John’s voice is nice, _________his performance style is not good enough.

You have an English friend and want to tell him/ her about your favorite singer. Write an email (120 -150 words) to tell him/ her about it.

You can use the following questions as cues:

* What is his/ her name?

* What type of music does he/she sing?

* What type of people listen to his/her songs?

* Why do you admire him/her?

To:__________________________ 

Subject:______________________  

Dear,________________________,

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Best wishes,

_________________________________________________________________

Read the passage and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

BLUES MUSIC

The origin of blues is too unclear to pinpoint to one artist or one year; for the sake of historic importance, it’s believed that the blues music was created in the late 19th century, by the black slaves that were forced to work in the cotton fields. Blues has firm roots in African traditional music.

The purpose of making the blues is always the same: the expression of intense emotions. It is the one reason why this genre had such a profound effect on America, and eventually the world. Blues is usually categorized by the location of a style, because everywhere the blues went, it caught a different feel.

Mississippi delta blues came from the Mississippi delta region. It’s the oldest known form of blues as a genre, from which other forms later evolved. Chicago blues came next, when the delta musicians started traveling to the big city to look for a better life. The biggest difference between the two styles is the use of electric guitars and a slightly faster pace in the latter. Texas blues came out after America saw how big Chicago blues was getting. The style was made famous by artists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Freddie King.

Blues rock was one of the last big blues styles to hit it big. It’s largely inspired by the Chicago blues and started in the 1960s by bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and zz Top

1. By whom and when was the blues music created?

Talk about a TV music show that you like.

You can use the following questions as cues:

•  What is it?

•  How do you know it?

•  What it is like?

•  Why do you like it?

Useful languages:

Complete the notes:

Now you try!

Give your answer using the following cues. You should speak for 1-2 minutes.

1. Among many TV music shows these days, I like ... most.

2. It is a competion in which ...

3. I know this program through ...

4. The show is rated as ...

5. I am a big fan of the show for some reasons.

6. Firstly, ... Secondly, ... In addition, ...                      

Now you tick!

Did you ...

q answer all the questions in the task?

q give some details to each main point?

q speak slowly and fluently with only some hesitation?

q use vocabulary wide enough to talk about the topic?

q use various sentence structures (simple, compound, complex) accurately?

q pronounce correctly (vowels, consonants, stress, intonation)?

 Let’s compare!

Finally, compare with the sample answer on page 169

She has a potential voice, _________she intends to pursue a career in music.

Listen to the information about American Idol and decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F)  

She/participate/ judge/ famous/ TV/ programs/ such/ Vietnam Idol/ The voice of Vietnam/ few years/ ago.

→ ________________________________________________________

The show was fascinating at the beginning, _________it got dull later.