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Engramme: Your Daily English Programme #56: The Phantom of the Opera (Listening B1-B2) |
Welcome to Week 15 on Engramme, where we'll be kicking off the week's series of lessons with a closer look at the hugely successful musical drama "The Phantom of the Opera".
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Think Before You Listen |
Have you heard of "The Phantom of the Opera" before? Do you know the story? If you've never heard of it before, take a look at these pictures: What do you guess the story is about?
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Based on the French novel Le Phantome de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe wrote the musical "Phantom of the Opera" in 1986, which received its first performance at Her Majesty's Theater in London's West End on October 9, 1986.
The story is about a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, loved by a mysterious figure, the Phantom of the Opera, who lives in the dungeons of the Paris Opera House and whose face is partially masked. At one point in time, while the Phantom is playing music at his organ, Christine slips behind him and lifts his mask only to see a monstrous face. Christine runs away in fear...
Watch This Simple English Version of the Story: How did Christine end up in the Paris Opera House? Does the story have a happy ending? Why (not)?
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Let's Practice |
Many students of English complain about the use of English "prepositions". The use of prepositions in English may vary according to the verb/ noun/ adjective that precedes or follows the preposition. However, if you notice and learn these associations between verbs/ nouns/ adjectives and their related prepositions, you'll be more at ease with using them in your own speech and writing.
Listen Again: Write down, on a piece of paper, the prepositions that you hear at each blank (their related adjectives/ nouns/ verbs have been highlighted)
Since she was a child, Christine Daaé,
a beautiful girl _____ blond hair and blue eyes, traveled around Europe
_____ her father who was a great Musician. Christine loved to sing. Her
father used to tell her many stories _____ the angel of music, the
personification of musical inspiration. Christine loved her father's stories
which inspired her to continue to practice her singing. She truly sang
beautifully. When they arrived _____ Paris, Christine met a young boy
called Raoul. Since they both loved music, they became great friends.
Christine liked Ronald very much and Raoul felt the very same way _____
Christine. But her father had to continue his travels _____ Europe so Christine
had to say goodbye _____ her dear friend Raoul and resume her journey.
After many years had passed, Christine came back _____ Paris. She had
grown into a beautiful woman _____ a lovely voice, and she was given a
position in the chorus _____ the Paris Opera House which is called the
Palais Garnier. She immediately made an impact with the company
because of her stunning looks and heavenly voice. Very soon afterward, she
began to hear a hauntingly handsome voice that would give her advice _____
her singing. “Are you the angel of music?” Christine asked. “I am,” the voice
replied, “and I will teach you a little bit of heavens music”. The voice
belonged not _____ an angel but to Eric, a strange musical genius
who had forever been living in the Opera and was also called The Phantom
of the Opera _____ the Opera patrons. The days passed and
Christine became more and more enchanted _____ the mysterious voice that
so knowingly taught her to sing better and better. One special night,
Christine made her debut _____ the opera stage. Christine triumphed at
the gala and garnered tremendous applause _____ the audience. Her old
childhood friend Raoul was also there _____ the audience at the Opera
and recalled his love for her. Raoul went to meet Christine afterward and
they talked for a long time. They were still very fond _____ each
other. Hidden and watching everything was Eric. Sometime after the gala, the
Paris opera performed Faust. But against Eric's will, the lead was to
be played _____ the prima donna, Carlotta, and not by Christine.
Angry _____ the managers’ decision, the Phantom haunted Carlotta who
got scared and lost her voice. He then cut the rope of the grand chandelier
which plummeted into the audience. _____ the middle of the confusion, a
masked Eric kidnapped Christine and brought her to the cellars beneath the upper
stage where he lived, and there he revealed his true identity _____
her. The voice of the man behind the mask was charming and Christine began to
find herself attracted _____ her abductor. Curious, Christine gently
approached Eric and unmasked him. But to her horror his face was the face of
a monster. Seeing how scared Christine was of him, Eric ran from her _____
pain and sadness. The following night during another production of Faust,
suddenly a big cloud of smoke appeared and the lights went out. Eric jumped
onto the stage and again took Christine _____ him. “You shall marry me
Christine”, Eric said, “or I will destroy the entire Opera House and bring it
down in ruin”. Christine _____ first refused but when she remembered
Raul was also in the audience she agreed to marry Eric. As Eric lifted his
mask to kiss her _____ her forehead, he was surprised to receive a kiss
from Christine _____ return. “I have never received a kiss”, he told
her, “not even _____ my own mother”. Overcome by emotion he told
Christine, “go my angel and marry Raoul. I know you love him”. Christine ran away
to her beloved Raul whom she married a short time after. She thought _____
the Phantom many times _____ the years but he was never to be seen
again although some people say he still wanders the halls of the Paris Opera House.
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Over to You |
What did you like about the story? What didn't you like about it? (let us know in the comments below)
You also have a chance to listen to the fantastic theme song (from the movie version of the musical). Click here to listen to the song.
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To Review the Vocabulary from this lesson, please click here.
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Did You Notice? If you move your mouse over the underlined words in the post, you can see their meanings and much more ;)
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