BPart III Reading Comprehension/B

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自古以来黄颜色就与中国传统文化有着紧密联系。中国的第一个皇帝称为“ 黄帝 ”(Yellow Emperor)；中华民族的母亲河为“黄河”；中国人的皮肤为“黄皮肤”。 五行学说 (the theory of five elements)认为黄颜色位居五行的中央，居于诸色之上，最为贵，黄色也因此被定为皇帝服装的颜色。 明清两朝 (the Ming and QingDynasties)，黄色为皇家专用色彩，是权力的象征。直到现在，黄色仍然是中国人最喜爱的颜色之一。

由于中国北方 重度雾霾 (heavy smog)持续不散，公众越发关注空气污染问题。一些 网民 (netizen)甚至对污染的程度表达了愤怒情绪。治理空气污染迫在眉睫。中国多个城市实行汽车限购，希望此举一方面能缓解交通拥堵，一方面能控制空气污染。中国政府准备推出一个长期计划来控制导致严重污染的行业。政府也将额外支出50亿元人民币来改善北方地区的空气质量。

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数世纪来，无数的外国人到中国旅行。他们都被中国迷人的风景和灿烂的文化所深深吸引。中国拥有高耸的山峰、炙热的沙漠、无垠的草原以及富饶的海洋。有着5000年历史的中国文明是世界上最古老的文明之一。古建筑、传统节日和 手工艺品 (handicraft)都展示着中国特有的文化。中国还有着50多个独特的民族以及他们各式各样的传统生活方式。

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十年来，博览会极大推动了区域经济和贸易合作，为世界各地的商界带来了巨大机遇。

不久前，一条新的 国际道路运输线路 (transnational highway)开通。这条线路连接广西崇左市和越南 下龙市 (Ha Long city)，长达400公里。它将两个城市之间的公路出行时间缩短至7．5小时。这两个城市的旅游业都有着良好的发展前景。崇左市因其美丽的 跨国瀑布 (transnational waterfalls)和独具魅力的民族文化吸引了大量的游客。下龙市则毗邻越南著名的旅游胜地下龙湾。中越两国都希望借此线路促进两国旅游业的发展。

中国的 农民工 (migrant worker)是从农村到城市来寻找工作的农民。他们在建筑工地、工厂、饭店以及家政服务业寻求工作。这些农民工推动着中国经济的快速增长。据报道，去年中国有1．67亿农民工。这个庞大的群体时常面临着被拖 欠工资 (pay arrears)、缺乏 工伤 (workplace injury)赔偿和医疗保障，以及子女上学难等诸多问题。近几年，中国政府日益改善农民工的权益。

BPart II Listening Comprehension/B

Steps to Better Foot HealthA) Are your feet healthy? Even people who try to cover all the bases—avoiding fattening foods, hitting the gym and wearing sunscreen—may not be able to answer yes. Doctors say people often ignore persistent but minor foot complaints, which can later develop into bigger problems, like lower back pain. Some common foot problems can mask underlying issues that are correctable if addressed early. Tender feet might be a sign of a pinched nerve, for example, or bunions (肿) might stem from weak arches. Other foot illness, such as sores that don't heal, can point to a more serious condition, such as diabetes.B) Podiatrists (足部医生) say foot illness are a growing problem as more people get physically active. Running marathons, for instance, puts added pressure on the feet and can worsen existing issues that might be caused by genetics or poor footwear choices. Feet also must bear the burden from the growing numbers of people who are overweight or obese.C) Many people don't wear shoes with proper support, which is especially harmful for active athletes, says Leslie Campbell, a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, a professional organization. "We see more young children coming in because they play sports like soccer and wear cleats, which are rigid, don't absorb shock, cause fatigue and should be worn as little as possible," she says. Dr. Campbell, a podiatrist at Presbyterian Hospital in Allen, Texas, recommends soccer players not wear cleats off the field and be sure to warm up adequately before playing so the joints are supple in the shoe.D) Other sports, including football, basketball and tennis, require constant, quick side-to-side movements that increase the risk of ankle sprains. And long-distance running can cause overuse problems like heel spurs, pinched nerves in the ankle and excessive rolling of the foot, which is known as over-or under-pronation.E) People can check for pronation problems by looking at the bottoms of their shoes. Uneven wear means the foot isn't landing properly, which can cause a collapsed arch and lead to lower back pain, says Eugene Charles, a New York-based practitioner of applied kinesiology (运动学) , an alternative medicine that combines elements of chiropractic (脊椎神经) , physical therapy and other disciplines. Orthotics is usually recommended in this case, he says.F) Achy feet shouldn't just be explained away by old age or standing a lot, says Dr. Charles. Rubbing the feet after a long day should feel good. But if the feet are tender to the touch, this could reveal an underlying problem such as overworked muscles or weak arches. Often the wrong shoes are to blame, so try footwear with more support.G) Sometimes a foot problem starts in another part of the body. If the bones in the ankle make a crackling sound when the joint is rotated, this could mean a major muscle located in the calf and foot, called the tibialis posterior (胫骨后肌) , needs to be strengthened, Dr. Charles says. A weak tibialis posterior can cause tendon (肌腱) problems and shin splints. Standing on one foot or doing calf stretches and heel raises can strengthen the muscle.H) Elevating the feet whenever it is convenient is a good practice because it alleviates pressure, Dr. Charles says. Epsom-salt soaks and foot massages feel good, but usually don't address actual problems. If people need a soak every day for their feet to feel normal, there may be something wrong, he says. Going barefoot isn't always a good idea. Shedding shoes on grass or on the beach can strengthen certain muscles, Dr. Campbell says. But walking barefoot on hard surfaces, which don't provide support, can cause muscle strain and misalignment. Regular stretches and exercises can strengthen muscles and help prevent some common foot problems.I) Before getting out of bed, wake up the foot muscles. Sit with your feet extended and angle the toes toward your head and then away from it. This works the Achilles tendon and fascial band. Rolling your foot over a tennis ball stimulates nerve endings and protects from injury. Picking up small objects like marbles strengthens muscles in the toes and foot. Calf stretches strengthen major muscles in the lower leg that affect the foot. Wrapping a rubber band around the toes and then expanding the toes outward supports foot muscles.J) To prepare for a vacation that will involve lots of walking, Dr. Charles recommends getting the feet in shape by starting to take walks a month before the trip and gradually ramping up the workout length. He suggests alternating the speed—walk very slowly for one block, then fast for another—to work different muscles and strengthen the foot overall.K) Some foot illness can signal bigger problems, for which a podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon should be consulted. For example, pain in the big toe can be a sign of gout, a form of arthritis. Sores that don't heal can indicate diabetes and abnormal blood-glucose levels or peripheral artery disease. And soreness or a burning sensation in the ball of the foot can signal a pinched nerve.L) Bunions and hammertoes are common illness that are painful and usually indicate larger structural problems. Bunions are the bony bumps that form at the base of the big toe and hammertoes are toes with an abnormal bend in the middle joint. These can signal that the foot isn't receiving enough support, either because of ill-fitting shoes like heels, or genetics that cause the foot to be too mobile.

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The Origins of TheatreA) In seeking to describe the origins of Theatre, one must rely primarily on speculation, since there is little concrete evidence on which to draw. The most widely accepted theory, championed by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, envisions Theatre as emerging out of myth and ritual. The process perceived by these anthropologists may be summarized briefly. During the early stages of its development, a society becomes aware of forces that appear to influence or control its food supply and well-being. Having little understanding of natural causes, it attributes both desirable and undesirable occurrences to supernatural or magical forces, and it searches for means to win the favor of these forces. Perceiving an apparent connection between certain actions performed by the group and the result it desires, the group repeats, refines and formalizes those actions into fixed ceremonies, or rituals.B) Stories (myths) may then grow up around a ritual. Frequently the myths include representatives of those supernatural forces that the rites celebrate or hope to influence. Performers may wear costumes and masks to represent the mythical characters or supernatural forces in the rituals or in accompanying celebrations. As a person becomes more sophisticated, its conceptions of supernatural forces and causal relationships may change. As a result, it may abandon or modify some rites. But the myths that have grown up around the rites may continue as part of the group's oral tradition and may even come to be acted out under conditions divorced from these rites. When this occurs, the first step has been taken toward Theatre as an autonomous activity, and thereafter entertainment and aesthetic values may gradually replace the former mystical and socially efficacious concerns.C) Although origin in ritual has long been the most popular, it is by no means the only theory about how the Theatre came into being. Storytelling has been proposed as one alternative. Under this theory, relating and listening to stories are seen as fundamental human pleasures. Thus, the recalling of an event (a hunt, a battle, or other feats) is elaborated through the narrator's pantomime and impersonation and eventually through each role being assumed by a different person.D) A closely related theory sees Theatre as evolving out of dances that are primarily pantomimic, rhythmical or gymnastic, or from imitations of animal noises and sounds. Admiration for the performer's skill, virtuosity, and grace are seen as motivation for elaborating the activities into fully realized theatrical performances.E) In addition to exploring the possible antecedents of Theatre, scholars have also theorized about the motives that led people to develop Theatre. Why did Theatre develop, and why was it valued after it ceased to fulfill the function of ritual? Most answers fall back on the theories about the human mind and basic human needs. One, set forth by Aristotle in the fourth century BC, sees humans as naturally imitative—as taking pleasure in imitating persons, things, and actions and in seeing such imitations. Another, advanced in the twentieth century, suggests that humans have a gift for fantasy, through which they seek to reshape reality into more satisfying forms than those encountered in daily life. Thus, fantasy or fiction (of which drama is one form) permits people to objectify their anxieties and fears, confront them, and fulfill their hopes in fiction if not fact. The Theatre, then, is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.F) But neither the human imitative instinct nor a penchant for fantasy by itself leads to an autonomous Theatre. Therefore, additional explanations are needed. One necessary condition seems to be a somewhat detached view of human problems. For example, one sign of this condition is the appearance of the comic vision, since comedy requires sufficient detachment to view some deviations from social norms as ridiculous rather than as serious threats to the welfare of the entire group. Another condition that contributes to the development of autonomous Theatre is the emergence of the aesthetic sense. For example, some early societies ceased to consider certain rites essential to their well-being and abandoned them, nevertheless, they retained as parts of their oral tradition the myths that had grown up around the rites and admired them for their artistic qualities rather than for their religious usefulness. G) Theatreis a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of design and stagecraft are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the experience. The specific place of the performance is also named by the word "theatre" as derived from the Ancient Greek word "theatron", "a place for viewing" , itself from "theaomai" , "to see" , "to watch" , "to observe". H) Modern Western theatre derives in large measure from ancient Greek drama, from which it borrows technical terminology, classification into genres, and many of its themes, stock characters, and plot elements. Theatre scholar Patrice Pavis defines theatricality, theatrical language, stage writing, and the specificity of theatre as synonymous expressions that differentiate theatre from the other performing arts, literature, and the arts in general. I) Theatre today includes performances of plays and musicals. Although it can be defined broadly to include opera and ballet, those art forms are outside the scope of this article. Western theatre developed and expanded considerably under the Romans. The Roman historian Livy wrote that the Romans first experienced theatre in the 4th century BCE, with a performance by Etruscan actors. The theatre of ancient Rome was a thriving and diverse art form, ranging from festival performances of street theatre, nude dancing, and acrobatics, to the staging of Plautus's broadly appealing situation comedies, to the high-style, verbally elaborate tragedies of Seneca.

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying "Prevention is better than cure." You can cite examples to illustrate why prevention better helps in working out a problem. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.

七夕节(Qixi Festival)在农历七月初七庆祝，起源于汉代(the Han Dynasty)，是一个传统节日。在中国古代传说中，牛郎和织女(cowherd and weaver girl)会在每年的这一天相会。七夕节是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日，现在一般被称为“中国情人节”。对于姑娘们，七夕节是个重要的日子，她们会在这一天晚上向聪明的织女祈求智慧、女红(needle work)技巧和美满的姻缘。

BSection A/B

Here's some good news for parents of tweens and teens: You rule. That may be hard to believe sometimes. And it's true kids won't always follow your health and safety rules. But studies show parents who keep setting boundaries make a huge difference.The latest example is a survey on media use by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It found that typical kids aged from 8 to 18 spend an astonishing 7 hours and 38 minutes a day consuming entertainment media, indulging deeply in TV, computers, games, cellphones, music players and other devices while occasionally glancing at books and other non-electronic media. Many experts, including the pediatrics (小儿科) academy, consider that much screen time bad for mental and physical health. But the study also found that kids whose parents set any time or content limits were plugged in for three hours less each day. "Parents can have a big influence," says Kaiser researcher Vicky Rideout. "The reality is that teenagers care deeply what their parents think," says Kenneth Ginsburg, a specialist of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The challenge for parents is to get across rules and boundaries in a way that doesn't feel controlling." Research shows that parents who set firm rules but explain and enforce in a warm supportive way work better than those who set no rules, fail to enforce them or rule with a "because I said so" iron grip. Ideally, "kids understand the rules are about their well-being and safety," Ginsburg says. Still, achieving just-right parenting is "challenging", says Margaret Broe-Fitzpatrick, a teacher in Kensington, Md., who has four children, ages 8 to 16. "There are so many different things to keep track of." She and her husband keep their kids busy with sports and other activities, limit screen time and review the music their children download. They talk with their 16-year-old son about the rules he'll face when he gets a driver's license soon. But, she says, they can't police everything the kids encounter on the Internet or in friends' homes. "We're just doing the best we can," she says, "even if young people may protest at first, they do feel more safe and secure when limits are set."