Hi, I'm Georgiana, your English teacher.
Thanks for joining me for a new episode of the Speak English Now podcast.
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Okay, let's start.
Today I'm going to talk about a band named Queen and the legendary Freddie Mercury.
And, with a mini story, you're gonna practice your speaking in English while learning fascinating facts about Freddie.
Have you heard of a band named Queen?
Of course you have.
I'm just kidding.
And how much do you know about their singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury?
Some people believe that Mercury was British.
But did you know he was born in Zanzibar, September 1946?
Then you probably guessed by now that his real name wasn't Freddie Mercury.
His birth name was Farrokh Bolshara.
I was curious about how to pronounce his name, so I have done my research, though I'm still not sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly.
Did you know that Freddie was born with four extra teeth in the back of his mouth?
He never fixed his teeth because he feared it would ruin his voice.
In 1964 Freddie's family moved to England and in 1966 he enrolled in Ealing College of Art to study graphic illustration.
There he met Tim Staffel, who introduced him to his band Smile.
Watching Smile made Freddie realize that he really wanted to be in a band himself.
Therefore, after he finished his diploma in graphic art and design, he joined a band called Ibex, playing the lead guitarist.
Later on, he formed the band Queen in 1970. with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
He wrote numerous hits for Queen, including Bohemian Rhapsody Somebody to Love, Don't Stop Me Now.
And We Are the Champions.
But he also conducted a solo career, and he was a guest producer and musician for other artists.
He was known for his highly animated shows that normally involved public participation.
However, Mercury left us too soon, dying in 1991 at age 45 due to complication from AIDS.
Although he will always remain in our hearts and we'll continue to listen to his music, right?
If you enjoy his music and want to find out more about his life, I recommend the movie called Bohemian Rhapsody about Mercury and Queen.
They say it's the most fascinating biographical musical film of all time.
It's been a real pleasure recording this episode about Freddie.
I've been listening to Queen since I was a kid, when I fell in love with his powerful voice.
Since then, I became an absolute fan.
I'm convinced that I'm never gonna get tired of listening to the band.
Although I enjoy listening to all Queen songs, these are my absolute favorite.
Under Pressure and Show Must Go On.
Make sure you listen to some of Queen's best songs while you follow the lyrics at the same time.
I guarantee you're gonna love the band even more.
Before I continue with a mini-story, I would like to share with you my favorite Freddie Mercury quote.
I won't be a rock star.
I will be a legend.
Great!
Now you can practice with a mini-story.
A mini-story is very simple.
I give you information using phrases and then I ask you questions.
I recommend that you listen several times until it's easy to answer.
So I created a mini-story using interesting facts about Freddie's life.
Let's start.
Although he was an extravagant artist on stage, Freddie was timid in his personal life and rarely gave interviews.
Where was he extravagant?
In his personal life?
No, he wasn't extravagant in his personal life.
He was extravagant on stage.
Was Freddie Mercury timid?
Yes, he was timid in his personal life.
He was very shy.
When did he give interviews?
Often or rarely?
Not often.
He gave interviews rarely.
Before becoming a star, Mercury worked as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport.
What did Mercury do before becoming a star?
Was he an architect?
No, no.
Mercury was not an architect before becoming a star.
He was a baggage handler.
When did he work as a baggage handler?
Before or after he became a star?
Before becoming a star.
He worked as a baggage handler before becoming a star.
Where did he work as a baggage handler?
At a hotel?
No, no.
He didn't work as a baggage handler at a hotel.
He worked at Heathrow Airport.
He loved cats and had ten at one point.
And he wrote a song about his favorite cat Delilah.
What did Freddy love?
Fame?
No, he didn't love fame.
He loved cats.
How many cats did he have at one point?
Ten cats.
He had ten cats at one point.
Did he write a song about Delilah, his favorite book?
No, no.
Delilah wasn't the name of a book.
It was the name of his favorite cat.
Freddy designed the famous Queen Crest logo himself.
Thanks to his degree in art and graphic design.
What did Freddy design?
A house?
No, no.
He didn't design a house.
He designed the famous Queen Crest logo.
Did he design the famous Queen Crest alone?
Yes, he designed it alone.
He didn't need anyone's help.
Thanks to what did he design the queen crest?
Thanks to his degree in art and graphic design, he designed the queen crest.
He had a long-term relationship with a girl named Mary Austin, who became his closest friend.
What did he have?
A short-term relationship?
No, he didn't have a short-term relationship.
He had a long-term relationship.
With whom did he have a long-term relationship?
With his cats?
No, no.
He didn't have a long-term relationship with his cats.
He had a long-term relationship with Mary Austin.
Was his closest friend Jimi Hendrix?
No, he was a fan of Jimi Hendrix, but his closest friend was a girl named Mary Austin.
Freddie Mercury wrote the song Crazy Little Thing Called Love in the bath at a hotel.
What did Freddie write?
A poem?
No, no.
He didn't write a poem.
He wrote a song.
Where did he write the song?
In a church?
Not in a church.
He wrote the song in the bath at the hotel.
What was the name of the song?
Was it Crazy Little Cats?
No, no.
The name of the song wasn't Crazy Little Cats, but Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
Great!
This is the end of this short exercise.
As you can see, answering many simple questions can improve your speaking, just like in a real-life conversation.
Today, you've only seen a small example of how the question and answer technique works.
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