New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.

   Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ''Whither Attribution Studies,'' ''Unpopular Shakespeare'' and ''Sex Me Here,'' a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.

   ''The national media is saying that fewer students' taking Shakespeare,'' Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ''But Shakespeare is thriving.'' The association's membership has increased by a third since 1990.

   The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow's birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ''The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition'' runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ''King Lear.''

    Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ''William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet'' was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh's four-hour ''Hamlet.'' The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.'' Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.

49.Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?

   A. To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only.

   B. To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.

   C. To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works.

   D. To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays.

50. What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

         A. Washington D.C.                                             B. Shakespeare Association.

         C. The birthday anniversary.                  D. The Shakespeare business.

51.Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?

         A. King Lear.              B. Hamlet.         C. Macbeth.              D. Romeo and Juliet.

52.What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?

         A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.

         B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.

         C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.

         D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.

   My secret of staying young is quite simple:devote your attention to the part of you that’s young and growing—your brain. Keep your mind awake and you will stay young all over. These are exciting times. Take an interest in the world around you,and make a point of learning one new thing every day.

   No matter how old you are ,it’s not too late to make your life more interesting. I know a housewife without knowledge in the past who made herself into an excellent industrial designer. I know an old electrical engineer who has become a highly paid artist.

   Get over the idea the you are too old to go back to school. I know a man who entered a medical college at 70. He got his degree with honors and became a famous doctor. Another man went to a law school at 71 and now is an active lawyer.

   No matter how old people are,staying young is easy for those who live in the future. You can do it if you are active enough to try. Keep your mind active and awake:that’s the only youth elixir.

54. Which of the following best express the main idea of this passage?

Staying young is the only youth elixir.

Learning at least one new thing every day.

Never too late to go back to school.

The secret of staying young.

55.  If you wish to stay young,above all ,you should        .

A. keep your mind awake and active      B. make your life more interesting

C. keep your mind from being harmed     D. keep in tough with other people

56. The implied meaning of the passage is that        .

A. anyone can learn to do something no matter how old they may be.

B. the electrical engineer learned to be an artist to become famous.

C. the man who entered the medical collage at 70 came out at the top of the list.

D. every one can be successful if you try to learn no matter how old he may be

57. The word “elixir”in the last sentence probably means something that can keep people        .

    A. healthy             B. wealthy             C. young               D. happy

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