The Reading / Listening - Kurt Cobain - Level 4

An olive green and mohair cardigan the singer Kurt Cobain wore on TV broke the record for the most expensive cardigan ever sold. An anonymous buyer paid $334,000 for it during a two-day sale of rock memorabilia. It attracted attention after it was described as being "one of the most famous sweaters in music history". Cobain wore the cardigan while performing with his band Nirvana. He played a largely acoustic set of his favorite songs and some cover songs.

The cardigan has reportedly not been washed since the TV show. It has a hole in it from a cigarette. A buyer bought it in 2015 and spoke about his purchase. He described the responsibility he felt in owning such a famous piece of rock and roll history. He said: "It was kind of like when my children were born years ago - I was so happy to see them, but then I was like, 'Oh no.'" Mr Cobain's daughter has started a fashion collection called Kurt Was Here.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Kurt Cobain - Level 5 or  Kurt Cobain - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.itv.com/news/2019-10-27/kurt-cobain-s-mtv-unplugged-cardigan-sold-at-auction-for-a-record-260-000/
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/kurt-cobain-cardigan-nirvana-mtv-unplugged-auction-sale-hard-rock-cafe-new-york-a9173086.html
  • https://www.nme.com/news/music/kurt-cobains-mtv-unplugged-cardigan-sells-for-record-breaking-260000-2561505


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. broke
  2. An anonymous buyer
  3. It attracted
  4. one of the most
  5. in music
  6. performing with his band
  7. He played a largely
  8. cover
  1. history
  2. acoustic set
  3. paid $334,000
  4. songs
  5. the record
  6. famous sweaters
  7. attention
  8. Nirvana

Paragraph 2

  1. The cardigan has reportedly not
  2. It has a hole in it
  3. A buyer bought it
  4. He described the responsibility he
  5. owning such a famous piece of
  6. kind of like when my
  7. I was so happy
  8. started a fashion
  1. to see them
  2. rock and roll history
  3. been washed
  4. collection
  5. from a cigarette
  6. felt
  7. in 2015
  8. children were born

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An olive green and mohair (1) ___________________ Kurt Cobain wore on TV broke the record (2) ___________________ expensive cardigan ever sold. An anonymous buyer paid $334,000 (3) ___________________ a two-day sale of rock memorabilia. It (4) ___________________ it was described as being "one of the most famous sweaters in music history". Cobain wore the cardigan (5) ___________________ his band Nirvana. He played a largely acoustic set of his favorite songs and (6) ___________________.

The cardigan has reportedly not (7) ___________________ the TV show. It has a hole in it (8) ___________________. A buyer bought it in 2015 and spoke about his purchase. He described (9) ___________________ felt in owning such a famous (10) ___________________ and roll history. He said: "It was (11) ___________________ when my children were born years ago - I was so happy to see them, but then I was like, 'Oh no.'" Mr Cobain's daughter has started (12) ___________________ called Kurt Was Here.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnolivegreenandmohaircardiganthesingerKurtCobainworeonTVbro
ketherecordforthemostexpensivecardiganeversold.Ananonymousb
uyerpaid$334,000foritduringatwo-daysaleofrockmemorabilia.Itatt
ractedattentionafteritwasdescribedasbeing"oneofthemostfamouss
weatersinmusichistory".Cobainworethecardiganwhileperformingwi
thhisbandNirvana.Heplayedalargelyacousticsetofhisfavoritesongsa
ndsomecoversongs.Thecardiganhasreportedlynotbeenwashedsinc
etheTVshow.Ithasaholeinitfromacigarette.Abuyerboughtitin2015a
ndspokeabouthispurchase.Hedescribedtheresponsibilityhefeltinow
ningsuchafamouspieceofrockandrollhistory.Hesaid:"Itwaskindoflik
ewhenmychildrenwerebornyearsago-Iwassohappytoseethem,butt
henIwaslike,'Ohno.'"MrCobain'sdaughterhasstartedafashioncollecti
oncalledKurtWasHere.

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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