Highbrow? Lowbrow?

/ˈhaɪbraʊ/ /ˈləʊbraʊ/
interested in or concerned with serious having no connection with or interest in
artistic or cultural ideas serious artistic or cultural ideas

Discuss your hobbies and interests with a partner and let

them decide whether you are highbrow or lowbrow.
Unit 7:
ARTISTS

Vocabulary
 TASK 1
VOCABULARY Match the photos (A–H) with art forms from the list below. In your opinion,
which art form needs the most skill and which the least? Give reasons, using the phrases
below to help you.

Art forms
ballet
cartoon
classical music
dance
drawing
mime
musical
novel opera
painting play
poem
pop music
sculpture
sitcom
A. Ballet B. Cartoon

C. Play
D. Musical
F. Drawing G. Dance E. Sitcom

H. Opera
 Vocabulary
ballet
cartoon novel
classical music opera
dance painting
drawing play
mime poem
Musical pop music
sculpture
sitcom
 TASK 2
Put the art forms in exercise 1 into four groups. Some can go in more than one
group.
A Literature B Music C Performing arts D Visual art

A. Novel, play, poem

B. Classical music, musical, opera, pop music

C. Ballet, classical music, dance, mime, musical,

opera, play, pop music, sitcom

D. Cartoon, drawing, painting, sculpture

 TASK 3
VOCABULARY Work in pairs. Match these famous persons for each type of artists below.

Artists actor composer conductor dancer / choreographer director

novelist opera singer painter playwright poet pop singer sculptor

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

(born 1988) is an
awardwinning British singer-
songwriter. She released her
Adele  Singer
debut album 19 in 2008 to
great success. Two of her
most famous songs are
Skyfall and Someone Like
You.
 TASK 3
VOCABULARY Work in pairs. Match these famous persons for each type of artists below.

actor Beyoncé
composer Michelangelo
director William Shakespeare
novelist Tran Thanh
painter Beethoven
playwright Ngô Tất Tố
poet Nguyễn Gia Trí
pop singer Phương Anh Đào
sculptor Tố Hữu
 TASK 4
SPEAKING Work in pairs. Complete the arts quiz. Use vocabulary from exercises 1, 3 and the
correct form of the verbs in the following list. Then do the quiz and check your answers at the
bottom of the page.

Artistic activities act

appear in carve
compose conduct
create dance
direct draw paint
perform play sing
write
START GAME
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

paintedthe Mona Lisa?

Which Italian Renaissance artist ……….

Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo

Caravaggio
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

composer wrote
Which Russian ..……..…
the music for the ballet Swan Lake?

Shostakovich Tchaikovsky

Rachmaninov
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

directed by Steven Spielberg?

Which of these films was not …….……

2001: A Space Odyssey Schindler’s List

Jaws
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

plays inspired the film West Side Story?

Which Shakespeare …..…..

Romeo and Juliet Julius Caesar

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

Which famous painter

……… cut off part of his ear?

Monet Van Gogh

Cézanne
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

pop
Which British singer sang on the 2011 hit Someone Like You?
……..…..

Calvin Harris Ellie Goulding

Adele
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

Which of these film series did actor

appear in?
Robert Pattinson not ………..

Harry Potter Twilight

The Hobbit
 ANSWER
50:50 Call Audience

NEXT

sculptures in the photo?

What is the name of the famous …………..

David Mark

Anthony
 TASK 6
SPEAKING Work in pairs. Take turns to tell each other about the last time
you did one of the things below. Include the time, place and your feelings.
Cultural activities went to a rock concert visited an art gallery read a novel
read a poem went to the theatre saw a musical listened to a song
watched a sitcom went to a classical concert / opera / ballet
 TASK 6
SPEAKING Work in pairs. Take turns to tell each other about the last time
you did one of the things below. Include the time, place and your feelings.
Cultural activities went to a rock concert visited an art gallery read a novel
read a poem went to the theatre saw a musical listened to a song
watched a sitcom went to a classical concert / opera / ballet

I went to a classical concert last month with my friend who is a violinist. We had tickets for the front row
seats and we were very excited to see the orchestra perform. The concert featured works by Mozart,
Beethoven and Brahms, some of my favorite composers. The music was beautiful and captivating, and I
felt transported to another world. During the intermission, we met some of the musicians and chatted
with them about their instruments and experiences. They were very friendly and gracious, and they even
invited us to join them for a drink after the concert. We accepted their offer and had a wonderful time
getting to know them better and learning more about their passion for music. It was one of the best
nights of my life and I will always remember it fondly.