celebrity today: Listening

Showing posts with label Listening. Show all posts

Friday, March 8, 2013

DIDO IS BACK!

Dido is back! The Mega Successful English singer-songwriter released the highly anticipated “Girl Who Got Away” early this month! Already climbing up the international iTune charts, Dido is on track for a fantastic 2013!

Where did Dido go? What has this wonderful singer been doing?

Dido: “I haven’t been in front of another human being for 5 years…Time does seem to sort of slip away. There’s been so much else going on in my life. I got married, then I got pregnant and wanted to hang out with my family, a lot of amazing stuff. I have just been enjoying being me and having a family.”

Dido now has a 2-year-old son named Stanley with British screenwriter Rohan Gavin.

Why did Dido come up of retirement?

Dido: “I don’t know a life without music. I don’t really know a day without music…I see the world in songs.”

Did the birth of her son impact her latest album Girl Who Got Away?

No, because he wasn’t born yet. However, young Stanley was in the womb while Dido was recording Girl Who Got Away.

Dido: “I recorded a lot of my vocals while I was pregnant. When I was singing Girl Who Got Away in the studio, Stanley was kicking so hard, it felt like he could hear it. What’s crazy is that song always calms him down. If he’s screaming in the night, I just sing it and he stops and listens.”

How does Dido feel about motherhood?

Elated!

Dido: “Stanley’s two and recently it’s been a lot of fun, ‘cause he loves music, he loves drumming, he loves joining in band rehearsals, he’s just so excited. It’s so nice seeing it through someone else’s eyes, a proper, fresh perspective.”

Cheers to a successful return! We are glad to see Dido back on the international music scene! Here is the lead single Freedom (Lyrics Below)!

Language Learning Section

This week some more music to expand your Karaoke repertoire!

To help remember the words, listen to the song once or twice to get a feeling for it.

Now listen again and fill in the blanks with the missing word or words you hear. Some blanks are missing one word but others are missing more than one word.

Just to let you know, the words that are missing are key words/ideas from the song. Also, the missing words are high frequency words (answer transcript below). Enjoy!

DIDO

"No Freedom" Lyrics

Take it by ________.

That I'm free ________.

By the ________ I can tell

You don't think I'll be back for more

Try to think of the world

Where you could ________ and these safe hands could ________

Take your heart above the ________.

Wherever I choose to go

No love without freedom

________

Even when you don't ________

Even when you don't _________

I'll be ________ low below the ________

And you'll ________all out here

No love without freedom

________

No love without freedom

________

Standing here in ________

The ________ in front of me

Holding you in ________

And seeing as _________

No love without freedom

__________

Answer Transcript

DIDO

"No Freedom" Lyrics

Take it by your silence

That I'm free to walk out the door

By the look in your eyes I can tell

You don't think I'll be back for more

Try to think of the world

Where you could stay and these safe hands could go

Take your heart above the water

Wherever I choose to go

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

Even when you don't see me

Even when you don't hear

I'll be flying low below the sun

And you'll feel it all out here

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

Standing here in silence

The world in front of me

Holding you in my hand

And seeing as you'd see

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

Have a great week and to all the women out there, HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Justin Bieber - Mistletoe

Christmas is almost here! Trees are decorated, parties are happening and Christmas music is everywhere! Justin Bieber’s song "Mistletoe"is back on the air and in the stores! It debuted in 2011 and is still on many people’s Xmas music play list. So don’t be surprised if you keep hearing this song wherever you go!

Check out the video and try to fill in the missing blanks below. Enjoy!

"Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber

It’s the most beautiful time of the year

Lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer

I should be playing in the winter snow

But I'mma be under the mistletoe

I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday

But I can’t stop staring at your face

I should be playing in the winter snow

But I’mma be under the 1________

With you, shawty with you

With you under the mistletoe

Everyone's gathering around the fire

2________roasting like a hot July

I should be chilling with 3________, I know

But I’mma be under the mistletoe

Word on the street 4________'s coming tonight,

5________'s flying through the sky so high

I should be 6________, I know

But I’mma be under the mistletoe

With you, shawty with you

With you under the mistletoe

With you, shawty with you

With you under the mistletoe

Aye, love, the 7_______followed the star

The way I followed my heart

And it led me to a 8________

Aye, love, don't you buy me nothing

'cause I am feeling one thing, your lips on my lips

That’s a merry, 9________

It’s the most beautiful time of the year

Lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer

I should be playing in the winter snow

But I’mma be under the mistletoe

I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday

But I can’t stop staring at your face

I should be playing in the winter snow

But I’mma be under the mistletoe

With you, shawty with you

With you under the mistletoe

With you, shawty with you

With you, under the mistletoe, under the mistletoe

Kiss me underneath the mistletoe

Show me baby that you love me so-oh-oh

Oh, oh, ohhh

Kiss me underneath the mistletoe,

Show me baby that you love me so-oh-oh

Oh, oh, ohhh

Listening Answers

1. mistletoe

2. Chestnuts

3. my folks

4. Santa

5. Reindeer

6. making a list

7. wise men

8. miracle

9. merry Christmas

Ok, now go through the video one more time and answer the Comprehension Questions below. However to help you out, I have given you the meanings to some of the key slang terms from the song.

Slang Terms & Meanings from Justin Bieber

wanna = want to

imma be = I am going to be.

a "shawty" = a pretty girl.

Comprehension Questions

(1)What is mistletoe?

A plant; see picture of Mickey and Minnie under the mistletoe below.

(2)What usually happens under the mistletoe?

Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss.

(3)Does Justin Bieber want a Christmas gift from his girlfriend?

No.

(4)What does Justin Bieber want to do for Christmas?

He wants to be together with his girlfriend under the mistletoe.

(5)What are some of the Christmas activities that Justin Bieber feels he ‘should be’ doing?

He should be: playing in the winter snow, chilling with his folks, making a list.

Happy Holidays!

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Monday, December 10, 2012

A Magical Christmas with Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Christmas is a time to share with family and friends. Also people will be talking about Christmas memories from the past. Let’s take a look at Tom Cruise’s favorite Christmas as a child...

Interviewer: When I was a kid the time of year that I loved was Christmas because it was the only magic time. Didn’t you one year, I read that there was a gift of poems.

Tom Cruise: Yeah

Interviewer: Tell me.

Tom Cruise: As I said, a beautiful mother, and it was actually the first Christmas when my parents were divorced and we didn’t have any money. And really not enough to buy each other a present. And all of the money kind of went to…well didn’t kind of, it went into paying for food on the table. And so my mother said listen: “What we are going to do is we are not going to buy each other gifts. We are going to pick names out of hat. And for a month you are going to do something for that person and on Christmas day we are going to reveal who you are and we are going to write poems for each other.

Tom Cruise: It was actually the best Christmas I had as a kid! It was a great Christmas!

Interviewer: It sounds like a great Christmas.

The story is direct. Tom starts by setting the ‘scene’ for the listener. His parents had just divorced. There was no money to spend on Christmas gifts. Food was the most important item. Tom uses past verb tenses to create the scene for the listener.

Next, Tom tells the story from his mother’s words. She is using ‘going to’ to express a future within the story time period. This gives the story a change of pace. It feels like we are there with Tom, listening to his mother’s Christmas plan. It is a nice style and more interesting than telling a whole story with past tense verbs only. Also, changing the pace of a story helps keeps the listener interested. In the final two sentences Tom reverts back to the use of past tense verbs and finishes telling the story. Tom reveals the importance of this memory to the listener with great enthusiasm and excitement in his voice: this was the best Christmas he had as a kid with excitement in his voice. The excitement in his voice also creates interest from the listener.

If you want to try out Tom’s Christmas Memory/Story Style, here it is:

Tom’s Story Telling Template:

1.Set the scene in the past in your own ‘voice’ or perspective.
2.Have one of the main characters in the scene/memory tell the story.
3.Return to your own ‘voice’ and why it was important to you (enthusiastically).

Full and original interview with Tom Cruise 'Christmas Memory"

(Counter: 6:05 - 7:01 – ‘Christmas Memory’ portion of interview)