The cinema - Test 2

C2 Proficiency · Essay · Cambridge English: Proficiency 1, Cambridge University Press

Write your answer in 240–280 words in an appropriate style.

Use your own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts.

It has often been claimed that people flock to the cinema primarily to escape from the boredom, or sometimes even the misery, of their everyday lives. Remarkable technological advances have made the experience of watching a movie ever more magical and emotionally powerful, increasing the appeal and impact of the cinema for each new generation. Yet movies have a power that goes far beyond their capacity to transport us to another world, since they can influence audiences to change their attitudes or behaviour in significant ways, making them consider complex moral and social issues such as war, poverty, and prejudice.

Movie magic

The inescapable truth is that the cinema, one of the greatest cultural achievements of the twentieth century, has reached a new low point in recent years. All but a few movies are, frankly, not worth anyone's valuable time. Audiences are increasingly presented with childish comedies, predictable action films and disappointing sequels. There is also the absurd idea that a film with an inflated budget of millions is a substitute for a well-acted, imaginative and original film. Film studios now spend almost as much money on marketing their films as producing them, which tends to suggest their concern is with profit rather than quality.

Is the cinema in decline?

Read the two texts below.

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