based on p.31, ex. 7, Read the text and answer the questions. More than one correct answer is possible All of us know the shape in which a theatre is built. At one end is the stage on which the actors play their parts. The space in front of the stage is occupied by the audience. An amphitheatre was constructed to a different plan. The building was circular or oval; the seats for the spectators were ranged tier upon tier round the walls; the space enclosed by these tiers of seats was left free for the shows. This open space was called the arena, or sand floor. Arena is the Latin word for sand. The greatest of all these buildings was the Colosseum in Rome built to hold many thousands of spectators. Rome was the capital of the great Roman Empire. In the Colosseum, the people of Rome were entertained by very cruel shows. Wild beasts, in all their untamed ferocity, were let loose in the arena. They fought and tore one another with tooth and claw. The combat of man with beast gave the audience the greatest pleasure. Into the arena came the "beast fighter", usually a criminal. Armed or unarmed, he met there a lion, a tiger or some other wild creature. He fought for his life. If he was beaten, he died; if he won, there was a chance that his skill might gain the favour of the crowd and secure him a pardon. Among the victims of this cruelty were many Christians. The crime of these sufferers was their faith in Christ and their refusal to worship the gods of Rome. "The Christians to the lions" was a cry often heard within the walls of the Colosseum. After the wild animals had played their part, the gladiators were brought upon the scene. The gladiators were men of great strength, usually chosen from slaves or from prisoners. A series of single combats followed, in each of them the pair of gladiators fought to the death. If the gladiator had fought well, the conqueror inquired from the spectators whether his life should be spared. They replied by raising their hands. If the thumbs pointed upwards, the gladiator survived; if they were turned down, he was to die, and the death blow was given at once. These cruel sports had a bad effect upon the character of the Roman people. The savage sights of the arena became to them of more importance than the good of the country and soon the days of the great Roman Empire were gone forever. Much of the Colosseum still stands today; it is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. Which words in the first paragraph mean people who watch the spectacle? Spectators Audience Tiers Stage What kinds of people are mentioned in the text that were punished on the arena? Wild beasts Gladiators Criminals Christians What kind of background did gladiators usually have? They were free people. They were enslaved. They were criminals. They were warriors. What did the defeated gladiator's life depend on, according to the text? On the ruler's orders. On the winner's will. On the luck. On the crowd's mercy. According to the text, what was the reason of the end of the Roman Empire? The presence of arenas around the Empire. The people appreciating savage sights of the arena more than anything. The cruelty of the rulers. The disagreement among the rulers.
Задание

basedonp.31, ex.7,

Readthetextandanswerthequestions.Morethanonecorrectanswerispossible

Allofusknowtheshapeinwhichatheatreisbuilt. Atoneendisthestageonwhichtheactorsplaytheirparts.Thespaceinfrontofthestageisoccupiedbytheaudience.Anamphitheatrewasconstructedtoadifferentplan.Thebuildingwascircularoroval; theseatsforthespectatorswererangedtierupontierroundthewalls; thespaceenclosedbythesetiersofseatswasleftfreefortheshows.Thisopenspacewascalledthearena, orsandfloor.ArenaistheLatinwordforsand.

ThegreatestofallthesebuildingswastheColosseuminRomebuilttoholdmanythousandsofspectators.RomewasthecapitalofthegreatRomanEmpire.IntheColosseum, thepeopleofRomewereentertainedbyverycruelshows.Wildbeasts, inalltheiruntamedferocity, wereletlooseinthearena.Theyfoughtandtoreoneanotherwithtoothandclaw.

Thecombatofmanwithbeastgavetheaudiencethegreatestpleasure.Intothearenacamethe "beastfighter", usuallyacriminal.Armedorunarmed, hemettherealion, atigerorsomeotherwildcreature.Hefoughtforhislife.Ifhewasbeaten, hedied; ifhewon, therewasachancethathisskillmightgainthefavourofthecrowdandsecurehimapardon.AmongthevictimsofthiscrueltyweremanyChristians.ThecrimeofthesesuffererswastheirfaithinChristandtheirrefusaltoworshipthegodsofRome."TheChristianstothelions" wasacryoftenheardwithinthewallsoftheColosseum.

Afterthewildanimalshadplayedtheirpart, thegladiatorswerebroughtuponthescene.Thegladiatorsweremenofgreatstrength, usuallychosenfromslavesorfromprisoners.

Aseriesofsinglecombatsfollowed, ineachofthemthepairofgladiatorsfoughttothedeath.Ifthegladiatorhadfoughtwell, theconquerorinquiredfromthespectatorswhetherhislifeshouldbespared.Theyrepliedbyraisingtheirhands.Ifthethumbspointedupwards, thegladiatorsurvived; iftheywereturneddown, hewastodie, andthedeathblowwasgivenatonce.

ThesecruelsportshadabadeffectuponthecharacteroftheRomanpeople.ThesavagesightsofthearenabecametothemofmoreimportancethanthegoodofthecountryandsoonthedaysofthegreatRomanEmpireweregoneforever.

MuchoftheColosseumstillstandstoday; itisoneofRome'smostpopulartouristattractions.

Whichwordsinthefirstparagraphmeanpeoplewhowatchthespectacle?

  • Spectators
  • Audience
  • Tiers
  • Stage

Whatkindsofpeoplearementionedinthetextthatwerepunishedonthearena?

  • Wildbeasts
  • Gladiators
  • Criminals
  • Christians

Whatkindofbackgrounddidgladiatorsusuallyhave?

  • Theywerefreepeople.
  • Theywereenslaved.
  • Theywerecriminals.
  • Theywerewarriors.

Whatdidthedefeatedgladiator'slifedependon, accordingtothetext?

  • Ontheruler'sorders.
  • Onthewinner'swill.
  • Ontheluck.
  • Onthecrowd'smercy.

Accordingtothetext, whatwasthereasonoftheendoftheRomanEmpire?

  • ThepresenceofarenasaroundtheEmpire.
  • Thepeopleappreciatingsavagesightsofthearenamorethananything.
  • Thecrueltyoftherulers.
  • Thedisagreementamongtherulers.