THE BEATLES

Reading and Vocabulary

Reading

 1. You are going to read an article about a famous pop group.

GREAT ENTERTAINERS

The Beatles were an English pop band from Liverpool whose members included John
Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are one of the most
commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of the popular music.
In fact, they revolutionized the music industry and touched the lives of all who listened to
them in deep and fundamental ways.

The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States of America.
They charted 20 number one singles in the US, a number even greater than Elvis Presley,
which is why they are regarded as the greatest rock and roll group ever. In the United
Kingdom, the Beatles released more than 40 different singles and albums that reached
Number One. this commercial success was repeated in many other countries and it is
estimated that by 1985, The Beatles had sold over one billion records and tapes worldwide.

Their song “Yesterday” is the most covered song in history, appearing in the Guinness
Book of World Records with over three thousand recorded versions. It is also the most
played song in the history of international radio. In the mid-1960s, the Beatles led what is
known as the “British Invasion” into the United States, paving the way for other British
bands to cross the Atlantic and achieve success. Their extreme worldwide popularity led to
the coining of the term “Beatlemania” describing the fan frenzy of young teenaged girls
towards the band. during live concerts, their music was often inaudible due to the deafening
screams of female fans who got excited by the mere appearance of the band.
Consequently, the band stopped touring in 1966 for reasons ranging from safety concerns to
frustration that no one could hear or was listening to their music. The Beatles’ influence
was not only limited to music, though. Young people began to imitate the band’s style of
dress, donning Nehru jackets and psychodelic prints. Probably the first example of their
influence was their haircuts. In 1964, men and boys in the US simply did not wear their hair
long, and comparatively speaking, the Beatles’ hair was nothing less than scandalously
long. Nevertheless, many teenagers began to emulate the Beatles’ style by growing their
hair long- and usually getting into trouble for it! Their clothes, styles, and statements made
them trend-setters.

Ironically, the Beatles did not start any of these fashion trends, but their unparalleled
popularity allowed them to reach a vast audience. Sadly, the group broke up on April 10,
1970 when Paul McCartney announced his departure from the Beatles. Throughout the
1970s, the band members pursued solo careers with varying degrees of artistic and
commercial success. Fans, during this period, were hoping that the band would eventually
reunite, although these hopes were destroyed by the murder of John Lennon in New York
City in December 1980.

The Beatles were inducted into the American Rock and roll Hall of Fame as a band during
their first year of eligibility in 1988. Then, they made it into the UK Hall of Fame in 2004.
The three surviving members of the band sang together again in 1994 and were all involved
in the creation of the Beatles anthology in 1995. Queen Elizabeth Knighted Paul
McCartney in March 1997. He dedicated his Knighthood to fellow Beatles George
Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon, and the people of Liverpool. For almost 50 years,
the Beatles have influenced music, culture, politics, and society; their longevity proving
that their popularity is well-founded and richly deserved.

Vocabulary Chart: Write the words you consider new or important for you

N° English Spanish
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
 2. Vocabulary

 Complete the sentences with the verbs in the list in the correct form.

release pave achieve

emulate reunite dedicate
influence revolutioniz 
e

 1. Many of today’s great artists claim to have been greatly……….by their

predecessors.

 2. He could not have ……………fame without the support of his family.

 3. Before he began to sing the love song on stage, he ……….it to his wife.

 4. The band’s record was ………..three weeks late, but it received rave
reviews.

 5. The advent of television ………..news coverage.

 6. Through their hard work and perseverance, the anti-smoking lobby is

slowly but surely …………….the way to a ban of smoking in movies.

 7. The members of the former rock and roll band announced that they are
………..for one night only for a benefit concert.

 8. He is ………………..his father’s success as a footballer, something he

has been striving to do since he was a child.
3. Choose the correct world to complete the sentences.

1. Since the environmental group could not sway the politicians to help, it
decided to focus its efforts on the film……………
A. business B. industry C. actors D. releases

2. The film was successful because it appealed to a wide ……..of viewers.

A. range B. extent C. span D. group

3. His decision to sing only sad or depressing songs has had a very negative
………………on his album sales.

A. impression B. burden C. impact D. result

4. He thought that just because he was famous, he couldn’t get into

…………..for breaking the law.

A. hardship B. problems C. trouble D. difficulties

5. Even the reign of some of the greatest entertainers of all time, like Elvis

Presley eventually came to a (n)………

A. end B. finish C. close D. stop

6. Even though the two teenagers were ……entrance to the rock concert,

they could still hear it.

A. restricted B. forbidden C. barred D. denied

7. Even though he no longer played in public, he was still…….as the

Greatest violinist of all time by his peers.

A. Judged B. regarded C. believed D. held

 8. When he told his parents that he wanted to ……a career in acting, they

were very distraught.

A. Pursue B. hunt C. chase D. endeavor

9. they wanted to……….. a performance by the opera singer, but tickets

were not available.

A. visit B. frequent C. appear D. attend

10. He couldn’t believe his brother’s film …….N°1 at the box office.

A. attained B. achieved C. got D. reached

4. Fill in the blanks with the corresponding words: solo, grow, book, well-
founded, group, live, fashion, commercial, deafening, acclaimed.

1………….hair

2……………………..popularity

3………………..trends

4……………………..career

5………………………tickets

6……….band

7………………members

8…………………screams

9…………concert

10…………..success