AN ACTING LIFE by Emma Owczarski, from London

I met Dame Judi Dench backstage at the Aldwych theatre where she is presently performing in The Cherry Orchard, by the Russian playwright Anton Chekov. I asked her some questions, and this is what she told me.

Judi Dench’s family were not very rich, and because Judi’s parents wanted her and her brother to have a good education, their father , who was a GP, worked extra hard and they gave up a lot of things.

Dame Judi went to a boarding school, and then to the Central School of Speech and Drama to train as a set designer. When she left Judi went into acting because she thought she would not be a good set designer; she was also influenced by her brother who liked acting.

Dame Judi Dench started in show business at the age of 22, and this is her 33^rd year in the theatre. Dame Judi told me she enjoyed working with her husband Michael, in A Fine Romance on television but she found it very strange being recorded with a live audience.

She is more used to doing things like Shakespeare. In her spare time Dame Judi likes sewing, tapestry, art, reading books and the Early Times, and also playing with her dolls’ house, and just having a good time.

The interviewer had prepared a lot of questions but only had time to ask some of them. Put a tick in the box beside the questions which the interviewer asked.

LISTENING

3 Look at the questions. You will hear part of a radio programme about classical music. Put a tick in the correct box for each question.

VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR

4 Underline the correct word.

a There was a great horror/terror film on last night.

b Don’t believe that old story; it’s just a myth/mythology.

c If aliens exist, it is unlikely that they look like humans/people.

d Sharon phoned while I was seeing/watching a film.

e Fred took up/over karate when he was six.

5 Choose the correct variant A, B, or C.

1 The Rolling Stones performed in front of thousands of excited ___.

A fans B presenters C researchers

2 A person who has no practice in something may be called an ___ expert.

A outdoor B armchair C indoor

3 ‘Devil’ was a ___ film and I was quite terrified, but Julia thought it was funny.

A science fiction B comedy C horror

4 Every weekend a lot of young Italians go to the ___ disco.

A plane B car C rail

5 Actually every fan wants to be a ___ of his/her idol.

A look-alike B brother C neighbour

6 Watching this film is just ___ your time.

A doing B wasting C planning

NOTE: Irregular forms

6 Choose the correct variant A, B, or C.

1 Which is ___ interesting, to go to the cinema or to watch TV?

A as B the most C more

2 The opera theatre is one of ___ beautiful buildings of the city.

A the most B more C most

3 Many young people now ride a bike to work because it ___ suits their lifestyle.

A better B best C good

4 He is obviously ___ interested in sport than I am.

A the most B the more C more

5 Riding a horse is as ___ as riding a motor cycle.

A easy B easier C easiest

6 It’s not the ___ place to live if you want a quiet life.

A better B good C best

7 You should practise speaking English ___ .

A most B more C the most

8 Some parts of the film are quite ___ .

A shocked B shocking C a shock

9 Today you certainly look ____ than you did yesterday.

A more happy B more happier C happier

10 Let’s examine the situation ___ we can.

A as carefully as B as carefully C as careful as

11 She swims ___ than I do.

A most better B far better C more well

12 The boy is ___ than all the other pupils in his class.

A much intelligent B intelligent C much more intelligent

7 Fill in the gaps with the comparative or superlative form of the adjectives in brackets.

Yesterday was _______________ (cold) day of the year. It had been snowing all

night and everything was white. The children woke up ________________ (early)

than usually. They were excited because the snow was _______________ (deep)

than ever before and they wanted to go outside and play. We dressed them in

__________________ (warm) clothes we could find, then they went out into the

garden. We watched from the window as they built ____________________ (big)

snowman I have ever seen. As the snow was falling __________________ (hard)

than ever, the children soon came inside to warm up. They were laughing as if

they had heard ___________________ (funny) joke ever told. They said that they

thought winter was _______________ (good) season of all.

8 Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form,

adding any necessary word.

A: Well Mr. Jones, we’ve interviewed the three most likely candidates. Who do

you think would be _________________ (good) person for the job?

B: I have to say, I thought Mrs. Shaw was __________________ (intelligent) of the three, but Mr. Peters was a little ___________________ (nice) her.

A: That’s true, and we do not need someone who can work with people. However, I thought Miss Brown would be __________________ (popular) the others with our clients.

B: I also thought that she was by far _____________________ (responsible) candidate.

A: Good. Thank you for your help, Mr. Jones. Choosing who to employ is ______________________ (difficult) part of my job. It’s always ______________________ (easy) when I hear someone else’s views.

B: I’m glad I could help.

9 Complete the sentences, using one of the adjectives from the list and

comparative + and + comparative.

Hot, hard, heavy, tired, cold, tall, pretty

Example: As I ran, my legs got more and more tired …

1 Over the years, the trees grew ___________________________________ .

2 As we lay on the beach, we got __________________________________ .

3 Emma’s work is improving because she’s studying ____________________.

4 While I was walking in the snow, I got ______________________________,

so I decided to go home.

5 As she did her shopping, her bags got _____________________________ .

6 As Jane grows up, she just gets __________________________________ .

10 Compare the following pets – a cat, a dog and a fish – using the adjectives from the list.

noisy, quite, expensive, cheap, playful, messy, obedient, easy to look after, loyal

Example: The dog is the noisiest of all.

The cat isn’t as/so noisy as the dog.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

11 Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form.

Dear Leo,

I’m writing to tell you about my new house. It’s _______________________

(big) house I’ve ever lived in, but also ______________________ (expensive).

Still, it’s much ___________ (nice) than my last house. Although the garden is a

little ________________ (small), the rooms are much ____________________

(spacious) and there is much __________________ (little) noise. The area I live

in is ______________________ (peaceful) place I’ve ever lived in. The

neighbours are _________________ (quiet) here than anywhere else, and they

are _________________ (friendly) people you will ever meet.

There are lots of flowers here, so it’s much ____________________

(colourful) than my previous home, and there is a bus stop near my house, so it’s

___________________ (convenient) than before because I don’t have to take my

car to work. All in all, I can say that finding this house is _______________ (good)

thing that’s ever happened to me! I hope you will visit me here soon.

Love,

Helen.

12 Read the information about Barbara, Jane and Clare and complete these sentences using the adjectives in brackets.

1 (high, low) Barbara has the highest salary, and Jane has the lowest salary.

2 (big) Jane’s flat is ___________________ than Clare’s, but Barbara’s flat is the ____________________.

3 (low) Barbara’s rent is the _________________ and Jane’s rent is the ____________________.

4 (tall, short) Clare is the ____________________, and Barbara is the ____________________.

5 (nice, beautiful) Clare’s hair is __________________ than Barbara’s, but Jane’s hair is the ____________________.

6 (attractive) Clare’s husband is __________________ than Jane’s, but Barbara’s husband is the ___________________.

13 Decide if the sentence is right or wrong. If it is wrong, correct it.

1 I’m busier than my little sister.

2 London is more old than New York.

3 It is the most sharp pencil I have.

4 Do you know the shortest way to the station?

5 This exercise is more difficult than that one.

6 Be activer at your lessons, please.

7 She is the most pretty girl I’ve ever known.

8 The boy is as taller as his father.

9 He makes more mistakes than you do.

10 Baseball is the popularest summer sport in America.

11 Yesterday he started to feel more bad.

12 Soon it began to get more darker and it was time to go back home.

13 He said that money was the most important for him.

14 I’ve got a headache. Be quieter, please.

15 Mary’s answer is correcter than yours.

16 Can you come more early next time?

17 You should be carefuler.

14 Cross out the unnecessary word.

1 Mark’s voice is very much louder than Alan’s.

2 Mrs. Garrison is the most oldest teacher in the school.

3 This village is by far quieter than the one we live in.

4 Playing golf isn’t as more tiring as playing football.

5 As time went by, it got darker and the darker.

6 The more you study, the better than your marks will be.

7 This task is the less difficult than the others.

8 He drives the far fastest of all.

9 Jane is as much tall as Sarah.

10 It was a quite an exciting film.

15 Fill in the gaps with the correct words derived from the words in bold.

WRITING

16 Write a small paragraph (50 words) beginning I’m a fan of …….. .

The paragraph could be about a sport, art, or a political figure, a fashion

designer, etc. Describe this person, why you like him/her, follow him/her.

17 At home interview 5 people concerning their likes in reading and listening to music. Complete the following chart and then analyze it and in the class make the presentation (within 1 minute) of the information you have got. Note the genres of books, people’s age, music preferences.

UNIT 4

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 3742