Read the passage and decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F).

Britney Spears, an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress was bom on December 2, 1981, in McComb, Mississippi. For more than two decades, Britney Spears has been one of the most successful and sometimes controversial solo acts in popular music. Spears developed an interest in performing at a young age. At the age of 8, she auditioned for a spot on the Disney Channel’s The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, but did not get the part because she was too young. Then, when she was 11, she was cast in The Mickey Mouse Club alongside Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell. Spears>s first two studio albums, Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again(2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all-time. Referred to as the “Princess of Pop”, Spears is regarded as a pop icon and is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. She has won numerous awards including a Grammy Award; seven Guinness World Records; six MTV Video Music Awards; seven Billboard Music Awards.

In January 2004, Spears got married to Jason Allen Alexander, a childhood friend at The Little White Wedding Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was canceled 55 hours later. In July 2004, Spears was engaged to American dancer Kevin Federline, whom she met 3 months ago. This relationship has received much atten¬tion from the media. The meeting with Jason Trawick was a turning point for her life. Jason proposed to Britney in 2011 but canceled the marriage two years later. After two marriages and a lot of love affairs, Britney Spears wanted to spend all her time on her sons - Sean and Jayden.

1. Britney Spears was cast in The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 8. 2. She was regarded as the “Princess of Pop”. 3. She won seven MTV Video Music Awards 4. Her first marriage was with Jason Allen Alexander in January 2004. 5. Her sons are Sean and Jayden

q q q q q

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.