Module 3 Body Language and Non-verbal Communication Section Ⅳ Other Parts of the Module [原文呈现][读文清障] ClappingWhy do we clap①
To show we like something, of course
But we don't clap at the end of a television programme or a book, however good they are②
We clap at the end of a live③performance④, such as a play, or a concert, to say thank you to the performers⑤
First they give, and then we give
Without us — the audience⑥ — the performance would not be complete⑦
The custom of clapping has early beginnings
In classical⑧ Athens, applause⑨ meant judgement⑩ and taking part⑪
Plays were often in competition with⑫ each other, and prolonged⑬ clapping helped a play to win
The theatre was large — it could hold⑭ 14,000 people, half the adult male population of the city, which meant that the a