The Reading / Listening - Best Year for Music - Level 2

We all have an opinion on what is the best year for music. Some people say it was 1824 because Beethoven first performed his Symphony No. 9. Other people say it was 1969 because of hit songs by The Beatles and Elvis Presley. A UK radio station conducted a survey and found the best year for music was 1991. This is because of bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M. and Nirvana. The reason for 1991 being the best year could be the average age of the listeners of the station. Many of the listeners 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 told the BBC why we still like these songs. She said: "It is during these...years that we make many crucial life-changing decisions. We start significant long-term relationships and establish the...beliefs which form our identity." She added that music has the capacity to regulate our emotions so songs we hear in our teens stick in our memories. The scientist said: "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 1   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 an
  2. Beethoven first performed his
  3. hit songs
  4. A UK radio station conducted
  5. the best year for
  6. the average
  7. Many of the listeners were
  8. have great memories
  1. music was 1991
  2. teenagers in 1991
  3. a survey
  4. of that year
  5. age of the listeners
  6. by The Beatles
  7. opinion
  8. Symphony No. 9

Paragraph 2

  1. songs we heard when we
  2. we make many crucial life-changing
  3. long-term
  4. music has the capacity to
  5. stick in our
  6. People in their
  7. things that they first
  8. between the ages
  1. regulate our emotions
  2. 80s and 90s
  3. of 10 and 30
  4. were teenagers
  5. experienced
  6. relationships
  7. memories
  8. decisions

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We all (1) ___________________ on what is the best year for music. Some people say it was 1824 because Beethoven first performed his Symphony No. 9. Other (2) ___________________ was 1969 because of hit songs by The Beatles and Elvis Presley. A UK radio station (3) ___________________ and found the best year for music was 1991. This is (4) ___________________ like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M. and Nirvana. (5) ___________________ 1991 being the best year could be the average age of the listeners of the station. Many of the listeners were teenagers in 1991 and have (6) ___________________ that year.

A scientist thinks (7) ___________________ the songs we heard when we were teenagers. She told the BBC why we still like these songs. She said: "It (8) ___________________...years that we make many crucial life-changing decisions. We start significant long-term relationships and (9) ___________________ which form our identity." She added that music has (10) ___________________ regulate our emotions so songs we hear in our (11) ___________________ our memories. The scientist said: "People in their 80s and 90s show a better memory for things that they first experienced (12) ___________________ of 10 and 30."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Weallhaveanopiniononwhatisthebestyearformusic.Somepeoplesayi
twas1824becauseBeethovenfirstperformedhisSymphonyNo.9.Othe
rpeoplesayitwas1969becauseofhitsongsbyTheBeatlesandElvisPresl
ey.AUKradiostationconductedasurveyandfoundthebestyearformusi
cwas1991.ThisisbecauseofbandsliketheRedHotChiliPeppers,R.E.M.
andNirvana.Thereasonfor1991beingthebestyearcouldbetheaverag
eageofthelistenersofthestation.Manyofthelistenerswereteenagersin
1991andhavegreatmemoriesofthatyear.Ascientistthinkswestillliket
hesongsweheardwhenwewereteenagers.ShetoldtheBBCwhywestilll
ikethesesongs.Shesaid:"Itisduringthese...yearsthatwemakemanyc
ruciallife-changingdecisions.Westartsignificantlong-termrelationshi
psandestablishthe...beliefswhichformouridentity."Sheaddedthatm
usichasthecapacitytoregulateouremotionssosongswehearinourteen
sstickinourmemories.Thescientistsaid:"Peopleintheir80sand90ssho
wabettermemoryforthingsthattheyfirstexperiencedbetweentheage
sof10and30."

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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