文学、艺术与体育
阅读理解
Passage 1
Theater Upcoming Events
Dear Evan Hansen
EISENHOWER THEATER
Aug. 30—Sep. 25， 2024
Dear Evan Hansen is a deeply personal and profoundly （深刻地） contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The New York Times calls it “a breathtaking knockout of a musical”.
Recommended for age 12 and up
Bluey’s Big Play
EISENHOWER THEATER
Nov. 22—27， 2024
When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out， Bluey and Bingo have other plans！ Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness to get Dad off that bean bag. Bluey’s Big Play is a new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning children’s television series， with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm， and new music by Bluey composer Joff Bush.
Suitable and enjoyable for all ages.
Shear Madness
THEATERLAB
Oct. 1—5， 2024
Set in present-day Georgetown， Shear Madness is an interactive comedy that engages audiences as armchair detectives to help solve the murder of a famous concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness hairstyling salon （沙龙）.
Performance Timing： 2 hours， with one short break.
No Excuses， No Limits
FAMILY THEATER
Jan. 13—15， 2025
Inspired by this international all-star breakdance crew of seven of the world’s best differently-abled dancers， No Excuses， No Limits takes audiences on a journey of each dancer’s story through dance， music， audience interaction， and a gained understanding of the limitless possibilities that any person can hold.
1. What is adapted from a children’s television series？
A. Shear Madness. B. Dear Evan Hansen. C. Bluey’s Big Play. D. No Excuses， No Limits.
2. What can we learn about Shear Madness？
A. It presents the impact of hairstyling salons.
B. It is aimed at remembering a concert pianist.
C. It runs for 2 hours with two breaks.
D. It lets audiences solve the crime.
3. When can we enjoy an exciting story about dancers？
A. On September 22. B. On November 25. C. On January 14. D. On October 1.
Passage 2
There was a time when baseball was the only game in the summer holidays. But with competition from other sports like soccer， baseball is not as prevalent as it used to be. However， the baseball field is still a place for young boys to prove themselves.
Tim was one of those boys. He seemed to be growing in special ways： long arms and legs， thin shoulders， and no meat on his bones. But he loved baseball. Although strikeouts （三振出局） piled up （堆放） in the recording sheets， Tim continued. He knew his body didn’t respond to dreams and wishes， but his desire was always there.
Tim practiced his swing every day， and every strikeout brought two things to the little boy： determination and some tears that Tim quickly wiped away before returning to the baseball field. His teammates encouraged him. His coach worked with him. Even the opposing teams held their breath， wishing for his hitting， just one hit for the boy who seemed to deserve it more than any other 10-year-old kid in the world.
What teammates and parents and even the coach never saw was a gray van （小型货车） that pulled up each game in the parking lot. Inside was Tim’s father， too weak from advancing cancer to get out of the van. It was a tough assignment for a father to watch his kid strike out， but for Tim’s father， he believed success was made out of sweat， tears， and effort instead of results. That was also what he expected Tim to understand and do.
At the end of the season， Tim did his best， but ended up missing the chance to advance. When the game was over， Tim ran straight into the gray van and into the arms of his father， who knew his son’s every effort and was proud of him. Sometimes success really means more than the result.
1. What does the underlined word “prevalent” in Paragraph 1 probably mean？
A. Challenging. B. Disappointing. C. Competitive. D. Popular.
2. What can we infer about Tim from Paragraph 3？
A. He held the whole team back. B. His efforts won others’ respect.
C. His progress brought hope to his father. D. He made an excellent performance finally.
3. What can be concluded about Tim’s father？
A. He put high hopes on Tim. B. He was an inspiring father.
C. He felt disappointed with Tim. D. He helped Tim learn the baseball.
4. What can be the best title of the text？
A. Success Is a Journey Rather than a Destination
B. A Wonderful Boy and His Family
C. The Right Way to Learn Baseball
D. One Step Makes a Difference
Passage 3
The term “Iron Man” has many connotations （内涵）， including references to a song， a comic book icon， even a movie. Yet only one definition of the term truly lives up to its name： iron-man triathlon （铁人三项）， held annually in Hawaii， a unique setting for a challenging race， which demands amazing physical skills and the ability to swim， bike， and run a marathon， all in less than 12 hours with no break. Very few individuals are up to the task.
However， Gordon Haller is a exception. Growing up in the 1950s， Haller developed an interest in many sports categorized as endurance （耐性） athletics. So when he heard about the race in 1978， the first year it was held， he immediately signed up.