Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Jay Chou. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie director. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big star throughout Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully crossed over into pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a growing influence on Chinese culture.
Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and songs on the tape recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine classical with pop.
In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a contract to write pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the techniques of song production. The studio manager encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.
Chou became an overnight success. He releases a new album every year, all of which sell millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.
249 words
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.
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SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
big
a.
increasing
2
styles
b.
huge
3.
growing
c.
words
4.
loved
d.
genres
5.
lyrics
e.
mix
6.
combine
f.
adored
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
impressed
g.
urged
8.
learnt
h.
doing well
9.
encouraged
i.
part
10.
overnight
j.
had an impact on
11
taking off
k
instant
12
role
l
grasped
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article:
1.
He is a trained
a.
of song production
2
combines Western
b.
classical musician
3.
Chou has a growing influence
c.
on a TV talent show
4.
recorded
d.
and Chinese styles
5.
write the music and
e.
success
6.
Chou appeared
f.
sounds and songs
7.
His piano composition impressed
g.
2008 Beijing Olympics
8.
learnt the techniques
h.
lyrics to pop songs
9.
Chou became an overnight
i.
a top judge
10.
the official song for the
j.
on Chinese culture
LISTENING GAP FILL
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, _______________. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big _______________ Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully _______________ pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a ___________________ Chinese culture.
Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He _______________ piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and _______________ recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music _____________ songs. He found it _______________ classical with pop.
In 1998, Chou _______________ TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a _______________ pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the _______________ song production. The studio manager _______________ to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.
Chou became an _______________. He releases a new album every year, _________________ millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the _______________ the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for _______________ ‘Initial D’ in 2005.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie direction / director. He has / had won three World Music Awards and is a big star throughout Asia. He is a trained classic / classical musician who has successfully crossed over into pop, and combines Western and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie career. Chou has a growing / grown influence on Chinese culture.
Chou was born in 1979 and grown / grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved music and recorded sounds and sings / songs on the tape recorder he carried everywhere. He studying / studied piano and cello at high school and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine / combination classical with pop.
In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talented / talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered him a contract to / for write pop songs. He spent the next two years in / on the studio and learnt the techniques of song production. The studio manager encouraging / encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.
Chou became an overnight successes / success. He releases a new album every year, all / every of which sell millions. He has won more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the office / official song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His acting career is also taking / taken off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.
SPELLING
The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
movie errdotic
2.
a trained classical cnmsiuai
3.
has a elussccfsu movie career
4.
Chinese eutlruc
Paragraph 2
5.
eilgnnar the piano
6.
tape odrrcree
7.
islcyr to pop songs
8.
He found it easy to cmnboei classical with pop
Paragraph 3
9.
a TV entlta show
10.
offered him a atocrcnt
11.
learnt the qhuscetine of song production
12.
he rdaelees his debut album
Paragraph 4
13.
Chou became an viehrnotg success
14.
He esreasle a new album every year
15.
the oiailcff song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
16.
He won a Best ecmerwoN award
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
and Chinese styles. He has sold more than 25 million albums and has a successful movie
( )
Chou was born in 1979 and grew up in Taiwan. He started learning the piano when he was four. He loved
( )
of song production. The studio manager encouraged him to become a singer. In 2000, he released his debut album ‘Jay’.
( )
music and recorded sounds and songs on the tape
( )
Chou became an overnight success. He releases a new album every year, all of which sell millions. He has won
( )
more than 350 music awards in Asia. He also wrote the official song for the 2008 Beijing
( )
career. Chou has a growing influence on Chinese culture.
( )
recorder he carried everywhere. He studied piano and cello at high school
( 1 )
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, actor, and movie director. He has won three World Music Awards and is a big
( )
and began to write the music and lyrics to pop songs. He found it easy to combine classical with pop.
( )
In 1998, Chou appeared on a TV talent show playing the piano. His piano composition impressed a top judge, who offered
( )
crossed over into pop, and combines Western
( )
him a contract to write pop songs. He spent the next two years in the studio and learnt the techniques
( )
star throughout Asia. He is a trained classical musician who has successfully
( )
Olympics. His acting career is also taking off. He won a Best Newcomer award for his debut role in ‘Initial D’ in 2005.
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
is He musician classical trained a
2.
influence growing a has Chou culture Chinese on
3.
four piano He when started he learning was the
4.
write and pop to music to began the lyrics songs
5.
pop to He combine found classical it with easy
6.
TV playing Chou a show piano on talent the appeared
7.
spent in the the next studio two He years
8.
studio become manager a encouraged singer him The to
9.
awards He more music Asia won 350 in has than
10.
Olympics Beijing 2008 the for song official the
JAY CHOU DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.
What do you know about Jay Chou?
2.
Would you like to have met Jay Chou?
3.
What would you like to know about Jay Chou and why?
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Jay Chou. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. JAY CHOU POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Jay Chou. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?
4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Jay Chou. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he did every day and what he thought about.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
5. LETTER: Write a letter to Jay Chou. Ask him three questions about his life. Tell him how important he is in today’s world. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Jay Chou expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.
ANSWERS
SYNONYM MATCH:
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
big
a.
huge
2
styles
b.
genres
3.
growing
c.
increasing
4.
loved
d.
adored
5.
lyrics
e.
words
6.
combine
f.
mix
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
impressed
g.
had an impact on
8.
learnt
h.
grasped
9.
encouraged
i.
urged
10.
overnight
j.
instant
11
taking off
k
doing well
12
role
l
part
PHRASE MATCH:
1.
He is a trained
a.
classical musician
2
combines Western
b.
and Chinese styles
3.
Chou has a growing influence
c.
on Chinese culture
4.
recorded
d.
sounds and songs
5.
write the music and
e.
lyrics to pop songs
6.
Chou appeared
f.
on a TV talent show
7.
His piano composition impressed
g.
a top judge
8.
learnt the techniques
h.
of song production
9.
Chou became an overnight
i.
success
10.
the official song for the
j.
2008 Beijing Olympics
ALL OTHER EXERCISES:
Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
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