The Reading / Listening - Best Year for Music - Level 1

We all have our favourite year for music. Some people say it was 1824, when Beethoven performed his Symphony No. 9. Other people say it was 1969 because of hits by The Beatles. A survey by a UK radio station found 1991 was the best year. This is because of bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana. The year 1991 could be the best because of the average age of the station's listeners. Many of them were teenagers in 1991 and have great memories of that year.

A scientist thinks we still like the songs we heard when we were teenagers. She said during our teenage years, we make many big life-changing decisions. We also start long-term relationships and form many of our beliefs. She added that music controls our emotions, so songs we hear in our teens stick with us. The scientist added: "People in their 80s and 90s show a better memory for things that they first experienced between the ages of 10 and 30."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Best Year for Music - Level 0 Best Year for Music - Level 2   or  Best Year for Music - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/1991-was-actually-the-best-year-for-music/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52131818
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/greatest-year-pop-music-history-one-choice/


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. We all have our favourite year
  2. Some people say it
  3. Beethoven performed his
  4. A survey by a UK radio
  5. The year 1991 could
  6. the average age of the station's
  7. Many of them were teenagers
  8. have great memories
  1. was 1824
  2. of that year
  3. station
  4. listeners
  5. in 1991
  6. for music
  7. Symphony No. 9
  8. be the best

Paragraph 2

  1. songs we heard when we
  2. We also start long-term
  3. form many of our
  4. music controls
  5. songs we hear in our teens stick
  6. People in their
  7. things that they first
  8. between the ages
  1. of 10 and 30
  2. 80s and 90s
  3. were teenagers
  4. experienced
  5. beliefs
  6. with us
  7. relationships
  8. our emotions

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We all (1) ___________________ year for music. Some people say (2) ___________________, when Beethoven performed his Symphony No. 9. Other people say it was 1969 (3) ___________________ by The Beatles. A survey by a UK radio station found 1991 was the best year. This (4) ___________________ bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana. The year 1991 could be the best because of (5) ___________________ of the station's listeners. Many of them were teenagers in 1991 and have (6) ___________________ that year.

A scientist thinks we still like the (7) ___________________ when we were teenagers. She said during (8) ___________________, we make many big life-changing decisions. We also start long-term relationships and form many (9) ___________________. She added that music (10) ___________________, so songs we hear in our teens (11) ___________________. The scientist added: "People in their 80s and 90s show a better memory for things that they first experienced between (12) ___________________ 10 and 30."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Weallhaveourfavouriteyearformusic.Somepeoplesayitwas1824,wh
enBeethovenperformedhisSymphonyNo.9.Otherpeoplesayitwas19
69becauseofhitsbyTheBeatles.AsurveybyaUKradiostationfound199
1wasthebestyear.ThisisbecauseofbandslikeR.E.M.andNirvana.They
ear1991couldbethebestbecauseoftheaverageageofthestation'sliste
ners.Manyofthemwereteenagersin1991andhavegreatmemoriesoft
hatyear.Ascientistthinkswestilllikethesongsweheardwhenwewerete
enagers.Shesaidduringourteenageyears,wemakemanybiglife-chan
gingdecisions.Wealsostartlong-termrelationshipsandformmanyofo
urbeliefs.Sheaddedthatmusiccontrolsouremotions,sosongsweheari
nourteensstickwithus.Thescientistadded:"Peopleintheir80sand90ss
howabettermemoryforthingsthattheyfirstexperiencedbetweenthea
gesof10and30."

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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