READING COMPREHENSION

1- Read this text about Madonna and answer the

questions below.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on 16 th August 1959 in Michigan (U.S.A.), the state
where she lived during her childhood and early adolescence. Madonna, whose mother
died when she was only six years old, had a rather unhappy family life. Her father
married again, creating a situation which Madonna tried in every wary to change, but
without success.
She gradually became very involved in her passion for contemporary dance. She won a
scholarship to study dance at the University of Michigan where she met Steve Bray, a
black musician, who wrote several songs for her album Like a Virgin. Long after her
relationship with Steve Bray had finished she remained very good friends with him.
In 1982 she made her first single, Everybody. It was a great success and it was this
record that started her on the rapid rise to fame. Perhaps the song which has had most
success so far is Into the Groove, which she made in1985. Apart from singing she has
also appeared in several films of which the most successful is Desperately Seeking
Susan.
a. Where did Madonna live when she was a child?

..
b. Why was she unhappy at that time?

.
c. What was her first interest?

..
d. How did she enter Michigan University?

..
e. Who wrote Like a Virgin?

f. Which is her most famous song so far?

.
VOCABULARY
2- Read the text again and find words or phrases which mean the same as:
a. (Noun) A very strong and deep emotion or belief in an idea or principle (Paragraph 2)

b. (Noun) A person who plays a musical instrument, especially very well or as a job
(Paragraph 2).

c. (Noun) The period of time when you are a child (Paragraph1)

d. (Adjective) Done or happening very quickly and in a very short time (Paragraph 3).

e. (Verb) To take part in a film play, concert, television programme, etc. (Paragraph 3)

f. (Adjective) Belonging to the present time (modern) (Paragraph 2)

LANGUAGE AWARENESS
3- Fill in the gaps with relative pronouns: who, which, where, whose. Put a dash (-) in
the gap if
the pronoun is not necessary.

a. Beautiful, talented and ambitious are three words ______________ people use to

describe Madonna.
b. Madonna _______________ family is very large, is the oldest of the daughters.
c. In 1980 she went to Paris, ________________ she stayed for only a few weeks.
d. Shanghi Surprise, in _____________ she appeared with Sean Penn, was not well

received by the critics.

e. She describes herself as a woman _________________ knows what she wants and is

determined to get it.

f. She says she hates formal occasions like weddings ____________ you have to put on

formal dresses.
g. When she was a little girl she used to wear jumpers ____________ her mum made for

her.
h. She cant stand shopping and she always goes with a friend _____________ helps her

decide.
4- Evelyn is a percussionist who has worked with Madonna for ten years. Read this
text and choose
the best option.

Evelyn has played with orchestras all over / about the world and gives about 90
concerts a year. When she was 14, she plays / played with the National Youth
Orchestra of the U.S.A. When she applied to join the Royal Academy of Music she
wasnt accepted so that / because she is deaf. She has been deaf since / for
the age of 12 and will learn / has learned to lip-read perfectly. She says that
Beethoven has been / was right when he said that making music has nobody /
nothing to do with hearing it. The Royal Academy finally listened / is listening
to Evelyn and they were astonished. They accepted her immediately /
immediate and she became their star pupil. Apart from performing for many
celebrities, she has written her autobiography and is now thinking about what /
when she wants to do next.

WRITING

5- Choose one of the three tasks:

a. Write a story describing something unusual / exciting / dangerous, etc.
that happened to you during a concert or music event.
b. Write a review of a concert.
c. Write a description of a singer, group or band you like.

TASK
TASK

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