Dancing That Tells a Story--Ballet

  There are different ways of telling a story. It can be told in words. It can be told in pictures. It can be told in music. It can be acted out. Or it can be told by still another way--by dancing. Dancing that tells a story is called ballet.

  The dancing in a ballet is done to music, but the story is told by the movements of the dancers. There is no singing or speaking.

  The dancers in the picture are telling the story of Steeping Beauty. The music for this famous ballet was written by the Russian composer Tschaikowsky. The movements of its dancers were worked out by the French ballet master Petipa.

  A ballet is a work (of art) just as a beautiful picture is. The person who plans a ballet is an artist. So is each dancer.

  Sometimes ballet is called toe dancing. It is true that in some ballets the dancers do dance on their toes. But a great deal of the dancing in ballets is not toe dancing. Toe dancing is used to give the idea of lightness and airiness. It is never put into a ballet unless it fits the story.

  Back in the days of ancient Greece and Rome there were dances that told stories of the gods. Even longer ago in Egypt there were dances that told stories of the planets.But the ballet of today had its beginnings about 600 years ago. It began as a kind of entertainment in the courts of the rulers of Italy. Two hundred years later ballet was popular in the French court. The French king Louis X IV founded a ballet school.

  On a ballet program today there are often some French words. The names of many ballets are French. But there may be other French words, too. A part of a ballet that is danced by just two people is called a pas de deux. Such French words remind us that France was once the leader in ballet.

  Today there are many ballet companies. All opera companies, too, have ballet dancers, for ballets are a part of many operas. No one country now leads in ballet.

  Later the rulers of Russia became interested in ballet. They offered a great deal of money to the best ballet masters and dancers of France. They founded a ballet school. Soon Russia was the leader in ballet.

  Ballet is not easy to learn. A boy or a girl who wishes to be a ballet dancer has to begin going to a ballet school very early. Some begin when they are only three or four. All the parts in a ballet used to be danced by men. But now a girl has as good a chance as a boy of being a famous ballet dancer.

(1)There are ______ ways of telling a story accordingto the passage.

[  ]

A.3
B.4
C.5
D.6

(2)Ballet is called toe dancing because _____.

[  ]

A.there is a great deal of toe dancing in every ballet

B.in some ballets toe dancing is used to fit the story

C.it always tells a story by toe move-ments

D.the word ballet means “toe” in French

(3)Ballet of today can date back as early as ___.

[  ]

A.the days of ancient Greece and Rome

B.days before ancient Greece and Rome

C.about 600 years ago

D.the time when Louis X IV was in power

(4)_______ never acted as the leader in the history of ballet.

[  ]

A.France
B.Russia
C.Italy
D.Egypt

(5)Which of the following is true?

[  ]

A.Boys are more likely to be successful in ballet than girls.

B.Ballet dances also play parts in many operas beside ballets.

C.Petipa was a Russian ballet master.

D.Ballet dancers of France weren't welcome in Russia.

Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend (往往是) to be men’s sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered feminine because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot.
Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy’s father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father’s wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What’s more, his friends also laugh at him.
After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn’t enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy’s father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer.
【小题1】The underlined word “feminine” in the first paragraph most probably means ______

A.of menB.of childrenC.of womenD.of students
【小题2】Why is Billy laughed at by other children?
A.He always loses in boxing matches.B.He isn’t strong.
C.He looks like a girl.D.He loves ballet.
【小题3】What do we know about Billy?
A.His teacher encourages him to take up ballet dancing.
B.He does well in ballet dancing and boxing.
C.He does what his father wants him to do.
D.He has never taken up any men’s sports.
【小题4】From Billy’s story, we can see that _______.
A.children should accept their parents’ opinions
B.we should try to fight against traditional opinions
C.men and women play different sports
D.parents should let their children do what they are interested in

Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend (往往是) to be men’s sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered feminine because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot.

Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy’s father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father’s wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What’s more, his friends also laugh at him.

After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn’t enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy’s father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer.

1.The underlined word “feminine” in the first paragraph most probably means ______

A.of men

B.of children

C.of women

D.of students

2.Why is Billy laughed at by other children?

A.He always loses in boxing matches.

B.He isn’t strong.

C.He looks like a girl.

D.He loves ballet.

3.What do we know about Billy?

A.His teacher encourages him to take up ballet dancing.

B.He does well in ballet dancing and boxing.

C.He does what his father wants him to do.

D.He has never taken up any men’s sports.

4.From Billy’s story, we can see that _______.

A.children should accept their parents’ opinions

B.we should try to fight against traditional opinions

C.men and women play different sports

D.parents should let their children do what they are interested in

 

Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend (往往是) to be men’s sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered feminine because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot.
Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy’s father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father’s wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What’s more, his friends also laugh at him.
After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn’t enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy’s father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer.

  1. 1.

    The underlined word “feminine” in the first paragraph most probably means ______

    1. A.
      of men
    2. B.
      of children
    3. C.
      of women
    4. D.
      of students
  2. 2.

    Why is Billy laughed at by other children?

    1. A.
      He always loses in boxing matches.
    2. B.
      He isn’t strong.
    3. C.
      He looks like a girl.
    4. D.
      He loves ballet.
  3. 3.

    What do we know about Billy?

    1. A.
      His teacher encourages him to take up ballet dancing.
    2. B.
      He does well in ballet dancing and boxing.
    3. C.
      He does what his father wants him to do.
    4. D.
      He has never taken up any men’s sports.
  4. 4.

    From Billy’s story, we can see that _______.

    1. A.
      children should accept their parents’ opinions
    2. B.
      we should try to fight against traditional opinions
    3. C.
      men and women play different sports
    4. D.
      parents should let their children do what they are interested in

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