STUDIO AUDIENCESWhat’s it like to be in the audience when a television programme is being made? Cosmo Landesman found out.0 – I. Like technical difficulties, studio audiences are just another common feature of television life, and yet to many of us they remain a mystery. Watching them getting excited on game shows, for example, we sit back and ask ourselves – just who are these people? 1. Of all the audiences for live entertainment, the studio variety is widely considered to be the lowest of the low. I have heard it said that even people who work in television treat studio audiences with scorn – or, as one cameraman put it, “like cattle”. 2. I had assumed that studio audiences were made up of silly people desperate for two seconds of fame. But there’s no such thing as a typical studio audience. They come from all classes, professions and income groups. Television tries to attract different types of people for different types of programmes. 3. Those of us who prefer to watch television from home can’t see why anyone would want to watch television from a studio. Why would anyone bother to apply for tickets, travel long distances, and suffer hours of boredom in the discomfort of a studio just to watch what they can see at home? 4. One theory is that people hope that for a second they might appear on television. I didn’t believe this until I spoke to Angela. Why had she come? “It was a chance to appear on television.” Another theory is that people are curious to take a look behind the scenes. But the most common explanation I heard was simply a case of ‘a friend gave me a ticket’. 5. Few of us have ever sat in a studio audience, yet we think we can imagine what it is like. You sit there, squashed among strangers, while someone flashes cards with APPLAUD or LAUGH on them – and you clap or laugh accordingly. This may reflect the reality of some television, but not all by any means. As one studio manager puts it, “We always assume a show will be good enough not to need these signs.” 6. But is there any real difference between what you experience in a studio and what you see on your television at home? For Claire, sitting in a studio is “more exciting”, while Charlotte liked the feeling of involvement with live television. “Last year I saw my favourite comedian. When you see him on television at home you miss out a lot.” 7. What I missed out on was the sight of live actors – from where I was sitting all I could see was the back of somebody’s head. The opening scenes were shot so far from where I sat that I ended up watching the show on a studio monitor. Going to a studio may be a terrible way to watch television. But that’s not what’s important. For most of the audience it was simply fun and a free night of entertainment. Part 2You are going to read a magazine article about some successful children and their mothers. For questions 8–20, choose from the people (A–F). The people may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order. There is an example at the beginning (0). Which of the people... is guided by her parents? 0–C says she must not neglect her physical condition? 8__ THRILLS AND BILLSIf there’s one thing guaranteed to send tears running down your cheek, it’s the sign of a brilliant child collecting a medal. Julia Gregson asked three young stars, and their mothers, to describe some of the pleasures and pains of their lives. A. ANNIKA REEDER At 15, she won a gold medal for gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games. Her ambitions are to become a physiotherapist and compete at the next Olympics. “The work is very hard at the moment. There is no time to watch television, or go out with friends or do much more that gym and school. I try to take the training day by day, and when I feel very, very tired sometimes my coach gives me a day off, but usually I carry on – you can’t take too many days off, it makes you stiff.” B. ANNIKA’S MOTHER “From an early age Annika showed tremendous potential. I’ve seen some parents try to push their children and it doesn’t work. To perform at the level Annika does is so demanding of time and energy you have to want to do it yourself. People tell me all the time that we, parents, have given up so much, but what they don’t see is what the sport’s given us. We love it and what it’s done for Annika. Before she did gym she was a very shy little girl who sucked her thumb and hid behind me, but now she’s met people from all over the world and she’s got the confidence of success.” C. SARAH STOKES She made her first show-jumping appearance at ten. Since then she has won the British National Championship. “It’s a good job my mum and dad like show-jumping because they train and have to take me everywhere in the horse box. The shows are from one to five days long. I don’t ever get tired of it – I love show-jumping events, they are exciting and fun. Even if I didn’t have Mum and Dad, I would do it because I am so determined. I’m glad they are happy when I win, but I’m not doing it for them. My goal this year is to qualify for the British young riders (under-18) team. My really big ambition is to win a gold medal at the Olympics.” D. SARAH’S MOTHER “From the moment Sarah sat on a horse, age 1, that was it, her passion. When she was 5, she used to get up before us all to exercise her pony. To qualify for major shows you have to jump all over England. To save money, we sleep in the living quarters of our horse box. Sarah is well organised. She is 100% happy on a horse, she knows what she’s doing. Watching your child succeed at something they love is hard to beat.” E. JANE McSHANE At age 10, she is Britain’s Under-14 Chess Champion. “It’s really friendly at tournaments. I know everybody and it’s fun. When I’m playing, I don’t concentrate. I should do really, but instead I just stare around and don’t bother to think. I’m not scared of getting big-headed, I don’t talk about my success at school. I don’t like embarrassment.” F. JANE’S MOTHER “Jane played her first game when she was 5. My father said, ‘Let’s see if she likes it.’ My father had tried to teach me when I was young and I used to sit there bored, but Jane loved it from the start. By the end of that afternoon she had memorised all the moves and by 6 was starting to beat adults. When she’s won of course I’m pleased but if she said she wanted to give it all up tomorrow, I wouldn’t stand in her way. On the other hand I don’t want to do the awful thing of putting somebody down because they are exceptional. If she has this gift, let her fulfil her potential.” Part 3
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0. A. expanded 21. A. life 22. A. established 23. A. date 24. A. in addition 25. A. so 26. A. burst out 27. A. badly 28. A. chops 29. A. descended 30. A. thought 31. A. further 32. A. consisted 33. A. soon 34. A.brought off 35. A. involved |
B. swollen B. world B. set B. phase B. together B. whether B. broke out B. extremely B. slips B. shortened B. engaged B. greater B. featured B. firstly B. turned into B. connected |
KEYS:
Part 1: 1. E; 2. A; 3. G; 4. H; 5. C; 6. B; 7. F
Part 2: 8. A; 9. E; 10. B/F; 11. B/F; 12. B; 13. A; 14. D; 15. B; 16. C/E; 17. C/E; 18. A/C; 19 A/C; 20. F
Part 3: 21. B; 22. A; 23. D; 24. C; 25. D; 26. B; 27. A; 28. C; 29. C; 30. D; 31. B; 32. A; 33. C; 34. D; 35. A