The Reading / Listening - ABBA - Level 2

The pop group ABBA are back. They will release new songs for the first time in 39 years. They also have a new album and a new stage show. The Swedish group formed in 1972. They are one of the most popular and successful pop groups in history. They are famous for songs such as Dancing Queen. A romantic comedy film called Mamma Mia! was released in 2008. This had many of their biggest hits. The movie later became a stage show. It is the seventh longest-running show in London's musicals history. It is also the ninth longest-running show on New York's Broadway.

ABBA just launched a website called ABBA Voyage. It invites fans to register in a new mystery project. There will be more news about this on September the 2nd. However, ABBA's guitarist accidentally revealed a new album is coming this autumn. Fans may be disappointed to learn that ABBA's members will not be in the stage show. Instead, there will be holograms of the group. These will be digital, lifelike avatars of each group member. The avatars have the nickname "ABBAtars". There will be eight shows a week. They will take place in a newly-built theatre in London.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    ABBA - Level 0 ABBA - Level 1   or  ABBA - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/abba-to-release-first-new-music-in-39-years-and-announces-hologram-show-in-london/ar-AANMD7Q
  • https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3548013/inside-abba-voyage-show-comeback/
  • https://variety.com/2021/music/news/abba-new-music-1235049678/


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 pop group ABBA are
  2. They also have
  3. The Swedish group
  4. one of the most popular and
  5. A romantic
  6. This had many of their
  7. The movie later became
  8. the ninth longest-
  1. formed in 1972
  2. comedy
  3. running show
  4. a new album
  5. successful
  6. a stage show
  7. back
  8. biggest hits

Paragraph 2

  1. ABBA just launched a website
  2. It invites fans to
  3. a new mystery
  4. There will be more news
  5. ABBA's
  6. Fans may be disappointed
  7. digital, lifelike avatars of each
  8. There will be eight shows
  1. guitarist
  2. a week
  3. about this
  4. called ABBA Voyage
  5. group member
  6. register
  7. to learn that
  8. project

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The pop group ABBA are back. They (1) ___________________ songs for the (2) ___________________ 39 years. They also have a new album and a (3) ___________________. The Swedish group formed in 1972. They are one of the most popular and successful pop (4) ___________________. They are famous for songs such as Dancing Queen. A romantic comedy film called Mamma Mia! was released in 2008. This had many of (5) ___________________. The movie later became a stage show. It is the seventh longest-running show in London's musicals history. It is also the ninth longest-(6) ___________________ New York's Broadway.

ABBA just (7) ___________________ called ABBA Voyage. It invites fans to register in a (8) ___________________. There will be more news about this on September the 2nd. However, ABBA's guitarist accidentally revealed a new album is (9) ___________________. Fans may be disappointed to learn that ABBA's members will not be in the stage show. Instead, there will (10) ___________________ the group. These will be digital, lifelike avatars of each group member. The avatars (11) ___________________ "ABBAtars". There will be eight shows a week. They will (12) ___________________ a newly-built theatre in London.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThepopgroupABBAareback.Theywillreleasenewsongsforthefirsttim
ein39years.Theyalsohaveanewalbumandanewstageshow.TheSwed
ishgroupformedin1972.Theyareoneofthemostpopularandsuccessfu
lpopgroupsinhistory.TheyarefamousforsongssuchasDancingQueen.
AromanticcomedyfilmcalledMammaMia!wasreleasedin2008.Thisha
dmanyoftheirbiggesthits.Themovielaterbecameastageshow.Itisthe
seventhlongest-runningshowinLondon'smusicalshistory.Itisalsothe
ninthlongest-runningshowonNewYork'sBroadway.ABBAjustlaunch
edawebsitecalledABBAVoyage.Itinvitesfanstoregisterinanewmyste
ryproject.TherewillbemorenewsaboutthisonSeptemberthe2nd.How
ever,ABBA'sguitaristaccidentallyrevealedanewalbumiscomingthisa
utumn.FansmaybedisappointedtolearnthatABBA'smemberswillnotb
einthestageshow.Instead,therewillbehologramsofthegroup.Thesew
illbedigital,lifelikeavatarsofeachgroupmember.Theavatarshavethe
nickname"ABBAtars".Therewillbeeightshowsaweek.Theywilltakepl
aceinanewly-builttheatreinLondon.

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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