E10 U3 Listening + Writing

Unit 3: MUSIC

Lesson: Listening

by Duyen Le

​inspire (V) - inspiration (N) - inspirational (Adj)

​/ɪnˈspaɪər/

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/ˈpæt.ri.ə.tɪ.zəm/

patriotism (N)

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composer (N) /kəmˈpəʊ.zər/

​He was a composer who was born on 15 November 1923 in Hai Phong, but his hometown was Nam Dinh.

anthem (N) /ˈæn.θəm/

Van Cao's song Tien Quan Ca written in 1944 became the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

WRITING TASK 2​

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Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

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Music plays a crucial role in our lives and eliminates differences among various cultures and generations. It symbolises harmony and reflects humanity. So, I agree with the notion that music helps bring people from various cultures and generations together.​

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One of the reasons music excretes the barriers among different nations and cultures is that people enjoy music from every part of the world, and it speaks the same language, which embodies human emotion, joy, love and sorrow. Music does not need interpretation to be enjoyed and understood as it touches our hearts and resonates in our minds. No matter what language we speak or understand, we appreciate the melody and depth of music which is why people of all ages can sit together and enjoy the same music. For instance, some viral music in foreign languages in our country signifies how it speaks our mind and heart rather than just a human language.

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Moreover, nations influence each other with the type of music they produce and the type of musical instruments they use. This amalgamation reduces cultural differences and brings people from different cultures and ages to a common platform. To cite an example, many music genres, that we enjoy these days, were derived from multiple nations and cultures and people from all these cultures enjoy and love them.

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Finally, music is an art form which is enjoyed by all, and this helps reduce the generation and age gaps among people. To illustrate, when the national anthem is played, children, adults and elders all tune to the same emotion, which is patriotism, and their unity is stronger than ever. The same can be said when music evokes other emotions like love, sadness and so on. Besides, some music categories are loved by all, and the listeners feel a sense of togetherness in a divine way which is almost absent in other art forms. It not only eliminates age gaps but also the generation and cultural gaps.