Listen to the text and decide which answers to the questions in your workbook are right.0:04
The name of the world's greatest playwright, William Shakespeare, is associated with his hometown, Stratford upon Avon.0:11
Thanks to this fact, Stratford is probably the best known town in Great Britain after London.0:18
Nowadays, Stratford is also the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which stages and performs Shakespeare's plays.0:24
Stratford is situated in Warwickshire, in the very heart of England.0:32
The countryside in this place is particularly beautiful.0:36
The romantic river Avon with its swans, the lovely 16th century Tudor cottages and the fact that it was the birthplace of Shakespeare bring to this little town visitors from all over the world.0:39
The largest number of people gathers there on the poet's birthday on 23 April, the day when William Shakespeare was born and by strange coincidence, died late.0:51
April is the time of celebrations in Stratford.1:02
On Saturday, closest to the 23rd, thousands of people arrive here to honor the great poet, to see these sights and to take part in spectacular celebrations.1:05
The celebrations take the whole weekend and include a birthday parade, a ceremony of the flags, a birthday performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company, a special church service, a marathon and and a lot of street entertainment.1:15
The most colorful event takes place on Saturday.1:29
A huge procession of bands, important guests, actors and actresses, dancers, school children and pupils and townspeople walk through the town to lay flowers at Shakespeare's grave.1:33
By tradition, anyone with a flower may join the parade as it goes through the town and into Holy Trinity Church where the poet is buried.1:45
On the way to the church, the procession stops for the flag ceremony.1:54
First you hear music and then flags from many countries begin flying to applause from the crowd of people.1:58
At the same time, there appear big banners representing all works by Shakespeare.2:05
After the flag ceremony, the procession makes its way to the King Edward VI school where it stops.2:10
The boys from Shakespeare's old school run out of the school building and join the procession altogether.2:17
People walk to Holy Trinity Church and lay flowers.2:23
But it's not the end of the celebrations.2:27
The fun continues with street entertainment.2:29
People watch traditional dancing, listen to music and go to the theatre to watch one of Shakespeare's play.2:32
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