The Medieval theatre

　　The Medieval theatre started in churches. That's why medieval plays were about Bible stories. At first, it became a custom for priests（牧师）to act out brief scenes during Christmas and Easter. These acts attracted large crowds. Finally, the church refused to allow priests to participate in any such events again, so ordinary people began these performances outside. Performances were set in the town square, with several stage settings around it.

The Elizabethan theatre

　　The England's theatre developed rapidly in the years following the defeat of the Spanish Navy. The dominant feature of Elizabethan theatre was the stage. It has three parts: the fore stage for outside scenes; the inner stage for scenes inside a building; an upper stage or balcony for various purposes. The reason for this design is that there were no scene changes or breaks during the play. Very little scenery was used, so the actors had to create a scene through their voices and dialogues. This led to a more poetic script, and poets became the main source of script writing.

The Restoration theatre

　　Some of the plays told sad stories, but the majority of the plays were really funny. Many specialized machines were used to create the scene. The stage was a very clever idea, in that on the sides of the stage large back shutters（百叶窗）were painted with the scene.

5. Why were ancient Greek theatres built on hills?

　A. To hold a large audience.

　B. To build a big and strong stage.

　C. To have a better sound effect.

　D. To emphasize exaggerated performances.

6. In which theatre could actors' voices and speech help create scenes?

　A. The Greek theatre.

　C. The Elizabethan theatre.

　B. The Medieval theatre.

D. The Restoration theatre.