Liverpool, Britain's music city 

Elementary / preliminary level English 

 

Liverpool - Music city UK

Liverpool is a big city in the north-west of England. It is known for its friendly people, football teams, and beautiful waterfront. But most of all, Liverpool is famous for music. It's often called “the home of pop music.”

The most famous group from Liverpool was the Beatles. They started to play in the 1960s and became the most popular band in the world. The four Beatles were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They played in clubs in Liverpool before they became famous.

In the 1960s Liverpool was still an important port, and lots of ships traded with the USA.  Sailors brought records with them across the Atlantic, with new styles of music from the USA. Rock 'n' roll, blues and soul. Bands like the Beatles helped introduce this new music to Britain, and to Europe.

Visitors can learn about The Beatles at the Beatles Story, a museum in the city. The museum has photos, instruments, and all of the Beatles' songs. The Beatles sang about Liverpool, and many tourists visit the city just to see places connected with the Beatles. Some of these places are Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, and the Cavern Club, where the boys often played.

But Liverpool is not just about The Beatles. The city has a strong music history. Many other pop and rock bands also come from Liverpool, like Echo & the Bunnymen, or the Wombats. Stars from Liverpool have had over 50 number one hits in the British charts, more than any other city in the UK.

Liverpool is also known for live music. There are many places where you can hear music, such as the Echo Arena, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (for classical music), and many pubs and bars. 

Musicians come from all over the world, to play in Liverpool., and there are music festivals in Liverpool every year. The most popular of these is the Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF). It brings together musicians from around the world. It is famous for presenting new bands, the stars of tomorrow.

In 2008, Liverpool was named European Capital of Culture, and music was a big part of that. The city continues to support music education, with schools and colleges helping young people learn to sing, play instruments, and write songs. Students can even take a degree in Popular Music at the University of Liverpool, or at LIPA, the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; a quarter of LIPA's students come from other countries.

In short, Liverpool is a city full of music. Whether you love old songs or new sounds, Liverpool has something for every music fan. It is  the home of pop music... and a lot more too.

Difficult words:
waterfront: quay, part of the city which is beside the water  - famous: celebrated, well-known - to trade with: to transport goods to and from - sailors: seamen, men who work on ships - records: discs, gramophone records - introduce: import, bring in - connected with: linked to, relating to - charts: hit parade,  the top fifty, the most popular music of the week - support: help, provide money for - degree: diploma from a university, BA.





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Student worksheet

Exercise 1: Sentence Building

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences. Try to do this without looking back at the original text


Exercise 2  Grammar and meaning

Interactive multiple choice exercise. Choose the best option to complete each sentence.





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