Fans concert lyrics top ten recording studio

After the Beatles, The Rolling Stones have probably been the most successful (a)in Britain. Most of their records have gone into the (b)and they've had many at (c). But their records have usually been made in a (d)and I always wanted to hear them (e)at a (f)I wanted to see them perform on (g)in front of thousands of excited (h). And I did, at Earis Court in 1990. It was great. And Mick Jagger, the (i), sang all the old favourites. I couldn't hear the (j)very well because of the noise, but somehow it didn't matter.

 

III. Explain the difference between...

(a) an orchestra and a band

(b) percussion instruments and wind instruments

(c) a concert and a rehearsal

(d) a composer and a musician

 

IV. Put one of the following words in each space in the sentences below.
by in at on

 

(a) What record is___number one?

(b) Their new record is___the top ten.

(c) This music was written___Chopin.

(d) I haven't seen this group___stage.

(e) Who's the guitarist___that group?

 

V.Choose the appropriate word from the list below.

Nobody knows for certain what the (0)of music was. Music is

certainly older than poetry and painting but as early as man no way of

(1)it, we can only (2)what it sounded like. Watching a child

(3)on a drum with its hands or a (4)of wood, it is easy to

see that this is the simplest of instruments. It does not (5)much

effort to produce a rhythm on it. Wall painting show what some of the instruments (6)like. Early civilisations had already discovered the three basic (7)of producing music: blowing into a tube, striking an object and scraping a string. We know that western music comes from the (8)Greeks. The musical scales we use now are (9)on certain sequences of notes which the Greeks used to create a particular (10). until the sixteenth century, most players of instruments were (11)performers, but as music became more (12), orchestras and musical groups began to (13). This (14)about the writing of music to be played by several musicians at one time. This can certainlybe (15)the birth of modern music.

 

1.	A recording	В playing	С producing	D performing
2.	A think	В reckon	С guess	D realise
3.	A hitting	В knocking	С crashing	D banging
4.	A slice	В point	С piece	D shape
5.	A make	В call	С take	D do
6.	A looked	В appeared	С felt	D sounded
7.	A forms	В manners	С systems	D ways
8.	A ancient	Bold	С aged	D antique
9.	A raised	В based	С established	D supported
10.	A spirit	В tempered	С mood	D humour
11.	A separate	В lonely	С unique	D single
12.	A widespread	В enlarged	С expanded	D extended
13.	A turn	В appear	С spring	D be
14.	A produced	В affected	С caused	D brought

VI. Instructions as above. Singing for a musical life.

According to a group called The Voices Foundation, everyone has a singing voice (0)….a speaking voice somewhere inside them. This, they say, should be encouraged from an early (1)….because it provides the best, and the cheapest, (2)….on which to build an understanding of music.(3)….the Foundation's ideas, lies the teaching of the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly. He observed that song can (4)….a key part of the relationship between mother and child almost from birth. This is especially (5)….of more traditional societies, like those of West

Africa, where some small children are (6)….to sing literally hundreds of songs, all of which have been learnt by (7)….But many modern children first (8)….to an understanding of music when they learn to play an instrument, and (9)….some teaching of the theory of music is usually a part of this, their relationship with the music on the (10)…..is often a mechanical one. The (11)............................. of the Voices Foundation is that a natural (12)….for rhythm, harmony and musical structure, the very (13)….we appreciate in the greatest musicians, can only be achieved through the exploration of music with the voice from the start. The foundation has, therefore, (14)….itself the task of developing a singing-centred musical education programme that could (15)….junior pupils all over the world.

i

 

	A	start	В	life	С	time	D	age
	A	ground	В	basis	C	root	D	plot
	A	behind	В	beneath	C	besides	D	between
	A	grow	B	do	C	form	D	make
	A	fact	B	true	C	real	D	actual
	A	able	B	expert	C	skilled	D	fit
	A	repeat	B	heart	C	memory	D	mind
	A	come	B	reach	C	go	D	arrive
	A	however	B	despite	C	although	D	whether
	A	lines	B	notes	C	book	D	page
	A	rule	B	certainty	C	trust	D	belief
	A	awareness	B	touch	C	grasp	D	feeling
	A	degrees	B	qualities	C	measures	D	practices
	A	let	B	set	C	put	D	cut
	A	benefit	B	favour	C	gain	D	profit

 

 

VII. Read the text and say what Madonna has achieved and how she has achieved it.

What is it about Madonna that made her such a trans-continental superstar? The answer to this question is as varied and covers as wide a range of factors as the subject itself. At the peak of her career she once said, 'Sometimes 1 get this scary feeling that I could do anything I wanted.' 5 She has an exceptional range of creative talents and has achieved success in several different fields - as a dancer, a singer, a songwriter, a choreographer, a record producer, a 'tour' artist and an actress.

Madonna trained as a dancer. She really trained, for years, and it was her dancing skills which brought her to New York in the first place. This was no 'disco-queen', picking up a few steps at the local keep-fit class; her teachers were true professionals, some of them - Pearl Lang especially - at the summit of their careers. To be a successful dancer, one has to have a number of skills, but the prime one has to be a sense of musical rhythm. All successful dancers are musical, and Madonna's years of dance training have contributed greatly to her success. They gave her a professional approach to choreography, and therefore the making of videos, and enabled her to dance to a high standard - when she was given the chance - as well as sing. There can be no doubt that the physical daily discipline of dance training stood her in excellent stead when touring.

She spent almost a year learning how to play drums, the piano and the guitar, adding to her musical skills, and playing in a working nand, so that by the time she stood before a band as a singer she cou/d do everything being done by any other member of the band behind her. Her training was therefore complete, but the actual timbre, the quality of her voice, was not to everyone's taste.

As a singer. Madonna soon took to writing her own material and her talent as a songwriter has also to be considered. Since she knew her own voice, and she knew the importance of rhythm and syncopation from her dancing, slit- was able to write songs that were both distinctive and tailor-made for her abilities. Based originally on dance-styjes, her songs grew in depth and expressive seriousness so that on the one hand she is responsible for such classics as into The Groove' and on the other she was able to create something as utterly different as 'Promise To Try. Of course, by no means all of Madonna's songs are entirely her own work; she often writes in collaboration with others but such is her control over all aspects of the finished result that we can justly talk of 'her' material.

If her music developed, so did her lyric-writing. Whatever lies behind her lines, some have become phrases within most people's vocabulary; on the Like A Prayer album her lyrics rose to new levels of subtlety and literacy.

 

 

VIII. Work with another student. Try to complete the “word spider”below to build up a “word picture” of Madonna. Use the list of words in the box. You can use some of the words more than once: for example “rhythm” is important in both dancing and songwriting.

 

videos voice lyric rhythm drums band studios choreography sound albums piano guitar keep fit

 

IX. Put each of the following words or phrases in its place in the passages below.

 

musicians	conductor	string	instruments	concert hall
baton	vocalist	live	fans	concert
audience	bows	bow	number one	group
keys	stage	top ten	score	recording studio

CLASSICAL MUSIC

While the (1) was filling up and the (2) were taking their seats, the (3) were tuning their (4). The famous (5) entered. He gave the audience a low (6), picked up his (7), looked briefly at the (8) which lay open in front of him, and raised his hands. The pianist placed her fingers ready over the (9) of her piano. The (10) section of the orchestra (violinists, cellists, etc.) brought heir (11) up, ready to play. The concert was about to begin.

POPULAR MUSIC

After the Beatles, The Rolling Stones have prob­ably been the most successful (12) in Brit- musicians at one time. This can certainly be (15) the birth of modern music.

 

(1)	a)recording	b) playing	c)producing	d)performing
(2)	a) think	b) reckon	c) guess	d) realise
(3)	a) hitting	b) knocking	c) crashing	d) banging
(4)	a) slice	b) point	c) piece	d) shape
(5)	a) make	b) call	c) take	d)do
(6)	a) looked	b) appeared	c) felt	d) sounded
(7)	a) forms	b) manners	c) systems	d) ways
(8)	a) ancient	b)old	c) aged	d) antique
(9)	a) raised	b) based	c) established	d) supported
(10)	a) spirit	b) temper	c) mood	d) humour
(11)	a) separate	b) lonely	c) unique	d) single
(12)	a) widespread	b) enlarged	c) expanded	d) extended
(13)	a) turn	b) appear	c) spring	d)be
(14)	a) produced	b) affected	c) caused	d) brought
(15)	a) appointed	b) called	c)decided	d) named

 

X.Choose the most suitable word given for each blank.

Until the early part of this century there was certainly a distinction between popular music, the songs and dance (1) of the masses, and what

we have come to call (2) music. Up to that point, however, there were at least some points of contact (3) the two, and perhaps general rec­ognition of what made a good voice, or a good song.

With the development of (4) entertainment, popular music split away and has gradually (5) a stronger life of its (6), to the point where it has become incompatible with (7) classics. In some respects, it is now dominated by the (8) of youth culture, so that a concert by Elton John is,just as much a fashion (9), and other artists may be promoting dance styles, or social (10).

For this reason, it is impossible to talk about popular music as if it were a unified art. The kind of music you like may (11) on what kind of person you are. Curiously, there are now classical musicians and operatic singers who have (12) the status of rock stars, and have been

marketed in the same way. This seems to suggest that many young people enjoy classical music but do not wish to be associated with the (13) of those who are traditionally supposed to enjoy it. Or it may simply be that recording companies have discovered that there is an insatiable (14) for "sounds", and that classical music is beginning to sound exciting to a generation (15) on rock but now settling into affluentmiddle-age.

 

(1)	a) halls	b) tunes	c) musicians	d) artists
(2)	a) rock	b) modern	c) underground	d) classical
(3)	a) with	b) between	c)by	d)of
(4)	a) mass	b) live	c) recorded	d) the
(5)	a) founded	b) lived	c) developed	d) suggested
(6)	a) supporters	b) self	c) fans	d) own
(7)	a) other	b) the	c) some	d) further
(8)	a) promotion	b) discovery	c) tendency	d) survival
(9)	a) as	b) however	c) event	d) design
(10)	a) service	b) grace	c) protest	d) science
(11)	a) depend	b) identity	c) suppose	d)be
(12)	a) lost	b) admired	c) penetrated	d) achieved
(13)	a) number	b) dislike	c) lifestyle	d) meaning
(14)	a) desire	b) sale	c) interest	d) outlet
(15)	a) raised	b) carrying	c) dependent	d) listening

 

XI. In some lines of this text there is one word that does not fit grammatically. Cross it out, or put a tick if a line is correct. The first two are given as examples.

JAZZ

(0) Americans have contributed to many art

(1) forms, but the jazz, a type of music, is the only

(2) art of form that was created in the United

(3) States. As jazz was created by black Ameri-

(4) cans. The black slaves sang and were played

(5) the music of their homeland. Jazz is a combi-

(6) nation of the music of the West Africa, the

(7) work songs the slaves sang, and a religious

(8) music. Improvisation is an important part of

(9) a jazz. The musicians make the music up as

(10)they are go along, or create the music on the

(10) spot. This is why a jazz song might have sound

(11) a little different each time it is played. By the

(12) 1920s, jazz was being popular all over the

(13) United States. By the 1940s, you could not

(14) only to hear jazz in clubs and bars, but in con-

(15) cert halls as well. Today, people from all over

(16) in the world play jazz. Jazz musicians from

(17) the United States, Asia, the South America,

(18) and Europe meet and share with their music

(19) at festivals on every continent. In this way

(20) jazz has continues to grow and change.

 

XII. Read the text below and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct and some have a word which should not be there or a misspelt one. If a line is correct put a tick () in the space on the right If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word in the space on the right:

MODERN TALKING

1 Modern Talking originated in 1984 year as

2 Modernes Gesprach. Its creator, Dieter Bolen,

3 decided that to choose a young German pop

4 singer, Berndt Weidung, to become to be his

5 parthner. Berndt changed his name to Thomas

6 Anders, and Modernes Gesprach became Mo-

7 dern Talking. They recoded ' You're My

8 Heart, You're My Soul" for making an enor-

9 mous impact on the music industry, and beco-

10 ming a No. 1 group in Europe.

11 In 1985 they released out their second album

12 and again won the hearths of thousands of fans

13 in the Europe and Asia with "Cheri,Cheri La-

14 dy". In meanwhile, Thomas married on Nora

15 Isabela Balling

16 After the reliese of" Brother Louie" in 1986,

17 Modem Talking scored gold at Canada and

18 England, and was on their v.ay to win

19 American music and market

20 However, the huge of success of Dieter and

21 Thomas begun to fall apart because of quarrels

22 between them that caused by Nora.

23 In 1987 they released two new albums, and

24 they broke up. Their unbeleivable success

25 made of them the most successjful German

26 band ever. After the brake up ibomas changed

27 his image and started a solo career in the US.

28 dieter continued to write to dance music and

29 created Blue Sistem.

30 In March of the 1998, the miracle, for which

31 all Modem Talking fans had been waiting for,

32 happenned. Dieter Bolen and Thomas Anders

33 reunited and released their number seventh

34 album called " Back for Good". The success

35 was enourmous huge again With it, Modem

36 talking got a new generation of the fans.

37 In 1999 year they released one another album

38 " Alone ", and recieved Cannes Music award

39 as for the Best Selling German Artist.

 

XIII.State the word according to the definition.

1. A musical play in which many or all of the words are sung;

2. A group of three musicians performing together;

3. Any of several styles of popular modern music played on electrical instruments;

4. A brass musical instrument consisting of a curved metal tube and widening out at the end;

5. To play a musical accompaniment for;

6. A group of musical performances held regularly in a particular place

 

XIV.Translate from Russian into English.

1. Русская народная музыка послужила основой последнего альбома этой группы.

2. В настоящее время многие композиторы специализируются на создании музыки для различных общественных мероприятий.

3. В современных студиях звукозаписи можно при помощи компьютеров воспроизводить звуки различных инструментов, в том числе электрогитар и ударных.

4. Установившиеся традиции европейских музыкальных форм были дополненны Африканскими мотивами и ритмами во времена колонизации.

5. Для создания ни с чем не сравнимого чувства лёгкости великий композитор использовал скрипку для аккомпанемента французскому рожку.

6. Лауреаты премии им. Чайковского, гастролирующие по всему миру,завоевали международное признание.

7. Некоторые музыкальные жанры, нелегко воспринимаются массовым слушателем и, конечно же, они не относятся к классу поп-музыки.

 

 

XV. Translate from Russian into English

1.Предположим, он смог бы сделать аранжировку русской народной песни, включила бы она её в свой сольный альбом?

2.Случись так, что он согласился бы дирижировать духовым оркестром, я бы предоставила ему полную свободу действий.

3.Если бы вы вчера принесли магнитофон, мы бы послушали концерт №7 Чайковского в исполнении струнного оркестра.

4.Если бы у меня был шанс попробовать себя в джазовой музыке, из меня вышел бы знаменитый музыкант.

5.Если бы не его помощь, я бы так и не смог ответить, в чём разница между оперой и опереттой.

6.Если бы случилось так, что я научился бы профессионально играть на нескольких музыкальных инструментах, скажем, гитаре, скрипке, флейте, трубе и аккордеоне, я, наверное, стал бы самым знаменитым виртуозом в мире.

7.Он бы никогда не переложил эту поэму на музыку, если бы ему не пообещали хороший гонорар.

8.Можешь себе представить, она настроена стать оперной певицей, как будто у неё есть слух.

9.Джазовый музыкант импровизировал на ходу, как будто занимался этим всю жизнь.

 

10.Она всё время говорит о разных музыкальных жанрах с такой чопорностью, как будто она слышала что-либо кроме электронной поп-музыки.

11.У меня было такое чувство, будто он играл не в той тональности. Музыка звучала фальшиво и неестественно.

12.Он условился со мной, что я буду петь его романс с музыкальным сопровождением.

13.Необходимо, чтобы вы организовали хор для исполнения этой арии.

14.Было желательно, чтобы такие жанры как мюзикл, блюз, джаз и опера были представлены на концерте.

15.Он жалел, что он оставил свою семью и уехал с оркестром в турне по Европе.

16.Я бы хотел, чтобы вы сочиняли подлинную русскую музыку, а не эту какофонию звуков.

 

17.Она боялась, что провалится на музыкальном конкурсе, но после выступления ей бурно аплодировали.

18.Дирижёр настаивал на том, чтобы в оркестр были включены такие инструменты как альт, труба, арфа, туба и гобой.

19.Композитор требовал, чтобы сонату исполняли в более быстром темпе, но дирижёр проигнорировал его замечание.

20.Ей давно пора понять, что любить музыку и исполнять её - две разные вещи.

 

 

XVI. Memorize these sayings and set expressions and tell in what situations you might use them.

1. to play first fiddle играть первую скрипку, занимать руководящее
положение

to play second fiddle занимать второстепенное положение

to play third fiddle быть третьим, играть незначительную роль

2. If you dance you must pay the fiddler. Любишь кататься, люби и саночки возить.

3. to hang up one's fiddle оставить работу, уйти на покой

4. to dance to somebody's tune (pipe) плясать под чью-либо дудку; ходить по струнке

5. to change one's tune=to sing a different (another) tune запеть дру­гую песню, запеть на другой лад, сменить тон, присмиреть

6. to blow one's own trumpet хвалиться, хвастать, заниматься само­рекламой

7. to sing the same song тянуть все ту же песню, завести волынку

8. swan song лебединая песня

9. song and dance свистопляска, шумиха

10. to touch somebody on a string затронуть чью-либо слабую струнку

11. Dutch concert кошачий концерт

12. and all that jazz разг. и всё такое прочее, и так далее

 

 

XVII.Discuss the following:

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. Leopold Stokowski.

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Berthold Auerbach.

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body. Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Music is what feelings sound like. Author Unknown.

Music is the poetry of the air. Richter.

Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory. Thomas Beecham.

Give me some music; music, moody food of us that trade in love. William Shakespeare.

Music's golden tongue flattered to tears this aged man and poor, John Keats.

A nation creates music — the composer only arranges it. Mikhail Glinka.

Music was invented to confirm human loneliness. Lawrence Durrell.

XVIII. Try your hand at poetic translation:

В Италии музыка стала нацией. У нас на севере дело обстоит совсем иначе; там музыка стала человеком и зовется Моцартом или Мейербером. Генрих Гейне.

Музыка - это стенография чувств. Л.Н.Толстой.

Музыка предназначена для духовного совершенствования человека. И в этом её миссия. Г. В. Свиридов.

Цель музыки - трогать сердца. И. С. Бах.

Музыка должна высекать огонь из души человеческой. Л. В. Бетховен.

Музыка - разум, воплощенный в прекрасных звуках. И. Тургенев.

Музыка - посредница между жизнью ума и жизнью чувств. Л.Бетховен.

 

Mini Texts for Translation

 

О музыке

Есть еще люди, которые относятся к искусству, особенно к му­зыке, как к развлечению. Какое это огромное заблуждение!

«Я сожалел бы, если бы моя музыка только развлекала слуша­телей. Я стремился их сделать лучше»,- писал замечательный не­мецкий композитор XVIH века Гендель.

«Высекать огонь из сердец людей» — вот к чему стремился ве­ликий Бетховен.

Гений русской музыки Чайковский мечтал о том, чтобы «при носить людям утешение».

Как перекликаются эти слова с удивительными по простоте и ясности словами Пушкина: «И долго буду тем любезен я народу, что чувства добрые я лирой пробуждал...»! Как точно определи.! поэт высшее назначение искусства — пробуждать в людях добрые чувства! И это относится ко всем видам искусства, в том числе и к музыке — самому эмоциональному искусству.

Музыка — это большая и серьезная часть жизни, могучее сред­ство духовного обогащения. (По Д. Кабалевскому.)

 

Скрипка Паганини

В музее итальянского города Генуи хранится в стеклянном футляре скрипка. У нее необычная история. Ее сделал в XVH веке замечательный мастер Гварнеги. Эта скрипка замолчала тогда, когда умер Паганини — величайший скрипач. Хотя очень редко, но все же лучших скрипачей мира награждают правом показать свое мастерство на скрипке Паганини.

Рассказывают, что когда-то Паганини был так беден, что у не­го ничего не осталось, даже скрипки. И для того чтобы выступить в концерте и таким образом заработать деньги, он попросил на один вечер у богатого купца скрипку Гварнеги, которая и тогда ценилась очень высоко. После концерта купец отказался взять скрипку обратно. Он не смел больше играть на скрипке, к которой прикасались пальцы Паганини. С тех пор великий скрипач не рас­ставался с драгоценным подарком

Cats

No musical has been more popular with theatregoers than Cats. Based on a collec­tion of poems by T. S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, it is the longest-run­ning show in world history.

The original production opened at the New London Theatre, in the West End on May 11,1981. It was a phe­nomenal success in spite of the fact that many critics gave it less than complimen­tary reviews. Eight years later it celebrated both its birthday and another important event: it had become, after 3358 performances, the longest-running musical in the histo­ry of the British theatre.

On June 19, 1997, Cats became the longest-running show in the history of Broadway.

Since then Cats has been played to packed houses in approximately 250 cities in 20 countries around the world and has been translat­ed into ten languages. It is estimated that Cats has been seen by almost 50 million people!

The show's most famous song, Memory, has now become one-of the most suc­cessful songs in musical his­tory. Since the original recording by Elaine Paige in June 1981, it has been recorded by over 1 60 artists. Another hit is, of course, Macavity.

 

 

4.

A recent report has highlighted the hazards of life as a professional musician. According to medical and musical experts, up to seventy per cent of musicians are affected by physical and psychological problems.

Musicians can progressively deafen themselves oxer the years because the volume at which music is played is greater than would be allowed in a factor}'. And it is loud enough to cause hearing loss. Muscle fatigue which affects the hands, forearms, neck and shoulders, is another major problem for plavers of all instruments, but players of string instruments who sit forliours with their instrument clamped between tilted chin and hunched shoulder, or wedged between the knees, are particularly prone to painful cramps. One trombonist has even commissioned a special instrument in order to counter elbow fatigue.

All these physical problems can be put down to poor training Musicians pick up bad posture habits at an early age. and find it impossible to rectify' these later. At least one expert claims that if mind and body are properly tuned to the task in hand, there shouldn't be any difficulties. There's an extra danger for plavers of wind instruments who max suffer from dermatitis, a painful skin disease. This is due lo a mouthpiece made from a hardwood that can cause allergies.

But physical problems are only one aspect of the hazards musicians face. There are psychological complaints of which stage fright and acute anxiety are ihe commonest. The life of a musician has always been characterised by job insecurity, and this leads to depression and sleep disturbance. At the same time, heavier recording and touring workloads have increased the pressure under which musicians work. According to the survey, some seventy per cent of orchestral players are suffering from some sort of performance-related illness. And orchestras are now employing medical consultants to deal with musicians plagued by injury and worry

This has to be good news. A professional sportsman's career is usually over at forty. But at that age a professional musician has hardly begun to explore his craft. Let's hope recognition of their problems does something lo help them out.

 

 

Triumph for Bush.

Alan Bush received a prolonged ovation at the end of the first per­formance of his "Byron Symphony" on Wednesday. The work is a very difficult one, both for orchestra and choir.

But tribute1 must be paid to Leslie Head, conductor, the Kensington Orchestra and the massed choirs for coping so well with the difficulties and bringing out so much of its beauty and spirit.

Byron's speech in the House of Lords against hanging for machine-breaking is presented in the form of scherzo and vari­ation. The end_of Byron's speech — his boiling indignation is expressed in the majestic periods of classical oratory.

So far, among our native symphonies only those of Vaughan Williams have deserved places alongside those of the greatest masters. This English work must surely join them.

 

The Musician

Ever since it was the musical theme in the film 'The Sting, there are few people who have not tapped their feet to the hit piano tune, 'The Entertainer'—the most famous composition of the American musician, Scott Joplin.

Scott was born in Texas in 1868, into a poor but musical black family. His father, who was a freed slave, played the violin, and his mother played the banjo and sang. Scott played the violin and bugle but his favourite instrument was his neighbour's piano. His father worked extra

I hours to buy him a battered old grand piano, and soon Scott was playing by ear negro tunes, blues, and spirituals. Music flowed naturally from his fingers, and he quickly became the talk of the town.

Scott didn't learn to read music until he was 11, when an old German music teacher spotted his talent and gave him free, formal piano lessons. He learned to play the works of such composers as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart as well as his

improvised music. Thus when he started to write music, his tunes were a wonderful mixture of classical European and African beat. This unique style was known as Ragtime, and was played everywhere in the USA in the early 1900s by both black and white musicians.

In 1882, when Scott was 14, his mother died and he left home to seek his fortune in St. Louis. In the 1880s, St. Louis was noisy and bustling with life. The waterfront of the Mississippi River was full of gangsters, gamblers, and sailors. The sound of music was everywhere—black white and mixed. The hot steamy nights were filled with blues, working songs, banjos, and honky tonk pianos. Scott was soon playing Ragtime piano in cheap bars on the waterfront. This was a rough, tough area of the city where arguments over girls, whisky, and money were settled with fists and guns. Scott grew up very fast and his musical talent continued to develop. All i all he wrote about 50 piano rags.

Scott Joplin died in 1917. Today he is the undisputed King of Ragtime, thanks to his natural ability, his unusual musical education, and the popularity of the film. The Sting.

 

Speak out

1. Musical life in Britain.

2. My favourite musician (composer, singer, group).

3. Modern British Composers.

4. What makes an orchestra “great”?

5. A prom concert of English music.

6. The history of jazz development?

7. Musical genres.

8. Musical festivals.

 

 

UNIT 4.

PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

DISCUSSION

-What affects the relationship between parents and children? Should parents bear full responsibility for what their children do?

-What is the importance of the family in society? What role, in your opinion, do parents as educators of their children play in society? What do you think about the idea of stay-at-home fathers who support workplace mums?

-In retrospect do you think your parents brought you up well? For which things are you particularly grateful to them? Which things do you wish they had done differently? Did your parents sacrifice to bring you up?

-Environment exercises a profound influence in matter of molding a child’s character and emotions. Do you agree with it? Why are the chances of children and parents for mutual satisfying relationships fast diminishing?

-What ways of treating children are preferable to you? How to manage difficult behaviour of children? What are the signs of a difficult child?

-What are the main childhood problems? What unpleasant moments can spoil the innocence of childhood?

-What are the most essential virtues of parenting? Are you in favour of excessive permissiveness of modern parents?

-What sort of punishment do parents often resort to? Which of them works?

 

VOCABULARY

blood relatives

relatives by marriage

forster/adoptive parents

the sole/single parent

trophy husband

family breakdown

to marry a divorcee

antenatal classes

an offspring

sibling rivalry

mood swings

moody

willful

nosy

picky

combative

defiant

riotous

vulnerable

off-handed, unceremonious

rough-and ready

constrained

malignant

spiteful

malevolent

gloating

odious

disagreeable

peevish

fretful

shrewish

self-willed

abusive

audacious

contemptuous

scornful

supercilious

gauche

presumptuous

humble

inferiority complex

heedful

considerate

spirited

self-reliant

antisocial behaviour

pseudo-adult behaviour

trying/bratty/whiney behaviour

infamy behaviour

misleading behaviour

impudent behaviour

inappropriate conduct

unbecoming conduct

to cherish

to nurture

to instill

to rebuke

to nourish (the heart and mind)

to relieve anxiety

to resolve conflicts

to energize the spirit

to make sacrifice

to swear

to whine

emotional instability

uncontroled anger

to maintain a healthy relationship

to be harsh to smb

to tide over difficult situation

to snoop on the kid

to loose a track of one’s life

to reduce smb to a wreck

to veer

to waver

to thwart

to flout

to exasperate

to try smb`s patience

to drive smb up the wall

to fly into a tantrum

to throw a fit

to restrict/withdraw privileges

to reprimand

to smack

to scold

to tell smb off

corporal punishment

reward system

to head praise on smb

 

READING 1

a)Read the article about the grandparent/grandchild relationship. Before reading, discuss the following in pairs.

What can be gained from a grandparent/grandchild relationship? Are there any negative factors?

How can the relationship with grandparents differ from that with parents?

b)Look at the title of the article. What question do you think it poses about grandparents?

c) The following phrases appear in the article. How do you think they might be related to the role of grandparents today? Discuss in pairs, then read the article quickly to see if you were right.

•cheap nannying • cherished memory

•unconditional love • low self-esteem

•pressure of time • extended families

•family squabbles

d) Read the text more carefully. For questions 1-6, choose the best answer (А, В, С or D).

1 When she was about forty, the writer

A became a grandparent.

В was planning to travel.

С was annoyed by her family.

D regretted not having grandchildren.

2 The writer thinks that grandparents are particularly important because

A they ensure children get better treatment.

В they teach children about the past.

С they provide children with financial support.

D they give children a sense of belonging.

3 According to the writer, Alan and Angela benefited from

A understanding the reasons for their parents' behaviour.

В realising how important they were to their grandparents.

С remembering their grandparents' attitude to them.

D finding out why they were lacking in confidence.

4 How did the woman whose grandchildren were in Australia feel?

A She knew that visiting would be difficult for both sides of

the family.

В She blamed her son for not making enough effort to see

her.

С She was happy that her family had been so successful.

D She preferred not to see them regularly.

5 When grandparents live near to their families,

A seeing each other is usually much easier.

В parents try to keep the grandparents at a distance.

С lack of time may prevent regular contact.

D grandchildren resent repeated visits from grandparents.

6 Why does losing contact with grandchildren affect grandparents so deeply?

A They feel their love for their grandchildren is being destroyed.

В They wish they had done more to prevent the separation.

С They know that their grandchildren will suffer from the loss.

D They continue to hope that contactwill be re-established.

 

Generations Apart?