Unit 1: Reading
Tom’s two vacations
Last year, I went away on vacation twice. In March, I went to Rome, in Italy, for two weeks. I went with a group of students from my school. Later, in August, I had a vacation in Mexico with my family.
Before I went to Rome, I was excited, because I hadn’t been there before. We were tired when we arrived because we’d had a very long flight. And when we got off the plane, it was raining! A bus took us to our hotel, in the center of the city. The next morning, I was tired because I hadn’t slept very well – it was very noisy in the city at night! But I loved Rome. Every morning, we went sightseeing with our teachers. At lunchtime, we ate out. The pizza in Italy is fantastic! In the afternoons, we had Italian lessons for two hours, then we went out again.
On the last day of the vacation, my friends and I hired bikes and cycled around a big park in the city. While I was cycling, I fell off my bike! I hurt my leg, and my teacher took me to see a doctor. But I was lucky, because I hadn’t broken my leg.
I enjoyed the vacation a lot. Our teachers were happy, too, because we’d learned a lot about the city and the language.
My vacation in Mexico was very different. I stayed in a hotel near the beach with my parents. We knew the hotel well, because we’d stayed there twice before. We went to the beach most days. I didn’t visit museums or go sightseeing – I just relaxed and swam in the ocean. I didn’t take any photos, because I hadn’t brought my camera. When we came back, I was very brown because I’d sunbathed a lot!
Last year, I went away on vacation twice. In March, I went to Rome, in Italy, for two weeks. I went with a group of students from my school. Later, in August, I had a vacation in Mexico with my family.
Before I went to Rome, I was excited, because I hadn’t been there before. We were tired when we arrived because we’d had a very long flight. And when we got off the plane, it was raining! A bus took us to our hotel, in the center of the city. The next morning, I was tired because I hadn’t slept very well – it was very noisy in the city at night! But I loved Rome. Every morning, we went sightseeing with our teachers. At lunchtime, we ate out. The pizza in Italy is fantastic! In the afternoons, we had Italian lessons for two hours, then we went out again.
On the last day of the vacation, my friends and I hired bikes and cycled around a big park in the city. While I was cycling, I fell off my bike! I hurt my leg, and my teacher took me to see a doctor. But I was lucky, because I hadn’t broken my leg.
I enjoyed the vacation a lot. Our teachers were happy, too, because we’d learned a lot about the city and the language.
My vacation in Mexico was very different. I stayed in a hotel near the beach with my parents. We knew the hotel well, because we’d stayed there twice before. We went to the beach most days. I didn’t visit museums or go sightseeing – I just relaxed and swam in the ocean. I didn’t take any photos, because I hadn’t brought my camera. When we came back, I was very brown because I’d sunbathed a lot!
Unit 2: Reading
Uncle Tony’s life
My uncle Tony is forty-five years old. He’s a science teacher at Chicago University. He teaches hundreds of students, and he’s written some important science books. Every year, he travels to Paris to meet other scientists and to discuss the latest science news.
But life used to be very different for Tony. He wasn’t a very good student when he was at school. He was intelligent, but he didn’t use to study hard. He was lazy, and his teachers used to get angry with him because he didn’t concentrate in class. Tony sometimes broke the rules at his school, too. For example, students weren’t allowed to have long hair, but Tony grew his hair long.
Tony didn’t go to university after he’d finished school. He got a job in a music store near his home. He used to play the guitar, and he was interested in music. But he didn’t enjoy the job. It was difficult to find a better job, because he hadn’t done well in his exams at school.
After a couple of years in the music store, Tony decided to go to university, so he started studying. He didn’t study during the day, because the store was busy, and he couldn’t leave it. So he studied on his own in the evenings. This time he did well in his exams, and he became a student at Boston University. Finally, when he was thirty, he graduated. After that, he got a job in the hospital. He helped to create some important medicines while he was there, and he soon became a famous scientist. After he’d been an employee in the hospital for five years, he decided to become a teacher. Chicago University offered him a job, and he accepted it. Life is good for Tony now.
My uncle Tony is forty-five years old. He’s a science teacher at Chicago University. He teaches hundreds of students, and he’s written some important science books. Every year, he travels to Paris to meet other scientists and to discuss the latest science news.
But life used to be very different for Tony. He wasn’t a very good student when he was at school. He was intelligent, but he didn’t use to study hard. He was lazy, and his teachers used to get angry with him because he didn’t concentrate in class. Tony sometimes broke the rules at his school, too. For example, students weren’t allowed to have long hair, but Tony grew his hair long.
Tony didn’t go to university after he’d finished school. He got a job in a music store near his home. He used to play the guitar, and he was interested in music. But he didn’t enjoy the job. It was difficult to find a better job, because he hadn’t done well in his exams at school.
After a couple of years in the music store, Tony decided to go to university, so he started studying. He didn’t study during the day, because the store was busy, and he couldn’t leave it. So he studied on his own in the evenings. This time he did well in his exams, and he became a student at Boston University. Finally, when he was thirty, he graduated. After that, he got a job in the hospital. He helped to create some important medicines while he was there, and he soon became a famous scientist. After he’d been an employee in the hospital for five years, he decided to become a teacher. Chicago University offered him a job, and he accepted it. Life is good for Tony now.
Unit 3: Reading
Grandpa’s advice
Lisa: Grandpa, you used to be a journalist, didn’t you?
Grandpa: That’s right. I used to work for a newspaper in Los Angeles. I retired five years ago.
Lisa: Well, I’d like to be a journalist, too. If I had the chance, I’d get a job with The New York Times. Can you give me any advice?
Grandpa: It’s not easy to get a job as a journalist. Are you good at English?
Lisa: Yes, I am. It’s my best subject at school.
Grandpa: That’s good. If you were bad at English, you wouldn’t get a job as a journalist! And do you study hard?
Lisa: Sometimes. I’m not very interested in history or science, so I don’t really concentrate in those classes. But I work hard in English and math classes.
Grandpa: That’s not enough, Lisa. You should study hard in all your subjects. A journalist should be interested in a lot of different things. If you interviewed a famous scientist for a newspaper, you’d need to know something about science. And if you wrote an article about a city, you’d need to know about its history.
Lisa: I suppose you’re right.
Grandpa: Does your school have a magazine or a newspaper?
Lisa: No, it doesn’t. But it has a website.
Grandpa: You should write an article for the website, then. Have you ever done that?
Lisa: No, I haven’t.
Grandpa: You should think about it. If you wrote an article for the website, maybe a newspaper would be interested. And if it was a really good article, maybe they would offer you a job!
Lisa: I’m good at writing, but I don’t know what to write about.
Grandpa: How old is your school?
Lisa: I don’t know. I think it’s about a hundred years old.
Grandpa: Well, why don’t you write an article about your school’s history? You should talk to your teachers and ask some questions. If you discovered something interesting about your school, everyone would want to read your article!
Lisa: OK. I’ll try it. Thanks for the advice, Grandpa!
Lisa: Grandpa, you used to be a journalist, didn’t you?
Grandpa: That’s right. I used to work for a newspaper in Los Angeles. I retired five years ago.
Lisa: Well, I’d like to be a journalist, too. If I had the chance, I’d get a job with The New York Times. Can you give me any advice?
Grandpa: It’s not easy to get a job as a journalist. Are you good at English?
Lisa: Yes, I am. It’s my best subject at school.
Grandpa: That’s good. If you were bad at English, you wouldn’t get a job as a journalist! And do you study hard?
Lisa: Sometimes. I’m not very interested in history or science, so I don’t really concentrate in those classes. But I work hard in English and math classes.
Grandpa: That’s not enough, Lisa. You should study hard in all your subjects. A journalist should be interested in a lot of different things. If you interviewed a famous scientist for a newspaper, you’d need to know something about science. And if you wrote an article about a city, you’d need to know about its history.
Lisa: I suppose you’re right.
Grandpa: Does your school have a magazine or a newspaper?
Lisa: No, it doesn’t. But it has a website.
Grandpa: You should write an article for the website, then. Have you ever done that?
Lisa: No, I haven’t.
Grandpa: You should think about it. If you wrote an article for the website, maybe a newspaper would be interested. And if it was a really good article, maybe they would offer you a job!
Lisa: I’m good at writing, but I don’t know what to write about.
Grandpa: How old is your school?
Lisa: I don’t know. I think it’s about a hundred years old.
Grandpa: Well, why don’t you write an article about your school’s history? You should talk to your teachers and ask some questions. If you discovered something interesting about your school, everyone would want to read your article!
Lisa: OK. I’ll try it. Thanks for the advice, Grandpa!
Unit 4: Reading
A wasted morning
On Saturday, I wanted to visit my friend Alice. She lives in Barford, a little town ten kilometers from my house. If my parents hadn’t been busy, they would have driven me. But they were working in the garden, so I decided to go by train.
I wanted to get a train at nine thirty. I should have gotten up at eight thirty, but I was tired, and I stayed in bed. By the time I got to the station, the train had already left. I had to wait at the station for an hour. I was cold, and I was angry with myself. If I had gotten up earlier, I wouldn’t have missed the train! If I’d had my cell phone with me, I would have called Alice to tell her I was late. But I’d been in a hurry, and I’d left my cell phone at home.
Finally, I got a train at ten thirty. By the time I got to Barford, it had started to rain. It took me twenty minutes to walk from the station to Alice’s house. I’d have stayed dry if I’d brought a coat or an umbrella, but I hadn’t. So when I finally arrived at Alice’s house, I was cold, wet, and tired. I knocked at the door, and her dad opened it. He looked surprised and said, “Hello, Barbara. Alice was expecting you an hour ago. You should have called! She waited for you for a while, but she got bored. She’s gone out!”
So I had to walk back to the station. It was still raining. I had to wait a long time for the next train, and I didn’t get home until two o’clock. I was hungry and miserable. I’d completely wasted the morning!
On Saturday, I wanted to visit my friend Alice. She lives in Barford, a little town ten kilometers from my house. If my parents hadn’t been busy, they would have driven me. But they were working in the garden, so I decided to go by train.
I wanted to get a train at nine thirty. I should have gotten up at eight thirty, but I was tired, and I stayed in bed. By the time I got to the station, the train had already left. I had to wait at the station for an hour. I was cold, and I was angry with myself. If I had gotten up earlier, I wouldn’t have missed the train! If I’d had my cell phone with me, I would have called Alice to tell her I was late. But I’d been in a hurry, and I’d left my cell phone at home.
Finally, I got a train at ten thirty. By the time I got to Barford, it had started to rain. It took me twenty minutes to walk from the station to Alice’s house. I’d have stayed dry if I’d brought a coat or an umbrella, but I hadn’t. So when I finally arrived at Alice’s house, I was cold, wet, and tired. I knocked at the door, and her dad opened it. He looked surprised and said, “Hello, Barbara. Alice was expecting you an hour ago. You should have called! She waited for you for a while, but she got bored. She’s gone out!”
So I had to walk back to the station. It was still raining. I had to wait a long time for the next train, and I didn’t get home until two o’clock. I was hungry and miserable. I’d completely wasted the morning!
Unit 5: Reading
A happy relationship
Clara: Uncle Peter, how long have you and Aunt Amy been married?
Peter: We’ve been married for thirty years. That’s a long time, isn’t it?
Clara: And how old were you when you got married?
Peter: I was twenty-six years old, and Amy was twenty-five.
Clara: You met at work, didn’t you?
Peter: No, we didn’t. We both worked in the same music store, but we’d already known each other for a long time. We first met when we were students at high school.
Clara: So how did you meet? You weren’t in the same class, were you?
Peter: No, we weren’t. But we both loved music. I played the guitar in the school band. We were practicing one evening when a beautiful girl with long brown hair walked in. She wanted to be the band’s singer.
Clara: So that was Amy?
Peter : That’s right. I think I fell in love with her the first time I saw her!
Clara: So what happened?
Peter: Well, at first I didn’t ask her to go out with me, because I was too shy.
Clara: You saw her when the band practiced, didn’t you?
Peter: Yes, I did. We practiced every week, and sometimes we played at concerts. But I didn’t think she liked me, so I didn’t talk to her much.
Clara: How did the two of you start going out?
Peter : She asked me! One day she said she had two tickets for a movie, and she asked if I wanted to come with her.
Clara: And you said yes, didn’t you?
Peter: Of course I did! That was our first date. After we’d talked for a while, I realized she liked me too.
Clara: Did you get engaged soon after that?
Peter: No, we were still quite young then. Later we both went to university, and we got engaged after we’d graduated.
Clara: Have you ever broken up with her?
Peter: No. We’ve occasionally had arguments, but we’ve stayed together since we first met.
Clara: That’s wonderful!
Clara: Uncle Peter, how long have you and Aunt Amy been married?
Peter: We’ve been married for thirty years. That’s a long time, isn’t it?
Clara: And how old were you when you got married?
Peter: I was twenty-six years old, and Amy was twenty-five.
Clara: You met at work, didn’t you?
Peter: No, we didn’t. We both worked in the same music store, but we’d already known each other for a long time. We first met when we were students at high school.
Clara: So how did you meet? You weren’t in the same class, were you?
Peter: No, we weren’t. But we both loved music. I played the guitar in the school band. We were practicing one evening when a beautiful girl with long brown hair walked in. She wanted to be the band’s singer.
Clara: So that was Amy?
Peter : That’s right. I think I fell in love with her the first time I saw her!
Clara: So what happened?
Peter: Well, at first I didn’t ask her to go out with me, because I was too shy.
Clara: You saw her when the band practiced, didn’t you?
Peter: Yes, I did. We practiced every week, and sometimes we played at concerts. But I didn’t think she liked me, so I didn’t talk to her much.
Clara: How did the two of you start going out?
Peter : She asked me! One day she said she had two tickets for a movie, and she asked if I wanted to come with her.
Clara: And you said yes, didn’t you?
Peter: Of course I did! That was our first date. After we’d talked for a while, I realized she liked me too.
Clara: Did you get engaged soon after that?
Peter: No, we were still quite young then. Later we both went to university, and we got engaged after we’d graduated.
Clara: Have you ever broken up with her?
Peter: No. We’ve occasionally had arguments, but we’ve stayed together since we first met.
Clara: That’s wonderful!
Unit 6: Reading
Waiting for a friend
Karen: Hi, Mark. Do you have the tickets?
Mark: Yes, I do. I have three tickets for the movie – one for you, one for me, and one for Anita. But where’s Anita? She should be here by now.
Karen: I don’t know. She might be sick.
Mark: No, she can’t be sick. I saw her at school a few hours ago, and she was fine. She must have forgotten about the movie.
Karen: I don’t think so. Anita never forgets things. Maybe she called. Do you have your cell phone with you?
Mark: Yes, I do. But there aren’t any messages on my phone. She couldn’t have called. Maybe she’s changed her mind, and she doesn’t want to see the movie.
Karen: No, I’m sure she would have called if she’d changed her mind.
Mark: Maybe she’s already here? She may have gone into the movie theater.
Karen: No. She couldn’t have gone inside. She doesn’t have a ticket.
Mark: Yes, you’re right. But she might be on her way right now. Where does she live?
Karen: She lives near Queen’s Park.
Mark: That’s a long way from here. Her bus might be late.
Karen: Wait a minute. Anita’s parents have a car, don’t they?
Mark: Yes, they do. It’s a big yellow car.
Karen: Look – there’s a yellow car over there. A girl’s getting out. She’s in a hurry. It might be Anita.
Mark: It is Anita. Anita! We’re over here! Hurry up!
Anita: Hi, guys! Sorry I’m late. It took a long time to get here, because there was lots of traffic. You must be annoyed with me.
Mark: Don’t worry, Anita. The movie starts in three minutes. Let’s go inside. We’re just in time!
Karen: Hi, Mark. Do you have the tickets?
Mark: Yes, I do. I have three tickets for the movie – one for you, one for me, and one for Anita. But where’s Anita? She should be here by now.
Karen: I don’t know. She might be sick.
Mark: No, she can’t be sick. I saw her at school a few hours ago, and she was fine. She must have forgotten about the movie.
Karen: I don’t think so. Anita never forgets things. Maybe she called. Do you have your cell phone with you?
Mark: Yes, I do. But there aren’t any messages on my phone. She couldn’t have called. Maybe she’s changed her mind, and she doesn’t want to see the movie.
Karen: No, I’m sure she would have called if she’d changed her mind.
Mark: Maybe she’s already here? She may have gone into the movie theater.
Karen: No. She couldn’t have gone inside. She doesn’t have a ticket.
Mark: Yes, you’re right. But she might be on her way right now. Where does she live?
Karen: She lives near Queen’s Park.
Mark: That’s a long way from here. Her bus might be late.
Karen: Wait a minute. Anita’s parents have a car, don’t they?
Mark: Yes, they do. It’s a big yellow car.
Karen: Look – there’s a yellow car over there. A girl’s getting out. She’s in a hurry. It might be Anita.
Mark: It is Anita. Anita! We’re over here! Hurry up!
Anita: Hi, guys! Sorry I’m late. It took a long time to get here, because there was lots of traffic. You must be annoyed with me.
Mark: Don’t worry, Anita. The movie starts in three minutes. Let’s go inside. We’re just in time!
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