The Reading / Listening - The Beatles' Last Song - Level 1

The Beatles have released their last song, called "Now and Then". It was written by John Lennon. Other Beatles members added to it over the years. Engineers used AI to bring the song to life. It sounds like the Beatles recorded it in a studio. The song has been released as a single. The other side of the single is a new mix of 1962's "Love Me Do". "Now and Then" is the final track on a new edition of the Beatles' greatest hits "blue" album.

Paul McCartney said recording the new song was "emotional". He said: "It's a genuine Beatles recording." He added: "To release a new song [in 2023] the public haven't heard is an exciting thing." McCartney said John Lennon's voice was "crystal clear". Lennon was shot dead by a fan in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said the song was, "the closest we'll ever come to having [John Lennon] back in the room".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    The Beatles' Last Song - Level 0 The Beatles' Last Song - Level 2   or  The Beatles' Last Song - Level 3

Sources
  • https://time.com/6328838/beatles-last-song-now-and-then/
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beatles-now-and-then-1234862777/
  • https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/now-then-beatles-release-new-song-with-lennons-voice-2023-10-26/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The Beatles have released
  2. It was written
  3. Other Beatles members
  4. over the
  5. The song has been released
  6. The other side of the single
  7. "Now and Then" is the final
  8. a new edition of the Beatles'
  1. track
  2. added to it
  3. greatest hits
  4. is a new mix
  5. their last song
  6. as a single
  7. years
  8. by John Lennon

Paragraph 2

  1. recording the new song
  2. It's a genuine Beatles
  3. release
  4. an exciting
  5. John Lennon's voice
  6. Lennon was shot dead
  7. the closest we'll ever
  8. having John Lennon
  1. come
  2. was "crystal clear"
  3. recording
  4. back in the room
  5. thing
  6. was "emotional"
  7. by a fan in 1980
  8. a new song

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Beatles have released their last song, called "Now and Then". It (1) ___________________ John Lennon. Other Beatles members added to it (2) ___________________. Engineers used AI to bring the (3) ___________________. It sounds like the Beatles recorded it in a studio. The song has been released as a single. The (4) ___________________ the single is a new mix of 1962's "Love Me Do". "Now and Then" is (5) ___________________ on a new edition of the Beatles' (6) ___________________ album.

Paul McCartney said recording the new (7) __________________. He said: "(8) ___________________ Beatles recording." He added: "To release a new song [in 2023] the (9) ___________________ is an exciting thing." McCartney said John Lennon's voice was "crystal clear". Lennon (10) ___________________ by a fan in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said the song was, "the closest we'll (11) ___________________ having [John Lennon] back (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheBeatleshavereleasedtheirlastsong,called"NowandThen".Itwasw
rittenbyJohnLennon.OtherBeatlesmembersaddedtoitovertheyears.
EngineersusedAItobringthesongtolife.ItsoundsliketheBeatlesrecor
deditinastudio.Thesonghasbeenreleasedasasingle.Theothersideoft
hesingleisanewmixof1962's"LoveMeDo"."NowandThen"isthefinaltr
ackonaneweditionoftheBeatles'greatesthits"blue"album.PaulMcCar
tneysaidrecordingthenewsongwas"emotional".Hesaid:"It'sagenuin
eBeatlesrecording."Headded:"Toreleaseanewsong[in2023]thepubli
chaven'theardisanexcitingthing."McCartneysaidJohnLennon'svoice
was"crystalclear".Lennonwasshotdeadbyafanin1980.Beatlesdrum
merRingoStarrsaidthesongwas,"theclosestwe'llevercometohaving[
JohnLennon]backintheroom".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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