英语听力精选进阶版 6004

One of the many theatres in London's West End

For many people the highlight of a visit to London is the chance to see a West End show.

The West End of London, situated¹ a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown, is home to dozens of beautiful theatres.

London’s West End theatres are currently enjoying a boom in popularity and ticket sales. According to the Society of London Theatres, nearly 12 million people attended a West End show last year, whilst audience numbers in 2005 look set to outstrip² that impressive figure.

One possible reason for the success of contemporary theatrical³ productions is the casting of A-list Hollywood actors in lead roles. Val Kilmer, star of films like Top Gun and Batman Forever, is currently appearing in The Postman Always Rings Twice.

And he is not alone - other American movie stars performing in London include Oscar winner, Kevin Spacey, and David Schwimmer, who found international fame in the hit TV sitcom⁴, Friends.

British screen stars are also treading the boards in West End shows. Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor, is appearing in the classic 1950s musical Guys and Dolls – an experience very different to making movies. McGregor says ‘The actual process of making films is extraordinarily⁵ tedious. It is very difficult to keep your energy and focus. Whereas what is wonderful about this is we have to create it together.’

Ironically, it is not just that film stars are acting⁶ in plays nowadays but films themselves are being adapted for the stage. Amongst the films that can now be seen as plays or musicals are The Lion King, A Few Good Men, and Billy Elliot.

The longest-running shows in the West End are usually musicals. The Andrew Lloyd Webber show, Cats, ran for 21 years and 7000 performances, making its composer a multi-millionaire.

However, not all musicals do so well. Oscar Wilde: The Musical ran for only one night, closing after terrible reviews and poor bookings. It was quite possibly the biggest flop⁷ in London theatrical history.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

the highlight 最精彩的部分；亮点 

a stone’s throw 一掷石头那么远的距离（指很近） 

a boom 兴盛 

to outstrip 超越，超出 

casting 出演，演出 

A-list 一流 

lead roles 主角 

sitcom 情景喜剧 

treading the boards 踩在舞台木板上 

musical 音乐剧 

extraordinarily tedious 极度枯燥乏味的 

ironically 有讽刺意味地 

plays 剧目 

longest-running 上演时间最长的 

ran for 上演了 

bookings 订座 

flop失败

1 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

2 outstrip   

v.超过，跑过

参考例句：

• He can outstrip his friend both in sports and in studies.他能在体育和学习方面胜过他的朋友。
• It is possible for us to outstrip the advanced countries in the world.我们能超过世界上先进的国家。

3 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

4 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

5 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。