choose the correct form.

1. Ken’s sweating. He looks / looks as if he’s been running.

choose the correct form.

2. We need to take out the rubbish. The kitchen smells / smells like terrible

choose the correct form.

3. I’m not sure what’s in this curry but it tastes like / tastes as if chicken.

choose the correct form.

4. I think this bag is real leather. It feels like / feels as if leather anyway.

choose the correct form.

5. It sounds / sounds as if Becky has finally got up. I can hear her moving around.

choose the correct form.

6. This soup tastes / tastes as if you used sugar instead of salt.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

Complete the sentences with a verb of the senses + like or as if where necessary.

choose the correct answer.

1. You must be tired because you can’t stop scratching /yawning,

choose the correct answer.

2. John went into the room and shook / winked hands with the interviewer.

choose the correct answer.

3. She waved / frowned at me from the other side of the street to get my attention.

choose the correct answer.

4. Jessie clapped / combed her hair and put on her jacket to go out.

choose the correct answer.

5. I hate it when people stare / raise at me when I am on a bus or on the underground.

Read the article quickly and choose the right answer.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

What kind of clues does the article say can enable us to spot a liar?

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

White lies are less serious than other lies.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

Ordinary people are conscious of just over half of the lies they are told.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

People who are lying cannot keep still.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

Liars are incapable of maintaining eye contact.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

It is easy to smile, even when you don’t feel like it.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

You can detect a real smile because of the lines around the mouth.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

People will know that you are lying if you shake your head when you say yes.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

Liars never shrug their shoulders when they are telling you a story.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

People only use one side of their face to show contempt.

Read the article again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Question:

As soon as you spot a person making one of the signs, you know that they are lying.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the text and try to work out their meaning. Then use them to complete the sentences.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to spot a liar

People tell us lies every single day. Some of these lies are white lies, told to protect our social dignity or to keep a secret which needs to be kept. But others are more dangerous and can cause serious problems. According to Pamela Meyer in her best-selling book Liespotters, most of us only realize that someone is lying to us 54% of the time. In her book, Ms Meyer explains the patterns used to recognize deception by liespotters like herself.
Ms Meyer starts by disproving some of the myths about liars and their body language. For example, most people believe that liars tend to move around and fidget a lot when they are not telling the truth. In fact, people tend to freeze their upper bodies when they are lying, she says. Another misconception is that liars will not look a person in the eye. According to Ms Meyer, they maintain eye contact a little too much because they have already heard about the myth. In general, liars are very good actors but one thing that can give them away is their smile.
In her book, Ms Meyer explains how it is possible to detect a fake smile. Smiling is a conscious action, she says, and anybody can do it just by contracting the muscles in their cheeks. The secret to a real smile lies in the eyes. We have some lines at the outer corner of our eyes called crow’s feet, which appear when we give a genuine smile. It is impossible to consciously contract the muscles around the eyes to produce these lines. This means that a smile which doesn t reach the eyes is not real.
Further signs that give liars away, according to Ms Meyer, are differences between their words and their actions. Someone who shakes their head when they are saying ‘yes’ is lying, as is a person who shrugs their shouiders when they are trying to tell a convincing story. Facial expressions are another clue. Liars are experts at faking expressions for long periods of time in order to mask what they really feel. Often, the emotion they are trying to hide suddenly appears on their face for a second. Ms Meyer identifies the worst of these emotions as contempt: a feeling that a person is without value Contempt is shown by pulling one corner of the lips up and in.
Ms Meyer warns us, however, that we shouldn’t presume that somebody is lying just because we have seen one of the signs. But w’e should be suspicious when we see many of the signs together When we spot that we’re being lied to, our next job is to find out the truth, and that requires completely different skills.

choose the sentence halves.

1. I’m not as assertive

choose the sentence halves.

2. My brother works as

choose the sentence halves.

3. As we were boarding the plane

choose the sentence halves.

4. As the reviews were bad

choose the sentence halves.

5. Today is just as hot

choose the sentence halves.

6. On the picnic we used a sheet as

choose the sentence halves.

7. As the actors came back on stage

Listen to a radio programme about acting. According to the programme.

Listen again and choose the right answer.

Read the biographical information about Peter Shaffer. Then read the article about how Amadeus was made and choose the correct answers.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MAKING OF Amadeus
The play Amadeus was written by the English playwright Peter Shaffer. He came up with the idea after reading extensively about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his reading, he was struck by the contrast between the quality of Mozart’s music, which was obviously the work of a genius, and the silliness of his letters written to his family and friends, which could have been written by an eight-year-old. The tone of the letters was often rather vulgar.
Once his play was complete, Shaffer had to decide on a director. The experienced director John Dexter had previously directed three of Shaffer’s plays and so he was the obvious choice. However, the two fell out over financial issues, so Shaffer had to find an alternative. During a conversation with Peter Hall, the director of the Royal National Theatre, Hall told Shaffer how much he longed to direct Amadeus. Having directed productions of most cf Mozart’s operas, Shaffer decided that he was the ideal person for the job.
Before his quarrel with Shaffer, Dexter had already cast Simon Callow, then a young unknown actor, as Mozart. In the period between directors, Callow had started having doubts about his role. He told Shaffer that he didn’t think he was the right person to play the composer. Shaffer, however, trusted Dexter’s judgment even though he had no idea then about Callow’s talents. He reassured Callow, who eventually agreed to go ahead with the role.
Rehearsals for the play started badly. At first, when Callow said his lines, the cast got the giggles because the language was so childish and vulgar. But then, playwright and director got the actors together to discuss the childishness behind Mozart’s genius, and they began to understand what the play was trying to say. From then on, the actors were impatient for rehearsals to start each day. While they were rehearsing, Shaffer satin the stalls, rewriting some of the scenes. According to the playwright, rehearsals were a joy to watch and both director and actors now felt confident that the play would become a theatre classic.
On the opening night, Peter Shaffer was criticized by some members of the audience for portraying Mozart as an imbecile. Others, however, praised the way in which the playwright had chosen to show both sides of the composer’s personality. They realized that the vulgarity was meant to highlight Mozart’s humanity in contrast to his genius. Despite the controversy, Amadeus was a great success, ana it won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted by Shaffer for the 1984 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

Question:

What was it about Mozart that appealed to Peter Shaffer?

Read the biographical information about Peter Shaffer. Then read the article about how Amadeus was made and choose the correct answers.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MAKING OF Amadeus
The play Amadeus was written by the English playwright Peter Shaffer. He came up with the idea after reading extensively about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his reading, he was struck by the contrast between the quality of Mozart’s music, which was obviously the work of a genius, and the silliness of his letters written to his family and friends, which could have been written by an eight-year-old. The tone of the letters was often rather vulgar.
Once his play was complete, Shaffer had to decide on a director. The experienced director John Dexter had previously directed three of Shaffer’s plays and so he was the obvious choice. However, the two fell out over financial issues, so Shaffer had to find an alternative. During a conversation with Peter Hall, the director of the Royal National Theatre, Hall told Shaffer how much he longed to direct Amadeus. Having directed productions of most cf Mozart’s operas, Shaffer decided that he was the ideal person for the job.
Before his quarrel with Shaffer, Dexter had already cast Simon Callow, then a young unknown actor, as Mozart. In the period between directors, Callow had started having doubts about his role. He told Shaffer that he didn’t think he was the right person to play the composer. Shaffer, however, trusted Dexter’s judgment even though he had no idea then about Callow’s talents. He reassured Callow, who eventually agreed to go ahead with the role.
Rehearsals for the play started badly. At first, when Callow said his lines, the cast got the giggles because the language was so childish and vulgar. But then, playwright and director got the actors together to discuss the childishness behind Mozart’s genius, and they began to understand what the play was trying to say. From then on, the actors were impatient for rehearsals to start each day. While they were rehearsing, Shaffer satin the stalls, rewriting some of the scenes. According to the playwright, rehearsals were a joy to watch and both director and actors now felt confident that the play would become a theatre classic.
On the opening night, Peter Shaffer was criticized by some members of the audience for portraying Mozart as an imbecile. Others, however, praised the way in which the playwright had chosen to show both sides of the composer’s personality. They realized that the vulgarity was meant to highlight Mozart’s humanity in contrast to his genius. Despite the controversy, Amadeus was a great success, ana it won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted by Shaffer for the 1984 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

Question:

Why did Peter Shaffer ask Peter Hall to direct Amadeus?

Read the biographical information about Peter Shaffer. Then read the article about how Amadeus was made and choose the correct answers.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MAKING OF Amadeus
The play Amadeus was written by the English playwright Peter Shaffer. He came up with the idea after reading extensively about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his reading, he was struck by the contrast between the quality of Mozart’s music, which was obviously the work of a genius, and the silliness of his letters written to his family and friends, which could have been written by an eight-year-old. The tone of the letters was often rather vulgar.
Once his play was complete, Shaffer had to decide on a director. The experienced director John Dexter had previously directed three of Shaffer’s plays and so he was the obvious choice. However, the two fell out over financial issues, so Shaffer had to find an alternative. During a conversation with Peter Hall, the director of the Royal National Theatre, Hall told Shaffer how much he longed to direct Amadeus. Having directed productions of most cf Mozart’s operas, Shaffer decided that he was the ideal person for the job.
Before his quarrel with Shaffer, Dexter had already cast Simon Callow, then a young unknown actor, as Mozart. In the period between directors, Callow had started having doubts about his role. He told Shaffer that he didn’t think he was the right person to play the composer. Shaffer, however, trusted Dexter’s judgment even though he had no idea then about Callow’s talents. He reassured Callow, who eventually agreed to go ahead with the role.
Rehearsals for the play started badly. At first, when Callow said his lines, the cast got the giggles because the language was so childish and vulgar. But then, playwright and director got the actors together to discuss the childishness behind Mozart’s genius, and they began to understand what the play was trying to say. From then on, the actors were impatient for rehearsals to start each day. While they were rehearsing, Shaffer satin the stalls, rewriting some of the scenes. According to the playwright, rehearsals were a joy to watch and both director and actors now felt confident that the play would become a theatre classic.
On the opening night, Peter Shaffer was criticized by some members of the audience for portraying Mozart as an imbecile. Others, however, praised the way in which the playwright had chosen to show both sides of the composer’s personality. They realized that the vulgarity was meant to highlight Mozart’s humanity in contrast to his genius. Despite the controversy, Amadeus was a great success, ana it won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted by Shaffer for the 1984 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

Question:

Who had doubts about Simon Callow’s ability to play the leading role?

Read the biographical information about Peter Shaffer. Then read the article about how Amadeus was made and choose the correct answers.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MAKING OF Amadeus
The play Amadeus was written by the English playwright Peter Shaffer. He came up with the idea after reading extensively about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his reading, he was struck by the contrast between the quality of Mozart’s music, which was obviously the work of a genius, and the silliness of his letters written to his family and friends, which could have been written by an eight-year-old. The tone of the letters was often rather vulgar.
Once his play was complete, Shaffer had to decide on a director. The experienced director John Dexter had previously directed three of Shaffer’s plays and so he was the obvious choice. However, the two fell out over financial issues, so Shaffer had to find an alternative. During a conversation with Peter Hall, the director of the Royal National Theatre, Hall told Shaffer how much he longed to direct Amadeus. Having directed productions of most cf Mozart’s operas, Shaffer decided that he was the ideal person for the job.
Before his quarrel with Shaffer, Dexter had already cast Simon Callow, then a young unknown actor, as Mozart. In the period between directors, Callow had started having doubts about his role. He told Shaffer that he didn’t think he was the right person to play the composer. Shaffer, however, trusted Dexter’s judgment even though he had no idea then about Callow’s talents. He reassured Callow, who eventually agreed to go ahead with the role.
Rehearsals for the play started badly. At first, when Callow said his lines, the cast got the giggles because the language was so childish and vulgar. But then, playwright and director got the actors together to discuss the childishness behind Mozart’s genius, and they began to understand what the play was trying to say. From then on, the actors were impatient for rehearsals to start each day. While they were rehearsing, Shaffer satin the stalls, rewriting some of the scenes. According to the playwright, rehearsals were a joy to watch and both director and actors now felt confident that the play would become a theatre classic.
On the opening night, Peter Shaffer was criticized by some members of the audience for portraying Mozart as an imbecile. Others, however, praised the way in which the playwright had chosen to show both sides of the composer’s personality. They realized that the vulgarity was meant to highlight Mozart’s humanity in contrast to his genius. Despite the controversy, Amadeus was a great success, ana it won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted by Shaffer for the 1984 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

Question:

What did Peter Shaffer do while the cast was rehearsing?

Read the biographical information about Peter Shaffer. Then read the article about how Amadeus was made and choose the correct answers.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MAKING OF Amadeus
The play Amadeus was written by the English playwright Peter Shaffer. He came up with the idea after reading extensively about the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the course of his reading, he was struck by the contrast between the quality of Mozart’s music, which was obviously the work of a genius, and the silliness of his letters written to his family and friends, which could have been written by an eight-year-old. The tone of the letters was often rather vulgar.
Once his play was complete, Shaffer had to decide on a director. The experienced director John Dexter had previously directed three of Shaffer’s plays and so he was the obvious choice. However, the two fell out over financial issues, so Shaffer had to find an alternative. During a conversation with Peter Hall, the director of the Royal National Theatre, Hall told Shaffer how much he longed to direct Amadeus. Having directed productions of most cf Mozart’s operas, Shaffer decided that he was the ideal person for the job.
Before his quarrel with Shaffer, Dexter had already cast Simon Callow, then a young unknown actor, as Mozart. In the period between directors, Callow had started having doubts about his role. He told Shaffer that he didn’t think he was the right person to play the composer. Shaffer, however, trusted Dexter’s judgment even though he had no idea then about Callow’s talents. He reassured Callow, who eventually agreed to go ahead with the role.
Rehearsals for the play started badly. At first, when Callow said his lines, the cast got the giggles because the language was so childish and vulgar. But then, playwright and director got the actors together to discuss the childishness behind Mozart’s genius, and they began to understand what the play was trying to say. From then on, the actors were impatient for rehearsals to start each day. While they were rehearsing, Shaffer satin the stalls, rewriting some of the scenes. According to the playwright, rehearsals were a joy to watch and both director and actors now felt confident that the play would become a theatre classic.
On the opening night, Peter Shaffer was criticized by some members of the audience for portraying Mozart as an imbecile. Others, however, praised the way in which the playwright had chosen to show both sides of the composer’s personality. They realized that the vulgarity was meant to highlight Mozart’s humanity in contrast to his genius. Despite the controversy, Amadeus was a great success, ana it won the 1981 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was later adapted by Shaffer for the 1984 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

Question:

What was the initial reaction to the play?