英语听力精选进阶版 13660

London's booming¹ Theatreland

Summary2 February 2012

London's theatres are one of the city's biggest tourist draws. And new figures show that audiences swelled² by over three percent in 2011 - that's despite rising unemployment in the UK. The Society of London Theatres said the capital's 52 major venues³ took around $840 million in ticket sales.

Reporter

Zoe Conway

The Theatre Royal opened in Covent Garden in 1732

Report

Last year 8 million people were off to see the Wizard of Oz and other musicals. 6 million went to the opera, to the ballet or to see a play.

London's West End is not cheap - tickets to see a play can cost $75 - so there's been surprise here in the UK that when the country is going through one of the worst economic downturns for decades, people can still afford to go.

Mark Rubinstein at the society of London theatre says it's really not that hard to understand why people are spending the money.

It's not just in London that Britain's plays are proving a sell out - they're transferring⁴ to New York where they're drawing big audiences and winning awards.

But will audiences keep coming when the Olympics arrive in London this summer? Theatre owner and impresario⁵ Andrew Lloyd Webber says there's going to be a bloodbath and theatres will close. But not everyone in Theatreland's so gloomy⁶. Adam Spiegel the producer of Midnight Tango thinks the Olympics could help draw people in.

1 booming   

adj.急速发展的v.激增( boom的现在分词 )；猛涨；发出隆隆声；以低沉有力的声音说话

参考例句：

• The opera singer has a deep, booming, masculine voice. 这位歌剧演唱家有一副深沉而又浑厚有力的嗓音。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He is booming as a teacher. 作为一位教师，他日趋成功。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

3 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

4 transferring   

印字； 中转； 转移； 传递[导，送，输，热]

参考例句：

• The film studio is transferring to Hollywood. 这家电影制片厂正迁往好莱坞。
• He deplored the injustices of the laws automatically transferring a married woman's property to her husband. 他哀叹法律规定妇女一结婚其财产自动转归丈夫是不公正的。

5 impresario   

n.歌剧团的经理人；乐团指挥

参考例句：

• The impresario will present an expanded series of concerts next season.下个季节将举办一次大型的系列音乐会。
• The impresario had buttoned his astrakhan coat.乐团经理扣好了羔皮外套。

6 gloomy   

adj.阴暗的，阴沉的，令人沮丧的，阴郁的

参考例句：

• A few faint gleams of sunshine lit up the gloomy afternoon.几束隐约的阳光使阴暗的下午有些明亮。
• When I saw their gloomy faces,I knew something was wrong.当我看到他们沮丧的脸时，我知道出事了。