Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. contemporary
(adj.) [kuhn-tem-puh-rer-ee] – something that belongs
to a present time
Example: Some contemporary artists use technology in
their crafts.
2. conglomerate (n.) [kuhn-glom-er-it] – a
large organization composed of companies that do various businesses or
commercial activities
Example: The companies joined together to
establish a conglomerate that captures
a wider market.
3. antic (n) [an-tik] – a playful and funny act that often draws
attention
Example: As a comedy actress, Amanda easily made
audiences laugh with her different antics
on stage.
4. wacky (adj.) [wak-ee] –
something that does not appear serious; strange and out of this world
Example: Her role in the stage play was a wacky student who talked and laughed loudly.
5. live on (v.) [liv on] - to continue to live or exist despite difficulties
or the passing of time
Example: The movie was about a man and a woman
whose love lived on despite the
hardships brought by World War I.
Article
Read the text below.
Article
Read the text below.
Actors in the booming comedy business
in Japan learn their trade in a school built especially to help them become
professional comedians.
The New Star Creation (NSC),
established in 1982, has produced a number of famous actors—from Hitoshi
Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada of the duo Downtown to more contemporary acts like Peace and
Hannya.
With comedians making up 70 to 80% of
TV personalities in Japan—cracking jokes and hosting in various shows, many
Japanese are trying their luck in this career. Taiki Momino, instructor at
NSC, says some 700 students enroll in their school every year.
Before, comedians would train and
live with a master. This would include doing chores for the master like cooking
or cleaning, said Hiroshi Osaki, president of entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo, Ltd. —
the largest agency of Japan’s most famous comedians. It soon became clear
that this method no longer worked for modern actors. This paved way to the
establishment for NSC in the 1980s. NSC allowed beginner comedians to share their
humor and antics with teachers and
fellow students.
There are five kinds of classes in
the school: manzai (duo performance
where one actor plays a wacky character,
and the other a serious one) and sketch classes, acting, voice and music,
dance, and special topic classes. Momino admits
teaching people to be funny is not possible. But he and other teachers can
still give advice on the students’ performances and help them improve.
But only a few of the hundreds that
enter NSC each year truly become successful comedians, says
instructor Masanori Honda. For the past three decades, NSC has been teaching
discipline and the right attitude to aspiring artists, and Honda hopes these
values live on in them.
With branches in Tokyo and Osaka, the
NSC school continues to prepare students for their future occupations as
comedians.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
In
your opinion, is it difficult to become a comedian?
·
Do
you think comedy can be learned?
Discussion B
·
What
kind of programs do you think should be shown on TV more often? Why?
·
Do
you think that television networks in your country offer high quality shows to
their audiences? Why or why not?