To many people, the word Hollywood has two meanings. Hollywood is the name of a town, but it also stands for movie making.

Hollywood was just farmland at the beginning of this century. Early American movies were made in other places such as New York and Chicago.

In 1917 a director was making a movie in Chicago. Because of cold weather, he couldn't finish the movie. He took a trip to southern California, and there he found just the weather and scenery he needed to finish his movie. The director realized that southern California was the perfect place for making movies. The next year his company built a movie studio in Hollywood. Other companies followed. Before long nearly all important American movie studios were located（有自己的位置）in Hollywood.

The next 30 years were Hollywood's greatest years. Thousands of movies were made, most by a few large and powerful studios. Directors, actors, and writers worked for these studios. They made some movies that today are considered great art. Hollywood, the area in Los Angeles, also reached its high point in these years. Many famous and glamorous（光芒耀人的）movie stars, like Bette Davis and Clark Gable, lived in Hollywood.

Today, Hollywood is not what it was. More movies are made outside of Hollywood. Many studios have moved. The movie stars have also moved to areas like Beverly Hills and Malibu.

But visitors to Hollywood today can go to the famous Chinese Theatre and see the footprints and autographs（签名）of movie stars. They can go down the Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard, and see the golden stars in sidewalks.

1. When were the greatest years of Hollywood?

A. From 1917 to 1947

B. From 1918 to 1948

C. In the next 30 years

D. In the 1950s

2. Hollywood has its fame thanks to ________ .

A. its weather and scenery

B. the farmland there

C. a few large and powerful studios

D. thousands of films made there

3. Hollywood has changed and now .

A. it is not the only large movie making centre of the world

B. directors do not make great films there

C. it has become the largest movie history museum

D. it is no longer important in making movies