Unit 1 All About Me

Lesson  A

Listening&  Speaking     The people in my life

1.  Vocabulary Link

Talking about relationships

A

Read about these people in Mario's life. Then match each of Mario's statements (1-6) below with a person. Use each statement only once.

a.  1 "He is the boss in my office."

b. 5 "He's a great guy. We like doing things together."

c. 4 "She's my girlfriend."

d.  6 "She's my cousin."

e. 2 "We met once--at a party."

f.  3 "We work in the same office every day."

B

Pair work. Interview a partner and ask and answer this question:  Who would you talk to if you ... ? Choose from the situations and people below or use your own ideas.

1. You break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend.

2. You have problems with a colleague.

3. You have some exciting news.

4. You have a secret to tell.

acquaintance   colleague parent best friend girlfriend/boyfriend supervisor

Who would you talk to if you broke up with  ?

Who would you talk to if you had  ?

I'd talk to my  . She always understands me and gives me support.

I'd tell my parents, because they  .

2.  Listening

Activity 1  Nosy Nora

A

Katherine is moving into an apartment. She is meeting Nora for the first time. Listen to the conversation. Check (√ ) the things you know about the people in each apartment.

1. Nora Nelson

She's nosy.

√ She lives in 2A.

2. Wes and Lydia

They're quiet.

√ They live in 3B.

3. Two boys

√ They're classmates.

They live in 2B.

4. Mrs. Hanson

√ She's related to Nora.

√ She lives in 3C.

B

Listen again. What do you think nosy means? What might a nosy person do?

A nosy person might  be too interested in things that do not concern them, especially other people's affairs.                  

Ask& answer

What are some people nosy about?

Do you know any nosy people?

World link

The average US citizen moves thirteen times in his or her lifetime.

Activity 2  Just a few old keepsakes

Useful expressions for talking about special people

I think the two most important people in my life are ...

The most important person in my life is ...

The special person in ... is ...

... is a very important person to me.

... is/are important to me because ...

A

Listen to a grandmother and her grandson talking about her old keepsakes. Then number the objects from 1 to 3 in the order you hear them.

2 passport.  1 diary.  3 yearbook.

B

Listen again. Complete the sentences by circling the right answers or filling in the blanks.

1.  A keepsake brings back memories   of the past.

2.  The grandmother wrote about her first keepsake / boyfriend / trip in her diary.  boyfriend

3.  She tells the boy not to dig around in her diary because  it's personal .

4.  She traveled to school / America / Europe  by  ship / car / plane.  Europe ; ship

5.  She graduated from school in the fifties / sixties / seventies.  sixties

Activity 3  My first trip alone

A

Listen to a man's talk about his first trip alone. Then answer the questions.

1.  How old was he when he took his first trip?

13                                

2.  Why did he go to Los Angeles?

To visit his grandparents.                      

3.  Did he have a nice time on the plane? Why?

Yes. He talked to a nice woman.                  

4. How was his stay in Los Angeles?

He had lots of fun with his grandparents and he saw lots of interesting places. In the end, he didn't even want to go home.                

B

Now listen to the talk again and complete the short summary.

The speaker's mother told him not to worry because he felt (1)  very nervous about traveling so far . (2)  His grandparents   met him at the airport and took him to (3)  their home   where he stayed for (4)  two   weeks.

Activity 4  Making memories

A

Listen to the following talk about scrapbooking. How do you make a scrapbook that you will enjoy for many years? Fill in the blanks in the table with information you hear.

B

Listen again. Take notes and answer the following questions.

(Audio Track 2-1-8)

1.  What's the definition of scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking is making beautiful books to hold special memories.    

2. Please note down some examples of good keepsakes to put in scrapbooks.

Old newspapers clippings, postcards, tickets, report cards, and letters.    

3. What are some good themes for a scrapbook?

"School days, " "Family travel, " "Memories of my grandparents, " and "Baby's first year."                              

4.  How can you decorate the pages?

You can use felt pens, paint, and stickers.               

5.  What are the most important things to remember to write on pages?

The "5Ws": who, what, where, when and why.             

*Activity 5  A book of memories

A

Listen to a passage about yearbooks in the United States and answer the following questions.

1.  Who publishes yearbooks in the U.S.?

Most high schools in the US.      

2.  Why do the seniors' photos appear first in a yearbook?

Because they are graduating soon.    

3. Do teachers also have photos in a yearbook?

Yes.              

4.  When is the yearbook printed?

At the end of the year.        

5.  What does the title "best dressed" mean?

It means a student with a good fashion sense.

B

Listen again. Then fill in the blanks with information you get from the passage.

1.  The yearbook comes out once a year , usually in the spring .

2.  Extracurricular activities include the chess   club and Spanish club.

3.  In the yearbook, students receive special titles, such as "class clown, " " most likely to succeed , " and "best dressed." There are also other awards and categories .

4.  Students write notes   to each other, such as, "We had a lot of fun, " or " I'll never forget you ".

C

Listen once more and complete the following summary.

A yearbook is a (1)  record   of the school year. You will find each student's (2)  photo   in a yearbook. Photos of the (3)  seniors   come first. The yearbook features (4)  sports   teams, academic subjects, and extracurricular activities. There are many clubs, and the (5)  yearbook   club makes the yearbook. Seniors vote and give some students (6)  titles   such as "class clown." Students (7)  sign   their classmates' yearbooks. The yearbook is truly a book of (8)  memories .

3.  Pronunciation

Reduction of present continuous -ing ending

Tips:

In casual speech, native speakers drop the "g" in the present continuous -ing ending.

A

Pair work. Listen to the conversations. Notice how the underlined verbs are pronounced. Then practice with a partner.

B

Pair work. Practice reading the sentences below with a partner. Use the reduced pronunciation of -ing. Then listen and check your pronunciation.

1. He's dating a really nice girl.

2. I'm fixing my car.

3.  She's working in her garden.

4.  We're going to the movies.

4. Speaking & Communication

Activity 1  I'd like you to meet ...

Tips:

When meeting new people, we usually introduce ourselves to each other.

Different expressions are used in formal and informal situations.

A

Listen to the conversations and fill in the blanks with appropriate expressions.

Conversation 1

Maria: Hi, Junko.

Junko: Hi, Maria. It's good to see you again! How are you?

Maria: I'm fine, thanks. (1)  How about you ?

Junko: I'm fine.

Maria: Junko, (2)  this is   Ricardo. We're classmates. We're both taking accounting this semester.

Junko: Hi, Ricardo.

Maria:(3)  Hi , Junko.

Conversation 2

Yong Il: Hi. (4)  Let me introduce myself . I'm Yong Il

Ileana: Nice to meet you. My name is Ileana.

Yong Il: It's nice to meet you, too, Ileana. (5)  I'd like you to meet   Tammy.

Ileana: Nice to meet you, Tammy.

Tammy: (6)  Nice to meet you , too, Ileana.

Yong Il: We're colleagues. We work in the same department.

B

Group work. Work in groups of three. Listen to the conversations again and practice as a group.

C

Group work. Work in groups of three. Read the model conversation and practice as a group.

Liu Xiang: David, let me introduce you to Shakira, one of the greatest singers and songwriters of our time. She is from Colombia in Latin America.

David: It's very nice to meet you, Shakira.

Shakira: Very nice to meet you too, David. What do you do?

David: I'm an international footballer and a model.

Shakira: Oh! In which country do you play football?

David: I've won football championships for teams in England, Spain and America.

Shakira: That's wonderful. Did you know Liu Xiang is an extremely talented athlete too?

Liu Xiang: Oh Shakira, you are too kind.

D

Group work. Role play. Work in groups of three. Create a new conversation. Each student role-plays a famous person. The group then introduces each other.

*Activity 2   Is it you?

A

On a sheet of paper, start a list using the simple present. Write down the following:

1. a routine you never change

2. an unusual habit

3. a general fact about yourself

Continue your list using the present continuous. Write down the following:

4. an activity you are doing right now

5. a temporary activity you are doing

6. a project you are doing outside of class

1.  I always get up at 5 a.m.

2.  I sometimes eat peanut butter and tomato sandwiches.

3. I have a twin brother.

4.  I'm talking to my classmates.

5.  I'm taking an art class this semester.

6.  I'm making a photo album.

B

Fold your paper and give it to your teacher. Your teacher will mix up the papers give you a classmate's paper.

C

Class work. Talk to your classmates.

Ask questions to find out who wrote the list.