There are different ways of telling a story. It can be told in words. It can be told in pictures. It can be told in music. It can be acted out. Or it can be told by still another way--by dancing. Dancing that tells a story is called ballet.

　　The dancing in a ballet is done to music, but the story is told by the movements of the dancers. There is no singing or speaking.

　　The dancers in the picture are telling the story of Steeping Beauty. The music for this famous ballet was written by the Russian composer Tschaikowsky. The movements of its dancers were worked out by the French ballet master Petipa.

　　A ballet is a work (of art) just as a beautiful picture is. The person who plans a ballet is an artist. So is each dancer.

　　Sometimes ballet is called toe dancing. It is true that in some ballets the dancers do dance on their toes. But a great deal of the dancing in ballets is not toe dancing. Toe dancing is used to give the idea of lightness and airiness. It is never put into a ballet unless it fits the story.

　　Back in the days of ancient Greece and Rome there were dances that told stories of the gods. Even longer ago in Egypt there were dances that told stories of the planets.But the ballet of today had its beginnings about 600 years ago. It began as a kind of entertainment in the courts of the rulers of Italy. Two hundred years later ballet was popular in the French court. The French king Louis X IV founded a ballet school.

　　On a ballet program today there are often some French words. The names of many ballets are French. But there may be other French words, too. A part of a ballet that is danced by just two people is called a pas de deux. Such French words remind us that France was once the leader in ballet.

　　Today there are many ballet companies. All opera companies, too, have ballet dancers, for ballets are a part of many operas. No one country now leads in ballet.

　　Later the rulers of Russia became interested in ballet. They offered a great deal of money to the best ballet masters and dancers of France. They founded a ballet school. Soon Russia was the leader in ballet.

　　Ballet is not easy to learn. A boy or a girl who wishes to be a ballet dancer has to begin going to a ballet school very early. Some begin when they are only three or four. All the parts in a ballet used to be danced by men. But now a girl has as good a chance as a boy of being a famous ballet dancer.

(1)There are ______ ways of telling a story accordingto the passage.

[　　]

(2)Ballet is called toe dancing because _____.

[　　]

A．there is a great deal of toe dancing in every ballet

B．in some ballets toe dancing is used to fit the story

C．it always tells a story by toe move-ments

D．the word ballet means “toe” in French

(3)Ballet of today can date back as early as ___.

[　　]

A．the days of ancient Greece and Rome

B．days before ancient Greece and Rome

C．about 600 years ago

D．the time when Louis X IV was in power

(4)_______ never acted as the leader in the history of ballet.

[　　]

(5)Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Boys are more likely to be successful in ballet than girls.

B．Ballet dances also play parts in many operas beside ballets.

C．Petipa was a Russian ballet master.

　　alone in the dark room,the little boy was so frightened as to cry.

A.Leaving    B.Having left   C.To be left   D.Left

完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
The science teacher believed very strongly in practical work as a means of teaching science effectively, and she wanted her pupils' parents to see how well their children were learning ___36___ her methods. She therefore arranged for all the parents ___37___ and see the results of one of the ___38___ experiments on a Saturday evening,___39___ all of them were free. The children had been studying the growth of plants, and they ___40___ four pots of beans a few weeks before.  They had put poor soil in one pot, to see ___41___ effect this would have ___42___ the growth of the beans in ___43___,and good soil in ___44___ three pots. Then they had put one of the ___45___ in the dark for several days, and had given ___46___ pot no water for the same length of time.
　　At the end of the lesson on Friday afternoon, the teacher put little ___47___ on the four pots:‘The beans in this pot were planted in poor soil.’‘This pot　___48___ in the dark for four days.’‘These beans have had no water for four days.’‘These beans have had good soil, plenty of light and ___49___  water.’ Then the teacher went home.
　When she arrived on ___50___ evening, half an hour before the ___51___were due to come, she found this note beside the pots:‘We read your notes  ___52___ the school servant and thought we would help him, so we watered all the plants, changed the earth in the one with ___53___ soil, and ___54___ the light on above the one that had been left in the dark for four days. We hope that the plants will now grow___ 55___.’
　　Your friends,
‘The Boy Scouts.’ 

    The school year has fallen by nearly six weeks, from 197 days in 1964 to 156days in 1994,   1   the National Association of Scholars.   2  , most American kindergarten, elementary (初等的) and high school students are   3  to spend 180 days a year in their schools. The   4  of the average class period also has   5   , from more than 57minutes to less than 54,the Association reports.

    “The   6  has to be that students are simply   7  less,” said the director of the Association. “If you count the actual    8  of contact hours, you'll find they are   9   four years in college getting an education that would have taken about    10  years in 1964.”

The universities argue (认为) that they are simply teaching more  11　　 “The traditional idea that learning   12  in the classroom and   13  reading and writing   14  based on seat time is out of date,” said a spokesman for the American Council on Education. “  15  than attending lectures, students now   16  their professors on their computers or use other types of   17  technology, allowing for a shorter school year,” he said. It is very   18  .that, in many schools, they are going to spend   19  time   20  than they used to.

1. A. according to　　  　　  B. by the accordance of  　　 C. following  　　     D. followed

2. A. By comparison  　　　　  B. In particular 　　　　    　　C. Strangely enough  D. As a result

3. A. intended   　　　　  　　B. required 　　　　   　　　　C. requested   　　  D. inquired

4. A. long    　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. length　　　　 　　   　　C. time   　　  　　  D. period

5. A. fallen   　　    　　　　B. declined 　　　　   　　　　C. oppressed   　　  D. lowered

6. A. reason　　 　　　　 　　B. cause    　　　　 　　　　C. conclusion 　　   　　  D. condition

7. A. playing   　　　　    　　B. learning  　　　　  　　　　C. working　　 　　  D. paying

8. A. number　　 　　　　B. times  　　  　　　　　　C. need  　　　　　　    D. arrangement

9. A. spending      　　　　B. given  　　  　　　　　　C. living  　　　　  D. asked

10. A. five　　    　　  　　B. two   　　  　　　　　　C. three 　　   　　  D. six

11. A. quickly   　　　　  　　B. thoroughly  　　　　　　　　   C. wisely   　　　　    D. efficiently

12. A. came　　   　　  　　B. took place　　　　  　　    C. started 　　  　　  D. appeared

13. A. through    　　    　　B. across   　　　　  　　　　C. by the way of     D. with

14. A. questions        　　B. books   　　　　  　　　　C. assignments       D. texts

15. A. Rather  　　  　　　　B. More　　  　　  　　　　C. Less   　　 　　  D. Easier

16. A. chat with    　　 　　B. argue with  　　　　　　 　　C. speak       　　  D. tell

17. A. knowledge  　　   　　B. information   　　　　  　　C. message  　　      D. intelligence

18. A. possibly     　　　　B. probably  　　    　　　　C. lovely      　　  D. likely

19. A. less　　     　　　　B. little　　 　　　　  　　　　C. more　　 　　      D. much more

20. A. at home　　　　    B. in the laboratory 　　　　     C. in the classroom  D. on computer

完形填空

　　Life in the 21st century will obviously be very different from ___1___ it is ___2___ now. It is interesting to try to ___3___ what Me will be like ___4___. Our life style will be ___5___ in many ___6___. For example, I think that everyone will live in ___7___. There will be houses under the sea. ___8___ people will get settled ___9___ on the moon and do scientific researches. Every house will have a wireless telephone. Solar energy will be ___10___ used in houses and factories. As for education in the future, I think that children will start ___11___ at the age of 3 .To some extent, computers will take the place of ___12___. People will study ___13___ they are 30. Our __14___ life will be different too. It is possible that people will only work ___15___ hours a day. At the age of ___16___, people will retire and do ___17___ they want. Finally, when we think about the future of travel, it seems to me that it is ___18___ that most people will have a chance to ___19___ in space. Our future is promising, let's work hard for ___20___ our beautiful future.