Tragedy at the Circus
In yesterday’s circus（马戏团）show, a tiger suddenly attacked its trainer and had to be shot dead. As the circus packed up and left, circus officials said the show would go on, even without tigers.
However, the officials cann’t simply turn a blind eye to the ethical（道德的） problems left behind. Even before this tragedy(悲剧), animal rights activists protested（抗议） against keeping wild animals in unnatural conditions and forcing them to suffer for the profit(利润)of circus organizers.
It is now time for us to take effective steps to make sure that circus animals are treated properly.
*******************************
Circus Safe for Animals
Our circus recently suffered a most tragic event in its history. While we are thankful for the pity from the public, we are also astonished by the opinion expressed in “Tragedy at the Circus. ”
First, our performing animals are not taken from the wild. As to the ethical problems. we always believe humans and animals can—and should—live together nicely. To us, the performing animals are representatives of their species(物种), and our circus is one of the only places left willing to support this special role of performing animals in the existence of the species. Those who argue that circus life is harmful to animals show little knowledge of these facts. Life in the “wild” is unsafe, but a continuous struggle for existence. To overlook these realities is the greatest fault against the animal kingdom.
This circus has proven that animals are stronger and smarter than we could imagine. Within the circus is a joyful atmosphere for both animals and humans: people are educated, and species saved.
【小题1】What is the main purpose of the first passage?

A．To show pity for the performing animals.

B．To express worries about animal trainers' safety.

C．To deal with the difficult situations of the circus.

D．To call for action to protect circus animals.

【小题2】What will the circus most probably do?

A．Take no notice of the tragedy.

B．Continue its performances.

C．Use fewer wild animals.

D．Limit its profit.

【小题3】What does the circus think of its performing animals?

A．They are as clever as human beings.

B．They struggle continuously with human beings for existence.

C．They are helpful in saving their species.

D．They have equally natural living conditions as wild animals.

【小题4】What is the most probable relationship between the two passages?

A．A public request and a newspaper report.

B． A newspaper article and a reply to it.

C．Two parts of a newspaper article.

D．Two newspaper reports.

     The old fashioned general store is fast disappearing. This is, perhaps, a pity, because shopping today seems to lack that personal element which existed when the shopkeeper knew all his regular customers personally. He could, for instance, remember which brand of tea Mrs. Smith usually bought or what sort of washing powder Mrs. Jones preferred. Not only was the shop a center of buying and selling, but a social meeting place.

     A prosperous（繁荣的） general store might have employed four or five assistants, and so there were very few problems in management as far as the staff （全体职员） was concerned. But now that the supermarket has replaced the general store, the job of the manager has changed completely. The modern supermarket manager has to cope with a staff of as many as a hundred, apart from all the other everyday problems of running a large business.

     Every morning the manager must, like the commander of an army division, carry out an inspection of his store to make sure that everything is ready for the business of the day. He must see that everything is running smoothly. He will have to give advice and make decisions as problems arise; and he must know how to get his huge staff to work efficiently with their respective responsibilities. No matter what he has to do throughout the day, however, the supermarket manager must be ready for any emergency that may arise. They say in the trade that you are not really an experienced supermarket manager until you have dealt with a flood, a fire, a birth and a death in your store.

1．The main purpose of the passage is to show ______.

     A．how the supermarket has replaced the old general store

     B．how the old fashioned general store is fast disappearing

     C．how supermarket managers deal with problems every morning

     D．how the role of the shop manager has undergone an overall change

2．It is a pity that there are fewer old general stores now because _____.

     A．there is less trading business

     B．there used to be more social activities in the old days

     C．supermarket managers has more problems

     D．there is less personal contact between manager and customer

3．Who are Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones mentioned in the first paragraph?

     A．People representing any of the regular customers of the old general store.

     B．Shop assistants.

     C．Friends of the shop manager’s.

     D．Two regular customers of the store.

4．How has the job of the store manager changed?

     A．He doesn’t sell tea or washing powder any more.

     B．He has a much larger staff to take care of, to say nothing of all the other daily problems of running the store.

     C．He must try hard to remember the names of the regular customers.

     D．He has to give advice and make decisions when problems arise.

5．The author compared the supermarket manager to ______.

     A．a military leader                            B．a school inspector

     C．traffic supervisor             D．an orchestra conductor