William Shakespeare was born in the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is said that he attended the local grammar school, where the principal subject taught was Latin. Nothing certain is known of what he did between the time he left school and his departure for London. Whatever caused him to leave the town of his birth, the world can be grateful that he did so. What is certain is that he set his foot on the road to fame when he arrived in London. It is said that at first he was without money or friends there, but after that he earned a little by taking care of the horses of the gentlemen who attended the plays at the theatre. In time, as he became a familiar figure to the actors in the theatre, they stopped and spoke to him.
They found his conversation so brilliant that finally he was invited to join their company. By 1592, he became one of the three leading members of a company of actors called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. This company was under the protection of the Queen’s Court. From what we know of his later life, it is clear that Shakespeare’s connection with the theatre made him a wealthy man, since his plays attracted large audiences and he shared in the profits.
Towards the beginning of the seventeenth century, not less than eleven of his plays were produced. These included the great tragedies; “Othello ”, “Macbeth” and “King Lear". His last work was "The Tempest”.
Choose the correct answer from a, b, c or d :
1- The main idea of the passage is ……………
a) Shakespeare had a difficult early life but later achieved great success,
b) Shakespeare was born into a wealthy family.
c) Shakespeare admired the theatre at his early life.
d) Shakespeare won many awards for his plays.
2- The last paragraph means that Shakespeare ……………
a) produced more than eleven plays.
b) produced only Othello, Macbeth and King Lear.
c) wrote less than eleven plays.
d) wrote the tempest only to begin with.
3- According to the passage, we can understand that the word ‘brilliant’ means ………
a) boring b) wonderful c) annoying d) illuminated
4- The passage gives us a good lesson that it is better to ……………
a) look after horses b) talk to actors
c) endure hardships or obstacles d) be a wealthy man
5- Why do you think the actors at the theatre invited Shakespeare to join their company?
a) Because his plays were wonderful. b) He looked after their horses.
c) Because he spoke magnificently. d) To watch their plays for money.
6- According to the passage, the reason that made Shakespeare left his town was ……
a) watching plays b) being homeless c) studying Latin d) unknown
7- Why did Shakespeare look after the gentlemen’s horses when he first arrived in London ?
a) to help them b) to earn money
c) to have conversation with them d) to let him act with them
8- According the passage, Shakespeare’s plays were ……………
a) more attractive to the audience b) less interesting than his poems
c) less attractive than other writers’ works d) more interesting that his novels