单选题 .  Acting is such an overcrowded profession that the only advice that should be given to a young person thinking of going on the stage is "Don't!" But it is useless to try to discourage someone who feels that he must act, although the chances of his becoming famous are small. The normal way to begin is to go to a drama school. Usually only students who show promise and talent are accepted, and the course lasts two years. Then the young actor or actress takes up work with a play company, usually as assistant stage manager. This means doing everything that there is to do in the theatre: painting scenery, looking after the furniture, taking care of the clothes, and even acting in very small parts. It is very hard work indeed, the hours are long and the salary is tiny. But young actors with the stage in their blood are happy, waiting for the chance of work with a better company, or perhaps in films or television.
    Of course, some people have unusual chances which lead to fame and success without this long and dull training. Connie Pratt, for example, was just an ordinary girl working in a bicycle factory. A film producer happened to catch sight of her one morning waiting at a bus stop, as he drove past in his big car. He told the driver to stop, and he got out to speak to the girl. He asked her if she would like to go to the film company to do a test, and at first she thought he was joking. Then she got angry and said she would call the police. It took the producer twenty minutes to tell Connie that he was serious. Then an appointment was made for her to go to the company the next day. The test was successful. They gave her some necessary lessons and within a few weeks she was playing the leading part in a film, which made her well-known overnight throughout the country. Of course, she was given a more dramatic name, which is now world-famous. But chances like this happen once in a blue moon!1.  The main reason why young people should be discouraged from becoming actors is that ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 事实细节题
   文章第一句话就谈到了这一点:Acting is such an over-crowded profession...其中的一个关键词组是over-crowded profession(拥挤不堪的职业),即从事演员这个职业的人太多了。故选D。
[参考译文]
   表演是那样一个拥挤的行业,所以对那些想要在舞台上发展的年轻人唯一的建议就是“不要!”但是,要想阻止那些非要上舞台的人是没有用的,虽然他们成名的机会很小。想从事舞台行业的人通常先是去一个戏剧学校。往往只有具有良好的发展前景和天赋的学生才能被接受,该课程持续两年。接着,这些年轻的男演员或女演员先要在演出公司找份工作,通常是做助理舞台经理,这意味着要做舞台工作的每一件事:布置场景,照看道具,照看衣服,甚至有少量的表演。这确实是很辛苦的工作,时间很长,工资很少。但是年轻的演员感到舞台是快乐的,他们一直在等待机会,希望能在一家更好的公司或者在电影、电视中谋到差事。
   当然,有些人有着不同寻常的机会,没有经过这个漫长而枯燥的训练就获得了名誉和成功。例如,康妮·普拉特当初只是一个在一家自行车厂工作的平凡女孩。一天早上,一个电影制片人开车时碰巧在一个车站旁看见她在等车。他让司机停车,下车问她是否想去电影公司做个测试;起初,她以为他是在开玩笑,然后很生气,说要叫警察。他花了20分钟时间才跟康尼说清楚他是认真的,然后约定第二天去公司测试。结果很成功。他们给她上了一些基础课程,几周之内就让她在电影中扮演主要的角色,这使得她在全国一夜成名。当然,她也被取了一个更富戏剧性的名字,现在世界闻名。但是这样的机会千载难逢啊!