Where Pantomime is still the same

The Players’ Theatre, near Charing Cross Station in London, is the only one left in the country where pantomime is still performed in the traditional manner at Christmas. The theatre is an odd institution, a club whose members are dedicated to keeping alive the spirit of the Victorian music hall. When the MC (or Master of Ceremonies), as he is traditionally called, says the century is coming to an end, he means the XIX; when he proposes the health of the Queen, he means Victoria, not Elizabeth. For the MC, modern pantomime is a disgusting spectacle, a distortion of a great tradition. The comedians make jokes about topical events to amuse the adults, while the children, who go wanting to follow a story, are bored and don’t understand.

The old forms are not quite dead, however; nor were Victorian pantomimes so far removed from the present day. A well-known comedian who has written four shows for different theatres points out that pantomime was in decline until popular music-hall stars began to take part. In his opinion, since television is the modern equivalent of music hall, it is only natural that jokes should refer to soap opera. There must still be a connection with the original stories: if they are abandoned, how can the name of pantomime be retained? But like all art forms, it must move with the times; a strict attention to the original forms would mean empty seats and limit its appeal to a few enthusiasts.

3. What point is the writer making about the Players’ Theatre in the first paragraph?

A) It is unique.

В) It is strange.

С) It is exclusive.

D) It is out of date.

4. What point is the comedian making that contradicts the MC’s statement?

A) Pantomime was kept alive by the kind of actors who star today.

В) Jokes about TV programmes are the main attraction for the audience.

С) There is no need to repeat the same stories all the time.

D) No one has any respect for the tradition nowadays.

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Is Prince William related to Shakespeare?

Is Prince William an embryonic bard? A research team in Germany claim they have found evidence that he is descended from Shakespeare and may thus have inherited literary genius.

Frustrated by a lack of first-hand evidence, researchers trying to piece together details of the Bard’s life have long turned to his sonnets as the only words of his that might be autobiographical. For centuries, academics have been trying to solve the tantalising riddle of the “Dark Lady”, the mystery person to whom Shakespeare addressed his sonnets. Those involved in the most recent detective hunt have come up with some evidence that the Bard’s bloodline is linked to the youngest generation of the royal family.

This bold claim is supported by clues hidden in paintings of a previously unidentified noblewoman, to be named by a German academic team as Shakespeare’s dark-haired lover. They were assisted by forensic experts from the German police.

But who was the Dark Lady? So many rival theories have been advanced that some scholars have abandoned the search. In fact the answer may be staring us in the face. According to one eminent academic, a portrait of the mystery woman is on show in Hampton Court Palace in London, where it is known as The Persian Lady. She argues that the pregnant woman depicted there is Elizabeth Vernon, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, who, after an illicit affair with Shakespeare, went on to marry his patron. It seems that this woman, Elizabeth, third Countess of Southampton, bore Shakespeare a daughter, Penelope, who grew up to marry William, second Baron Spencer, and their descendant was the father of Diana, Princess of Wales and grandfather of Prince William.

So far, Prince William’s talents have shown themselves in the sports field. But who knows? His uncle, Earl Spencer, did after all receive world-wide acclaim for his address at the funeral of his sister.

5. Some academics

A) know that Prince William has a genetic link with Shakespeare.

В) believe Prince William has inherited Shakespeare’s talent for writing.

С) have discovered autobiographical details in Shakespeare’s sonnets.

D) have found evidence that may indicates that Prince William is descended from Shakespeare.

6. Researchers

A) have now given up the hunt for the “Dark Lady”.

В) have solved the mystery of the “Dark Lady”.

С) disagree about the identity of the “Dark Lady”.

D) have discovered that Princess Diana was descended from the “Dark Lady”.

12. For questions 1-15, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).