1 . 选词填空

A. ticks all the right boxes   B. put on   C. lives up to   D. get across   E. make an impact on      F. makes a comment on   G. are not familiar with   H. Dating back to   I. thanks to   J. on the edge of your seat   K. fall in love with

Cantonese opera is one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese opera, whose art form will keep you     1      with its explosive effects. It certainly     2     its reputation (名声) with appealing performances.     3     the 12th century, Cantonese opera has developed a unique performance style since the Ming Dynasty. Wearing their colorful costumes and makeup, artists effortlessly     4     dramatic stories to the audiences. All too often, it     5     various social aspects. This cultural heritage continues to     6     audiences with its musical and theatrical qualities. All in all, Cantonese Opera     7     for a cultural experience; when it is    8    , its wide range of performance forms, including singing, recitation, acrobatics, fighting, and dancing amaze audiences. With the great interest in traditional art, young audiences who     9     this opera are now showing a strong passion for learning it. Besides, more and more international friends     10     it due to its popularity worldwide.

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. live B. adapted C. perspective D. maximize E. costumes F. inject G. credited H. directorial I. publicity J. prospect K. integrated

Young Chinese opera director broadens traditional art form

“Chinese opera art is like a huge sponge, constantly absorbing, transforming, merging and flourishing,” says traditional Chinese opera director Li Zhuoqun, who is     1    with creating a market for traditional opera shows in small theaters across China.

Performed in 2013, Li Zhuoqun’s first     2    work “Death Do Us Part” is a story     3    from the 14th-century Chinese classic novel “Water Margin”. Li, a graduate of the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, says that performing this classic piece for today’s audience is an experiment and a challenge.

“We decided to shorten the divorce scene that lasted four or five days in order to     4     the effect of our vocals and dramatic performances. We also invited modern dancers to work with us. We     5    the performance methods of traditional opera with the rhythm of modern dance.”

Li defines her team as “small, deep, refined and broad”. She explained, “‘Small’ in its size, volume and     6    . ‘Deep’ refers to our performance and the depth of the script. ‘Refined’ refers to the production of the     7     makeup, props, sound and light. ‘Broad’ refers to its     8     and operation.”

“We target all ages and a wider audience.” To Li, traditional opera is “the art of regret” due to the unique charm of     9     performances. She aims to allow the audience to enjoy every minute of the show and draw more people to the theater. Li said, “We hope to find a possibility for small theater opera to make a breakthrough in terms of the market and target audience. With the development of aesthetics (审美) and society, our generation needs to     10    a wider and more varied artistic vocabulary into traditional opera. Yet it should still develop on the basis of maintaining the characteristics of traditional opera.”