nearly two million websites. A study by the newspaper USA Today shows that a third of all Americans believe in astrology and spend almost $100 million a year on it. More surprisingly, the fastest-growing group of believers in America is made up of managers and professionals. No wonder Donald Regan, former White House Chief of Staff, said, “It’s common knowledge that a large percentage of Wall Street brokers use astrology.”
The most famous astrologer is Nostradamus. Long ago, he correctly predicted events such as the Second World War, the killing of U. S. President John F. Kennedy, and most recently, the attack on the World Trade Center. Another famous astrologer, Frau Elsbeth Ebertin, accurately predicted that Adolph Hitler would become Führer—the leader after she was given Hitler’s birth chart. In fact, Hitler himself was a believer in astrology. It’s thought that he used an astrologer throughout the Second World War. The wife of former
American president Ronald Reagan, Nancy, was also a firm believer in astrology. She employed an astrologer to ask about President Reagan’s future safety after the president was shot.
Though some people may consider astrology superstitious (迷信的), others think it is both a science and an art. Since the moon has an effect on the ocean, and 75 percent of the human body is made up of water, it is reasonable to say that
astrology, a study of the stars, may affect humans as well. Therefore, if viewed in this way, astrology may be believable and it is easy to see why it is so popular.
36. What is the main idea of the article?
A. More and more people, especially stars, are interested in astrology.
B. Astrology is becoming popular and has some basis in science.
C. Famous astrologers can predict events correctly.
D. People should use astrology every day.
37. Which of the following events was NOT predicted by Nostradamus?
A. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
B. The killing of President Kennedy.
C. The outbreak of World War Ⅱ.
D. The birth of Führer Hitler.
38. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Astrology is one of the most popular topics on the Internet.
B. Astrology can help change people’s lives for the better.
C. Only a few Wall Street brokers use astrology.
D. Most of Americans believe in astrology.
39. The author tends to think astrology is _________.
A. boring B. puzzling C. believable D. strange B
If you want to write a movie script (脚本) yourself but don’t know how, what would you do? The following can be of some help to you.
There are only three parts necessary in a script: the Scene Heading, the Visual Exposition and the Dialogue.
The Scene Heading begins with either “EXT.” or “INT.”. EXT. shows that the scene takes place outdoors, while INT. is used when the scene takes place indoors, for example, inside a room. After that, the exact place of the scene is given, such as “HOTEL ROOM.” The last thing that must be mentioned is whether it is NIGHT or DAY.
The Visual Exposition is a description of the action or movement that takes place on the screen, and should include ONLY what you would see if you were watching the screen. For the first time, and only the first time, a character appears in the script, the name is capitalized (大写), and should be followed by a short description that includes age and build, for example:
The Dialogue follows the Visual Exposition. Each character’s name should be capitalized in the center of the page, followed by the words that are to be spoken on the next line. Do not include any description of feelings before the lines of dialogue. If you consider it necessary to show a character gives a line in a certain
way, for example, “angrily,” this should be included in the Visual Exposition above the lines, such as, “Cynthia’s face shows her anger.” But remember, Visual Exposition should ONLY show action we can see.
40. In a script the Scene Heading tells _________ the story takes place.
A. where and when B. at what time of a day
C. what has happened when D. on which day of the week
41. If a story takes place in a park on a Friday morning, which of the Scene Headings is right?
A. INT. FRIDAY-DAY. B. EXT. FRIDAY-NIGHT.
C. INT. PARK-NIGHT. D. EXT. PARK-DAY.
42. The Visual Exposition in a script only includes actions or movements _________.
A. that some main characters do B. that can be seen on the screen
C. that the writer of the story describes D. that happen in outdoor activities
43. Which of the following short scripts is right?