Рабочий лист. Чтение. READING COMPREHENSION. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

READING COMPREHENSION
A day in the life of William Shakespeare
NAME --------------------------------------------- FORM ----------------
Before you start
What do you know about William Shakespeare? Choose between a) b) c)
William Shakespeare lived a) in the 15th century b) in the 16th century c) in the 17th century
He wrote a) novels b) stories c) plays
A playwright is a person who writes a) stories b) poems c) plays
Now read the text and check your answers.
A day in the life of William Shakespeare
Nobody knows for sure what William Shakespeare was doing for living in his early twenties, but by 1592 he was earning money as an actor and a playwright in London. What was his life like in those days? We’ve imagined his typical day in Elizabethan London.
Breakfast
Breakfast in Shakespeare’s England was a large meal. A typical breakfast for William included bread, butter, eggs, pancakes, fish, cold meat and beer or wine to drink. Nobody drank tea or coffee in those days (they were brought to England in the 17th century).
Barber’s
After breakfast the playwright walked to the barber’s shop. Hair-dos were as important to men as to women. It was fashionable for men to wear beards.
Work
The Globe Theatre where many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed was south of the river Thames. He had to cross London Bridge the only bridge across the river at that time.
William Shakespeare was an actor and often directed his plays. There was little time for group rehearsals and actors only had the texts of their own parts. That’s why the most important scenes in Shakespeare’s plays were usually between two or three characters only. Women in those days were not allowed to play in public and women’s parts were played by young men.
Show
Plays were shown in the afternoon because the theatres had no artificial light. The light came through the open roof. The audience ate and drank during the performance, moved around and talked to each other. If they didn’t like the play, they threw fruit at the actors.
After the show
After the show William Shakespeare and his friends walked to the tavern to enjoy a good meal, listen to the latest news and have fun. They often sang songs and played cards.
Before going to bed Shakespeare sat down at his desk to work on his next play. If he felt particularly inspired, he could continue writing the whole night…
Match the highlighted words with their definition.
1. hair-do(s) not natural
2. barber’s shop actors do this before the show
3. beard(s) public in the theatre
4. audience hair on men’s faces
5. rehearsal(s) place where men care about their hair
6.artificial hair (long, short, neat)
Now read the text again and answer the questions.
Breakfast was a large meal in Shakespeare’s England, wasn’t it?
Why did Shakespeare spend much time in the barber’s shop?
Where Shakespeare’s were plays performed?
How many actors were there in the scenes?
Who played women’s parts?
Where did William Shakespeare and his friends walk after the show?
What did Shakespeare do at home before going to bed?
Give the beginning to the following sentences. Work in pairs.
---------------included bread, butter, eggs, pancakes, fish, cold meat and beer or wine to drink.
---------------were important to men.
---------------fashionable to wear beards.
---------------and often directed his plays.
--------------- ate and drank during the performance.
----------------they threw fruit at the actors.
----------------to enjoy a good meal and have fun.
----------------to work on his next play.
What’s your typical day? Write it down. Use 5-7 sentences.