English B2 FCE

(0) FOR three weeks every August in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, the 'Edinburgh Fringe', which is the largest arts festival (1) ............ the world, takes (2) ............. In 2015 there were 3,314 shows, culminating in 50,459 performances across 313 venues. Each year, thousands of performers take to hundreds of stages all (3) ............ Edinburgh to present shows for every taste. From unknown artists trying to promote their acts to big names in the world of entertainment, the festival provides something (4) ............ everyone and includes theatre, dance, comedy, physical theatre (5) ............ circus, children's shows, cabaret, musicals, opera, music, spoken word and exhibitions of arts and crafts. The Fringe story dates (6) ............ to 1947, when eight theatre groups turned (7) ............ uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, as it was then called, an initiative created to celebrate and enrich European cultural life in the wake (8) ............ the 2nd World War.