Vocabulary Preparation:

 

theboards the stage in the theater 舞台

troupe  n. a company or groupof touring actors, singers, or dancers 剧团

wrap up to complete something such as an agreement or a meeting in asatisfactory way 圆满完成；顺利结束

willowy  adj. tall, thin andgraceful 修长苗条的；婀娜多姿的

ballerina  n. a female dancer inballet 女芭蕾舞演员

supple adj. able to bend andmove parts of your body easily into different positions （身体）柔软的；灵活的

complex n. a mental state thatis not normal 不正常的精神状态；情结

stripoff to take off all or most of your clothes 脱光衣服；脱衣服

slapstick  n. humorous acting inwhich the performers fall over, throw things at each other, etc. 滑稽剧

takeliberties with to make important and unreasonablechanges in something 任意篡改

repertoire  n. all the plays,songs, pieces of music, etc. that a performer knows and can perform （总称某人的）可表演项目

bottom line the most important thing that you have to consider or accept; theessential point in a discussion, etc. 要旨；基本论点

 

 

Notes:

 

Tchaikovsky,Peter Ilyich (1840-1893) is a renowned and talentedRussian composer who wrote symphonies and ballets, such as Swan Lake and The SleepingBeauty. His music is romantic, emotional, and often rather sad. 柴可夫斯基（俄国著名作曲家）

Swan Lake is a ballet withmusic by Tchaikovsky. It tells the story of Prince Siegfried who falls in lovewith a swan which changes into the beautiful Princess Odette. At the end of theballet, Odette dies of unhappiness and disappears under the water of the lake. 《天鹅湖》（由柴科夫斯基作曲的著名芭蕾舞剧目）

 

Exercise:Listen to the news report and choose the best answer to the following questions.

 

1． This news mainly talks about ____________________.

A. the memorabletour of the Big Ballet in Britain.

B. the specialperformance made by the Big Ballet.

C. the mixedreviews about the Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

D. the conflictbetween professional dancers and obese ballerinas.

 

2.    Whatmakes the Big Ballet so unique?

A. Theballerinas are all classical dancers with slender athletic bodies.

B. The BigBallet has just wrapped up a tour of Britain.

C. The BigBallet has a repertoire that deeply impressed the professionals.

D. The BigBallet has a unique rule: if you lose weight, you’re out.

 

3.    Whichof the following statements is NOTtrue about the ballerinas in Big Ballet?

A. Theballerinas have a combined weight of 2 tons.

B. Theballerinas had never seen Swan Lake before the tour of Britain.

C. Theballerinas are not ashamed of their size and the laughter in the audience.

D. Theballerinas has taken wild liberties with the classic repertoire.

 

4.    Accordingto the news, what does the audience think of their performance?

A. They thinkthe ballerinas are so great, doing things so fantastically.

B. They thinkthe ballerinas are so weird, striping off on the stage.

C. They havemixed reviews about the performance: some love it, some hate it.

D. Not mentioned.

 

5.    What’sthe Big Ballet’s purpose of having a tour of Britain?

A. To stage ascene from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake never seen before.

B. To keep fitas they are way too big.

C. To please theaudience, thus change the public perception about big people.

D. To impressthe professional so that they can take more liberties with the work.