TASK 4. (0-7)
You are going to read two texts about the circus. For questions 4.1.-4.7., choose
the answer that best matches the text and circle the appropriate letter (A, B, C or D).
Text 1
THE GREAT LEONARDO
His heart was pounding now, like it always did just before he went out into the ring. He had
imagined he would get used to it: that his palm, curved around the handle of the thin black
whip, would cease to sweat, and that his chest would cease to feel constricted by the glittering
silver leotard. He had always dusted his armpits with talc; shifting from foot to foot he felt
the wet mineral slippery on his skin. He inhaled, flexed his arms and watched the muscle
bunch like the back of a dolphin curving through water. The smell reminded him of his
childhood. His father used to take him to the circus every year; there was a troupe that came
each spring and set up their tent on the village green. His father bought him candyfloss
and peanuts and they sat rapt, admiring the artists and their feats of daring.
Across from him, on the other side of the tent, they were rolling out the cages, one by one,
linking them together to form a train of ferocity. It was quite dark in the wings, he could not
see very clearly, but he could make out the shapes in the cages, moving, twisting in their
small spaces, and pressing their fur against the bars. He knew they sensed his presence
as much as he did theirs, and it made a vivid bridge between them, across the tent, across
the ring, waiting for the moment they would meet. At the moment when the cages were
opened, the ranks of seething, fidgety people usually became still, watching his glittering
smoothness move so easily among the huge beasts. They would think he had tamed them with
his whip and his strength, but that was not so. He knew that things could always happen.
After all the cats were wild. The sweat trickled down between his shoulders as he watched
the clowns roll about the ring or run up and down in the dimness of the audience.
It was almost time. Standing in the corner, the ringmaster was adjusting his brilliant coat,
pulling on his tie, clearing his throat. In their cages the cats waited. The ringmaster strode into
the ring. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen!’ he called. ‘The moment you have all been waiting for!
What more can I say? He needs no introduction. I give you The Great Leonardo!’
A little hop off his toes and he was running into the light, his arms and chest wide, his legs
pushing him gracefully out into the centre ring, seeing the cages out of the corner of his eye
roll to meet him. The clowns and roustabouts pulled the barred train into a semi-circle behind
him as he bowed deeply, his head nearly brushing the sawdust on the ring floor, his face set
still and stern. The crowd - from here they looked like bubbles on the surface of turbulent
water - shouted and whistled and clapped, twirled their brightly glowing torches upwards to
make small acres of spinning light.
The Great Leonardo let one arm drop slowly to his side and brought the other hand to his
mouth, one finger on his lips, in an exaggerated gesture for silence. There was whispering,
shuffling, giggles, and then quiet. He never spoke during the course of his act. The previous
lion tamer, Cat Man, had been hard of hearing, and had trained the animals with a series
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of gestures and claps without ever touching them. Cat Man had, however, spoken
to the audience. To keep them on tenterhooks, he told them of dangerous acts of daring,
of the extraordinary cunning of the animals and warned them of what was to come.
The Great Leonardo did not open his mouth. He clapped his hands twice. The roustabouts
jumped to the front of the cages and turned the keys in their locks. The doors opened in
a repeating curve, the roustabouts slipped out of the ring, and the cats glided out of their cages
to sit in a circle around him. The audience began to applaud, and then, recalling his gesture,
rustled quickly into silence.
adapted from The Great Leonardo by Erica Wagner
4.1. What problem did the artist have before entering the circus ring?
A. He couldn’t erase a disturbing childhood memory from his mind.
B. It was difficult for him to keep balance on the slippery surface.
C. His stage costume seemed tighter than on other occasions.
D. He couldn’t suppress the feeling of anxiety.
4.2. In the second paragraph, we learn that
A. the artist’s movements in the ring revealed his fear of the animals to the public.
B. the animals were extraordinarily ferocious that day.
C. the artist was aware that the public overestimated his control over the animals.
D. the noise made by the clowns irritated the animals.
4.3. The moment The Great Leonardo made his appearance,
A. the clowns bowed and disappeared.
B. the cages with the animals were pulled into the ring.
C. the audience switched on their torches to lighten the ring.
D. his facial expression changed because of the people’s reaction.
4.4. Which is TRUE about the previous lion tamer?
A. He had problems with silencing the applauding spectators.
B. He remained silent in the ring not to scare the animals.
C. He addressed the audience in a way that created an atmosphere of tension.
D. He based his training on a set of oral commands.
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Text 2
DOES THE CIRCUS HAVE A FUTURE?
When we founded the Big Apple Circus in the 1970s, we knew we were addressing
an audience that had grown up watching television. Today, audiences have grown up in front
of computer screens and video games. Patrons’ attention spans are shorter, and their lives are
busier and full of other entertainment options. This fact invariably leads us to ask: is the
circus still relevant, and can it remain so? The circus has survived for centuries, like the flood,
pestilence or famine that haunt the human race. Its antecedents can be traced to prehistory
and were at the heart and soul of the tribal cultures that existed in those times. Indeed,
the circus is part of our humanity as its arts address our continual struggle for survival.
Watching an acrobat throw a triple somersault affirms our uncanny ability to look
improbability in the face and to jump, knowing that a net will appear.
The circus, over millennia, has proven itself to be a resilient art form. The Big Apple
Circus, European in style but American in its energy and rhythm, is part of a worldwide
phenomenon attesting to that resilience. When I consider how the circus might have to adapt
to a changing audience and a shifting world, I’m not overly concerned. For instance,
the circus was one of the first institutions in America to use electric lights. It’s likely that
the circus of the year 2050 will have to shorten its moments, maybe even the length of
the entire show. Perhaps special effects will be more prominent. You can never tell. That is
why it’s nearly impossible to predict what adaptations will be necessary for the circus
to survive, but if it is loyal to its roots, survive it will. Ultimately, the circus is an evergreen
experience. It is living entertainment performed by ordinary people who are capable of
extraordinary feats. The circus is not just a part of our culture, it is an intrinsic element of our
nature.
adapted from www.pbs.org
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4.5. Look at the circles marked 1-4 in the text and decide where the following sentence
fits best in the passage.
After all, this ancient art form has morphed, expanded and contracted before,
so innovation - especially technological - is nothing new.
A. In the space marked
B. In the space marked
C. In the space marked
D. In the space marked
4.6. In the first paragraph, the author points out that
A. the circus artists’ feats symbolize our need to confront challenges.
B. the contemporary audience demands more life-threatening performances than
previous generations.
C. in prehistoric tribes circus artists were highly respected.
D. since the 1970s the circus has increasingly served as a refuge from the world of
virtual reality.
4.7. Which statement best sums up the second paragraph?
A. The necessary changes will severely impair circus performances.
B. The circus has gained much more staying power in recent years.
C. Having implemented the recommended changes, the circus faces a prosperous future.
D. By remaining faithful to its fundamental principles, the circus will endure.
TRANSFER YOUR ANSWERS TO THE ANSWER SHEET!
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