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Brront You READ ii.

rnost talented and famous

Ludwig van Beethoven'was one of the wodd's
composefs.
Discuss these questions with a patarret
musicians do you know?
1. Beethoven wfote classical music.'W'hat other classical
was tfue?
2. Beethoven did not have ahappy life. Can you imagine why this
why not?
3. Do people still listen to Beethoven's music? Why or
Now read about Ludwig van Beethoven'
15
 LUDWIG VAN
tr Ludwig van Beethoven was one of
the greatest composers of all time. Iluch of
his music was filled with great jol
Unfortunately. Beethoven's life \1-a5n t
filled with joy or happiness.
tr Ludwig van Beethoven was born in
l77O in Bonn, Germany. He had a difficult
and miserable childhood. His father.
Johann, was a musician for the king
Johann started to give Ludwig piano
lessons before he was four years old.
Ludwig was so small that he had to stand
on the piano seat to reach the piano.rX'hen
Johann saw how quickly Ludwig learned.
he knew his son had talent. He n-as
determined to make Ludwig into a concert :-,-L-:rcndent and
performer, and he was very demanding. He ,r,-.i ,rtr else, so he
hit Ludwig's hand when he made a
-.-.
-r: ihc tirst great
mistake and often woke him up in tl-re
'i LIr: love of
middle of the night to make him plav for ,r cJ Ln his music.
friends. Ludwig continued to study, and. in -:- ' -.-- --- :::l:,\-clf\\-aSinhis
\782,he became the assistant organist fbr ".,: , --- -' ---: - : .::trrq happened to
the king. He was only tZ years old! ,,,-- , - -:-, :c his hearing.
E Around this time, Beethoven began f': .- ': ---..,)Illpletelydeaf"
composing and publishing music. He used
the money that he earned to help take care .- .' -.: :- - - :;cillcstringsonhis
of his family. His father had a lot or :.-r - : .'.. :.-r- keYs so hard to
problems and could not support them ---:.,: - - .--
Vhen Beethoven was about skteen. he - - '- -- --- r-. >: importantthingin
went to Vienna to study. This was er-en l:-. : . - *'- -:s loss of hearing
musician's dream.While he was there. he tt-r ff"irr:d
' : . .:t:r.le his head, the
played for many important PeoPle. :... - " --:- . --.-tr He continued to
including the famous composer'Wol1.eang , -' -'.' - . - -.,. -, nls cirificult for him
Amadeus Mozart.\il/hen Mozart heard lrrnl.
he told his friends, "Keep your e\-es on - t:,-,j--: i.:: \"cfl' emotiOnal. Vhen
him. Someday he will give the s oric ., : - .r. -:) :lrsi-tcd conducting, the
something to talk about." :-- : - -: r:-:.-. : applaud.ButBeethoven
E Soon after Beethoven arrir-ed :il ,: :.::: -,:- . - 1,J.rct because he could not
Vienna, his mother died. He love d he r r-cn
-..-- .'.- :. : . rppl.luding. Finall1., one of
much and he was very upset bt the ne*. ..-.: :---.-. :,1: :lrncd him toward the
In fact, he was devastated. Beetl-tur r:, :---,- -,-: \ r. hc could see how much
moved back to Bonn to help care ior -, : , -.-' - -.
c,* .rr: nr'!.:1c He started to cfY.

16 UNrr 3

I
 -_---4
,*
El Beethoven was a brilliant composer,
but a difficult man. He was selfish and he
treated people badly. His music was so
beautiful that some people cried when they
hearcl it. He laughed at this, and thought
they were stupid. Before he lost his hearing,
he would walk away if people talked while
he was PlaYing. If he did not like an
audience, he didn't perform at all' He could
also be quite insulting. He wrote a song
called "Praise to the Fat One," for a violinist
who was overweight. Beethoven was not
very attractive himself. He was short and he
let his hair grow long and wild. But he knew
it, and made jokes about it.
E Beethoven was also a wild and bad-
tempered person, especially in restaurants'
Once he got so mad at a waiter that he
emptied a plate of food on the waiter's
head.Then he laughed loudly, as he always
did. Sometimes he wrote music on the bill
and then left without paying. Beethoven
probably went to a lot of restaurants
t..r.,t. he was a terrible cook' He loved
macaroni and cheese, a soup made of bread
and eggs,and red herring,which is a type of
fish. He liked to make strong coffee and
counted exactly 60 beans to the cup'
iI Beethoven usually worked early in
the morning. But sometimes he stayed up
all night and worked without eating or
sleeping. He poured water over his head to
help him stay awake, but he never cleaned
it up. His room was a mess. There were
dirty clothes, old pens, plates of food, and
papefs everYwhere. His room was so dirty
that all his landlords made him move'
Beethor.en himself was not very clean
either. He lvore the same clothes ufltil they
were so dim'that his friends had to throw
them out. The.v usuatly did this while
Beethoven n'as sleeping. They left new
clothes in piace of the old ones, but he
never noticed. He was too busy wfiting
music.
@ Naturalh Beethoven never got
married, \].o s'oulcl want him? He fell in
love man\ times. however, and asked
several \!'omen to marry him. Most of the
women \t-ere engaged or abeady married'
He nel'er had children of his own, but he
helped to raise hls brother's son after his
brother died.
E Peopie do not think about all these
things x'hen ther hear the name
Beethoven. PeoPle remember the
incredible beaun of his music'They also
remember tirat he lielped to make classical
music popular and respected around the
world. Beethor-en died il \rienna in L827
when he n-as 5- Over 20,000 PeoPle
came to his funeral The great composer
Franz Schubert helPed to carrY
Beethoven's cofi-ui. Schubert said that
when he died. he s-ented to be buried in
Vienna, ne\-t to Beethoven. Sadlr. Schubert
died a year later. at the age of i2' He x'as
buried next to Be e rhLr\_en
Luowtc v,tN Ber,rHovrN 17
VocenuLARY
& MEANING
Vrite the correct words in the blanli.-s.

landlord bad-tempered aPPlaud rebelliou-s insulting

selfish tortufe incredible ildependent patience
1. Something that is
2. To is to hit \oLlr , :(a :,"r1*: . :rr:t'tcr to show thatyou
enjoyed a show or Performaflce-
3. A person who owns a building and rens it to other people is a

4. Being able to wait for things and deal wirh prohtems without getting angry or
upset is having
5. To is to causc :c\ c:- :.. :. : : ---icrLng.
6. If someone is . hc ': ::.- -: :l-ll-, ,-rI Unlfappy'

7. People are rr-lrcn ::-..- -' :: :-r : fcelings by saying

unkind things.
8. people can take care of fternselves without needing others.
p. people who care only about themselves and not others are

10. A pefson $Oes JS;.1--'. 1-- :: :l-' l: rsrr- hard tO COntrOl.

USE
Work with a patttet and answer these qucstims. Use complete serrtences-
1. When bad-tempered people are upsetwta do rher do?
2. What does a landlord do?
.3. S7hen do people a,Pfulaud?
4. What incred.ible thing have you saen or b€ard about recent$?
5. What are spme things that a rebeuious person does?
5. 'S7"hen do you need to have patience?
B-
EXTENSION: CoupouNo Ao;rcrwrs wITH -zp [snltcs
Look at the sentence from the reading:
Beethoven was also a wild and bad{empered person'

Bad.-tempered,is a compoufid adiectire.Compound adiectives have two or

more words with a hyphen between them- One w4r to form compound
adjectives is to combine an adiective or number with a nour plus -ed.

18 UNrr 3
 (adjecr'ive) lnoun) (aompound adieative)
martwittr #trite ftair = a white-haired man
^ (nunrber) (noun) (aom.pound adieat'ive)

a. ctrutr with three iegs.= a tiree-legged chair

-
'
I
adiective'
Change each phrase into a phrase with a compound
A man uitls abad temPer
A bad-tem?ered man
ExamPle:

1. A person who has an open mind

2. Lhatwhich is the color of coffee
3. A woman with a kind heart
4. A bicYcle with two wheels
5. An actor with blond hair
6. Ctothes with a high Price
with <cl endings. Use each
Add three of your own compound adiectives
word in a sentence.

CompREHENSIoN
@ UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS
Circle the letter of the best answer'
1. Parugraph3 is mainly about how Beethoven
b. helped to care c. met \Iozart
a. beganhis music
cafeer for his familY
2. Themain toPic of ParugtaPh 6 is
a. how Beethoven's b. why Beethoven c that Beethoven
develoPed his talent couldn't hear the
loss of hearing
audience
affected him as a composef
emotionally
3. ParagraPh 9 is mostly aboirt
a.. tlJe factthat b. the strange way c Beethoven's messY
Beethoven lived room
Beethoven didn't
have manY friends
4. The main toPic of the last paragraPh is that
a. peoPle have b. Beethoven died in c' many p-eople.cq"'
itwaYs aPPreciated Vienna tn 1827 to Beethoven's runeral
Beethoven's music

Luowtc v,tN Br,EtHovrN 19

 @ REMEMBERING DETAITS
Circle the letter of ttre best answer.
1. The famous musician who first noticrcd Boahorea inyienna was
a. Havdn b. ]loz:r- c- Beethoven's father
2. Haydn taught Beethoven for just .i :i-. :. ,. -._- - __*,: i.:.1 rrcn
-
a. was so talented he b. rr-a: :,, r. -- c" had to go to work
didn't need lessons ;tnd. r:r,*c:--* : -
to support his family

3. Beethoven was the first great comp >.: :

a. work for himself b. tt-itrl' : -, c. live outside ofVienna
x ceit--... -,,
4. Beethoven's loss of hearing
a,. made him a better b. endci i- - -,.-, . c. caused him to
conceft performer concentfate on
composing music
5. Beethoven was very
a. kind to his friends b. b;rc1-nt::,',-::* c. sh.r and quiet
5. To stay awake while he composed at nighl Becrtoren
a. cleaned up his room b. poured Eerer c. ::r'rtcd triends to visit
overhis hced
ORDER OF EVENTS
Number the sentences L{ to show ' ^ qffioldce
_ Beethoven decided to Iive inVienm
_ Beethoven gave his last public pertrmrne_

q -
_
_
Beethoven took piano lessons ftom his; ffircr,
Beethoyen's hearing began to get w(nrc-
Beethoven studied withJoseph lIeydn-
_ Beethoven worked as an assistarrt oryrnin fur fu kiry.

UNrr 3
MAKING INFERENCES
directly stated in the passage'
The answers to these questions afe flot
Circle the letter of the best answer'
1. The passage concludes that Beethoven's father
a. hadno interest in his son at all much
son very
;. i;;a and resPected hisson's
c. cared most$ about his career

2.
a.Beethovenwasunsuccessfulbecauseofhiscliftjcr-rltpersonality
work for a wealthl.flmiil-
-""[i"fr.ttiu,t
;. ;;ii;r,.t..utt1i;;;*d to personalit\ \\-as good for his career
c. Beethov"rr'u irJ"i#iJi
f. The passage implies that Beethoven
*'t'"1 to l1: concerts
a. was so unpleasant that very few peggle his great talent
r

b. was very unple"t'"i, U"t pt<>plt stillloved his kir-rdr-ress and generosity
c. was very unple;;;, i", hit fti.t Os lovecl

DtscussloN
Discuss the answers to these questions
with your cla'ssmates'
200 years ago. br-rt pc()flc tod'l. still know
a
1. Beethoven was first popular almost
lot about him and his music.Ar" ;h;;; ur{y p..r&mer: i"dr'' th'rt *-ill still be
-il7ho? \Mhy?
p"p"fut 200 years from now?
2.Reethovenoftenbehavedverybadlyin.p-ublic.Do,i:.ltlrinkf'tt-t-ttlt-tspeople
\Mhy or $-hY |Iot
have a responsibiliq' to set an example?
1

3.ManypafentstodrypushtheirchildrenveryharcltOstiCC(Cd\\h;rtdorott
think about this'l

WrurtNc
paragraph or more about an
On a separatepiece of paper' write a
irra.p.riaent o? talented person you admire'
persr-ttt'5l'ie Lrii-s tt'ttt t'led oll r'tt'et the utodcl'
Example..Myfriend Dalia is a uery inclepenclent
ancl nottt sbe is starting ber oton business'

Luotvtc ves BtrruovtN 21