Book Creator

Without music, life would be an error

by Minodora Trasca

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Talking Challenge


Look at the following pictures. Do you know who these people are? Do you like them or don’t you like them?
' It’s Music to My Ears…
What kind of music do you like? What kind of music don’t you like?

Here are some types of music. They are called “genres”: rock, blues, folk, pop, classical, disco, jazz, folk, heavy, reggae, rap, rock, heavy metal.

Here is some useful language: “I like/don’t like...because...”, “I’m a fan of...”, “...is good/bad/OK/terrible.”, ...is better than...”, “I prefer ... because ...”.
Discussion points

a) When do you usually listen to music?

b) What kind of music is popular in your country?

c) Do you play any musical instruments?

d) Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?

e) Which is your favorite instrument?

f) Why do people listen to music?
Do you download music? Do you buy CDs? Do you listen to music on your phone? Do you prefer to watch music or just to listen? What about the old-fashioned radio? Have you ever seen your favourite band or singer perform live? There are so many ways to discover, buy and listen to music!
What's the best way?
Reading Comprehension

What do you do to relax? Do you watch TV? Do you read books? Or do you listen to music? How many of us actually play a musical instrument? How many of us go to concerts? How important is music in our lives? What kind of music do we like?
The survey above shows the musical habits of a few of our readers. Interestingly, fourteen people out of the twenty questioned actually play a musical instrument, while only six people don't. Out of these, ten people practise their musical instrument between 0-3 hours a week and the other four between three and six hours a week.
The best instrument to play is the guitar; eight people say it is their favourite instrument to play. Another four people don't like playing the piano as they think it is too difficult.
Pop concerts are always popular but, in this survey, only eight people say they like going to concerts, six to pop concerts and two to jazz concerts.
A higher number, eighteen, say they like listening to music as they find it relaxing. Only two people don't like listening to music at all. These results seem to suggest that we are more actively musical than we think.
True (T) or False (F):
1.          Eighteen people think that listening to music is relaxing.                                                
2.          Ten people think playing the piano is difficult.                                                              
3.          Six people don't play a musical instrument.                                                                 
4.          Four people practise their instrument between 0-3 hours a week.                                 
5.          Four people like playing the guitar.                                                                             
6.          Two people don't like listening to music at all.       
Look at the following article. Answer:
What type of text is it? __________________________­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________
Where is it taken from? __________________________________
Madonna Biography (1958 - )
Born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Rochester, Michigan, Madonna trained as a dancer at University of Michigan and with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City.  She has performed with a number of rock groups before signing with Sire Records. Her first hit, “Holiday,” was in 1983. Her music incorporates an upbeat dance-club sound and catchy choruses. And some of her albums are Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), Ray of of Light (1998), Music (2000), American Life (2003), and Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005).
Madonna was the first female artist to take full advantage of the music video since she collaborated with top designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, photographers, and directors. Women were not considered important in the music business but Madonna broke that view. In 1991 Madonna had achieved 21 Top Ten hits in the United States and sold some 70 million albums internationally, generating $1.2 billion in sales. So, she became the controller of her image and career, and she also became the head of Maverick, a subsidiary of Time-Warner. Her success as a performer and businesswoman sent a clear message of financial control in the industry.
However, Madonna is not only a singer: she is also an actress. She has acted in many films, such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). In 1996 she starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita (1996). Madonna made her London West End stage debut in 2002 in Up for Grabs. In a new departure, her first children's book, The English Roses, was published in 2003. Madonna was inducted into the inaugural UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. 
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