四六级

　　Hollywood is on the edge of a nervous breakdown1. Worried about an industry wide writers strike, struckby a series of theater-chain bankruptcies, burdenedwith unreasonable corporate profit, requirementsand seemingly incapable of producing consistently2 creative movies, the American filmindustry is in an intensive period of soul-searching. There's little doubt it will survive this crisis. But most insiders agree there is disease at both ends of the business —where films areconceived, and where they're shown — that may take years to overcome.

　　While boasting annual box-office revenue increases for nine straight years, largely due toincreased ticket prices, the number of actual tickets sold has declined for the second year in arow. The construction boom has added nearly 10, 000 theaters ( more than 200, 000 moreseats) in the last five years. But due to a static audience base, eight major chains have goneinto bankruptcy and several others are in dreadful financial straits.

　　In effect, insiders say, Hollywood is now in a business it does not want to be in. "There'sgeneral problem in that the companies that have the most consistent output of material areleast interested in what they're making, "says former 20 th Century Fox CEO3 Bill. And, Billadds,"We're in a period where movies are getting bigger and more costly and less interestingand fulfilling to an audience. "

　　Today the studios are under the stress to increase profit margins for their corporate parents, and profit margins are hard to control in a business whose products are seen as impulsebuys. Other business can increase profits by cutting costs — buying cheaper material, ormaking the candy bar smaller4 . Not Hollywood.

　　"What we're cutting is risk, "says the head of one major studio, who asked not to benamed,"And risk is what great film has always demanded. " While the studios are avoiding riskyconcepts, their rivals in the home entertainment business have been furiously expanding theboundaries of the imagination. It was this pressure — in electronic games, the Internet, EVDs — that forced the movie theater chains into a self-destructive frenzy of expansion.

　　Seduced by easy access to loans during the go-go5 economy of the mid to late 1990s, thechains plunged into debt in a feverish effort to be first on the block with the biggest 158 theatres. In five years, the number of U. S. screens expanded from 27, 000 to more than 37, 000 .

　　" It's going to take three or four years for the complete recovery of the business, "says KurtHall, president of the United Artists Theater Circuit."It will take that long to get the number ofscreens down to a healthy level. The closer we get to 30, 000 the better off we'll be. "

　　Ⅰ. Complete the summary of the passage:

　　Hollywood is on the 1 of nervous breakdown. It was struck by theater-chain2 , burdened with 3 corporate profit, requirements, 4 of producing 5 creative movies. Most insiders allege thatboth ends of the business have disease. The annual box-office revenue increases because ofthe 6 ticket prices. The number of actual tickets sold has 7 for the second year in a row. In thelast five years 8 theaters has set up. Given the limited audience base, eight major chains havegone 9 bankruptcy and several others are in 10 11 .

　　Ⅱ. Questions:

　　1. Why Hollywood is now in a business it does not want to be in?

　　2. Why the studio is under stress? In what way is it different from other business?

　　参考答案：

　　Ⅰ. 1. edge 2. bankruptcies 3. unreasonable 4 . incapable 5. consistently 6. increased 7. declined 8. 10, 000 9 . into 10 . financial 11. straits

　　Ⅱ. 1. Because nowadays movies are getting bigger and more costly and less interesting and fulfilling to an audience.

　　2. They have to increase profit for their corporate parents and profit margins are hard to control in a business whose products are seen as impulse buys. Other business can increase profits by cutting costs — buying cheaper material, but Hollywood can’t.

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