#12 Music | IELTS

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Learn English Through Topics. Music. Part 1. Vocabulary.

1. I always keep myself updated with the news related to Korean showbiz.

2. After a long day at school, I probably want to pump myself up for like half an hour with music to help me stay energetic so I can get back to work later.

3. The person that I have had a soft spot for is Miley Cyrus.

4. Although now she’s grown up, I’m still a big fan of her amazing voice and highly inspiring songs.

5. Would you like to become a widely-known celebrity?

6. I’m pretty sure that rising to stardom would never be one of my life goals. 

7. Listening to music is part and parcel of my daily activities.

8. Listening to music is an excellent way to unwind after a long working day.

9. I’m a die-hard fan of R&B and pop music.

10. I usually listen to music at home. It’s the coziest place for me and I love being at the comfiest corner of my house.

11. whenever I have some spare time, I turn on some music to relax.

12. I have a diverse taste in music.

13. This song takes me back to my childhood and makes me feel so nostalgic.

14. My favorite song is “Yesterday once more” by the internationally acclaimed band I am sure to put it on repeat many more times!

15. In the middle of this maelstrom of chaos, he wrote down this love song in less than an hour.

16. The song had to be stripped down to an acoustic version, to its raw core before people really started listening to it and fell in love with it.

17. They listen to the music of their youth in order to recapture the same feelings they had once upon a time.

18. He would be horrified by so many aspects of hip-hop music.

19. As people grow up, they stop consuming music as often as when they were younger.

20. Small children in my country are very much into pop songs that are remixed into or turned into parody children’s songs.

21. "Baby Shark" song which has swept all over the world for a catchy tune with a simple repetition pattern.

22. Technology has made more music available to the public in an amount that is unprecedented.

23. I have a multitude of genres from which to pick, an unlimited number of artists at the tip of my fingers.

24. Artists who are social media savvy tend to be more popular than others.

Learn English Through Topics. Music. Part 2. Speaking. Sample Questions with Answers.

1. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?

My music taste varies widely from West to East and from the 90s to modern EDM. But if Korean pop is considered as a kind of music, then yeah, that’s my favorite of all time. More than half of my playlists are Korean songs and I always keep myself updated with the news related to Korean showbiz.

2. How much time do you spend listening to music every day?

As I’ve mentioned I prefer working in silence. To put it simply, no music is allowed during my working hours. After a long day at school, I probably want to pump myself up for like half an hour with music to help me stay energetic so I can get back to work later.

3. Do you like any foreign celebrities?

Absolutely. The person that I have had a soft spot for is Miley Cyrus. I guess most people at the same age as me grew up with Disney Channel and among its successful series, Hannah Montanah starring Miley Cyrus would always be on top of my list. Although now she’s grown up, I’m still a big fan of her amazing voice and highly inspiring songs.

4. Would you like to become a widely-known celebrity? Why?

Well though I’ve never thought about it, I’m pretty sure that rising to stardom would never be one of my life goals. I appreciate all the efforts that celebrities, no matter which field they’re working on, are making every single day. However, I find myself not belong to that world, I mean, you never know what’s going on when the curtains close, right? So yeah, I don’t think I want to become a global superstar, to be honest.

5. Do you like music?

Of course yes. Listening to music is part and parcel of my daily activities and I cannot imagine my life without music. Listening to music is an excellent way to unwind after a long working day.

6. What is your favorite music?

I’m a die-hard fan of R&B and pop music.  And I’m fond of listening to the singers of this generation like Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran. Their music is simply the best!

7. Where do you often listen to music?

I usually listen to music at home. It’s the coziest place for me and I love being at the comfiest corner of my house, my bedroom, listening to hundreds of songs with the earphones.

8. When do you often listen to music?

Well, whenever I have some spare time, I turn on some music to relax. I usually listen to cheerful music when I need motivation whereas sad music is my go-to choice when I’m in a bad mood.

9. Do you think music will change in the future?

As with all things, I believe music will continue to change in the future. Firstly, I believe it will rely on technology even more than now. I wonder if there will even be like humans playing music then. I could imagine robots playing songs that are programmed into their brains. It’s tough to say!

10. What kind of music do you like?

Well, this is a bit of a tough question because I have a diverse taste in music, but I’ll say my favorites are modern pop, 90’s alternative, and hip-hop of all ages. I can always sing along to pop songs and I enjoy keeping up with the modern hits. 90’s alternative takes me back to my childhood and makes me feel so nostalgic. Lastly, who can resist moving and shaking when you hear hip-hop beats?

11. Describe a song that you like.

Honestly, I am a huge fan of music and definitely, I spend most of my free time listening to pop music in particular. Today I would like to tell you about my all-time favorite song, whose name is “Yesterday once more” by the internationally acclaimed band: The Carpenters. I first heard this song on the radio in a bookshop when I was just 15 years old. First, what I like most about this song is that it has a simple but meaningful flow. Second, the very sweet melody of this song helps me recharge my battery after stressful lessons at work. Actually, I am hooked every time I heard this because it is also a childhood memory.

12. What do old people like to listen to?

I would imagine that they listen to the music of their youth in order to recapture the same feelings they had once upon a time. It’s the music they already know the lyrics and rhythm to. It seems every previous generation judges the newer ones for their music. They simply don’t understand newer music, and the familiarity of music they know is a great motivator to stick to it.

13. How would your grandfather feel if you gave him some hip-hop music to listen to?

To be honest, it is quite probable that he would be horrified by so many aspects of hip-hop music. Hip hop music is extremely different from the music from his time. He lived his life on the straight and narrow so I think he would think that hip hop glorifies inappropriate themes like drugs, sex, and violence. But I think if he gave it a chance I could find some hip hop he would be able to enjoy. Especially any artists that focus more on singing about passion, goals, or hard work, he would have an easier time relating to that kind of content.

14. Why do you think people of different age groups have different favorite songs?

The reasons are twofold, in the first place it’s down to trends over time and in the second place, it’s due to nostalgia. Music is not immune to trends, the 70’s had disco, the ’80s had synthesizers and the ’90s had punk and grunge. Depending on when you are born, there will be trends that will shape your life experience and music is not an exception. And as people grow up, they stop consuming music as often as when they were younger, so you develop feelings of nostalgia for what once was which closes their mind to new music and causes rifts between generations.

15. What kinds of music do (small) children in your country like to listen to?

Small children in my country are very much into pop songs that are remixed into or turned into parody children’s songs. They prefer songs that are repetitive and with a swift beat, which makes it easier for them to learn them and sing along. A perfect example of this is Baby Shark which has swept all over the world. It’s a catchy tune with a simple repetition pattern. It’s not poetry as far as songs go, but children took to it like a wildfire!

16. What do you think influences a young person’s taste in music?

I would say the first people who create an impact on a young person’s tastes are their family and friends. Children are often subjected to whatever music the adults like at first during their time at home, travel, and simply leisure time. The adults control the selection at first, so many of the first bands or singers that they enjoy are the same ones that their parents do and that’s where the friends or siblings come in. They provide new and exciting alternatives to what the parents have already provided which broadens their musical scope.

17. How has technology affected the kinds of music popular with young people?

I think technology has made more music available to the public in an amount that is unprecedented. You now have access to the world’s entire catalog of music in one way or another. I have a multitude of genres from which to pick, an unlimited number of artists at the tip of my fingers, and music from everywhere in the world. Do I feel like listening to an American pop singer? Or maybe some Mongolian hardcore rock? Or even some Australian techno DJ? Along with the selection, social media has made it much easier for people to feel closer and identify with their favorite artists and it has become an integral part of marketing. So artists who are social media savvy tend to be more popular than others.

Learn English Through Topics. Music. Part 3. Listening. Listen and fill in the missing words.