UNIT 2: LEISURE TIME HISTORY OF THE CIRCUS Words Look for the following words as you read the passage. Match each word with tts correct definition. Words Definitions 1. ancient A. V., to make something smaller 2. band B. v., to continue, stay alive 3. century C. 1., something shown to the 4. develop public; a display 5, entertainment D. n., a special ability 6, exhibit E. n.,a small group 7. exotic F._n., a person who watches 8. found an event 9, grandeur G. n., a period of 100 years io fiabaive H. 1., a small leftover piece 11. permanently I. _¥., to grow and change 12. popular J. adj., very old, of the distant past 18.tréaace K. n., place where an event is held Tarenitent L. n.,a performance or show 15, renovation M. n., a person who teaches skills pede su) to people or animals Lene N. n., greatness 17, survive ’ Site? O. adj., very big 18 P. adv., for always 19. trainer 20. venue eee eee - R._v., to start or establish an institution S. adj., liked by many people T. adj., unusual, from a foreign placeESSENTIAL WORDS FOR THE IELTS Reading History of the Circus The circus {s one of the oldest forms of entertainment in history. Although the modern circus has been around for a few centuries, related forms of public entertainment have been in existence for millennia. The animal trainers, clowns, and other circus performers who are familiar to us today can trace their roots to the coliseums, stadiums, and race- tracks of the ancient world. The ancient Romans were the first to enjoy the circus. Around the sixth century s.c., the Circus Maximus was founded in Rome as a venue for public entertainment, mostly chariot races, which were a popular spectator sport. Other events held at the Circus Maximus included glad- fator fights and exhibits of exotic animals such as elephants and tigers. These entertainments were less common than chariot races but still very popular. The original Circus Maximus venue was built entirely of wood. By the height of the Roman Empire, it had gone through several renova- tions and had become a massive marble stadium that could seat more than 200,000 spectators. Chariot races continued to be held at the Circus Maximus for almost a century after the last remnants of the Roman Empire had vanished. Eventually, the site was permanently retired, and public entertainment was reduced to small bands of traveling! performers and animal train- ers. It was during the Dark Ages that the circus began to develop into what we know today. The monarchs of Europe had court Jesters, whose duty it was to provide amusement for the court. They combined the tal- ents of jugglers, mimes, and clowns. The more common people enjoyed the performances of traveling entertainers, who went from village to vil- lage, putting on shows during festivals. These performers made up the medieval circus, which had little in common with the Circus Maximus other than adopting the word circus as its name. Leisure time was extremely rare during the Dark Ages, and people had few opportunities to enjoy circus performances. However, the circus survived to make a retum to its former grandeur in the eighteenth century. England was one of the first nations to embrace the modem circus. During the late 1700s, an Englishman named Philip Astley founded the first modern circus. He was a skilled rider who invented stunt riding on horseback. He performed his stunts in a circus ring, another of his ideas, within an indoor stadium. After his act became popular in Lon- don, he was asked by Louis XV to perform in France. He later expanded his act to include clowns, acrobats, and parades of trained animals. The last addition to his act was slapstick humor. He had horseback riders \BrE: travelling aUNIT 2: LEISURE TIME pretend to fall off their horses and then go stumbling after them. Shortly after Astley's death, the circus spread to America. During the early 1800s, the United States took to the circus quickly after learning of its popularity in Europe. Joshua Brown, an American businessman, introduced the circus tent in 1825. The use of portable tents allowed him to take his act all over the country. His traveling cir- cus was a massive success as a business enterprise and loved by audi- ences everywhere. Most circuses today are variations of Brown's circus, Answer the questions about History of the Circus. Questions 1-4 Do the following describe the anctent circus, the modern circus, or both? Write the correct letter, A, B, or C. A Ancient circus B Modern circus C Both the ancient circus and the modern circus 1. had animal exhibits ___— 2 entertained spectators with races ______ 3. entertainments included falling off horses ____ 4. took place in a massive venue Questions 5-7 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D. 5. The Circus Maximus A was not a popular place to visit. B developed during the Dark Ages. C went through a number of renovations. D took place in a portable tent. a7ESSENTIAL WORDS FOR THE IELTS 6. The court Jesters of the Dark Ages usually A were skilled animal trainers. B had several different talents. C performed at village festivals. D entertained the common people. x In the eighteenth century, the moder circus was founded by A. a horse rider from England. B_ a Roman businessman. some performers in France. D a band of American entertainers. My Words Write the words that are new to you. Look them up in the dictionary and write their definitions. Words DefinitionsWord Families UNIT 2: LEISURE TIME development Joshua Brown's introduction of the circus tent was an important contribution to the development of the circus. developer Philip Astley is known as the developer of stunt riding. develop The circus has developed in different ways over the years. entertainment The circus is still a favorite form of entertainment today. entertainer The job of a circus entertainer looks like fun, but it is really very difficult. entertain People often hire clowns to entertain children at parties. adjective entertaining We spent a very entertaining afternoon at the circus. permanence ‘The permanence of the circus as a form of entertainment shows how much people enjoy it. adjective permanent permanently Unlike the traveling bands of performers, court Jesters had permanent jobs. Circuses don't stay in one place permanently but travel around from city to city.ESSENTIAL WORDS FOR THE IELTS popularity The circus still enjoys great popularity. adjective adverb popularize! popular popularly Joshua Brown helped to popularize the circus in America. ‘The circus is popular all over the world, The modem circus is popularly known as the Big Top. survival The survival of the circus is due to its ability to change with the times. survivor survive The circus as a form of entertain- ment is a survivor of the hard times of the Dark Age: The circus has survived in many forms throughout the centuries. trainer A circus animal trainer has to be able to work with exotic animals. a aE tive train trained Some animals are easier to train than others. Many circuses use trained elephants in their show. \BrE: populariseUNIT 2: LEISURE TIME Word Family Practice Choose the correct word family member from the list below to complete each blank. ‘The 1.......... of the modern circus began in England in the eighteenth century. A skilled horseback rider! audiences with stunt riding. He later added other kinds of performances to the show, such as clowns and 3.......... animals, The show became very 4........... and the idea spread to other countries. The circus has 5.......... the test of time and fs still enjoyed by people today. It holds a 6.......... place in our hearts. 1. development developer developed 2. entertainment entertainer entertained 3. trainers trains trained 4. popularity popularize popular 5. survival survivors survived 6. permanence permanent permanently 'BrE: horse rider 51ESSENTIAL WORDS FOR THE IELTS Dictionary Skill Different Meanings Many words have more than one meaning. Read the definitions below. Then read the sentences and write the letter of the correct definition for each sentence. Questions 1-2 found [FOWND] A verb, to start or establish an institution B verb. past tense and past participle of the verb find 1. After we found our seats, we sat down and enjoyed the circus performance. 2. It takes a lot of money, effort, and daring to found an entertainment business. Questions 3-4 band [BAND] ‘A noun. a small group B noun. a strip of cloth 3. People walked around the tent in bands while they waited for the circus performance to begin. 4, The performers wore brightly colored bands around their waists.‘UNIT 2: LEISURE TIME Listening @) Listen to the talk. Choose the correct answer, A, B, or C. 1. When was the Springfield Circus founded? A 25 years ago B 75 years ago C 100 years ago 2. What has not changed since the circus was founded? A The venue B The ticket price C The number of performers 3. What kinds of animals begin the show? A Exotic B Trained C Massive 4. What is the most popular part of the show? A Animals B Clowns C Dancers