Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
Ariana Grande is a famous singer.
She is on a big concert tour called the Eternal Sunshine Tour.
Ariana said she wants to take a break after the tour ends.
She will not act in a new play in London that she planned to do.
- singer
- a person who sings, especially as a job
- tour
- a series of concerts in different cities
- break
- a period of rest from an activity
- act
- to perform a role in a play or movie
- play
- a story performed live on a stage
- London
- the capital city of England
- fan
- a person who admires and supports someone, like a singer
- plan
- an idea for what someone will do in the future
Level 2 — Elementary
Singer Ariana Grande announced that she plans to step back from public life once her Eternal Sunshine Tour comes to an end in September.
She said the decision is connected to ongoing public scrutiny, meaning that people have been paying very close attention to her life.
Because of her decision, Ariana has withdrawn from a planned West End revival of the musical "Sunday in the Park with George," which she was going to perform alongside her "Wicked" co-star Jonathan Bailey.
Ariana spoke about her decision during a tour stop in Chicago on August 3, and fans have reacted with both support and curiosity about what will happen to her future projects.
- public life
- the parts of a person's life that happen in front of the media and public
- scrutiny
- close and careful attention or examination
- withdraw
- to remove oneself from an activity or plan
- revival
- a new production of an older play or musical
- musical
- a play or film that includes singing and dancing
- co-star
- an actor who shares the lead role with another performer
- curiosity
- a strong desire to know or learn something
- project
- a planned piece of work, such as a film or album
Level 3 — Intermediate
Ariana Grande has announced that she intends to withdraw from public life following the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour in September, attributing the decision to what she described as endless, ongoing public scrutiny.
As a direct consequence, she has pulled out of a planned West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George," in which she had been slated to star alongside Jonathan Bailey, her co-star from "Wicked."
Grande addressed the decision publicly during a tour stop in Chicago on August 3, seeking to clarify the reasoning behind her withdrawal rather than let speculation define the narrative.
The response among fans has been notably divided, with many expressing support for her prioritizing mental health while others have raised questions about the implications for her upcoming creative projects.
- attribute
- to say that something is caused by a particular thing
- conclusion
- the ending or final part of an event
- slated
- scheduled or planned for a future event
- clarify
- to make something clearer or easier to understand
- speculation
- guessing about something without full information
- narrative
- the story or account of events as it is told
- divided
- split into different, often opposing, opinions
- implication
- a likely consequence or effect of an action
Level 4 — Advanced
Ariana Grande has signaled her intention to recede from public life upon the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour in September, framing the decision as a direct response to what she characterized as unrelenting, endless public scrutiny.
In consequence, she has formally withdrawn from a forthcoming West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George," a production in which she had been slated to co-star with Jonathan Bailey, her "Wicked" collaborator, thereby forgoing what many had anticipated would be a highly publicized theatrical reunion.
Grande elected to address the decision directly during an August 3 tour stop in Chicago, preempting speculative coverage by clarifying her own account of the motivations underlying the withdrawal.
The reception among her fan base has proven markedly polarized: a substantial contingent has voiced support for her evident prioritization of mental well-being, even as others have voiced unresolved concerns about the ramifications for her forthcoming creative endeavors.
- recede
- to gradually move back or withdraw from view
- unrelenting
- continuing without pause or weakening
- forgo
- to choose not to do or have something
- collaborator
- a person who works together with another on a project
- preempt
- to take action to prevent something from happening
- polarized
- divided into sharply opposing groups or opinions
- contingent
- a group of people forming part of a larger group
- ramification
- a consequence of an action, especially one that is complex