Setting: the Forbidden City

Plot: The story takes on the classic love triangle of the three main characters Turandot, Calaf and Liu. Liu loves Calaf, but Calaf has fallen in love with Turandot. Because Turandot does not want to get married, she declares that anyone who wants to marry her must answer her three questions. If the one cannot answer these questions, he will be killed.

Director: Zhang Yimou

Conductor: Zubin Mehta

Actors and actresses: Sharon Sweet; Barbara Hendricks; Kristjan Johannsson

Step 5 Careful reading (PPT 14-15)

( ) Prince Calaf manages to answer the riddles.

( ) However, Liu, the slave girl, expresses her love for Calaf.

( ) Princess Turandot has Liu beaten, and Liu kills herself.

( ) Prince Calaf sees the prince and falls in love with her.

( ) A prince is killed as he cannot answer the princess's riddles.

( ) The prince wins the princess's heart with a kiss.

( ) Calaf says he will solve the riddles and marry Turandot.

( ) Princess Turandot is so upset that Prince Calaf says she does not have to marry him if she can guess his name.

Key: 5 3 7 2 1 8 4 6

Find out the words that reflect the writer's opinion about the opera.

splendid; greatest; beautifully-sung; excellent; wonderful; amazing

Step 6 Homework (PPT 16)

Work in pairs.

Suppose one of you have watched Turandot. Your partner is asking you about the basic information about the opera. Make up a dialogue between the two.