Unit 12: Beethoven's Gift

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • adj. When a bad thing is acute, it is very severe and intense.
    When she fell out of the tree, the girl felt an acute pain in her arm.
  • n. Aggression is behavior that is mean or violent to others.
    The problem was only made worse by Mark's aggression.
  • n. A biography is an account of someone's life that is written by someone else.
    We read a biography about Charles Darwin in science class.
  • v. To boost something means to increase or improve it.
    Lowering prices boosts customers' interest in shopping.
  • v. To clap means to hit one's hands together to express pleasure or get attention.
    After the speech, everyone in the crowd clapped their hands for the speaker.
  • adj. Classical music is more formal and serious than popular music.
    Beethoven is a composer of classical music.
  • v. To compel someone to do something means to force them to do it.
    Traffic signs compel drivers to drive safely.
  • n. A creation is something original that is made.
    We saw the creation of a new political party.
  • n. The dominance of a person is their state of being more powerful than others.
    Large gorillas hit their chests to express their dominance over others.
  • adj. When something is gorgeous, it is very pleasing and attractive.
    The girl picked out a gorgeous dress to wear to the dance.
  • adj. When something is inevitable, it is certain to happen or cannot be avoided.
    It is inevitable that the days will get longer in the summer.
  • n. A legacy is an effect that exists because of a person or thing in the past.
    The legacy of the ancient Egyptians can be seen in their monuments.
  • n. A masterpiece is a very good painting, novel, movie, or other work of art.
    The Arc de Triomphe is considered a masterpiece in the world of architecture.
  • adj. If there are multiple things, there are many of them.
    When the stunt went wrong, the man suffered multiple injuries.
  • v. To narrate a story means to write about it or read it aloud.
    This story was written by John, but Aaron is narrating it to the crowd.
  • adj. When something is notorious, it is well known because of something bad.
    This area of town is notorious for gang activity.
  • adv. When a thing is talked about overall, the whole thing is considered.
    Overall, the party was a huge success.
  • n. A partiality is a tendency to prefer one thing to another.
    She has a partiality for walking to school instead of driving.
  • adj. When an act is spontaneous, it is not planned. It happens suddenly.
    My wife made a spontaneous decision to buy a new sofa while I was at work.
  • n. A virtue is a good quality or way of behaving.
    My best virtue is forgiveness.

 

Exercise

A ‣ Circle the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.

  1. gorgeous
    • a. stiff
    • b. unpleasant
    • c. colorful
    • d. cold
  2. boost
    • a. to lower
    • b. to feel
    • c. to increase
    • d. to sleep
  3. spontaneous
    • a. short
    • b. crowded
    • c. planned
    • d. faked
  4. multiple
    • a. one
    • b. lousy
    • c. grand
    • d. free
  5. inevitable
    • a. heavy
    • b. pretty
    • c. silly
    • d. avoidable

 

B ‣ Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

  1. I would like to write a story about his life for my father someday. _____
  2. My little brother has an awful, intense case of chicken pox. _____
  3. The entire family decided to talk to our father about his constant violent behavior. _____
  4. The preacher strongly believed that kindness was the most important good quality. _____
  5. The action in the play was read aloud by the teacher. The students read the rest. _____
  6. The girl had a strong preference over another flavor for chocolate ice cream. _____
  7. I like to listen to formal and serious music. _____
  8. The great actor left behind a great result of his actions that continues to exist. _____
  9. She is known for bad things because she likes to hang around the wrong people. _____
  10. I have no idea what would force Dan to act in such a mean way. _____

 

C ‣ Write the phrase that best fits each sentence.

WORD BANK
  • a. was generally positive
  • b. puts me to sleep quite quickly
  • c. fetched a high price
  • d. came sooner than the company expected
  • e. in only a few months' time
  • f. can be seen in all parts of the world
  • g. interrupted the actor's acceptance speech
  • h. to come to the ceremony
  • i. will help the local economy
  • j. evident in her art collection
  1. Please do not feel compelled _____.
  2. The spontaneous applause from the audience _____.
  3. The overall review of the film _____.
  4. The woman's partiality to flowers was _____.
  5. Listening to classical music _____.
  6. The gorgeous dress _____.
  7. The creation of 5,000 jobs in the area _____.
  8. The inevitable retirement of the CEO _____.
  9. The painter completed the masterpiece _____.
  10. The dominance of pop music _____.

 

Beethoven's Gift

Beethoven was a great composer of classical music in the 1800s. Many biographies have been written that narrate his dominance in the music world. But do you know what really makes him special? Even though millions of people got to hear his multiple masterpieces, he never did. Beethoven wrote his best pieces after he had gone completely deaf!

His partiality toward classical music developed when he was very young. He wasn't interested in anything else as a child. When he was five, he learned how to play the piano. From then on, nothing could stop his passion for writing and playing music.

When Beethoven was twenty, he began to lose his hearing. He got acute, spontaneous pains in his ears. His hearing kept getting worse over time. It was inevitable that he would eventually lose it altogether. It was very hard for him to keep writing music. He lost the virtue of patience, and he became notorious for his aggression. Still, he never stopped trying. His passion for music compelled him to keep performing even after he was deaf. He couldn't hear himself play, but he knew that his creations sounded gorgeous.

His final concert was held and was to be his finest. He gave the musicians a cue, and they began to play. He directed the concert with all his heart. He couldn't hear the music, but he said that he could feel it. Overall, the performance was one of the finest in history. When it was over, he turned to the crowd. They clapped and cheered wildly. In that beautiful moment, the applause boosted his emotions, and he began to cry.

In 1827, he suffered from lead poisoning. He didn't survive the sickness, but his music did because great music never dies. Even though Beethoven is gone, his legacy will live on forever.

 

Reading Comprehension

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

  1. _____ People have narrated biographies about Beethoven's dominance.
    __________
  2. _____ Beethoven created multiple masterpieces that sounded gorgeous.
    __________
  3. _____ It was inevitable that Beethoven would lose his virtue altogether.
    __________
  4. _____ Beethoven became notorious for his aggression.
    __________
  5. _____ Beethoven did not write classical music.
    __________

 

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What is the passage about?
    • a. Beethoven's most famous work
    • b. Beethoven's love for music
    • c. Beethoven's final days
    • d. Beethoven's composing style
  2. What did the young Beethoven love doing?
    _____
  3. How old was Beethoven when he first learned to play the piano?
    _____

 

Answer Key

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