Олимпиада "Cinema"

Reading

Task 1

Choose the most suitable heading from the list for each text. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.

The Show Begins

My Uncle Jim took me to all the Broadway shows in New York City, and I was star struck! Actually he wasn’t my real uncle – that’s just what we called him. He was a close friend of my parents. He was a bit stocky with red hair, 1 _______________________.

I remember the theaters on Broadway, 2 _______________________. The curtains were made of this real heavy, dark red material. There were huge chandelier lights hanging from the ceiling. The walls were dark, paneled wood. The seats were red and cushy 3 _______________________.

The orchestra sat at the base of the stage in a pit. I usually went down to the front to see the musicians 4 _______________________. They were all crammed into such a tiny space. I played the flute myself and my dad kept encouraging me that if I kept it up, 5 _______________________. But truly, I didn’t want to be tucked away down there. I wanted to be on top, front and center.

Most people dressed rather finely, and certain fragrances took center stage as various women passed by. The sounds of the audience 6 _______________________ at their seats were clearly heard while last minute patrons filled in. There was electricity in the air and then the lights would go down and up, and you knew it was time for the show to get started. The lights dimmed. The music began. And you were swept up into a whole new world. I loved it!

Vocabulary and Grammar

Task 1

Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word.

The Lord of the Rings

With the possible exception of Star Wars, no movie project has ever (1) as challenging as the Lord of the Rings. It has been hyped as the ultimate production ever undertaken by Hollywood. How many films, after all, are acted out by cast of elves, dwarves, trolls, giants, dragons and wizards, many of whom are somewhat (2) characters? The big screen (3) of JRR Tolkien’s literary classic, the (4) of which is the struggle of Good against Evil, may prove to be the movie of decade. Translating such a book onto the silver screen, however, is no (5) of cake. The 1978 animated version fell as (6) as a pancake when it reached the box office. On the other hand, the story has a huge fan base and, most importantly, it has sold over 50 million copies world-wide in 25 languages.

1. A)claimed b) proved c)turned d)resulted

2. A)dubious b)debatable c)wavering d)unclear

3. A)conversion b)adaptation c)alteration d)modification

4. A)matter b)title c)trend d)theme

5. A)slice b)bit c)piece d)chunk

6. A)small b)round c)thin d)flat

Task2

Task 3

The Opening Night

The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Mama Mia… They are all stage musicals. The opening night of a new musical is always a _______________ (marvel) 

_ event.

After years of _________________(prepare) and weeks of rehearsals the production has to be ready for the public and the critics.

First nights usually start earlier than the regular _________________(perform) so that the critics can write their reviews in time to include them in the next morning’s newspapers.

The critics are the most _________________(fright) people on the first night because their opinions will either help make the show a hit or force it to close.

The rest of the audience on the first night is usually made up of friends of the cast and famous celebrities. The celebrities attract newspaper _________________(photograph) and help give the musical maximum publicity.

There will also be some admirers there who will _________________(probable) be more nervous than the performers.

And then after the curtain has come down and the show is over, there’s the opening night party.

Grammar

Task 1

Film technology[

In the 1970s and 1980s, British studios…………………..(establish) a reputation for great special effects in films such as Superman (1978), Alien (1979), and Batman (1989). Some of this reputation………………… (found) on the core of talent………….. (bring) together for the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) who subsequently……………… (work) together on series and feature films for Gerry Anderson. Thanks to the Bristol-based Aardman Animations, the UK ……………….(recognize) as a world leader in the use of stop-motion animation.

British special effects technicians and production designers……………………. (know) for creating visual effects at a far lower cost than their counterparts in the US, as seen in Time Bandits (1981) and Brazil (1985). This reputation …………………….(continue) through the 1990s and into the 21st century with films such as the James Bond series, Gladiator (2000) and the Harry Potter franchise.

From the 1990s to the present day, there………….. (be) a progressive movement from traditional film opticals to an integrated digital film environment, with special effects, cutting, colour grading, and other post-production tasks all sharing the same all-digital infrastructure. The London-based visual effects company Framestore, with Tim Webber the visual effects supervisor,……………….( work) on some of the most technically and artistically challenging projects,…………….. (include), The Dark Knight (2008) and Gravity (2013), with new techniques…………….. (involve) in Gravity ………………(realize) by Webber and the Framestore team……… (take) three years ……….. (complete).^[78]

The availability of high-speed Internet Protocol networks ………….. (make) the British film industry capable of working closely with U.S. studios as part of globally distributed productions. As of 2005, this trend……………………… (expect) to continue with moves towards (currently experimental) digital distribution and projection as mainstream technologies. The British film This is Not a Love Song (2003)…………….( be) the first………………  (stream) live on the Internet at the same time as its cinema premiere.

Task 2

It is difficult nowadays to think about our life without cinema. It ………………….(become) a very popular entertainment since more than a hundred years ago Lumiere brothers shot their first three- minute film about a train arrival to the railway station. The movie………………. ……..(show)to public in December 1895 and since then the era of cinematography…………………………… (begin). 

First films……………………………. (have) no sound and …………………(to be)black-and-white but still people…………………….(be fond) of them because of Charlie. His character……………………….(create) and ……………………….(perform) by the well-known film director and actor Charles Spencer Chaplin. His small and clumsy man yet kind, generous and brave attracted the hearts of millions of spectators in the world who were so crazy about him that they……………………………… (queue) long hours ……………. (get) a chance to enjoy…………. (see) their favorite actor on the screen. 
Later colour and sound………………………. (add into films). People of different professions……………………(involve) in modern cinema production: directors, scriptwriters, cameramen, composers, costume designers and, of course, actors and actresses. They make films of different genres: feature movies, historical and detective films, documentaries, screen versions of novels, cartoons, series and what not all of which………………………………………. (demonstrate) both at cinemas and on TV. We can say that cinema……………………………………. (combine) various arts such as  literature, painting, music, theatre, architecture. 

There is no problem to go to a cinema nowadays. Every town and city has at least one cinema hall where one can see a film. There are even specialized halls for 3D movies.

Quiz

Task 1

 Task 2