Fora400-year-oldartformoperahadabadfame:overweightactressessingingthewordswhichwerehardtounderstandinoneofthoseromancelanguagesyouweresupposedtolearninhighschool.Andwithticketscostingasmuchas$145aperformanceoperagoersalsohadacertainappearanceinpeople'smind:richwell-dressedandold.[来源:]

Butnowoperacompaniesaroundthecountryarelooseningtheirtiesandkickingofftheirshoesinanattempttokeepoperaaliveandtakeittoayoungerandnotsowealthyaudience.

Operaproducershavefoundthattoattractthiscrowdtheyneedtomaketheoperaclosertocommonpeople.Becauseyoungpeopledon'torwon'tcometotheoperacompaniesarebringingtheoperatothemgivingperformancesinsuchunusualplacesasparkslibrariesandpublicschools.

TheHoustonGrandOpera'schoiceisthepubliclibrarywhereitperforms“mobileoperas”shortenedversions(剧本)ofchild-friendlyoperas.Thissummer'sproductionisHansel＆Gretel.Byperformingsmallerversionsoflargeproductionsproducersareabletomakepeopleinterestedwhilekeepingcostsatareasonablelevel.TheSanFranciscoOperawhichwillbecelebratingits75thanniversarythisyearisstagingCinderellafreeofchargekeepingcostsdownbyemployingstudentsfromitsYoungArtists'TrainingProgram.

1.Whichisthemainideaofthispassage？

A. Operaisfamousforitslonghistory.

B. Operaisonlyperformedforrichpeople.

C. Operacompaniesaretryingtokeepoperaalive.

D. Youngpeoplearenotinterestedinopera.

2.Theunderlinedphraseinthesecondparagraphmeans______.

A. breakinguptheoldrules B. changingthedresses

C. makingtheaudienceatease D.advertisingthemselves

3.Operacompaniesprefertoperformshortversionsbecause______.

A. theycanbeperformedinpubliclibraries

B. shortversionsareeasytoperform

C. itishardtofindlongversions

D. theycanmakemorepeoplecometoopera

4.TheSanFranciscoOperaemploysstudentsinorderto______.

A. celebrateits75thanniversary B. reducethecost

C. attractyoungpeople D. makeCinderel