Exercise 1
BUENOS AIRES: CITY OF MUSIC
Did you know Buenos Aires is one of the world’s top cities for music? And it isn’t only tango orchestras you can hear, but all kinds of music.
CLASSICAL MUSIC AND OPERA
It’s easy to find good classical music in Buenos Aires. Top orchestras from all over the world play in the Teatro Colón and you can also see first-class operas. It’s not cheap, but you pay less if you get a ticket for a whole season.
JAZZ AND POP MUSIC
Buenos Aires is full of jazz clubs, but the most interesting is probably Jazz y Pop. It’s in a tiny room in a basement and the musicians play in the middle of the room. And not only jazz – they also play rock, pop and folk music. Musicians come from all over the world to play there for free, so you might see someone famous!
Or if you like drums, visit the Konex Cultural Centre. A band called La Bomba da Tiempo play drums there every Monday night. They play dance music from Africa and Latin America. Tourists and local people come together to enjoy the party and dance all night long.
Then there’s The Roxy. It has two stages, one for live rock music and the other for dance music with DJs. Go there late – the bands don’t start playing until 2 am and the crowds start arriving around 3. Drinks are expensive!
TANGO IN THE STREET
Go to the San Telmo district. It’s full of great cafés and shops, and also musicians and singers. On a warm summer evening you can see tango dancers in the street. There’s a space for dancing in every café. It’s free so bring your dancing shoes!
A. Look at Buenos Aires: City of music. Do you think it is about:
1 famous Argentinean bands
2 places to hear music
3 tango dancing?
Read the text and check your ideas.
B. Read Buenos Aires: City of music again and answer the questions.
1 Which is the most expensive place to go?
2 Where can you hear more than one type of music?
3 What’s the best time to go to The Roxy?
4 Which place(s) do you think are popular with both visitors and people who live in the city?
Answer
A
2 places to hear music
B
2 Teatro Colón
3 Jazz y Pop, the Roxy
4 about 2 am
5 Students’ own answers
Exercise 2
REVIEWS
INCEPTION
“I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTERESTING AND EXCITING FILM, SO TRY TO SEE IT IF YOU CAN!” – Mellisa
I saw Inception at the cinema a month ago and I decided to download it so I could see it again. I’ve watched it three times now and it gets better every time. It’s by British director Christopher Nolan and it’s a brilliant story. All the actors are excellent, but I liked Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy the best. They play Cobb and Eames, part of a team trying to put ideas in another man’s head. It’s a good idea to watch this film on a big screen because it has great special effects. I thought it was an interesting and exciting film, so try to see it if you can!
“JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT IS EXCELLENT IN THE ROLE OF ARTHUR” – Robin
I saw Inception last week. My friend Charlie told me it was good. He usually likes the films I like so I went to see it, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. Christopher Nolan, who made the Batman films, wrote and directed it. There are a lot of well-known actors in the film (Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent in the role of Arthur), but I thought the story was quite difficult to understand and also too long. See it if you have a spare two and a half hours …
A. Melissa downloaded the film Inception. Read her review. Is it positive or negative?
B. Read Melissa’s review again and answer the questions.
1 How many times has she watched the film?
2 What is the best way to watch it?
C. Robin went to see Inception at the cinema. Read his review. Is it positive or negative?
D. Read Robin’s review again and answer the questions.
1 Why did he go to see it?
2 What are the good and bad things he says about the film?
3 Does he think it’s a good idea for other people to see or buy the film?
Answer
A
positive
B
1 three
2 on a big screen
C
negative
D
1 His friend Charlie told him it was good so he went to see it.
2 Joseph Gordon-Levitt was excellent as Arthur, but the story was difficult to understand and the film was too long.
3 No, he doesn’t.
Exercise 3
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Twenty years ago, Pia Leon was one of the most famous rock singers in the world. Everyone wanted to hear her amazing voice, and she sang for kings, queens and presidents. So why has the world forgotten her now?
Well, the most important reason is that in 1995, she suddenly stopped singing and went to live alone on a farm in Texas. ‘I don’t know what happened,’ said Bill Worth, who played the drums in her band. ‘I think she just decided it was time to do something different, but she didn’t discuss it with us. I’ve only seen her once since then, and she wouldn’t talk about it.’
Worth has played with several other bands since that time, and the two guitar players have also had lots of work. ‘We’re not angry with her,’ Worth says, ‘but we still miss her, and we’d like to know what happened.’
Rock music fan Rick Jones has written a book about Leon. ‘She was great,’ he says, ‘but how many people under the age of 40 have heard her sing? Even her albums are difficult to find now.’ Jones has tried to talk to Leon, and has even been to her farm in Texas, but she won’t agree to talk to him. ‘I think she just wants to forget about that life,’ he says. ‘She has her farm, and she has bought lots of horses – they are more important to her now. She doesn’t want to be a rock star any more.’
A. Read the text and underline the correct words to complete the sentences.
1 Pia Leon sings / has sung in a rock band.
2 The other people in her band know / don’t know why she stopped singing.
3 When Rick Jones wrote his book, he spoke / didn’t speak to her.
4 Leon has / doesn’t have a lot of horses on her farm.
5 She wants / doesn’t want to be a rock star again.
B. Read the text again. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs in the box.
|
be – buy – decide – know – live – remember – sing |
1 Pia Leon ……was…… a very famous singer.
2 Not many people ……………. her now.
3 She ……………. for lots of important people.
4 In 1995, she ……………. to leave the band.
5 She has ……………. on a farm since then.
6 The other band members still don’t ……………. why Leon left.
7 He says she has ……………. lots of horses.
C. Write your own story about a famous person. Make sure you include at least three verbs in the present perfect form.
Answer
A
2 don’t know 3 didn’t speak 4 has 5 doesn’t want
B
2 remember / know 3 sang / has sung 4 decided 5 lived / been
6 know 7 bought