Oscar winner Cate Blanchett knows what it’s powerful performance in 1998in the movie Elizabeth catapulted the Australian actress to international stardom. In that film, she portrayed Queen Elizabeth I, one of England’s most famous m______(君主). Blanchett successfully r______(重唱；重演) that famous role last fall in Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Blanchett not only plays royal roles but r______(统治；驾驭) as queen of the big screen as well. Atrue chameleon when it comes to acting, Blanchett has proved she can master almost any role. Parts ranging from musician Bob Dylan to the mysterious leading lady in the latest lndiana Jones Film have displayed her talent. With 32released films u______ her b______(拥有（经验或技能）) in just over a decade, Blanchett is one of the world’s most sought-after actresses.
Born near Melbourne in May 1969, Blanchett was often shy as a child. But she possessed an e______(外向的) side as well and developed an early interest in performing. Blanchett recalls being deeply impressed by a magician at a birthday party she attended when she was six years old. From that time on, she dreamed of becoming a performer.
As a teenager, Blanchett served as her high school’s drama captain and acted in many p______(制片；制作). After graduation, she left Australia to travel and ended up in Egypt. Her good looks attracted attention, and she was asked to appear in a local film. it seemed that no matter how far Blanchett traveled, she couldn’t escape acting.
Blanchett returned home to study drama at Australia’s e______(受尊敬的) National Institute of Dramatic Art. She graduated in 1992 and began her career at the Sydney Theatre Company, the country’s largest theater group. Critics loved Blanchett, rewarding her o______(杰出的；优秀的) performances with multiple acting awards.
Before long, she began work on several Australian TV shows and movies. Unlike many other performers, stardom for Blanchett cam within two years of her first Hollywood feature film, 1997’s Paradise Road. After that, she won an envied role opposite Ralph Fiennes in Oscar and Lucinda, which was based on an award-winning Australian novel. That role led to Elizabeth, which gave Blanchett her first of several Academy Award nominations. Her first Oscar win came in 2005for her p______(饰演；演绎) of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
The Elizabeth sequel and the highly anticipated fourth Indiana Jones film find Blanchett at the height of her career. she has ,however, recently stepped away from Hollywood to take on a new role closer to home.
Blanchett and her playwright husband, Andrew Upton, moved back to their native Australia last year. This past January, the couple became the a______(艺术的；艺术家的) directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, where Blanchett’s career began. Together, they o______(监督；管理) three stages, 12actors, an education department and over a dozen productions a year.
Blanchett and her husband felt c______(受驱使或催逼的) to return to Sydney, along with their three children. After living all over the world, she says, "something really hit us in the gut. It’s just a feeling about what home is."
Fans of Blanchett’s films shouldn’t d______(绝望；丧志), however. She can still be found on the big screen this year. After Indiana Jones, she’ll star in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an unusual story about a man who ages backward.
With Blanchett’s talent and passion for acting, it’s likely that she will g______(使……增添光彩) the stage and screen for many years to come.
Word Bank
monarch (n.) 君主 Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live in England’s famous Buckingham Place.
reprise (v.) 重唱；重演 The cast of the musical reprised the theme song for the last act of the show.
reign (v.) 统治；驾驭 Emperor Kang Xi reigned over China for 61 years.
under one’s belt (idiom) 拥有(经验或技能) Linda has more than twenty-five years of teaching.
extroverted (adj.) 外向的 Brett is very extroverted, so he has no problem talking to strangers.
production (n.) 制片；制作 My sister wants to try out for the lead role in our school’s production of the king and I.
esteemed (pp.) 受尊敬的 The esteemed author was greeted with a parade when he returned to his hometown.
outstanding (adj.) 杰出的；优秀的 My aunt is a outstanding cook. She opened her own restaurant last year.
portrayal (n.) 饰演；演绎 Orlando Bloom is well-known for his portrayal of an elf in the Lord of the Rings movies.
artistic (adj.) 艺术的；艺术家的 Jessie has great artistic ability. Look how beautifully she drew these flowers!
oversee (v.) 监督；管理 My boss asked me to oversee several important projects while he was on vacation.
compelled (pp.) 受驱使或催逼的 Ling felt compelled to give money to the homeless man she passed on the way to work.
despair (v.) 绝望；丧志 I began to despair when I realized that someone had stolen my purse.
grace (v.) 使……增添光彩 Beautiful furniture and fine paintings grace my grandparent’s living room.
Her first Oscar win came in 2005 for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator.
这个句子我们通常会说：She won her first Oscar in 2005... 但作者换了一种方式描述：Her first Oscar win came in 2005... 你也来学学这种不同的说法吧! ﹡ His first big break came in grade 5 when he acted in a TV commercial. ﹡ Terra’s lucky day came last Thursday just before the school year ended.
More Information
Catapult (v) （用弹射器等）猛力投射 Chameleon (n) 变色龙；善变的人 Feature film (n) 剧情片 Nomination (n) 提名 Playwright (n) 剧作家 Gut (n) 情感反应或感受
Talk About It
﹡Are you shy or are you extroverted? ﹡Have you ever acted in or helped with a dramatic or musical production? If not, would you like to? ﹡Have you ever been compelled to do something? What compelled you to do it?
Exercises for Today:
1.猜词：根据文中空缺的8个词的中文意思猜出英文原词。(奖励40) 2.翻译：把标有下划线的句子翻成中文。(奖励40) 3.造句和讨论：任意选择14个词中的一个或多个进行造句。并且参加Talk About It.(奖励50)
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≡听力专项区≡ → 听力交流与提高 → 已奖【空中英语教室】凯特女王 May 7~9
2008-5-7 23:20:00
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已奖【空中英语教室】凯特女王 May 7~9
