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Amy |
Katie |
Eurovision
Katie talks about the biggest singing competition on the planet and why she loves it so much.
Aimee: Hey, Katie, did you hear that Australia are rejoining the Eurovision Song Contest?
Katie: I did. It's a really big news. Really big news.
Aimee: So can you tell us a little bit about Eurovision? What is it exactly?
Katie: Eurovision is basically a music competition that happens every year in May. And countries from all over Europe have an entry in the competition.
Aimee: Right.
Katie: So big, big music singing competition.
Aimee: And it's Euro…
Katie: Eurovision, yeah.
Aimee: Okay.
Katie: Eurovision, and yeah, every single country in Europe send somebody to sing in the competition.
Aimee: Okay.
Katie: And all of Europe watches it, and all of Europe votes for a winner, and it's huge. It's huge.
Aimee: It does sound huge, continental competition.
Katie: Big battle with music.
Aimee: And where is it usually hosted?
Katie: It's hosted in the country of the previous year's winner.
Aimee: Right. So this year then, do you know where it was?
Katie: I don't remember who won it last year, but the previous year, two years ago, it was won by someone from Austria.
Aimee: Okay.
Katie: So last year, the competition was in Austria.
Aimee: Right. That sounds like a wonderful event for the hosting country.
Katie: Yeah. And I'm from the UK, and the UK hasn't won it in such a long time. And I really, really want to win because I wanted to go and see a live Eurovision competition.
Aimee: Right. So over the – you mentioned that you're such a big fan. Over the Eurovision history, do you have any personal highlights?
Katie: Probably my favorite entry was from ages and ages ago, before I was even born by an English entry called Bucks Fizz.
Aimee: Okay.
Katie: They were really awesome. They were singing a great song, and then suddenly, halfway through the song, the boys ripped the girls' skirt off.
Aimee: Oh.
Katie: Not that way. But they were wearing a long dress and then they were suddenly wearing a skirt. And it was amazing.
Aimee: They kind of costume changed then.
Katie: Yeah, costume change. And it happened in the '70s, I think, '70s or
Aimee: '80s, maybe?
Katie: Yeah. And at that time, it was probably the most exciting entry in Eurovision ever.
Aimee: Oh really.
Katie: It's very exciting.
Aimee: A real shock.
Katie: Real shock. A big costume change, big drama.
Aimee: And how was the song?
Katie: Eh. The song was okay. No one remembers the song. Everyone remembers the skirts.
Aimee: Okay. So I take it, they didn't win then?
Katie: I don't think so.
Aimee: Did they?
Katie: I don't, I don't know. I can't remember. Also, I remember the costumes but not if they won or not.
Aimee: Yeah. Not the song.
Katie: Isn't that funny?
Aimee: Costumes, too are important.
competition
Eurovision is basically a music competition that happens every year in May.
A competition is a contest or game that people do to determine a winner. Notice the following:
- We won the singing competition.
- I came in last in the spelling competition.
huge
It's huge. It's huge.
Huge means very big, but here it means very popular. Notice the following:
- Soccer is huge in Brazil.
- Rave music is huge in Germany.
continental
It is a huge, continental competition.
Something this is continental includes all parts of a continent, like Europe or Africa. Notice the following:
- We went to a continental tournament in Asia.
- There are 48 states in the continental United States.
previous
It's hosted in the country of the previous year's winner.
Previous refers to something that happened before. Notice the following:
- I was a good dancer in my previous life.
- She was the boss at her previous job.
real shock
A real shock.
Something that is a real shock is a big surprise. Notice the following:
- It was a real shock to see my mom at the party.
- Losing my job was a real shock to me.
costume
I remember the costumes but not if they won or not.
A costume is a set of clothing people wear when acting or performing to be someone other than themselves. Notice the following:
- On Halloween people wear costumes.
- Actors often wear costumes.
Vocabulary Quiz
previous • shock • costume
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