英语听力精选进阶版 6041（在线收听）

Boy band Take That have made their comeback complete with their first UK number one single in more than a decade.

'Patience' climbed to the top spot after landing at number four a week ago based on download sales alone.

The group's first number one was the hit 'Pray' in 1993. Take That split up three years later but not before they had amassed a huge fan base, sold more than 15 million records and scored eight number one hits.

Robbie Williams went on to become even more successful as a solo artist after he left the band but, for the others, their days as Take That members remained their main claim to fame.

Today, Take That joins a growing number of bands who have re-formed or who are re-releasing previous hits. In the album charts this week, Irish boy band Westlife fended off competition from Oasis, U2 and the Beatles to take the top slot with The Love Album. All four of these bands have been together (or in the case of the Beatles were together) for many years. In fact, together, these bands have been making music for almost 50 years.

The rest of the current top ten features greatest hits collections from the likes of Jamiroquai, George Michael and Girls Aloud, meaning that Razorlight's self-titled album is the only top 10 album consisting of new material.

So what's the attraction of all these re-worked and re-released songs? Why do people buy tracks they've bought before? For many fans it's a chance to relive their teenage years, to remember and celebrate the early years of their music buying lives.

But why do the singers keep performing the same material year after year? The cynics amongst you might think it's all just another way for them to make more money for less work. But 61 year-old Rod Stewart, whose latest album has recently gone to number one in the USA, disagrees. He continues to sing the same songs that he's sung for more than 20 years because of the emotional outlet they give him. Singing gives him total freedom. He says "When you're singing it's the most wonderful feeling."

GLOSSARY 词汇表

boy band 男子组合/乐队

comeback 重返；东山再起    

number one single 榜首单曲

download sales （网上）下载销售  

split up 解散；分道扬镳

amassed 聚拢  

fan base 粉丝群  

scored 获得  

a solo artist 独唱艺术家

claim to fame 靠老牌子叫响    

re-formed 重组  

re-releasing 重新发行     

the album charts 专辑榜

fended off competition 击败竞争对手  

top slot 榜首

greatest hits collections 精曲专辑   

self-titled 以个人名字命名的 

cynics 玩世不恭者；嘲笑者

tracks 唱片   

outlet 释放；发泄；排遣