Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill

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BWhat do you know about the musician Ed Sheeran?

Discuss these questions and then read the article below and check your ideas:How long has it been since Ed Sheeran last released new music?What is his new album called?What is his new release ‘Castle On The Hill’ about?

The EdgeReview: Ed Sheeran – ‘Castle On The Hill’

Ed Sheeran’s return from a year-long post-× hiatus comprises two delightful new songs, with ‘Castle On The Hill’ hinting that the upcoming ÷ will be as retrospective as the previous two. Being a set of soaring lines about growing up in Suffolk, it instantly feels far bigger than anything he’s done before, almost as if tailored for the stadiums that the tail of the × tour proved he could pack

out. Nevertheless, he’s still delightful when it comes to writing life’s more mundane aspects into runaway chart hits.

Written by Sheeran and produced by himself and Benny Blanco, he describes ‘Castle On The Hill’ as “a love song for Suffolk because I don’t think anyone has ever done that.” His vocals, as ever, are outstanding, as are the oohing and melodies

in the pre-chorus. It’s not entirely typical of Sheeran’s prior work, but he has already shown us how diverse he can get with his music so we really shouldn’t expect anything to be typically him.

January 2017

How would you describe Ed Sheeran’s music?b

1 What did he break when he was six?2 Who was he running from?3 What did he make and lose through the years?4 Where is he driving at 90?5 What did they watch over the castle on the hill?6 When did he have his first kiss?7 What would they buy when they got paid?8 What happened to each of his six friends?9 What does he still remember?

Listen to the song and answer these questions:2

Before listening to the song again, complete the lyrics below. Then listen and check your ideas.

2

Do you like the song?b

When I was six years old I _____________ my legAnd I was running from my brother and his friendsAnd tasted the sweet _____________ of the

mountain grass as I rolled downI was younger then, take me back to whenI found my heart and _____________ it hereMade friends and lost them through the years

Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill

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1 a pause in which nothing happens2 consist of two or more things3 suggest in an indirect way4 coming soon5 make something suitable for a particular person or purpose by changing its details6 the back part or end of something that is long or that consists of many parts7 ordinary and not exciting, especially because of happening too regularly8 increasing more quickly than expected9 extremely good, impressive10 very different from each other

And I’ve not seen the roaring _____________ in so longI know I’ve grown but I can’t wait to go ________I’m on my wayDriving at 90 down those country lanesSinging to “Tiny Dancer”And I miss the wayYou make me _____________, it’s realWhen we watched the sunset over the castle on the hillFifteen years old and _____________ hand-rolled cigarettesRunning from the law through the backfields and getting _____________ with my friendsHad my first kiss on a Friday nightI don’t _____________ that I did it rightBut I was younger thenTake me back to whenWe found ______________ jobs, when we got paidWe’d buy cheap spirits and drink them straightMe and my friends have not thrown up in so longOh, how we’ve _____________But I can’t wait to go homeI’m on my wayDriving at 90 down those country lanesSinging to “Tiny Dancer”And I miss the way

You make me _____________, it’s realWe watched the sunset over the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOne friend left to sell clothesOne works down by the coastOne had two _____________ but lives aloneOne’s brother overdosedOne’s already on his second wifeOne’s just barely getting byBut these people _______________ meAnd I can’t wait to go homeAnd I’m on my wayI still remember these old country lanesWhen we did not know the answersAnd I miss the wayYou make me _____________, it’s realWe watched the sunset over the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hill

Find words in the article that mean the following:V

1 The school ______________________ its courses to the individual students.

2 The area of the city where I live is very __________________. There are people from all over the world living there.

3 She ___________________ that she might leave the company, but didn’t state it clearly.

Complete these sentences with the correct form of the words:V

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4 The TV channel publicised the _____________________ series in newspaper and TV ads.

5 The interviewer asked him why there was a long ______________ between leaving his first job and starting his second job.

6 The play was a _____________________________ success and sold out in all its venues.

7 The book ____________________ the experiences of ten actors trying to make it in LA.

8 The audiences during the ____________ of the conference were quite small because a lot of people had already gone home.

9 The whole team played well, but the goalkeeper’s performance was ________________. He won the game for the team.

10 One thing my job isn’t is _________________. Every day is different with new challenges.

1 When I worked at home I _________________ spend all day in my pijamas.

2 Helen is very helpful. She _________________ do anything for you.

3 Many criminals _____________ live normal lives on the surface to hide their life of crime.

4 When I was at school our teachers _________________ make us stay after school if we misbehaved.

5 She loves reading so much she ______________ spend hours in libraries and bookshops.

6 We loved the cinema when we were children. We _______________ go every weekend to see a film.

Look at this line from the song and explain what the structure would + infinitive means here:

E

We’d buy cheap spirits and drink them straight

What similar structure can we use to talk about someone’s typical behaviour or characteristic habits in the present?

Complete these sentences with the correct form of the words:V

V Write some sentences about yourself using will and would in this way.e.g. I would spend hours playing on the beach as a child.

I will always stop what I am doing if someone asks for help.

intermediate+ (B1+)week of 23.01.17

student pages 3

Transcript When I was six years old I broke my legAnd I was running from my brother and his friendsAnd tasted the sweet perfume of the mountain grass as I rolled downI was younger then, take me back to whenI found my heart and broke it hereMade friends and lost them through the yearsAnd I’ve not seen the roaring fields in so longI know I’ve grown but I can’t wait to go homeI’m on my wayDriving at 90 down those country lanesSinging to “Tiny Dancer”And I miss the wayYou make me feel, it’s realWhen we watched the sunset over

the castle on the hillFifteen years old and smoking hand-rolled cigarettesRunning from the law through the backfields and getting drunk with my friendsHad my first kiss on a Friday nightI don’t reckon that I did it rightBut I was younger thenTake me back to whenWe found weekend jobs, when we got paidWe’d buy cheap spirits and drink them straightMe and my friends have not thrown up in so longOh, how we’ve grownBut I can’t wait to go homeI’m on my wayDriving at 90 down those country lanesSinging to “Tiny Dancer”And I miss the way

You make me feel, it’s realWe watched the sunset over the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOne friend left to sell clothesOne works down by the coastOne had two kids but lives aloneOne’s brother overdosedOne’s already on his second wifeOne’s just barely getting byBut these people raised meAnd I can’t wait to go homeAnd I’m on my wayI still remember these old country lanesWhen we did not know the answersAnd I miss the wayYou make me feel, it’s realWe watched the sunset over the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hillOver the castle on the hill

Ed Sheeran - Castle on the Hill

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Teacher’s notes 1

reading + listening

1 hiatus 2 comprise 3 hint 4 upcoming 5 tailor 6 tail 7 mundane 8 runaway 9 outstanding 10 diverse

Find words in the article that mean the following:V

Complete these sentences with the correct form of the words:V1 tailors 2 diverse 3 hinted 4 upcoming 5 hiatus6 runaway 7 comprised 8 tail 9 outstanding 10 mundane

Look at this line from the song and explain what the structure would + infinitive means here:

E

We can use would + infinitive to talk about someone’s habitual actions in the past which do not happen now.

What similar structure can we use to talk about someone’s typical behaviour or characteristic habits in the present? will + infinitive

1 would 2 will 3 will 4 would 5 will 6 wouldComplete these sentences with the correct form of the words:V