Success Story of

Beyonce Knowles

1. Read quickly the text about Beyonce. Then match

a title to each paragraph.

A. Beyonce, an actress B. Solo career C. How it all started D. Other business

2. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Beyonce started to play in a band when she was 9. T F

2. The second track of her first solo album was If I were a boy. T F

3. Beyonce has appeared in a comedy Dreamgirls. T F

4. Her first solo album won Grammy Award. T F

5. Beyonce thinks that singing is enough for her. T F

3. Complete the chart with examples from the article about Beyonce.

We know exactly when it happened. We don’t know when.

Beyonce was born on 4 Sept 1981.

She has played in comedies.

1.

Beyonce was born on the 4th September

1981 in Texas.

In 1990 she teamed up with Kelly

Rowland and they formed a band. Three

years later they named

the band Destiny’s Child. In 1998 the

group released their first album

Destiny’s Child. This album had a huge

success. In 2005, however, the band

split.

In 2003, Beyonce released

her first solo album Dangerously in

Love. The album won

Grammy Award for best R&B album

in 2004. Beyonce released her

second solo album in 2008.

The first track of the album

If I Were A Boy went on to top

the UK singles chart.

2.

3.

Beyonce was born on the 4th September

1981 in Texas.

In 1990 she teamed up with Kelly

Rowland and they formed a band. Three

years later they named

the band Destiny’s Child. In 1998 the

group released their first album

Destiny’s Child. This album had a huge

success. In 2005, however, the band

split.

Beyonce was born on the 4th September

1981 in Texas.

In 1990 she teamed up with Kelly

Rowland and they formed a band. Three

years later they named

the band Destiny’s Child. In 1998 the

group released their first album

Destiny’s Child. This album had a huge

success. In 2005, however, the band

split.

Beyonce has a successful singing

career, but she has also appeared in

several movies.

She has played in comedies such

as Austin Powers and Pink Panther,

but also in a drama Dreamgirls.

She has worked with many famous

actors such as Steve Martin, Mike

Myers or Eddie Murphy.

4.

Beyonce is a famous singer and a

successful actress, but that’s still not

enough for her. Together with her

mother she has started to design

clothes for women. Because of her

beauty and glamour, she has often

appeared in advertisements, we have

seen her in advertisements for Pepsi

or L’Oreal.

Your Task

1. Read the text about another young and successful singer, Rihanna. Your task is to put

the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. You have to choose between past simple and present perfect. Before you start look at the THINK BOX.

THINK BOX We use past simple when we know exactly when something happened.

If we do not know when something happened in the past, present perfect can be used.

Few facts about

Rihanna

Rihanna, a talented young singer from Barbados,

was born on February 20, 1988. When she _______

(be) 15, she ___________ (meet) music producer

that was on vacation in Barbados. He _____________

(like) her singing so much that he ______________

(help) her with demos. Later Jay-Z

_______________ (hear) these demos and

_______________ (decide) to produce her album.

Her first hit, Pon de replay, ____________ (have) success. Soon she ____________ (release)

other hits, such as SOS or Umbrella. Rihanna _______________ (have) three number one

hits. She __________________ (win) several awards, for example the American Music

Award, the MTV Video Music Award or the Teen Choice Award. In 2008, she

_________________ (win) Grammy Award for her smash hit Umbrella.