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Foundation for IELTS

Session 1.1

Things you love and hate + …ing (Gerund)

Someone who Someone


loves/likes who doesn’t
this like / hates
this
1. speaking English

2. classical music

3. cooking

4. Chinese food

5. getting up early

6. watching football
on TV
7. coffee

8. buying new
clothes

9. chocolate ice
cream

10. living in
Bangkok

1
Speaking part1 Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.2 Introductions
On the right, write some questions in note form that you would like to ask the other students in
the class about the topics on the left. Then, write down two topics of your own & some
questions for them.

Topic Questions
How many people are in your family ?
Personal Do you have any sibling/brother or sister ?
Family or friend

What subject did you study ?


Study / Work experience (Using part or present tense.)

What do you like to do in your free time ?


Free-time What are your hobbies ?

Reasons for studying at

New Cambridge

Where do you plan to study in the future?


Study / Work plans What this you choose this university?

Food What is your favorite food?


Are there any foods you dont like to eat?

Holiday Where was your favorite holiday?


Where would you like to go to holiday in the future?

2
Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.3

Course Objectives

Student A

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7KHRYHUDOODLPRIWKHFRXUVHLVWRDOORZ\RXWR 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBDQGOLVWHQLQJ

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WKHIRUPDWRIWKH,(/76WHVW 

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WKLVFRXUVHZLOOEHGLUHFWO\UHOHYDQWWRWKH,(/76WHVW 

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BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

$WWKHHQGRIWKHFRXUVH\RXZLOOEHJLYHQDSUDFWLFH,(/76WHVW 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

$IWHUWKHWHVW\RXFDQGLVFXVVZLWK\RXUWHDFKHUWKHEHVWZD\WRFRQWLQXHZLWK\RXUVWXGLHV

<RXUWHDFKHUVRQWKLVFRXUVHDUHYHU\H[SHULHQFHGLQ,(/76VRWKH\ZLOOEHDEOHWR

 

LQRUGHUWRDFKLHYHWKHEHVWUHVXOWSRVVLEOHIRU\RXDWWKDWWLPH 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB(QJOLVKOHYHODWWKHWLPH\RXGRWKHWHVW



\RXKDYHWRZRUNYHU\KDUGRQ\RXURZQDVZHOODVLQFODVVWRLPSURYHVDWLVIDFWRULO\



EHFDXVHPRVWVWXGHQWVVWXG\VHYHUDOFRXUVHVDQGWDNHWKHWHVW  

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

3
Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.4

Course Objectives
Student B

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7KHUHDVRQWKDW\RXKDYHEHHQSODFHGRQD)RXQGDWLRQIRU,(/76FRXUVHLV 

3UHSDUDWLRQFRXUVHDQGXQGHUVWDQGLWIXOO\

 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLPSURYH\RXU

(QJOLVKVNLOOVLQWKHDUHDVRIUHDGLQJZULWLQJVSHDNLQJ 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBZKLFKZLOOEHYHU\XVHIXO

ZKHQ\RXJRWRVWXG\DEURDG 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBEXWLWGRHVORRNDWWKHODQJXDJHQHHGHGLQWKHWHVW

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBDQGWKHUHLVDJRRG

FKDQFHWKDW\RXZLOOEHDVNHGDERXWPDQ\RIWKHWRSLFVLQWKHDFWXDOWHVW

LQFOXGLQJDVSHDNLQJWHVWZLWKDQH[SHULHQFHG,(/76WHDFKHU

DQGZKDW\RXQHHGWRZRUNRQWRLPSURYHIXUWKHU

JLYH\RXYHU\JRRGDGYLFHRQKRZ\RXVKRXOGXVHWKHODQJXDJHLQWKHWHVW

 

5HPHPEHU±WKH,(/76WHVWLVRQO\DWHVWRI\RXU*HQHUDO  

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

7KHUHLVQRTXLFNDQGHDV\ZD\WRJHWWKHUHVXOW\RXQHHG±  

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBDQGWKLVZLOOWDNHWLPH'RQ¶WZRUU\

WRRPXFKDERXWLWWKRXJK 

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRUWLPHVEHIRUHWKH\JRDEURDG

(YHU\RQHILQGVLWGLIILFXOWQRWRQO\\RX

4
Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.5

Course Objectives /
Comprehension Check

When you have completed the dictation, answer the following questions by select T for
‘true’ or F for ‘false’.

1. Foundation for IELTS courses are for students who are already Band 5 or more. -

2. Your English skills should improve on a Foundation course. -

3. You will have to study on your own to improve satisfactorily. -

4. The topics you will study on this course will definitely be in your IELTS test. -

5. You will learn a lot about the IELTS test format. -

6. You will probably have to take the test a few times before you get the desired -
result.

5
Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.6

Writing

Personal Profile
You have about 30 minutes to write about yourself below. Please include as much detail as
you can (free-time activities, interests, study/ work routines, family-life etc.)

Your past

Your present

Your future

6
Foundation for IELTS
Use the past tense.

Session 1.7

Burglars: a picture story (for Jigsaw activity)

Write some words and phrases for each picture.

Last night when the man was reading, there


were 2 criminals came through the window.

They used a flashlight for guiding.

The flashlight fell down on the floor.

The man woke up then walked down the stairs


to the living room.

He opened the door and turned on the light


but he did not see the flashlight on the floor.

Then, he spoke with the bird.

7
Foundation for IELTS
Session 1.8 Error correction symbols

Symbol Meaning Example Correction

T Tense Yesterday I go shopping.

VP Verb pattern I like to swimming.

WW Wrong word I went to the theatre to


see a film.

WO Word order Many temples beautiful

S/Pl Singular & plural Many temple


agreement

Sp Spelling aboard

Appr. Appropriacy Etc.

P/S Part of speech The economical

Symbol Meaning Example Correction

C/U Countable or Many pollutions


uncountable?

[] Don’t need this I went to [for] buy

S/V Subject and verb Bangkok have


agreement

Exp / Re- Expression / I don’t


phrase understand this

A Article Go to cinema

/\ Missing word(s) Go the shops

P Punctuation malaysia

Prep Preposition Go at the beach

8
Session 2.1

Reading: A Place to Live


Pre-reading

1. Name some types of accommodation in which people live. Think of those in other
countries as well as your own.
2. Describe your home, including where it is located, who lives there and what it is like
to live there.

Kah Wai lives on the twenty-third floor of a high-rise apartment in Hong Kong. From the
apartment he can look out over Hong Kong. It’s a beautiful sight. He lives there with his
parents, three older brothers and grandmother. His father is a businessman. He sells clothes
made in China to several European countries and to America. He wants Kah Wai to join him
in the business when he leaves school. His mother works in a bank in the center of town.
The apartment is quite small and Kah Wai has to share a room with his brothers but he
enjoys living there. At the weekend he likes to go down to the park and play basketball with
his school friends.

Yoshi lives in a small fishing village on the island of Honshu in Japan. He lives with his
father, two older sisters and younger brother. His mother died when he was quite young.
Every day after school, Yoshi goes out to sea with his father in their boat. At the weekends
they go out for longer fishing trips and spend the night on the boat. Sometimes they catch
large tuna fish and sell them at the market for a lot of money. But catching fish is hard work.
That’s why Yoshi wants to do well at school, so he can go to university and become a
businessman.

Victoria lives on a huge farm in the United States of America. She lives with her parents and
grandparents in a very big house. The farm is a long way from the nearest town so
Victoria has to study at home. Her mother helps her. They usually study in the morning for
about four hours. In the afternoon, Victoria helps on the farm. She has her own horse and is
a very good rider. She rides around the farm with her father and the cowboys on the farm.
She loves her life there but she enjoys the trips to town at the weekend, when they go
shopping at the department store there.

9
Session 2.2

Exercise 1 Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who lives in a large house? c


a. Kah Wai
b. Yoshi
c. Victoria

2. Who doesn’t go to school? c


a. Kah Wai
b. Yoshi
c. Victoria

3. Who works at the weekend? b


a. Kah Wai
b. Yoshi
c. Victoria

4. Who doesn’t help their father at work? a


a. Kah Wai
b. Yoshi
c. Victoria

5. Who has a younger brother? b


a. Kah Wai
b. Yoshi
c. Victoria

Exercise 2 Write short answers to these questions

1. How many people live in Kah Wai’s apartment? Seven people


2. What is Kah Wai’s hobby? Playing basketball
3. What does Yoshi want to do when he leaves school? Businessman
4. Who helps Victoria with her studies? Her mother
5. How does Victoria travel around the farm? By horse

Exercise 3

A. Which of the three places to live would you prefer to live in?
A high-rise apartment
A small house in a fishing village
A large house on a farm

B. Can you think of some of the good points and bad points about living in each type of
home?

10
Session 2.3
Describing the place where you live

on the outskirts of town.


I live
in the suburbs.

in a residential area.

quite close to (the station).

right in the centre (of the central business district).

Surrounded by houses
I grew up in a suburban area. It was quite a
developed area, and we lived in a new
townhouse. I played a lot in the woods, not far
from the nearest convenience store.
Working in the heart of the city
A lot of land in urban areas is used for
business. Some shops sell clothes, and others,
like bakeries, sell food products. When I was
young I helped out at my family’s retail store.

Advantages Disadvantages
The best thing about living in The worst thing about
the city is that: living in the city is that:

-You can find lots to do at night. -You can’t find much


-You get to try all kinds of peace and quiet.
foods. -The air isn’t so fresh.
-There are many ways to get -There aren’t a lot of
around without owning a car. green spaces.

11
Session 2.4

City life

A. Buildings and places


Here are some of the amenities and areas you will find in towns and cities:

What is it? Can you give a definition or description?


Commercial centre

Shopping centre

Car park

Factory
Skyscraper / high-rise
building
Library

Suburb

Can you explain the words and phrases in bold?

B. Is there anything you dislike about where you live?


For many people the worst time of the day is the rush hour. At this time of day the
public transport system has to cope with not only the people who live in the city but
also the commuters from the suburbs. The roads get congested and people are
always in a hurry. For many, this is a very stressful time.

C. What do you enjoy about being in the city?


I live in the suburbs but I usually go into town to eat out once or twice a week. In the
evening the city is pretty lively and there’s plenty to do. One problem, though, is that
there’s nowhere to park in the centre, so I often take the bus into town, and take a
taxi home if it’s late.

D. Living in the city


Look at these sentences describing city life. Decide if these are advantages or
disadvantages:
 There’s a wide range of shops.
 It’s cosmopolitan.
 There’s a high crime rate.
 You can get whatever you want.
 The cost of living is quite high.
 It’s usually crowded.
 There are lots of cultural activities.
 People can be quite aggressive.

12
Session 2.5
Language use: There is / are

Exercise 1 Complete the following sentences using there is / there are

1. My name is Annie and I live in a big house. - twenty-three rooms in my


house, but - only twelve bedrooms. I live in one of the rooms on the third
floor. In my room, - a huge bed and - nine windows. My
bedroom isn’t small. On my bed - lots of pillows, and - my
cat, Fluffy. In my wardrobe - many toys, and - lots of clothes.
I don’t have a bathroom in my bedroom but - a bathroom next to my room.
Also in my house - two kitchens, - a big dining- room, and
three living rooms. My house if really big!

Exercise 2 Complete the following sentences using there isn’t / there aren’t

1. - a direct flight from here to London.


2. - any movies that I want to see at the cinema.
3. I’m very hungry but - any food in the refrigerator.
4. We want to go to the concert but - any tickets left.
5. - any money in my bank account so I can’t pay the bills.
6. - seventy minutes in one hour.
7. In my neighbourhood, - any children.
8. Henry can’t bake a cake because - any sugar left.
9. It’s sunny today and - a cloud in the sky.
10. I’m sorry, - any letters for you today.

Exercise 3 Describe your neighbourhood (say what there is, as well as what there isn’t)

13
Session 2.6

Talking about places

Student A

Picture1

Picture 2

14
Session 2.7 Talking about Places

Student B

Picture 1

Picture 2

15
Session 2.8 Talking about places

Look at the words and phrases in the box below. Which words can describe the four
pictures?

lush thriving motorway hilly serene

peaceful urban sprawl hectic convenient metropolis

densely populated polluted suburban dangerous residential

fertile commercial centre crowded agricultural rural

humid isolated exciting green interesting

STUDENT A STUDENT B
Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 1 Picture 2

Can you add any more words to the lists?

Which words describe the place where you live now?

16
Session 2.9

Talking about places


Speaking practice Part 1

The area you live in

 Tell me about the area you live in.


 What is the best thing about it?
 Is there anything you don’t enjoy about living there?
 How has it changed in recent times?

The house/apartment you live in

 Do you live in a house or an apartment?


 How long have you lived there?
 What is your favourite room? Why?
 Do you think you’ll stay there for a long time? Why? / Why not?

Speaking practice Part 2

Describe a place where you like to spend time.

You should think about:

 Where it is located
 What it looks like
 Why you enjoy going there
 Anything you could do to improve the place

17
Session 2.10

Listening: Furniture and rooms

18
Session 2.11

19
Session 2.12
Activity 5

Listen to people talking about where they live. Tick the picture of the house or building they are
talking about.

20
Session 2.13

21
Session 2.14

Activity 3
You are at home with your flat-mate, Virginia. Listen to what she says. What do you think
she is going to ask you to do? Tick what you think she will ask.

1.
Could you turn on the TV?
Could you turn on the radio?

2.
Could you get me something to drink?
Could you get me something to eat?

3.
Could you open the window?
Could you close the window?

4.
Could you turn on the lamp?
Could you turn off the lamp?

5.
Could you turn up the heating?
Could you turn down the heating?

22
23
Session 3.2

Complete the following graphs from the descriptions below each one.

24
Session 3.3

Listen to the tape and complete the line graph below.

Listening: p.89/Unit 9/Business Objectives/OUP

25
Session 3.4

Complete the table below with the language from exercise 1.

Adjective Adverb Noun Verb


1. significant significantly rise rise (past: “rose”)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Now, write the words in the table above to show the degree of change on the diagrams below:

1
4

3
6

26
Session 3.5

Look at the following ways to describe trends & complete the examples.

“THERE” + TO BE + “A/AN” + ADJECTIVE + NOUN + “IN” + UNIT

eg:

UNIT + VERB + ADVERB

eg:

Now, look at different ways to talk about periods of time & write 2 example sentences.

“BETWEEN” + DATE[1] + “AND” + DATE[2]

eg:

“FROM” + DATE[1] + “TO” + DATE[2]

eg:

Now, write example sentences describing size of change.

UNIT + VERB + “FROM” + FIGURE[1] + “TO” + FIGURE[2]

eg:
UNIT + VERB + “BY” + AMOUNT + “TO” + FIGURE[2]

eg:

27
Session 3.6

Complete the following description.

6DOHVWRWKH8.PDUNHWURVH  BBBBBBBBBBBBEHWZHHQDQG7KHUH
ZDVD  BBBBBBBBBBBBGHFUHDVHLQZKHQRXUPDLQGLVWULEXWRUZHQWRXW
RIEXVLQHVV6DOHVURVH  BBBBBBBBBBBBLQDQGWKH  BBBBBBBBBBBB
LPSURYHPHQWLQEURXJKWXVEDFNWRWKHOHYHO
7KHUHZDVD  BBBBBBBBBBBBULVHLQH[SRUWVLQ7KH\ZHQWXS
 BBBBBBBBBBBBLQZKHQZHEHJDQWREUHDNLQWRWKH86PDUNHW
7KH\URVH  BBBBBBBBBBBBLQZKHQZHVLJQHGWKHQHZDJHQF\DJUHHPHQWV
DQGWKHUHZDVD  BBBBBBBBBBBBLQFUHDVHLQDQG

Graphs & text: p.92/Unit 9/Business Objectives/OUP

28
Session 3.7

Task 1 FORMAT

 2-3 paragraphs

o Introduction
o One or two paragraphs to describe the data in detail
o NO CONCLUSION IS NECESSARY
o NO ANALYSIS OF THE DATA IS REQUIRED
o Describe only what is shown on the diagram/chart

 Paragraph 1: introduction – 3 sentences (Present Simple Tense)

o Sentence 1: What do the data show?

 The diagram/chart/table/graph shows information about…


 The pie charts compare….
 The diagrams show the development of…

o Sentence 2: Describing the units of measurement

 Figures are given in percentages/millions of tonnes (plural noun)

o Sentence 3: Overview
 Overall it can be seen that…
 It is obvious from the data that…

 Paragraph 2/3: A more detailed description of the data

 Paragraph 2: reporting data for one group of data

 To begin with (the first group, …)

 “ To begin with the first half of the period, …..”

 Paragraph 3: reporting data for the other group(s) of data

 Moving on to (the second group, …)

 “ Moving on to the changes in the later period, .….”

29
Session 3.8 Writing

30
Session 3.9

31
Session 3.10

Look at the graph in Task 1 on page 30 and read the following sentences, which relate only
to the Music Choice site. Try to complete the sentences.

a) The number of *hits to Music Choice to 60,000 on Day 3.

b) On the fourth day, the number of visitors to the Music Choice site by
66%, to 20,000.

c) There was in hits to the Music Choice site on the third day.

d) On the fourth day, there was in the number of visitors to the


site.

e) On Day 13, the number of hits slightly.

f) On the second day, the number of hits to 20,000.

g) The number of hits within a narrow margin from Day 4 to


Day 11.

h) On Day 13, the number of site visitors slightly, before hitting


a new peak of just over 120,000 on Day 14.

i) The number of hits significantly on Day 15.

j) The number of visitors to the Music Choice site reached of


just over 120,000 on Day 14.

*or visits to

Look at the items in the box below. Which can be used Instead of the phrases you wrote in
a-j above? There may be more than one answer and you may use each item more than
once.

halved a gradual rise fluctuated plunged a new peak

dipped a steep fall soared a sharp rise rocketed fell back

32
Session 3.11

Listening: Numbers, names and places


(The conversations for this exercise come from ‘Preparation and Practice’)

Listen and answer the questions below. Type the answers as you listen.

33
Session 3.13

Numbers (Listening Test Section 1 practice)

The numbers you will hear in the exam are usually one or more of the following:
 A year
 A price
 A phone number
 Part of an address

Notes on numbers
1. The use of 'and' in numbers occurs between hundreds and tens / units:
e.g. 430 = four hundred and thirty
403 = four hundred and three

N.B. American English does not usually use 'and'


e.g. 430 = four hundred thirty

2. When you mention a specific number of hundreds, thousands, millions etc., the
word 'hundred' 'thousand' 'million' etc. remains in the singular form:
e.g. 500 = five hundred ( not 'hundreds')
15,000 = fifteen thousand (not 'thousands')
3,000,000 = three million (not 'millions')

N.B. When the number of hundreds, thousands, millions etc. is not


specific, then the plural forms is used:
e.g. There were hundreds of people on the train.
Thousands of people were homeless after the floods.
The bank lost millions of dollars through bad loans.
Figures are given in millions of barrels.

3. The decimal point in English is indicated by a dot (not a comma), and the
integers following the decimal point are spoken individually:
e.g. 4.65 = four point six five
9.753 = nine point seven five three

N.B. The integer '0' after the decimal point is usually spoken the same as the
letter 'O':
e.g. 6.05 = six point 'oh' five
2.208 = two point two 'oh' eight

34
Session 3.14

4. Some examples of fractions:


e.g. 3/4 = three quarters
7/8 = seven eighths
1 1/2 = one and a half

5. When we say phone numbers, we pronounce ‘0’ as ‘oh’ or ‘zero’:


e.g. My phone number is 085 163050
My phone number is ‘oh’ eight five, one six three ‘oh’ five ‘oh.
OR: zero eight five, one six three zero five zero

6. Writing dimensions and measurements:


You can write the whole measurement or an abbreviation:
e.g. 25 metres or 25 m
50 kilometres or 50 km

7. Talking about money


If you hear ‘Ten dollars fifty’, you can write the symbol: $10.50

OR the words: Ten dollars fifty.

N.B. It is advisable to write the symbol to avoid spelling mistakes

Some conventions for telling the time:


 In the IELTS exam, you are likely to use the 12-hour clock, rather than the 24-hour
clock.

 If you use the 12-hour clock, you’ll probably need to indicate whether it is am or pm
o am: between 0.00 and 12.00 (noon)
o pm: between 12.01 and 24.00 (midnight)

 You may refer to the different parts of the day:


o 3.00 am or three o’clock in the morning
o 2.00 pm or two o’clock in the afternoon
o 6.00 pm or six o’clock in the evening
o 11.00 pm or eleven o’clock at night

N.B. We can also use ‘at night’ for the early hours of the morning (1.00 – 4.00 am):
e.g. 1.00 am = one o’clock at night
 Of course, you can use the digital clock times:
o e.g. 6.45 am = six forty-five in the morning
o e.g. 5 .30 pm = five thirty in the evening

N.B. If you write the words for the time instead of the numbers, you must use the
correct spelling (Listening and Reading sub-tests)

35
Session 3.15

Some conventions for saying the date:

 You can use the British English or the American English for saying/writing the date:

Date British English US English

1st March 2009 The first of March two thousand and nine March first two thousand nine

OR:

March the first two thousand and nine.

NB: Be careful to distinguish between British and American conventions for writing the date:

e.g.

08/06/2012

British English = the eighth of June two thousand and twelve


American English = the sixth of August two thousand and twelve

TIP:
You can write the date in different ways in the exam:

e.g. 3rd March


March 3
3 March

This usually fits the question instructions: ‘Write one word and/or a number’.

36
Session 4.1

Read the following paragraph. Can you divide it into 3 parts?

Studying abroad

There are several benefits of studying in a foreign country. First of


all, students’ language skills will improve because they will need
to use the language of the host country in various situations every
day. In addition, students will meet people from different
countries and gain experience of different cultures, so they should
become more broad-minded and tolerant. Finally, students should
become more independent as they look after themselves abroad.
For example, they will need to cook, pay bills, go shopping, and
do their housework. All in all, studying abroad has many
advantages.

37
Session 4.2 Writing

Paragraph structure: The Topic Sentence

1. The Topic Sentence

* expresses the central, unifying idea of the paragraph.

* states the topic / subject / main idea of the paragraph.

* should briefly indicate what the paragraph is going to discuss in


order to enable the reader to understand it.

* limits specific areas dealt with in the paragraph (controlling ideas).

e.g. Alternative energy sources may well help solve the global warming crisis.

The main idea is the more general concept. e.g. the global warming crisis
The controlling idea is the more specific concept e.g. alternative energy sources

Exercise 1
Read the following sentences and identify the topic and the controlling idea:

1. A rural lifestyle has several benefits.


Main Idea: rural lifestyle
Controlling idea: several benefits

2. There are a three main causes of climate change.


Main Idea:
Controlling idea:

3. A good paragraph has four essential ingredients.


Main Idea:
Controlling idea:

4. There are a variety of ways to solve the problems facing the environment.
Main Idea:
Controlling idea:

5. Globalization has brought about numerous improvements.


Main Idea:
Controlling idea:

38
Session 4.3

2. The topic sentence should be neither too general nor too specific.

If it is too general, the reader cannot gauge what the paragraph is going to discuss.
If it is too specific, there may be nothing more to say about the topic.

Too general: Body language is a fascinating subject.

Too specific: In some cases, elements of body language such as posture,


gesture and expression have universal meaning, but sometimes
these symbolic sub-codes mean different things to
different groups of people.

Good: Body language can be grouped into two specific categories.

Exercise 2
Decide whether each of the following sentences is a good topic sentence. If it is not, decide
whether the sentence is too specific or too general:

1. Our schools have not been very successful. -

2. The earth is made up of three main layers - a central core, approximately 4000 miles
in diameter, a surrounding layer of compressed rock, and an outer layer of relatively
soft rock, only about 20 - 30 miles thick. -

3. Studying in another country is good. -

4. Communication is an activity that involves a range of activities, aspects and


participants. -

5. Space is a dangerous place. -

6. Girls can do anything and they are proving it. -

7. I believe that tourism can provide benefits to local people in many ways. -

8. There are a number of reasons for high levels of pollution in cities. -

9. Media censorship is a contentious issue in many developing countries. -

10. Young people can make better use of their time by visiting old people, doing
their shopping, cooking their meals, taking them out for walks and doing their
housework. -

Rewrite those sentences which are either too specific or too general and make them into
good topic sentences.

39
Session 4.4

3. A Topic Sentence is a complete sentence:

i.e. it contains a subject and a verb and sometimes a complement.

The following are not complete sentences:

Practical suggestions on effective study preparation.

The importance of a good education.

They could, however, be used as essay titles or even paragraph headings.

Exercise 3

Decide which of the following sentences are complete sentences:

1. Giving ill-health as an excuse for failure.

2. Talking about illness is like putting fertilizer on weeds.

3. Keep Australia beautiful!

4. The Thai system of education.

5. Peacetime conscription as a means of maintaining the armed forces.

6. It's easy to use failure as an excuse for not coming.

7. Tragedy and disaster always bring out the best in human nature.

8. The first time I saw the ocean.

40
Session 4.5 Paragraph organisation

Look at the following topics.

Type one topic sentence for each one. Remember to include a subject, a verb and a
controlling idea.

1. [the benefits of the skytrain]

2. [positive aspects of free health-care]

3. [reasons for studying abroad]

4. [negative effects of owning a car]

5. [advantages of living in a city]

6. [problems facing the environment]

41
Session 4.6 Paragraph organisation

Now, re-write the topic sentence and write points which relate to it.

1.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

2.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

3.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

4.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

42
5.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

6.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Session 4.7 Writing Practice

Finally, choose one of the topics and write a paragraph below.

43
Session 4.8 Speaking practice

Brainstorm the following points on your own & then discuss them in your groups.

 How does technology influence your daily life?

 What are some of the advantages of technology?

 Are there any negative aspects?

 Do you think technology will change the way people work in the future?

44
Session 4.9 Writing

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

There have been many significant technological advances in recent decades that
have improved many peoples’ lives. However, not all of these achievements have
been beneficial.

Discuss the impact that technology has had on the human race.

You should use your own ideas & experience and support your arguments with relevant
evidence & examples.

You should write at least 250 words.

Planning

positive negative

45
Session 4.10 Sample Answer

Although there have been many benefits from advances in technology, there have also been
negative effects.

On the one hand, technology has made peoples’ lives much easier. For instance,
transportation is now much quicker and more comfortable than it once was with airplanes and
high-speed trains. This has resulted in travel to distant places becoming increasingly easy. In
addition, advances in health-care means that previously incurable diseases can now be
treated such as diabetes, malaria and many cancers. Also, due to the advent of the Internet,
people can access information incredibly quickly, whereas before they would have to search in
libraries.

However, there are also negative effects of technology. For one thing, the increase in
transportation has caused increased levels of pollution. In many cities, for example, many
people suffer with respiratory diseases as a result of fuel emissions. Furthermore, many
children prefer to use the Internet in their free-time instead of doing more traditional activities
such as sports. This has lead to a situation where the “communication revolution” actually
means that people communicate less with others and spend more time on their own.
Additionally, it must be remembered that a lot of technology only serves to make money for
private companies and the great majority of the world’s population is excluded from access to
many technological advances because they can’t afford it. For example, only fifty percent of
people have ever seen a telephone and only one percent have access to the Internet.

In conclusion, if technology is to benefit mankind, it must be applied sensibly and be available


to everyone.

Word count: 261 words

46
Session 4.11

Language Focus

Read through the sample answer and complete the following exercises.

Linker Function *Functions


1. -a b c d e f a = introduce a first point
2. -a b c d e f b = introduce another point
3. -a b c d e f c = conclude
4. -a b c d e f d = give an example
5. -a b c d e f e = show contrast
6. -a b c d e f f = gives a result
7. -a b c d e f
8. -a b c d e f
9. -a b c d e f
10. -a b c d e f
11. -a b c d e f
12. -a b c d e f

Can you add any other examples of linkers and cause & effect phrases?

Linker Function

1. -a b c d e f
2. -a b c d e f
3. -a b c d e f
4. -a b c d e f
5. -a b c d e f

47
Session 4.12

Writing

Recent trends towards urbanisation within developing countries have resulted in


many mega-cities, such as Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. Despite bringing many
benefits and amenities, these cities also have a negative side.

What are the advantages & disadvantages of modern lifestyles?

You should use your own ideas & experience and support your arguments with relevant
evidence & examples.

You should write about 100-120 words for each paragraph

Planning

advantages disadvantages

48
Session 4.13 Reading: Phone use

How old were you when you got a mobile? Everybody knows that teenagers love their phones.
Here are some mobile phone facts.

 Two-thirds of 12-15-year-olds in the UK have a smartphone.


 People in the UK send 200 text messages a week on average.
 British 12-15-year-olds send an average of 400 messages a week.
 British girls aged between 12 and 15 text more than boys of the same age group. Girls
send 421 messages a week!
Parents

Parents want their kids to be safe. Are teenagers safer with a mobile phone or without? Many
parents want their children to have a phone so that they can be in contact at any time or in any
place. On the other hand, for lots of parents a phone is a source of possible danger. Parents
worry that their child may meet the wrong kind of ‘friends’ on social networking sites or that they
might receive cruel messages from school bullies. Some parents have rules about their
children’s mobile phone and internet usage and bad behaviour can result in removal of mobile
privileges.

The great thing about my kids having mobile phones is that I can keep in touch with them. The
worst thing about teenagers having phones is that some young people use them to send
offensive messages to each other.
-William, from Coventry. William is a parent of two teenagers.

A teenager feels lost without a phone. If my daughters behave badly, I confiscate their phones
and their behaviour quickly improves.
-Kiera, mother of 15-year-old twins.

School

Mobile phones are permitted at school in the UK but pupils are not allowed to use them in class
and they must be on silent during lessons. Teachers can take away phones if these rules are
broken. School students can use their phones at break time and at lunchtime. Some teachers in
British schools complain that pupils don’t always follow the rules and that lessons are disrupted
by people texting, making and receiving calls, looking at social networking sites, watching
videos and even making videos in the class.

My mum is scared that I’m going to lose my phone or that someone is going to steal it. She
won’t buy me the really cool phone that I want. I’ve got this rubbish one that doesn’t do much. I
suppose that makes sense but it’s not fair that everyone else has a smartphone and I don’t.
-Tam, 14, from Wrexham.

I know that some people want mobiles to be banned at school but as a language teacher I find
that phones can be pretty useful in class ... for educational purposes of course. For example,
the students write a dialogue in French, they record it on a phone, then they listen to the
recording and try to correct any mistakes or improve pronunciation. They love it!
-Stan, from Chester. Stan is a French teacher.

49
Exercise 1 True or False

1. Great Britain’s girls send a greater number of texts than boys. -

2. Some parents think that mobile phones are dangerous. -

3. Kiera takes away her daughters' phones for bad behavior. -

4. Mobile phones are not allowed at school in Britain. -

5. Tam is happy with her mobile phone. -

6. Some teachers use mobiles phones to help their students learn. -

Exercise 2 Short answers


7. About how many young British teens use their own phone?

8. According to parents, what is a benefit of teens having phones?

9. What does the man from Coventry believe is the worst result of teen phone use?

10. What problems can occur from phone use in the classroom?

11. In what way can a phone recording be helpful to students for the purpose of learning?

Exercise 3 Your turn to think!


1. What age do you think is the best for a young person to receive their first phone?

2. What applications do you find most useful on your phone?

3. Do guys and girls use their phones for the same purposes? Can you think of ways that they use their
phones for different purposes?

4. How many messages do you think you normally send per day? Do you think it’s too many?

50
Session 5.1
Weather and climate: some useful words and phrases

Read the dialogue between Brad and Mike and then in groups try to match the words in
bold to the following definitions as quickly as possible. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. An adjective describing a mixture of fog and smoke


2. Bright bolts of light seen coming from storm clouds
3. A heavy snowstorm.
4. Very cold
5. Light rain
6. A verb to describe heavy rain
7. Thick water vapour in the air
8. A little bit cold
9. An adjective to emphasize high temperatures
10. Light water vapour in the air
11. The loud sounds made by heavy rain clouds
12. A light wind
13. A short period of light rain
14. An adjective to describe variable weather conditions
15. Precipitation

51
Session 5.2 Adverbs of frequency
Look at the adverbs of frequency in the box below:

always never sometimes often usually rarely


seldom hardly ever frequently occasionally generally normally

Can you think of any other phrases expressing frequency? Rank them all in order of
frequency and give them a percentage, where ‘always’ is 100% and ‘never’ is 0%.

Phrase %

Session 5.3 Word order


Frequency words come immediately before the action verb in the sentence:

 I always arrive home early.


 He usually works late.
 They rarely pay their bills on time.

But with some verbs*, the frequency words usually come after the verb:

e.g.  I am usually punctual.


 We are never late for school.
 It is always dark in my room.

* These verbs include the modals and auxiliary verbs. In this case, they come after
the modal/auxiliary verb, but before the main verb::
(' be' 'can' 'must' 'will' 'should' etc.)

52
e.g.
 Shelley can always answer the questions.
 You must never be late.
 I will always love you.
 You should never lie to your parents.
 She has usually got money in her purse.
 I don’t usually pay my bills on time.

Put the frequency words in the correct places in these sentences:

1. Irene plays netball on the weekends. (often)


2. We go swimming in the sea. (seldom)
3. The boys are hardworking. (usually)
4. I can find time to play football. (rarely)
5. Shirley eats at the Italian restaurant. (sometimes)
6. You must close the door after you. (always)
7. The children wash the dishes after dinner. (never)
8. Paul comes to visit us nowadays. (hardly ever)
9. It rains during the holidays. (normally)
10. It's too early to go to bed! (never)
11. They invite their friends for dinner. (occasionally)
12. You can find him at the pub. (usually)
13. She arrives home before her husband. (normally)
14. I manage to get down the gym nowadays. (hardly ever)
15. You should under-estimate his talent. (never)

Session 5.4 Talking about the weather


Complete the following word-family table. Some boxes can’t be filled:

Noun Verb Adjective


rain to rain rainy
snow
wind
fog
frost
sun
humidity

53
Look at these sentence patterns:

There is always rain in the monsoon season.


There is rarely rain during the dry season.
There isn’t any snow in summer.
There is hardly ever frost during the wet season.

It always rains in the wet season.


It occasionally rains during the dry season.
The sun often shines in October.

It is always rainy in the wet season.


It is generally windy during the monsoon season.
It is seldom foggy in December.
It is usually humid in May.

Pair-work activity
Look at the examples below:

rain / monsoon season

A: Does it usually rain in the monsoon season in Thailand?


B: Oh yes, it usually rains a lot during the monsoon season in Thailand.

snow

A: Is it ever snowy in Thailand?


B: No, it’s never snowy in Thailand.

rain / dry season

A: Is there a lot of rain in the dry season in Thailand?


B: No, there’s usually not much rain in the dry season.
Now you do it in pairs:
1. rain / dry season

2. wind / wet season

3. fog / wet season

4. snow / wet season

5. rain / February

6. wind / December

7. frost / cold season

8. sun / January

9. humidity / the wet season

10. sun / the rainy season

11. wind / the cool season

12. humidity / the dry season


54
Session 5.5

Student A

Read about the weather in Laos and fill in the blanks with these words and expressions.

drought typhoons humid temperatures heavily

normal occasionally centigrade windy climate

skies at a time snow quite a long time most of the time

,Q9LHQWLDQHWKHFDSLWDORI/DRVWKH LVKRWDQGRIWHQYHU\
 LQWKHKRWVHDVRQUDQJHEHWZHHQDQGGHJUHHV
 GHJUHHVFHQWLJUDGHLVD WHPSHUDWXUHLQWKH
FRROVHDVRQ,QWKHQRUWKLWLVVRPHWLPHVFROGEXWRQO\IRUWZRRUWKUHHGD\V 
,WGRHVQ¶WXVXDOO\ EXWRQRFFDVLRQWKHUHDUHTXLWHKHDY\IURVWV,QWKH
ZHWVHDVRQLW RIWHQUDLQV IRURUGD\VEXWLQ
WKHKRWVHDVRQ LW¶VVXQQ\ZLWKEOXH 
,QWKHKRWVHDVRQ WKHUHDUH SHULRGVZKHQ
WKHUHLVQRUDLQIRU ,W¶VQRWXVXDOO\YHU\ EXW
WKHUHDUH HYHU\IHZ\HDUV

Exchange information with your partner about Laos and England then make notes below.

55
Session 5.6
Student B

Read about the weather in Britain and fill in the blanks with these words and expressions.

skies but fairly temperature short rains


know does changeable people winters
sometimes long at a time often weather

,Q%ULWDLQWKH LVYHU\ LW DORWEXW


WKHVXQRIWHQVKLQHVWRR FDQEH FROGZLWKDQDYHUDJH
 RIILYHGHJUHHVFHQWLJUDGHLQWKHVRXWKWKHUHLVRIWHQVQRZ

6XPPHUFDQEHFRRORUZDUPEXWWKHWHPSHUDWXUH QRWXVXDOO\JR
DERYHGHJUHHV

,WLV FORXG\DQGWKHUHDUH JUH\ 


IRUGD\VRUZHHNV 'D\VDUH LQVXPPHUDQG
 LQZLQWHU7KHUHLVVRPHWLPHVIRJ QRWVRRIWHQDV
IRUHLJQHUVWKLQN%ULWLVK QHYHU ZKDWWRPRUURZV¶
ZHDWKHUZLOOEHOLNH

Exchange information with your partner about Laos and England then make notes below.

56
Session 5.7 Reading: Weather and Climate

Britain’s Climate

1 Everyone is happy in the summer, when it's hot and sunny. Sunshine is also
important for our health. When it's very hot we say it's baking or boiling or even roasting. But
sometimes the temperature can get too high, over 32°C (degrees Celsius) or 90°F (degrees
Fahrenheit). Then, people are not so happy, especially if it continues for a few days. That's
what we call a heat-wave. If the air is dry, it's not so bad, but if the air is humid and heavy,
it's not very nice.

2 In Britain, you will not be surprised to hear, we can get quite a lot of rain. Of course, it
doesn't rain all the time in Britain. There isn't a monsoon, or rainy season! But we get
enough rain to have different vocabulary for it. If the rain is very light, we say, it's just
drizzling. If you go out without an umbrella, you'll get a bit wet. If it is raining very heavily, we
say it's pouring, and without an umbrella, you'll get completely soaked. When TV or radio
weather forecasters talks about "showers", they mean short periods of light rain, stopping
and starting again. After a rainstorm, there is sometimes a beautiful rainbow in the sky.

3 What should you do if you're out for a walk in the country and you get caught in a
thunderstorm? Don't stand under a tree: lightning often strikes trees. Inside a car is safer.
When it rains too much or for too long, rivers fill up and there are floods. If it doesn't rain at
all for a long time, there is a drought. Both situations are very dangerous.

4 Sometimes, the air becomes so heavy with water, that we can see it. If this happens
in the sky, we call these groups of very small drops of water clouds. If it happens down near
the ground, for example, in the mornings, we call it mist. If a mist is very heavy, and
dangerous for driving, we call it fog. If the fog is produced by air pollution from factory
chimneys, cars and so on, we have a special word for it: smog (= smoke + fog).

5 In Oxford and other towns in the south of England, winters are normally quite mild.
Temperatures may stick at around freezing point (0°C or 32°F). In Oxford, there is little if any
snow, although black ice on roads is dangerously common. So for winter sports like skiing,
most people go north, to the highlands of Scotland, for example, where there may be snow
for several months. Conditions can be very dangerous for climbers in the mountains, with
severe snow storms, and even blizzards. Luckily, avalanches are much less common than in
the Alps in Europe.

6 British weather is very changeable. A few days of warm sunshine at the end of winter
can trick plants into putting out new leaves again, then, the beautiful morning dew covering
the leaves freezes and in the morning the plants are covered with white frost. Or a sudden
shower of hailstones can kill the new plants coming up.

7 In Britain, sandstorms never happen, because the climate is too humid so there are
no deserts. The weather can be very windy though, with gales common especially during the
winter months and occasionally there can be hurricanes. (The last hurricane to hit Britain
was in 1997. It caused billions of pounds of damage.) Apparently, there are more tornadoes,
or twisters, in the UK than there are in the USA.

57
Session 5.8

Look at the following statements and decide if they are T-true, F- false or NG-Not given,
if not enough information is given in the passage.

1. British people like long periods of temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. -

2. British people often carry umbrellas. -

3. Mist is the same as cloud only lower to the ground. -

4. The South of England has less snow than the North. -

5. Frost is the result of water freezing on plants. -

6. Britain doesn’t have as many tornadoes as the USA -

Complete the following sentences with a short phrase.

7. A heat wave is

8. After rain you can sometimes see

9. During thunderstorms it is safest to

10. Small particles of water in the air form

11. For winter sports people go to

12. There are no deserts in Britain because

Can you give a heading to each paragraph?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

58
Session 5.9 Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The table below shows the results of a survey of the average number of cars per
hour using three suburban roads during working hours in a ten year pollution
monitoring programme. Traffic calming was introduced in Harper Lane at the
beginning of 1999.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the data.

*traffic calming = methods of slowing down traffic, e.g. by building raised areas across roads.

Write at least 150 words.

59
Session 5.10

60
Session 5.11 Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The charts show temperatures and rainfall in England and Thailand. Write a report for a
university lecturer describing the information shown below.

You should write at least 150 words.

Average monthly rainfall (mm)

350

300

250

200 Thailand
150 England

100

50

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Average monthly temperatures (degrees centigrade)


40

35

30
25
Thailand
20
England
15

10
5
0
J F M A M J J A S O N D

61
Session 5.12 Speaking practice

Part 1

 Are there any seasons in your country? What are they?


 Do you prefer to live in a cool place or a hot place? Why?
 How does the weather affect the way you feel?
 Has the climate changed over the last few years? If so, how?

Part 2

Describe your favourite weather.

You should say

 What kind of weather it is


 Why you like this kind of weather
 How often this weather occurs
 What do you do in this weather
 Where you can experience such weather conditions.

62
Session 6.1 Leisure activities

1. Which of the following leisure activities have you taken part in during the last month?
Tick the boxes in the middle column. In right column, write down the frequency with
which you take part in these activities e.g. often, sometimes, seldom, not at all/never,
once a week, every day,etc.

Activity Yes? How often?

Listening to music

Playing a musical instrument

Visiting friends/relatives

Watching TV

Cooking

Playing computer games

Shopping

Playing sport/exercising

Using social media

Reading a book

2. Compare your answers with a classmate. Do you share the same interests?

63
Session 6.2

3. Think about how popular these activities are with people of different ages. Rank the
activities from 1 to 10 in order of popularity for people in each age group, where 1 is the
most popular and 10 is the least popular.

Activity Under 20 20 to 30 40 and over

Listening to music

Playing a musical instrument

Visiting friends/relatives

Watching TV

Cooking

Playing computer games

Gardening

Playing sports

Using social media

Reading a book

Why are do some age groups have different preferences for free time activities?

Which activities are popular among all age groups? Why do you think this is?

Session 6.3

Speaking practice Part 2

Describe a leisure activity that you enjoy.

You should say:

 What the activity is


 Where and when you do this
 What it involves (equipment and special clothes)
 Why you enjoy it

64
Session 6.4

Reading [pp.72-3/Unit 7/New Headway Intermediate/OUP]

Pre-reading exercise: Look through the text quickly and highlight the words that relate to
leisure activities.
The family who turned back the clock

When Malcolm Jones woke up last Monday, he heard the birds singing. Not
remarkable, you might think, especially given that he lives near a forest. But birdsong in the
Jones household is usually drowned by a tidal wave of electronic music crashing around the
house as soon as his four children wake up.

This is a family who has chosen to fill their home with every conceivable gadget.
They have nine television sets, including one in each bedroom and in the kitchen .All the
children have their own personal computers and CD player. Of course, there are all the
usual appliances we all take for granted, such as the washing machine, tumble drier,
dishwasher, deep freeze, microwave oven and video recorder, but they also have an electric
trouser press, two power showers, an Olympic-sized spa bath and Jacuzzi, three cars, and a
music system which plays throughout the whole house.

The experiment What happens if all the props of modern living are removed?
To help us find out, we asked the Joneses to turn back the clock fifty years and to switch off
all their labour-saving gadgets and push-button entertainment for three days. We also
wanted them to stop using their cars. The family, comprising Malcolm, 48, Carol, 43 and
their four children Emma, 17, Richard, 14, Tamsin, 9, and Tom ,7, were not enthusiastic, but
everyone ,except for Emma, agreed to try. (She couldn’t stand the thought of being without
the telephone and her car, which she had only just learnt to drive, so she refused point-blank
to join in) The other three children were not allowed to use their computers or watch TV.
They were banned from opening the freezer to get out fish fingers and oven chips. Malcolm
was forbidden to use his electric razor and mobile phone, but allowed to use his car for work.
Carol was encouraged to go everywhere on foot or by bicycle (women rarely drove 50 years
ago) told to ignore the washing machine and dishwasher, and she was discouraged from
using the telephone.

How did they cope?


The much-dreaded three days got under way! Old–fashioned meals, games, and
entertainment were planned for the evenings. After eating together at the kitchen table, they
sat playing cards, putting off doing the washing-up because they all hated doing that.
Carol was surprised at how long everything took. By the time I had washed up the breakfast
things and got back from walking the children to school, it was nearly lunchtime. Getting to
the shops, which normally takes five minutes in the car, took at least an hour, so it was
impossible just to pop out for a loaf of bread. It was strange having to wait until the washing
dried in the garden before getting the ironing done, instead of simply using the drier.’

65
Although Carol found it quite difficult to get used to the length of time it took to do things, she
enjoyed having a slower, more relaxed pace of life. Also, the lack of electronic
entertainment, particularly the TV, had a dramatic effect on the children. They got on much
better together and seemed to enjoy each other’s company more, although they clearly
believed that they were suffering. Tamsin even spent some time gazing at the blank TV
screen in her bedroom.

‘All sorts of things that we had put off doing got done,’ said Carol. ‘Bikes got mended, rooms
tidied, bookshelves sorted, hamsters cleaned out. Tamsin and Tom started to play games
together and even read stories to each other.’

What did they think?


What Malcolm liked most was the peace. ‘I usually start the day by watching the business
news on TV from bed. Then I press the music button while I shower and get dressed. I didn’t
miss any of this, I just enjoyed hearing the birds singing and chatting to Carol. I think the
whole experience did the children a lot of good. If it were my decision now, I’d throw all the
televisions away.’

The children vigorously denied that any good had been done to them. Richard spoke for
them all when he said, ‘It was awful. I missed my music, I missed the computer games, and I
missed the TV. We had to read books instead!’

Carol’s feelings were the most ambiguous.’ I enjoyed doing more things together as a family.
But as the housewife, I didn’t like my day being so full of household chores. When you’ve got
a dishwasher, you stack it as you go through the day and turn it on at night. But you can’t
leave dirty dishes in the sink all day, so you’ve got to keep doing the washing-up. Also,
without a phone and a car, I felt really isolated.’

All of this just goes to show that, fascinating as the experiment was, you cannot turn clock
back. This is doubtless a big relief to the Jones children!

66
Session 6.5

Reading skills

One of the important skills required for the reading section is the identification of key words
in the question and then the ability to scan for these words (or words with a similar meaning.)

Answer the following questions on the reading passage.

Questions 1 – 5

Complete the sentences by typing NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in the spaces provided.

1. The sound of animals would not be uncommon considering they live

2. Normally Mr. Jones would hear first thing in the morning.

3. The husband was allowed to use , but the wife had to travel
or , if she needed to go out of the house.

4. During the three days, things that had been were finally accomplished.

5. Mrs. Jones wasn’t happy about

Questions 6 – 7

Choose the correct answer.


6. Mrs. Jones was a. banned from making telephone calls -

b. allowed to make telephone calls

c. asked not to make telephone calls

7. The family could a. eat frozen food already bought -

b. only eat similar meals to that of 50 years ago

c. eat anything as long as it was prepared in an old-fashioned way.

Questions 8 – 10
Select T for ‘true’, F for ‘false’ or NG for ‘not given’.

8. The children enjoyed the experiment. -

9. The children didn’t enjoy reading books. -

10. Mrs. Jones had mixed feelings about the experiment. -

67
Session 6.6

Writing Task 2

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of overweight people.

List some of the reasons why people are becoming overweight.

1. Brainstorming
Think of some reasons for this increase in obesity. Use the sunburst diagram to help:

Why are people becoming overweight?

2. Organising ideas
Can your examples be grouped and organized? If so, how?

3. Linking ideas
Use linking words to join sentences to give cohesion to the paragraph:
e.g. First of all, Next, Another reason is…, A further reason is…, Finally…

Now, write the first body paragraph for this essay. You should write around 100 words.

68
Session 6.7

Language use: talking about time

1. We use ‘for’ and ‘since’ when talking about time:

For + a period

A period is a duration of time: for example, 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 months. ‘For’ means ‘from
the beginning of the period until the end of the period’, ‘for’ can be used with all tenses.

e.g. I’ve been here for three weeks now.


They usually study for 2 hours each day.
It seems like I’ve been waiting for ever.
He has lived in Bangkok for a long time.
I worked for that company for ten years.

Since + a point in time

A point is a precise moment in time: for example, 9 o’clock, 1st January, Monday. ‘since’
means ‘from a point in the past until now’. ‘Since’ is usually used with perfect tenses.

e.g. He has been here since 10.00 am.


I’ve been learning English since I started school.
You’ve been nothing but trouble ever since you arrived.
John had lived in the USA since his childhood.
How long is it since you got married?

It's ages since....

Exercise 1
e.g. He hasn't visited his parents for months.

It's months since he last visited his parents.

Now you do it:


1. She hasn't watered the plants for ages.

2. You haven't washed the car for weeks.

3. We haven't eaten curry for months.

4. Bob hasn't come to see us for ages.

5. We haven't gone to the cinema for almost two years.

6. Carol hasn't played netball for ages.

7. David hasn't paid income tax for years.

8. We haven't visited our relatives in Melbourne for month.

69
Session 6.8

Exercise 2
Listen to the example
e.g. It's weeks since he had his last haircut.
He hasn't had a haircut for weeks.

Now you do it:


1. It's months since she had her last cigarette.
2. It's years since he had his last eye-test.
3. It's ages since you had your last tetanus injection.
4. It's a long time since I had my last nightmare.
5. It's weeks since she had her last interview.
6. It's years since he had his last check-up.
7. It's months since my car had its last service.
8. It's ages since we had our last meal out.
9. It's almost a year since he had his last drink.
10. It's a long time since they had their last holiday.

2. “Used to”
We used to do something in the past but it no longer happens.

e.g. I used to play soccer when I was at school but I’m too busy now.
She used to smoke fifty a day but now she’s finally quit.
I didn’t use to like him, but I do now.
She used to have long hair until she got it cut short.

Write down 5 things that you used to do but not any longer:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

70
Session 6.9

Speaking: Using the past tense

Part 1

Let’s talk about the past

 What did you enjoy most about being young?

 Where did you spend free time when you were a child?

 When was the first time you used English?

 Do you enjoy eating the same foods you did when you were little?

 When was the last time you went out to relax and what did you do?

Part 2

Describe a school you went to when you were young.

You should think about

 The size of the school


 The teachers who taught there
 Any special event you remember at school
 Any bad points about the school

71
Session 7.1 Describing where you live

Put the following words into the correct category & note down their part of speech. Then,
add some words of your own.

quiet peaceful polluted road street grass

condominium noisy park trees forest boring

exciting crowded capital industrial agricultural cosmopolitan

town / city country both

72
Session 7.2 Listening & Speaking

Pre-listening
Look at the following statements about New York and London. Identify the topic which each
sentence is describing about the city. The first one has been done as an example.

 It’s houses and apartments are the most expensive in Europe. accommodation
 It has a population of around 7.5 million.
 3.5 million passengers travel on the ‘Tube’ every day of the year.
 This city’s Marathon is the largest in the world with more than 35,000 runners.

 There are 43 universities located here.


 More than 8 million people live here.
 It is home to 300 theatres, 500 cinema screens and around 12,000 restaurants.

 The city was founded in the 17th century.


 It is the greenest city in the world with almost 40% of its area designated parkland.

What other topics could you use to describe a city?

Listen to Owen talk about comparing the features of several countries and make notes on
what he says in the table below. Answer the True/False questions using your notes

England Mexico Japan

Weather

Food

Language

1. Owen had worked in only two countries -


2. He likes the weather in Japan and Mexico -
3. Food is very important to Owen -
4. He doesn’t think there are many types of food in England -
5. He ate lots of sushi in Japan -
6. He didn’t learn any Japanese -

73
Session 7.3 Language Focus

Complete the table below explaining the rules of comparative & superlative adjectives.

adjective comparative superlative

1 syllable

2 syllables: y

2 syllables

3+ syllables

Good

Bad

Far

Complete the following sentences. The first one has been done as an example.

1. Bangkok / crowded / Hua-Hin.

e.g.: Bangkok is more crowded than Hua-Hin.

2. Chiang Mai / peaceful / Bangkok.

3. Bangkok / polluted / Phuket.

4. Koh Samui / pretty / Koh Pangan / Koh Chang / pretty.

5. Chon Buri / industrial / Kanchanaburi / Saraburi / industrial.

Now, write three sentences of your own.

6.

7.

8.

74
Session 7.4 Speaking / Comparing two places

Make some notes on the area you live in Bangkok & a rural town in Thailand & tell your
partner about them. Add 1 more category of your own at the bottom.

Area in Bangkok Rural town

People

Transport

Accommodation

Shops

Entertainment

Industry

75
Session 7.5 Language Focus

Now, look at the following structure for using nouns.


Add some more examples of your own.

subject “has got” comparative noun “than” object


adjective

Bangkok has got longer canals than Kanchanaburi.

subject “has got” quantifier noun

Kanchanaburi has got a lot of mountains.

76
Session 7.6 Speaking / Where you live

On your own, brainstorm answers to the following questions.

 What is the area where you live like ?

 How has it changed since you were a child ?

 What is the best thing about living there ?

 What are the things that you don’t like ?

 How could your area be made better ?

 What are the major areas of employment for the area ?

 In what ways do people spend their free-time ?

 Compare your area with different part of the country.

77
Session 7.7 Writing

Look at the following tables & write a report on the information.

Statistics for Melbourne and Auckland in 1998.

Melbourne Auckland
People
3.6 million 1.1 million
Cars
788,000 212,500
Factories
266 78
Parks
6 14
Universities
5 3
Farmland
19% of total area 33% of total area
Different nationalities
24 17
Night clubs
118 6
Size
62,000 sq.km 31,000 sq.km

78
Session 7.8

Melbourne and Auckland

of data for two cities in Australia and New Zealand in the year 1998.

Overall, it is Melbourne

To begin, Melbourne had a higher population than Auckland, at 3.6 and 1.1 million

respectively, had seven more nationalities, It had well over

Auckland, and 78. While Melbourne had

, Auckland had three. Lastly, Melbourne had 118 night clubs whereas

Auckland

However, parks in Auckland than in Melbourne; it had 14 parks

compared to 6, and its farmland covered 33% of its total area, whereas

1. The table compares nine sets 6. three times as many cars as

2. 266 factories compared to 7. and covered twice as great an area.

3. five universities 8. had a much lower figure of six.

4. and farmland were greater 9. was much larger than Auckland

5. the figure was 19% for Melbourne. 10. clearly seen that

79
Session 7.9

Melbourne and Auckland

The table compares nine sets of data for two cities in Australia and New Zealand in the

year 1998. Overall, it is clearly seen that Melbourne was much larger than Auckland.

To begin, Melbourne had a higher population than Auckland, at 3.6 and 1.1 million

respectively, had seven more nationalities, and covered twice as great an area. It had well over

three times as many cars as Auckland, and 266 factories compared to 78. While Melbourne

had five universities, Auckland had three. Lastly, Melbourne had 118 night clubs, whereas

Auckland had a much lower figure of six.

However, parks and farmland were greater in Auckland than in Melbourne; it had 14

parks compared to 6, and its farmland covered 33% of its total area, whereas the figure was

19% for Melbourne.

80
Session 8.1 Providing extra information:

Student A

Look at the words in the crossword below and write clues for the answers given. Use words
like who, where, which

For example 1 down = A place where you can stay while on holiday

81
Session 8.2 Providing extra information:

Student B

Look at the words in the crossword below and write clues for the answers given. Use words
like who, where, which

For example 2 across = A place which is smaller than a town

82
Session 8.3 Relative structures

We use relative structures to join sentences with a common subject:

There is a man living next door to me.

He owns a vicious dog.

There is a man living next door to me who owns a vicious dog

or to give additional information about the subject

That is the city where I was born.

We use relative pronouns to join the sentences:

Relative pronouns

We use:

 “who” to refer to people

That is the teacher who taught me last year.

 “which” to refer to things

It is unhealthy to have a meal which is mostly junk food.

 “where” to refer to places

Cities need to have large parks where people can relax.

** “which” can also refer to places, but it depends on the sentence structure.

 If the relative pronoun is followed by a noun or “there is/are”, “where” is used


to start the structure.

 If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, “which” starts the structure.

Thailand is a country where there are a lot of sunny beaches.


The US is a nation where people can travel for months.
Bangkok is a city which has lots of commercial centers.

 “that” to refer to people or things

I need to find someone that knows the right answer


I need to find an apartment that is close to my office

Note: “that” is used instead of who and which and is more common in spoken English.

83
 “when” to refer to time

People need to have free time when they can do some exercise.

 “whose” to refer to possession

There are many undeveloped countries whose population lives in poverty.

 “why” after the reason or reasons

There are many reasons why people should do more exercise.

Session 8.4

There are 2 types of relative clause:

1. Defining relative clauses

 give information after an noun to identify the noun more clearly

Find someone who can give you the right information.

 Without the relative clause, it is unclear which person, place or thing is being talked
about

2. Non-defining relative clauses

 give extra, non-essential information about something.

I went to the hospital, which is next to the bank.

There is only one hospital, so the extra information is not essential (Non-defining)

Compare with:

I went to the hospital which is next to the bank.

There is more than one hospital, so this information is important (Defining)

 We use a comma to separate the main clause from the relative clause

 We do not use “that” in place of “who” or “which”

84
Session 8.5

Exercise 1

Make one sentence from two. Use who / that / which

1. A girl was injured in the accident. She is now in hospital


The

2 A waitress served us. She was impolite and impatient.


The

3 A building was destroyed in the fire. It has now been rebuilt.


The

4 Some people were arrested. They have now been released.


The

5 A bus goes to the airport. It runs every half hour.


The

Exercise 2

Are these sentences right or wrong? Correct them where necessary

1. I don't like stories who have unhappy endings

2 What was the name of the person who phoned you?

3. Where's the nearest shop who sells newspapers?

4. The driver which caused the accident was fined £500.

5. We live in a world what is changing all the time

6. Dan said some things about me that were not true

7. What was the name of the horse it won the race?

85
Session 8.6

Exercise 3

Complete each sentence using who/whose/where.

1. What's the name of the man car you borrowed?

2. A cemetery is a place people are buried.

3. A pacifist is a person believes that all wars are wrong.

4. An orphan is a child parents are dead.

5. The place we spent our holidays was really beautiful.

6. This school is only for children first language is not English.

Exercise 4

Read the information and complete each sentence. Use a relative clause and use commas
where necessary.

1. There's a woman living next door to me. She's a doctor.

The woman who lives next door to me is a doctor.

2. I've got a brother called Rob. He lives in Australia. He's a doctor.

My brother Rob ,

3. There was a strike at the car factory. It began ten days ago. It is now over.

The strike at the car factory

4. I was looking for a book this morning. I've found it now.

I've found

5. London was once the largest city in the world, but the population is now falling.

The population of London

86
Session 8.7 Writing

Join the ideas below to make a paragraph of about 7 sentences. Use who, which, that,
where or and. Add commas where necessary.

 I was sitting in a café


 I often go there for a drink after work
 I called the waiter
 I know him quite well
 I asked for a coffee & a ham sandwich
 While I was waiting, I looked at a newspaper
 I started reading an article on the front page
 It said, ‘Police are looking for a medical student, Veronica Hal’.
 ‘She has been missing from her home for two weeks’.
 I looked at the photograph
 It showed a young woman with dark, curly hair.
 It was a face
 I recognized it at once
 She was my new next door neighbour
 She had moved in just two weeks before

87
Session 8.8 Listening

The problem

The IELTS Listening test sets out to show which candidates can listen effectively, and which
can’t. One of the ways of doing this is to set traps — and see whether you fall into them. You
need to know about these traps and how to avoid them. In this post we will look at one of the
most common traps: the distractor.

Examples of distractors

Distractors are most often seen in dialogues, where a speaker says something, and is then
corrected by the other speaker. That means you hear the same piece of information in two
versions. One is correct and one is incorrect, and if you are not listening carefully, it’s easy to
write down the wrong one.

Let’s look at three examples. Can you answer the questions?

Example 1

Question: The man ordered T-shirts.

Dialogue:

Man: Hi, I’m calling to confirm a delivery of thirty T-shirts to my apartment in Waterloo.

Woman: I see… let me have a look. Oh, we only have one order for Waterloo, sir, and it’s for
thirteen shirts, not thirty.

Man: Ah,2 yes! Did I say thirty? Sorry. I meant thirteen. It is thirteen shirts.
Example

Question: What is the correct postcode?

Dialogue:

Man: Where do you live, Lynda?

Lynda: Unit 15, Maximilian Way.

Man: That’s in Whitfield, right? I have a cousin who lives in that area.

Lynda: Yes, Whitfield.

Man: And the postcode is double seven double five?

Lynda: Not quite — you’ve got it the wrong way around. It’s double five double seven.

88
Example 3

Question: What is Lynda’s date of birth? 25th

Dialogue:

Man: Just one more thing — your date of birth — but I can get that from the card. One
moment…

Lynda: Look. I’m afraid you haven’t copied it down correctly. I was born on 25th September
1990.

Man: What have I written? Oh yes, I see now. I’ve got the 25th of the eighth month, but that
would make it August…

Analysis of the distractors

It’s not difficult to find the answers when the dialogue is written down in front of you. But when
you are listening — and remember you only hear the audio once — it is much more confusing.
Notice that the examiners tried to confuse you in three different ways:

In dialogue one, both words (“thirty” and “thirteen”) are repeated several times. Remember that
they sound very similar.

In dialogue two, the wrong answer is given first, followed by the right answer; in dialogue three,
the right answer is given first, followed by the wrong answer. This means you can’t predict the
order in which the answer and the distractor will come.

In dialogue two, instead of saying “seven-seven-five-five”, the man says “double seven double
five”, giving you one more thing to think about — at exactly the moment the examiners are trying
to confuse you.

So a distractor often comes with an extra spin: easily confused words, or words said in an
unusual way.

89
Session 8.9 Listening Practice

90
Session 8.10 Speaking

Part 1

 Tell me about your close family


 Who is the leader of the family? Why?
 What things do you do together as a family?
 What is more important to you, friends or family? Why?

Part 2

Describe a person who is well-known in your country.

You should think about

 Why they are well-known


 When you first learned about them
 What they do
 Why you like / don’t like them

91
Further speaking practice

Part 2

Describe a person who has influenced you.

You should think about

 Who that person is


 What they do
 How they have influenced you

Describe the oldest person you know.

You should think about

 Who that person is


 How you know them
 What is special about this old person

Describe a famous person you would like to meet.

You should think about

 Who that person is


 Why they are famous
 Why you would like to meet them

92
Session 9.1 Talking about people

Look at the picture below of Dot.

How old is she?

What is her appearance like?

What do you think her character is like?

What do you think she is interested in?

Write 2 more things you would like to know about Dot.

1.

2.

93
Session 9.2 Talking about people

Read the following passage quickly and answer as many of the above questions as you
can. You only have 1 minute.

Aunt Dot is my favourite relative. She’s my father’s elder sister – she


was 71 on her last birthday. She was married once, but unfortunately her
husband – Alex – died at an early age from a heart attack. She now lives alone
in a small village called Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset. Despite her age, Dot is
still very young in spirit. She has quite a dark complexion, almost
Mediterranean in nature and she always has her hair in an awful buffont
style with about two cans of hair spray holding it in place. She has dark
brown eyes and a lovely, kind face. Her smile is very welcoming every time
you see her. Her face is quite wrinkled now, but she is still rather attractive
in a mature sort of way. She’s the sort of person you can always talk to,
because she’s such a good listener.

In her spare time she enjoys reading and gardening. She also goes for
long walks in the woods near her home and over the vast farmland that
can be found in that part of the country. She is always active in one way or
another – making something, mending something, or helping someone else.
She often goes shopping for the ‘old people’ in the village – as she calls
them, she doesn’t think of herself as being old at all, which is really admirable,
I think. My only criticism of aunt Dot is that she is too set in her ways – the
way a lot of older people are, I suppose. No, Dot isn’t very tolerant of different
viewpoints to hers at all. But, I really like her a lot and I hope that I have the
same vitality when I reach her age. Most folks think that Dot’s a likeable person.

Highlight the following in different colours:

i) general information

ii) her physical appearance

iii) her character

iv) opinions

v) her habits

94
Session 9.3

Language Focus

Read the following passage. What is wrong with the passage? With a partner, try to

improve the passage.

My uncle’s shopkeeper. He has shop in old village by River

Thames near Oxford. Shop sells many things – bread, milk, fruit,

vegetables, newspapers – almost everything! It is also village post

office. Children in village always stop to spend few pence on

sweets or ice-cream on their way home from school.

My uncle doesn’t often leave village. He hasn’t got car, so once

a month he goes by bus to Oxford and has lunch at Grand Hotel with

some friends. He is one of happiest men I know.

95
Session 9.4

Language Focus

Now, read the passage again & complete the gaps with a / an / the, or leave it
blank if no article is required.

My uncle’s -_____ ( ) shopkeeper. He has -_____ ( ) shop in

-_____ ( -
) old village by _____ ( ) River Thames near -_____ ( )

-
Oxford. _____ -
( ) shop sells many things – _____ -
( ) bread, _____ (

-
milk, -_____ ( ) fruit, -_____ ( ) vegetables, _____ ( ) newspapers –

almost everything! It is also -_____ ( ) village post office. -_____ ( )

children in -_____ ( ) village always stop to spend -_____ ( ) few

pence on -_____ ( ) sweets or -_____ ( ) ice-cream on their way home

from -_____ ( ) school.

My uncle doesn’t often leave -_____ ( ) village. He hasn’t got

-_____ ( ) car, so once -_____ ( ) month he goes by -_____ ( ) bus to

-_____ ( -
) Oxford and has -_____ ( ) lunch at _____ ( ) Grand Hotel

with some friends. He is one of -_____ ( ) happiest men I know.

Now, look through the rules on articles.


Check/correct your answers & type theletter A to L of the appropriate rule in the box.

96
Session 9.5

Language Focus – Some rules for article use.

a, an & the
A. The indefinite article (a/an) is used with singular, countable nouns to refer to a thing
or an
idea for the first time.

We have a cat & a dog.


There’s a supermarket on Rama 4 Road.
I’m reading a good book.

B. The definite article (the) is used with singular & plural, countable & uncountable
nouns when both speaker & listener know the thing or idea already.

We have a cat. The cat is old.


I’m going to the supermarket on Rama 4 Road.
The book is by Noam Chomsky.

The indefinite article is used…


C. with a profession
I’m a teacher.

D. with some expressions of quantity


a pair of shoes / a little / a couple of / a hundred / 3 times a day / 30 km an hour.
E. in exclamations with “what” + countable noun.
What a horrible person!

The definite article is used…


F. before the names of seas, rivers, hotels, pubs, theatres, museums & newspapers.
the Atlantic / the Bangkok Post

G. if there is only one.


the king of Thailand / the moon / the Thai government.

H. with superlative adjectives.


Global warming is the most serious threat to the planet.

97
Session 9.6

Language Focus – Some rules for article use.

There is no article….
I. before plural & uncountable nouns when talking about things in general.

I like apples.
I like iced-coffee.

J. before countries, towns, streets, languages, magazines, meals, airports,


stations &
mountains.

I live in Taling-Chan.
My sister reads Vogue.
I’ll meet you at Ploenchit BTS station.

K. before some places and with some forms of transport.

At home - in/to bed - at/to work - at/to school - by bus - by plane - by car - by train - on
foot

L. in exclamations with what + plural noun / uncountable noun.

What lovely flowers!


What beautiful weather!

98
Session 9.7 Vocabulary / pronunciation

Put the following words into the correct column. Some can go in both.

Check the pronunciation of new words & write in the phonemic transcripts & stress.

mean jealous dark plain fair cruel ugly

generous wrinkled punctual rude selfish tolerant

plump intelligent attractive moody reliable outgoing

clean-shaven handsome tanned brown-eyed smart

character appearance

Add any more words you know to the lists.

99
Session 9.8 Speaking

Make some notes on a person you know well under the following areas.

How you know


them

Their physical
appearance

Their character

Their likes

Their dislikes

Their habits

Your opinion

Now, tell the other students about the person.

100
Session 9.9

With a partner, write a description of the following information

Figure 1: Percentage of free time spent with family from 1950 to 2000

101
Session 9.10

Reading: Getting married: who chooses your partner?

Mohammad Hussaini has lived most of his life in the United States, and he talks - and
believes that he thinks mostly - like an American. That is, until the time came to choose a
wife. He decided not to follow American traditions, but asked his parents to choose his
future wife. This is the tradition in the country where he was born, Afghanistan.
After all, he said, something as important as marriage should be left to people with
experience in these things; and who better to make such a decision than people he respects
and trusts - his parents.
Arranged marriages – when someone else chooses your partner - are common
among people from Afghanistan, and Mohammad's parents already had a special girl in
mind. Her name was Hameeda, the daughter of old friends of theirs. The problem was that
she lived in California, almost five hours by plane from Mohammad's home in New York.
The two families spent a great deal of time writing letters and e-mails to try and make sure
that the young couple had enough in common to give their marriage a chance to work out.
When they finally met for the first time, Mohammad and Hameeda liked each other. Love
at first sight, perhaps. Before the end of two weeks they were married.
Hameeda liked the fact that, while other young men had asked her stupid questions
about whether she went out dancing a lot, Mohammad wanted to know what kind of
books she read. She was also pleased to be marrying into a family with sisters, as she had
no sisters of her own. Mohammad was happy that Hameeda had a degree from
university and had traveled a lot with her parents.
'I hope that when we have children,' said Mohammad, ' they will follow traditions,
too, and ask their parents to choose their partners in marriage.

Exercise 1 Comprehension
Choose the best answer for each question:
-
1. Where has Mohammad lived most of his life?
a. Afghanistan
b. California
c. New York
-
2. Arranged marriages are traditional in …
a. Afghanistan
b. California
c. New York

102
Foundation for IELTS

Session 9.11
-
3. How did Mohammad’s parents know about Hameeda?
a. She was the daughter of their friends.
b. She was a friend of Mohammad in Afghanistan.
c. She was Mohammad’s friend in California.

4. Why did the two families spend a lot of time writing e-mails and letters to each -
other?
a. They wanted to arrange the wedding date.
b. They wanted to make sure the young people had some common interests.
c. They wanted to make sure the couple would fall in love at first sight.

5. Which of these is NOT TRUE? -


a. Hameeda had studied at university.
b. Hameeda had some beautiful sisters.
c. Hameeda had traveled to many places.

Exercise 2 Short answers


Write short answers for each question:

1. How long has Mohammad lived in America?

2. How far was it from Mohammad’s home to Hameeda’s home?

3. How long did they know each other before they got married?

4. How many sisters did Hameeda have?

5. Why didn’t Hameeda like the other young men she met?

Exercise 3 Your turn to think!

1. Do you think arranged marriages are a good idea? Would you be happy for your
parents to choose your partner? Why? Why not?

2. When Mohammad met Hameeda it was ‘love at first sight’. Do you believe in ‘love at
first sight’?

3. At what age do most people get married in your country?

4. In your opinion, how old should a person be when they marry? Is that the same for
men and women?

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Session 10.1 Global warming

Causes, Effects and Predictions

Think of ideas for the following topics. Think of examples or explanations to help strengthen
your points.

Causes of global warming include

Effects include

Ways to reduce the effects (Solutions) of global warming include

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Session 10.2 Global warming: a model essay

One of the biggest problems facing the world today is global warming.
Many scientists believe that our production of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases is having a heating effect on the atmosphere, and this
could be very dangerous for human life. This essay will examine the
problem of global warming and suggest some ways of solving the
problem.

Many problems could result from global warming. One of the biggest
problems is rising sea level. This could result in the flooding of low
lying coastal areas and cities, such as Egypt, the Netherlands, and
Bangladesh. Some countries might even disappear completely!
Another problem caused by global warming is changes in weather
patterns. Many areas of the world are experiencing increased hurricanes,
floods, and other unusual weather. A third problem associated with
global warming is the effect on animals. Fish populations could be
affected, while some insects which spread disease might become more
common.

There are several things we can do to solve the problem of global


warming. One solution is to stop producing C02. We can do this by
switching from oil, coal and gas to renewable energy. Another solution is
to plant more trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen,
which is not a greenhouse gas. A third solution is to use less energy and
to recycle more products. Generating electricity is one of the main
sources of carbon dioxide. If we use less electricity, we will produce less
C02.

In conclusion, if we make small changes now in the way we live, we can


avoid huge changes in the future. Scientists, governments and
individuals must work together to overcome this threat.

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Session 10.3 Language Focus First Conditional

Environmentalists are worried about the greenhouse effect.

Make sentences using if …and …..will.

Example:

If the earth gets warmer, the sea will get warmer.

Copy your teacher’s board-work below

If….. the earth gets warmer


The sea gets warmer


The ice at the north and south poles melts


the sea level rises


there are floods in many parts of the world

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Session 10.4 Speaking

Look through your notes from the previous exercises & rank them below in order of
seriousness. Give your reasons in the right-hand column.

When you have finished, discuss your ideas with other students & try to get them to agree
with you.

Problem Reason

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

6. 6.

7. 7.

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Session 10.5 Future plans

Draw a line from the words below to the line according to the degree of certainty.

sure I will definitely won’t might probably will probably won’t

may will possibly possibly won’t

-100% -50% 0% +50% +100%

Look at the following future possibilities & tick what you think will be true for you.

I’m sure I I probably will I might I probably I definitely


won’t won’t
Speak Thai in my will
English class today

Have children in the next


5 years

Study abroad in the next


12 months

Go to the cinema this


week

Win the lottery this month

Get a boy/girlfriend this


year

Go on holiday this month

Move house in the next


10 years

Have my own business in


the next 15 years

Ask the other students about their predictions:

“Do you think you’ll …………..?” Why?

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Session 10.6 Listening / Future plans

Listen to someone talking about her future plans and answer the true / false questions
below.

1. She is sure she will be there in 5 years time. -


2. She definitely has a job in Australia. -
3. Her salary will be doubled in Australia. -
4. She is getting married soon. -
5. She is sure her boyfriend will get a job. -
6. She plans to have children. -

(Listening taken from Language In Use, Intermediate, Unit11)

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Session 10.7 Language Focus

Match the sentence to the timelines below.

a)
time
studying in England
________________________________X____________________________
now 2019

b) go to England

X
now next month

c) study in England

X
now 2019 2020 2023

-
1. I will go to England soon.

2. I will have finished studying in five years’ time. -

3. I’ll be studying in England this time next year. -

Copy the board work below.

110
Session 10.8 Speaking / Your future plans
On your own, brainstorm what you think may happen in the future below.
If you don’t know – LIE!!!

 Try to think of:


1. an event in the future simple
2. an event in the future continuous
3. an event in the future perfect

Next year 5 years 15 years

1. 1. 1.

Family 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

1. 1. 1.

Study 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

1. 1. 1.

Job 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

1. 1. 1.

Money 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

1. 1. 1.

The world 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

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Session 10.9 Reading & Speaking / Predicting the future
Look at the information about palmistry below and then tell your partner about their future..

Line Prediction
Long = live long / good health
LL Short = lot of business success
Life line Broken = serious illness
Forked = travel a lot
Long = marry soon
ML Short = marry late in life
Marriage line Broken = marry many times
Long = love deeply
HL Short = have problems in love
Heart line Broken = have many boy/girlfriends

Long = have 1 job all your life


FL Short = have problems keeping jobs
Fate line Broken = work abroad
Forked = make an important career change
Long = make a lot of money
SL Short = find happiness later in life
Sun line
The number of lines shows how many children you will have.
CL
Child line

112
Session 10.10 Writing

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Today global warming is a serious problem. What are the causes of this problem
and how can it be controlled or reduced ?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your
arguments with examples and relevant evidence.

You should write at least 250 words.

Plan

Causes How / controlled / reduced ?

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