NP B2 Reading 1

1
READING
reading for gist and detail
1 Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.

1 Do you enjoy classical music? What do you (not) like about it?
2 Have you been to or would you like to go to a classical music concert? Why?/Why not?
3 Do you know any piece of classical music? What is your favourite? Can you hum it?
4 How many classical music composers can you name?
2 Read the introduction to the article below. Work in pairs. Look at the question in bold. Imagine one person
has answered YES to the question, while another person said NO. What do you think these people might say?
3 Przeczytaj tekst z którego usunięto pięć zdań. Wpisz w każdą lukę (1–5) literę, którą oznaczono
brakujące zdanie (A–F), tak aby otrzymać logiczny i spójny tekst. Uwaga: jedno zdanie zostało podane
dodatkowo i nie pasuje do żadnej luki.
for everyone
The classical question
Today, on ‘Music in the 21st Century’, we’re asking all of you a BIG question: Is classical music relevant to the
young people of the 21st century? It’s a question that has provoked heated debate in music papers and on
music websites recently, so we would like to know what our readers think. We already know that music is important
to you as a visitor to this site, but do you ever listen to classical music? Do you think it’s stuffy and old-fashioned?
Is it only the older generation that still enjoys it? Or are you a classical music fan, and get a lot out of listening to it?
So, whether your preference is Lady Gaga or Mozart, we want to hear from you. Get posting.
A musicman3
I get the feeling that classical music is stuck in the past and has no real relevance to today’s youth. 1 I have, several
times, but it was just boring, and I didn’t know what I was listening for. That’s the real problem, I think. Maybe it means
something to some people, but you have to learn what to listen for, and for me, that’s not on. I like my music to talk
straight to me! Also, these days, kids want to interact with the music – dance, sing along, tap their feet and stuff. 2
And now you’ve got me started, what’s all that about the rules you have to follow at classical concerts? First off, you
have to wear special posh gear, and then you can’t applaud when you want to, you have to sit in silence (in my case,
bored to tears), and then clap when you’re allowed to. How snobbish is that! 3 It’s as if the people who are into
classical music are all rich or upper-class with good, expensive education. It’s like a club that I don’t belong to. And
I don’t particularly want to join either! So, no, as far as I’m concerned, pop music is for today’s young people. It’s about
today, not yesterday, and deals with our issues and feelings. Classical music is dead music. It says nothing to me at all.
B screenmonkey
How anyone can think that classical music isn’t important to young people is beyond me. Many of my generation are
really into it. I mean, we’re talking about music that has been created by geniuses and has stood the test of time. It’s
magical, emotional and beautiful. 4 OK, it’s not easy or catchy like most of today’s music, but I think that’s a good
thing. It’s exciting and challenging, and that’s probably why people think it’s not important anymore. They don’t really
understand it. To appreciate classical music, you have to be patient, and that’s not a quality that a lot of people have
today! Classical music is not about jumping around to a beat, it’s about listening quietly, and following the journey the
music takes you on. 5 Rubbish! It just needs to be marketed and presented in a better way, so that young people
everywhere can learn how wonderful classical music really is.
A Don’t tell me you can do that with classical music!

B It’s a pity, but fewer and fewer people are studying classical music these days.
C Some people say that it’s elitist and only enjoyed by a small group of privileged people.
D There aren’t enough adjectives for me to describe it!
E That’s the word that sums it all up for me.
F And it’s not as though I haven’t tried listening to it.
4 Work in small groups. Discuss your personal reactions to the question and the posts from exercise 3.
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1 Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.

A Don’t tell me you can do that with classical music!

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