I     1     (be) always full of confidence about Hamlet before I saw The Revenge of Prince Zidan — the Peking Opera version of Hamlet. First, the opera brought a     2     (complete) new sound to my Western ears, beginning with an orchestra playing traditional Chinese instruments, one of     3     was an instrument with two strings     4     (call) jinghu. Then, I was surprised when the main characters came on stage. The costumes and masks were     5     (amaze). Although the     6     (perform) sang in Chinese, the music, exaggerated movements and mime helped get the meanings     7     the audience. The voices sounded really unique. So high were some of the female voices     8     I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple.     9     (use) some special techniques, the opera had transformed a small stage into the whole universe. What I liked most was how the characters moved on stage. It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers     10     athletes! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance. I could easily recognise the theme of Hamlet.

Beijing Opera is a national treasure of China. The art    1     (date) back to the late eighteenth century     2    it combines acting, talking, singing, music, dancing and acrobatics. Actors play one of four roles: sheng, male roles; dan, female roles; chou, clown roles and jing roles. Each role has its own singing and acting styles. In the early days, most often Beijing Opera     3     (perform) on open-air stages in markets, streets, teahouses or outside temples. The music had to be played loudly and performers had to sing with sharp    4     (voice) in order to be heard over the crowd.     5     (gradual) this kind of singing became a special style of Beijing Opera. Beijing Opera used to be performed on open-air stages     6     were lit only by oil lamps. As     7     result, the actors had to wear bright costumes in colorful patterns    8     (attract) the audience’s attention. Symbols also play a very important role in Beijing Opera. Many body movements can represent complex actions. For example, when a lady is    9     (ride) in a carriage, the performer actually walks a flag on each side. Four generals and four soldiers refer     10     an army of thousands. In other words, every action and movement in Beijing Opera is important.