Time To Talk

Booklet

Music
Celebrities’ biographies.

1) a- Look at the following pictures. Do you know who these

people are? Discuss in pairs what their professions are.

b- Classify these adjectives. Then, match them with the

pictures above.

Appearance Adjectives Personality adjectives

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Beautiful, fashionable, sociable, easy-going, blond, tall, medium-height,

charismatic, egocentric, dreamer, short, out-going, attractive, vain,
long-haired, slim, stunning, amusing, lonely, aggressive.
c- Read the following conversation between two friends and
answer.

John and Mary.

Madonna is the best singer ever!

John: Hi, Mary Ann! Did you get my message?

Mary: I’m afraid I haven’t. What happened?
John: Well, I got tickets for Madonna’s concert.
Mary: Really? She is a good pop singer.
John: Good? Come on! She is the best pop singer ever! I love her.
Mary: Well, I prefer other styles… such as rock or romantic singers… I think Celine
Dion is the best singer… if you excuse me…
John: Yes, don’t worry. But Madonna is a beauty with her blond and curly hair. And
her perfect body drives me crazy…
Mary: You drive me crazy … Britney is also a good artist… she is the princess of
pop.
John: She was… (laughs)
Mary: Yes, I know. I have heard some songs from Black Eye Peas recently. I think
this is a promising band.
John: Well, I like them very much. They are the representatives of hip hop.
Mary: Yes, they are great dancers…. But they are not compared to Celine.
John: In fact, neither of them can be compared to Madonna she is the most stunning
woman on earth.
Mary: (laughs) If you say so…
John: So, would like to come to the concert?
Mary: I think I’ll pass but thanks any way.

Who are the people in the photos? What are they talking about?

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d- Read the conversation again. Answer these questions.

i) Who are they talking about? ______________________

ii) Do these friends like the same type of music? _________
iii) Who is the best singer for Mary? __________________
iv) Does John agree? Why? Why not? __________________

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v) What style of music do they mention? Can you think of others?

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e- Discussion. (You can write down notes or ideas).

Discuss in pairs what styles of music you like.
Which is your favourite style? Why?
Who is your favourite singer?
What do you know about his/her life?

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2) a- 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.

B – Underline the main ideas in the text.

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C- Now, write in your own words what the article is about.

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D- Read the biography again. Choose the correct option.

Account for your answer.

i) The structure of a biography is:

a) General info to more general info and specific info
b) Specific info to more general info
c) General info to specific info to general info again.

ii) The register of the article is:

a) formal
b) informal
c) neutral

iii) The connector BUT is used to express:

a) reason
b) contrast
c) addition

iv) The connectors BECAUSE/SINCE are used to express:

a) reason
b) contrast
c) addition

v) The connector AND is used to express:

a) reason
b) contrast
c) addition

3) Discussion.
a- Close the booklet. Discuss the following questions in pairs.

Do you find Madonna’s life interesting? Why? Why not?

What has she done? What was her life like?

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Do you like her music? Why? Why not?

What are the most important topics in the text?
What style of music don’t you like?

b- Take down notes about your comments.

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4) a- Now, consider what you have discussed and complete

this chart.

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b- Go back to the article and make any necessary modifications.

5) a- Read the second part of the conversation. Take down

notes.

John: So, what is it that you like about Celine so much?

Mary: Well, I think I feel the same as you feel with Madonna. You can’t actually
explain why you like someone… you just like them or not…
John: I don’t know much about Celine… what about her origins?
Mary: She comes from a big family in Canada. She is the youngest of fourteen
children.
John: Wow… and what about her career?
Mary: Well, she’s made a fortune. And she was considered the best artist in the 90’s.
John: I didn’t know that….
Mary: Well, in fact, she is considered as one of the best singers to perform romantic
lyrics on stage. Her production is excellent.
John: Well, Madonna’s been credited as the best artist in the 80’s and she still is.
Mary: In a way, I agree… I think they are two pop icons…
John: Yeah, but they are somehow different in style…
Mary: You are right. Madonna is a controversial figure in the female music world…

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John: And Celine is the sweetest singer as well….

Mary: Yeah… They are both very famous….. But I think Celine is the most famous
singer in Europe and America.
John: I disagree… both are famous but Madonna is the most famous in Africa,
Europe, America, Oceania and Asia!

b- Then, correct any wrong idea in the following summary.

* John and Mary are two friends who are talking about their favourite
actress, Celine Dion. In fact, John’s favourite singer is Madonna. They both
know that Celine is the greatest Australian singer ever. She was born in
Canada and she was the oldest of fourteen children. She has made a lot of
money. Celine was also considered the best artist in the 70’s. She has the
most striking style as regards singing punk music. She is credited as being
one of the best singers to perform rap on stage. John and Mary said that
Madonna and Celine are two pop-icons. But they are different in style:
Madonna is the sweetest female singer whereas Celine is the most
controversial artist in the music world. They are both very famous but
John and Mary concluded that Celine is the most famous.

6) Make a list of the different singers, bands or musicians

you like.
Find out who your classmates like. Write down his/her answers.

YOU YOUR FRIEND

__________ __________
__________ __________
__________ __________
__________ __________
__________ __________
__________ __________

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7) Discussion. Group work.

Discuss who the best singer is and give reasons.
Say who the worst artist is and give reasons.
Say who the most popular singer is and give reasons.
Reach a conclusion in the group: you can choose only one artist. =)
Write down notes.
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Glossary:

 Amusing: entertaining or pleasing. Causing laughter. Synonyms: Funny, humorous.

 Catchy: attractive and appealing. Synonym: Appealing.
 Clear: free from confusion. Synonym: Transparent.
 Controversial: creating polemic. Synonym: Polemic.
 Credited: having a good reputation . Synonym: Qualified.
 Departure: the act of leaving. Synonym: Leaving.
 Dreamer: someone who has hopes and imagination. Synonym: Idealist.
 Easy-going: someone who is relaxed and unworried. Synonym: Informal/Relaxed.
 Icon: a representation. Synonym: Symbol.
 Inducted: to be introduced. Synonym: Introduced.
 Stage: a platform at the theatre. Synonym: Theatre platform.
 Starred: played the leader role at theatre. Synonym: To Act.
 Striking: attracting attention. Synonym: Noticeable.
 Stunning: of a striking attractiveness. Synonyms: Attractive/ gorgeous
 Subsidiary: owning the half of a company. Synonym: Subordinate.
 Upbeat: an unaccented beat in music. Synonym: Musical rhythm.

Self-evaluation.

Reflect on the work done in this unit. Tick the most suitable
option for you.

I Can… Very Good Good I need more

practice
Talk about singers’
biographies.
Identify parts of a
biography.
Write a short

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biography.
Discuss likes and
dislikes.
Discuss the life of
musicians.