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Listen & Learn: Madonna

25th December 2024 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • icon: someone who represents a certain era, group, or idea
  • traditional: believing in ideas and practices that have existed for a long time, especially religious ones
  • rebel: to fight against a person, institution, or idea
  • solo: doing something by oneself
  • upbeat: happy; energetic
  • flashy: showy; drawing attention
  • controversy: an event that causes a lot of people to be angry and disagree with each other
  • superstar: a performer who is extremely famous

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Madonna is an American singer and icon of the 1980s. She is known as “The Queen of Pop.” She was born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Michigan in 1958. Madonna lost her mother when she was young, and she often had to take care of her younger growing up. Her family was very religious and traditional. As Madonna got older, she began to rebel against her family’s . She moved to New York City to study . There, she joined two bands, but she eventually decided to become a solo singer. Madonna quickly became famous for her upbeat music and her flashy performances. Her use of religious symbols and her displays of sexuality angered leaders in the Catholic , but the controversies didn’t hurt her popularity. Madonna’s success showed that the music industry was changing. She was one of the first female superstars to gain global fame by herself. Since 2009, Madonna has held the record for the best-selling female of all time.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Madonna’s family was very
    a. progressive
    b. easygoing
    c. traditional
  2. In New York City, Madonna studied
    a. vocals
    b. religion
    c. dance
  3. Madonna was controversial for
    a. her displays of sexuality
    b. her use of religious symbols
    c. both a and b

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Why do you think people use religious symbols in their art, even if they are not religious? Do you think it is okay to borrow religious images? Why or why not? Does it depend?

Transcript

Madonna is an American singer and icon of the 1980s. She is known as “The Queen of Pop.” She was born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Michigan in 1958. Madonna lost her mother when she was young, and she often had to take care of her younger siblings growing up. Her family was very religious and traditional. As Madonna got older, she began to rebel against her family’s beliefs. She moved to New York City to study dance. There, she joined two bands, but she eventually decided to become a solo singer. Madonna quickly became famous for her upbeat music and her flashy performances. Her use of religious symbols and her displays of sexuality angered leaders in the Catholic church, but the controversies didn’t hurt her popularity. Madonna’s success showed that the music industry was changing. She was one of the first female superstars to gain global fame by herself. Since 2009, Madonna has held the record for the best-selling female artist of all time.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2c 3c

Listen&Learn: The Lord of the Rings

18th January 2023 by Jaksyn Peacock
The Lord of the Rings

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • fantasy: a genre of stories about magic and imaginary worlds
  • prequel: a story that takes place before the main series
  • volume: a single book in a series
  • influential: inspiring or affecting many people
  • folklore: stories and legends that are important to a culture
  • principle: an idea that is part of a belief system
  • allegory: a story that has a second meaning under the literal meaning

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

The Lord of the Rings is a of fantasy novels by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien wrote the series after the success of his original fantasy novel, The Hobbit, which is now described as a prequel. The series has three volumes, which Tolkien began writing in 1937 and in 1954. The books are known for their extensive worldbuilding. They contain invented and centuries of fictional history. For this reason, Tolkien’s stories are some of the most and influential works in the fantasy . Tolkien was inspired by Germanic folklore, as well as the principles of Catholicism. The stories can be read as religious allegories. 

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. The Lord of the Rings is a
    a. fantasy series
    b. mystery series
    c. religious text
  2. The Hobbit is
    a. the first volume in the series
    b. a prequel to the series
    c. a sequel to the series
  3. Tolkien’s writing contains allegories for the principles of
    a. Catholicism
    b. Judaism
    c. Anglicanism

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Do you enjoy fantasy stories? Why or why not? What do you think makes them popular?

Transcript

The Lord of the Rings is a series of fantasy novels by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien wrote the series after the success of his original fantasy novel, The Hobbit, which is now described as a prequel. The series has three volumes, which Tolkien began writing in 1937 and published in 1954. The books are known for their extensive worldbuilding. They contain invented languages and centuries of fictional history. For this reason, Tolkien’s stories are some of the most popular and influential works in the fantasy genre. Tolkien was inspired by Germanic folklore, as well as the principles of Catholicism. The stories can be read as religious allegories. 

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3a

Listen&Learn: Joan of Arc

3rd August 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • peasant: a historical term for a poor farmer living under feudalism
  • conflict: a struggle between two sides
  • vision: a dream or mental image
  • persuade: to convince someone to do something
  • accompany: to go somewhere with someone
  • witchcraft: the practice of magic, especially in a way that is considered evil or dangerous

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Joan of Arc was a French military . She was born in 1412 and grew up as a peasant during the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict between France and England. When she was 13 years old, Joan began to have visions of figures. She eventually came to believe that God had given her a mission to save France. At age 17, Joan persuaded the to let her accompany the French army into Orleans, where the English had invaded. The mission , but Joan was captured soon after. She faced trial for witchcraft and was burned at the stake. 25 years after her death, Joan of Arc was declared . The Catholic church recognized her as a saint in 1920.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Joan of Arc grew up during a war between France and
    a. England
    b. Germany
    c. Spain
  2. Joan started having visions when she was
    a. 12
    b. 13
    c. 17
  3. She was put on trial for
    a. spying
    b. witchcraft
    c. war crimes

Discussion/essay questions

  1. It is uncertain how much of Joan of Arc’s story is true. There are many common myths about Joan and her life. Have you heard the story before? What do you believe?

Transcript

Joan of Arc was a French military leader. She was born in 1412 and grew up as a peasant during the Hundred Years’ War, a conflict between France and England. When she was 13 years old, Joan began to have visions of religious figures. She eventually came to believe that God had given her a mission to save France. At age 17, Joan persuaded the king to let her accompany the French army into Orléans, where the English had invaded. The mission succeeded, but Joan was captured soon after. She faced trial for witchcraft and was burned at the stake. 25 years after her death, Joan of Arc was declared innocent. The Catholic church recognized her as a saint in 1920.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3b