The history of numbers
The history of numbers
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3
The invention of photography
The invention of photography
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4
Reading
Unusual musical instruments
Unusual musical instruments
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5
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British food traditionsc
British food traditions
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All about giraffes
All about giraffes
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Escher
Escher
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There are lots of unusual musical instruments in the world. Here are a few of them:
1
Sailing in the 16th century
Sailing in the 16th century
The violin, the cello, and the Chinese erhu are all string instruments. You usually
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play these instruments with a bow. But you can play other things with a bow too.
For example, a saw. We usually use a saw to cut wood. But it can be a musical
instrument too! You use the bow to make the saw vibrate, like the strings of a violin.
Term 1 A treasure map
Term 1 A treasure map
A musical saw makes an interesting sound  it sounds very different from a string
instrument.
Picture
Term 2 Nonsense poems
Term 2 Nonsense poems
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The theremin was invented in the 1920s by Leon Theremin. It is one of the earliest
electronic instruments, but it doesn t look like a musical instrument. It looks like a
Term 3 Sandybridge Island
Term 3 Sandybridge Island
wooden box with four legs at the bottom. A piece of metal sticks out of the top of
the box, and another piece of metal sticks out of the side of the box. You play the
theremin without touching it! You move your hands near the pieces of metal, but
you don t touch them. One piece of metal makes the music louder or quieter, and the
other piece of metal makes it higher or lower.
Picture
3
In Zadar, in Croatia, there are some steps next to the sea. They aren t ordinary
steps  they are a musical instrument! This is how it works. There are pipes in the
concrete under the steps. The sea water goes into the end of the pipes and makes air
move along the pipes. Each pipe makes a different note. The steps are called a  sea
organ . This unusual music instrument is very popular. Lots of tourists come to Zadar
to listen to the music. The music is different every day  when the weather and the
waves change, the music changes!
Picture
8 Unusual musical instruments
PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press | Incredible English 5
Reading
2 Find these words in the text. Write.
1 t __ __
2 s __ __ __
3 b __ __ __ __ __
3 Read the text again and write T (true) or F (false).
1 A musical saw has got strings.
2 A theremin is a percussion instrument.
3 The sea organ in Zadar uses water to make music.
4 Tourists like listening to the sea organ.
4 Complete the crossword.
Clues:
Across
)
1
4 What country is the sea organ in?
6 What kind of instrument is an erhu? A 2
___ instrument.
3
8 What is the opposite of  quieter ?
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C
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Down
º
1 A theremin is an ___ instrument.
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2 How many pieces of metal stick out of
the theremin?
3 There are lots of ___ under the steps of
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the sea organ.
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5 What is the opposite of  lower ?
7 What do you usually use to play a
violin with? A ___ .
5 Read and answer.
1 Do you play a musical instrument?
2 If yes, which one?
3 What is your favourite musical instrument?
Unusual musical instruments
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PHOTOCOPIABLE
© Oxford University Press | Incredible English 5