“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.

Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.

The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(阴谋) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.

The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宫) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.

　 However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.

Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”

Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”

1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. People have pity on the empress.       

B. Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.

C. Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular.   

D. Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?

A. The imperial palace.         

B. The life of women.

C. Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.  

D. The story of Zhen Huan.

3.When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.

A. learns to survive on her own      

B. asks others for advice

C. feels down and disappointed      

D. becomes an innocent young lady

4.We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.

A. thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers  

B. makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan

C. speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan     

D. wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example

5. This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________.

A. textbook                           B. newspaper

C. advertisement                D. story book

 

完形填空．

　　Located in Shaanxi Province, Xi'an is an important ___1___ of science and technology, culture, education, trade and finance as ___2___ as modern processing（加工）base. ___3___ a population of more than 7 million, Xi'an takes ___4___ an area of 10,108 square kilometers. ___5___ Chang' an in Chinese history, Xi'an was once the capital of 13 dynasties and ____6__ a similar honor as other famous historical cities in the world ___7___ Rome and Athens.

　　The ___8___ Silk Road started there 2,100 years ago, and ___9__ the city into a trade center that connected China with ___10___ countries.

　　The splendid history has blessed the city with numerous valuable relics ___11___ the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the ancient city walls from the Ming Dynasty.

　　Together with gorgeous natural scenery, those historic sites ___12__ a powerful boost（促进）to the tourism Industry in Xi'an, which ___13___ an important part in the local economy.

　　The city has 56 hotels rated in the tourist-star system which ___14___ foreigners and 174 travel agencies open today.

　　Besides tourism, the time-honoured city has also made ___15___ progress in terms of local economy, ___16___ research and city construction advancement in the past 50 years.

　　With a (n) ___17___ of 13 percent in the gross domestic product (CDP) for 10 continuous years, Xi'an ___18___ a comprehensive industrial system of its own.

　　There are now 43 colleges and more than 660 scientific institutions in Xi'an. Each year it turns ___19___ about 3,000 research achievements or patents（专利）. The city's comprehensive technological power ranks ___20__ in China, next to Beijing and Shanghai.