Carpool Karaoke (A2)

A Before you start

Answer the questions with a partner.
1. Have you got a good voice?
2. Do you like singing?
3. If so, do you prefer to sing alone or with other people?
4. Where do you sing? (In the shower? In the car? )
5. Have you ever tried Karaoke?

B Listen and answer

Read these statements. Then listen (without reading) and choose the correct answer.
1. James Corden, the inventor of Carpool Karaoke, was born in
a) the USA. b) the UK. c) Canada.
2. He started his career as an actor in
a) the theatre. b) cinema. c) television
3. He became the host of a popular American talk show
a) this year. b) two years ago. c) last year.
4. The first programme in which he sang with a celebrity in a car was for
a) The Late Late Show. b) a British TV programme. c) an American TV special.
5. After seeing this first programme, many celebrities wanted to take part.
a) True. b) False. c) The article doesnt say.
6. Each Carpool Karaoke lasts for
a) a quarter of an hour. b) half an hour. c) 50 minutes.
7. You can see the series on
a) The Late Late Show b) YouTube c) both of these.
8. The episode with Michelle Obama was filmed
a) in Los Angeles. b) at the White House. c) in New York.

C Read and answer

Read the article and answer the questions.
1. Why do people carpool?
2. What definition of Karaoke does the article give?
3. What did James Corden want to do to change The Late Late Show when he became its new host?
4. Who was the first to sing songs with Corden in a car in 2011?
5. Why did Mariah Carey agree to do the first Carpool Karaoke for The Late Late Show?
6. Which episodes have been viewed the most?
7. What is the traffic like in Los Angeles?
8. How does the city encourage people to carpool?

D Learn it! Use it!

Choose the correct preposition or adverb in brackets to complete the expressions used in these
sentences. They are expressions that appeared in the article.
1. At the concert, the band invited the audience to sing ________ (up/along/together) with them.
2. Sarah always listens to the radio while shes driving around ________ (in/on/by) her car.
3. The police are looking ________ (through/out/over) for a man in black jeans and a red jacket.
4. I recognise that girl. Im sure Ive seen her ________ (on/at/in) television.
5. That movie was one of the greatest successes ________ (in/since/of) all time.
6. Anyone who wants to participate ________ (to/in/at) the event has to register by Friday.
E Ready for the KEY English Test? (Paper 1, Part 5)
Choose the best word for each space.
Nobody knows for 1________ (sure/secure/safe) who invented Karaoke. One theory is that it
2
_________ (has been/was/is) invented by a Japanese musician, Daisuke Inoue, in 1971. Inoue
often performed 3________ (to/in/at) dinner parties and many of his clients asked him 4________
(make/for making/to make) recordings of his performances so they 5________ (can/could/may) sing
along with him when he wasnt present. As a result, Inoue invented a machine 6________
(who/that/it) played a song when you inserted a 7________ (coin/money/price). His machines
became very popular and 8_______ (early/soon/suddenly) they were installed in many restaurants
and hotels.

F Check your pronunciation

One of the four words in each group has a different vowel sound. Which one?
1. millions minutes combine sing
2. producer view reduce good
3. teenager series people freeway
4. song host show old
5. friends special said person

G Write about it
Write about a TV show that you like. Mention:
- what kind of show it is;
- when its on;
- who appears on it;
- what they do;
- why you like it.

H Talk about it
Answer the questions in pairs or groups.
1. Whats the traffic like in your area?
2. Is carpooling popular in your town?
3. Is anything done to encourage it?
4. What could be done, in your opinion?
5. Do you think it would be practical to have special lanes on Brazilian motorways for cars with
more than one person? Why (not)?
Answers
B Listen and answer
1. b 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. b 6. a 7. c 8. b
C Read and answer
1. They do it to reduce their travel costs and because its good for the environment. 2. It says its
a form of entertainment in which people sing along to music. 3. He wanted to create a new
segment for it. 4. George Michael. 5. Because shes a big fan of George Michael and she had
seen the 2011 segment. 6. The episode with Adele and the episode with Michelle Obama.
7. Its bad. 8. It has special lanes on the freeway for cars with more than one person in them.
D Learn it! Use it!
1. along 2. in 3. out 4. on 5. of 6. in
E Ready for the KEY English Test?
1. sure 2. was 3. at 4. to make 5. could 6. that 7. coin 8. soon
F Check your pronunciation
1. combine 2. good 3. series 4. song 5. person