| Crosstalk, a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a comeback in China's teahouses and theaters. Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin, entertained by the apprentices (学徒) of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan -- all leading crosstalk artists of years past -for only 20 yuan (US$2.40). The success in Tianjin has also given mo  tivation to therejuvenation (复活) of crosstalk in Beijing and other places. Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Tianjin became a place where rising stars developed their styles and new pieces were tried out. The city was famous for the quality of its crosstalk performances. "We only want to bring the traditional pieces back to the audiences, helping them to learn their charms and definitions," said Yin Xiaosheng, head of the Zhongyou Arts Troupe. Known in Chinese as xiangsheng (literally, "face and voice"), crosstalk was the main form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century. In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere, temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters. Usually crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to contemporary social issues. Although there are hundreds of pieces in the traditional works, they are constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well. This is one of the features that have made crosstalk a populist(平民化) art form throughout its history. "Crosstalk was in the doldrums with competition from other art forms, especially TV," sa  id Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China (NSAS). "But it has regained its status with cr  osstalk fans, especially young people, growing aware of its rare qualities." The reawakening of interest in the traditional art is going beyond merely watching and listening for many. "More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl students," said Wang, "They are sure that crosstalk will have a strong market." |
| 1. From the passage, we can know the crosstalk originates(源于) from ______. |
| A. the TV shows B. the teahouse and theater C. the cinema D. the temple fairs and markets |
| 2. Crosstalk makes a comeback mainly because_________. |
| A. it is one of the most popular traditional art forms B. the pieces mainly cover folk tales and social issues C. the pieces are changing with times and audience D. it is performed by some leading crosstalk artists |
| 3. Which is the opposite of the underlined word "doldrums" (in the last paragraph)? |
| A. Boom. B. Variety. C. Harmony. D. Period. |
4. From the pa ssage we can predict the future of crosstalk lies in______. |
| A. making up a variety of traditional pieces B. having advantages over other media C. young people's the awareness of its value D. the competitive and big markets for art |