MUSIC & SPORT Music Contests WARM-UP Ti piace la musica? Che genere preferisci? Qual è il tuo cantante o la tua band preferita? Qual è la tua canzone preferita? Discutine col tuo compagno. SPEAKING PAIR WORK 25 1 READING Rispondi alle domande. 1. What does X factor mean? 2. Who is Simon Cowell? 3. What was the prize of the original X-Factor competition? 4. Why didn t the Eurovision take place in 2020? 5. What happens to the country with the winning song of the Eurovision? 6. Which country holds the record for the most victories at the Eurovision? Music contests are popular all around the world. They are exciting shows that people enjoy watching with friends and family and that give popularity to new artists who sometimes become real music stars. Do you know any famous singers or bands who are now famous thanks to one of these shows? I bet you do! mancanti nel testo. The X Factor winner chairs button reality contract performances Do you know what the term X factor means? It means extraordinary talent or quality. In 2004, a famous British producer, Simon Cowell, used that term for a new TV music competition he invented. He wanted to find the X factor in new artists that had to perform onstage in front of cameras and an audience. The prize of the competition was a recording contract and, above all, incredible popularity on TV. The X Factor show was such a great success that the format became popular in many countries. The show launched the careers of British artists such as One Direction and Adele. 2 READING VOCABULARY Inserisci le parole The Voice The Voice is an American singing 1. ............................................................ competition. It started on April 26, 2011. It is based on the original The Voice of Holland and aims to find new singing talents, age 13 or older. The 2. ............................................................ is chosen by television viewers who can vote by telephone, Internet, or text. The artist who wins the competition receives $100,000 and a recording 3. ............................................................ with Universal Music Group. The show consists of a group of four coaches who judge the artists 4. ............................................................ and guide their teams of artists in the episodes of the show. Each season begins with the Blind Auditions : the coaches 5. ............................................................ are faced towards the audience during the performances; those interested in an artist press their 6. ............................................................, which turns their chair towards the artist and illuminates the chair to read I want you . At the end of the performance, an artist chooses his or her coach if more than one coach pressed the button. 54