Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand and remember.Churchill warned the British to expect “blood, toil, tears and sweat”; Roosevelt told the Americans that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”; Lenin promised the war-weary Russians peace, land and bread.Straightforward but effective messages.
We have an image of what a leader ought to be.We even recognize the physical signs; leaders may not necessarily be tall, but they must have bigger-than-life, commanding features -- Lyndon Baines Johnson’s nose and ear lobes, Ike’s broad grin.A trade-mark also comes in handy; Lincoln’s stovepipe hat, Kennedy’s rocking chair.We expect our leaders to stand out a little, not to be like an ordinary man.Half of President Ford’s trouble lay on the fact that, if you closed your eyes for a moment, you couldn’t remember his face, figure of clothes.A leader should have an unforgettable identity, instantly and permanently fixed in people’s minds.
It also helps for a leader to be able to do something most of us can’t: FDR overcame polio; Mao swam the Yangtze River at the age of 72. We don’t want our leaders to be "just like us." We want them to be like us but better, special more so. Yet if they are too different, we reject them.
A Chinese philosopher once remarked that a leader must have the grace of a good dancer, and there is a great deal of wisdom to this. A leader should know how to appear relaxed and confident. His walks should be firm and purposeful. He should be able, like Lincoln, Roosevelt, Truman, Lke and JFK, to give a good, hearty, belly laugh, instead of the sickly grin that passes for good humor in Nixon or Carter. Ronald Reagan’s training as an actor showed to good effect in the debate with Carter, when by his easy manner and apparent affability, he managed to convey the impression that in fact he was the president and Carter the challenger.
The every simple truth about leadership is that people can only be led where they want to go. The leader follows, though a step ahead. Americans wanted to climb out of the Depression and needed someone to tell them they could do it, and Roosevelt did. The British believed that they could still win the war after the defeats of 1940, and Churchill told them they were right.
A leader rides the waves, moves with the tides, understands the deepest yearning of his people. He cannot make a nation that wants peace at any price go to war, or stop a nation determined to fight from doing so. His purpose must match the national mood.
1.The underlined word “yearning” in the last paragraph probably means_________.
A.love  B.trouble     C.desire       D.feeling
2.From the fourth paragraph we can learn that_________.
A.leaders usually look special or different
B.leaders don’t have to be tall
C.most leaders look ordinary
D.leaders should always have trademarks
3.According to the article, a leader_________.
A.usually tries to simplify our messages
B.tell us what we want to hear
C.encourages us to think about things in a new way
D.is usually confident and handsome
4.From the passage we can infer that          .
A.it helps for a leader to be able to dance or act well
B.great leaders are usually totally different from us
C.Carter was humorous and made good speeches
D.it is the people rather than the president that makes what a nation is
5.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.Want to be a leader?
B.What makes a leader?
C.What does a leader look like?
D.What must a leader do?

There are many theories about how drama (戏剧) came into being in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama developed gradually from ceremonies. The argument for this view goes as follows.
In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies. As time passed, some of them were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths (神话), provided materials for art and drama
Those who believe that drama came out of ceremonies also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, and masks were almost always used. In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the rules of ceremonies, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks, they often impersonated (扮演) other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and performed the desired effect by gestures -- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival (复活) of the Sun -- as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory finds out the theater came from the human Interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other events) are gradually formed, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a speaker and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person A closely related theory about drama traces to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations (模仿) of animal movements and sounds.
【小题1】Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A.Three theories about how drama came into being are mentioned.
B.The majority of people believe drama came from ceremonies.
C.Stories were made up to explain the mysteries of the ceremonies.
D.Religious activities developed gradually from ceremonies.
【小题2】We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.all measures couldn't bring the desired results
B.religious leaders usually didn't perform in the ceremonies
C.mistakes are unavoidable in the religious ceremonies
D.performers usually used languages to reach the desired results
【小题3】The underlined part "traces to" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A.dates back toB.is devoted toC.gives way toD.is familiar to
【小题4】 The best title for the text would be ______.
A.The Development of DramaB.The History of Drama
C.The Origin of DramaD.The Popularity of Drama

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved (演化) from ceremony. The argument for this view goes as follows.

In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world --- even the seasonal changes --- as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies. As time passed some ceremonies were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, remained and provided material for art and drama.

Those who believe that drama evolved out of ceremony also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium ". In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the performing of ceremonies, religious leaders usually took that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often acted other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and imitated the desired effect --- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, etc. as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.

Another theory traces(追溯) the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, etc) are gradually developed, at first through the use of action and dialogue, and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.

1.Which is the best title of the passage?

A. Religious activities in ancient Greece.       

B. The ceremonies in ancient Greece.

C. Drama theories.                          

D. The origin of Greek Drama.

2.According to the passage, drama_______________.

A. was played in memory of ancient Greek ceremonies

   B. was a form of ceremony played by ancient Greeks to control unknown powers

   C. evolved out of ancient Greek ceremonies with time passing by

   D. is one of the measures Ancient Greeks took to view natural forces

3.In tracing the beginning of drama, which of the following is not mentioned?

   A. Planting.     B. Religious ceremonies.     C. Gymnastic.       D. Storytelling.

 

Shakespeare's life can be divided into three periods: the first 20 years in Stratford, which includes his schooling,early marriage, and fatherhood;the next 25 years as an actor and playwright (剧作家) in London; and the last five in retirement back in Stratford where he enjoyed the wealth gained from his theatrical (戏剧的) successes. The years linking the first two periods are marked by a lack of information about Shakespeare, and are often referred to as the “dark years”.

Shakespeare probably left school at 15, and took some sorts of jobs, especially since this was the period of his father’s financial difficulty. A great number of references in his plays suggest that William may have in fact worked for his father, thus gaining specialized knowledge.

At some point during the “dark years”, Shakespeare began his career with a London theatrical company — perhaps in 1589 — for he was already an actor and playwright in 1592. Shakespeare apparently wrote and acted for Pembroke’s Men, as well as a lot of others, in particular Strange’s Men, which later became the Chamberlain’s Men.

When, in 1592, the theaters were closed for about two years, due to a terrible disease. Shakespeare turned to writing book-length poetry. Most notable were Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, both of which have been translated into many languages and even been included in students’ textbooks. During this same period, Shakespeare was writing his sonnets (十四行诗), which are more likely signs of the time’s fashion rather than actual love poems detailing any particular relationship. He returned to play writing when theater reopened in 1594, and published no more poetry. His sonnets were published without his permission in 1609, shortly before his retirement. His final play was Henry VIII, two years before his death in 1616.

1.Why did Shakespeare take some sorts of jobs at the age of 15 and didn’t go on studying?

A. Because his family was badly off at that time.  

B. Because he liked his job more than studying.    

C. Because he wanted to be an actor in London.   

D. Because he wanted to open his own company.

2.Which of the following words can take the place of the underlined word “notable” in the last paragraph?

A. long                        B. fashionable                             C. famous                            D. educational

3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Shakespeare didn’t write any plays between 1592 and 1594.

B. Shakespeare’s sonnets were written between 1592 and 1594.

C. After writing Henry VIII, Shakespeare wrote nothing.

D. Shakespeare published his sonnets in 1609.

 

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