26 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Arts and culture Read the article again and complete the sentences (1–7) using a maximum of four words. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. 7 Use the heading to predict what the text will be about. Read the beginnings of the sentences and underline the key words. Look for ‘cue’ words both in the sentence and the text to help you find the answer. Remember to write only four words to complete the sentence – don’t include unnecessary details from the text which take you over four words. Top tips The Downton Abbey Effect When Downton Abbey first premiered in 2010, the entertaining period drama fast became a cultural phenomenon, receiving rave reviews across the board. Culture vultures everywhere who yearned for a piece of the Crawley family lifestyle set into motion the so-called ‘Downton effect’. But as Oliver Cox, Heritage Engagement Fellow at the University of Oxford, writes in The ‘Downton Boom’: Country Houses, Popular Culture and Curatorial Culture, the most remarkable cultural impact of the show has been the increased demand for traditional English butlers, whose reputation for attention to detail and discretion precedes them, meaning they are highly regarded the world over. Butlers are most requested by rich families in countries in the Middle East and China. The latter’s growing number of new millionaires long to have visible trappings of wealth, and employing a butler to cater to their needs more than gives that image. Moreover, butlers can help improve the manners of their principals (bosses) and adequately prepare them for the etiquette of the cosmopolitan, upper-class life. The huge interest in well-trained butlers has led to multiple butler schools being opened in China. One such school, The International Butler Academy, runs eightweek courses where the students can learn every aspect of home management, and are even given practical lessons on ‘dealing with greedy guests’! At €13,750, the tuition fee for the training is pricey, but it includes all essential attire and tools, such as a traditional, three-piece butler uniform, a shoeshine kit, and a pocket watch. Beyond contemporary butlers, British nobility1 can take advantage of Downton Abbey’s celebrity. Since the period drama became so iconic, many tourists now visit historic houses in the beautiful British countryside. As the TV series is a major hit in the US, tours are particularly popular among American visitors. The premiere of the fourth season of Downton Abbey drew a record audience of 10.2 million viewers for PBS, the American public broadcaster. Historic homes like Wilton House or Highclere Castle, where Downton is filmed, have impressive art collections that draw visitors. Besides, tourists can meet the owners and discuss what it’s like to run a country estate and learn about its past, paying around €2,500 for the privilege. Astonishingly, the ‘Downton effect’ is not just restricted to the UK; there are signs even in Italy. Affected by a long recession, and struggling with increasing costs of living and changes in property taxes, maintaining and preserving old mansions and castles is a challenge for even the most well- 1 nobility: the aristocracy or upper class of society Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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