Задание

Decide which of the statements (1-8) are true (1 – True), false (2 – False) or not stated, meaning that you can’t give a clear answer to them (3 – Not stated).

Early in the spring of 1995, when she was five years old, she was taken by her aunt to see a travelling circus which passed through her small town in south-west China. Chun Mee became immediately fixated on the idea of becoming a travelling performer. “The sights, smells and sounds of the Big Top attracted me,” she recalls. “Everything just seemed so magical. The atmosphere was like nothing I’d ever experienced.”

Of all the acts, Chun Mee was most captivated by the trapeze artists. “I remember thinking to myself how wonderful it must be to fly through the air for a living,” she says. “I couldn’t take my eyes off the performers as they spun, flipped and flew above my head.” Chun Mee laughs as she remembers her five-year-old self. “By the time the routine was half way through, I’d made up my mind that one day, I too would be a circus trapeze artist.

Chun Mee’s road to circus stardom began soon afterwards. She took ballet classes, acting lessons, gymnastics classes – anything to hone her craft. At 13, she won a scholarship to Canada’s National Circus School. Her talent at the school was such that she was expected to go onto great things. At 18, she was head-hunted by a scout from Collington Bros Circus. Today, Chun Mee is one of their star acts, flying through the air; defying gravity; living the dream she imagined as a little girl.

Trapeze artistry is not a job for the faint-hearted. But for Chun Mee, the adrenaline of aerial performance is better than anything a regular job could offer. “It's like a dream, flying. When you do a great performance on the trapeze and everything goes well, it's such an incredible feeling – I do my best to project that feeling to the audience.”

To become a trapeze artist requires the right body type. Only small bodies can bend, twist, turn and twirl at a moment’s notice. Mental toughness and natural talent are also key. Chun Mee had these qualities right from the very beginning. “I’ve never trained a more determined child,” recalls James Ford, her coach at the National Circus School. “Her form, natural ability and willpower to cope with the intense training were remarkable.”

However, ask Chun Mee what it takes to be a trapeze artist and she says training - lots of it. “I’d say first of all that trapeze artistry is not magic, it’s effort,” she states. You have to work extremely hard in order to master the stunts and make them look effortless.”

So what of life under the Big Top? Is it as carefree and glamorous as it appears from the outside? “Yes and no”, says Chun Mee. “Being in a circus is the perfect job when you’re young because you get to travel the world. Already I’ve experienced more cultures and met more people than I could ever have imagined.” Chun Mee also speaks of the thrill of performing in front of a live audience. “Every day I get to hear the sounds of people applauding for me. I get to see the awe I inspire in people – it’s written all over their faces. It’s a huge adrenaline rush,” she admits.

As for the downside, Chun Mee identifies the long work hours, constant travelling and aches and pains that are all part of her profession. “Audiences see the lights and the glitter, but few realise the hard work and sacrifices we make,” she says. “As entertainers, it is expected that we perform even when sick. Circus performers live by the motto ‘The show must go on’.”

Statement 1 (True)/ 2 (False) / 3 (Not stated)

Chun Mee Sing made an important life decision aged just 5.

Her aunt opposed her plan to join the circus.

The National Circus School is known for trapeze training.

Chun Mee gets scared during her performances.

Anyone can be a trapeze artist if they try hard enough.

Chun Mee tries to make it look as if she isn’t trying.

People can’t hide how impressed they are with the performance.

Acrobats never perform if they are feeling unwell.