Wicked

THEATER: Gershwin Theater. 222 West 51st Street. New York. NY 10019

DURATION: 2 hrs. 45 mins. 1 Intermission

AUDIENCE: Minimum age is 5 years old Children must have a ticket

OPENING: Oct 30. 2003

REVIEW: Wicked has been praised by The New York Times as "the defining(最典型的) )musical of the decade".It is adored by both children and adults. Times cheers, "If every musical had the brain, the heart, and the courage of Wicked, Broadway really would be a magical place."

The Lion King

THEATER: Minskoff Theater, 200 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036

DURATION: 2 hrs. 30 mins. I Intermission

AUDIENCE: Recommended for ages 6 and up. Children must have a ticket

OPENING: Nov 13. 1997

REVIEW: A vibrant and exciting tale from the great creatives at Disney, The Lion King is a story of love and redemption(救赎) that nobody should miss.

The Phantom of the Opera

THEATER: Majestic Theater, 247 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

DURATION: 2 hrs 30 mins. 2 Intermissions

AUDIENCE: Recommended for adults. Some of the scenes may not be suitable for kids to watch.

OPENING: Jan 26. 1988

REVIEW: Based on the 1910 horror novel by Gaston Leroux, which has been adapted into countless movies. Audiences agree. The Phantom of the Opera is Broadway's longest-running hit. Ever.

School of Rock

THEATER: Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

DURATION: 2 hrs. 15 mins with no intermission

AUDIENCE: Recommended for ages 8 and up. Children under 4 will not be admitted

OPENING: Dec 06. 2015

REVIEW: Based on the movie of the same name, School of Rock tells the story of wannabe rock star Dewey Finn, who works as a substitute teacher at a prep school. When he discovers his students' musical talents, he helps them form a rock group and win the Battle of the Bands. Rock on, kids, rock on.

    Violence on television is bad for people. In fact, when I watch the scenes of shooting, killing and fighting on TV, they break my heart. Sometimes I cannot open my eyes to watch them. I think it is not such a big problem for adults. They distinguish TV programmes from real life clearly, but it is not good to watch too much. We watch many acts of violence on TV, and then we do not feel violence is violence. We need to have more time to do other things than watching TV. It's important to communicate with the family, go outside and do exercise, enjoy a hobby, think about something, and so on. TV is one part of our life enjoyment, but we must choose TV programmes wisely and watch actively.

    Televised violence has many effects on kids. They want to imitate things they see. They do not know the difference between good things and bad things very well. Moreover, in some programmes a robot comes up again after it has been killed. Little children do not know it is not the same as in real life. They may behave aggressively against their friends.

    Parents must control the TV programmes their children watch. But many parents go out for work, so they let TV take care of their children after school. People must think about the way to get along with TV.

    I think it is bad to televise violent programmes while children are still awake. Violent shows are bad not only for children but also for society because people who watch violent TV shows want to imitate things in the TV shows.

    Venice International Film Festival

    The Venice International Film Festival takes place every year in late August or early September at the historic Palazzo del Cinema, in Venice, Italy; its main award is the Golden Lion.

    Cannes International Film Festival

    The Cannes International Film Festival is a famous film festival. It has been held annually in Cannes, in the south of France, since 1946 with a few exceptions. Given massive media exposure, the festival is attended by many film stars and is a popular venue for film producers to launch their new films and attempt to sell their works to the distributors who come from all over the globe.

    The most famous award given out at Cannes is the Golden Palm for the best film; this is sometimes shared by multiple films in one year.

    Academy Awards

    The Academy Awards are the most prominent film award in the United States. The awards are granted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy Awards are nicknamed "Oscars", which is also the nickname of the statuette(小雕像). The name is said to have been born when Margaret Herrick saw the statuette on a table and said," It looks just like my uncle Oscar!”

    Berlin International Film Festival

    It is one of the "A" festivals in Europe. The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the "Berlinale", is held annually in February and started in 195I after an initiative of the American, who was stationed in part of the city after World War Ⅱ. The jury( 评审团 ) always place special emphasis on representing films from all over the world. The awards are called Golden and Silver Bears (as the Bear is the symbol of Berlin).

    The film Finding Neverland is a story of magic and fantasy inspired by the life of James Barrie, the author of the children's story Peter Pan. Set in London in 1904, the film follows Barrie's creative journey to bring Peter Pan to life, from his first inspiration(灵感) for the story until the play's first showing at the Duke of York's Theatre。

    As the film opens, Barrie finds himself in the middle of all artistic crises. Unfortunately, Barrie loses his inspiration and even his wife, Mary, cannot re-awaken his creative senses. Struggling with writers block(障碍), Barrie meets the Llewelyn Davies family one lazy morning during his daily walk with his dog through London's Kensington Gardens. Moved by the fatherless boys-Jack, George, Michael and Peter-and their beautiful mother, Barrie begins to tell them magical stories to pass the time during their walks in the park. Through his playwright's imagination Barrie changes his dog into a dancing bear, sticks into mighty swords, small hills into pirate(海盗 )ships, kites into fairies and the Llewelyn Davies boys into" The Lost Boys of Neverland".

    As time goes by, a deep relationship develops between Barrie and all the members of the Llewelyn Davies family. Finally, he arrives at the point where he can't imagine his life without them. Barrie acts as a father to the boys and guides them through unimaginable sadness.

    At the same time, Barrie's writer's block disappears as he's inspired to put pen to paper and create the story of Peter Pan. The childlike innocence of the four boys leads him to imagine a world-Neverland--where no one ever grows up. It's a place where there's no real tragedy, and where that sense of joy-felt only by a child-is never tarnished(失去光泽). Peter Pan isn't just a fanciful(幻想的) story about charming children; it is also about Barrie' s own wish to never grow up.

    Everyone loves watching films, right? And research shows that we learn more when we are having fun. So today we want to share some tips with you on how to learn English while you watch your favourite films.

    This way, you can concentrate more on the language and less on following the plot.

    You will be able to read the dialogue before watching the film, underline words you don't understand and find out what the expressions mean.

    If your level of English is advanced enough to understand a film without the subtitles on, good job! If you don't understand something: don't worry! Simply pause the video Rewind. Watch again.

    Also, it is important to keep in mind that when you hear an interesting word or expression, write it down.

    But that is not enough. The ultimate aim is to learn to use what you write down by practising: make sentences or, even better, use them in conversation.

A. First, choose a film that interests you.

B. Now you can concentrate on your listening skills and practise understanding spoken English.

C. A great tip is to download the scripts of the film you choose first.

D. This is the best way to improve your speaking and vocabulary.

E. It's always easier to start watching a film you have already seen before.

F. Leave the subtitles on.

G. After that, you can do more researches on how to use the words and expressions you have put down.

    He could have placed it in a corner or could have sold it to a friend down the street or a stranger on a shopping website.1Dave Kellner, of Riegelsville, decided to share his beloved cello(大提琴) with a young musician with ability and ambition who didn't2one.

    On Friday, the 69-year-old man 3the Easton Area Middle School to 4present his cello to Anna Smith, a seventh- grader who plays in the school orchestra(管弦乐队).

    Kellner 5the cello nine years ago when he retired and decided to start a6. He spent two years trying to improve his skills, but the effects of arthritis(关节炎) made it7for him to go on practising.

    He could have 8the cello to the district's music programme. But he wanted it in the hands of a talented, serous-minded local9who couldn't afford to purchase a cello. Donna Palmer, director of the school orchestra, said it was difficult to10after narrowing down the field to three worthy students. 11the instrument was given to a 13-year-old who says she hopes to 12 the cello for the rest of her life.

    Because of his kind act, Kellner will be able to experience the13of hearing it played at spring musical concert. And knowing she has another fan in the14could help keep Smith motivated to practise and perhaps eventually15the cello.

    Kellner's16to reach out and improve the life of a talented, young musician is17. A good cello can cost roughly $2, 000. That's a high18for many poor families. In the hands of a child with talent and determination, it can19a life. Here's hoping that there are more Dave Kellners out there who understand the value of passing on a(n)20musical instrument.

    Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest and (funny) actors in the history of the cinema. Seeing his films, people would laugh tears. Considered to be one of the most important stars of the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin lived interesting life both in his films behind the camera. Charlie Chaplin was born in 1889 in London. His family was poor and he had a hard childhood. In 1910, he (leave) Britain for the United States and in 1914, he made his first film. His first films made in the age of silent films. So even people who don't understand English can understand Chaplin's films. He wrote and directed many of his films. In his films he acted as the character of a little man by who had a black moustache, wide-open eyes, always wore a round black hat and a pair of shoes too large for his (foot). In his life he made many films, the most famous of which were: The Gold Rush in 1925, City Lights in 1931, and Modern Times in 1936. Chaplin married four times, and in 1952 he left the United States his family and lived in Switzerland，he died at the age of 88. Recognised as one of the greatest entertainers in film history, Charlie Chaplin has been making audiences laugh for over a hundred years.

注意：

1）词数100左右；

2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3）开头已给出，不计入总词数。

    The film   ▲    impressed me a lot and I'm eager to introduce it to you.