At 7p.m on a dark, cold November evening, thousands of people are making their way across a vast car park. They're not here to see a film, or the ballet, or even the circus. They are all here for what is, bizarrely, a global phenomenon: they are here to see Holiday on Ice.
Given that most people don't seem to be acquainted with anyone who's ever been, the show's statistics are extraordinary: nearly 300 million people have seen Holiday on Ice since it began in 1943; it is the most popular live entertainment in the world.
But what does the production involve? And why are so many people prepared to spend their lives travelling round Europe in caravans in order to appear in it? It can't be glamorous, and it's undoubtedly hard work. The backstage atmosphere is an odd mix of gym class and workplace. A curtained-off section at the back of the arena is laughably referred to as the girls' dressing room, but is more accurately described as a corridor, with beige, cracked walls and cheap temporary tables set up along the length of it. Each girl has a small area littered with pots of orange make-up, tubes of mascara and long false eyelashes.
As a place to work, it must rank pretty low down the scale: the area round the ice-rink is grey and mucky with rows of dirty blue and brown plastic seating and red carpet tiles. It's an unimpressive' picture, but the show itself is an unquestionably vast, polished global enterprise: the lights come from a firm in Texas, the people who make the audio system are in California, but Montreal supplies the smoke effects; former British Olympic skater Robin Cousins is now creative director for the company and conducts a vast master class to make sure they're ready for the show's next performance.
The next day, as the music blares out from the sound system, the cast start to go through
their routines under Cousins' direction. Cousins says, The aim is to make sure they're all still getting to exactly the right place on the ice at the right time - largely because the banks of lights in the ceiling are set to those places, and if the skaters are all half a metre out they'll be illuminating empty ice. Our challenge,' he continues, 'is to produce something they can sell in a number of countries at the same time. My theory is that you take those things that people want to see and you give it to them, but not in the way they expect to see it. You try to twist it.
And you have to find music that is challenging to the skaters, because they have to do it every night.'
It may be a job which he took to pay the rent, but you can't doubt his enthusiasm. 'The only place you'll see certain skating moves is an ice show,' he says, 'because you're not allowed to do them in competition. It's not in the rules. So the ice show world has things to offer which the competitive world just doesn't.' Cousins knows what he's talking about because he skated for the show himself when he stopped competing - he was financially unable to retire. He learnt the hard way that you can't put on an Olympic performance every night. 'I'd be thinking, these people have paid their money, now do your stuff, and I suddenly thought, "I really can't cope. I'm not enjoying it".' The solution, he realised, was to give 75 per cent every night, rather than striving for the sort of twice-a-year excellence which won him medals.
To be honest, for those of us whose only experience of ice-skating is watching top-class Olympic skaters, some of the movements can look a bit amateurish, but then, who are we to judge? Equally, it’s impossible not to be swept up in the whole thing; well, you'd have to try pretty hard not to enjoy it.
Question 1: According to paragraph 1 the writer is surprised to see that although Holiday on Ice is popular ________.
A. people often prefer other types of show
B. people prefer to see a film, the ballet, or the circus C. most people consider it as a holiday
D. few people know someone who has seen it
Question 2: From the phrase "it must rank pretty low down the scale" in paragraph 3 we can infer that ________.
A. Holiday on Ice has rather poor working condition B. Holiday on Ice has a very dirty place to work C. Skaters do not enjoy working in this place D. Skaters do not earn much money from the job
Question 3: Which of the following adjectives can be used to describe the backstage area?
A. glamorous B. relaxing C. messy D. old
Question 4: It is mentioned in paragraph 3 that ________.
A. many companies are involved in the production B. it is difficult to find suitable equipment
C. the show needs financial support
D. the show has been staged in many places
Question 5: For Robin Cousins, the aim of the rehearsal is ________.
A. to keep in time with the music B. to adjust the spotlights
C. to be acquainted with the stage D. to position the skaters on the ice
Question 6: Cousins's theory on how to produce shows for different audiences is that ________.
A. he adapts movements to suit everyone B. he selects suitable music
C. he presents performances in an unexpected way D. he varies the routines every night
Question 7: It is suggested in paragraph 5 that skating in shows ________.
A. enables skaters to visit a variety of places B. is as competitive as other forms of skating C. can be particularly well paid
D. doesn’t force skaters to try out moves appearing in competitions Question 8: The pronoun "them" in paragraph 5 refers to ________.
A. certain skating moves B. some famous skaters C. some live performances D. certain ice shows
Question 9: The phrase "the hard way" in paragraph 5 most likely means ________.
A. by working very hard B. by having expectations of others C. through personal experience D. through doing things again and again Question 10: Which of the following is the writer's conclusion of Holiday on Ice?
A. Olympic ice-skating is more enjoyable than Holiday on Ice.
B. Everyone should enjoy watching Holiday on Ice.
C. Holiday on Ice requires more skills than Olympic ice-skating.
D. It is hard to know who really enjoys Holiday on Ice.
ĐÁP ÁN
1. D 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. D 6. C 7. D 8. A 9. C 10. B
GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT Question 1: Đáp án D.
Clue: Given that most people don't seem to be acquainted with anyone who's ever been, the show's statistics are extraordinary: nearly 300 million people have seen Holiday on Ice since it began in 1943; it is the most popular live entertainment in the world. (Với việc hầu hết mọi người có vẻ như không hề quen biết ai đã từng ở đây, số liệu của chương trình vô cùng ẩn tượng: gần 300 triệu ngứời đã xem Kỳ nghỉ trên băng từ khi nó bắt đầu vào năm 1943;
đây là một trong những chương trình giải trí trực tiếp nổi tiếng nhất thế giới.)
2. “They're not here to see a film, or the ballet, or even the circus” (bọn họ không ở đây để xem phim, múa ba lê hay xem xiếc.)
A. people often prefer "other types of show (Mọi người thường thích xem những loại chương trình khác): Sai vì không có thông tin trong bài.
B. people prefer to see a film, the ballet, or the circus (Mọi người thích xem phim, múa ba lê hoặc xiếc.)
C. most people consider it as a holiday (hầu hết mọi người xem nó như một kỳ nghỉ)
D. few people know someone who has seen it (ít người quen ai đó đã xem chương trình này.) Đáp án đúng theo Clue là D. few people know someone who has seen it
Question 2: Đáp án C.
Clue: “As a place to work, it must rank pretty low down the scale” (Được xem như một nơi để làm việc, quy mô nơi đây chắc được xếp hạng thấp.)
Quy mô đầu tư cơ sở hạ tầng thấp có nghĩa là điều kiện làm việc rất kém. Đáp án chính xác là A. Holiday on Ice has rather poor working condition
Question 3: Đáp án C.
Key word: backstage area
Clue: “The backstage atmosphere is an odd mix of gym class and workplace.” (nầu không khí ở khu vực sau sân khấu là một sự kết hợp cọc cạch của một phòng thể hình và một nơi làm việc.)
Đáp án chính xác là C. messy (lộn xộn) Question 4: Đáp án A.
Key word: paragraph 3.
Clue: “the lights come from a firm in Texas, the people who make the audio system are in California, but Montreal supplies the smoke effects.” (đèn được mua từ một công ty ở Texas, những người cài đặt hệ thống âm thanh làm việc ở California, nhưng những nhà công ty đến từ Montreal cung cấp hệ thống hiệu ứng khói.)
Ta thấy từ manh mối rằng có rất nhiều công ty khác nhau góp phần vào việc tổ chức chương trình. Đáp án chính xác là A. many companies are involved in the production
Question 5: Đáp án D.
Key word: Robin Cousins, rehearsal.
Clue: “... the cast start to go through their routines under Cousins' direction. Cousins says, The aim is to make sure they're all still getting to exactly the right place on the ice at the right time.” (đàn diễn viên bắt đầu diễụ tập lại dưới sự chỉ đạo của Cousins. Theo Cousins, mục đích của việc làm này là để đàm bảo rằng mọi người đều đang ở đúng vị trí trên băng vào đúng thời điểm.)
Dựa vào clue, ta thấy đáp án chính xác là D. to position the skaters on the ice (để định vị những người trượt băng)
Question 6: Đáp án C.
Key word: theory.
Clue: “My theory is that you take those things that people want to see and you give it to them, but not in the way they expect to see it.” (nguyên lý của riêng tôi là bạn lấy những thứ mọi người muốn xem và đưa cho họ, nhưng không phải theo cách mà bọn họ mong đợi sẽ được xem.)
Dựa vào Clue ta thấy đáp án chính xác là C. he presents performances in an unexpected
way