The Reading / Listening - Music Tempo - Level 1

Chechnya has made a rule about music speed. It has banned songs that are too fast or too slow. It said all music and songs should have a tempo of between 80 to 116 beats per minute. Eighty beats per minute is much slower than most modern pop music. However, Russia's national anthem is 76 beats per minute. There has been no word about whether it can be played. It seems likely it will not have to follow the new rule.

The ban on up-tempo and down-tempo music is to protect Chechnya's culture. The Moscow Times said it was, "to root out any hint of Westernization". Chechnya's leader said "Borrowing musical culture from other people's is [not allowed]." The culture minister said the ban will give children their cultural heritage. Local artists must rewrite their songs to follow the new rule. People will no longer be able to listen to techno music or many pop songs.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Music Tempo - Level 0 Music Tempo - Level 2   or  Music Tempo - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/05/chechnya-forbids-music-outside-80-116-bpm-tempo-a84755
  • https://www.politico.eu/article/culture-ministry-russian-republic-chechnya-ban-western-songs/
  • https://news.sky.com/story/chechnya-bans-music-that-is-too-fast-or-too-slow-13110266


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. Chechnya has made a rule about
  2. songs that are
  3. a tempo of between 80 to 116
  4. slower than most
  5. Russia's national
  6. There has been
  7. It seems likely it will not
  8. follow the
  1. anthem
  2. new rule
  3. modern pop music
  4. too fast
  5. beats per minute
  6. music speed
  7. no word
  8. have to

Paragraph 2

  1. down-tempo
  2. protect Chechnya's
  3. root out any hint
  4. give children their cultural
  5. artists must
  6. follow the new
  7. People will no longer be
  8. listen
  1. able to
  2. to techno music
  3. rule
  4. culture
  5. heritage
  6. of Westernization
  7. rewrite their songs
  8. music

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Chechnya has (1) ___________________ about music speed. It has banned songs that (2) ___________________ or too slow. It said all music and songs should (3) ___________________ of between 80 to 116 beats per minute. Eighty beats per minute is much (4) ___________________ modern pop music. However, Russia's (5) ___________________ 76 beats per minute. There has been no word about whether it can be played. It (6) ___________________ will not have to follow the new rule.

The (7) ___________________ and down-tempo music is to protect Chechnya's culture. The Moscow Times said it was, "to root out (8) ___________________ Westernization". Chechnya's leader said "Borrowing (9) ___________________ other people's is [not allowed]." The culture minister said the (10) ___________________ children their cultural heritage. Local (11) ___________________ their songs to follow the new rule. People will no (12) ___________________ to listen to techno music or many pop songs.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chechnyahasmadearuleaboutmusicspeed.Ithasbannedsongsthatar
etoofastortooslow.Itsaidallmusicandsongsshouldhaveatempoofbet
ween80to116beatsperminute.Eightybeatsperminuteismuchslowert
hanmostmodernpopmusic.However,Russia'snationalanthemis76be
atsperminute.Therehasbeennowordaboutwhetheritcanbeplayed.Its
eemslikelyitwillnothavetofollowthenewrule.Thebanonup-tempoand
down-tempomusicistoprotectChechnya'sculture.TheMoscowTimess
aiditwas,"torootoutanyhintofWesternization".Chechnya'sleadersai
d"Borrowingmusicalculturefromotherpeople'sis[notallowed]."Thec
ultureministersaidthebanwillgivechildrentheirculturalheritage.Local
artistsmustrewritetheirsongstofollowthenewrule.Peoplewillnolonge
rbeabletolistentotechnomusicormanypopsongs.

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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