The Reading / Listening - Jay Z - Level 4

The rapper Jay Z has been rewarded for his songwriting. He is the first rapper to enter the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Hall aims to, "preserve, honor and celebrate the legacy of the great songwriters whose work has enriched the world’s culture". Jay Z grew up in New York. He got into hip-hop and became one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has sold over 100 million albums. He is also a businessman. He owns a sports bar and a music streaming service.

Barack Obama talked about Jay Z. He said: "I am a fan and I've been listening to Jay Z since I was…young. I'm pretty sure I'm…the only president to listen to Jay Z's music in the [White House]." He called Jay Z a "true American original" and the "greatest rapper of all time". Jay Z's music publisher accepted the award for him. It said: "[Jay Z] would tell up-and-coming hip-hop artists today that there can be no mistake…that you are indeed songwriters."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Jay Z - Level 5 or  Jay Z - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/obama-honors-jay-z-songwriters-hall-fame-n773371
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/06/16/533200940/barack-obama-honors-jay-z-at-songwriters-hall-of-fame-gala
  • http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7833651/jay-z-inducted-songwriters-hall-of-fame


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Jay Z has been rewarded
  2. the first rapper to enter the Songwriters
  3. honor and celebrate the
  4. enriched the world’s
  5. one of the best-selling artists
  6. He has sold over
  7. He owns
  8. a music
  1. a sports bar
  2. legacy
  3. streaming service
  4. Hall of Fame
  5. 100 million albums
  6. for his songwriting
  7. culture
  8. of all time

Paragraph 2

  1. Barack Obama talked
  2. I've been listening to Jay Z
  3. listen to Jay Z's music
  4. a true American
  5. the greatest rapper
  6. music
  7. up-and-
  8. there can be no
  1. in the White House
  2. mistake
  3. of all time
  4. publisher
  5. about Jay Z
  6. original
  7. since I was young
  8. coming hip-hop artists

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The rapper Jay Z has (1) ___________________ his songwriting. He is the first rapper (2) ___________________ Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Hall aims to, "preserve, honor and celebrate (3) ___________________ great songwriters whose work (4) ___________________ world’s culture". Jay Z grew up in New York. He got into hip-hop and (5) ___________________ the best-selling artists of all time. He has sold over 100 million albums. He is also a businessman. (6) ___________________ bar and a music streaming service.

Barack Obama talked about Jay Z. He said: "(7) ___________________ I've been listening to Jay Z (8) ___________________ young. I'm pretty sure (9) ___________________ president to listen to Jay Z's music in the [White House]." He called Jay Z a "true American original" (10) ___________________ rapper of all time". Jay Z's music publisher accepted the award for him. It said: "[Jay Z] would tell (11) ___________________ hip-hop artists today that (12) ___________________ mistake…that you are indeed songwriters."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TherapperJayZhasbeenrewardedforhissongwriting.Heisthefirstrapp
ertoentertheSongwritersHallofFame.TheHallaimsto,"preserve,hono
randcelebratethelegacyofthegreatsongwriterswhoseworkhasenrich
edtheworld’sculture".JayZgrewupinNewYork.Hegotintohip-hopan
dbecameoneofthebest-sellingartistsofall-time.Hehassoldover100m
illionalbums.Heisalsoabusinessman.Heownsasportsbarandamusics
treamingservice.BarackObamatalkedaboutJayZ.Hesaid:"Iamafana
ndI'vebeenlisteningtoJayZsinceIwas…young.I'mprettysureI'm…the
onlypresidenttolistentoJayZ'smusicinthe[WhiteHouse]."HecalledJa
yZa"trueAmericanoriginal"andthe"greatestrapperofalltime".JayZ's
musicpublisheracceptedtheawardforhim.Itsaid:"[JayZ]wouldtellup
-and-cominghiphopartiststodaythattherecanbenomistake…that
youareindeedsongwriters."

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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