Success Story of

Beyonce Knowles

1. Read quickly the text about Beyonce. Then match

a title to each paragraph.

A. Beyonce, an actress
B. Solo career
C. How it all started

D. Other business

1. 3.

BeyonceBeyonceBeyonce w w wasasas b b bornornorn ononon thethethe 4th4th4th

SeptemberSeptemberSeptember Beyonce has a successful singing
198119811981 ininin Texas.Texas.Texas. career, but she has also appeared in
InInIn 199019901990 shesheshe t t teamedeamedeamed upupup withwithwith K K
Kellyellyelly several movies.
RowlandRowlandRowland andandand theytheythey f f formedormedormed aaa
band.band.band. ThreeThreeThree She has played in comedies such
 yearsyearsyears laterlaterlater t t theyheyhey n n namedamedamed as Austin Powers and
Pink Panther,
thethehe bandbandband Destiny’sDestiny’sDestiny’s Child.Child.Child. InIn In
199819981998 thethethe but also in a drama Dreamgirls.
t
groupgroupgroup releasedreleasedreleased theirtheirtheir firstfirstfirst a a albumlbumlbum
She has worked with many famous
Destiny’sDestiny’sestiny’s Child.Child.Child. ThisThisThis albumalbumalbum h h hadadad
aaa hugehugehuge actors such as Steve Martin, Mike
D
success.success.success. InInIn 2005, however, 2005,2005, however,however, thethethe
bandband band Myers or Eddie Murphy.
spl
split.split.it.

2. 4.

In 2003, Beyonce released Beyonce is a famous singer and a

cessful actress, but that’s still not
her first solo album Dangerously in suc

Love. The album won enough for her. Together with her

Grammy Award for best R&B album mother she has started to design

in 2004. Beyonce released her clothes for women. Because of her

second solo album in 2008. beauty and glamour, she has often
The first track of the album appeared in advertisements, we have
I
f I Were A Boy went on to top seen her in advertisements for Pepsi
the UK singles chart. or
L’Oreal.

2. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Beyonce started to play in a band when she was 9. T F
2. The second track of her first solo album was If I were a boy. T F
3. Beyonce has appeared in a comedy Dreamgirls. T F
4. Her first solo album won Grammy Award. T F
5. Beyonce thinks that singing is enough for her. T F

3. Complete the chart with examples from the article about Beyonce.

t know when.
We know exactly when it happened. We don’
She has played in comedies.
Beyonce was born on 4 Sept 1981.
Your Task

1. Read the text about another young and successful singer, Rihanna. Your task is to
put
the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. You have to choose between past simple
and present perfect. Before you start look at the THINK BOX.

THINK BOX
We use past simple when we know exactly when something happened.
If we do not know when something happened in the past, present perfect can be used.

Few facts about

Rihanna
 Rihanna, a talented young singer from Barbados,

was born on February 20, 1988. When she _______

(be) 15, she ___________ (meet) music producer

that was on vacation in Barbados. He _____________

(like) her singing so much that he ______________

(help) her with demos.

Later Jay-Z

_______________ (hear) these demos and

_______________ (decide) to produce her album.

Her first hit, Pon de replay, ____________ (have) success. Soon she ____________ (release)

other hits, such as SOS or Umbrella. Rihanna _______________ (have) three number one

hits. She __________________ (win) several awards, for example the American Music

Award, the MTV Video Music Award or the Teen Choice Award. In 2008, she

_________________ (win) Grammy Award for her smash hit Umbrella.