A famous rock band called Kiss used special computer-made images of themselves to perform at their last big show in New York. These images, called avatars, looked like the band members but were really big and could do cool things like breathe fire and shoot lightning. The people who made Star Wars helped make these avatars. Because of this, Kiss can still put on shows without actually being there, and the lead singer thinks this is good because the band is very important.

The band wore special outfits that let computers track their movements to make the avatars act like them. No one knows yet what Kiss will do with these avatars, but they might use them for concerts or shows in the future. Kiss is famous for wearing makeup and putting on big shows, and they were very popular a long time ago. They have said goodbye before, but now they might keep being a band in a new way with the avatars.

The same kind of technology was used for a show about another band called Abba. Abba’s show is in a special place in London and makes a lot of money every week. The avatars for Abba look more like the real band members than the Kiss avatars. This technology lets both bands keep performing for their fans even though they don’t do live shows anymore.

Original news source: Kiss to become ‘immortal’ thanks to Abba’s avatar technology (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student will read the article silently and summarize it in their own words. Then, the other student will read their partner’s summary and check for accuracy. They can discuss any discrepancies and come up with a final summary together.

– Word Association
Instructions: Write the word “avatar” on the board. Ask the students to brainstorm and write down as many words as they can think of that are related to avatars. After a few minutes, have the students share their words with the class. Encourage them to explain the connections between the words and avatars.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Instruct the groups to work together to draw a picture that represents the concept of avatars. They can discuss and plan their drawing before starting. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their drawing with the class and explain their choices.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “avatars,” “rock band,” “concerts,” “makeup,” etc. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. They will then have one minute to draw a picture of the word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Continue until all the words have been guessed or time runs out.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have the students discuss and make predictions about the future use of avatars in the music industry. They can consider questions like: Will more bands start using avatars? How might avatars change live performances? Will avatars replace human performers? After discussing, have the groups share their predictions with the class and encourage a discussion about different perspectives.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What are the computer-made images of the band members called?
2. What are some cool things the avatars can do?
3. Who helped make the avatars for Kiss?
4. Why does the lead singer think using avatars is good for the band?
5. How did the band’s special outfits help make the avatars act like them?
6. What might Kiss use the avatars for in the future?
7. What other band uses the same kind of technology for their show in London?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A famous rock band called Kiss used special computer-made images of themselves to perform at their (1)______ big show in New York. These images, called avatars, looked like the band members but were really big and could do cool things like (2)______ fire and shoot (3)______. The people who made Star Wars helped make these avatars. Because of this, Kiss can still put on shows without actually being there, and the (4)______ singer thinks this is good because the (5)______ is very important.

The band wore special outfits that let computers track their (6)______ to make the avatars act like them. No one knows yet what Kiss will do with these avatars, but they might use them for concerts or shows in the future. (7)______ is famous for (8)______ makeup and putting on big shows, and they were very popular a long time ago. They have said goodbye before, but now they might keep being a band in a new way with the avatars.

The (9)______ kind of technology was used for a (10)______ about another band called (11)______. Abba’s show is in a special place in London and makes a lot of money every week. The avatars for Abba look more like the real band members than the Kiss avatars. This technology lets both bands (12)______ performing for their fans even though they don’t do live shows anymore.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is an avatar?
2. How would you feel if you could see your favorite band perform even if they weren’t actually there?
3. Do you like the idea of using avatars for concerts? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about Kiss using avatars to continue performing?
5. How do you think the avatars for Abba look like the real band members?
6. Do you think it’s important for bands to keep performing for their fans even if they don’t do live shows anymore? Why or why not?
7. What cool things could avatars do at a concert that real band members couldn’t?
8. How do you think the avatars were made to act like the real band members?
9. Do you think it’s better for a band to say goodbye or keep performing in a new way with avatars? Why or why not?
10. What do you think the future of concerts and shows will be like with the use of avatars?
11. How do you think the audience feels when they see the avatars perform instead of the real band members?
12. Have you ever been to a concert or show? If so, what was it like? If not, would you like to go to one? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. avatars
2. computer-made
3. breathe fire
4. shoot lightning
5. outfits
6. track
7. makeup
8. popular
9. goodbye
10. technology
11. fans
12. live shows

Meanings:
(A) Special clothes that you wear for a specific purpose
(B) Liked by many people
(C) Follow and see where someone or something goes
(D) Special colors and things you put on your face to look different
(E) Pictures that look like real people but are made on a computer
(F) Saying “see you later” or “farewell”
(G) Send out bright flashes of light
(H) The use of science and machines to do things
(I) People who really like a band or singer
(J) Performances that happen in real time in front of an audience
(K) Blow out hot flames from your mouth
(L) Made using a computer
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are the computer-made images of the band members called?
(a) Robots
(b) Holograms
(c) Avatars
(d) Clones

2. Who helped make the avatars for Kiss?
(a) The people who made Harry Potter
(b) The people who made The Avengers
(c) The people who made Frozen
(d) The people who made Star Wars

3. How did the computers track the movements of the band members?
(a) Through special cameras
(b) Through special outfits
(c) Through special microphones
(d) Through special gloves

4. What might Kiss use the avatars for in the future?
(a) Movies or TV shows
(b) Video games or apps
(c) Books or magazines
(d) Concerts or shows

5. What are Kiss famous for?
(a) Wearing makeup and putting on big shows
(b) Writing songs and playing instruments
(c) Acting in movies and TV shows
(d) Designing clothes and accessories

6. Where is the special place in London where Abba’s show is?
(a) In a theater
(b) In a museum
(c) Unknown
(d) In a park

7. What do the avatars for Abba look like?
(a) More like cartoon characters
(b) More like the real band members
(c) More like animals
(d) More like robots

8. Why do both bands use avatars?
(a) To keep performing for their fans
(b) To make more money
(c) To become famous again
(d) To start a new band

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Kiss used computer-made images of themselves called avatars for their last big show in New York.
2. The same technology was used for a show about another band called Abba, and their avatars look more like the real band members.
3. The lead singer of Kiss thinks using avatars is not a good idea because the band is not very important.
4. The avatars of Kiss could not do cool things like breathe fire and shoot lightning.
5. Kiss wore special outfits that allowed computers to track their movements and make the avatars act like them.
6. It is not known yet what Kiss will do with these avatars, but they probably won’t use them for future concerts or shows.
7. Kiss cannot put on shows using these avatars, even without actually being there.
8. The avatars of Kiss were made by the people who made Star Wars.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What are avatars?
2. How did the people who made Star Wars help with the avatars for Kiss?
3. How did the band Kiss use special outfits during their last big show?
4. What might Kiss do with the avatars in the future?
5. How does the technology with avatars help bands like Kiss and Abba keep performing for their fans?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are the computer-made images of the band members called?
The computer-made images of the band members are called avatars.

2. What are some cool things the avatars can do?
The avatars can breathe fire and shoot lightning.

3. Who helped make the avatars for Kiss?
The people who made Star Wars helped make the avatars for Kiss.

4. Why does the lead singer think using avatars is good for the band?
The lead singer thinks using avatars is good for the band because they can still put on shows without actually being there.

5. How did the band’s special outfits help make the avatars act like them?
The band’s special outfits allowed computers to track their movements, so the avatars could act like them.

6. What might Kiss use the avatars for in the future?
Kiss might use the avatars for concerts or shows in the future.

7. What other band uses the same kind of technology for their show in London?
Abba is another band that uses the same kind of technology for their show in London.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) last
(2) breathe
(3) lightning
(4) lead
(5) band
(6) movements
(7) Kiss
(8) wearing
(9) same
(10) show
(11) Abba
(12) keep
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. avatars
Answer: (E) Pictures that look like real people but are made on a computer

2. computer-made
Answer: (L) Made using a computer

3. breathe fire
Answer: (K) Blow out hot flames from your mouth

4. shoot lightning
Answer: (G) Send out bright flashes of light

5. outfits
Answer: (A) Special clothes that you wear for a specific purpose

6. track
Answer: (C) Follow and see where someone or something goes

7. makeup
Answer: (D) Special colors and things you put on your face to look different

8. popular
Answer: (B) Liked by many people

9. goodbye
Answer: (F) Saying “see you later” or “farewell”

10. technology
Answer: (H) The use of science and machines to do things

11. fans
Answer: (I) People who really like a band or singer

12. live shows
Answer: (J) Performances that happen in real time in front of an audience
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are the computer-made images of the band members called?
Answer: (c) Avatars

2. Who helped make the avatars for Kiss?
Answer: (d) The people who made Star Wars

3. How did the computers track the movements of the band members?
Answer: (b) Through special outfits

4. What might Kiss use the avatars for in the future?
Answer: (d) Concerts or shows

5. What are Kiss famous for?
Answer: (a) Wearing makeup and putting on big shows

6. Where is the special place in London where Abba’s show is?
Answer: (c) Unknown

7. What do the avatars for Abba look like?
Answer: (b) More like the real band members

8. Why do both bands use avatars?
Answer: (a) To keep performing for their fans
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Kiss used computer-made images of themselves called avatars for their last big show in New York. (Answer: True)
2. The same technology was used for a show about another band called Abba, and their avatars look more like the real band members. (Answer: True)
3. The lead singer of Kiss thinks using avatars is not a good idea because the band is not very important. (Answer: False)
4. The avatars of Kiss could not do cool things like breathe fire and shoot lightning. (Answer: False)
5. Kiss wore special outfits that allowed computers to track their movements and make the avatars act like them. (Answer: True)
6. It is not known yet what Kiss will do with these avatars, but they probably won’t use them for future concerts or shows. (Answer: False)
7. Kiss cannot put on shows using these avatars, even without actually being there. (Answer: False)
8. The avatars of Kiss were made by the people who made Star Wars. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧