News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 1

October 2010
Level Advanced
Style Individual or group activities
Welcome to the Guardian Weeklys special news-based materials to support learners and teachers of
English. Each month, the Guardian Weekly newspaper selects topical news articles that can be used to
practise English language skills. The materials are graded for two levels: Advanced and Lower Intermediate.
These worksheets can be downloaded free from guardian.co.uk/weekly/. You can also find more advice
for teachers and learners from the Guardian Weeklys Learning English section on the site.
Materials prepared by Janet Hardy-Gould

Urban musics British accents storm US and home charts

Taio Cruz ... a voice from the UKs cultural mix Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Before reading find out more about it.

1 The article is about urban music a blend of hip-hop
and R&B styles featuring artists and rappers such
as: Kanye West and Taio Cruz. Read these phrases.
Which one is: very positive, quite positive, negative
or neutral? What level of formality are the phrases?
a Urban music doesnt really grab me. Its just not my
sort of thing.
b Im a huge fan of urban music. Ive got loads of it on
my MP3 player.
c I havent got a clue what urban music is but Id like to
d Im into some urban music but I dont like
everything.
Choose a phrase which best reects your personal
opinion.
Work in small groups. Compare and explain your
choice.
2 Tick two phrases below that you dont expect to find
in the article.
US charts UK rapper number one hit
symphony orchestra record label 2
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper
British accent solo artist famous conductor
debut album US fans
Look at the rest of the words. What is the article
about? Discuss your ideas with a partner. Then look
at the headline, photo and caption to see if you were
right.
Article
Urban musics British accents
storm US and home charts
1 According to figures from the BPI, the body that
represents UK record labels, the blend of hip-
hop and R&B styles known as urban music now
accounts for about 30% of the UK charts. But it is
the rising number of British acts in the field that
is making record labels sit up and listen.
2 The east London MC Dizzee Rascal has scored four
number one hits with his latest album, while his
fellow Londoners N-Dubz have had six Top 20 hits
and Chipmunk five Top 10 hits since April 2009.
3 While Dizzee may rule in the UK, other British
urban artists, such as Taio Cruz and Jay
Sean, have achieved the biggest prize of all
conquering the US.
4 Cruz and Sean topped the Billboard Hot 100 last
year and have had high-profile collaborations
with US artists including Lil Jon and Kesh.
5 This is not just a UK thing, we are seeing UK
artists like Taio Cruz and MIA getting a very high
profile in the States, said Martin Talbot of the
Official Charts Company.
6 At the same time, urban artists from Britain,
who for many years believed they had to copy
commercially successful American artists, are
finding their own voice quite literally, according
to Dan Greenpeace, a hip-hop artist manager.
7 UK rappers 10 or 15 years ago often were
imitating US accents and Americans were just
laughing at them, he said.
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October 2010
8 Now UK artists are being themselves. There is
more recognition of their talents, and they are
being supported on the radio.
9 But singing with a British accent is not always
helpful, said Sway, a UK hip-hop artist who has
just signed to influential US label Konvict Music.
10 He said that Leona Lewis the first British solo
artist to top the US charts with her debut album
did not proclaim her Britishness, leaving many
US fans under the impression that she was
American.
11 Sometimes when Im playing [in the US],
theyre like, Youre rapping like Harry Potter,
man. I feel so British, but the market needs to
accept that, Sway said.
12 Shabs Jobanputra, the president of Virgin
Records UK said a cultural shift in the UK had
played a big part in popularising British urban
music. The cultural composition of Britain has
changed; there has been a merging of cultures
that has really transformed the playground
throughout the country.
Alexandra Topping
Glossary
storm (verb) to suddenly attack a place
blend (noun) a mixture of different types of the same
thing
the Billboard Hot 100 (noun) the name of the US pop
music charts
high-profile (adjective) receiving or involving a large
amount of attention on TV or in the newspapers
shift (noun) a change or movement in something
3
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 3

October 2010

e What happened when UK rappers copied American

While reading accents in the past?
1 Read the article. Choose the best answers.
In the UK charts, just under a third of the music is:
a from British urban acts like Dizzee Rascal.
b from a rising number of UK record labels.
c in the category of urban music. f What did many Americans think about Leona Lewis?
d in the latest R&B style.
British acts like Taio Cruz and Jay Sean:
a hope to conquer the US charts this year.
b have both been number one in the US charts.
c are kept from the top of the US charts by Lil Jon. g Who have some people compared Sway to in the US?
d have had US success in collaboration with other
UK acts.
When a lot of modern UK artists sing, they are:
a all using a very clear British accent.
b mostly still copying American accents. h According to Jobanputra, what has changed about
c always finding it helpful to use a British accent. the UK?
d often tending to use their own British accent.
British urban music has become popular because:
a a blending of cultures has occurred in the UK.
b more people in the UK now live an urban life.
c US cultural influence has transformed the market.
d hip-hop songs play a big part in UK playgrounds.
After reading
2 Read the article again. Answer the questions.
1 A homonym has the same spelling as another word
a What is making UK record companies take notice?
but a different meaning.
For example: act can be a musical group or a part of a
play. What do the words below mean in this context?
What is another meaning of the word?
a According to figures from the BPI (paragraph 1)
b Which three British urban artists have done well in
the UK?

b the body that represents UK record labels (1)

c What are the signs that British urban music has

arrived in the US?

c But it is the rising number of British acts in the field (1)

d What are the two meanings of finding their own

voice?

4
News-based English language activities from the global newspaper Page 4

October 2010

d leaving many US fans under the impression (10)

Activity writing a profile
Choose a modern musical artist. Research, plan and
write a profile of them. Use vocabulary from the
word map.
e I feel so British but the market needs to accept that, Include the following paragraphs:
Sway said. (11) An introduction to the artist and one or two key
achievements; Details of their childhood and
background; Early years in the music business and
their big break; Details of their musical successes;
Current plans and future direction
Think of five more examples of homonyms. Work with a partner. Tell them the name of your
artist. They must write three questions to ask about
2 Vocabulary related to modern music the person. Read out your text. Did they find out the
Copy the word map below. answers? Swap roles.
Look back at the article. Write in as many words as
you can. Then add more categories and words with
the help of a dictionary.

Musical genres Companies/

institutions

Modern music

Verbs People

Events

N-Dubz, Chipmunk. c Two acts have topped the charts and worked with major
Answers US artists. d Finding their own way to express themselves and finding their own
Before reading British accent. e Americans laughed at them. f She was American. g Harry Potter.
1 Very positive b, quite positive d, negative a, neutral c. Its informal h The cultural composition.
spoken English. After reading
2 Wont find: symphony orchestra, famous conductor. 1 a statistics/numbers shape of a person etc. b organisation human body
While reading c all the people in a particular area of business area of land d person who likes
1 c, b, d, a something thing to make you cool e section of the population that might buy
2 a The increasing number of British urban acts in the UK charts. b Dizzee Rascal, the goods place to buy and sell goods