Theatres, Concerts, Festivals and Cinema

Theatres, Concerts, Festivals and Cinema.

The theatre is mainly concentrated in London, where there are at least forty theatres functioning and a successful play can continue to be shown for many months or even years. Outside London a few large towns have theatres in which are performed, generally for one week at a time, plays which take a trial run before opening in London.

Orchestral concerts are given regularly in London by several first-class orchestras which are based there. The largest provincial centers also maintain permanent orchestras, which give regular concerts. Seasons of opera are performed at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, in central London. And also of ballet by the Royal Ballet, "Festivals' of the arts take place in several towns, of which the best known is the annual International Festival of Music and Drama in Edinburgh.

From about 1930 until very recent times the cinema became very popular in Britain. More recently the rapid spread of television has brought a great change. In 1946 the average British person went to the cinema forty times in the year, but by 1966 the figure had fallen to six, and 1,500 cinemas were closed. Most films shown are from Hollywood, but some British films have won great international success. French and other foreign language films are usually shown with English sub­titles.

2. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту.

1. Where is the theatre concentrated?

2. Where are plays performed except London?

3. What kind of orchestras gave their concerts in London?

4. When did the cinema become very popular?

5. Why were 1,500 cinemas closed?

3. Выпишите из текста интернациольные слова.

4а. Определите по суффиксу часть речи. Суффиксы обозначьте.

4б. Приведите примеры слов, образованных путем префексации, обозначьте префексы и переведите слова на русский язык.