1. Translate the text into Russian.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. Where was Steven Spielberg born?

2. Who was his father?

3. When did Spielberg shoot his first film?

4. What was his first successful film?

5. His business empire includes video, toys and small countries, doesn’t it?

6. How many children has Spielberg?

7. Are Spielberg’s children his source of inspiration?

8. Does Spielberg like his job? Explain why?

9. What is his nick-name?

3. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. Steven Spielberg is an actor.

2. Steven Spielberg is a great filmmaker.

3. Steven Spielberg created Frankenstein.

4. Steven Spielberg shook Hollywood.

5. Spielberg owns the whole empire.

6. Spielberg adopted five children.

7. Spielberg has a zoo in his house.

8. Spielberg has not any source of inspiration.

9. Spielberg is the most unsuccessful director.

10. Spielberg is constantly worrying about his ideas.

4. Translate from Russian into English:

1. Стивен Спилберг – один из самых лучших режиссёров наших дней.

2. Он создал множество фильмов, которые потрясли Голливуд.

3. Фильм «Челюсти» был его первым успехом.

4. Он начал снимать свои первые фильмы в 11 лет.

5. В возрасте 13 лет он победил в конкурсе со своей сорокаминутной картиной «Побег в никуда».

6. Империя Спилберга включает в себя сеть ресторанов, видео игры и игрушки.

7. Дети – источник вдохновения Спилберга.

TEXT II B

1. Pay attention to the following proper names:

Charles Chaplin, William Gillette, Fred Kamo, Mutual Company, The Floorwalker, The Rink, The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator, Landru, Mussolini.

2. Read after овения Спилберга.имистично,believe, brings the Easter eggs, may be understood as a transformed Easter lamb. ов над таким виthe speaker:

Eventually, to make a detour, vaudeville, a legitimate theatre, world famous, a tramp, to become firmly established, silent cinema, reissue, revelation, to be no doubt inevitable, to remain speechless, swansong, a contribution to film art, salary, to commemorate, divorce, crucial.

Charlie Chaplin – Comic Genius of the Cinema Screen

Charles Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London. His parents were music-hall performers and Charlie’s early life was spent touring England. Eventually, he became a dancer in music-halls. He made one detour, at the age of 14, to play in the legitimate theatre in "Sherlock Holmes", with great William Gillette. Returning to vaudeville, Chaplin joined Fred Kamo’s Company and accompanied the Kamo troupe in America, at that time he was starring in principal comedy parts. Chaplin soon entered the motion picture field (in 1913) and within one year became a world-famous star.

In 1916 he signed a contract with Mutual Company for what was, in those days, an unheard-of salary. But by that time he was world famous, and was writing and directing his own films. He was famous for his silent film comedies, in which he created acted the part of the “little man”, the Little Tramp with a small black moustache and a bowler hat, and floppy shoes, who walked with the backs of his feet together and the toes pointing outwards. He wore a shabby black suit, and always walked with the cane.

For Mutual Chaplin made some of his best short comedies, including The Floorwalker, The Rink, The Easy Street. In 1918 he joined First National, and for them made eight films, including A Dog's Life and Shoulder Arms. Then he built his own film studios and formed his own company, and in 1919 he joined (together with the other leading film-makers of the period – D. W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford ) in forming the United Artists Corporation.

The 1920s were the golden age of the silent cinema, and Chaplin entered this golden age with wealth, power, authority, and complete freedom as an independent producer of his own work.

It seemed that his lasting reputation rested on the films he had made between 1916 and 1926: The Gold Rush, The Kid, Shoulder Arms, Easy Street and other films. But from the beginning of the sound era things became more arguable.

It was no doubt inevitable that eventually Chaplin would have to talk on the screen, and he took the plunge at the end of The Great Dictator (1940), with a six minute speech. Monsieur Verdoux (1947) marked a complete break with the past: a talkative "comedy of murders" suggested by the life and career of Landru, it gave us a suave, middle-aged Chaplin very different from anything we had seen before. Limelight (1952) was something of a return to form. Its appearance marked the beginning of an unhappy period in Chaplin’s life.

When he left America for the European premiere the State Department banned his reentry, and Chaplin took up residence, at first resentfully, in Switzerland.

His last film, A Countess from Hong Kong (1966), was a light romantic comedy. In 1973 he was at last received back with open arms into the American film establishment, given a special Oscar in recognition of his contribution to film art, and commemorated with a statue at the historic comer of Hollywood and Vine. In 1975 he was made KBE in the New Year’s Honours. Whatever the ups and downs of taste in the years to come, his greatness as a clown and crucial role in the history and serious acceptance of the cinema as an art form are certain to stand the tests of time.

Words:

performer detour (to make a detour) a legitimate theatre vaudeville to accompany troupe unheard-of salary tramp firmly securely reissue to confirm revelation inevitable to take the plunge to ban to commemorate crucial

исполнитель окольный путь, обход (сделать крюк) драматический театр варьете, водевиль сопровождать труппа неслыханный жалованье бродяга твердо, крепко, устойчиво спокойно, безопасно, надежно переиздание подтверждать, ратифицировать откровение неизбежный, неминуемый сделать решительный шаг запрещать праздновать годовщину, чтить память решающий