Life as a Movie Extra

    Ordinary people have always been attracted to the world of movies and movie stars. One way to get closer to this world is to become a movie extra. Although you have seen movie extras, you may not have paid attention to them. Extras are the people seated at tables in a restaurant while the two main actors are in conversation. They are the guests at the wedding of the main characters. They are the people crossing the street while "the bad guy" is being chased by the police. Extras don"t normally speak any lines, but they help make the scenes look real. ¹

    Being a movie extra might seem like a lot of fun. You get to see what life is like behind the scenes. But don"t forget that being an extra is really a job, and it"s mostly about doing nothing. First-time extras are often shocked to learn how slow the process of movie making is. In a finished movie, the action may move quickly. But it can sometimes take a whole day to shoot a scene that appears for just a few minutes on the screen.

    The main requirement for being an extra is the ability to wait. You may report to work at 5 or 6 a. m. , and then you wait until the director is ready for your scene. This could take several hours. Then there may be technical problems, and you have to wait some more. After the director says "action" and you do the first "take", you may have to do it again if he or she is not satisfied with the scene. In fact, you may have to do the same scene over and over again. You could be on the set for hours, sometimes waiting outdoors in very hot or cold weather. ²You may not be finished until 11 p. m. or midnight. The pay isn"t good, either often only a little bit above minimum wage. And you must pay the agent who gets you the job a commission of about 10 percent.

    So who would want to be a movie extra? In spite of the long hours and low pay, many people still apply for the job. Some people truly enjoy the work. They like being on a movie set, and they enjoy the companionship of their fellow extras. Most of them have flexible schedules, which allow them to be available, ³ They may be students, waiters, homemakers, retired people, or unemployed actors. Some unemployed actors hope the work will help them get real acting jobs, but it doesn"t happen often. Most people in the movie industry make a sharp distinction between extras and actors, so extras are not usually considered for large parts.

    The next time you see a movie, don"t just watch the stars. Take a closer look at the people in the background, and ask yourself: Who are they? Why are they there? What else do they do in life?Maybe there is someone in the crowd who is just like you.

词汇：

movie extra   群众演员            

chase [tʃeɪs]   vt．追捕            

shoot [ʃu:t]  vt． 拍摄

action ["ækʃn]  n． （导演指令）开拍     

commission [kə"mɪʃn]  n． 佣金

注释：

1.Extras don’t normally speak any lines，but tlley help make me seenes look real．：虽然群众演员通常没有台词，但他们的存在使整个场景更加逼真。

2.You could be on me set for hours，sometimes waiting outdoors in very hot or cold weatller．：在拍摄现场，你可能一演就是几个小时，有时还要一直待在很热或很冷的环境中。on the set：在拍摄现场。

3.Most of them have flexible schedules，which allow them to be available．：这些人中大部分都是时间比较灵活的人，这样他们就能腾出时间来演戏。

What are the job requirements for being a movie extra?

A:You have to have a part-time job B:You must be attractive C:You must be willing to repeat a scene many times D:You must start working very early

She is willing to help you, ______ busy she is.

A:what B:how C:however D:whatever

You may think you know the answer but you don’t, （）

A:don’t you B:may you C:may not you D:do you

A stamp is just a piece with a picture and some words printed on one side and some glue on the other side. What makes one of these bits of paper worth any money at all What makes a ten-fen stamp worth ten fen
When you buy a stamp, you also buy service from the post office. You get the letter sent by post. After the stamp has done its work, the post office says it is worthless. You must buy a new one for each letter you send.
But people often pay money for stamps that have already been used. Stamp collectors have fun just trying to collect as many different kinds as possible. Certain kinds are hard to find. To get one of these uncommon stamps, some collectors are willing to pay a great deal of money. They think it is worth something, and that gives it value. If you collect stamps because they are especially beautiful or tell an interesting story or show all kinds of animals, then those are the ones that have value to you.

A:you buy it B:you write a letter C:put a letter into a postbox D:it has a postmark on it

A stamp is just a piece with a picture and some words printed on one side and some glue on the other side. What makes one of these bits of paper worth any money at all What makes a ten-fen stamp worth ten fen
When you buy a stamp, you also buy service from the post office. You get the letter sent by post. After the stamp has done its work, the post office says it is worthless. You must buy a new one for each letter you send.
But people often pay money for stamps that have already been used. Stamp collectors have fun just trying to collect as many different kinds as possible. Certain kinds are hard to find. To get one of these uncommon stamps, some collectors are willing to pay a great deal of money. They think it is worth something, and that gives it value. If you collect stamps because they are especially beautiful or tell an interesting story or show all kinds of animals, then those are the ones that have value to you.
The post office says the stamp is useless when ______ .

A:you buy it B:you write a letter C:put a letter into a postbox D:it has a postmark on it

You may think you know the answer but you don't, （）

A:don't you B:may you C:may not you D:do you

Passage 3 A stamp is just a piece with a picture and some words printed on one side and some glue on the other side. What makes one of these bits of paper worth any money at all What makes a ten - fen stamp worth ten fen When you buy a stamp, you also buy service from the post office. You get the letter sent by post. After the stamp has done its work, the post office says it is worthless. You must buy a new one for each letter you send. But people often pay money for stamps that have already been used. Stamp collectors have fun just trying to collect as many different kinds as possible. Certain kinds are hard to find. To get one of these uncommon stamps, some collectors are willing to pay a great deal of money. They think it is worth something, and that gives it value, If you Collect stamps because they are especially beautiful or tell an interesting story or show all kinds of animals, then those are the ones that have value to you.

A:you buy it B:you write a letter C:put a letter into a postbox D:it has a postmark on it

Questions from 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: There are a lot of “markets”. Some markets are local; you may be willing to compare prices for fruits and vegetables in a few shops in your local area, but you would be unwilling to go across the city to find out more information. Some markets are national. Many firms sell goods across the country. Some markets are global or international. Increasingly, more and more countries are involved in the world economy, whether they know about it or not. However, there are many other markets: labor markets for job seekers, supermarkets for grocery shopping, foreign exchange market, capital market, real estate markets and so on. And we must not overlook the fact that many services such as banking, insurance are also bought and sold on a worldwide scale. But what is a “market” Most people would say, “A market is a place where enough buyers and sellers meet face to face, so that a market price for goods and services can be determined.” However, with rapid growth of telecommunications, it is no longer necessary for buyers and sellers to physically meet to form a market. You may hear the terms “global market” or “global economy”. What do those terms mean to you What do they mean to business today Thanks to the Information Age we are seconds away from the rest of world. Business everywhere recognizes that they can expand their market to anywhere and do business at any time because of the Internet. Now, the Internet is the fastest growing market in the world today, yet buyers and sellers don’t even have to leave their own homes to transact business. In the modern world, a market can take many forms. Generally speaking, a market may be housed in a place, or it may exist only in people’s minds. And a market can be any place or process that brings together buyers and sellers with a view to agreeing to a price. Which of following statements is True according to the passage（ ）

A:You are willing to find fruits and vegetables at a lower price all over the country. B:If a firm sell its products across the country, then it is doing international business. C:Insurance can not be sold on a worldwide scale. D:Buyers and sellers can do business without meeting face to face.