- Musical humorist Victor Borge , a talented pianist and a comedian, was born in ____________ on January 3, 1909.
Your answer:
Oslo, Norway
Stockholm, Sweden
Copenhagen, Denmark
- The son of a violinist in the Danish Symphony Orchestra, Victor Borge became a child prodigy soon after he began playing the piano at the age of three. “A child prodigy” means____________.
Your answer:
a child who makes progress
a child who has a great natural ability in a subject or skill
a child who promotes products
- After studying at the Copenhagen Music Conservatory as well as in Vienna and Berlin, Victor Borge soon found his way into acting, too. He became a one-of-a-kind leading film and stage actor in Scandinavia. “One of a kind” means _____________.
Your answer:
kind-hearted
kind of
special because no one else is like him
- When the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940, Victor Borge had to escape to the U.S. He arrived almost penniless and unable to speak English. “Penniless” means___________.
Your answer:
had no penny but other coins
had no coins but bills
had no money
- He taught himself English by listening intently to the dialogues in films. “Intently” means _____________ .
Your answer:
eagerly, showing strong desire
intend
plan
- He was invited to appear on famous radio shows. Then, he moved on to television and ________ .
Your answer:
the theatre
Hollywood
- From 1953 through 1956, Victor Borge’s one-man show “Comedy in Music” chalked up 849 performances—the longest solo run in Broadway history. “Chalk up” means ___________ .
Your answer:
to succeed in winning or getting something
to use chalk to write
his name was on the chalkboard
- Victor Borge’s incredible wit combined with his amazing musical ability created the unique performances that cracked up people around the world. “Crack up” means _________ .
Your answer:
break up people
make people jump
make people laugh a lot
- He performed skits such as falling off his seatbelt-equipped piano bench, telling jokes about musicians, playing music upside down or playing piano duets by using his fingers to invade his partner’s keyboard territory. “Skit” means _____________ .
Your answer:
a sudden sliding movement
a short funny play
skill
- In 1963, Borge helped to found the “Thanks to Scandinavia Foundation,” which offers scholarships to Scandinavian students and scientists to the U.S. universities. “Scholarship” means _________ .
Your answer:
school supplies with books and pens
study schedule
money for education and research
- He was knighted by the kings of Norway, Denmark and Sweden and was honored by both the US congress and the United Nations. “was knighted” means ______________ .
Your answer:
was given a high rank or title
was given a sword and a horse
was offered a job to serve the king
- He kept up a busy career into his 80s. In addition to his heavy stage and television commitments, he became a much sought-after conductor of many of the world’s most famous symphony and opera orchestras. “Sought-after” means______________.
Your answer:
run after
wanted by a lot of people, but difficult to get
sort out
- “Victor Borge is world-famous as the funniest pianist on Earth,” stated The Washington Post. The beloved international humorist and musician, who began performing actively at the age of 17 until past his 90th birthday, passed away on December 23, 2000 in Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. “Pass away” means ___________ .
Your answer:
pass by
in the past
die