考研英语历年真题阅读理解精读笔记。
TEXT 2
Stratford on Avon, as we all know, has only one industry-William Shakespeare-but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.
The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC’s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise making.
The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus-and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side-don’t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town’s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.
The townsfolk don’t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.
Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they’ll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.
It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over)-lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m.
26. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that .
［A］ the townsfolk deny the RSC’s contribution to the town’s revenue
［B］ the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage
［C］ the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms
［D］ the townsfolk earn little from tourism
27. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that .
［A］ the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately
［B］ the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers
［C］ the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers
［D］ the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater
28.By saying"Stratford cries poor traditionally"(Line 2,Paragraph 4),the author implies that .
［A］ Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects
［B］ Stratford has long been in financial difficulties
［C］ the town is not really short of money
［D］ the townsfolk used to be poorly paid
29. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because .
［A］ ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending
［B］ the company is financially ill managed
［C］ the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable
［D］ the theatre attendance is on the rise
30. From the text we can conclude that the author .
［A］ is supportive of both sides
［B］ favors the townsfolk’s view
［C］ takes a detached attitude
［D］ is sympathetic to the RSC
afford4 v.①担负得起，买得起，花得起（时间）；②供给，给予
alike2 a.相同的，相像的
attendance1 n.到场，出席
attitude14 n.①（to，towards）态度，看法；②姿势
attractive3 a.有吸引力的，引起兴趣的，动人的
author69 n.①作者；②创始人
banquet1 n.宴会；v.赴宴
beard2 n.胡须
behavior15 n.①行为，举止；②（机器的）特性
cash4 n.现金，现款；v.兑现，付（或收）现款
conclude5 v.①结束，终结；②断定，下结论；③缔结，议定
contend3 v.①竞争，斗争；②坚决主张，声称，认为
contribute6 v.①（to）贡献，捐助，捐献；②投稿
contribution4 n.①贡献；②捐献（物）；③作用，影响；④因素，成份
council2 n.理事会，委员会，议事机构
decorate1 v.装饰，装璜，布置
dedicate5 v.奉献，把...用在
deny5 v.①否认，否定；②拒绝
deserve4 v.应受，值得
detach2 v.分开，拆开
directly10 ad.①直接地，径直地；②马上，立即
dislike1 n./v.不喜欢，厌恶
doubt8 n./v.怀疑，疑虑
expansion2 n.①扩张，膨胀；②张开，伸展
financial11 a.财政的，金融的
forth2 ad.向前，向外；（back and ～）来回地
hamburger1 n.汉堡包，牛肉饼
hostile2 a.敌对的，敌方的，敌意的
imitate2 v.①模仿，仿效；②仿造，伪造
imply12 v.意指，含...意思，暗示
increasingly11 ad.不断增加地，日益
infer21 v.推论，推断
jeans1 n.斜纹布裤，牛仔裤
lean2 v.①倾斜，屈身；②倚，靠，依赖；a.①瘦的，无脂肪的；②精干的，效率高的；③贫瘠的
local9 a.①地方的，当地的；②局部的
lounge2 n.休息室，起居室，客厅
memorial1 a.记忆的，纪念的；n.纪念物，纪念碑，纪念馆
nevertheless7 conj./ad.虽然如此
occupy2 v.①占，占用；②占据，占领；③填满；④忙于，从事
present16 a.①出席的，到场的；②现在的，目前的；n.①现在，目前；②礼物，赠品；v.①赠（送），呈献；②介绍，陈述；③提出，呈交；④上演
project8 n.方案，计划，项目；v.①投射，放映；②（使）凸出，（使）伸出；③设计规划
reason26 n.①理由，原因；②理性，理智；v.①推论，推理；②说服，评理；③讨论，辩论
resident4 n.居民，常住者；a.居住的
revenue7 n.财政收入，税收
rocket1 n.火箭；v.剧增
royal4 a.①王室的，皇家的；②第一流的，高贵的
seat3 n.①座位，底座；②所在地，场所；v.使坐下，安排座位
stream3 n.①小河，溪流；②川流不息的事物；v.流出，涌
subsidy2 n.补助金，津贴
superb1 a.极好的，高质量的
sympathetic1 a.同情的，共鸣的
view28 n.①景象，风景；②观点，见解；③观察，观看；④眼界；v.看待，观察，考虑
worthy2 a.①（of）值得...的，配得上...的；②可尊敬的，有价值的
according47 ad.依照，根据
birthplace1 n.诞生地
bun1 n.小圆面包
clientele1 n.客户
cocktail1 n.鸡尾酒
deliciously1 ad.美味地，芬香地
distinctly2 ad.清楚地，显然
financially2 ad.财政上，金融上
flagstone1 n.石板
frankly2 n.坦白地，真诚地
ironic1 a.说反话的，讽刺的
nightfall1 n.黄昏
noisiness1 n.吵闹
playgoer2 n.爱看戏的人
playgoing1 n.看戏
sandal2 n.凉鞋，便鞋
sightseer2 n.观光客
socially2 ad.在社交方面，在社会地位上 tourism1 n.观光事业，游览
townsfolk3 n.市民，居民
traditionally3 ad.传统地，惯例地
