The life of an actor appears attractive and many young people dream about becoming one. But the truth is, it is very hard work. If you’re successful, there are deadlines to be met, appointments to keep and the press to deal with. If you’re not successful, then life is extremely tough.
I remember when I started out, I had to search the advertisement board at my drama school every day to look for acting jobs. Drama school was expensive and I needed extra cash to help pay the fees. I welcomed every small job. I played extras in many crowd scenes and became a confident participant in a lot of TV commercials for hair shampoo, soap and washing powder.
I had been working for about two years before I got my lucky break. One day, as I was passing the drama school, I decided to go in to check the notice board. There was nothing on it and I was just leaving when the secretary came along the corridor with a piece of paper. She asked me how I was and I told her life was hard and work was difficult to find. The next moment, she put the paper in my hand and walked away. My hands were shaking as I unfolded the paper, full of expectation. To my surprise, it was an audition (试演) for a clown（小丑）for the Canadian circus. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I had expected an audition with a famous director for a new film!
When I was at drama school, there had been a course in acrobatics and clown tricks. I had gained top marks in this course for originality and daring. Later I went to the audition feeling very strange. This was not what I’d had in mind when I enrolled in drama school. To my surprise, the job as a clown turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I loved every moment of getting dressed up and putting on the make-up. I had the opportunity to travel the world and I was more than an actor, I was an entertainer as well. I had visited over 32 different countries and entertained millions of people.
小题1:The first paragraph is about how _______ it is to be an actor, whether you’re successful or not.
| A．easy | B．attractive | C．enjoyable | D．difficult |
小题2:According to paragraph 3, the writer went into the drama school __________.
| A．to look for a job |
| B．to see the secretary |
| C．to collect a piece of paper |
| D．to put a notice on the notice board |
小题3:Which of the following can best describe the author’s feeling when he unfolded the paper?
| A．Extremely frightened. | B．Feeling anxious and excited. |
| C．Very worried. | D．Trembling with fear. |
小题4:From the whole passage, we can tell that the writer is ___________.
| A．sad that he was not a famous actor |
| B．happy to travel the world |
| C．feeling very strange to be a clown |
| D．very content with his life |
小题5:Which of the following would be the best title?
| A．The Life of a TV Actor | B．Acrobatics and Clown Tricks |
| C．More than an Actor | D．Going to Drama School |
