Puppet shows all over the world entertain both children and adults and are an important part of many countries' traditions. But there is no other show quite like the Vietnamese Water Puppet
Theatre. As the puppets act out myths, legends and tales of everyday life, they appear to dance on a
stage full of water!
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The Vietnamese Water Puppet Theatre has a very long history. It started around a thousand years
ago when farmers discovered that flooded rice fields made a perfect stage for puppet shows. The
flooded rice fields were perfect because they could hide the puppets' strings and bamboo rods
under the water. Over the years, the puppet shows became more popular and there were
competitions for the best one.
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Nowadays, audiences don't need to go to rice fields to see a performance. There are moveable
stages and buildings that have tanks specially designed for water puppets. The surface of the water
in these tanks is more than just a stage for the puppets. Hidden behind a bamboo wall, the
puppeteers can create splashes and waves that add to the excitement, just like special effects in
the latest Hollywood blockbuster!

соотнесите заголовки с текстом

working with water
carving a character
music and lights
the stars of the show
the origins of an art form
one of a kind
traditional stories
​

Artthere are many different types of arts in the world. the most popular ones are cinema, theater, literature, music and painting. i’d like to tell you a little bit about each of these arts. first of all, my favourite type of art is music. it has always fascinated me how people create such melodic tunes. i love all genres of music, be it jazz, classical, pop, rock, reggae, opera, blues or else. music can change my mood. if i’m sad i try to listen to something cheerful, for example, to disco music. if i want to think in loneliness, i prefer alternative rock. i’m glad that there are so many devices nowadays which allow us to listen to music everywhere we wish. it includes radios, mp-3 players, cd-players, mobile phones. my second favourite type of art is literature. i like reading interesting novels and detective stories. i also value the works of famous writers and poets. speaking of russian writers i’ve read some works of pushkin, lermontov, tolstoy, turgenev, dostoevsky and mayakovski. their works are world-famous and many books have been translated into other languages. theater is gradually becoming an outdated type of art. on the contrary, cinemas become more popular. there are many great theatres and large cinemas in russia. i think people should respect the work of actors and attend theatres more often. as for me, i don’t really like cinemas. if i want to watch a new movie, i buy and watch it at home. painting is another form of art. museums and art galleries have always attracted me. i think that painting is a rather interesting activity. one of my friends is really good at it. he is going to enter the university of arts after graduating from school. his works include oil paintings and pastel. i really admire his talent. i wish i could be as good at painting as him.

After the First World War lie managed to set up his own film company. He rented an old camera and a garage. He became the owner of a small studio. He loved cartoons and was full of ideas. He had clear ideas of what he wanted.
Disney's cartoon Films became popular all over the world.
The Disney studios continued producing movies after Walt's death in 1966. Wherever American films are shown, the name of "Disney" still draws the crowds.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Albania . Her real name was Agnes . She was the youngest of three children. Her father was a good businessman and the family had a comfortable life. Her parents were very religious. Agnes's mother taught her children to pray and to love and help other people. They often gave food and money to the poor. They were the first lessons in kindness for little Agnes.
When Agnes was only nine, her father died. The family became poor. But later her mother opened a shop, and The business did well. That was the second lesson in life from her mother: when life is difficult you must try, try and try again.
In 1928 Agnes left her family to become a nun. She chose a new name for herself— Teresa. Sister Teresa went to India to teach poor children. Later she began to help the poor. She took care of people who had no one else to look after. She worked hard. She was sure that she would succeed. She believed that "all men are created equal". In 1948 she and her pupils set up Missionaries of Charity (Благотворительная миссия).

They worked in hospitals and schools, took care of children without parents and helped the sick and the dying.
Mother Teresa never worried about money. She always said that the help would come when it was needed. In 1979 Mother Teresa got the greatest prize in the world — the Nobel Peace Prize. She received the prize of $190,000 not for herself but for the poor people of the world. She used this money to feed hungry people and to give help to the sick and dying. Mother Teresa received the Nobel Prize because all her life she loved and helped people.
After Mother Teresa's death her Missionaries of Charity continue their work trying to help people all over the world.

You've just read an interview with Slava Polunin who is generally recognized as one of the greatest living clowns. He is one of those rare artists who have climbed to the top of their chosen profession. This is how the newspaper "The Irish Times" has described this world famous mime actor. One of his most successful productions has
been the "Snow Show" which began in 1996 in Britain. A well known Russian artist and fashion designer Mikhail Shemyakin made some fantastic costumes for Slava's "Snow Show".
The "Snow- Show" can transform adults into wide-eyed children.
Slava was born in a small place in Central Russia. As a boy, he was fond of playing snowballs and making tunnels under the snow. In his "Snow Show" Slava realized the fantasy of his childish games as a mime actor.
Mime traditionally means acting without words. Mime artists believe that they can communicate without language — speak with their bodies, Slava Polunin believes that you can do a show without words but if it needs a word, it's better to put one in.
The "PIay-Makers group", founded by Slava Polunin, is known all over Russia and the world. They have travelled through more than 20 countries. Over 25 years they have made unbelievable progress and have become a national attraction. Their theatrical characters are known to everyone in Russia,
At the moment Slava is about to start work on some new productions working with clowns from Britain and Russia, Polunin's show is constantly changing. Each show is so different from another that "If you watch the show once a year, you will see that each time, it's a new one," says Slava Polunin.