Oxford English 1B

Exercise Booklet
(Unit 6)

Name: ________________________
Class: _________________ ( )
Pre-reading (p.25)
A Your school is going to have a Health Week. Your teacher wants to find out how much you know about
the changes that teenagers experience as they get older. She has given you a quiz. Label the pictures.
gain weight hair gets oily have facial hair
get pimples have body odour voice changes

B Your classmates Ricky and Charlene want to send emails to the speaker of a talk asking for advice about
their problems. Read the following extracts from their emails. What inferences can you make? Complete
the sentences.

‘The other boys in my class call me names like “Shorty” and make fun of me.’

Ricky’s classmates make fun of him because he is (1) __________________.

‘In the past, I could make friends easily, but now I spend most of my time alone.’

Charlene has (2) _________________ friends at school.

‘I can’t keep my weight down and my hips keep getting bigger.’

Charlene is gaining (3) ___________________.

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Post-reading (p.28)
A Choose the best answer and blacken the circle.
1 What is Dr Lee’s talk going to be about?
A teenage problems
B teenagers’ lives
C changes teenagers experience as they get older A B C D
D the human body

2 If you want to send an email to Dr Lee, you should do so _____________.

A on or before 13 March
B on 13 March only
C on 15 March A B C D
D between 13 March and 15 March

3 According to the first email, which of the following body changes does Ricky not experience?
A getting taller
B voice change
C growth of facial hair A B C D
D having body odour

4 In the first email, line 20, what does the phrase ‘this problem’ refer to?
A body odour
B getting pimples
C being called ‘Shorty’ A B C D
D feeling worried

5 In the second email, line 30, the phrase ‘mood swings’ means __________.
A feelings of happiness
B feelings of sadness
C not knowing how you feel A B C D
D sudden changes in feelings

6 According to the second email, Charlene feels __________ about her body shape.
A confused
B upset
C happy A B C D
D confident

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B Dr Lee keeps a record of the problems that students write to her about. Help her note down the
problems of Ricky and Charlene.

A gaining weight
B not getting taller
Ricky’s problems
C can’t control voice Charlene’s problems
1 _________________
5 _________________
D have few friends
2 _________________
E body smells 6 _________________
3 _________________
F moods change quickly 7 _________________
G have poor skin 4 _________________
8 _________________
H have facial hair

C Dr Lee has jotted down some advice for Charlene and Ricky. Help her sort out her notes. Match each
piece of advice to the correct problem in Part B. Write the correct letters in the boxes.
1
Change in body shape is part of growing up. Try to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
This helps keep your body in shape.

2
You should take a shower and change your
clothes every day.

3
Not everyone’s body will grow at the same rate. Try not to compare
yourself with others.

4
It is normal for teenagers to have ups and downs. Why don’t you talk to your
parents or teachers about your problems? You will feel better after talking to them.

5
You should wash your face with soap and warm water twice a day. Remember to
drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep.

6
You should wait until the hair is long enough to shave off. Perhaps you could
ask a male family member to show you how to shave.

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All boys experience this change as they grow older. As you keep growing,
your voice will become deeper and more stable.

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Perhaps you can join some school clubs. You will find it easier to make
friends there as everyone shares the same interests.

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Vocabulary building (p.30)
Parts of the body
A You are doing a project about growing up for the Health Week. You want to include a diagram showing
different parts of the body. Label the diagram below.

ankle breasts elbow knee thigh

armpit chest hip shoulder waist

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Words related to puberty (p.31)
B Your classmate Sandy has interviewed her 20-year-old cousin about his experience of growing up. She
has emailed you the transcript of the interview, but some of the words are unclear. Complete the
transcript.

appearance depressed independent mood swings

peer pressure responsibilities self-image

Sandy: Kim, were you happy when you were a teenager?

Kim: Yes, I was. But sometimes, I had (1) _____________________. One day I'd wake up and be really

happy. The next day, I'd wake up and feel (2) _____________________.

Sandy: Why did you feel that way?

Kim: It was because I didn't have a good (3) _____________________. I felt bad about the way I looked.

I wasn't happy with my (4) _____________________ — I was the tallest boy in class and my

classmates often made jokes about my height.

Sandy: What do you think was the worst part about growing up?

Kim: I found it hard to cope with (5) _____________________. Sometimes, I did things I didn't want to

do just because I wanted to fit in with my friends.

Sandy: What about the best part of being a teenager?

Kim: I became more (6) _____________________ as my parents started to let me do things on my own.

But I also had more (7) _____________________. For example, I had to take care of my younger

brother and sister.

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 Grammar
Modals: can and could (p.33)
A You have drawn some pictures for your project and want to add dialogue to each picture. Complete the
dialogue with ‘can’ or ‘could’ and the words from the box. Add ‘not’ when necessary.
control find get rid of give go
make sleep tell understand

Girl: Mum, (1) _______________ I ______________

shopping with my friends?
Mum: No, you (2) _______________________. You
should stay at home and concentrate on your
homework.

Girl 1: You look unhappy. (3) _______________ you

_______________ me what happened?
Girl 2: My skin and hair are oily all the time. I was so
worried that I (4) ________________________
last night.

Boy 1: I (5) ______________________ my emotions.

One moment, I feel fine, but the next moment,
I feel like crying.
Boy 2: Why don’t you talk to the school social worker?
I’m sure she (6) ______________________ you
some advice.

Girl : I (7) ______________________ the pimples on

my face. (8) _______________ you
_______________ me what I should do, Dr Chan?
Dr Chan: Don’t worry! I can help you.

Girl: I (9) ___________________ friends at school and I feel

lonely all the time. At my old school, I was quite
popular and I (10) _______________ always
_______________ someone to hang around with.
Teacher: I (11) ___________________ how you feel.
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Using ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘or’ (p.35)

B Your classmate Lily has drafted a letter to the problem page of a teen magazine, but she is not sure about
the use of the connectives ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘or’. Help her complete the letter.

Dear Agony Aunt,

I'm 13 years old (1) ________________ I have some problems about growing up. Many girls in my class

are getting taller (2) ________________ I'm not. When can I expect to start growing? Also, my skin and

hair seem oily. I wash my hair and face every day, (3) ________________ the situation doesn't improve.

What can I do about that?

Another problem is my parents. They treat me like a child (4) ________________ don't let me do things

on my own. They also say I mustn't play computer games (5) ________________ chat online because it's

just a waste of time! I really want to live like a normal 13-year-old. Should I try to talk to them about this,

(6) ________________ should I just do what they say?

Some girls in my class are starting to like boys. Many of them have a boyfriend, (7) ________________ I

still haven't got one. This makes me kind of nervous. Is it OK to start dating in junior secondary school,

(8) ________________ is it better to wait until I'm older?

I hope you have time to answer all my questions.

Yours,

Lily

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Grammar consolidation (p.37)

D Your classmate Tom has written a short article about the changes he is experiencing as he grows up. He
wants you to help him proofread the article. Cross out the mistakes and write the correct words above
them.

Five years ago, I was still a child, but now I am a teenager. It can be difficult to get used to the physical

changes that come with growing up. My skin and hair are getting oily, but hair is growing in new places

on my body. In the past, I can sing very well. Now my voice cracks and I could not sing properly in the

school choir.

One good thing about growing up is that I can become more independent. When I was young, I cannot

go out on my own. I did not know my way around my neighbourhood, and how to take a ferry across

the harbour. Now, I cannot hang out with my friends because I am old enough to take care of myself.

My hobbies are changing as I get older. I used to play with toys when I was small, and I do not like

doing that any more. Now my favourite hobby is collecting things. Take a look at some of my

collections:

I think growing up is a difficult and exciting experience. We have to cope with the changes in our

bodies or learn how to be a more responsible person.

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Integrated tasks

Listening (p.38-39)
A A guest speaker from the Department of Health has come to your school to give a talk on puberty. To
make sure you understand the talk, the speaker has given each student a worksheet. Listen to what she
says and complete the worksheet.

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Unit round-up (p.42-43)
Vocabulary
A You find a word game in a teen magazine. Complete the sentences by rearranging the scrambled letters
in brackets.
Word game
How much do you know about the changes that take place when we grow up? See if you can
complete the sentences below.
1 Both boys’ and girls’ skin gets oily. This often leads to (Iseipmp) _________________.

2 Boys’ (cesiov) _________________ change and get deeper.

3 Boys need to start shaving when (ialcaf irah) _________________ _________________ grows.

4 Some girls may want to shave the hair that grows on their legs and in their (itspmra)

________________.

5 One good way to control (dybo roudo) _________________ _________________ is to take a

shower and change into clean clothes every day.

6 Some teenagers have a poor (fels magei) _________________ -_________________ because

they don't like the way they look.

7 It is natural for teenagers to have (oodm ingsws) _________________ _________________.

Their emotions may change from one moment to the next.

8 As they get older, teenagers want to be more (dentpenedin) ________________ and do things

on their own.

Grammar
B Your classmate Tom has written a blog entry, but he is not sure about the grammar. He has asked you
for help. Read the entry and underline the correct words.
Today, a doctor came to our school to give us a talk on puberty. The talk was interesting (1) (and/but)
I learnt a lot from it. I used to feel uncomfortable about my changing body. I didn't know who to talk to
(2) (or/and) where to get help. Now, I (3) (can/could) better understand the changes I'm going through
(4) (and/but) feel more confident about myself.

I think growing up isn't too bad. We (5) (can't/can) do many things now that we (6) (can't/couldn't) do
before. But the hardest part about growing up is to learn how to cope with peer pressure. Sometimes,
we may want to do one thing, (7) (but/and) our friends want to do something completely different. It's
hard to decide if we should go along with our friends (8) (and/or) do what we believe is right.
PS Here are some photos I took at the talk. You can check them out!

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Electives— Poems (p.44-45)
A Your teacher wants you to write a limerick for the Health Week issue of the school magazine. Read
what she says.
I want you to write a limerick on the theme ‘growing up’. A limerick is
a short, funny poem with five lines and a special pattern of stress and
rhyme. The last line often contains a punchline or an unexpected
ending. Here is an example.

There once was a boy named Blake

Whose voice was starting to break.
When he wanted to speak,
He’d just give a squeak,
And explain, ‘It’s the best I can make!’

A limerick worksheet
B To help you understand the limerick, your teacher has given you a worksheet. Complete the worksheet
below.
1 What problem did the boy in the limerick face?

_____________________________________________________________________________

2 Underline the first set of rhyming words and double-underline the second set of rhyming word

in the limerick. What is the rhyme scheme for the limerick?

_____________________________________________________________________________

3 What tense did the writer use in the limerick?

_____________________________________________________________________________

4 Look at the limerick again. Complete the definition of a limerick.

A limerick is a short, funny poem with two ____________ lines, followed by two ____________

lines and ending with a ____________ line. Lines ____________ rhyme, and lines

____________ rhyme.

C Your teacher wants you to study the rhythm of the limerick above. Read the limerick aloud. Circle the
words or syllables that carry the stresses or beats. Then count the number of beats in each line.

There are _________ beats in lines 1,2 and 5 and ___________ beats in lines 3 and 4.

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