海淀一模

If you have ever been in a school play or even made believe you were a doctor, detective, or a space traveler, you know the enjoyment that acting brings. Almost all of us have the wish to play the part of someone—or something—else. 71

In the ancient world, acting was often associated with religious ceremonies and other special occasions. As far back as 2200 B.C. trained Chinese actors performed ceremonial dances in costume and makeup at harvest festivals. 72 To the dance was gradually added pantomime—the imitation of movements and gestures—as well as the wearing of masks, the singing of chants, and finally the use of dialogue.

While acting was coming into its own in the ancient Chinese classical theatre, it was doing the same in the western world, in Greece. From about 500 B.C. on, acting became a highly specialized art in Greece. Greek actors, however, still wore masks, and their motions were largely fixed by custom. 73

Modern acting, by contrast, gives the individual actor great opportunity to develop his or her personal talents for serious, comic, or musical drama. The names, faces, and styles of famous movie actors are known worldwide. A special form of acting takes place in radio drama, which was highly popular before television. In radio drama the actors face an unique challenge. They are unseen by their audience. So they must rely on voice alone to make their characters real to the listeners.

Only forty percent of Broadway actors are employed, most of them for only part of the year. Those who become stars need not only talent, but determination. They must not be easily discouraged. Otherwise, they might give up before the opportunity for stardom presents itself.

A. The origins of acting are in the act of remembering.

B. Drama in Greece began with festivals honoring Dionysus.

C. It is believed that this was the first step in the development of acting.

D. Historical records indicate that this desire is as old as civilization itself.

E. Acting is not, as many people think, a quick, easy road to fame and riches.

F. Broadway and television provide other stages on which actors can display their talent.

G. Consequently, they had little opportunity to demonstrate their individual personalities.

西城一模

Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia, or fear of enclosed spaces, is one of the most common fears．Claustrophobia can be deep fear or even panic as a result of being in a small space．

Claustrophobia can develop after a troubling childhood experience （ such as being trapped in a small space during a childhood game） , or from another unpleasant experience later on in life related to small spaces （ such as being stuck in a lift）．then becomes programmed in the brain, making an association between being in a tight space and feeling anxious or out-of-control．As a result, the person often develops claustrophobia．

According to Mark Powers, Ph．D．, Associate Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University," Claustrophobia is a specific fear and not a type of panic disorder．The primary specific danger forecasts for claustrophobia are that either the person will be trapped or run out of air．"

72 Claustrophobia symptoms can include: sweating, accelerated heartbeat, upset stomach, passing out, light-headedness, shaking, breathing problem, etc．

Some common situations can cause anxiety in claustrophobia sufferers．The claustrophobia sufferer will look for an exit when inside a room, avoid driving on the highway or major roads where there is heavy traffic when inside a car, avoid taking lifts when inside a building, or stand near a door when at a party． 73

Claustrophobia can have harmful social and psychological effects, since the patient will often avoid situations in which she thinks she will have an anxiety attack, leading to hiding and sadness．

According to Dr．Powers, " Exposure treatment, a form of mind-behavioral treatment, usually results in a total reduction in anxiety symptoms if conducted properly．"

Flooding is a type of exposure treatment in which the person is exposed to a situation until the anxiety attack passes; a less extreme form of exposure treatment is counter-conditioning．Counter conditioning includes behavior treatment, as the person is taught visualization and relaxation techniques before being slowly reintroduced to the cause situation．

Medications to help treat claustrophobia include things which help to ease the heart pounding often associated with anxiety attacks．

A．The good news is that claustrophobia is very treatable． B．The past experience can trace back to the moment of birth． C．According to some doctors, claustrophobia is worse than the fear of heights． D．When a person experiences such an event, it can often cause a frightening panic attack． E．In extreme cases, the very sight of a closed door can lead to feelings of anxiety in a person． F．Treatment for claustrophobia can also include medication or a combination of several treatments． G．When a person with claustrophobia finds herself in a restricted space, her body responds

in certain ways．

东城一模

The War Against Sand

Imagine living on the edge of a vast desert, which is moving quietly closer to your village every day and covering your fields. The desert is on the move. This is called desertification.

Desertification occurs in regions close to an already existing desert. The first is over-use of water in the area. There is not enough water in any case, and if it is not carefully used, disaster can follow. As time goes on, water shortages make farming more and more difficult. In some places, locals can remember local lakes and marshes which were once the homes for all kinds of fish and birds. 72 Farmers leave the land, and fields are replaced by deserts.

The second cause is misuse or over-use of the land. Ploughing(耕) large fields and removing bushes and trees means that the wind will blow away the soil. Once the soil is lost, it is hard to replace, and if there is rain, it has nowhere to go, and brings no benefit.

Every spring, the skies over some of eastern cities, thousands of kilometers

away from the deserts, can be darkened by sandstorms. Dust from deserts can have a great effect on weather systems. While desertification is perhaps being partly caused by global warming, these sandstorms can make global warming worse by adding to what is known as the greenhouse effect.

What can be done to slow down or stop the process of desertification? A great deal of work is already under way. Obviously first steps are to find new water sources. 75 Some types of grass also hold the soil together, and stop the wind taking it. Without these efforts, it will be harder and harder to stop the world’s deserts in their tracks, and more and more farmers will give up and head for cities. The lesson to be learnt lies beneath the sand.