The Beatles: Four Friends from Liverpool

In the news: The story

Read a 133-word news story: Four friends, one small club, and a lot of practice

Liverpool is a port city in England. In the 1950s, ships came from America with new records. Young people in the city listened to this music. Four of them were John, Paul, George and Ringo. They called their band The Beatles. First they played in a small club in a cellar under the street. It was hot, dark and very loud. Later they went to Hamburg in Germany. There they played every night, sometimes for seven or eight hours. They were tired, but they practised so much that they got better and better. Then everything changed. Their songs were on the radio in every country. Young fans screamed at the airport. The band broke up in 1970, after only ten years together. But people still listen to their music today, sixty years later.

Vocabulary: Words to know

6 items

Discussion: Look at the picture

2 discussion questions

• What can you see in the picture? Is it big or small? Is it warm or cold?
• Do you like this place? Would you like to go there?

Discussion: Your music

3 discussion questions

• What music do you listen to? Tell me one singer or one band.
• When do you listen to music? In the car, at work, at home?
• Are you a fan of anyone? A singer, a team, an actor?

Discussion: Big questions, simple words

3 discussion questions

• The band practised for many hours every night. Is practice more important than talent? What do you think?
• Four friends worked together for ten years. Is it easy or difficult to work with friends?
• Their music is sixty years old and people still like it. Why do some songs never get old?