“Sacrifice” ​is a song by British singer -

musician Elton John and his collaborator

lyricist Bernie Taupin. This song was released
in the singer’s 22nd album, Sleeping with
the Past ​(1989). According to the singer
himself, the song is about the hardship of
being faithful and devoted in marriages. The
lyrics are quite simple; however, they carry a
deeper meaning of the rigors of adult love.

ic a
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
ú s
PART 1
n M
o
ACTIVITY 1​

c
Listen to​ Part 1​ of the song and put the word in the right order.

s
lé
negativity sign

g
married boundary

In
temptation deceit

human linger

I A scent things

A
ACTIVITY 2
Listen again to P
of the verbs
​ art 1 and fill in the blanks with the right form

It ​(be)​ _______ a human sign Into the boundary

When things (go) _______ wrong Of each married man
When the scent of her ​(linger)​ _______ Sweet deceit comes ​(call)​ _______
And temptation ​(be)​ _______ strong And negativity ​(land)​ _______
 PART 2
ACTIVITY 3
​
Listen to P
​ art 2​ of the song and correct the lyrics
Cold, cold head Just a simple world

➨ ………………………………………………………. ➨ ……………………………………………………….

Hardened by you It's two hard livin'

a
Some things look ​good​, baby ➨ ……………………………………………………….

➨ ………………………………………………………. In two separate words

s ic
ú
Just ​walking​ through ➨ ……………………………………………………….

M
➨ ………………………………………………………. But it's no sacrifice

n
And it's ​not​ sacrifice No sacrifice

➨ ……………………………………………………….

c oIt's no sacrifice at all

ACTIVITY 4
​

lé s
PART 3

In g
Listen to ​Part 3 again and fill in the blanks with the given
Spanish phrases. Use the English version to help you out.

I A
la sensibilidad perdemos maldigan hecho
dirección

A los celos

English Version
malentendido prisión ninguna piedra

Spanish Version
sin voltear

Mutual ​misunderstandin' Mutuo ​(1)​ ________

After the ​fact Después del ​(2)​ ________
Sensitivity​ builds a ​prison (3)​ ________ ________ construye una
(4) ________
 In the final act En el acto final
We​ lose direction (5)​ ________ ________
No stone unturned (6)​ ________ ________ ________ ________
(buscando algo).
No tears to ​damn​ you No hay lágrimas que te ​(7)​ ________
When ​jealousy​ burns Cuando ​(8)​ ________ ________ arden

a
KEY PHRASES
● go wrong ir mal

s ic
ú
● come calling venir llamando
● pass through pasar por
● at all
● lose direction

n M
en absoluto
perder dirección

o
ninguna piedra sin voltear
● (leave) no stone unturned

c
(buscando algo)
Example sentences:
● Don’t let things ​go wrong​.

lé s
No dejes que las cosas salgan mal.

g
● The police came calling for him.

In
La policía vino a llamarlo.
● We ​passed through​ a small inn on the way here.

I A Pasamos por una pequeña posada en el camino aquí.

A
● It’s nothing like that at all.
No es nada de eso en absoluto.
● He’s ​losing​ his ​direction​ on the project.
Está perdiendo su dirección en el proyecto.
● Find him. Leave no stone unturned.
Encontrarlo. No dejes piedra sin remover.

ACTIVITY 5
​
Complete the sentences below with the given phrases.
 (You may need to conjugate the verbs)

come calling lose her direction

pass through go wrong

1. Everything has ________________ since they joined the company.

2. Your friends ________________ for you last night.
3. Did you ________________ the small town on the way to the hotel?

a
4. She’s ________________ with all the projects at work.

KEY STRUCTURES
s ic
It’s a/an + n
​ oun phrase​.
Es un + frase sustantivo.

M
It’s no + n
ú
​ oun​.
No es + sustantivo.

n
It’s a human sign. It’s no sacrifice.

o
It’s an ​old computer. It’s no​ joke.
It’s a ​new car. It’s no​ reward.

look + c
c
​ omparative adjective

s
parecer + adjetivo comparativo

lé
Some things look better.

g
She ​looks​ ​taller​ in person.

In
It ​looks​ ​bigger​ in photos.

ACTIVITY 6
​

I A
Complete the dialogue below using the given phrases.

A
It’s a... It’s no...

look + comparative adjective

Rob: Hey Jane, what do you have there?

Jane: Oh, ______ ______ new laptop I just bought.

Rob: Wow, it ______ uglier than your last one.

Jane: Are you serious? ______ ______ joke, Rob!

 KEY PRONUNCIATION
/æ/ IN B​AD
​ vs /e/ IN ‘B​ED
​ ’
The short ‘a’ - /æ/ sound might be a little confusing for Spanish speakers
sometimes because it doesn’t exist in Spanish. I’ve noticed a common
mistake students make with this sound is that they tend to replace /æ/ in
‘b​a​d’ with the /e/ sound in ‘b​e​d’.

There are many minimal pairs of /æ/ and /e/ (minimal pairs are words that

ic a
s
only have one different vowel sound but they carry absolutely different

ú
meanings) so confusing the /æ/ and /e/ sounds can create comprehension

M
problems.
For example, people might misunderstand:

n
It’s a b​e​d day.

o
instead of It’s a b​a​d day.
He h​ea​ds to work.
instead of He had to work.

s c
lé
She will m​e​rry him.

g
instead of She will m​a​rry him.

1. /e/ sound
In
I A
In Spanish, the sound /e/ is often pronounced like the ‘a’ in the word ‘d​at​ e’.

A
For example,
b​e​b​é
t​e​ndr​é
The vowel sound in these words are pronounced like the vowel sound /e​ɪ​/ in
English.
The English /e/, however, is rather pronounced with a more relaxed tongue
and mouth position. The middle of the tongue is raised slightly upward and
the lips and jaw are loose and relaxed.
To correctly pronounce the /e/ sound in English, follow these steps:
 ● Open your mouth wide enough

● Drop your jaw down a little

● Drop your tongue down a little

You can find the ​/e/ sound​ in words like

b​eg
​ l​eg
​ p​en
​ m​en
​

a
Can you think of more words with the /e/ sound?

ic
……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

………………………………………

………………………………………
………………………………………

………………………………………
ú s
………………………………………

………………………………………

2. /æ/ sound

n M
o
For the /æ/ sound, we follow the same steps as for the /e/ sound. However,

c
the only difference is that for the /æ/ sound, the tension on our mouth, jaw

s
and tongue is greater. The mouth is opened a bit more and the lips spread

lé
more as if you’re smiling and not rounded.

g
● Open your mouth wider than

In
for the /e/ sound

A
● Drop your jaw down more

A I ● Keep your tongue down

Let’s compare the tongue positions with the two sounds:

/e/ /æ/
 COMMON SPELLINGS OF THE /æ/ SOUND
/æ/ usually occurs in stressed syllables. So in 96% of the time, if you see the
letter ​‘a’​ in a stressed syllable of a word, it’s the ​/æ/​ sound.
For example, you can find the​ /æ/ sound​ in words like:

A​C-tion ex-​AC
​ T-ly e-X​AM
​ -ple S​A-​ cri-fice

However, there are two exceptions in this case.

a
● With the word pattern​ C​onsonant-​a​-​C​onsoant-​e​ in words like c​a​ke,

ic
f​a​ke, f​a​ce, the letter ​‘a’ ​is not pronounced as a /æ/ sound but rather a

s
/e​ɪ​/ sound (in ​ei​ght)

ú
● In unstressed syllables, /æ/ is pronounced in the weak form as a schwa

M
/uh/.
For example:

ne-g​a-​ TI-vi-ty POST-m​an

​

on
s​a-​ tis-FAC-tion m​ag
​ -ni-fi-cent

………………………………………
c
Can you think of more words with the /æ/ sound?

s
……………………………………… ………………………………………

lé
……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

………………………………………

In g ……………………………………… ………………………………………

​Watch Video 2 - Key Pronunciation to learn more about the /æ/

I A
sound.

A
ACTIVITY 7
Listen again to the song and repeat the lyrics paying attention
to the /æ/ sound.
It's a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong
Into the boundary
Of each married m​a​n
Sweet deceit comes callin'
Just a simple word
It's two hearts livin'
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No s​a​crifice
It's no sacrifice ​a​t all

a
And negativity lands Mutual misunderstandin'

ic
A​fter the f​a​ct

s
Cold, cold heart Sensitivity builds a prison

ú
Hardened by you In the final ​a​ct
Some things look better, baby We lose direction
Just p​a​ssin' through

n M
And it's no s​a​crifice
No stone unturned
No tears to d​a​mn you

o
When jealousy burns

s c
ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -ED

g l é
1. WHAT IS AN ADJECTIVE?

In
Adjectives are words that give information about people or things. They

A
often express quality and tell us what something or someone is like.

A I
In English, adjectives go after the verb “​be​”
For example:
Temptation ​is ​strong​.
Or they can go after a noun. Adjectives in English never change their form

and always come before nouns. ​Unlike Spanish in which adjectives change
their form according to the nouns they modify and come after nouns.

English Spanish

He's a nice man. Es un hombre agradable.

(He’s a man nice)
 She has a ​warm​ heart. Ella tiene un corazón ​cálido​.
(She has a heart warm)

They have two blue cars. Ellos tienen dos autos azules.
(They have two car blues)

2. WHEN TO USE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -ED?

Adjectives that end in ​-ed are used to describe emotions – they tell us how

a
people feel about something.

ic
For example:

s
I’m tired.

ú
She’s ​bor​ed​.

M
Can you think of more examples with adjectives ending in -ed used to
talk about feelings?
………………………………………

n
………………………………………

o
………………………………………

c
……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

s
……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

g lé
In some other cases, they are used to talk about the state of someone or

In
something.
For example:

A
Into the boundary of each married man.

A I
The adjective ​‘married’ ​here is used to describe the starting of having a
husband or a wife.
Can you think of more examples with adjectives ending in -ed used to
talk about states?
……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

……………………………………… ……………………………………… ………………………………………

ACTIVITY 8
Complete the sentences using the adjectives ending in -ed.

1. He’s (excite) _________ about the new movie.

2. They are (interest) _________ in the open position at our company.
3. Those are the (update) _________ versions of the product.
4. She played a big part of an (improve) _________ profit.
5. I was (exhaust) _________ after a 10-hour work day.

LYRICS
ic a
(ENGLISH AND SPANISH)

ú s
M
[Verse 1] [Verso 1]
It's a human sign Es una señal humana
When things go wrong

n
Cuando las cosas van mal

o
c
When the scent of her lingers Cuando el aroma de ella permanece
And temptation's strong Y la tentación es fuerte
Into the boundary
Of each married man

lé s En el límite
De cada hombre casado

g
Sweet deceit comes callin' El dulce engaño viene llamando

In
And negativity lands Y la negatividad aterriza

IA
[Chorus] [Coro]

A
Cold, cold heart
Hardened by you
Some things look better, baby
Just passin' through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts livin'
In two separate worlds
Frío frío corazón
Endurecido por ti
Algunas cosas se ven mejor, cariño
Solo pasando
Y no es sacrificio
Solo una simple palabra
Son dos corazones viviendo
En dos mundos separados
But it's no sacrifice Pero no es sacrificio
No sacrifice Ningún sacrificio
It's no sacrifice at all No es sacrificio en absoluto

[Verse 2] [Verso 2]
Mutual misunderstandin' Mutuo malentendido
After the fact Después del hecho

a
Sensitivity builds a prison La sensibilidad construye una prisión

ic
In the final act En el acto final

s
We lose direction Perdemos dirección

ú
No stone unturned Ninguna piedra sin voltear (buscando
algo).
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns

n M
No hay lágrimas que te maldigan
Cuando los celos arden

[Chorus]

c o
[Coro]

s
Cold, cold heart Frío frío corazón

lé
Hardened by you Endurecido por ti

g
Some things look better, baby Algunas cosas se ven mejor, cariño

In
Just passin' through Solo pasando
And it's no sacrifice Y no es sacrificio

IA
Just a simple word Solo una simple palabra

A
It's two hearts livin'
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all
Son dos corazones viviendo
En dos mundos separados
Pero no es sacrificio
Ningún sacrificio
No es sacrificio en absoluto

[Chorus] [Coro]
Cold, cold heart Frío frío corazón
Hardened by you Endurecido por ti
Some things look better, baby
Just passin' through
And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts livin'
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
Algunas cosas se ven mejor, cariño
Solo pasando
Y no es sacrificio
Solo una simple palabra
Son dos corazones viviendo
En dos mundos separados
Pero no es sacrificio

a
No sacrifice Ningún sacrificio

ic
It's no sacrifice at all No es sacrificio en absoluto

[Outro]
No sacrifice at all
[Outro]

ú
Sin sacrificio en absolutos
No sacrifice at all
No sacrifice at all

n M
Sin sacrificio en absoluto
Sin sacrificio en absoluto

o
No sacrifice at all Sin sacrificio en absoluto

s c
lé
VOCABULARY

In g build
LEVEL A2
construir

I A
by por
fact hecho

A
final final
heart corazón
just sólo
lose perder
married casado
sign firmar
simple sencillo
strong fuerte
through mediante
 LEVEL B1
act acto
burn quemar
direction dirección
human humano
land tierra
prison prisión
separate separar
stone Roca

a
tear lágrima

LEVEL B2
s ic
scent
temptation

M
olor
tentación ú
on
LEVEL C1
boundary
jealousy

s c perímetro
celos

lé
mutual mutuo

g
sacrifice sacrificio

In
sensitivity sensibilidad
linger persistir

I A LEVEL C2

A damn
deceit
hardened
misunderstanding
maldición
engaño
curtido
malentendido
negativity negatividad
unturned no cesado
 ANSWER KEYS
ACTIVITY 1.

10 negativity 2 sign

8 married 7 boundary

6 temptation 9 deceit

1 human 5 linger

4 scent 3 things

ic a
s
ACTIVITY 2.

It ​is (‘s)​ a human sign

When things ​go​ wrong
Into the boundary

M
Of each married man ú
n
When the scent of her lingers Sweet deceit comes calling

o
And temptation ​is (‘s) ​strong And negativity ​lands

ACTIVITY 3.

s c
lé
Cold, cold head Just a simple world
➨ ​heart ➨ ​word
Hardened by you

In g
Some things look ​good​, baby
It's two ​hard​ livin'
➨ ​hearts

A
➨ better In two separate words

I
Just ​walking​ through ➨ ​worlds

A
➨ ​passing But it's no sacrifice
And it's ​not​ sacrifice No sacrifice
➨ no It's no sacrifice at all

ACTIVITY 4.

English Version Spanish Version

Mutual ​misunderstandin' Mutuo ​(1)​ m

​ alentendido
After the ​fact Después del ​(2)​ h​ echo
Sensitivity​ builds a ​prison (3)​ ​La sensibilidad​ construye una ​(4)
 prisión
In the final act En el acto final
We​ lose direction (5)​ P
​ erdemos dirección
No stone unturned (6)​ N​ inguna piedra sin voltear
(buscando algo).
No tears to ​damn​ you No hay lágrimas que te ​(7)​ ​maldigan
When ​jealousy​ burns Cuando ​(8)​ l​ os celos​ arden

ACTIVITY 5.

a
1. Everything has ​gone wrong ​since they joined the company.

ic
2. Your friends ​came calling​ for you last night.

s
3. Did you​ pass through​ the small town on the way to the hotel?

ú
4. She’s losing her direction with all the projects at work.

M
ACTIVITY 6.

n
Rob: Hey Jane, what do you have there?

Jane:

c o
Oh,​ it’s a ​new laptop I just bought.

s
Rob: Wow, it looks uglier than your last one.

lé
Jane: Are you serious? It’s no joke, Rob!

g
ACTIVITY 8.

In
1. He’s (excite) ​excited ​about the new movie.
2. They are (interest) ​interested​ in the open position at our company.

I A
3. Those are the (update) updated versions of the product.

A
4. She played a big part of an (improve) ​improved​ profit.
5. I was (exhaust) ​exhausted ​after a 10-hour work day.

-----------------------------
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