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    Topic
    Genre: Informational Text
    An informational text informs
    readers about history, music or
    other subjects.
    "Music Recording Eras" is
    about music throughout history
    and the effects technological
    developments have had on it.
    Music
    Recording
    Eras
    by
    Aaron Burkholder
    Why do we like music?Why do we like music?
    Genre: Realistic Fiction
    Realistic fiction is about
    characters, events and places that
    could exist in real life, but the story
    is invented.
    "Major Tom in Space" tells the
    story of an imaginary astronaut
    who has some strange similarities
    to—and differences from—
    another astronaut featured in
    a famous song.
    by Ann Gianola
    69
    by Ann Gianola
    Comparing and
    Contrasting Events
    and Settings
    Comparing means looking
    for similarities between two
    or more things. Contrasting
    means looking for their
    differences. Events are the
    actions in a story. Settings
    are the places and times
    where the actions happen.
    Key Words
    astronaut
    blast
    drift
    extravehicular activity
    leak
    orbit
    pressurized
    propel
    spacecraft
    stage
    tethered
    uneasy
    1 Look at the pictures on
    pages 70 and 71. What
    do the people and the
    places have in common?
    2 Listen and follow.
    8
    Topic 470
    W
    hen David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity” began to play on the car radio, Major
    Tom Decker quickly turned it off. Although he had always liked the song’s
    haunting melody and interesting connection to space, it now made him feel uneasy.
    After all, Major Tom was an astronaut, like the Major Tom in the song. He was also
    leaving Earth soon to fix a problem on the outside of the International Space Station. He
    didn’t want to think about the tragic end of the Major Tom in the song. He didn’t want
    to imagine how or why that fictional character never returned to Earth. And he didn’t
    ever want to hear the words: Ground Control to Major Tom… There’s something wrong.
    Major Tom took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Worrying wasn’t productive. He
    believed that his trip would be successful, in spite of the strange coincidence of being
    another astronaut named Major Tom. Nevertheless, he did not turn the radio back on.
    71Major Tom in Space
    A few weeks later, Major Tom and two other astronauts
    launched into space. It was unforgettable. He was more
    excited than he’d ever been in his entire life. Major Tom’s heart
    pounded as he heard the countdown: 10...9...8...7...6... Then
    the rocket launched. Even though he’d practiced for hours with
    a simulator, it was still nothing like the real thing. The power of
    the blast was incredible; Major Tom felt like he was sitting on
    top of an enormous explosion. If something went wrong at this
    stage, then it would be a disaster. Obviously, there were huge
    risks in this job. Other people had died in his exact position,
    but this launch went perfectly. Ten minutes later they were out
    of the Earth’s atmosphere and orbiting in space.
    Major Tom finally began to relax when he heard the voice
    from the Mission Control Center—a voice that spoke for all
    the people supporting the astronauts on Earth. The voice
    said, “You’ve really made the grade!” The expression from
    “Space Oddity” meant that he had done very well.
    Actually, Major Tom was delighted that
    Ground Control had a sense of humor,
    especially in this stressful situation.
    Now, the words from the song
    were funny. He was relieved.
    “Thank you, Ground
    Control!” responded
    Major Tom, laughing.
    “You don’t know how
    happy I am to hear your
    voice. We have made the
    grade today. We’ve left
    the planet, and I’m still
    talking to you. That is an
    accomplishment!”
    72 Topic 4
    A few weeks later, Major Tom and two other astronauts
    launched into space. It was unforgettable. He was more
    excited than he’d ever been in his entire life. Major Tom’s heart
    pounded as he heard the countdown: 10...9...8...7...6... Then
    the rocket launched. Even though he’d practiced for hours with
    a simulator, it was still nothing like the real thing. The power of
    the blast was incredible; Major Tom felt like he was sitting on
    top of an enormous explosion. If something went wrong at this
    stage, then it would be a disaster. Obviously, there were huge
    risks in this job. Other people had died in his exact position,
    but this launch went perfectly. Ten minutes later they were out
    of the Earth’s atmosphere and orbiting in space.
    Major Tom finally began to relax when he heard the voice
    from the Mission Control Center—a voice that spoke for all
    the people supporting the astronauts on Earth. The voice
    said, “You’ve really made the grade!” The expression from
    “Space Oddity” meant that he had done very well.
    Actually, Major Tom was delighted that
    Ground Control had a sense of humor,
    especially in this stressful situation.
    Now, the words from the song
    were funny. He was relieved.
    “Thank you, Ground
    Control!” responded
    Major Tom, laughing.
    “You don’t know how
    happy I am to hear your
    voice. We have made the
    grade today. We’ve left
    the planet, and I’m still
    talking to you. That is an
    accomplishment!”
    It took several hours for Major Tom and his team to reach the International Space Station—an
    enormous structure about the size of a football field. They were 350 kilometers from Earth, traveling
    at 28,000 kilometers per hour. Consequently, it was not easy to link their spacecraft to it. They
    had to arrive at the same orbit and get very close to each other. Finally, Major Tom and the other
    astronauts were able to connect and join the people working inside.
    During the days before his spacewalk, Major Tom did many things on the International Space
    Station (ISS). He got used to the sensation of zero gravity, the feeling of floating in a tin can that
    Bowie described in his song. He talked with the other astronauts and learned more about their
    experiments. He also thoroughly checked his equipment. However, his favorite activity was visiting
    the Cupola module. This area had large windows where Major Tom observed Earth. Because the
    spacecraft orbited the world about every ninety minutes, he was able to see the dramatic shifts
    from daylight to darkness every forty-five minutes.
    The view of the Earth and its unbelievable beauty brought tears to Major Tom’s eyes. He saw
    brilliant white streaks of clouds over the oceans. He observed the awesome land formations on the
    continents of the world, and imagined the uncountable activities—both good and bad—that were
    happening on them. He thought about all the creatures that lived on the Earth. He imagined the
    evolution of those creatures over years and years. He thought about the knowledge that came from
    that world—his world—that now allowed Major Tom to see it from this distance. Instantly, Bowie’s
    song flowed through his mind: Planet Earth is blue… And there’s nothing I can do. Major Tom wiped
    his eyes and swallowed hard. He had an emotional connection to this song. And he felt a special
    relationship to other astronauts—real and imagined—who had viewed the Earth from far away.
    Major Tom in Space 73
    After three days on the space station, Major Tom was ready to perform his extravehicular
    activity (EVA). He and the other two astronauts put on their space suits. These were extraordinary
    outfits that had their own life-support systems. The pressurized suit provided the oxygen that they
    needed to breathe and the water that they needed to drink. It also protected them from exposure to
    extreme hot and cold. In addition, it guarded them from the dust and radiation in space.
    Major Tom and the other engineers left their space station through a special door called an
    airlock. It had two doors. They went through the first door and locked it tightly behind them. Then
    they opened the second door, so no air escaped the spacecraft. Once outside, they tethered
    themselves to each other and then to the ISS to avoid drifting away. Although these tethers were
    very, very strong, it was frightening to imagine them breaking—and getting lost in space. Major Tom
    told himself that these tethers would not break. He felt the jetpack on his back, too. If for some
    reason he became separated, then he could propel himself back to the space station. Still, Major
    Tom was nervous. Of course, it was natural to feel nervous. He had never walked in space before.
    At every moment, Major Tom and his team remained in contact with Ground Control on Earth.
    To help calm his nerves, Major Tom decided to use humor and repeated some lines from “Space
    Oddity”: “I’m stepping through the door… And I’m floating in a most peculiar way… And the stars look
    very different today.” The laughter coming back from Ground Control on Earth was actually welcome.
    Major Tom laughed, too. Then he and his fellow astronauts began to move through space. It felt
    much like they were walking through the deep water of a swimming pool.
    Topic 474
    Major Tom and the other astronauts started to make their
    specific repairs. The work was very precise and challenging.
    All of their tools were also tethered to their space suits so
    they couldn’t float away. And after five and a half hours,
    their work was finished.
    At that point, there was a message from Ground Control:
    “Major Tom, there’s something wrong.” Major Tom felt his heart
    beat faster.
    “Please tell me that this is a joke,” said Major Tom. “Is this the
    song—or a real problem?”
    “This isn’t a joke, I’m afraid,” said the very serious voice from Ground Control. “We definitely
    have a problem. There may be an air leak in your space suit. You must all return to the air lock
    immediately.”
    Major Tom felt sick to his stomach. For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “Can you hear me, Major
    Tom?” asked Ground Control. He hated hearing that line from the song—the really sad part when
    it’s clear that Major Tom is lost forever.
    “Yes, I hear you,” said Major Tom.
    He tried to be calm about the situation. Clearly, they had been monitoring his vital signs. They
    checked if things weren’t right, or if someone was breathing too hard or getting too hot. Perhaps
    his glove was slightly torn by one of the tools. In any case, there was something very wrong. His
    space suit was losing oxygen faster than it should. Major Tom had to return at once to avoid
    getting decompression sickness—or even dying.
    “Please try to relax,” said the voice. “You have at least thirty minutes to get back to the
    pressurized environment on the space station.”
    75Major Tom in Space
    Naturally, Major Tom had trained
    for an event like this before. However,
    real life was not like imagined
    emergencies. He was in space—and
    he was frightened. Suddenly, he
    thought about all the people on Earth
    that he loved, people he might never
    see again if something happened to
    him. But he tried to stay positive. This
    Major Tom would return to safety—and
    eventually to the world that he came
    from. Within twenty minutes, Major
    Tom made it back to the airlock.
    Six days later, Major Tom was
    happy to go back to Earth. He was
    glad to return to his regular life, even
    as just a tiny speck on this interesting
    planet. His trip to space gave him a
    whole new view of Earth. And now
    he felt a much closer connection to
    everyone and everything else on it. He
    went far above the world to think more
    about what it means to live in it.
    Topic 476
    At a press conference after his mission in space, Major Tom talked about the repairs that he
    and his team had made to the International Space Station. Then he answered several questions
    from the media.
    One was a silly reference to the song: “So, tell us, Major Tom, did you ever forget to take your
    protein pills and put your helmet on?”
    Everyone laughed at that one. But others were more serious. One reporter even asked how he
    felt when his space suit began to lose oxygen.
    “Well,” Major Tom said honestly, “that incident was pretty scary. But the voice at Ground
    Control was with me every step of the way. I owe my life to that person—to all of the people who
    helped to keep me alive.”
    “And how was that view of Earth from outer space?” asked another.
    “It was magnificent,” said Major Tom. “It has forever changed the way I’ll look at my life on this
    planet. By the way, I must add that planet Earth is, in fact, mostly blue as David Bowie said. But
    there are some things that we can do to better understand this beautiful place—and other places in
    the universe. Many people are working very hard to do that. I’m so glad that I had this opportunity.
    Thank you for the questions!”
    When the press conference was over, Major Tom headed toward his car. As he walked, he
    quietly hummed the melody of a very famous David Bowie song. It happened to be about an
    astronaut with the same name.
    77Major Tom in Space
    1 Comparing and Contrasting Events and Settings Mark (✓) the sentences that
    make a comparison.
    1
    After all, Major Tom was an astronaut, like the Major Tom in the song.
    2
    Major Tom felt like he was sitting on top of an enormous explosion.
    3
    They were 350 kilometers from Earth, traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour.
    4
    He got used to the sensation of zero gravity, the feeling of floating in
    a tin can that Bowie described in his song.
    5
    He saw brilliant white streaks of clouds over the oceans.
    2 Comparing and Contrasting Events and Settings Mark (✓) the sentences that show a contrast.
    1
    He believed that his trip would be successful, in spite of the strange
    coincidence of being another astronaut named Major Tom.
    2
    Major Tom’s heart pounded as he heard the countdown.
    3
    Even though he’d practiced for hours with a simulator, it was still nothing like the real thing.
    4
    He talked with the other astronauts and learned more about their experiments.
    5
    However, real life was not like imagined emergencies.
    3 Scan pages 71 to 73. Circle the correct meanings.
    1
    When David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity” began to play on the car radio,
    Major Tom Decker quickly turned it off.
    a
    He didn’t like David Bowie’s song
    about an astronaut.
    b
    He didn’t like thinking about
    another Major Tom’s tragedy
    in space.
    c
    He didn’t like the haunting
    melody or interesting
    connection to space.
    2
    Major Tom took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
    a
    He didn’t want to go to the
    International Space Station.
    b
    He didn’t want to see the Earth
    from high above.
    c
    He wanted to relax and
    stop worrying.
    3
    If something went wrong at this stage, then it would be a disaster.
    a
    Other people had died when they
    launched into space.
    b
    Other people had successfully
    orbited the Earth.
    c
    Other people had leaks in
    their gloves before he did.
    4
    The voice said, “You’ve really made the grade!”
    a
    It meant that his space suit was
    quickly losing oxygen.
    b
    It meant that there was
    something seriously wrong.
    c
    It meant that he had
    done well.
    78 Topic 4
    4 Transitions Read the transition words or phrases below. Write them in
    the correct category.
    also although as well as but have in common however
    in spite of like likewise nevertheless similarly yet
    Transitions
    Transitions are words or
    phrases that connect different
    ideas and make a text clearer
    and easier to understand.
    Transitions can also work
    to show a comparison or a
    contrast between ideas.
    Comparison Transitions Contrast Transitions
    5 Transitions Circle the correct transition words to complete the sentences.
    1
    Although / Similarly he had always liked the song ... it now made him feel uneasy.
    2
    After all, Major Tom was an astronaut, like / yet the Major Tom in the song.
    3
    He believed that his trip would be successful nevertheless / in spite of the strange coincidence of being
    another astronaut named Major Tom.
    4
    ...but / ...likewise this launch went perfectly.
    5
    However / As well as, his favorite activity was visiting the Cupola module.
    6
    It felt much also / like they were walking through the deep water of a swimming pool.
    6 Active Reading Work in a small group. Make a list of all the things Major Tom does in the story.
    A
    Write each activity on a card. Choose a card. Act it out with gestures and facial expressions for other
    students to guess.
    7 Work with a classmate. Write a dialogue.
    Imagine you are Major Tom or Ground Control. How would you both feel? Rewrite the dialogue between
    Ground Control and Major Tom when he discovers that his spacesuit has a leak.
    A
    Share your dialogue with the class.
    79Major Tom in Space
    Music
    Recording
    Eras
    by
    Aaron Burkholder
    1 Look at the pictures and read
    the introduction on page 81.
    What do you think the main
    ideas of the text are?
    2 Listen and follow.
    9
    Summarizing
    A text usually has two or
    three main ideas and key
    details to support the main
    ideas. Retelling the main
    ideas and key details in
    a few sentences is called
    summarizing.
    Key Words
    amplification
    dynamic range
    format
    harmonize
    mix
    pitch
    precedent
    synchronize
    80 Topic 4
    Music is important. It’s important to each
    individual, it’s important to us as human
    beings and it influences technology.
    What kind of music do you like? Pop?
    Rock? Classical? Today, we have instant
    access to music from different cultures
    and eras. But have you ever stopped to
    think about how your favorite music was
    recorded? And imagine this… Before we
    started recording music, the only way to
    hear it was by listening to someone sing or
    play. Or by learning to play an instrument!
    So how did we get from only listening to
    live music to where we are today? And how did each
    innovation influence music? Here is a brief history
    of music recording.
    Music Recording Eras 81
    The Acoustic Recording Era
    The first recordings were made on an instrument called a
    phonograph. Have you ever seen one? The phonograph was
    invented by Thomas Edison and was patented in 1878.
    So how did it record? Well, you sang or played into a tube
    or a horn. The sound energy made a diaphragm vibrate. The
    vibrations then cut paths into cylinders. The cylinders were
    turned by a clockwork motor. To play music back, the process
    was reversed on the same machine:
    another needle pressed into the paths,
    another diaphragm and horn amplified the
    vibrations and turned them back into sounds.
    Musicians selected instruments based on how high
    or low its sounds were. This is called pitch. There was
    a very limited pitch range for the recordings, so they couldn’t
    use some instruments or some singers! For example, bass drums didn’t sound good on
    the recordings. They used other drums instead. Musicians also sat at different distances
    from the machine. This made their instruments sound louder or softer on the recording.
    Early recordings had no amplification, so all the musicians had to play loudly.
    As a result, there was very little dynamic range.
    (This is how loud or quiet music sounds.)
    If you listen to this music now, it sounds terrible!
    Because the sound quality was poor, serious musicians
    did not like the new recordings. Also, phonograph cylinders
    could only play two to three minutes of music at a time. So,
    many songs had to be made shorter. This set a precedent
    for the length of popular songs that still exists today.
    In summary, despite the limitations and poor sound quality, people were amazed!
    Companies that made phonograph cylinders (and later, gramophone discs) started making
    a lot of money. Later, the phonograph evolved into the record player. The record player was
    an invention that people could afford, and it brought recorded music into many homes.
    Cylinders
    Phonograph
    Tube
    Diaphram
    Cylinder
    Horn
    82 Topic 4
    The Electronic Recording Era
    In the mid-1920s, a new form of recording technology
    helped change popular music. Inventors added electronic
    amplification to the old phonograph recording devices. This
    new electronic recording technology produced the same
    type of records for phonographs. But the sound was much
    better. It also had much greater dynamic and pitch ranges.
    The new system used
    electronic microphones.
    Microphones could go anywhere
    in the room. They also introduced another important
    element of recording: the producer. The producer
    could now adjust the volume of each microphone
    separately. This resulted in different mixes of the
    instruments. All of these changes had an important
    result: for the first time, a recording could sound
    different from live music.
    These new electronic recordings allowed
    musicians freedom of dynamics and pitch
    that brought new
    instruments and
    vocal styles.
    For example, for the first time, jazz could use bass
    guitars and bass drums.
    Suddenly, jazz was everywhere! It was the big, swinging
    music of young people and rebellion. Some people hated it.
    Some newspapers even wrote that it was silly. But even today,
    the 1920s and 30s are still called “The Jazz Age.”
    During the 1920s, listening to the radio became
    popular, too. But it wasn’t until the next recording era that it
    would become a common way to listen to music.
    83Music Recording Eras
    The Magnetic Recording Era
    After World War II, a new technology changed the
    recording industry again. This time, magnetic tape
    recording improved sound quality. It also had other
    advantages over records. The tapes could play for a
    longer time. They could also be cut apart and taped back
    together, like movie film. The recordings sounded as good
    as live radio. Radio stations started playing a lot more pop
    music recordings.
    By the middle of the 1950s, experimental musicians
    were using magnetic technology to record
    songs in new ways, too. Professional magnetic
    recording tapes had multiple tracks. These
    tracks were on the same tape, so they were
    always synchronized. This allowed musicians
    to record a song on one track using a few
    instruments.
    Then, they could go back and record the same song again
    using different instruments on the same tape. They
    could also add new sounds or harmonizing vocals. The
    technology became a part of the creativity.
    Musical genres exploded during this time.
    This included new forms of jazz, rhythm and blues
    (R&B), country and folk, and classical music. Later came
    disco, punk and early electronic music. People around
    the world started listening to the music of other cultures in ways they
    never did before—for example, afrobeat from West Africa, reggae
    from Jamaica and many others.
    In 1958, RCA introduced the RCA tape cartridge.
    By 1983, more cassettes were sold than records for the
    first time, thanks to the Walkman and similar devices.
    Topic 484
    The Digital Recording Era
    By the 1980s, almost all professional musicians were recording digitally. This means that
    musicians recorded on computers instead of disc or tape. The
    CD (compact disc) became the new digital format. It
    gave an exact copy of the digital studio recording.
    At the same time, more musicians developed
    and used electronic instruments. Electric
    organs, synthesizers and drum machines were
    some of the new instruments that worked very
    easily with the digital recording format.
    Once again, the
    combination of new recording
    methods and instruments led
    to new genres of music. Various
    forms of electronic music, new
    wave, metal and rap all developed in the digital era. Later, CDs
    were replaced with compressed digital files.
    The Internet has removed the barriers from music.
    As new musicians grow up, they are listening to music
    genres from anywhere in the world. In fact, there is
    no way to predict the way all these musical genres will
    influence each other in the next generation, or the ways that new
    technology will change our music (and our lives) again.
    85Music Recording Eras
    A
    Write one musical genre that started in each era.
    2 Complete the sentences with the correct words.
    amplification format mix precedent synchronized
    1
    Short phonograph recordings set the for the length of songs.
    2
    In the acoustic era, all musicians had to play loudly. There was no .
    3
    With the invention of microphones, producers could use a of instruments.
    4
    During the magnetic era, multiple tracks could be and set in one recording.
    5
    CDs are an example of music in a digital .
    3 Match the headings with the descriptions.
    1
    The Acoustic Recording Era
    2
    The Electronic Recording Era
    3
    The Magnetic Recording Era
    4
    The Digital Recording Era
    A small number of people could record a song with dozens of different instruments and voices.
    Musicians could not use some instruments or singers.
    People could listen to music from any part of the world.
    Producers could make songs that sounded different from live music.
    1 Write the names of the recording eras.
    Acoustic Digital Electronic Magnetic
    1 2 3 4
    86 Topic 4
    4 Summarizing Sort the key details by their main ideas. Write the numbers of the sentences in the chart.
    1
    It is easy to hear music from anywhere in the world.
    2
    Multiple tape tracks meant artists could record different parts of songs separately.
    3
    Musicians had to play all the instruments loudly.
    4
    Phonographs could not record some instruments and singers.
    5
    Producers could adjust the volume of each microphone separately.
    6
    Singers could sing softly for the first time.
    7
    Tape could be cut apart and put back together like film.
    8
    With computers, there are no limits to the recording process.
    Transitions
    Transition words or phrases
    help authors and readers
    move from one topic to
    another. They can summarize
    information. They can also
    indicate results.
    Acoustic Era Magnetic Era Electronic Era Digital Era
    5 Transitions Find the blue transition words in the text. Do they show
    the result of another action? Sort the words to complete the chart.
    6 Active Reading Choose an era and write notes about it. Summarize it.
    Share your summary with a classmate.
    7 Work in a small group. Talk about your favorite music genres.
    87Music Recording Eras
    Connect to Me
    1 Think and draw. Imagine you live on a space station. What would it look like inside?
    What would you do there?
    Connect to History
    1 Research music from one of the recording eras. Find some songs that show how records sounded
    then. Play the songs for your classmates. What are the songs like? Which one is your favorite?
    88 Topic 4