The video to the global smash hit song Gangnam Style has become the most-watched clip in YouTube's history. It has had almost 825 million views in the past five months and is moving quickly towards one billion. The video currently has 5,473,726 likes and 338,504 dislikes. Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber previously held the record for the most YouTube views with his 2010 blockbuster Baby. Gangnam Style is by 34-year-old South Korean singer Psy. His iconic dance and catchy tune have captured the imagination of millions of people worldwide. The video pokes fun at the glitzy Gangnam district of South Korea's capital Seoul. In it, he is seen dancing around the city pretending to ride a horse and twirl a lasso.


Gangnam Style first appeared on YouTube in July. It took just five months to reach the 800-million mark, over two years quicker than Bieber's song. A statement from YouTube Trends called the rise in popularity of the video as "unprecedented". It said: "The video has been a massive hit at a global level unlike anything we've ever seen before. Each day, Gangnam Style is still being watched between 7 and 10 million times." The dance has led to thousands of copycat videos being posted online, each with their own version of it. Even U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attempted it. Mr Ban joked: "I'm a bit jealous. Until two days ago, someone told me I was the most famous Korean in the world. Now I have to relinquish that."


Vocabulary:

1.

smash hit

a.

unheard of

2

previously

b.

let go of

3.

catchy

c.

beforehand

4.

captured

d.

imitation

5.

pokes fun at

e.

sensation

6.

unprecedented

f.

somewhat

7.

massive

g.

mocks

8.

copycat

h.

unforgettable

9.

a bit

i.

enormous

10.

relinquish

j.

taken over


Reading Comprehension Questions and Free Talk:

1.

How many views has Gangnam Style had?

2.

What song did Gangnam Style beat to be the most watched?

3.

What has the video captured globally?

4.

What does the video do to Seoul's Gangnam district?

5.

What is Psy pretending to twirl in his video?

6.

How long did it take the video to get 800 million views?


http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1211/121127-gangnam_style.html



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