Michael Jackson

Pre-reading:
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What do you think this text is about?

Who is in the pictures?
Comment about what feeling gives you the second picture.
What kind of music do you like? Do you like MJs music?
What else besides music is Michael Jackson famous for?

While-reading:
1. Fill in the missing information:
Artists name:
Date of birth:
His parents names:
Where he lives:

2. True or false?
Look at the following statements. Write T for true, F for false, and DK (dont know) if you
cant tell from the text:
a) Michael Jacksons father was a crane operator.
b) Michael Jacksons mother was a Jehovahs Witness.
c) His parents werent both musical.
d) MJ is only child.
e) One way he wants to live until he is 150 is by sleeping in a coffin.
f) MJ favorite team is Manchester United.
g) He eats only at a restaurant.
h) When he goes to a restaurant, he takes his own chef.
i) The pop star also love animals.
j) He has a private zoo.
3. Multiple choice
Choose the correct answer:
1) MJ has been performing since the age of: a) four
b) six
c) seven
2) He was the a) sixth of a) eight children.
b) tenth
b) ten
c) seventh c) nine
3) He started his solo career in a) 1974
b) 1972
c) 1973

4) He was only a) 10 when a Jackson Five single sold over two million copies.

b) 11
c) 12
5) His Thriller album has sold around a) 40 million copies.
b) 20
c) 1
4. Arrange the jumbled paragraphs:
Whatever people may think about his private life, the fact remains that Michael
Jackson is an enormously talented individual who will continue to surprise us with his
mixture of music and star appeal. He is still a young man and has many more years of
fame and fortune to look forward to.
Even though Michael was only seven year old, he had such talent that it was natural
for him to become the bands lead singer. The star quality he has always had was
obvious from a very early age. He could take off other performers and copy their style
after only hearing them once. He was still only 11 when a Jackson Five single sold
over two million copies.
In 1972, he started his solo career. He sold millions of albums, made videos and even
turned his talents to acting. He is said to have received five millions dollars for making
a Pepsi Cola advertisement. His Thriller album has sold around 40 million copies,
more than any other album in history. He is a very generous person and has shared his
wealth with charities.
Michael Jackson is one of the biggest success stories of entertainment history. He has
been performing since the age of seven and is still one of the most successful singers
and entertainers in the world over 50 years later. He has survived in a incredibly
competitive world.
Michael was born in 28th August 1958, in a small town in Indiana in the USA. His
father was a crane operator and his mother a deeply religious Jehovahs Witness.
Michael was the seventh of nine children and their small house must have been really
crowded. His parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, were both musical and their children
all took after them. Through their encouragement, the children learned to sing and play
musical instruments. Their father organized the boys into the Jackson Five and in 1965
they won their first talent contest.
Michael has certainly changed from the little boy of his talent contest days. A price of
fame is that his private life is always under the microscope and he is the source of
rumors and gossip. He lives in a castle in Encino. California, which he hardly ever
leaves. The star is also supposed to be very health-conscious and wants to live until he
is 15. One of the ways he hopes to do this is by sleeping in a box which has pure
pressurized air pumped into it. This special chamber cost a quarter of a million dollars.
He eats very little but takes large numbers of vitamin pills. When he goes to
restaurants, he takes his own chef who prepares Michaels diet of vegetarian food. The
pop star also loves animals and has his own private zoo which houses snakes, deer,
llamas, chimpanzees and spiders.

Controversy surrounds the way in which his appearance has changed. It is hard to
believe that the changes in his facial appearance and skin colour have occurred
naturally. It looks as though he has had several operations on his nose and changed the
appearance of is chin, eyes and cheekbones. One expert believes that his skin has
become lighter through the use of acid. One explanation for all this is that he wants to
winder his appeal with white audiences.
5. Give each fragment a title.

Post-reading:
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What do you think is the writers intention with this article?

Did you like the text? Yes/No. Why?
Is this article still current?
Who is considered nowadays to be the new Michael Jackson?
Write an interview about Michael Jackson.
Give a title to this text.
What would you do if you were a pop star? (think about money, fame)