Shawmila: Pop Music’S New Fairy Tale Couple

Listening comprehension by Martin Ehrensberger

Shawmila: pop music’s new fairy tale couple

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Pre-listening

1. Read the headline of the text you will hear: “Shawmila: pop music’s new fairy tale couple”. a) Look at the names below. Can you figure out how the name Shawmila came to be? With a partner, combine the names of the other male and female stars. Come up with three combinations. Have a class vote for the best name.

Sam Smith Lady Gaga

Robbie Williams Ariana Grande

Shawn Mendes Billie Eilish

Mark Ronson Camila Cabello

Bradley Cooper Beyoncé

Justin Bieber Selena Gomez

b) The subhead is: “Best-selling musicians Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes are dating”. What do you know about these two artists? Do you know any of their songs or albums? Write what you know in the boxes below. Find a partner and compare your ideas.

Shawn Mendes Camila Cabello

c) Do you like Shawn Mendes and / or Camilla Cabello? Does it interest you that they are a couple? Write approximately 50 words. Read your short text to a partner and compare your ideas. ______

______

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2. Vocabulary a) Read the adjectives and adverbs in the word bank below, and then use them to complete the following sentences with the most suitable word.

successful • officially • convinced • current • awkward actually • genuine • passing • insecure

A He was ______about whether the suit he bought was right for the occasion.

B We congratulated them on the ______completion of the project.

C This was the album that confirmed once and for all that rap music was no

______trend.

D The library will be ______opened by the local MP.

E Fake designer watches are sold at a fraction of the price of the ______article.

F I am ______that she is innocent.

G Do you ______know that, or are you just guessing?

H The ______prices for apples are low, two years ago, they were higher.

I I felt ______because they obviously wanted to be alone.

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b) Read the definitions below, and then complete the grid with the corresponding nouns from the word bank. clumsiness • relationship • excitement • blender • • nickname • gesture • affection

1 the state or feeling of being excited 2 the feeling of liking or loving somebody or something 3 one that blends (mixes something together) 4 an informal name for a person 5 the way two (or more) people feel or behave toward each other or a close romantic friendship between two people 6 a movement made with the hands, head, or arms to show a feeling or idea 7 the quality of moving or doing things in a way that is careless or awkward

1 E C M T

2 F E T N

3B E R

4N N E

5 E A O P

6G E R

7C M N E S

c) Read the definitions below and match them with the corresponding verbs.

Definition Verb A to put your arms around someone and hold them close 1 to prove B to mirror 2 to hug C to work together with someone for a specific purpose 3 to observe D to make music available for the public to hear and buy 4 to suggest E to mention as a possibility 5 to perform F to travel or go somewhere with somebody 6 to reflect G to watch something or someone carefully 7 to accompany H to pretend; to play act 8 to collaborate I to use evidence to show that something is true 9 to release

A B C D E F G H I

Shawmila: pop music’s new fairy tale couple

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Listening Comprehension

1. Listen to the text and mark the following statements as either true (T) or false (F).

Statement T F a) There is not much that Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes have in common.

b) Shawn Mendes is older than Camila Cabello.

c) Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello became friends in 2014.

d) Mendes and Cabello gave themselves the blended nickname “Shawmila”.

e) The music video of “Señorita” seemed to show real life. f) Fans want to know everything about Mendes and Cabello since they have become

a couple. g) There is not a single fan who isn’t sure that their relationship is real.

h) The media is following their actions really closely.

i) Some fans think their relationship is fake.

j) Brangelina’s custody battle has already been settled.

2. Listen to the text and complete the sentences. a) Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes are both young singers/songwriters who have best-selling albums and ______, like “Havana” for Cabello, and “If I Can’t Have You” for Mendes. b) The two decided they’d like to work together and released ______“I Know What You Did Last Summer” in 2015. c) Mendes told reporters in Australia that he and Cabello officially ______on July 4. d) Maybe it’s just a little too perfect that the current power pair of pop have also ______outside the recording studio, the thinking goes. e) It also doesn’t help things that the media observes their every ______, including the awkward ones, minute by minute. f) But some fans think that these types of embarrassing moments between Mendes and Cabello prove that they aren’t ______but just play acting. g) But then again, every fairy tale does end with the words, “And they lived ______”. © 2019 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Von dieser Vorlage ist die Vervielfältigung für den eigenen Unterrichtsgebrauch gestattet.

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3. Listen to the text and answer the questions. You don’t have to write complete sentences, but one word isn’t enough.

a) How successful was their duet “I Know What You Did Last Summer”? ______b) What did Mendes tell reporters in Australia after the song “Señorita” was released? ______c) Why are some fans not convinced by the romance and think it is only a show? Name two aspects. ______

______d) What do you know about “Brangelina”? Mention three aspects. ______

______

Post-Listening Comprehension

Write a short summary of the text you have heard and include your personal opinion, if you like to be a famous popstar as Camila Cabello or Shawn Mendes. Write approximately 150 words.

______

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Answer key

Pre-listening

1. a) to c) Individual student answers

2. a) A insecure • B successful • C passing • D officially • E genuine • F convinced G actually • H current • I awkward b) 1 excitement • 2 affection • 3 blender • 4 nickname • 5 relationship 6 gesture • 7 clumsiness c) A B C D E F G H I 2 6 8 9 4 7 3 5 1

Listening Comprehension 1.

Statement T F a) There is not much that Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes have in common. x (§1) b) Shawn Mendes is older than Camila Cabello. x (§1) c) Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello became friends in 2014. x (§2) d) Mendes and Cabello gave themselves the blended nickname “Shawmila”. x (§3) e) The music video of “Señorita” seemed to show real life. x (§3) f) Fans want to know everything about them since they have become a couple. x (§4) g) There is not a single fan who isn’t sure that their relationship is real. x (§4) h) The media is following their actions really closely. x (§5) i) Due to Shawn Mendes clumsiness, some fans think their relationship is fake. x (§6) j) Brangelina’s custody battle has already been settled. x (§7)

2. a) hit singles (para. 1) • b) their first duet (para. 2) • c) became a couple (para. 3) d) joined forces (para. 4) • e) move and gesture (para. 5) • f) actually in love (para. 6) g) happily ever after (para. 7)

3. a) was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (para. 1) b) that he and Cabello officially became a couple on July 4 (para. 3) c) it’s a little too perfect (para. 4); it exists only to boost their record sales (para. 5) d) Any three of the following: the blender nickname for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; a couple for 12 years; had six children together; divorced in 2016; custody battle continues. (para. 7)

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