disappear powerful identify period publish
f. g. h. i. j.
mystery event gap accept exist
j e c a g
Dinosaurs have all died out, but some animals that lived around the same time continue to (be present) in some form today. My professor is going to (arrange to write and print) a book about astronomy and geology.
The scientists found some very old bones in the ground and were able to (recognize and name) them as the leg bones of a dinosaur. When living conditions on Earth become very difficult, animals or plants sometimes (become impossible to find), and are gone forever. The formation of the oceans was a major (thing that happened) in the history of the Earth.
There is about 100 million years between the appearance of the first h d b i f
dinosaurs and the appearance of the first flowers on Earth. That's a big (difference between two amounts or situations). At a certain (time) in the history of the Earth, there were many dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were big, (strong) animals, and most other animals were probably afraid of them.
It is hard for many people to (believe) that an asteroid could hit the Earth again.
Nobody knows why all the dinosaurs died; it is a (thing that is difficult to explain or understand).
1. Sometimes objects from outer space collide with the Earth and cause a lot of damage.
2. The volcano erupted, sending red hot lava down its slopes into the valley below. 3. Most people don't think that there could be an asteroid collision with Earth, but scientists continue to do research about the possibility of this happening. 4. There are many different species of animals on Earth—some eat plants, and some eat meat.
5. When an animal or plant becomes completely extinct , there are no living animals or plants of its kind on Earth.
6. One of the largest animals to ever walk the earth is the dinosaur .
7. When a(n) mass extinction occurs, many types of animals die at the same time.
8. Some people think that after a big asteroid hit Earth, many different kinds of animals died.
9. Today, scientists are still concerned about the extinction of some rare species of animals.
1. During the \"Big Five\" extinction events, dinosaurs were
false
the only species that became extinct. 2. The theory about the \"Big Five\" extinction events was first
true
proposed in 1982. 3. All scientists agree that the \"Big Five\" extinction events
false
happened.
4. The \"Big Five\" extinction events are named for the species
false
that became extinct.
1. 20% of sea species became extinct.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
2. 50% of all species became extinct.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
3. 70% of all species became extinct.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
4. 70% of land species became extinct.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
5. Almost 100% of sea species became extinct.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
6. Second largest mass extinction occurred.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event
D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
7. It took 20 million years to happen.
A. End Ordovician Extinction Event B. Late Devonian Extinction Event C. End Permian Extinction Event D. End Triassic Extinction Event E. End Cretaceous Extinction Event
Reading All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1. The scientist was able to more closely predict when a meteorite might hit the Earth again, which was a great achievement .
2. The Earth does not have a lot of craters , but I am not sure about other planets. 3. In rocks on Earth, the lower layers are normally older than those above them. 4. It is amazing that some animals, like crocodiles and sharks, have managed to live on Earth for such a long time.
5. Experts disagree on the reasons why dinosaurs became extinct, so my professor explained all of the possible reasons to the class.
6. In this part of the mountain, the different kinds of rock match different periods in history.
7. A very large percentage of the plants and animals in the area died after the volcano erupted.
8. New evidence has been found to support the theory that dinosaurs went extinct when an Ice Age began and the world became very cold.
9. Some plants are very vulnerable to high temperatures, and they quickly die if it gets too hot.
10. The change in weather was very sudden —one minute it was boiling hot, and the next it was freezing cold.
1. Florida has a very hot climate , and it sometimes rains a lot there.
2. Scientists think that all the dinosaurs on Earth were killed when some kind of terrible catastrophehappened.
3. When the meteorite hit the earth, it made a giant hole in the ground.
4. The effects of the volcanic eruption were catastrophic . It burned up everything in the area.
5. The earth is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere .
6. There is evidence to support the theory that a few dinosaurs survived the mass extinction of their species.
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1. The dinosaurs _______.
A. disappeared under conditions that are not certain B. lived in only a few places on Earth C. were the largest animals that ever lived D. disappeared because of a sudden climate change E. were the only species that died 65 million years ago
2. Researchers discovered that _______.
A. there is a layer of iridium in the rock near where dinosaurs lived
B. there are large amounts of iridium in the rock layer all around
the world
C. the rock layer with iridium formed about 65 million years ago D. the rock layer has the same amount of iridium as meteorites E. some dinosaur fossils have large amounts of iridium
3. Researchers believe that _______.
A. an asteroid hit the Earth
B. dust from the asteroid went into the atmosphere C. the asteroid caused earthquakes and floods
D. the asteroid hit a lot of dinosaurs and killed them
E. the iridium in the rocks came from an asteroid
4. As a result of the asteroid hitting Earth, ______.
A. dinosaurs had nothing to eat
B. dust covered the plants and killed them C. dust in the atmosphere blocked the sunlight D. plants and animals died E. the Earth became warmer
1. The Chicxulub crater in Mexico provides evidence that an asteroid
true
hit Earth.
2. The Chicxulub crater was made by a 100-mile wide asteroid.
3. The asteroid that made the Chicxulub crater was stronger than a nuclear bomb.
4. Some scientists still think that volcanoes caused the mass extinction.
5. It’s impossible to have dinosaur fossils that date from the period after the mass extinction 65 million years ago.
6. The mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs was probably not caused by a meteorite.
7. Scientists can predict when the next mass extinction will happen. false
false
true
true
false
false
For many years, one of the biggest mysteries in science has been how the dinosaurs disappeared
These amazing animals ruled Earth for 160 million years. They lived everywhere, on every continent. They were the largest and most powerful animals for a large part of the history of animal life on Earth. Compared with humans’ two hundred thousand years or so, this is an amazing achievement. But, suddenly,
about 65 million years ago , they all died. And it wasn’t just the dinosaurs—interestingly, more than 50 percent of all animal species on Earth also disappeared. This is very surprising, because there were very many different species of dinosaur, all suited to different climates and conditions . The normal causes of extinction, such as natural climate change , may explain why some species of dinosaur died out, but not all of them. As we will see, it seems likely that a major and sudden disaster caused their disappearance.
1. So, what was this disaster ? In the past, scientists thought of many possible explanations. These included disease, earthquakes, volcanoes, or even changes in the magnetic field of Earth. Unfortunately, for a long time, there was no strong evidence for any of them.
2. Alvarez and his team were amazed to find that the layer of rock that matched the time of the dinosaurs’extinction 65 million years ago had a very large amount of something called iridium.
3. In fact, there was 30 to 130 times more of this material than normal in this layer of rock. What amazed the Alvarez team was that this was about the same amount as the percentage of iridium in meteorites .
4. Scientists can predict what might happen when a large asteroid hit Earth. The collision would send dust up into the atmosphere.
5. Some say that the iridium layer is thicker in some places than others. No one can find a full explanation for this. People who disagree with the meteorite theory say that volcanoes could have produced the same result.
6. Also, there is a small amount of evidence that not all dinosaurs died out. Archeologists have found dinosaurfossils from up to a million years later than the mass extinction.
7. To conclude, current evidence seems to point to a(n) major catastrophe—most likely a meteorite.
1. One reason the first paragraph of the passage is well-organized is because
A. Each sentence explains something new about science.
B. Each sentence uses different words to refer to a meteorite. C. Each sentence refers to a particular meteorite that fell to Earth.
D. Each sentence contains referring words to give the reader
information
That glowing object turned out to be a
the fireball
meteorite.
... they looked very different from
the pieces of the meteorite
the Australian soil…
The most interesting thing about the
the pieces of the meteorite
fragments…
The investigators reached a dramatic
the scientists
conclusion…
…made its way through Earth’s
the meteorite
atmosphere…
the conclusion that the
…this was a significant breakthrough. meteorite had broken off from
Vesta
1. Which of the following sentences from the first paragraph contains a word that indicates the topic will be shifting?
A. Scientists were able to identify the pieces of the meteorite because they looked very different from the Australian soil into which they fell.
B. The most interesting thing about the fragments, however, was not their difference from Earth’s soil but their similarity to the known composition of a particular asteroid known as Vesta.
C. The investigators concluded that the meteorite had broken off from Vesta and made its way through Earth’s atmosphere to land in Australia.
D. Because the sources of most meteorites are never identified,
this was a significant breakthrough.
2. Which of the following will paragraph 2 of the selection most likely
explain?
A. the reasons the meteorite broke off from Vesta and fell to Earth B. the reaction of the people in Australia to the meteorite breaking off from Vesta
C. the method the scientists used to determine that the meteorite
broke off from Vesta
D. the qualifications of the scientists who studied the meteorite that broke off from Vesta
Listening
1. The ____ of Australia is south of Asia.
A. continent B. diameter C. geology D. solar system
2. The _____ of the Earth is 12,756.2 kilometers.
A. solar system B. continent C. geology
D. diameter
3. The Earth is the only planet in the _____ that can support life.
A. continent
B. solar system C. geology
D. diameter
4. Shooting stars are comets that _____ up when they hit the Earth's atmosphere.
A. hit
B. burn C. improve D. motivate
5. Many people are afraid of the damage that _____ can do to the world.
A. diameters B. solar systems
C. nuclear weapons D. continents
6. As tools and research methods _____, scientists are finding out more and more about the Earth.
A. improve B. hit C. burn D. motivate
7. Hector was interested in rocks, so he studied _____ in college.
A. nuclear weapons B. diameters
C. geology
D. solar systems
8. Volcanoes are often dangerous, but _____, the volcano in my town hasn't done any serious damage.
A. scarily B. constantly C. dangerously
D. fortunately
9. When people feel that they are in danger, it can _____ them to take action and save themselves.
A. hit B. burn
C. motivate D. improve
10. When objects from outer space _____ the Earth, they can cause a lot of damage.
A. hit B. pass C. motivate D. improve
1. The comet went flying through the sky over our heads, leaving a trail behind it.
2. After the meteorite hit the building, it was completely destroyed, and it had to be rebuilt.
true
true
3. The volcanic eruption caused a great deal of destruction in the area, and none of the plants, animals, or people who lived nearby false were hurt at all.
4. When the meteorite hit the building, you could hear the explosion true
from miles away.
5. When something explodes, it jumps high into the air and then lands, still in one big piece.
false
1. It is likely that a large asteroid will hit Earth again.
A. true B. false
2. There are more asteroid craters on Earth than on the moon.
A. true B. false
3. Earth's atmosphere causes most asteroids to burn up before they hit
the ground.
A. true B. false
4. The surface of Earth is always moving.
A. true B. false
5. Earth doesn't have craters, so we are safe from being hit by an
asteroid.
A. true B. false
6. Large asteroids have never passed close to Earth.
A. true B. false
7. Scientists predict that an asteroid will cause a catastrophic event
on Earth in the near future.
A. true B. false
8. NASA is trying to destroy all the asteroids that pass close to Earth.
A. true B. false
9. Scientists haven't figured out what to do if an asteroid comes
towards Earth.
A. true B. false
10. If a dangerous object is coming toward Earth, we need to decide
what to do about it immediately.
A. true B. false
7 3 1 5 4 6
Asteroid craters have disappeared. The asteroids burn up. Earth has an atmosphere.
Earth's surface is constantly moving.
Most asteroids disappear before they hit the ground. New mountains and seas are formed.
2 The atmosphere slows down the asteroids.
It’s clear, therefore, that the lack of craters doesn’t mean we’re safe! Scientists predict that a large asteroid, as big as the one that probably killed the dinosaurs, should hit Earth, on average, once every 10 million years. But it’s 65 million years since the last one! Smaller asteroids are passing close to Earth all the time. Only
in1989 , an asteroid around 1000 feet in diameter—that’s
about 300 meters—called 4581 Asclepius, passed through the point where Earth was just six hours before. A hit from it would have caused the largest explosion in history. On average, researchers say, an object big enough to cause catastrophic
results will hit Earth every 5000 years.
Astronomers are already working on this. Since the late 1990 s, NASA has been conducting several surveys of space, the biggest of which is LINEAR. NASA aims to find 90 percent of all the near-Earth objects, in other words, NEOs, that are more than two thirds of a mile— 1 kilometer—in diameter. So far, tens of thousands of them have been found—most of them, fortunately, too far away to be dangerous for now. Also, a couple of near-misses have been identified, although usually rather
late—after the object has passed Earth. In 2002 , an
object 250 feet—about 80 meters—in diameter passed only 75000 miles—that's
about 120000 kilometers—from Earth.
So, why isn't Earth covered in craters, just like the Moon and some of the
planets ? Well, there are two reasons . For one thing, Earth has an atmosphere but the Moon doesn't. Earth's atmosphere slows asteroids down, causing heat which burns off their outer layers . Again, you can see this process yourself. Have you ever seen shooting stars ? They are actually the remains of broken up comets It is the burning that we can see. Most are very
small, so they burn up completely and disappear before they get close to
theground .
Another reason comes from geology . Earth’s surface is constantly moving—as you
probably know, this is called the plate tectonic theory , and is the reason for earthquakes When plates collide with each other,Earth's surface gets
pushed up. In this way, mountains or islands are formed. When the continents move apart, huge valleys and seas are created. Thus, a map of Earth from the dinosaur's time would’ve looked very, very different from now .
You can easily see how craters disappear as the land changes shape.
1. Which statement is the best summary of the passage?
A. Scientists’ early beliefs about asteroids are supported by
the results of a study on a crater in Africa.
B. Scientists have found that asteroids are made of the same chemicals and minerals.
C. Scientists use a number of different methods to measure an asteroid’s age.
D. Scientists have made important discoveries from studying a
crater in southern Africa.
All of your answers are correct. Well done! Transitional device A. You're probably thinking... B. To begin, ... C. Now that I've talked about... D. Well, it's because... E. Let's finish up by looking at... F. In conclusion,... G. Next week we'll talk about... In the lecture? Purpose no (none) yes yes no yes no yes introduction topic change (none) conclusion (none) topic change
2. Why does the speaker say this: “There are two reasons the discoveries are important.”
A. to change to a different theme
B. to introduce the topics she will discuss C. to end the presentation
D. to suggest subjects to research
Writing
1. an asteroid hit Earth the dinosaurs became extinct
After an asteroid hit Earth, the dinosaurs became extinct
2. a meteorite hit near Tunguska people saw a bright light
People saw a bright light after a meteorite hit near Tunguska and a meteorite hit near Tunguska . 3. the asteroid hit Earth
the collision sent dust up into the air
When the asteroid hit Earth, the collision sent dust up into the air . 4. an asteroid's outer layer burns off it enters Earth's atmosphere
An asteroid's outer layer burns off after it enters Earth's atmosphere . 5. there were four other mass extinction events the event that killed the dinosaurs
There were four other mass extinction events before the event that killed the dinosaurs . 6. earthquakes occur the tectonic plates collide
Earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates collide . 7. a large asteroid hits Earth.
it releases more energy than a nuclear bomb
When a large asteroid hits Earth, it releases more energy than a nuclear bomb .
8. scientific explanations change someone discovers new information
Scientific explanations change when someone discovers new information . 9.the discovery of iridium
scientists weren't sure how the dinosaurs died
Before scientists weren’t sure how the dinosaurs died, the discovery of iridium .
1. Scientists predict that an asteroid will hit Earth in 2018.
A. true
B. false
2. The CelesTek Space Research Agency does research on Near-Earth Objects.
A. true B. false
3. Objects the size of a car burn up in the atmosphere before they hit Earth.
A. true B. false
4. An object the size of a car hits Earth every 1,000 years.
A. true
B. false
5. An object the size of a football field fell in Russia in the early 1900s.
A. true B. false
6. An object big enough to cause a serious catastrophe hits Earth every few thousand years.
A. true
B. false
1. How did the dinosaurs become extinct? This is one of the biggest mysteries in science.
2. At first, scientists thought dinosaurs died out because of earthquakes or volcanoes. Later , they discovered evidence that an asteroid hit the earth. 3. Scientists believe that a large asteroid hit Earth 65 million years ago. This event led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
4. Scientists looked at layers of rock made 65 million years ago. They contain high levels of iridium.
5. When the asteroid hit Earth, the dust from the collision caused plants and trees to die. In addition , the dust in the atmosphere made the climate much cooler. 6. There is a chance that another asteroid could hit Earth. However , it may not happen for thousands of years.
7. Scientists are surveying Near-Earth Objects in space. They are looking for any objects larger than one meter in diameter.
8. There are many Near-Earth Objects in space. However , there is not much danger that many of them could hit Earth.
9. A large object from space hit Earth near Tunguska, Russia in 1908. This was the last object to hit Earth and cause significant damage.
4单元
1. Actors sometimes _____ with experts like historians to find out more about the characters they are playing.
A. act B. attempt
C. consult D. escape
2. Some people think that the _____ to good acting is to find out as much as you can about the character you are playing. movies. year.
A. consult
B. perform C. relax
A. skills B. keys C. theaters D. settings
A. key B. theater C. skill D. role
3. He has great acting _____; he's played many different kinds of parts in his
4. He is very excited because he is going to _____ in a new play on Broadway next
possible.
D. escape
5. When people _____ in plays or movies, they often try to be as realistic as
A. attempt B. relax
C. act D. escape
6. This _____ is very old, and many famous actors have worked here.
A. performance B. acting C. film
D. theater
7. He became a _____ actor after he took acting classes for several years.
A. successful B. relaxing C. poor D. difficult
8. Ann is going to _____ to play the part of Queen Victoria, but I think she is too young to play the part.
A. perform B. act
C. attempt
D. escape
9. After a busy day at work, Janet was finally able to _____ in front of the TV.
A. consult B. act C. attempt
D. relax
10. People watch TV and movies to _____ from their everyday lives.
A. escape B. act C. perform D. consult
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1. The actor got a great part in a play in a theater on Broadway.
2. It is very important for actors to use their imagination when they act. 3. She played the role of Queen Elizabeth in the movie.
4. There are several interesting characters in that movie, but I liked the little girl the best.
5. Watching the movie, it was easy to imagine that we were in ancient Greece. 6. The plot of that movie didn't make sense—I couldn't understand what was going on in the story at all.
7. The setting of the book was an island in the Pacific Ocean.
8. Actors usually try to make their performances as realistic as possible.
9. In the movie, the writer created a very funny family, where the children acted like the parents and the parents acted like the children.
3 4 1 5 2 The president consults a PR expert. The president films a false war.
The president gets involved in a scandal.
The president hopes that people will forget the scandal. The president is afraid he will lose the presidential election.
listening
The actor did a lot of (getting ready for) playing the role of President C F D A H J G B E I
Kennedy; he met with people who knew the president and read many books about him.
The actors are up on the (raised floor of the theater), and the play is about to begin.
The character's (feelings because of) the news that she had lost her job surprised me. I expected her to be much more upset about it.
The Oscar is probably the most famous (prize) that an actor can receive for his or her work.
I didn't enjoy the movie because it didn't seem very (real or true) to me—how could such an old man win a race at the Olympics?
Actors use their imagination (together) with their emotions to perform their roles.
The student asked what the word authenticity meant, so the acting teacher (explained) it.
Hundreds of students went to the (long talk) this afternoon because a famous actor was speaking about his new play.
The actor who played the father who had lost his child gave a performance that was very (full of feeling).
Often, the acting teacher talks about acting in general, but today she is going to (give special attention to and discuss in detail) how to play difficult roles.
1. The actor thought it was very difficult to play the disabled old man because he couldn't imagine what it was like to have only one leg.
2. The character Millicent was playing was from a different sector of society than she was, so to prepare for the role, she spent time in a poor area of the city. 3. That movie is based on the life of Benjamin Franklin.
4. The character had lost his arm in the war, but he didn't let his disability stop him from being successful in life.
5. The director wanted to make sure his movie was as authentic as possible, so he visited old farms and copied the way they looked for his movie sets. 6. He is planning to appear in a play called Hedda Gabler soon.
7. The character of the artist had a great deal of authenticity because the actor who played him is an excellent painter.
An actor's imagination is ______.
a process of thinking about something he or she is currently experiencing based on other actors' performances
based on personal experience based on research
used during a performance used to prepare for an acting role used to write plays and movies
1. Gene Blake would probably agree with this statement: “You
True
can’t have a good performance without imagination”.
2. An actor doesn't need to understand how a character he or
False
she plays might feel in a certain situation.
3. An actor should learn about the period of history when the
True
character lived.
4. Most actors cannot play characters that are from a
False
different sector of society.
5. Nothing about an actor's performance is based on truth. False
6. Researching a character should involve reading and spending time with people like the character.
True
With the disabled character, there was a lifetime of frustration and of dealing with people’s reactions to thedisability —experiences I just didn’t have. So, to fill this gap, I had to use imagination . Even though mycharacter was an adult, I spent a lot of time thinking through, imagining, how common childhoodexperiences would be different because of the disability; how that would have
a emotional effect on the adult me. Because of course, people are shaped by their experiences . And this hard work paid off—I won anaward for the role. What a celebration we had after that! We were partying for days!
But of course, personal experiences can be very, very useful for some roles . I played a London gangmember once. Now, I’m not British, as you know, but I did have some experiences in my younger days with, shall we say, some of the less friendly people in New York. Some of these experiences helped me tounderstand what it feels like to be living on the edges of society . It wasn’t exactly the same, of course, and you’ll never have exactly the
same life experiences as your character . But, imagination is a way to fill that gap , too.
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1. Filmmakers often use a technique called a green screen.
A. major B. minor C. digression
2. Actors must make conversations with absent characters convincing.
A. major B. minor C. digression
3. Actors who do voices for animated movies are like actors in front
of green screens.
A. major B. minor C. digression
4. Audiences may watch actors being chased or trying to escape an
explosion.
A. major B. minor C. digression
5. Actors use imagination to react to dramatic or scary events.
A. major B. minor C. digression
Column 1
Column 2
Part of the main
idea; introduced with “second”
C
Filmmakers often use a technique called a green screen.
A.
D
Actors must make
conversations
with absent characters convincing.
B.
A detail, not a big idea
E
Actors who do voices for animated
movies are like actors in front of green screens.
C.
An example of the main idea used throughout lecture
B
Audiences may watch actors being chased
or trying to escape an explosion.
D.
Part of the main idea; introduced with “first”
A
Actors have to react to dramatic or
scary events that are not really happening.
Reading
E.
Interesting, but not the main point;
introduced with “incidentally”
1. Before we decided what to do, we explored all the different possibilities. 2. Some people who are faced with a difficult situation like the death of a loved one, become very upset and depressed, while other people are able to go on with their lives.
3. It took the actor six months to complete the difficult task of preparing to play the role of Julius Caesar.
4. The main character in the play was treated badly as a child, and it affected his personality forever.
5. Actors consider many different things when they decide whether or not to accept a role.
6. I didn’t think that a 40-year-old actor was believable in the role of a teenage boy.
7. She is very excited because she is going to portray Marilyn Monroe in a movie next year.
8. Actors like to have the complete attention of the people in their audience. 9. The actor didn't like the script that was sent to him, so he turned down the role in the movie.
10. The characters in the movie were lost underground in a dark, cold cave for three days.
1. Actors have to think about many aspects of their characters’ lives and experiences—for example, their personality, their social background, and their family history.
A. true B. false
2. When actors do the same things they have always done before in their roles, people become less interested in watching them. This is why actors should try to be creative when they work.
A. true B. false
3. If you can imagine dangers, you can often protect yourself from them. For this reason, early humans who had good imaginations did not usually survive very long.
A. true
B. false
4. There are many tools that actors can use when they work. These include using their bodies, voices, and imagination.
A. true
B. false
5. The actor was well known for his creativity when he played roles that were based on real-life people. He always found out as much about the person he was playing as possible and then did exactly what the person had done in every situation.
A. true
B. false
6. Survival is very easy when you are out in the middle of the desert. It is very hot there, and it is also very difficult to find food and water.
A. true
B. false
1. People have used their imaginations for thousands of years.
2. Early humans could not easily smell a bear in a cave.
A. main idea
3. Early humans used their imaginations to escape danger.
4. An actor uses the same process of imagination that we use in everyday life.
A. main idea A. main idea B. detail B. detail A. main idea B. detail
B. detail
5. Actors are a type of artist.
A. main idea
6. Actors can use their imaginations in plays or movies.
A. main idea
7. People in the audience also need to use their imaginations.
1. An actor must imagine the character's ______.
A. actions
B. education and work experience
2. Asking \"what if?\" helps an actor imagine ______.
A. different possible actions B. Stanislavsky's \"system\" C. feelings
D. life experiences E. future plans A. main idea B. detail B. detail B. detail
C. the character's situation D. the most authentic actions E. the words the character would use
Let’s look at an example. Imagine your character is a knife murderer . For most people, this is very far from their own life experience ! Why would someone kill other people? We have to use the imagination to find out. We explore possibilities. Perhaps your father was a drunk and treated your mother badly. Or it might be that you were seriously hurt at a young age by someone you trusted. Or you might have been bullied at school, and had no friends or close family to turn to . Would that make you hate society, or hate certain kinds of people?
By going through this process, we can imagine the mind of our character , their feelings, and their reactions in the situation in which we have to portray them. A play or a film only has a couple of hours or so of storytelling time , but we have to portray a lifetime of experience. We have to imagine far more about the character than the play or the film script alone tells us.
So, now we can see where imagination comes from, how it helps our acting and why we have to work hard to let it work well. It is up to you now to apply this to your own performances , to make them appear as authentic to the audience as you can.
1. The imagination is at the center of creativity and is the most powerful of the actor’s tools.
2. We will see that effective use of imagination will help us keep the attention of the audience and make our performances authentic and believable.
3. But it is clear that early humans could feel in the mind a vision, a sound, a smell, a touch, an emotion that was not related to their present—if they used imagination. It may have been, originally, a way to survive .
4. Artists need to imagine how their characters might behave, how their characters are feeling, and how past events in their characters’ lives have affected them. By doing this, they can make their characters seem morereal .
5. The more authentic and truthful your performance , the more believable you appear, and the more you pull your audience into the world of the play or film. 6. Much of this authenticity is in your preparation for the role.
7. A play or a film only has a couple of hours or so of storytelling time, but we have to portray a lifetime of experience.
1. Which statement best expresses the author’s main point about silent movies?
A. Some actors from silent movies became less popular when movies added sound.
B. Some actors from silent movies became less popular when movies added sound.
C. Actors in silent movies were unable to use all the usual tools
of the acting profession.
D. Silent movies are the opposite of radio because silent movies
have pictures but no sound.
2. What detail does the author use to support the idea that radio deprives actors of some of their tools?
A. Actors create characters using their entire bodies. B. Radio dramas were popular in the first half of the twentieth century.
C. Radio dramas were popular in the first half of the twentieth
century.
D. Fans were unlikely to recognize radio performers until they
begin to speak.
3. Choose the best conclusion for the passage.
A. In conclusion, there are two situations in which actors cannot
use all their tools: silent movies, which deprive actors of their voices, and radio dramas, in which actors cannot use their faces and
bodies. Each of these make actors work harder to create effective characters. Audiences, too, must do their part and use their
imagination if they are to enjoy the performances of the characters.
B. To conclude, the history of acting shows that actors work very hard at what they do. They use their voices, faces, and bodies to create characters that audiences will enjoy. In movies and on the radio, they face challenges.
C. In conclusion, an actor’s success depends on whether he or she can inspire audience members to use their imagination. An actor who can do so will be more successful than an actor who cannot paint a full picture for the audience. Actors who have been effective in silent movies and on the radio are those who provide such inspiration.
D. To conclude, silent movies and radio dramas differ in terms of what they require of actors. Silent movies need actors who use exaggerated facial expressions, while the actors in radio dramas have to be able to show emotion in their voices. Some actors are able to do one, but not the other.
Speaking
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1. Gladiator is such a good movie. It tells the story of Maximus well . 2. Maximus recently returned from a victory. People respect him for his recent victory.
3. Maximus is respected for being a good person. He acts respectfully towards other people.
4. Mel Gibson works hard to prepare for every role, but his last movie was hard to watch.
5. Gene Blake is well-known for giving authentic performances. He plays his roles authentically .
6. Successful actors use imagination skillfully . They are skillful at imagining their characters’ feelings and experiences.
7. A character you play may experience things differently than you. His or her life may be very different from your own.
8. To give an authentic performance, you have to be sure your starting point is truthful . You will not give an authentic performance if it’s not done truthfully . 9. The movie Elizabeth was very exciting . We were all so excited .
10. I haven’t seen a movie in a theater lately . However, I did see a very good movie on TV late last night.
Synopsis of Gladiator
1. Maximus is a well-known leader in the army of Rome, the strongest power in Europe 2,000 years ago. He has recently returned from a big victory. He is widely respected as a good person. In contrast, Commodus is the cruel, power-hungry son of the Roman Emperor. Maximus has been promised by Commodus’s father, Marcus Aurelius, that he will be given great power over the Empire. However, Commodus has other ideas.
2. When Commodus hears of his father’s plans, in a fit of anger he immediately murders his father and sends soldiers to murder Maximus and his family. Maximus escapes, but his family does not. Slave traders capture him and he becomes a gladiator—a slave who fights to the death for people’s entertainment.
3. Maximus is very successful as a gladiator and becomes famous for being brave, strong, and skillful. He survives some very dangerous situations. Eventually, he fights against the evil Commodus himself. Who will win?
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
What is true about Elizabeth?
She is Queen Mary's sister. She becomes Queen of England. She is a Catholic.
She knows many people who want to advise her. She has known Robert Dudley for many years. She marries Robert Dudley. She puts Robert Dudley in prison.
She learns how to make difficult decisions. She orders people to be killed.
Synopsis of Gladiator
1. Maximus is a well-known leader in the army of Rome, the strongest power in Europe 2,000 years ago. He has recently returned from a big victory. He is widely respected as a good person. In contrast, Commodus is the cruel, power-hungry son of the Roman Emperor. Maximus has been promised by Commodus’s father, Marcus
Aurelius, that he will be given great power over the Empire. However, Commodus has other ideas.
2. When Commodus hears of his father’s plans, in a fit of anger he immediately murders his father and sends soldiers to murder Maximus and his family. Maximus escapes, but his family does not. Slave traders capture him and he becomes a gladiator—a slave who fights to the death for people’s entertainment.
3. Maximus is very successful as a gladiator and becomes famous for being brave, strong, and skillful. He survives some very dangerous situations. Eventually, he fights against the evil Commodus himself. Who will win?
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
What is true about Maximus?
He is the Roman Emperor.
He is respected because he is a good person. He is Commodus's friend.
He escapes from Commodus's soldiers.
He saves his family from Commodus's soldiers. He is captured and becomes a slave. He must fight other people to the death. He becomes a very good fighter.
It’s England year 1558. Queen Mary, a Catholic, has just died. Her younger Protestant sister, Elizabeth, becomes the next queen. But there are many problems and difficulties. Bad feelings between Catholics and Protestants are so strong that many Protestants have been executed because of their religion.
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1.
In England in the year 1558, Queen Mary, a Catholic, has just died. Her younger Protestant sister Elizabeth becomes the Queen.
In 1558, Mary, Queen of England, has died. Her sister, Elizabeth,
becomes queen. Mary was Catholic, but Elizabeth was Protestant. 2.
There are many problems between Catholics and Protestants. As a
result, many Protestants have been killed because of their religion.
There are many problems and difficulties between Catholics and Protestants. The bad feelings are so strong that many Protestants have been executed.
Maximus is a well-known leader in the army of Rome, the strongest power in Europe 2,000 years ago. He has recently returned from a big victory. He is widely respected as a good person. In contrast, Commodus is the cruel, power-hungry son of the Roman Emperor. Maximus has been promised by Commodus’s father, Marcus Aurelius, that he will be given great power over the Empire. However, Commodus has other ideas.
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
1.
Maximus is well-known for being a leader in the army of Rome. Two thousand years ago, Rome was the strongest power in Europe. Maximus recently came home after a big victory. He is respected by many people because he is a good person.
Two thousand years ago, Maximus is a leader of the powerful Roman
army. He recently won a big battle and has come back to Rome. People respect Maximus. 2.
Commodus, the Emperor's son, is not like Maximus. He wants more power and likes being cruel to people. Commodus's father told Maximus
that he will be given a position of power in Rome, but Commodus doesn't want this to happen.
Commodus is the Roman Emperor's son. He is cruel and power-hungry. Commodus's father has told Maximus that he will be given great power
over the Empire, but Commodus has other ideas.
No one knows where imagination came from. But it is clear that early humans could feel in their mind a vision, a sound, a smell, a touch, an emotion that was not related to their present—if they used imagination. It may have been, originally, a way to survive. For example, humans could not easily smell a dangerous bear in a cave. But when looking at a dark cave, they may have remembered past experiences of bears. And they may have seen a bear coming out of a cave in the past. From these experiences, they could imagine that there might be a bear inside. Thus, they could avoid the danger. Modern humans are no different. Our normal lives present us every day with dark caves and, by imagining what might happen, we decide what to do.
All of your answers are correct. Well done!
Early humans could use their mind to imagine a vision, sound, smell or emotion. Originally, it was probably a way to survive. When looking at a dark cave, early humans may have remembered seeing a bear in the past. They may have imagined a bear coming out of the cave. Thus, they could avoid danger. We are no different. We see dark caves every day in our normal lives, and we use our imagination to decide what to do.
Early humans used their imaginations to survive. For example, if an early human had an experience with a bear in a cave, he might use that experience later in his imagination. When he saw a cave, he might
imagine there was a bear in it. In this way, early humans could avoid dangerous situations. People do the same thing today. We use our imaginations to think about what might happen in the future.
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