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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

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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