Part 4: Reading
Reading comprehension about famous artists and musicians
Reading: Music and Arts
11. Pre-reading Questions
Think about these questions before reading:
- Who is your favourite musician or artist?
- What do you know about famous painters like Picasso or Van Gogh?
- How does music affect our lives?
22. Reading Passage: Two Famous Artists
Two Famous Artists: Mozart and Picasso
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the greatest composers in history. He was born in Austria in 1756. Mozart started playing the piano at the age of three. By the time he was five, he had already composed his first piece of music! He traveled across Europe and performed for kings and queens. Mozart wrote over 600 pieces of music in his short life. His music was beautiful and full of emotion. Today, people all over the world still listen to his compositions. His famous works include 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' and 'The Magic Flute'. Many people say Mozart's music is like a conversation between instruments.
Pablo Picasso was a famous Spanish artist. He was born in 1881 and is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Picasso started drawing when he was very young. His first word was 'piz' which is short for 'lapiz', the Spanish word for pencil! He created over 50,000 artworks in his lifetime, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures. His style was very different from traditional art. He invented a style called Cubism, where he showed objects from many different angles in one picture. Some of his most famous paintings are 'Guernica' and 'The Old Guitarist'.
Comparing Mozart and Picasso: Both artists started creating art at a very young age. They were both incredibly productive and created thousands of works. However, their art forms are very different. Mozart's music is like a beautiful story that you hear, while Picasso's art is like a puzzle that you see. They changed their fields forever and inspired millions of people.
33. Vocabulary from the Passage
| Word | IPA | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| composer | /kəmˈpəʊzə(r)/ | nhà soạn nhạc |
| composition | /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃn/ | tác phẩm |
| influential | /ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/ | có ảnh hưởng |
| productive | /prəˈdʌktɪv/ | năng suất cao |
| cubism | /ˈkjuːbɪzəm/ | trường phái lập thể |