DOES THE CIRCUS HAVE A FUTURE?

When we founded the Big Apple Circus in the 1970s, we knew we were addressing an audience that had grown up watching television. Today, audiences have grown up in front of computer screens and video games. Patrons’ attention spans are shorter, and their lives are busier and full of other entertainment options. This fact invariably leads us to ask: is the circus still relevant, and can it remain so? The circus has survived for centuries, like the flood, pestilence or famine that haunt the human race. Its antecedents can be traced to prehistory and were at the heart and soul of the tribal cultures that existed in those times. ① Indeed, the circus is part of our humanity as its arts address our continual struggle for survival. Watching an acrobat throw a triple somersault affirms our uncanny ability to look improbability in the face and to jump, knowing that a net will appear.

The circus, over millennia, has proven itself to be a resilient art form. ② The Big Apple Circus, European in style but American in its energy and rhythm, is part of a worldwide phenomenon attesting to that resilience. When I consider how the circus might have to adapt to a changing audience and a shifting world, I’m not overly concerned. ③ For instance, the circus was one of the first institutions in America to use electric lights. It’s likely that the circus of the year 2050 will have to shorten its moments, maybe even the length of the entire show. Perhaps special effects will be more prominent. You can never tell. ④ That is why it’s nearly impossible to predict what adaptations will be necessary for the circus to survive, but if it is loyal to its roots, survive it will. Ultimately, the circus is an evergreen experience. It is living entertainment performed by ordinary people who are capable of extraordinary feats. The circus is not just a part of our culture, it is an intrinsic element of our nature

adapted from www.pbs.org

1. Look at the circles marked 1–4 in the text and decide where the following sentence fits best in the passage.

After all, this ancient art form has morphed, expanded and contracted before,
so innovation – especially technological – is nothing new.

A. In the space marked ①

B. In the space marked ②

C. In the space marked ③

D. In the space marked ④

2. In the first paragraph, the author points out that

A. the circus artists’ feats symbolize our need to confront challenges.

B. the contemporary audience demands more life-threatening performances than previous generations

C. in prehistoric tribes circus artists were highly respected

D. since the 1970s the circus has increasingly served as a refuge from the world of virtual reality.

3. Which statement best sums up the second paragraph?

A. The necessary changes will severely impair circus performances.

B. The circus has gained much more staying power in recent years.

C. Having implemented the recommended changes, the circus faces a prosperous future.

D. By remaining faithful to its fundamental principles, the circus will endure.

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