Table of Contents
Listening Activity
This listening activity is based on the song “My Name is Luka by Susan Vega“. The song lyrics are beautiful and ideal for English learners and include many interesting language topics, such as the simple past and the past perfect simple.
Let’s start with some information about the song!
Seven Days by Sting
“Seven Days“ is a song by Sting from his album, Ten Summoner’s Tales. This listening activity includes information about the song, a link to the lyrics, and the official video.
Seven Days by Sting
Level
Beginner and intermediate students.
Facts about the Song
- Song: Seven Days
- Album: Ten Summoner”s Tales
- Date of release: 1 April 1993
- Genre: Pop rock, soft rock, jazz-rock
- Length of the song: 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
Interesting Information about the Song
The title of the album, Ten Summoner’s Tales, is a clever play on words that blends Sting’s real surname, Sumner, with the character of the summoner from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
Released in 1993, this album marked a shift in tone for Sting, moving away from the somber and introspective themes of his previous album, The Soul Cages, which was deeply influenced by the loss of his parents in the 1980s. Ten Summoner’s Tales instead explores themes of love and morality, presented in a more upbeat and lively musical style.
The Video
The Lyrics
Language Points
The song includes many interesting language points:
Expressions that may be useful to students:
- “Seven Days” was all she wrote
A kind of ultimatum note
She gave to me, she gave to me
When I thought the field had cleared
It seems another suit appeared
To challenge me…
Listening Comprehension
Sentence Completion Exercise
Complete these sentences while listening to the song:
- “Seven days,” was all she wrote, a kind of ________ note.
- The fact he’s over six feet ten might instill ________ in other men, but not in me.
- Monday, I could wait ’til ________ if I make up my mind.
- My options are ________ mostly rapidly, well, we’ll see.
- It’s a big enough ________, but it’s always me that ends up getting wet.
Gap-Fill Exercise
These words are used in the lyrics of the song:
- Ultimatum – A final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.
- Instill – To gradually but firmly establish an idea or attitude into a person’s mind.
- Squeak – A short, high-pitched sound or cry.
- Rival – A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.
- Neanderthal – Refers to a species of archaic humans, but in modern usage, it often describes someone who is uncivilized or primitive in behavior or thinking.
- Mighty – Possessing great and impressive power or strength, especially on account of size.
- Umbrella – A device used for protection from the rain, typically consisting of a circular canopy of cloth on a folding metal frame supported by a central rod.
Complete these sentences with the words provided above:
- The boss gave me an ________: either improve my performance or face consequences.
- The teacher’s goal is to ________ a love for reading in her students.
- I heard a small ________ as the door opened slowly.
- He was my biggest ________ in the competition, always one step ahead.
- Despite his appearance, he’s no ________; he’s actually quite thoughtful.
- The ________ oak tree stood tall against the stormy winds.
- She carried a large ________ to shield herself from the sudden downpour.
Source: Wikipedia
