Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sight that Pompeii is famous for--its stadium and theaters, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii's people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2,ooo years. Once Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mt Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano. Mt Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not. In August of the year 79 AD, Mt Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ashes began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead. For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stones and ashes. Then in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city almost looked the same as it had looked in 79 AD. There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20,000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread too; metal bread pans were in every bakery. In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread--a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup. Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii. Why do large number of people come to Pompeii each year? A) To visit the volcano. B) To shop and eat there. C) To watch sports and plays. D) To see how Pompeiians lived.
C
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What benefits can you have from a film? A well-made film offers a whole world of things to watch. First there are the story aspects -- the plot,characters, dialogue and themes. Then there are the technical aspects -- the camera work, cuttings and special effects. And there are many other things, like the credits, musical score and the acting. _  . Films are a means of communication. They can tell you things, just as newspapers do, or television,or any other means of communication. Sometimes they communicate important things to you, like ideasor lifestyles or ways of looking at the world. Sometimes people are aware of this, and sometimes not.The more you are aware of this, the better you are. Notice, for example, the way films sometimes affect fashion. A star dresses or wears her hair in a certain way, and suddenly everyone is imitating   her. Boys in the 1950s could sometimes be seen wearingblack leather jackets, idling   on street corners and smoking cigarettes. They were imitating Marion Brando.  His films taught them a certain way to behave. Films can also teach politics. In Star Wars, the heroes were a bunch of lovable incompetents   fighting with guts   and not much else. They were, in fact, rather like the British in the early days of WW II. Their enemies, like the Nazis, had a big advantage in equipment and numbers of troops, and they were like the Nazis in discipline and heartlessness too. The whole film, in fact, was a re-run   of WW II,  and taught values like faith and love of liberty. This is all to the good, but the point is, did you notice it? All of the following are mentioned as noticeable aspects of a film EXCEPT  _  . A) the list of names of actors and directors,etc. B) the cost of a film C) the music for a film D) the language used in a film
B
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An earthquake is a trembling or shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release  of energy stored in the rocks below the surface. Generally, earthquakes last only seconds. Strong ground shaking during a medium  to large earthquake generally lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Aftershocks  can occur once in a while for weeks or even months. Many people think that there is an "earthquake season" or a kind of " earthquake weather ".As a matter of fact, there isn't. Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year and at time of day or night. Earthquakes occur under all weather conditions-sunny, wet. or cold without any special weather tendency . Also, you don't need to worry that the ground will open up and swallow people when earthquakes occur. Open ground cracks may form during an earthquake, for example, to land sliding or ground falling. However, such cracks tend to be open gaps (they don't " swallow") that a person could stand in afterwards. The safest place in an earthquake is an open field because buildings and falling objects can injure or kill you. If you are indoors, when you feel the ground start to shake, take cover immediately under a table or strong piece of furniture, placing something between falling objects and yourself. Don't " attempt to use the stairs or an elevator to get out of the building.. The reason why there isn't "earthquake weather" is that.  _  . A) an earthquake only lasts seconds and doesn't happen frequently. B) an earthquake can happen at any time and in any kind of weather. C) when an earthquake happens is related to the weather D) earthquakes don't change with the seasons
B
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From the earliest times,man has been interested in art.People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris,France.The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. The Louvre has not always been a museum.The first building was a fort .In 1190,it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower.It had a _ to keep out his enemies. Over the years,the number of buildings around the castle grew.By 1350,the castle was no longer needed as a fort.The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens. During times of peace,new treasures were brought in.During days of war,many treasures were stolen,and the buildings were damaged. When Francis I became king of France in 1515,he brought in artists from many countries.One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy.Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793,the Louvre became a public museum,just as it is now.It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy. On the whole,this passage is mainly about  _  . A) an art museum called the Louvre B) an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci C) a king of France named Francis I D) the best known painting in Louvre

A
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