The Reading / Listening - Beethoven - Level 0

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was played in Vienna for its 200th anniversary. Beethoven's masterpiece was first played on the 7th of May, 1824. A woman who sang in the choir told the BBC: "It's the whole world to us to be able to sing this wonderful message of love." She said: "You're lifted up…when you're singing."

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. The fourth movement is called Ode to Joy. A version of this is the anthem of the European Union. The Ode represents peace and international understanding. The singer in the choir said Beethoven's Ninth "moves from the darkness to the light".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Beethoven - Level 1 Beethoven - Level 2   or  Beethoven - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14kv70d1keo
  • https://www.dw.com/en/beethovens-ninth-symphony-200-years-on/a-68919265
  • https://theconversation.com/beethovens-ninth-symphony-at-200-revolutionary-work-of-art-has-spawned-two-centuries-of-joy-goodwill-and-propaganda-221734


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. its 200th
  2. Beethoven's masterpiece was
  3. A woman who sang
  4. It's the whole
  5. be able
  6. this wonderful message
  7. You're lifted
  8. when you're
  1. to sing
  2. world
  3. up
  4. first played
  5. singing
  6. in the choir
  7. of love
  8. anniversary

Paragraph 2

  1. one of the
  2. pieces
  3. The fourth movement is
  4. the anthem
  5. The Ode represents
  6. international
  7. The singer in
  8. moves from the darkness
  1. the choir
  2. understanding
  3. of music
  4. to the light
  5. called Ode to Joy
  6. greatest
  7. peace
  8. of the European Union

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (1) ___________________ Vienna for (2) ___________________. Beethoven's masterpiece was first played on the 7th of May, 1824. A (3) ___________________ in the choir told the BBC: "It's (4) ___________________ to us to be able to (5) ___________________ message of love." She said: "You're lifted up…(6) ___________________."

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (7) ___________________ the greatest (8) ___________________ ever written. The fourth movement is called Ode to Joy. A (9) ___________________ is the (10) ___________________ European Union. The Ode represents peace and international understanding. The (11) ___________________ choir said Beethoven's Ninth "moves (12) ___________________ to the light".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Beethoven'sNinthSymphonywasplayedinViennaforits200thanniver
sary.Beethoven'smasterpiecewasfirstplayedonthe7thofMay,1824.
AwomanwhosanginthechoirtoldtheBBC:"It'sthewholeworldtoustob
eabletosingthiswonderfulmessageoflove."Shesaid:"You'reliftedup…
whenyou'resinging."Beethoven'sNinthSymphonyisoneofthegreates
tpiecesofmusiceverwritten.ThefourthmovementiscalledOdetoJoy.A
versionofthisistheanthemoftheEuropeanUnion.TheOderepresentsp
eaceandinternationalunderstanding.ThesingerinthechoirsaidBeeth
oven'sNinth"movesfromthedarknesstothelight".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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