Peking Opera used to sound strange to Dou Yi. The14-year-old Beijinger said whenever she came across Peking Opera on TV, she changed the Channel (频道). Like most of today's teenagers, Dou loves pop music.

   But since Dou entered the Xuanwu branch school of Beijing No. 15 Middle School, she has been studying Peking Opera in music class every week.

   Dou and her classmates listen to Peking Opera and learn the basics(基础知识) from professional actors. They also sing along with the operas.

  "We laugh sometimes because the tunes(声调)are really hard to learn, "said Dou. But she said that now she would watch Peking Opera on TV.

   "After all, I am no longer a layman, 'she said.

   Since 2008, schools around the country have been teaching students Peking Opera. It's part of a plan to introduce young people to the country's artistic traditions. Clearly, Dou's school has been taking the job seriously.

   Yang Ning, 14, is Dou's classmate. She has been studying Peking Opera since she was 8. She is a member of the school's Peking Opera club.

   Yang said she had learned a lot from Peking Opera.

   "I learn a lot of history from the operas," she said." I've also found out about many ancient poems, since there are so many of them in the operas."

   Yang doesn't think everyone can learn to sing Peking Opera well, but she does say that it's helpful for all people to learn about it.

    "The more you learn about it, the more you understand it. If people do study it, this old art form won't disappear. It would be a great pity if it did!” she said.

56. Dou Yi               .

   A. was a 14-year-old boy     B. was a middle school student

   C. liked today's teenagers    D. first met the Beijinger at the TV station

57. From the passage we know           .

   A. Dou Yi listened to pop songs every week

   B. the students could watch Peking Opera on TV in class

   C. even some professional actors came to the school to study

   D. Peking Opera has become a studying subject in Dou Yi's school

58. What does the underlined word "layman" mean in the passage?

   A.悠闲的人  B.外行的人    C.懒惰的人   D.初学的人

59. Which of the following is ,NOT true according to the passage?

  A. Most of the teenagers prefer pop music to Peking Opera.

  B. Yang Ning started learning Peking Opera earlier than Dou Yi.

  C. Dou Yi is as old as Yang Ning and she is Yang Niag's classmate.

  D. Both Dou Yi and Yang Ning are members of the school's Peking Opera club.

60. Why have schools around the country taught students Peking Opera since 2008?

   A. To give the students more history knowledge.

   B. To help the students to learn the ancient poems.

   C. To introduce the young people to the traditional art.

   D. To help the students to find a good job after graduation.

This year 2, 300 teenagers from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions  (印象)  of the real American teenagers. American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and have a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In return, George's son, Mike, spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected -much harder. Students rose respectfully (尊敬地) when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The family's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
"Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools." He says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two."
【小题1】The whole exchange program is mainly to______.