Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest and widely
loved silent movie stars. From “Easy Street” (1917) to “Modern Times” (1936),
he made many of the funniest and most popular films of his time. He was best
known for his character, the naive and lovable Little Tramp. The Little Tramp,
a well meaning man in a raggedy suit with cane, always found himself wobbling
into awkward situations and strangely wobbling away. More than any other
figure, it is this kind-hearted character that we associate with the time
before the talkies (sound films).
Born in London in 1889, Chaplin first visited America
with a theater company in 1907. Appearing as “Billy” in the play “Sherlock
Holmes”, the young Chaplin toured the country twice. On his second tour, he met
Mack Sennett and was signed to Keystone Studios to act in films. In 1914
Chaplin made his first one-reeler, “Making a Living”. That same year he made
thirty-four more short films, including “Caught in a Cabaret”, “Caught in the
Rain”, “The Face on the Bar-Room Floor”, and “His Trysting Place”. These early
silent shorts allowed very little time for anything but physical comedy, and
Chaplin was a master at it.
Though Chaplin is of the silent movie era, we see his
achievements carried through in the films of today. With the appearance of the
feature-length talkies, the need for more subtle acting became apparent. To
maintain the audience’s attention throughout a six-reel film, an actor needed
to move beyond constant comedy. Chaplin had demanded this depth long before
anyone else. His strictness and concern for the processes of acting and
directing made his films great and led the way to a new, more sophisticated, cinema.
1.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.“The little
Tramp” was the only character that Charlie
Chaplin acted.
B.Charlie
Chaplin signed to Keystone Studios in 1906.
C.Charlie
Chaplin made five short films in 1914.
D.Charlie
Chaplin has a great effect on today’s sound film.
2.What is the right order according to the passage?
a. Charlie Chaplin made the film “ Easy Street”.
b. The film “Caught in the rain” was made.
c. Charlie Chaplin first visited America.
d. Charlie Chaplin met Mack Sennett.
e. “Modern Times” was made.
A. d, c, a, e, b
B d, c, b, a,
e C. c, d, b, a,
e D. c, d, a, b, e
3.Which word can best describe Charlie Chaplin
according to the passage?
A.lovable B.kind-hearted C.strict D.awkward
4.What do you think is the passage about?
A.Life of
Chaplin B.Works of
Chaplin
C.Characters of
Chaplin D.An
introduction of Chaplin