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UNIT 1 / Pre-intermediate
GENERATIONS

Tense Revision

Complete the sentences. Use the words in parentheses. Use SIMPLE PRESENT,
PRESENT CONTINUOUS or SIMPLE PAST.

1. I didn’t go (go / not) to a movie last night. I stayed (stay) at home.

2. We ________ (finish / not) our homework last night. We________ (go) to bed early.
3. John_________ (stand / not) up right now. He________ (sit) on a chair.
4. It ________ (rain / not) right now. The rain_________ (stop) a few minutes ago.
5. The weather________ (be / not) cold today, but it ________ (be) cold yesterday.
6. Anne and I ________ (go / not) shopping yesterday. We________ (go) shopping last
Monday.
7. Alice________ (go) to a movie last night, but she________ (enjoy / not) it.
8. I________ (write) a letter to my friend yesterday, but I________ (write / not) a letter to
him last week.
9. My father _________ (come / not) home for dinner last night. He________ (stay) at
his office.
10. The children________ (go) to bed an hour ago. They________ (sleep) now.
11. I _______ (be) late for the movie last night. The movie ________ (start) at 8:00, but
I________ (arrive / not) until 8:15.
12. She________ (dance) with Michael now.
13. He usually ________ (take) the bus to school.
14. My husband never _______ (remember) my birthday.
15. My friend and I ________ (watch) a football match on television at the moment.
16. Sally ________ (come / not) to class every day.
17. Mary________ (read) a book right now. She________ (watch / not) TV.
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Fill in the blanks with present simple, past simple or present continuous. Don't use
contractions.

Dear Susan
How are you? I (1) received (receive) your letter last week. Thank you for the recipe for the
cake I (2) ________ (ask) for. I made it last week and it (3) _________ (be) very nice. Now I
(4) _________ (have) a new job in a supermarket in the city centre. I go there every day at 3
o'clock in the afternoon and (5) _________ (work) till 10 o'clock in the evening. I am very
happy because my sister (6) ________ (work) there, too so we travel to and from work
together. I (7) _______ (get) my first salary last week and I went shopping immediately! I (8)
_______ (buy) a new stereo for my bedroom. It is gold and black and (9) _______ (look) very
nice. My brother (10) _______ (come) to stay with me for a few days next week. He
(11) _______ (arrive) on Saturday so I am going to collect him from the station. After I collect
him, we are going to that Mexican restaurant near the park. (12) ________ (you/want) to
come with us? If you want to come, you can (13) ________ (call) me. John told me that you
(14) __________ (pass) your Spanish exam last month. Congratulations! (15) _______ it
(be) difficult? You know that I (16) ________ (be) terrible at languages but you are better.
(17) _________ (you/go) to visit Spain for your next holiday so you can practice it?

Please write to me soon with all your news.

Jane
All the best

Fill in the blanks with the present simple, present continuous or the past simple.

1. I (play) played tennis yesterday but I (not win) did not win.
12. I (not write) ________ letters very often; I (prefer) _________phoning.
3. He (not go) _________to work yesterday because he (not feel) _________well.
4. The polar ice cap (consist) _________of millions of tons of ice.
5. “You (not help) ________ your brother, did you?”
“No, I (go) ________to the dentist.”
6. “Where ____ Mr Murphy _____ (fish) at the moment?”
“I (not, know) _________.”
7. “How ________ your brother _______ (go) to school?”
“ He (go - always) ________ by bike.”
8. My sister (not go) ________ to school by bike, she (go) _________ on foot.
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9. Last month, the children (enjoy) ________ swimming in a five star hotel. It (be)
________wonderful.
10. Be quiet, please! I (watch) _________an interesting film.

Put the verbs in brackets into PRESENT CONTINUOUS or PRESENT SIMPLE.

It is (be) winter and the snow ________ (fall). It usually ________ (snow) in January here.
Ali and Ayşe________ (be) in the garden.
They _______ (build) a snowman and they ________ (play) snowball. They ________ (like)
the snow very much! Their mother and father _________ (not / like) it. They always
________ (stay) in the house when it is cold. Mother usually ________ (watch) TV and
father_______ (listen) to the radio or _________ (read) a book. At the moment they
_________ (sit) in the living room. Mother _________ (write) a letter and father__________
(read) a book.

Complete the dialogue using the verbs in brackets in the correct form:

A: Why don’t you finish (you / not / finish) your homework and come and watch TV?
B: Because I ________ (not / understand) it. It is too difficult.
A: Why ________ (you / not / ask) your teacher to explain it?
B: Because I________ (not / like) him.
A: And why ________ (you / not / like) him?
B: Well, he _______ (always / shout) at me.
A: Why ________ (he / shout) at you?
B: Well, I ________ (not / work) in class and I________ (not / do) my homework.
A: Well, no wonder he_________ (shout) at you. Give me your book now. We’ll try and
do it together.

Use Present Simple, Present Continuous or Past Simple to fill in the blanks.
1. “Can I talk to Jim?”
“No, you can’t. He is having (have) a bath.”
2. My daughter ________ (listen) to music every morning.
3. Be quiet, please! The children _______ (try) to sleep.
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4. He ________ (decide) to visit London last month. He_______ (meet) interesting people,
_______ (see) wonderful sights and ________ (enjoy) himself a lot.
5. When he _______ (see) the accident, he ________ (stop) his car, ________ (help) the
driver and _______ (call) the ambulance immediately.
6. I ________ (not believe) her. She ________ (tell-never) the truth. She _______ (lie-
always)
7. France ________ (win) the World Cup last week. They _______ (beat) Croatia 4-2.
8. Water ________ (boil) at 100 degrees Celsius.
9. A: Why ________ (you –bring) your new laptop to school yesterday? B: Because I
_______ (want) to show it to my classmates.
10. Where is George? He________ (read) the paper in the balcony. He________ (read-
usually) the paper after he ________ (have) breakfast.

Use Future Tense forms (going to-will-present continuous).

1. John will be (be) 18 next month.

2. I think it _______soon. (snow)

3. Perhaps I _______New York one day. (visit)

4. What time _______tomorrow? (leave/you)

5. Who _______ the next World Cup? (win)

6. I'm sure you ________the exam next week. (not fail)

7. I ________my parents at the week-end. (visit)

8. Don't touch that dog. It _______ you. (bite)

9. They ________for a meal tonight. (come)

10. Look at those clouds, it _______ (rain)

11. Tony _______a friend tomorrow. (meet)

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WILL OR GOING TO

1. My sister is going to have (have) a baby next month. She’s eight months pregnant.
2. The academic year is over, so the students _________ (have) a barbecue party with their
teachers tomorrow. I hope it won’t rain.
3. The French national team ________ (win) the match. They are leading 4-2 and the last
two minutes!
4. A: Can I borrow some money? I promise I_________ (give) it back tomorrow.
5. Don’t be sad! I_______ (help) you with your homework.
6. “Would you like to have tea or coffee?”
“I________ (have) tea, please.”
7. I’ve already decided. I________ (buy) a new car next week.
8. A: What are your plans for the summer holiday? B: I ________ (visit) my parents for a few
days and then travel to Japan.
9. The telephone is ringing. I ________ (answer) it.
10. A: I’ve got a bad headache. B: Sit down and don’t worry. I _______ (get) you an aspirin.
11. I think Galatasaray ________ (be) champion next year.
12. After I finish high school, I ________ (study) medicine and become a doctor. I’ve always
wanted to be a doctor.
13. A: Where are you going? B: To the market. I ________ (do) some shopping.
14. Ali doesn’t want to go to the match. He says he ________ (paint) his room.
15. “ Did you invite your friend to your wedding?”
“Oh, no. I forgot it. I________ (phone) him now.”
16. A: I haven’t got any money on me.
B: That’s OK. I__________ (lend) you some.

Choose the option which best fits the sentences.

1. __________ in Hong Kong since 2004.

A) She lived B) She's lived C) She lives

2. I__________him for ages.

A) seen B) didn’t see C) haven't seen

3. She's__________the boss for 6 months now.

A) has B) be C) been
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4. We __________to France on holiday last year.

A) went B) 've gone C) go

5. He __________ had a lot of problems recently.

A) have B) 's C) is

6. She __________ four marathons. Her first one________ in 2001 in Amsterdam.

A) has run / has been B) ran / was C)has run / was

Look at this information about the Harry Potter writer JK Rowling.

Choose the best answer from the options below to complete the sentences.

JK Rowling (1)__________ born on 31 July 1965. She (2)__________ 7 Harry Potter books and
although she says she won't write any more, lots of her fans hope her seventh one won't be her
last. She (3)__________ as an English Language teacher in Portugal for a short time in the early
90`s. Her books about Harry Potter (4)__________ incredibly successful and so far she
(5)__________ more than £500 million from them. She (6)__________ married twice and has
two children – one from each marriage.

Options

1. has been / was / is

2. writes / has wrote / has written

3. has worked / worked / is worked

4. have / have been / has been

5. has made / has make / makes

6. has / has been / was

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Underline the correct choices.

“The Goddesses” are a new girl band from Dublin. They (1) started/have started playing in
2012 and (2) made/have made fourteen albums so far. Their first album (3) sold/has sold
50,000 copies in the first two months. They (4) have won/won the Irish Music Awards twice
and (5) have toured/toured around Europe and America. Why (6) have they been/were
they so successful?

Amy and Sam, the lead singers, are sisters. ‘We (7) have always loved/always loved
singing since we were really young. When we were in elementary school, we (8)
started/have started a band with some friends and (9) sang/have sung in a concert at the
end of the year. It (10) was/has been a big success. Since that day, we (11) have always
been/ were always very lucky.

Rewrite the sentences using SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT TENSE:

1. I haven’t seen her for a long time.

It’s ages since I last saw her.

2. I last met George two weeks ago.

I haven’t _____________________________________

3. They have been here for three months.

They arrived _____________________________________

4. We started living in Istanbul 12 years ago.

We have _____________________________________

5. I last saw my girlfriend five days ago.

I haven’t _____________________________________

6. Is this the first time you have tasted a kiwi?

_______________ (not) you _________________ one before?

7. I last smoked a cigarette ten years ago.

I haven’t _____________________________________

8. I last drank wine two weeks ago.

It’s two weeks _____________________________________wine.

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9. I have lived in Istanbul since January.

I _____________________________________(come)

10. They moved to Ankara two years ago.

They _____________________________________two years.

11. She hasn’t been to Rome before.

This is the first time _____________________________________

Complete the dialogue with Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple or
Present Perfect Simple form of the verbs in parentheses.

Hi Roberto,

How__________1 (be) you? I hope you’re OK. Right now I_____________2 (sit) in a cafe
near Oxford Street. I____________3 (arrive) in London two days ago. Here in London
I__________4 (start) an English course next week. I’m really excited about it.
___________you ever__________5 (travel) to London? It’s an amazing city but
I_____________6 (not understand) the people very well- because they usually
____________7 (talk) very fast. I’m here with one of my cousins, Javier.
You_____________8 (meet) him last year when you______________9 (come) to my party.
He_______________10 (do) some shopping in Oxford Street at the moment because
he___________11 (need) to buy a new coat. Javier ______________12 (visit) London for
work twice before, so he______________13 (know) a lot of good places to go. Last night
we_______________14 (go) to a concert in Camden and_____________15 (see) a new
band called the Love Doctors- it______________16 (be) great! Well, my
phone_______________17 (ring) now- it’s probably Javier. I have to go now but I am going
to write to you again tomorrow. Take care!
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QUESTION WORDS

Question
Meaning Examples
words
who person Who's that? That's Nancy.
where place Where do you live? In Boston.
reason Why do you sleep early? Because I've got to get
why
up early.
when time When do you go to work? Early in the morning.
how manner How do you go? By car.
what object, idea or action What do you do? I am an engineer
which choice Which one do you prefer? The red one.
whose possession Whose is this book? It's Alan's.
whom object of the verb Whom did you meet? I met the manager.
description What kind of music do you like? I like quiet
what kind
songs.
what time time What time did you come home? At 7 p.m.
quantity (countable) How many students are there? There are
how many
twenty.
amount, price How much time have we got? Ten minutes
how much
(uncountable)
duration, length How long did you stay in that hotel? For two
how long
weeks.
how often frequency How often do you go to the gym? Twice a week.
how far distance How far is your school? It's one mile far.
how old age How old are you? I'm 16.

Complete the following sentences with the "QUESTION WORDS" on the list below.

WHICH WHO WHERE WHY HOW WHAT WHEN

1. A: ______________ often do you go to the cinema?

B: I go to the cinema twice a week.

2. A: ______________ is your father from?

B: My father is from Cyprus.

3. A: ______________ is the weather like today?

B: It is very sunny today.

4. A: ______________ is your father?

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B: He is very well, thank you.

5. A: ______________ looks after patients in hospitals?

B: Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

6. A: ______________ long does your sister watch TV a day?

B: She watches TV for three hours a day.

Read the text. Write the questions below about Tamsin’s holiday.

Last September Tamsin went to Bali. She went by plane and stayed in a big hotel. It
was very hot, so she swam every day. In the evenings she went to different restaurants, the
food was very good. She met some nice people and every night she danced with them at the
disco. She was happy because she wasn’t alone.

1. Where did she go? ………………………………………………. Bali.

2. …………………………………………………………………… Last September.
3. …………………………………………………………………… By plane.
4. …………………………………………………………………… In a big hotel.
5. …………………………………………………………………… It was very hot.
6. …………………………………………………………………… She swam.
7. …………………………………………………………………… It was very good.
8. …………………………………………………………………… Some nice people.

Complete the blanks with question words and then match questions with the answers:

1. _____ did you learn to drive a car? a. By bus.

2. _____ did you watch on television last night? b. The news.
3. _____did you do last weekend? c. 6 th September.
4. ____ were you with at 4pm today? d. On Saturday I played tennis
5. ____ was the beginning of term? e. January.
6. ____did you come to class? f. Three years ago.
7. ____ did you eat for breakfast this morning? g. John.
8. ____ was the month before last? h. Toast and coffee.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER.

1._______ colour are your eyes?

A) Which B) Whose C) What D) Where

2. _______ are my keys?

A) Where B) When C) Whose D) How
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3._______ do you visit your friends? – On Sundays.

A) What time B) Where C) Which D) When

4. “________ is the king of Sweden?”

“V. Harald.”
A) When B) Who C) Which D) What

5. ________ old is your brother?

A) What B) When C) How D) Which

6. ________ did you leave the party early?

A) When B) Who C) Why D) What

7. “_______ one did you buy?”

“The green one.”
A) Which B) What C) Whose D) How

8._______ boys are there in your class?

A) How much B) How long C) How many D) How far

9. _______ are you angry with me today?

A) Who B) What C) When D) Why

10. “_______ is that man over there?”

“That’s Mr. Adams.”
A) Who B) What C) Why D) How

11. _______ is she going now? - To the post office.

A) What B) Where C) Which D) Why

12. ________ is in the garden? - Dad.

A) Where B) Who C) Why D) Whose

13. ________ computer did you decide to buy? –The most expensive one.
A) What B) Which C) How D) How much
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14. ________ is your father going to come back? – Next Saturday.

A) Where B) What time C) How D) When

15. “________ are you from?”

“Kayseri.”
A) Who B) Which C) Where D) What

16. ________ did you pay for the vase? – $120.

A) How many B) How long C) How much D) When

17. _________ does it take from Ankara to İstanbul by bus?

A) How much B) How far C) When D) How long

18. ________ car did you borrow yesterday? – My friend’s.

A) What B) Whose C) Who’s D) How

19.__________ are you crying? Because I lost my mother.

A) What B) Who C) Why D) How

20. ________ is he doing in his room? – He’s studying.

A) Why B) How C) When D) What

Vocabulary

The following verb pairs have similar meanings. Use the correct verb in each
sentence.

say-tell speak-talk play-go do-make buy-pay for

1. go - play

a) Shall we ___________ skiing at the weekend? I am free.

b) I can’t ___________ tennis well. I need some more tennis practice.

2. do – make

a) It’s a good idea to ___________ pilates and aerobics to get fit.

b) It is hot so please ___________ some cold lemonade. We really need a refreshing drink.
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3. say - tell

a) ____________ me the truth. Do you really love Sally?

b) Did Susan ___________ why she was unhappy?

Yes, she ___________ me her marriage was in trouble,

4. speak – talk

a) Is your father a tour guide? How many languages can he ___________?

b) My friend always dominates the conversation, she ___________ too much.

In fact she is a chatterbox.

5. buy – pay for

a) There is a 50% sale in that shop. You can ___________ two shirts for the price of one.

b) They don’t accept credit cards. You have to ___________ the shoes in cash.

Write the verbs in the correct spaces

take make go do get

swimming
for a picnic
__________ to school

a photo
a taxi
__________ a shower

coffee
a phone call
__________ a reservation
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karate
homework
__________ the washing up

dressed
up
__________ to work

Complete the sentences with the same verbs given above.

1. I want to lose some weight, so I go to the gym and do exercise every day. I sometimes go
jogging, too.

2. Come into the kitchen and help me after you ___________ your homework. I’ll___________
a salad. You can __________ the washing up after I cook dinner for the guests.

3. I would like to ___________ a phone call. Please, lend me your mobile. I’ll phone the hotel

and ___________ a reservation for a room for two nights.

4 . I am hungry, Mum! Can you ___________ me a sandwich before I leave for school. I am

___________ now, but I can’t find my socks.

5. Please say cheese when you pose. I am going to ________ a photo of you.

6. Please ring me when you ___________ back to the hotel.

7. Let’s __________ for a walk by the lake.

8. Come on honey! __________ and ___________ a shower before breakfast or you will miss

the school bus.

9. We are late for the flight. We have to __________ a taxi to the airport.

10. My mother __________ the ironing and cooking in the afternoon.

Complete the sentences with correct prepositions below.

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for at with on from of to in about

1. Bill is interested in musical instruments and he is good ________ playing the piano.

2. Thank you very much _________ the present which you sent me ________ my birthday.

3. I always have breakfast _________ my parents _________the kitchen at home.

4. I have some questions _________ your future plans.

5. I come _________ a big family _________ around 10 children.

6. I always meet friends __________ a cafe _________ weekends.

7. I sent a letter of complaint __________ the owner _________ the shop and asked for a

refund.

8. I am angry ________ my sister. She shouted _________ me for no reason.

Adjectives + nouns (heavy rain etc.)

Match The Adjectives with the appropriate Noun.

ADJECTIVE NOUN

1. busy ______mountain
2. high ______eyes
3. bright
______bottle
4. empty
______question
5. amateur
______bread
6. embarrassing
______hotel
7. dangerous
8. sliced ______animal

9. blue ___1___street

10. thick ______photographer

11. luxury ______soup

______colour
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Use the ADJECTIVES in the box to complete the sentences .More than one answer
is possible

modern heavy late long new loud empty cheap cloudy beautiful boring
busy

1. The flowers are really beautiful.

2. It’s a _________ film.
3. She’s a _________ manager.
4. At this station the price of petrol is so______. Lets fill up the tank.
5. I don’t like _______ weather.
6. You can use the ______ box over there.
7. Young children shouldn’t carry _______ school bags.
8. The bus is going to arrive ______ again.
9. ______ music can harm your ears.
10. It is a _____ journey to get to my village. It is 650 km away.
11. If I had enough money, I would buy a _______flat.
12. I got a _______ car for my birthday.
Some ADJECTIVES can have a preposition + a noun ( pronoun) after them.

ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + NOUN (pronoun)

I`m afraid of dogs .

She’s good at maths.

Complete each sentence with a proper "Preposition" on the list below.

at for to with of in of for by about

1. James was very proud __of__his brother.

2. She is not interested ______ classical music.
3. That is very kind ______you to show me the way to the hospital.
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4. I am proud ______being a Turkish citizen.

5. My father is very good ______playing table tennis.
6. Mersin is famous ______ its oranges.
7. My sister is very much afraid ______ mice .
8. If you are bored ______listening to the radio, let's play chess.
9. She is married ______two children.
10. That old lady is married _______ a 25 year old man.
11. The rooms were full ______ old furniture.
12. Ian was pleased ______ the exam results.
13. I am surprised ________his performance.
14. I am prepared_______ the race. I have been training for ages.
15. I am fond _______ her. She is so lovely and intelligent .
16. My parents are angry _____ my laziness.They want me to study more often.
17. The students are tired_______ taking exams university.They want to relax more.
18. The new security guard is responsible _______ the safety of apartment at night
time.
19. Vegetable and fruit are good ______ our health .

Fill in the blanks using the correct prepositions (of time and place): in, on, at, near, for,
until, back, with.

I. I’m a writer. I write stories _____ children. I live _____ New York. I get up a bit late
_____ the morning and have breakfast. I don’t work _____ an office. I work _____ home.
______ 3 o’clock I have lunch _____ friends in a café. After lunch, we go _____ a walk
_____ the park near the office. I come _______ home. I work _____ 4 p.m. ______ 9 p.m. I
eat salad _____ dinner _____ a restaurant. I get back home _____ about 11 o’clock and
then I listen to classical music _____ two hours. I go to bed late _____ night and I sleep
_______ eight hours.

II. I work _____ the city. I get _____ home _____ 7 o’clock _____ the evening. I have
dinner _____ 8:30 pm and _____ winter I usually watch TV _____ home. _____. I go out
_____ dinner _____ Fridays. I can go to bed late because I don’t work _____ weekends.
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Everyday dialogues

The new guy at school

Jane: Hi, Peter. Do you know the boy over there?

Peter: Not really! I think he’s the new guy.

Jane: Do you know anything about him?

Peter: No. Nothing. ______________1___________________?

Jane: Good idea. I think he will be pleased if we talk to him.

Peter: Hi, there! Are you new at school?

The new guy: Hi. That’s right. ________________2__________________.

Peter: Welcome to our school.

The new guy: Thank you. My name is Danny.

Peter: I’m Peter and this is Jane, a classmate.

The new guy: _________________3_____________________.

Jane: Pleased to meet you, too. Let’s go to the cafeteria, have something to drink and chat a
bit. You must have questions in mind about your new school.

The new guy: Definitely. It’s very kind of you to invite me for a drink.

Jane: Where are you from, Danny?

Danny: I’m from Manchester. I was born there but I grew up in York. How about you, Jane?

Jane: _______________________4_______________________.

Danny: Oh, really! You are Welsh, then. I’ve never been there.

Jane: My family still lives there. Maybe one day we can visit them.

Danny: That would be nice.

Peter: What would you like to drink? I’ll have a cup of expresso.

Danny: _____________________5______________________.

Jane: I’ll have some mineral water.

Danny: Can you give me some information about school? _____________________6

_________________?

Jane: Well, Peter is better at giving information than me. So, why don’t we wait for him?
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Danny: OK, then.

Put the sentences in correct places.

1. The same for me, please.

2. I’ve just started this school.

3. I was born in Cardiff, in Wales.

4. What time do the lessons start?

5. Why don’t we ask him directly?

6. Nice to meet you.

Are these sentences True or False?

1. ______ The new guy is called David.

2. ______ Jane and Peter aren’t interested in the new guy.

3. ______ They welcome the new guy.

4. ______ The new guy doesn’t want to make friends with Jane and Peter.

5. ______ They are going to meet at Jane’s house.

6. ______ The new guy has questions to ask about school.

7. ______ Jane and Peter are classmates.

8. ______ Danny doesn’t know much about school.

9. ______ They are going to drink something at the cafeteria.

10. ______ Danny is from Wales.

Tense Revision

Fill in the blanks with the correct verb forms.

Host: I’m happy you _______________ (arrive). Was it difficult to get here?

Jack: No, not at all. I’m sorry, I’m late. There ______________ (be) delays on the train.

Host: There’s nothing to worry about. Most guests _______________ (arrive) now. Come on
in and I’ll introduce you to people. Andy, ________ you _________ (meet) Jack?

Andy: No, I haven’t. It’s nice to meet you, Jack.

Jack: Pleased to meet you, too.

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Host: Jack is also interested in travelling. Which places _________ you __________ (be) to,
Jack?

Jack: Well, I’ve been to a lot of countries in South Asia, Central Africa and in the Middle-
East.

Andy: Wow, all hot places!

Jack: Yes. How about you?

Andy: I _________ (be born) in Canada and ____________ (grow up) there. I’ve been to
Finland which is rather cold even in summer and Belgium. I ___________ just __________
(come back) from Norway. Anyway, where __________ you ___________ (meet) the host?

Jack: We ___________ (go) to the same school. We ______________ (be) close friends
since then. And you?

Andy: We go to the same sports club.

Jack: That’s why you ____________ (look) fit. I’m not very good at sports except for
swimming. I sometimes ____________ (go) to the swimming pool.

Andy: Swimming is one of my favourite sports, too.

Host: Come on everybody! Snacks and drinks are ready. Help yourself!

Reading

My best friends: My mother and my daughter

Hello. My name is Tarah and I live in Manchester with my husband and daughter Sarah. My
parents live in the next street so we see them very often. There are two people in my life who
are very important to me. My mother was my best friend when I was growing up. She was 18
years old when I was born so we grew up together. We look like each other very much and
people say we look like sisters rather than mother and daughter. Of course, there are times
when we argue and misunderstand each other but we can never stay apart for a long time. I
missed her especially while I was studying at college in another city, and when I lived abroad
for three years after I graduated. But she came to visit me often and we had great time
together. My mother was a teacher, but now she is retired and we spend more time together.
My father and my husband are sometimes jealous of our relationship but actually they admire
how well we get along. My mother was especially very helpful when my daughter Sarah was
born. She looked after her while I was working for the first two years. Sarah thought she had
two mothers until she was 5 years old. Now she is 14 and she is a teenager. We have many
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arguments these days but we always make up later. My mother gives me a lot of advice and
I can see she is more understanding than me towards my daughter. I am so lucky to have
my mother and Sarah in my life. The best thing we like doing together is shopping. We spend
hours buying clothes and shoes and after each shopping expedition we love having a cup of
coffee and cake at our favourite bakery and talking for hours about the things we buy. Next
summer we are going to South Africa on a safari tour and I am very excited about our trip. I
bought all the necessary equipment but I forgot to buy the sleeping bags. We also need
some medicine and sun cream because Africa’s sun is much brighter than in England. My
husband hopes we all come back in one piece!

Answer the following questions according to the reading passage:

1. Who does Tarah look like?

2. Who looked after her daughter when she was working?
3. Why did Sarah think she had two mothers?
4. How long did Tarah live abroad?
5. Did she study at college in Manchester?
6. Why does Tarah have arguments with her daughter?
7. What do they like doing together?
8. Why is her husband jealous?
9. Why are they travelling to South Africa?
10. What didn’t Tarah buy?
11. Why do they need sun cream?

Writing a biography

A Short Biography about a Person Important For You

A biography is the life story of someone written by somebody else.

Read the model biography of ROSA PARKS

Rosa grew up in the United States in Alabama. Her full name was Rosa Louise McCauley
and she was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913. Her mother was a teacher
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and her father a carpenter. She had a younger brother named Sylvester. Her parents
separated while she was still young and she, with her mother and brother, went to live on her
grandparents’ farm. Rosa went to the local school for African-American children where her
mother was a teacher.

The city of Montgomery was segregated. This meant that things were different for white
people and black people. They had different schools, different churches, different stores,
different elevators, and even different drinking fountains. When Rosa would take the bus to
work, she would have to sit in the back in the seats marked "for coloured". Sometimes she
would have to stand even if there were free seats.

Rosa and her husband Raymond wanted to do something about it. They joined the National
Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP). Rosa saw the opportunity to
boycott .It was on December 1, 1955 that Rosa made her first famous boycott (while sitting) on
the bus. Rosa had sat in her seat on the bus after a hard day's work. All the seats on the bus
had filled up when a white man got on the bus. The bus driver told Rosa and some other
African-Americans to stand up. Rosa refused. The bus driver said he would call the police.
Rosa didn't move. Soon the police came and Rosa was arrested.

After the Boycott the laws were changed and black people were given the same rights as
white men. She became a symbol to many African-Americans of the fight for equal rights.
She is still a symbol of freedom and equality today.

Answer the following question about the passage:

1) Where was Rosa Parks born?

a) Maryland
b) Alabama
c) Georgia
d) Massachusetts

2) What is Rosa Parks most famous for?

a) Being the first black student to attend a white elementary school in the South
b) Refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man
c) She was a nurse during the Civil War who founded the American Red Cross
d) The first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

3) What is it called when people are separated based on race?

a) Segregation
b) Civil Rights
c) Prohibition
d) Boycotting

4) What civil rights group did Rosa and her husband Raymond join?
a) ACLU
b) NOW
c) AARP
d) NAACP
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5) What happened to Rosa when she refused to give up her seat on the bus?
a) She was charged extra for the ride
b) She was banned from riding the bus
c) She was arrested
d) She was given a warning

Activity:

Think of a famous person or a person you know well. Answer the questions below and
use your answers to write a short biography

a) Early life
1. Who is the famous person?
2. Where were they born?
3. When were they born?
4. What did their parents do?

b) Childhood
1. Where did they live as a child?
2. Where did they go to school?

c) Adulthood
1. What was their first job?
2. What other jobs did they do?
3. Did they marry? If so, who did they marry?
4. Did they have any children? How many?
5. Where did they live?

d) Becoming famous
1. What area of life is the person famous for? E.g. politics, music, film etc.
2. When did they first become well known?

e) Life at the moment (if the person is still alive)

1. Where is the person living now?

2. How old are they now?

f) Later life (if the person is no longer living)

1) Where was the person living at the end of their life?
2) When did they die?
3) Where did they die?

g) Your feelings about the person

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1) What are your feelings about the person? Do you admire them, feel sorry for them,
find them interesting/funny etc.?
2) Why do you feel this way about them?
3) What do you feel were the most important things they did?