The Reading / Listening - Level 2

The pop star Taylor Swift has removed her album '1989' from Apple Music. The singer disagrees with how Apple is giving her music away for free. Apple Music is a new music streaming service. It starts on June 30th. Anyone can sign up for a trial and get the first three months for free. Swift says this is wrong. She said Apple should pay artists for these three months. After the trial period, there will be a monthly fee of $9.99. Swift suggested that Apple was being greedy. She said: "We don't ask [Apple] for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for [free]."

Swift criticised Apple Music in a letter. She wrote: "Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months." She added that Apple was being "unfair". She said: "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company." She also said Apple had the money to pay artists, saying: "We know how…successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists….Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33216778
  • http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/21/free-are-never-getting-back-together/
  • http://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-withholds-album-from-apple-music-1434916050


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

The singer disagrees

a.

for free iPhones

2.

Anyone can sign

b.

with how

3.

Apple should pay artists for

c.

us to

4.

there will be a monthly

d.

up for a trial

5.

Apple was being

e.

music for free

6.

We don't ask Apple

f.

greedy

7.

Please don't ask

g.

these three months

8.

provide you with our

h.

fee of $9.99



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Swift criticised Apple Music

a.

time to go unpaid

2.

She added that Apple was

b.

has been

3.

Anyone can sign

c.

nothing

4.

We know how successful Apple

d.

being "unfair"

5.

incredible

e.

in a letter

6.

Three months is a long

f.

ask anyone

7.

it is unfair to

g.

company

8.

work for

h.

up for a trial

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

The pop star Taylor Swift (1) ___________________ album '1989' from Apple Music. The singer disagrees with how Apple is giving her (2) ___________________. Apple Music is a new music streaming service. It starts on June 30th. Anyone (3) ___________________ trial and get the first three months for free. Swift says this is wrong. She said Apple (4) ___________________ for these three months. After the trial period, there will (5) ___________________ of $9.99. Swift suggested that Apple was being greedy. She said: "We don't ask [Apple] for free iPhones. Please don't (6) ___________________ you with our music for [free]."

Swift criticised Apple Music in a letter. She wrote: "Apple Music will (7) ___________________, producers, or artists for those three months." She added that Apple (8) ___________________. She said: "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically (9) ___________________ company." She also said Apple had the money to pay artists, saying: "We know how…successful Apple has been (10) ___________________ this incredible company has the money (11) ___________________ ….Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone (12) ___________________."

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ThepopstarTaylorSwifthasremovedheralbum'1989'fromAppleMusic
.ThesingerdisagreeswithhowAppleisgivinghermusicawayforfree.Ap
pleMusicisanewmusicstreamingservice.ItstartsonJune30th.Anyone
cansignupforatrialandgetthefirstthreemonthsforfree.Swiftsaysthisi
swrong.ShesaidAppleshouldpayartistsforthesethreemonths.Afterth
etrialperiod,therewillbeamonthlyfeeof$9.99.SwiftsuggestedthatAp
plewasbeinggreedy.Shesaid:"Wedon'task[Apple]forfreeiPhones.Pl
easedon'taskustoprovideyouwithourmusicfor[free]."Swiftcriticised
AppleMusicinaletter.Shewrote:"AppleMusicwillnotbepayingwriters,
producers,orartistsforthosethreemonths."SheaddedthatApplewasb
eing"unfair."Shesaid:"Ifindittobeshocking,disappointing,andcompl
etelyunlikethishistoricallyprogressiveandgenerouscompany."Sheal
sosaidApplehadthemoneytopayartists,saying:"Weknowhow…succe
ssfulApplehasbeenandweknowthatthisincrediblecompanyhasthemo
neytopayartists….Threemonthsisalongtimetogounpaid,anditisunfai
rtoaskanyonetoworkfornothing."

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about streaming music for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You