the banks of lights in the ceiling are set to those places, and if the skaters are all half a metre out they'll be illuminating empty ice. Our challenge, ‘he continues, ‘is to produce something they can sell in a number of countries at the same time. My theory is that you take those things that people want to see and you give it to them, but not in the way they expect to see it. You try to twist it. And you have to find music that is challenging to the skaters, because they have to do it every night.’
It may be a job which he took to pay the rent, but you can't doubt his enthusiasm. “The only place you'll see certain skating moves is an ice show,” he says, “because you're not allowed to do them in competition. It's not in the rules. So the ice show world has things to offer which the competitive world just doesn't.” Cousin knows what he's talking about because he skated for the show himself when he stopped competing - he was financially unable to retire. He learnt the hard way that you can't put on an Olympic performance every night. “I'd be thinking, these people have paid their money, now do your stuff, and I suddenly thought”, “I really can't cope. I'm not enjoying it”. The solution, he realised, was to give 75 per cent every night, rather than striving for the sort of twice-a-year excellence which won him medals.
To be honest, for those of us whose only experience of ice-skating is watching top-class Olympic skaters, some of the movements can look a bit amateurish, but then, who are we to judge? Equally, it's impossible not to be swept up in the whole thing; well, you'd have to try pretty hard not to enjoy it.
According to paragraph 1 the writer is surprised to see that although Holiday on Ice is popular ________ .
people often prefer other types of show
most people consider it as a holiday
few people know someone who has seen it
people prefer to see a film, the ballet, or the circus
Which of the following adjectives can be used to describe the backstage area?
messy
glamorous
relaxing
old
It is mentioned in paragraph 3 that ________ .
the show has been staged in many places
many companies are involved in the production
the show need financial support
it is difficult to find suitable equipment
For Robin Cousins, the aim of the rehearsal is ________ .
to adjust the spotlights
to keep in time with the music
to be acquainted with the stage
to position the skaters on the ice
It is suggested in paragraph 5 that skating in shows ________ .
enables skaters to visit a variety of places
is as competitive as other forms of skating
allows skaters to try out a range of ideas
is particularly well paid
The pronoun “them” in paragraph 5 refers to ________ .
some live performances
some famous skaters
certain ice shows
certain skating moves
The phrase “the hard way” in paragraph 5 most likely means ________ .
by working very hard
by having expectation of others
through doing things again and again
through difficult personal experience
Which of the following is the writer’s conclusion of Holiday on Ice?
It is more enjoyable than Holiday on Ice.
It is hard to know who really enjoys it.
It is difficult to dislike it.
It requires more skills than Olympic ice-skating.








