5. Read the text and try to quiz.

Pic. 15

Nobody knows for sure if Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's romantic heroes, really existed but millions of people go to Verona, Italy, to see 'the house of Juliet'. This 13th-century house belonged to the Cappello family (sounds a bit like the Capulets, doesn't it?) who had a daughter called Juliet.

Juliet Cappello was born on the 16th of September, 1284. There were many leg­ends and poems about her romance with a young man, and these legends probably inspired William Shakespeare to write his famous play in 1596.

Tourists like to be pho­tographed standing on the balcony of 'the house of Juliet' because they believe that it's the balcony where Juliet Capulet and Romeo

Montague revealed their love to each other. And thousands of lovers from all over the world leave their love notes on the walls of the house. The town's cleaners have tried to remove them many times but they keep appearing again and again – and in greater numbers.

There is also an unusual volunteer organization in Verona – the Juliet Club. Every year, they receive about 5,000 letters from heartbroken men and women all over the world. And each letter is answered!

This tradition dates from 1937, when the guardian of Juliet Cappello's tomb found a letter at her grave. It had a very simple address – 'to Juliet, Verona' – and was written by an Englishman who was desperately in love with a girl. The guardian felt sorry for the Englishman and decided to write back pretending to be Juliet's secretary. This is how the Juliet Club started.

Giulio Tamassia, head of the Juliet Club, says that answering love letters isn't an easy job. Most of the letters are written in Italian and English, but some are written in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and other difficult lan­guages. Then the club has to find someone to translate them.

Some letters are from young people who just cannot find their Romeo or Juliet, others are from teenagers who find it difficult to talk to their parents. A lot of let­ters are from mixed-race couples whose parents oppose their love.

Here are just a few examples of such letters:

“I am 14 years old and I have never been in love. That’s because I have never met a Juliet. All the girls I know are either too bossy or stupid and boring. I want to meet a girl would be gentle, understanding and loving – just like Juliet.”

“I'm going out with a girl but my father I says she is not good enough for me – just because she is black.'

'Some letters are very diffi­cult to answer,' says Giulio Tamassia. 'If we feel we cannot answer a particularly difficult letter, we ask our psychologist friend for help.'

For Valentine's Day, the Club organizes a 'Dear Juliet' prize for the best love letter received. The winners are near­ly always the Italians and French – they write the most passionate letters.

And on the 16th of Sep­tember, there is a festival in Verona to celebrate Juliet's birthday.

K. Fox

True or False?

1. Shakespeare's play is set in 13th-century Verona.

2. The Montagues and the Capulets were bitter enemies.

3. Romeo and Juliet fell in love with each other at first sight.

4. Juliet was 15 years old.

5. Romeo and Juliet were secretly married by Friar Lawrence.

6. Romeo killed himself with a knife.

7. Juliet poisoned herself.

8. When the Montagues and the Capulets saw the dead bodies of their children, they promised to live in peace.