Magic is a form of entertainment that is based on pretending to do things that are impossible. The magician is a specially trained actor. He tries to make the audience believe that he has the power to do things which are against the laws of nature.
Magic shows are entertaining as long as the audience does not discover how the tricks are done. The magician usually depends on his skill with his hands, on his knowledge of psychology, and, sometimes, on mechanical devices(机械装置). Since magic performance is meant to trick people, the use of psychology is important. The magician must keep people from noticing all the movements of his hands and from thinking about the secret parts of his equipment. He must also lead the audience to draw false conclusions. The magician's success depends on the fact that many things seen by the eye are not the things that matter.
Two basic magic tricks are making objects seem to appear and making objects seem to disappear. A combination of these two tricks makes for some interesting effects. For example, the magician puts a small ball under one of several cups. The ball then seems to jump from one cup to another or to change colour. What actually happens is that the magician, employing quick hand movements or a mechanical device, hides one ball. While doing this he talks to the audience and waves a brightly coloured cloth with one hand. The audience is too busy watching the cloth and listening to the magician's words to notice that his other hand is hiding the ball.
Another favourite trick is to cut or burn something, and then make it appear whole again. What actually happens is that the magician makes the cut or burned object disappear by quickly hiding it while the audience watches something else. Then he “magically” makes it appear whole again by displaying(展示)another object that has not been cut or burned.
【小题1】What is the author's main purpose in writing the text?| A．To promote a magic show. | B．To teach people to be magicians. |
| C．To explain the art of magic. | D．To praise the talents of magicians. |
| A．Moving stage equipment. | B．Directing the audience's attention. |
| C．Applying high technology. | D．Keeping the performance in secret. |
| A．Providing examples. | B．Making a summary. |
| C．Drawing comparisons. | D．Explaining a concept. |
| A．Mechanical devices are expensive. | B．Most magicians employ assistants. |
| C．It takes practice to perform magic. | D．Small objects are magicians' favourite. |
Streaming Music
Nowadays, many music fans listen to songs not from records or CDS but directly on the Internet. This is called streaming, and it allows people to listen to what seems like an infinite variety of songs.
The largest music-streaming website, Spotify, began in Sweden in 2008. It spread to other countries as major music labels(唱片公司)agreed to let Spotify users stream their songs. In return, Spotify gives the labels some of its profits.
Many streaming services allow people to sign up for free accounts.
There are some disadvantages to music-streaming services. For one thing, people are only renting music, not buying it. This means if they stop their subscription to the service, they lose access to the music.
Streaming is convenient and inexpensive, and it offers a huge selection of songs to listen to. It is likely to grow more popular and may even develop new services for users to enjoy.
| A．But how exactly does it work? |
| B．So why do people choose the Internet? |
| C．You can explore what you can get for free. |
| D．However, free accounts are usually limited in some way. |
| E．Also, artists generally don’t earn much money from streaming services. |
| F．Spotify users have a variety of ways to choose what songs they listen to. |
| G．To avoid these issues and gain new features, users can pay for a subscription. |
Walt Disney is trying to make parents’ wallets open a little wider for that vacation visit to the theme park. The Magic Kingdom Park, one of Disney’s theme parks near Orlando is now charging $99 for a one-day park pass. It is an increase of $4 that comes just eight months after the last price increase.
Behind the rising tickets prices is a small world of supply and demand. People keep flooding into Disney’s US theme parks. The company reported a 16 percent increase operating income, to $65 million, for the past three months at its theme parks. Last year in Disney, theme park income rose by 17 percent, to $2.2 billion.
“If you think Disney World has got too expensive, don’t bother complaining,” Robert Niles,editor of Theme Park Insider, and a former Magic Kingdom Park employee, wrote in his website. “Disney is looking at the number people who visit its theme parks when setting prices, not people complaining online.”
Disney’s pricing strategy is designed to drive sales of its multiday(多天的)park passes, which lower the per-day cost. A three-day pass runs to $91.34 per day; a five-day pass costs $60.80 per day. Together with the hotel and meals, a Disney vacation can become unbelievably expensive for a family. But while the cost of single-day tickets has gone up by more than 41 percent since 2005, Disney has greatly cut the price for longer stays. The price of a four-day pass fell by nearly $200 between 2004 and 2013.
Still, an extra $4 or $20 here and there does not bother most people considering a trip to Disney theme park. Disney is one of the major things nearly every American family can agree on, so of course they can get away with this.” says Jason Cochran, author of Easy Guide to Walt Disney World and Orlando.
【小题1】What do we know about the one-day park pass in Magic Kingdom Park？| A．It was $95 in the past eight months. | B．It usually increases by $4 each time. |
| C．It is the last time to increase it. | D．It usually changes once a year. |
| A．how great its service can be. | B．whether people can accept them or not. |
| C．whether people will complain about them. | D．how many people visit its theme parks. |
| A．not make the Disney theme parks become more popular. |
| B．not prevent people from visiting the Disney theme parks. |
| C．bother most people from visiting the Disney theme parks. |
| D．make it hard for people to decide whether to visit a Disney theme park. |
OSCAR THEATRE
BOOKING - in person The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 am-8 pm. - by post Stating the performance and choice of seats, enclosing a cheque, postal order, or your credit card details to Oscar Theatre Box Office, PO Box 220, Main street. All cheques should be made payable to Oscar Theatre. - by telephone Ring 0844 847 2484 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard accepted). - on-line Complete the on-line booking form at www.oscartheatre.com. DISCOUNTS Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday inclusive, and for all matinees (下午场). Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students. Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until one hour before the show (subject to availability). Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(有资格的) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers. Group Bookings: there is a ten per cent discount for parties of twelve or more. Schools: school parties of ten or more can book $9 tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free. Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. |
【小题1】When booking by post, you can pay for a ticket by ________.
| A．visiting the website of a post office | B．going to your local bank in person |
| C．enclosing your MasterCard in an envelope | D．providing your credit card information |
| A．A group of ten adults going to a performance can claim a discount. |
| B．A school party of 15 persons that book in advance pay $135 in total for a performance. |
| C．Someone accompanying a wheelchair user to a performance receives a discount. |
| D．An 18-year-old teenager is eligible for Saver discounts. |
| A．65-year-olds buying tickets an hour and a half before a performance begins |
| B．full-time students buying tickets 45 minutes before a performance begins |
| C．Theatre-goers who are unexpectedly unable to be present at a performance |
| D．Anyone who buys tickets an hour before a performance begins |
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