Soon will be 14 years since the death of Michael Jackson
In a few months we will be celebrating the 14 years since the passing of music legend Michael Jackson who had died aged 50 after having a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. On June 25, 2009, he had been rushed to hospital, where doctors had spent over an hour trying to save him. His brother Germaine had told reporters: "The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time." Jackson was perhaps the greatest singer and dancer the world has ever seen. He transformed the music industry forever. The pop icon greatly influenced generations of singers with his unrivalled professionalism. Michael was known as the king of pop and there is perhaps no one close to challenging his legendary status. He will be remembered forever for his talent, his unforgettable songs, and his Moonwalk dance.
Tributes to Michael Jackson had poured in from all over the world. Pop star Madonna had said: "The world has lost one of its greats, but his music will live on forever." Jackson’s late ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley had said she was “so sad and confused”. She had added: "This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me." Presley herself had passed away earlier this year. Pop star Justin Timberlake had written online: "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only pop music, but of all music." Jackson began his career as a child in his family group The Jackson 5. He went on to become globally famous as a solo artist with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad. His album Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time. It has sold 65 million copies worldwide.
1. LEGEND: What do you remember about Michael Jackson? Complete this table.
| My memories |
His songs |
|
Thriller |
|
His clothes |
|
His dancing |
|
His face |
|
His private life |
|
2. THE KING: Students A strongly believe Michael Jackson is the greatest ever singer; Students B strongly believe Michael Jackson isn’t the greatest and that someone else holds that title. Tell us who you think that person is and compate the two.
3. ICONS: Who are the world’s biggest icons? With your partner, decide on the biggest icons in each category.
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4. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. | heart attack | a. | huge |
2 | trying | b. | changed |
3. | tough | c. | record |
4. | transformed | d. | attempting |
5. | influenced | e. | brilliance |
6. | tributes | f. | legends |
7. | greats | g. | cardiac arrest |
8. | massive | h. | praise |
9. | genius | i. | difficult |
10. | album | j. | affected |
5.MICHAEL JACKSON DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
a) | What did you think when you read the headline? |
b) | What springs to mind when you hear the name ‘Michael Jackson’? |
c) | Where were you when you heard about Michael’s death? |
d) | What do you think caused Michael Jackson’s heart attack? |
e) | How do you think Michael Jackson changed music? |
f) | What do you think of the media coverage of Michael Jackson’s death? |
g) | What do you think of Michael Jackson’s music and dancing? |
h) | Where do you think Michael Jackson is in the list of musical greats? |
i) | What is Michael Jackson’s most unforgettable song? |
j) | How did Michael Jackson change American society? |
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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
a) | Did you like reading this article? |
b) | What tribute would you pay to Michael Jackson? |
c) | The rapper P Diddy said: “Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat.” What do you think of this? |
d) | Was Michael Jackson a part of your life? |
e) | Why do you think Michael Jackson was such a music icon? |
f) | The music producer Quincy Jones said: "To this day [his] music is played in every corner of the world, and the reason is because he had it all.” What do you think of this tribute? |
g) | How should the world remember Michael Jackson? |
h) | What do you think about Michael Jackson’s private life? |
i) | What three adjectives would you use to describe Michael? Why? |
j) | What questions would you like to have asked Michael Jackson? |
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