UNIT Proficiency

8
Talking about future plans and goals

Goals and Dreams

LISTENING: Goals

A. L
 isten to Sam, Diana, Ellen, and Tom discuss their plans. What is each person going to do?
track screen time, exercise, and study more
Sam: _______________________________________________________________________
Diana:______________________________________________________________________
Ellen:_______________________________________________________________________
Tom: _______________________________________________________________________

B. Listen to the dialogue again and complete the sentences below.

1. ____________ is worrying about future goals.
2. ____________ is worrying about paying for college loans.
3. ____________ is going to track time in front of the computer screen.
4. ____________ is going to start a diet.
5. ____________ jogs in the morning.
6. ____________ is going to help someone get in shape.

SPEAKING: Goals
A. Discuss your plans and hopes for the following with your partner.
• School/Grades • Health/Fitness • Relationships • Other

GRAMMAR: Be going to

Statements
I am going to treat you to dinner tonight.
You are going to have a test today.
We are going to admit our mistake.
They are going to win their next game.
She is going to see a movie tomorrow.
Negative
I am not leaving for a while.
You are not going to be happy to hear this.
We are not going to be late. Don’t worry.
They are not going to give us a discount.
He is not going to believe you.

Questions Short answers

Am I going to see you again? Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Is she going to finish soon? Yes, she is. No, he’s not.
Are you going to join us this weekend? Yes, you are. No, you’re not.
Are we going to have a test tomorrow? Yes, we are. No, we’re not.

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 UNIT 8
A. Complete the following dialogue with the proper form of be going to.
Diana: What_______ you ___________ _______ do this weekend?
Ann: I’m just _______________ _______ stay home. I have a lot of homework to do.
Diana: That’s too bad. I am going to go to a lake with my cousins.
Ann: That sounds fun. ________ you ___________ _________ do some fishing?
Diana: Yes, we ________. It _______ _________ ________ be a sunny and hot weekend, so
we’ll go swimming too.
Ann: ________ you ________ ______ spend the night there?
Diana: No. We ________ ______________ _______ camp there. We have to go back home
late Saturday night.
Ann: _______ Sam ____________ _______ go with you?
Diana: No, he ___________. He’s not really the outdoors type.
Ann: Oh well. It sounds like it _________ ________ ________ be a nice trip.
Diana: I think so. Maybe next time you can join us.

B. Answer these questions using the correct grammar for be going to with your own
information. Share with a partner.
Example: What are you going to do after class today?
I am going to run to the bus so I don’t miss it.

1. What are you going to do after class today? ______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are you going to do tonight?_______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are you going to do tomorrow? ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are you going to do this weekend for fun? ___________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What are you going to do the day after tomorrow? _________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

6. What are you going to do next month?___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

7. What are you going to do next year? _____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

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 UNIT 8

WRITING: What is going to happen next?

A. Describe the picture. Include the following information:

a. Who and what is in the picture? Describe what you see.
b. What is the person/animal/etc. doing?
c. What do you guess is going to happen next?

There’s someone
skiing in the moun-
tains. He is flipping in
the air. I think he is go-
ing to crash. He’s going
to get hurt.

VOCABULARY: Cognates

A. The following are words from this unit. Which words are similar to words in Spanish?
1. Look at the English word. Guess what the word means in Spanish.
2. Check your answers by looking in the dictionary.

adictiva/adictivo
Addictive ________________ Dedication _______________ Prediction________________

Admit __________________ Diet_____________________ Progress__________________

Adventure________________ Disciplined _______________ Proper___________________

Calorie __________________ Discount_________________ Reality___________________

Camp____________________ Evaluate _________________ Resolution _______________

Coffee____________________ Grade____________________ Revise___________________

Compliment ______________ Graduate_________________ Semester_________________

Confident________________ Guarantee _______________ Solve____________________

Connected _______________ Instructor________________ Tournament ______________

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 UNIT 8
LISTENING: Setting goals

A. Listen to Ellen, Tom, and Diana discuss their goals. Answer the following questions.
1. Who was successful reaching their goals? Why do you think so? _______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Who has set goals related to their career plans? Do you think s/he will be successful and why?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. Who feels the healthiest and how do you know? _____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. Who was the least successful reaching their goals? How do you know? _________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

WRITING: Random acts of kindness

Research shows that people who are kind to others tend to be happier. Kindness helps us to be more
connected with others. Also, when you are kind to others, they will often return that kindness to you!

A. Here are some ideas for random acts of kindness you can do in the next few days. Choose one
(or make your own!) and complete the following sentences.

A. Smile and say “Hi” to three people you do not know.

B. Do something nice for someone you don’t know very well.
C. Write a thank you letter to someone who has helped you greatly in the past.
D. Compliment someone.
E. Help a family member or friend with his or her chores or work.
F. (Other) _____________________________________________

I am going to______________________________________________________ .
I predict that_______________________________________________________ .

B. After you do your task, write what happened.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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 UNIT 8

READING: Goals and Great Adventures

A. Discuss the following with a partner.

1. Do you usually achieve your goals?
2. W
 hat are some of the reasons you sometimes fail to
achieve your goals?

B. Read about how people can set achievable goals and

complete the paragraph with the missing information.

Goals and Great Adventures

Do you know how to write goals for yourself? Goals are not just for students. Many self-confident
and organized people use SMART goals to make their dreams happen. Adventurers like Aldo
Kane, Anne and John Arran, and Steve Backshall from the United Kingdom probably used
SMART goals in planning their climb up Amuri Tepui, a mountain that is 7,200 feet above sea
level in Venezuela. What are SMART goals, and how did Aldo Kane and his group use them to
make their plans?

SMART is an acronym to help people remember five important parts in making goals:
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Relevant
T = Timeline

Step 1. Write a specific goal. Each of these adventurous and courageous people made a plan about
how to make this difficult climb in the Venezuelan wilderness.
Step 2. Decide how to measure your success. Are you only successful if you climb all the way to the
top of the mountain? Or are you a success if you just try your best and see how far you can go?
For Aldo Kane and his group, success meant getting everyone safely to the top of Amuri Tepui.
Step 3. Is your goal attainable? Good goals are neither too easy nor too hard. Aldo Kane is a very
disciplined and experienced climbing instructor. He knew their goal to reach the top of Amuri Tepui
would be difficult, but he felt that it was something he and the team could do.
Step 4. Is your goal relevant to the way you want to live your life? These adventurers love their
challenges around the world. However, one of the team members, John, also knew it was not easy
to maintain his relationship with Anne if they were separate for many weeks. Anne and John Arran
solved this problem by making a goal to climb Amuri Tepui together.
Step 5. Set a timeline for achieving your goal and revise your goals if necessary. By the fourth day of
their climb, Steve Backshall says he was the most tired and frightened he had ever been. They began
to reevaluate their chances of success. On the seventh day of the climb, they decided to give up. They
wanted to achieve their goal, but they knew it was too risky. They had to wait for another time.
Both Aldo and Steve went on to new goals and other adventures. Aldo Kane reached his goal of
rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in 2016. Steve Backshall went kayaking in the Arctic in 2019.
Good goal planning and dedication do not guarantee success, but if you plan well, you will start
to see more of your goals and dreams become reality.

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 UNIT 8
A. Complete the summary with the words in the box. Some words should not be used.

accomplish Steve Venezuela quit SMART easy top

seventh John together goal Arctic difficult bottom

A team of adventurers made a ___________ to climb a difficult mountain in ______________.

They wanted to get to the ___________ of Amuri Tepi safely. Two team members, Anne and

___________ Arran, were a couple. They didn’t want to be separated for a long time, so they

decided to do the climb ____________. However, the climb was very ______________, and on

the ______ day they decided to _____________. They went on to set and _____________ other

difficult goals, however. A big part of their success is knowing how to make __________ goals.

WRITING: Your SMART goal

A. Think of a SMART goal you want for your future. You might set a goal for education,
learning English, travel, career, skills, marriage, children, etc.

Specific Goal: What exactly is your goal? _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Measurable: How will you know if you are successful? _________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Attainable: Is your goal realistic?____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Relevant: How is your goal meaningful to your life?____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Timeline: What is your schedule to attain your goal? __________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Share your answers with your partner. In the next few weeks, you can check your progress on
your goals.

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SPEAKING: Predictions for 2030

A. W
 hich predictions about your life do you think will happen? Discuss your answers with a partner.

1. I will own an electric car by 2030. You can use the following sentences
2. I will live in a new city by 2030. for your answers.
3. I will travel abroad before 2030. A. This will definitely happen.
4. I will have a new career by 2030. B. This will probably happen.
5. I will make a lot more money in 2030 than I do now. C. I don’t know if this will
6. I will have a child by 2030. happen or not.
D. This probably won’t happen.
E. This will not happen.

GRAMMAR: Will

Statements Contractions
I will send you an email. I’ll send you an email.
She will be right back. She’ll be right back.
We will never know the reason. We’ll never know the reason.

Negative Contractions
I will not have enough time. I won’t have enough time.
They will not be disappointed. They won’t be disappointed.

Questions Short answers

Will you have enough money? Yes, I will.
Won’t you be tired after the trip? No, I won’t.

Wh- Questions Common mistakes

Where will you go?
How will you get there?
What will you do there?
When will you come back?
Why won’t you stay longer?
I will to help you. → I will help you.
She will stays. → She will stay.
They will helping you. → They will help you.
A: Will you help me?
B: Yes, I’ll. → Yes I will.

A. Write the following sentences with the correct grammar.

I will see you soon.
1. I will seeing you soon. _________________________________________________
2. You will to get the job. _________________________________________________
3. We no will have a test today. _________________________________________________

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4. He won’t is coming back. _________________________________________________

5. A. Will you buy a car?
B. Yes, I’ll. _________________________________________________

SPEAKING: Your future

A. Share your answers to these questions with a partner.
1. What will you probably do on your next birthday?
2. For your future career, what will you be?
3. Will you be any of these in the future: mother, father, uncle, aunt, grandparent?
If so, when do you think each will happen?
4. What other predictions about yourself can you make?
a. In five years, I will ___________________________________________________________
b. In 10 years, ________________________________________________________________
c. In 20 years, _________________________________________________________________
d. In my lifetime, ______________________________________________________________

WRITING: Life changes

A. What might be the next big change in your life?

• Graduating from college?
• A new job or career?
• Marriage?
• Travel?

B. H
 ow do you think your life will be different after this next big change? Write at least five
changes that will probably happen.
Example: After I graduate, I will probably move to a new city to get a job.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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 UNIT 8

GRAMMAR: Can and Should

A. Can and should follow the same grammar rules as will.
Can is used to express possibility or ability:
• You can get hurt if you aren’t careful.
• She can paint pictures with her feet.
• You can’t work in the United States without a green card.
• Can you loan me some money?

Should is used when giving advice.

• You should always tell the truth.
• He should study hard to pass the class.
• They shouldn’t talk to the teacher like that.
• Should I find another job?

B. Write three sentences for each of the following topics using can or should.
1. What are three things that are possible in your future?
I can get a good grade in this class!
Example: ____________________________________________________________________
A. __________________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________
2. What are three things you can do?
I can play the guitar
Example: ____________________________________________________________________
A. __________________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________
3. What are three things you should do to improve your grades?
I should attend all classes.
Example: ____________________________________________________________________
A. __________________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________
4. To stay healthy, what are three things you should (or should NOT) do?
I shouldn’t eat food with too much sugar.
Example: ____________________________________________________________________
A. __________________________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________________________________
C. __________________________________________________________________________

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C. Look at the pictures and write sentences using the modal verbs can, should, and will.
You can choose the main verbs from the list below.

complete cross pay attention have an accident fall

drop take (care) kiss die kill
stop smile hurt hit lose
carry hold need land text

Example: He should stop jumping on the bed.

He can hurt himself.

He will land on his stomach.

He should ___________________________________________________

He can_______________________________________________________

He will______________________________________________________

She should ___________________________________________________

She can______________________________________________________

She will______________________________________________________

He should ___________________________________________________

He can_______________________________________________________

He will______________________________________________________

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 UNIT 8

WRITING & SPEAKING: 5-minute conversations

A. Prepare four or five sentences to answer to the following questions.

Use Wh-Questions to help you think of things to write and say. Follow the example.

What? Who? When? Where? Why? How?

Example: What are your future plans for your career?

What? I will start my own business. I will start a restaurant.

Who? I will start the business with my best friend.

When? I can start this in about three years.

Why? I love to cook, and I think I can succeed.

How? My parents will loan me some money to do this.

1. What are you going to do this weekend?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. If you suddenly receive $10,000, what will you most likely do with the money?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

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3. What do you think will happen in the future for transportation?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

4.What are your future plans for your career?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

5. What are some things you should do to improve your life?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

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