During this series of beginner English lesson we are going to study the basic vocabulary and grammar used in listening and understanding the lyrics involved in rock music.
ROCK MUSIC READING
Simple Reading:
Rock music is a kind of music that many people like. It started in the 1950s in the United States. Rock music is usually fast and loud. It has a strong beat. In rock music, people play electric guitars, bass, and drums.
Sometimes, there is also a singer. Some rock bands have four or five people. Famous rock bands include The Beatles, Queen, and The Rolling Stones. Many people listen to rock music at concerts or on the radio. Some people play rock music with their friends. Rock music makes people feel happy and excited.
It is fun to dance to rock music. Some people wear special clothes when they go to rock concerts. Do you like rock music? Who is your favourite band? You can learn English words from rock songs. Rock music is popular in many countries around the world. It brings people together.
Simple Grammar:
1. The Beatles _____ a famous rock band.
a) am
b) is
c) are
d) be
2. She _____ to rock music every day.
a) listen
b) listens
c) listening
d) listened
3. They _____ the guitar at the concert.
a) play
b) plays
c) playing
d) played
4. We _____ rock music at the party last night.
a) hear
b) hears
c) heard
d) hearing
5. He _____ a rock concert tomorrow.
a) go
b) goes
c) going
d) went
New vocabulary Section:
1. Band
– French: groupe
– Portuguese: banda
2. Guitar
– French: guitare
– Portuguese: guitarra
3. Drums
– French: batterie
– Portuguese: bateria
4. Singer
– French: chanteur / chanteuse
– Portuguese: cantor / cantora
5. Concert
– French: concert
– Portuguese: concerto / show
6. Song
– French: chanson
– Portuguese: canção / música
7. Stage
– French: scène
– Portuguese: palco
8. Audience
– French: public
– Portuguese: público
9. Loud
– French: fort
– Portuguese: alto
10. Dance
– French: danser
– Portuguese: dançar
NIRVANA
Reading 2:
Nirvana is a famous rock band from the United States. The band became popular in the 1990s. Nirvana’s singer was Kurt Cobain. He sang many songs and played the guitar. The band also had a drummer who played the drums very well. Nirvana played loud music that many people liked. At a Nirvana concert, the audience was very excited. People liked to dance to their music. Nirvana played on stage in front of many fans. The band’s most famous song is “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Many people still listen to Nirvana today. Their concerts were fun and full of energy. Fans loved to see the band and hear the loud music. Nirvana’s music is still important in rock history. The band showed that music can bring people together. If you listen to Nirvana, you can hear the guitar, drums, and the voice of the singer.
Listening Section:
Questions:
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- What does “Over Bored” and “Self Assured” mean?
- In the chorus, what does the word “contagious” mean?
- Mulatto, Albino, Mosquito. These words appear in the chorus. What are their meanings in French?
- What does the word “blessed” mean?
- The expression “never mind” appears at 3:47 minutes. What does it mean when someone says, “Never mind”?
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Other vocabulary used in the questions: mean, chorus, appear, expression, someone.
Sure! Here are the meanings in French and Portuguese:
1. Mean
– French: signifier
– Portuguese: significar
2. Chorus
– French: refrain
– Portuguese: refrão
3. Appear
– French: apparaître
– Portuguese: aparecer
4. Expression
– French: expression
– Portuguese: expressão
5. Someone
– French: quelqu’un
– Portuguese: alguém