Whatsonstage.com is the UK’s biggest and best online guide to the performing arts including theatre, opera, classical music, dance and so on.

◆        The Lion King

Musical: The stage adaptation of the Disney film taken from an original African story. A young lion grows up and learns that taking over the pride requires wisdom and maturity(成熟).

Place: Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London

Telephone: 0870 243 9000

Date: Friday, 18 Nov. 2015 

Ticket price: ￡37.5

◆        Oliver

Musical: Dickens’ story of a boy in a London workhouse and his adventures on the way to discovering his family. The songs include Food glorious food, You’ve got to pick a pocket or two, Who will buy this wonderful morning, I am reviewing the situation and Consider yourself at home.

Place: Theatre Royal, Catherine Street, London

Telephone: 020 7494 5061

Date: Thursday, 17 Nov. 2015

Ticket price: ￡25,but now save 20%

◆        Jersey Boys

Musical: It tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four seasons: the blue-collar kids from New Jersey formed a singing group and became famous. The musical features many of the group’s popular songs such as Big girls don’t cry, Oh, what a night and Can’t take my eyes off you.

Place: Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, London

Telephone: 0870 850 9191

Date: Saturday, 19 Nov. 2015

Ticket price: ￡22.5

◆        Alls Well That Ends Well

Play: A romantic story. Helena, daughter of a poor physician, loves Bertram, son of a Countess(女伯爵).

Place: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Park Street, London

Telephone: 020 7401 9919

Date: Sunday, 20 Nov, 2015

Ticket price: ￡40.5

11. If Mary is available on Friday, which of the following should she call to buy a ticket?

A. 0870 850 9191   B. 020 7494 5061   C. 0870 243 9000   D. 020 7401 9919

12. If you want to buy a ticket at a discount, you should go to _____.

A. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre        B. Lyceum Theatre

C. Prince Edward Theatre             D. Theatre Royal

13. What is the main purpose of the text?

A. To show the importance of Whatsonstage.com  

B. To give some information about the performing arts.

C. To introduce some famous English theatres.

D. To teach readers how to use the online guide.

People who daydream are often thought of in negative terms, such as being lazy or not doing what they should be doing. However, scientists who study the brain have learned many interesting things from studying the brains of daydreamers. Far from being a waste of time, recent research has shown that daydreaming is a healthy and useful activity for all of our brains.

To study the brain, scientists use special devices that scan the brain and show pictures of which parts of the brain are active at certain times. When a person is daydreaming, the device will show a distinct pattern of activity in the brain called the “default” mode of thinking. In the default mode, the top or outside part of the brain is very active. Actually, several regions of the brain are interacting in this mode. Some scientists describe this mode as a time when the brain focuses on itself rather than focusing on the environment around the person. Typically, this occurs when a person is doing simple, undemanding work or performing routine actions that don’t need much attention, like walking to school or cooking simple foods. People tend to daydream during such activities.

The importance of daydreaming lies in developing both creative and social skills. When the mind is not engaged in dealing with one’s immediate situation or problem, then it is free to wander. A time of wandering allows the mind to create things. New inventions may be imagined, or possible solutions to a problem can be planned. For example, solutions to problems in relationships with other people may spring to mind. In fact, most daydreams involve situations with others. Perhaps these are daydreams based on past memories, or daydreams of what might be in the future. In either case, daydreams help us develop the appropriate skills we can use in real interactions with others.

As brain specialist Dr. Marcus Raichle of Washington University explains: “When you don’t use a muscle, that muscle really isn’t doing much. But when your brain is supposedly doing nothing and daydreaming, it’s really doing a great amount.” During the so-called “resting state” the brain isn’t resting at all!

14. Which question does the passage mainly focus on?

A. Can daydreams reduce the hours we sleep?

B. How is daydreaming different from sleeping?

C. What is the right way to daydream?

D. Why is daydreaming good for people?

15. Which of the following is NOT involved in daydreaming?

A. One’s immediate environment.               B. Several regions of the brain.

C. The “default” mode of thinking.             D. The outside part of the brain.

16. What does the brain focus on in the default mode?

A. A person’s immediate situation.              B. Appropriate relationships.

C. The brain itself.                                    D. Routine actions.

17. Which statement would Dr. Raichle agree with?

A. The brain develops one’s muscles.         B. The brain and our muscles both need rest.

C. The brain is a lot like a muscle.              D. The brain is different from a muscle.

When I told my father that I was moving to Des Moines, Iowa, he told me about the only time he had been there. It was in the 1930s, when he was an editor of the literary magazine of Southern Methodist University(SMU) in Dallas, Texas. He also worked as a professor at SMU, and there was a girl student in his class who suffered from a serious back disease. She couldn’t afford the operation because her family was poor.

Her mother ran a boardinghouse in Galveston, a seaside town near Houston, Texas. She was cleaning out the attic(阁楼) one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript(手稿). On its top page were the words, “By O. Henry.” It was a nice story, and she sent it to her daughter at SMU, who showed it to my father. My father had never read the story before, but it sounded like O. Henry, and he knew that O. Henry had once lived in Houston. So it was possible that the famous author had gone to the beach and stayed in the Galveston boardinghouse, and had written the story there and left the manuscript behind by accident. My father visited an O. Henry expert at Columbia University in New York, who authenticated the story as O. Henry’s.

My father then set out to sell it. Eventually, he found himself in Des Moines, meeting with Gardner Cowles, a top editor at the Des Moines Register. Cowles loved the story and bought it on the spot. My father took the money to the girl. It was just enough for her to have the operation she so desperately needed.

My father never told me what the O. Henry story was about. But I doubt that it could have been better than his own story.

18. Who found the O. Henry’s manuscript?

A. The girl’s mother.                                B. The author’s father.

C. The girl.                                       D. The author.

19. Which of the following might explain the fact that the manuscript was found in the attic?

A. O. Henry once worked in Houston.

B. O. Henry once stayed in Galveston.

C. O. Henry once moved to Des Moines.

D. O. Henry once taught at SMU.

20. The underlined word “authenticated” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A. treated             B. discovered              C. proved                    D. described

21. According to the text, why did the author’s father go to Des Moines?

A. To sell the O. Henry story.

B. To meet the author himself.

C. To talk with the O. Henry expert.

D. To give money to the girl.

I am sure we’ve all come across inspiring quotes that made us nod in agreement or made us think, “Wow, that’s good quotes”. But we end up going back to procrastinating（拖延）on whatever it was we were procrastinating on. So are these inspirational quotes even worth reading? Well, that depends.

Quotes, books, articles, audio programs… all of these things are just tools and they’re only effective when you use them. I don’t know about you but most quotes I read don’t do anything for me. However, every now and then, I will come across one that will positively affect me in some way such as reminding me to be grateful, getting me to work out extra hard at the gym without being pressed by my wife, or never give up when things get tough.

From my experience, reading quotes is more effective when you’re actually trying to motivate yourself rather than just reading them for the sake of reading them. The second you feel the urge to take action, you’d better immediately get up off your chair and take action.

These quotes aren’t for everyone. If you have read tons of them and have never been motivated or had a positive change in the way you look at life or how you treat others, or these quotes don’t help you to insist on doing something when you feel like giving up on it, then it’s probably not worth your time reading more of them. If you have done something a bunch of times and it’s not giving you the results you want, don’t keep doing it. Try something else.

Now if you’ve found some value in reading these quotes in the past, continue to make them more effective by letting them guide your life.

22. What attitude does the author have towards most quotes he has read?

A. Negative.                 B. Grateful.                  C. Doubtful.                 D. Interested

23. For whom will the quotes be effective according to the author?

A. Those who understand them thoroughly.

B. Those who lack practical tools in life.

C. Those who have no one to turn to for help.

D. Those who take immediate action after reading them.

24. What is implied in Paragraph 4?

A. Some quotes may have a bad influence on people.

B. You shouldn’t waste time on the things you don’t like.

C. Many ways can motivate you besides reading inspiring quotes.

D. You’d better keep away from a quote if it doesn’t benefit you.

25. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To persuade people not to waste time on quotes.

B. to explain how to make inspiring quotes effective.

C. to encourage people to read more inspiring quotes.

D. to give people advice on how to choose useful quotes.

It happens every night—bedtime. But what if you’re not sleepy? Should you still go to bed and just lie there with your eyes wide open?     26    But don’t worry. Here are some steps you can take to help you fall asleep.

One thing that can help is talking to a parent about what you’re thinking about at bedtime. For example, if you’re nervous about taking a test, or upset about being teased at school, it can really help to tell somebody.     27  

   28    If there’s anything about your room that makes you feel uneasy or anxious at night, like a picture that looks strange in the dark, or a leaking bathroom tap, ask your parent to move or fix it. Make sure electronics are kept away from your bed as their lights and noise can make it harder for you to fall asleep.

If you’re often nervous around bedtime, doing certain things to calm yourself may help you fall asleep. Taking a warm bath, or listening to a bedtime story at least 30 minutes before bed may help you relax. It also helps to follow a bedtime routine and go to sleep at the same time every night.    29  

In order to find the right solution for you, it’s important that you understand what exactly is keeping you up at night.     30    Your body will thank you for the effort. 

A. Knowing that somebody has heard you can help ease your mind so that you can rest.

B. Calming music played at a low volume can help the stress flow out of your body.

C. It’s a problem that has been around as long as there have been people trying to sleep.

D. Take the time to think about the problem carefully.

E. Sleeping in a comfortable bed in a quiet and cool room is ideal.

F. But what works for others may not necessarily work for you.

G. In this way, your body will get the message that it’s almost time to sleep.