EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• perform: to create entertainment for an audience
• icon: a person who represents a certain culture or moment in time
• pop: a genre of music that is upbeat and appealing to many people
• solo: sung by one person
• album: a collection of songs that are released together
• nickname: a name that is different from a person’s real name

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14 — 1.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

Michael Jackson was an American and dancer. He was one of the top performing artists in the world, and he is remembered as a icon of the 1980s. Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He began his career at six years old, when he started performing with his family members in a pop group called the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 was very popular throughout the 1970s. In 1979, Jackson his first solo album, Off the Wall. His solo music made him even more —especially his 1982 album Thriller, which became the best-selling album in the world. He later gained the nickname “The King of Pop”. Throughout his life, Jackson released ten albums. He died in 2009, at age 50.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Michael Jackson began his career at age
   a. six
   b. eight
   c. ten
   
2. Jackson’s best-selling album was
   a. Off the Wall
   b. The Jackson 5
   c. Thriller
   
3. “The King of Pop” was
   a. the nickname that Jackson gained for his musical achievements
   b. the first solo album that Jackson released
   c. the name of the first pop group that Jackson was a part of

Discussion/essay questions

1. What genres of music do you listen to? Who are some of the most famous artists in those genres?
2. What do you think makes someone an “icon”?

Transcript

Michael Jackson was an American singer and dancer. He was one of the top performing artists in the world, and he is remembered as a cultural icon of the 1980s. Jackson was born in 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He began his career at six years old, when he started performing with his family members in a pop group called the Jackson 5. The Jackson 5 was very popular throughout the 1970s. In 1979, Jackson released his first solo album, Off the Wall. His solo music made him even more famous—especially his 1982 album Thriller, which became the best-selling album in the world. He later gained the nickname “The King of Pop”. Throughout his life, Jackson released ten albums. He died in 2009, at age 50.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3a