Which were the biggest stories in the entertainment world in 2016?

1 When did Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announce they would end their relationship?2 When did they get married?3 How many children do they have?4 Pitt wanted the custody situation to remain private. Why did that not happen?

Why were Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West in the news in 2016? Listen to the next part of the report and check your ideas while making notes below.

A Hard Year in Entertainment listening

bWhich musicians and actors died in 2016? Listen to the first part of the report and note down the names of the stars who died last year.

2

What surprising things happened in the world of entertainment last year?Listen to the next part of the report and make notes on the unexpected event.2

Which is your favourite Dylan song? Do you think he deserved to win the Nobel prize?bAnother surprising event in 2016 entertainment news was the break-up of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. What do you know about the couple and their split?Discuss the following questions and then listen to the next part of the report and check 2

2

Were you surprised by their breakup?b

1/2

your ideas.

Summarise what happened to the couple in your own words.f

A Hard Year in Entertainment listening

1 David Bowie died of…2 David Bowie was … when he died. 3 David Bowie’s final album is called…4 Glenn Fry helped create the band The…5 Maurice White founded…6 Prince was found dead in his home near Minneapolis on…7 Prince’s death was caused by…

Complete these statements and then listen to the next part of the report and check your ideas:

2

What do you know about Gene Wilder who died last year? Listen to the next part of the 2

Which of the musicians mentioned is your favourite?b

Which is your favourite Gene Wilder movie?b

1 How old was Carrie Fisher when she died?2 Who was her mother and when did she die?3 How did Carrie Fisher’s brother explain his mother’s death?

Discuss these questions and then listen to the final part of the report and check your 2

2/2

report and make notes on the actor.

ideas:

Write three questions about the most significant entertainment news in your country in 2016.

V

A Hard Year in Entertainmentlow-intermediate+ (A2+)

week of 09.01.16student pages 2Teacher’s notes 1

The entertainment world may be happy to see 2016 come to a close. The music industry lost a lot of its stars in 2016, beginning in January with David Bowie’s passing, and continuing through December with the death of George Michael. Many beloved actors also

died this year, including Patty Duke, Gene Wilder, Carrie Fisher and, one day after her daughter’s death, Debbie Reynolds. Indeed, it was a year of tragedy, but also of surprises.

Kim Kardashian West also made some unusual news this year. The reality-television star, who is married to musician Kanye West, was robbed at gunpoint. The frightening incident happened in Paris in October. Five men entered her hotel room in Paris and tied the star up. They stole valuable jewelry, including her $4 million engagement ring, before fleeing. Police never

caught the robbers. Kanye West had a big year all of his own. News reports about him included another dispute with Taylor Swift, publicly insulting his friends Beyoncé and Jay Z., canceling his concert tour and entering a hospital for mental health treatment. The rapper also announced an interest in a future run for president and his support of Donald Trump.

We will start with one of the most unexpected happenings of 2016: singer-songwriter Bob Dylan winning a Nobel Prize for literature. The Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize for literature to Dylan. Official Sara Danius said, “Bob Dylan writes poetry for the ear. But it is perfectly fine to read his works as poetry.” She called his 1966 album “Blonde on Blonde” an “extraordinary example of his brilliant

way of rhyming and his pictorial thinking.” Dylan did not attend the Nobel ceremony on December 10 in Stockholm, Sweden. But he sent a speech for the event. He thanked the Academy for asking if his work was literature and, in his words, “providing such a wonderful answer.” Singer Patti Smith honored Dylan at the ceremony with a memorable performance of his 1963 song, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.”

Another surprising event in 2016 entertainment news was the break-up of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. “Brangelina,” as the couple is often called, announced in September that they would end their relationship. The two were married in 2014 and have six children together. The divorce process has been difficult for

Brangelina. This month, the two made news headlines in connection with their child custody battle. Pitt wanted the custody situation to remain private. Jolie had taken legal action that made information publicly available.

1

2

3

4

Transcript2

listening

Sad happenings started early in 2016. On January 10, music lovers lost rock legend David Bowie. The British artist died of liver cancer at his home in New York City. The death was a shock to his fans. Bowie had not told the public that he was sick. He had just turned 69. He had also just released his final album, “Blackstar.” Critics praised it as his best work in years. Not long after Bowie left us, music fans mourned for Glenn Fry, who helped create The Eagles, and Maurice White, who founded

Earth, Wind & Fire. Later, the death of country star Merle Haggard also hit hard. But the death of an icon in April shocked the music world. Prince Rogers Nelson, known simply as “Prince,” was found dead in his home near Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 21. His death was as mysterious as his life. The musician was very private. After an investigation officials ruled Prince’s death was caused by an accidental overdose of a powerful drug called fentanyl.

5

Some bright lights went out in the movie industry this year. American actor Gene Wilder, the wild-haired star of many blockbuster comedy films, died in August. He was 83 years old. Wilder had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for three years. A family member said the actor kept the condition private so he would not upset fans. "He simply couldn't bear the idea of one

less smile in the world,'' his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said. His movies with director Mel Brooks were especially famous. They included "The Producers,'' "Blazing Saddles'' and "Young Frankenstein.'' He is also beloved for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

6

Most recently comes the loss of movie stars Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. The 60-year-old Fisher died in Los Angeles on December 27. She had been in a hospital for four days after suffering a medical emergency on an airplane flight. Fisher was the daughter of famous entertainers Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. Debbie Reynolds followed her own daughter in death. She passed away on December 28 after suffering a stroke. She was 84. “She wanted

to be with Carrie,” Reynolds’ son, Todd Fisher, told the media. He called his sister’s death “too much” for Reynolds. One day before she died, Reynolds wrote about her daughter’s death on Facebook. She thanked those who “embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop. Love, Carrie's Mother.” I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.

7