The Reading / Listening - The Beatles' Last Song - Level 2

The Beatles have released their last song. It is called "Now and Then". It was written by John Lennon in 1977. The other Beatles members added to the track over the years. Sound engineers used AI to bring the song to life. It sounds like the Beatles recorded it together in a studio. The song has been released as a single. The other side of the single is a new mix of "Love Me Do" – the band's first single in 1962. "Now and Then" will also be the final track on a new edition of the Beatles' greatest hits "blue" album. This is a collection of their classic songs from 1967-1970.

Beatles member Paul McCartney said recording the new song was "quite emotional". He said: "It's a genuine Beatles recording." He spoke about how exciting it was to still be working on Beatles music in 2023. He said: "To release a new song the public haven't heard is an exciting thing." McCartney was also excited about hearing John Lennon's "crystal clear" voice. Lennon was shot dead by a fan in New York in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said the song was, "the closest we'll ever come to having [John Lennon] back in the room". He said it was, "very emotional for all of us".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    The Beatles' Last Song - Level 0 The Beatles' Last Song - Level 1   or  The Beatles' Last Song - Level 3

Sources
  • https://time.com/6328838/beatles-last-song-now-and-then/
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beatles-now-and-then-1234862777/
  • https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/now-then-beatles-release-new-song-with-lennons-voice-2023-10-26/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The Beatles have released
  2. It was written
  3. other Beatles members added
  4. over
  5. sound
  6. bring the song to
  7. The other side of the single
  8. This is a collection of
  1. to the track
  2. engineers
  3. is a new mix
  4. by John Lennon in 1977
  5. their classic songs
  6. the years
  7. their last song
  8. life

Paragraph 2

  1. recording the new song was
  2. It's a genuine Beatles
  3. He spoke about how
  4. a new song the public
  5. hearing John Lennon's
  6. Lennon was shot dead
  7. the closest we'll ever
  8. having John Lennon back
  1. come
  2. exciting it was
  3. "crystal clear" voice
  4. in the room
  5. "quite emotional"
  6. haven't heard
  7. by a fan
  8. recording

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Beatles have released their last song. It is called "Now and Then". It was written by John Lennon in 1977. The other Beatles members added to (1) ___________________ the years. Sound engineers used AI to bring the (2) ___________________. It sounds like the Beatles recorded it together in a studio. The song has been released (3) ___________________. The other side of the single is a (4) ___________________ "Love Me Do" - the band's first single in 1962. "Now and Then" will also be the final track on a new edition of the Beatles' (5) ___________________ album. This is a collection of their (6) ___________________ 1967-1970.

Beatles member Paul McCartney said recording the new song (7) ___________________. He said: "It's a genuine Beatles recording." He spoke about how exciting it was to (8) ___________________ on Beatles music in 2023. He said: "To release a new song the public haven't (9) ___________________ exciting thing." McCartney was also excited about hearing John Lennon's "crystal clear" voice. Lennon was shot dead (10) ___________________ in New York in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said the song was, "the closest we'll (11) ___________________ having [John Lennon] back in the room". He said it was, "very emotional for (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheBeatleshavereleasedtheirlastsong.Itiscalled"NowandThen".Itw
aswrittenbyJohnLennonin1977.TheotherBeatlesmembersaddedtot
hetrackovertheyears.SoundengineersusedAItobringthesongtolife.I
tsoundsliketheBeatlesrecordedittogetherinastudio.Thesonghasbee
nreleasedasasingle.Theothersideofthesingleisanewmixof"LoveMeD
o"-theband'sfirstsinglein1962."NowandThen"willalsobethefinaltrac
konaneweditionoftheBeatles'greatesthits"blue"album.Thisisacollec
tionoftheirclassicsongsfrom1967-1970.BeatlesmemberPaulMcCar
tneysaidrecordingthenewsongwas"quiteemotional".Hesaid:"It'sage
nuineBeatlesrecording."Hespokeabouthowexcitingitwastostillbewo
rkingonBeatlesmusicin2023.Hesaid:"Toreleaseanewsongthepublic
haven'theardisanexcitingthing."McCartneywasalsoexcitedabouthe
aringJohnLennon's"crystalclear"voice.Lennonwasshotdeadbyafani
nNewYorkin1980.BeatlesdrummerRingoStarrsaidthesongwas,"the
closestwe'llevercometohaving[JohnLennon]backintheroom".Hesai
ditwas,"veryemotionalforallofus".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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