Unit 2 Vacation!

Lesson A

Listening& Speaking    How's the weather?

1 Vocabulary Link

How's the weather?

A

Pair work. Look at the weather report. Match a word in the box with a city. Then, tell your partner about each city.

Note the difference: It's snowing (now). It snows in the winter.

a. snowing 

b. windy   

c. cloudy   

d. clear    

e. sunny   

f. raining  

B

What's the temperature in each city in A? Use the words below to talk about each city.

It's hot in Buenos Aires in summer.

Ask& Answer

Do you like hot weather? Do you like cold weather? Why or why not?

In your city, what's the weather like in the summer? winter? spring? autumn?

C

Pair work. Ask your partner about the weather in his or her hometown.

D

Here are more useful expressions for talking about the weather. In English-speaking countries, the weather is a very common and safe topic for "small talk"—friendly conversation with people you don't know well. Practice with a partner.

Language notes

Talking about the weather

A: It's a nice (lovely, nasty, etc.) day.

B: Yes, it is, isn't it?

A: Fairly mild (cold, warm, etc.) for this time of year.

B: Yes. Quite different from the forecast.

A: What a lovely day!

B: Yes, it is, isn't it?

A: It seems to be clearing up.

B: It makes a change, doesn't it?

A: It looks like it will rain.

B: I hope it won't.

A: It has turned quite warm (cold, chilly, wet, etc.) again.

B: I do hope it will / I hope it won't keep on like this.

2 Listening

Activity 1    It's hot outside.

A

Listen to the three conversations. How's the weather? Choose the correct pictures.

B

Listen again. Do the people go outside or stay inside? Check (√) the boxes.

World link

Lightning strikes the earth a hundred times every second, and kills more people (about 1, 000 a year worldwide) than any other kind of storm, including hurricanes.

Activity 2          On vacation

A

Listen to these three conversations. What is each person doing? Write down the correct answer.

1. The woman is buying a plane ticket/getting a passport/checking in at the airport.

 checking in at the airport 

2. The man and the woman are looking at/showing a photo of the Statue of Liberty.

 looking at             

3. The man is renting a car/getting a passport/checking into a hotel. 

 checking into a hotel    

B

Listen again. Complete the sentences with the correct city.

1. The woman is traveling to  Berlin          .

2. The man and the woman are in  New York   .

3. The man and his wife are visiting  Shanghai .

Activity 3    Travel tips for Thailand

A

Listen to some travel tips for Thailand. How many tips are mentioned?

 5 tips

B

Listen again and complete the sentences.

1. When you travel in Thailand, you  should pack  sunglasses, T-shirts and sandals.

2. You should buy your  plane ticket  early.

3. You should rent a car because  the traffic  is bad and Thai people drive  really fast .

4. You should drink a lot of water and juice  to stay cool .

5. You  shouldn't  take photos outside in the afternoon because it's too bright.

Activity 4    Watch the weather!

A

Listen to the first part of a talk about the weather in some vacation spots. Then fill in the chart with information you hear. For each place, write the best time for a vacation and the reason.

B

Now listen to the second part of the talk. Then fill in the rest of the chart with information you hear.

Activity 5        Lost and found

When you travel, do you ever forget things in your hotel or at the airport? What do you forget?

A

Study the pictures of these items. Then listen to the passage. How are these five things related to each other?

They are all  unusual things that people leave in hotel rooms, in airports, and on city streets.                                                            

B

Listen again. Then complete each sentence with the correct word or number.

1. In Tokyo, someone lost $  850, 000  in cash.

2. In England, someone forgot a  goat  and a  false" ESPflag="1" kType="D" kcode="CI0400000A0dD00G0" >false leg  in a hotel room.

3. People often lose these things in US airports:  cell phones ,  keys ,  sunglasses , and  wallets .

4. Tokyo's Lost and Found downtown center has  300, 000  umbrellas.

5. In Tokyo, if the owner doesn't claim the lost item, the  finder  can ask for it.

3 Pronunciation

Should anZd shouldn't

A

Listen to these sentences. Notice the pronunciation of should and shouldn't.

1. We should drive. It's raining.

2. We shouldn't drive. It's sunny

B

Listen. Choose the word you hear.

1. You should/shouldn't talk to the teacher before class.

 should   

2. We should/shouldn't visit Venice in the summer.

 shouldn't 

3. You should/shouldn't wear a tie with that shirt.

 shouldn't 

4. We should/shouldn't look for a hotel on the Internet.

 should   

C

Pair work. Tell your partner one thing people should do in each kind of weather and one thing they shouldn't do.

4 Speaking & Communication

Activity 1     You should take a sweater.

A

Here are some expressions you may use to give advice. Direct expressions are more suitable for giving advice to someone you know well. Indirect and polite expressions are used more when speaking with someone you don't know well or with someone in a position of authority, such as your boss.

Useful expressions for giving advice and suggestions

Direct expressions for giving advice

You should (shouldn't) ...

Why don't you ... ?

Why not ... ?

It's not a good idea to ...

I'd rather you didn't ...

Don't you think you should ... ?

More polite expressions for giving advice

You might ...

It might be a good idea to ...

If I were you, I would (might) ...

It would be just as well ...

B

Read the conversation and listen. What does Juliet suggest taking to San Francisco? Why?

Juliet: Are you packing for your trip, Kyle?

Kyle: Yes ... See? I have T-shirts, shorts, and my sandals.

Juliet: For San Francisco?

Kyle: Yeah. What's wrong? It's July.

Juliet: I know, but it's often foggy and cold there in the summer.

Kyle: Really?

Juliet: Yeah. You should take some sweaters and long pants, too.

Kyle: Oh, okay. There are some in my closet.

C

Guided speaking. Practice a conversation with your partner. Choose a remote place you are going to visit, talk about things you should or should not bring with you, give advice and make suggestions. You may follow the model conversation.

A: I'm going to Cairo next week. What clothes should I pack?

B: Well, it's really hot. You should pack lots of T-shirts, and you should take sandals.

A: What about shorts?

B: You shouldn't pack shorts. People in Cairo don't often wear them. You should take long pants.

A: Okay! Thanks for your advice.

Information for practice

Activity 2    Where should I go?

A

Pair work. Interview your partner. Complete the survey with his or her answers.

Vacation Survey

1.  When do you usually take a vacation?

a. in the spring

b. in the summer

c. in the autumn

d. in the winter

2.  What kind of weather do you like?

a. hot

b. warm

c. cool

3.  What do you like to do during your vacation?

a. relax

b. exercise

c. see things

4.  What are your favorite activities?

a. swimming

b. hiking

c. skiing

d. playing golf

e. surfing

f. cycling

B

Pair work. Imagine that your partner is looking for a place to go on vacation. Read about the places below. Choose one for your partner to visit. Then tell your partner your suggestion and explain your reasons.

1. Cape Town, South Africa

Weather:

In spring and summer (September-March), it's warm.

The autumn and winter months are chilly, and it rains.

Activities:

This coastal city has beautiful mountains and lively beaches. They're great for:

Hiking, surfing, swimming, relaxing, waterskiing

2. Las Vegas, USA

Weather:

Sunny days, cool evenings all year.

In summer, it's 100℉/38℃.

Activities:

Casinos, great nightlife and restaurants.

Swimming pools and golf courses.

Beautiful mountains for hiking, and for skiing and snowboarding in winter. 

3. Montreal, Canada

Weather:

It's hot and humid in summer.

It's about 23℉/-5℃ in winter.

Spring and autumn are nice.

Activities:

Skiing is popular in winter.

In spring and summer, Mont Royal Park is great for hiking and cycling.

Relaxing cafes and hip nightclubs—often compared to Paris.