Unit 10: English for the Arts

Aims and Objectives

In this unit you will learn and practise vocabulary related to the Arts.

You will practise the following skills and functions:

• talking about different art forms

The grammar focus of this unit is:

• Relative Pronouns

Vocabulary

	arte
	artista
	exposición
	galería
	paisaje
	museo
	óleo
	pintor
	cuadro
	retrato
	boceto
	escultura
	escultor
	estatua
	acuarela
	cine
	actor
	actriz
	reparto
	director
	pantalla
	banda sonora
	estrella
	subtítulos
	música
	ballet
	compositor
	concierto
	concierto
	director
	instrumento
	músico
	ópera
	orquesta
	actuar
	actuación
	obra de teatro
	grabación
	cantante
	canción
	escenario
	sinfonía
	literatura
	autor
	novela
	novelista
	obra de teatro
	poema
	poesía
	teatro

Exercises

Section 1: Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the correct translation for each of the terms below.

1. retrato [?]
2. música [?]
3. artista [?]
4. canción [?]
5. actuación [?]
6. músico [?]
7. grabación [?]
8. boceto [?]
9. actriz [?]
10. pantalla [?]
11. ópera [?]
12. óleo [?]
13. cuadro [?]
14. banda sonora [?]
15. actor [?]
16. cine [?]
17. pintor [?]
18. poesía [?]
19. museo [?]
20. acuarela [?]
21. arte [?]
22. paisaje [?]
23. exposición [?]
24. literatura [?]
25. autor [?]
26. poema [?]
27. ballet [?]
28. escultura [?]
29. director [?]
30. cantante [?]
31. estatua [?]
32. escultor [?]
33. compositor [?]
34. orquesta [?]
35. novelista [?]
36. estrella [?]
37. reparto [?]
38. novela [?]
39. subtítulos [?]
40. concierto [?]
41. teatro [?]
42. escenario [?]
43. galería [?]
44. sinfonía [?]
45. actuar [?]
46. obra de teatro [?]
47. instrumento [?]

Section 2: Listening Comprehension

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. When did Beethoven live?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
2. What instrument did Beethoven play most?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
3. How many operas did he compose?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
4. The European Anthem is based on:

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
5. The "Ode to Joy" is a poem written by:

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. What nationality was Van Gogh?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
2. What nationality was Rembrandt?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
3. What did Van Gogh paint at the beginning of his career?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
4. Why did Van Gogh go to Paris?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
5. What was Impressionism?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
6. Where did Van Gogh paint his famous self-portrait?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. When was Shakespeare born?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
2. What did he write?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
3. 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Hamlet' are:

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
4. What was "The Globe"?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
5. How many sonnets did Shakespeare write?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]

Chose the correct answer.

Recording: show transcript

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. Who was a concert pianist?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
2. Orson Welles was famous as:

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
3. Who was his second wife?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
4. Where did he work and live in his later years?

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
5. 'Citizen Kane' was:

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]

Section 3: General Comprehension

For each of the statements below, choose True or False.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. Beethoven composed nine symphonies.

   
   
   

   [?]
2. Beethoven composed nothing but symphonies.

   
   
   

   [?]
3. The piano, the clarinet and the violin are musical instruments.

   
   
   

   [?]
4. Van Gogh lived in the 18th century.

   
   
   

   [?]
5. A painting of a person is called a portrait.

   
   
   

   [?]
6. Shakespeare wrote comedies, historical plays and tragedies.

   
   
   

   [?]
7. 'Macbeth' is a comedy.

   
   
   

   [?]
8. A sonnet is a piece of music.

   
   
   

   [?]
9. Orson Welles made a movie called 'The Beauty and the Brain'

   
   
   

   [?]
10. 'Movie' is another word for film.

    
    
    

    [?]

Speaking Practice. Complete the sentences you hear, using the example as a model.

Press Play to listen to the instructions:

Section 4: Grammar Practice

Use `WHO', `WHICH' or `THAT' as subject of the relative clause.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

Example:

1. A. I've got a friend. He collects stamps. (that)
   B. [?]
2. A. There's a problem. It worries me. (which)
   B. [?]
3. A. Beethoven was a composer. He lived in Germany. (who)
   B. [?]
4. A. Shakespeare was an Englishman. He wrote plays. (who)
   B. [?]
5. A. Peter told me about the film. It starts at 8 o'clock. (that)
   B. [?]
6. A. I bought some theatre tickets. They are not too expensive. (that)
   B. [?]
7. A. Van Gogh was a Dutchman. He painted pictures. (who)
   B. [?]
8. A. There's an exhibition on. It's worth seeing. (which)
   B. [?]

In this exercises, use the Relative Pronoun `WHAT'.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

Example:

1. A. I'll pay for the thing which I broke.
   B. [?]
2. A. Did you read about the thing which happened to Van Gogh?
   B. [?]
3. A. Shakespeare's plays were the things which made him famous.
   B. [?]
4. A. In 1888 Van Gogh painted the things which were considered his greatest works.
   B. [?]
5. A. Haydn taught Beethoven everything he knew.
   B. [?]

In this exercises, use the Relative Pronoun `WHOSE'.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

Example:

1. A. He's an artist. His paintings are very famous.
   B. [?]
2. A. He was a ballet dancer. His life ended tragically.
   B. [?]
3. A. What's the name of the artist? His most famous painting is the Mona Lisa.
   B. [?]
4. A. He was a film director. His wife was an actress.
   B. [?]
5. A. She was a singer. Her husband was a Greek millionaire.
   B. [?]

Chose the correct answer.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
2. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
3. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
4. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
5. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
6. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
7. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
8. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
9. a. 
   b. 
   

   [?]
10. a. 
    b. 
    

    [?]

Section 5: Consolidation

For each of the statements below, choose True or False.

Recording: show transcript

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. The Renaissance began in Italy.

   
   
   

   [?]
2. Leonardo da Vinci best represents the spirit of the Renaissance.

   
   
   

   [?]
3. The Renaissance saw the rebirth of culture.

   
   
   

   [?]
4. All aspects of culture and science remained the same.

   
   
   

   [?]
5. Leonardo da Vinci was a sculptor, scientist, inventor and engineer.

   
   
   

   [?]
6. No new types of musical composition were developed.

   
   
   

   [?]
7. Leonardo da Vinci was born in France.

   
   
   

   [?]
8. He had ideas for many extraordinary new machines.

   
   
   

   [?]
9. He produced a lot in his time.

   
   
   

   [?]
10. He died in 1915.

    
    
    

    [?]

Listen to the complete recording first. Then go to the textbox and use the > key to listen to the text section by section. Type what you hear into the textbox. For detailed instructions, read the Exercise Help.

Recording: show transcript

[?]

Listen to the recording carefully and then fill in the gaps in the text below using the same words.

Recording:

One man [?] all represents the spirit of the Renaissance. [?] in 1452 near Florence, he was a sculptor, scientist, inventor and engineer, and was [?] of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance. He was [?] the first to take a scientific approach [?] understanding how our world works and [?] we see it. His powers of observation and skill as [?] illustrator enabled him to improve existing machines and create inventions of extraordinary new machines. He worked slowly, and produced comparatively little, [?] there is no artist of his time who does not owe [?] something. He died in France in 1519. [?] name was Leonardo da Vinci.

Choose the correct option to fill the gaps in the following sentences.

This exercise can be also done purely aurally/orally:

1. Bonn is a small town ____ the River Rhine.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
2. Beethoven is one of the ____ musicians in Western music.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
3. Beethoven had an ____ personality.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
4. Van Gogh limited ____ to sketches and water-colours.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
5. Impressionism ____ his palette more colourful.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
6. William Shakespeare was the greatest poet and dramatist of ____ time.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
7. His plays are performed more often than ____ before

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
8. Leonardo da Vinci ____ represents the spirit of the Renaissance.

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
9. He produced comparatively ____ .

   a. 
   b. 
   c. 
   

   [?]
10. Do you understand how our world ____?

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
11. The Italian Renaissance produced many ____ painters.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
12. He died in France ____ 1519.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
13. He was born in Salzburg, ____ is a town in Austria.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
14. Mary went to Milan to see Othello, ____ was her favourite opera.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
15. Shakespeare's the man ____ plays are still performed today.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
16. Paul told me about the exhibition ____ starts tomorrow.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
17. Did you see ____ happened to the pianist?

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
18. I met her friend ____ is a wonderful sculptor.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
19. He produced a ____ in his time.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]
20. The sculpture ____ looks like a man thinking is by Rodin.

    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    

    [?]

Checklist

Use the following list to check whether you have obtained full benefit from this unit. You should be able to:

• talk about different art forms

You should also have greater skill and confidence in the use of:

• Relative Pronouns
• Relative Clauses