Moon Turns Blue
Climbers Find Yeti Giraffe Solves Maths
Problem
250 Communicative activities © 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
12.1 PERSONAL QUESTIONS STUDENT A
Ask your partner the questions and make notes of their answers. Then work in groups. Tell your group what you found out about your partner.
1 How often do you go shopping? _______________________________
2 Where did you go on your last holiday? _______________________________
3 What are you going to eat for dinner this evening? _______________________________
4 What social media sites do you use, and how often? _______________________________
5 What kind of weather do you like the most? _______________________________
6 How many brothers and sisters do you have? _______________________________
7 What time did you get up this morning? _______________________________
8 How long have you been learning English? _______________________________
9 What are your favourite items of clothing? _______________________________
10 Where will you be living ten years from now? _______________________________
STUDENT B
Ask your partner the questions and make notes of their answers. Then work in groups. Tell your group what you found out about your partner.
1 What did you do last weekend? _______________________________
2 How often do you go to the cinema? _______________________________
3 How many close friends do you have? _______________________________
4 What time did you go to bed last night? _______________________________
5 What’s your favourite food? _______________________________
6 When are you going to do your homework? _______________________________
7 How long have you lived in this town or city? _______________________________
8 What is your favourite type of music? _______________________________
9 How many cousins do you have? _______________________________
10 Where will you be working ten years from now? _______________________________
Communicative activities 251
© 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
12.2 ROUND ROME
Friends Jack, Joe and Georgia are on holiday in Rome. They are walking round the city, starting at the railway station. Look at the map, read the sentences, and work with a partner to say exactly where Jack, Joe and Georgia are right now.
1 Joe still hasn’t visited Piazza Venezia.
2 Jack has already looked round Castel Sant’Angelo.
3 Georgia hasn’t seen the Colosseum yet.
4 Two of the friends have already been to the Pantheon.
5 Only one of the friends has got as far as the Colosseum.
6 Joe hasn’t visited the church of Santa Maria Maggiore yet.
7 Joe has just left the Spanish Steps.
8 Only one of the friends hasn’t been to Piazza Farnese yet.
9 Nobody has reached the church of Santa Maria Maggiore yet.
10 All three of the friends have already left the Spanish Steps.
11 The friends still haven’t got back to the railway station.
12 Only two of the friends have got as far as the Roman Forum.
13 Joe hasn’t got as far as Jack.
14 Two of the friends have visited and left Piazza Venezia.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Piazza Farnese
Santa Maria Maggiore
Roman Forum Piazza
Venezia
Spanish Steps
Colosseum Pantheon
Railway Station
252 Communicative activities © 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
13.1 HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THAT?
1 Look at the activities in the box below, and choose five activities that you do now or have done in the past. Write them on the timeline in the ‘Me’ column, next to the time you started doing the activity. If you no longer do the activity, write how long you did it for.
be a vegetarian belong to a film or book club do a martial art do art or photography do dance classes do voluntary work
go to a gym make things play a musical instrument
play for a team read poetry sing in a choir
study a foreign language take part in outdoor try out new recipes (not English) activities (cycling, walking)
Me Other students
More than ten years ago Ten years ago Five years ago Two years ago
Last year Six months ago
Last month Last week
Today
2 Now interview people in the class and find people who have done the same activities as you – but for longer. Use the question prompts below. Write their information in the timeline.
Do / Did you enjoy …? How long have you been …? / How long did you …?
How often do / did you do it? So, do you …? Who do / did you do it with?
Communicative activities 253
© 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
13.2 ARE YOU MUSICAL?
STUDENT A
Complete the answer options with your partner. Then work with a new partner to ask and answer the questions.
1 Do you listen to music when at work or studying?
a Always b Sometimes c Never
2 What do you listen to when you’re in the car?
a My favourite music or music station b Talk radio c ______________________________________________________________
3 How many musical instruments can you play?
a More than one
b ______________________________________________________________
c ______________________________________________________________
4 Did you have music lessons as a child? If so – what happened?
a ______________________________________________________________
b ______________________________________________________________
c I quickly gave up!
5 How well can you sing?
a ______________________________________________________________
b ______________________________________________________________
c ______________________________________________________________
STUDENT B
Complete the answer options with your partner. Then work with a new partner to ask and answer the questions.
1 When you get home, what do you switch on first?
a Music on the radio or my sound system b The TV or my laptop c The vacuum cleaner
2 You’re invited to the theatre to see something. What would you choose?
a A musical or ballet b A play
c ______________________________________________________________
3 If somebody starts singing beautifully on the underground, what do you do?
a ______________________________________________________________
b ______________________________________________________________
c Get off the train.
4 How often do you sing?
a ______________________________________________________________
b Only in the shower
c ______________________________________________________________
5 You have expensive tickets to a world class opera. What are you going to do with them?
a ______________________________________________________________
b ______________________________________________________________
c ______________________________________________________________
254 Communicative activities © 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
14.1 RULES FOR LIVING
Read the rules for living and decide if you agree, partly agree or disagree. Then discuss your ideas in groups and say why.
Around the house
You should clean the house properly at least once a week.
That means dusting, vacuuming and mopping the floor.
agree partly agree
disagree If you want to live comfortably, you have to be tidy. That
means putting cups and plates in the dishwasher as soon as you’ve finished with them and putting clothes away too.
agree partly agree
disagree
If you live with other people, you must have a rota so that everybody knows which jobs to do and when, and you must share jobs equally.
agree partly agree
disagree
You mustn’t put rubbish in the wrong bin. Make sure you put things you can recycle in the correct bin. We mustn’t waste the world’s resources!
agree partly agree
disagree
You have to iron clothes and bed sheets before you use them. There’s nothing worse than looking untidy.
agree partly agree
disagree You should clear out cupboards, fridges and freezers at least
once a month. Throw out old tins and jars that are past their sell-by date.
agree partly agree
disagree
You mustn’t go to bed before the washing-up has been done.
agree partly agree
disagree
Out and about
You mustn’t buy all your stuff from the big out-of-town supermarkets. You should shop locally and in markets, to support local producers.
agree partly agree
disagree
You should always take your own shopping bag when you go to the supermarket so that you don’t have to use the plastic bags in the supermarket.
agree partly agree
disagree
You mustn’t buy fruit and vegetables in packets. Always buy them fresh and loose.
agree partly agree
disagree
You mustn’t eat in the street. agree partly
agree
disagree You should always look for clothes in second-hand shops
before buying them new.
agree partly agree
disagree You must never drive to the local shops or supermarket if
it’s close enough to walk, cycle or go by bus. Get fit and protect the environment!
agree partly agree
disagree
You shouldn’t eat fast food. It’s better to cook at home with fresh ingredients.
agree partly agree
disagree
Communicative activities 255
© 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
14.2 WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?
STUDENT A
1 corkscrew
a _______________________________
b (correct definition) It’s a metal tool you use to open a bottle. You move it round and round and then you pull.
c _______________________________
2 strimmer
a _______________________________
b _______________________________
c (correct definition) It’s a hand-held machine that gardeners use to cut the grass at the edge of the lawn.
3 mallet
a (correct definition) It’s a type of heavy hammer which you can use to hit things.
The head is made of rubber or wood.
b _______________________________
c _______________________________
4 whisk
a _______________________________
b _______________________________
c (correct definition) It’s a metal kitchen utensil. You use it to mix up food very quickly – eggs or cream, for example.
STUDENT B
1 scoop
a _______________________________
b (correct definition) It is a metal or plastic utensil that we use to get things out – for example, ice cream out of a box.
c _______________________________
2 thimble
a _______________________________
b _______________________________
c (correct definition) It is used when you sew things. You place it on your thumb to protect it from the sharp needle.
3 pestle and mortar
a (correct definition) A mortar is a bowl and a pestle is a hard object that you can use to crush, grind or mix things.
b _______________________________
c _______________________________
4 spanner
a _______________________________
b (correct definition) It is a metal tool. You place one end of the spanner round a nut and twist it to make it tight or loose.
c _______________________________
256 Communicative activities © 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
15.1 TRUE OR FALSE?
Complete the sentences about yourself. In each category, write three true sentences and one false sentence. Use some of the verbs provided. Then share sentences with your partner, and guess which of your partner’s sentences are false.
My finances
borrow buy earn invest owe save spend win 1 At the moment, I
2 Over the last few months, I 3 In a month’s time, I
4 In the last two years, I My job or studies
apply for pass run sign study take train work on 1 Currently, I
2 Over the last six months, I 3 A year from now, I
4 At the moment, I My travels or holidays
book cycle fly get stuck miss visit 1 Recently, I
2 Over the last couple of weeks, I 3 In a year’s time, I
4 In the last few years, I My free time
do give up go go on play relax take up watch 1 Currently, I
2 In the last two years, I 3 In a few days’ time, I 4 A year from now, I My relationships
call date fall out with get on with make friends with meet move in write 1 Currently, I
2 Over the last few months, I 3 In a month’s time, I
4 In the last five years, I
Communicative activities 257
© 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
15.2 WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Read the situations and think about what you would do and why. Then have a discussion in groups and agree on the best response to each situation.
Situation 1
You are at an expensive hotel. Although you say you’d prefer to carry your bags because you’re staying on the ground floor, a porter picks up your bags, carries them to your room for you and puts out his hand for a tip. You give him five euros, but he just looks at you and holds out his hand again.
Situation 2
At a railway station, somebody stops you and politely asks you to lend them forty euros. They say they have lost their wallet and need a ticket to get home. The person is friendly. He promises to return the money if you give him your email address.
Situation 3
You have booked a table for two by the window of the five-star restaurant in your city’s best hotel.
It is to celebrate your boyfriend or girlfriend’s birthday. When you arrive, the hotel apologizes because the table is taken. A well-known celebrity has arrived and is sitting at your table with his girlfriend. They take you and your partner to another table, a long way from the window, and offer you a free drink.
Situation 4
You are visiting friends for the weekend, and staying a couple of nights in their house near the sea.
Last summer, they visited you in your house in the city centre, and you cooked for them. On the first night at your friends’ house, they take you out to a lovely restaurant. When the bill arrives, the waiter places it in front of you, and your friends don’t try to pick it up.
Situation 5
Somebody at work who you don’t know very well is doing a charity run to raise money for a cats’
home. You don’t particularly like cats, but you agree to sponsor your colleague for one euro a kilometre just because everybody else in the office is doing the same. On Monday morning, the colleague comes into work looking very pleased with herself. She has run forty kilometres!
258 Communicative activities © 2024 Cengage Learning, Inc.
16.1 THE HISTORY OF AMERICA SINCE 1900
The Wright brothers made their first powered flight in the Wright Flyer.
The first Ford motor car was manufactured in Detroit.
Walt Disney made his first long film – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Bill Gates founded Microsoft.
The pop star Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles.
The Wall Street Crash took place and the Great Depression began.
The US declared war on Japan and entered World War II.
Martin Luther King became leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while travelling in an open car.
American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins became the first men to land on the moon.
During a visit to Berlin, President Reagan told Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
World War II ended when Japan surrendered to the Americans on the deck of an American ship.
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, died at his home in Graceland.
American athletes did not go to the Summer Olympics in Moscow.
President Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign from office.
MTV, the first 24-hour cable network dedicated to airing music videos, was launched.
Mark Zuckerberg and friends launched the social media site Facebook.
Nineteen terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center.
Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States.
Musician John Lennon was assassinated outside a hotel in New York City.
Key
The Wright brothers made their first powered flight in the Wright Flyer. December 1903
The first Ford motor car was manufactured in Detroit. October 1908
The Wall Street Crash took place and the Great Depression began. October 1929 Walt Disney made his first long film – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. December 1937
The US declared war on Japan and entered World War II. December 1941
World War II ended when Japan surrendered to the Americans on the deck of an American ship. September 1945 Martin Luther King became leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. 1955
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas while travelling in an open car. November 1963 American astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins became the first men to
land on the moon. July 1969
President Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign from office. August 1974
Bill Gates founded Microsoft. April 1975
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, died at his home in Graceland. August 1977 American athletes did not go to the Summer Olympics in Moscow. July 1980 Musician John Lennon was assassinated outside a hotel in New York City. December 1980 MTV, the first 24-hour cable network dedicated to airing music videos, was launched. August 1981 During a visit to Berlin, President Reagan told Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down
the Berlin Wall. June 1987
Nineteen terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center. September 2001 Mark Zuckerberg and friends launched the social media site Facebook. February 2004
Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. January 2009
The pop star Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles. June 2009
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16.2 WORLD FESTIVALS
Read the texts carefully and prepare to ask and answer questions.
Mardi Gras
New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration will take place at the end of February this year. There will be parades through the streets, with floats and people in fancy dress, and there will be parties everywhere. And the fun doesn’t last for just one day – partygoers celebrate for a few days before and after ‘Fat Tuesday’. Go to the area’s French Quarter for some of the wildest partying you’ve ever seen. It’s the most historical part of the city, and the place where restaurants and places with live music are open all night long. Be careful – there are thieves, especially at night, and places can be expensive at Mardi Gras. It’s also a good idea to carry a large bag with you – people in the parades throw lots of beads, sweets and other things from their floats – catch them and keep them as souvenirs!
Holi
Holi is a traditional Hindu festival (also known as the festival of colours) that usually takes place in March and celebrates the beginning of spring. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is a great place to experience Holi if you are a tourist because the city has lots of places to stay and eat, and there is lots to see there in the three-day celebration. On the first day, people decorate wooden poles called chir with colourful cloth and then burn them through the night to show that it is the end of the old year. People also light bonfires on the second day, and on the third day huge numbers of people come out onto the streets to join in a large fight! Colourful water balloons, paint and powders are thrown on everyone and the city takes on a fun and exciting atmosphere. There is dancing, singing and loads of great street food. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothes you can wash!
La Tomatina
La Tomatina might just be the world’s most famous food fight. Spain’s tomato-throwing festival takes over the village of Buủol each year on the last Wednesday in August, which, this year, falls on the final day of the month. It dates back to the 1940s, when a group of noisy teenagers started throwing tomatoes from a vegetable stall during a local parade. It was so much fun they decided to do it every year! Today, La Tomatina has become internationally famous, and tens of thousands of people, both locals and tourists, throw over 100,000 kilos of tomatoes at each other. A word of advice – book somewhere to stay early as everywhere books up quickly for the festival, and leave your best clothes at home!
260 Teacher’s notes to communicative activities
1.1 What are you working on?
AIM to practise asking and answering wh- questions about jobs using the present simple or continuous
Activity type: pairwork
Before the lesson: Photocopy one worksheet for every pair of students in the class. Cut along cut lines.
Procedure: Write engineer and journalist on the board.
Ask students the following: What do you do in your jobs? What’s interesting about them? Would you like to do a different job? Why? / Why not? Elicit ideas.
You could write any interesting phrases on the board for students to use later.
• Hand out a worksheet to each pair of students. Tell students to read about the two different jobs and place this sheet on the table between them. Student A must prepare questions to ask. Student B must decide which job they would like to apply for and then complete their CV. Tell them to use their own name but to use their imagination to invent a job history. Monitor and help at this stage as students will need some help with question forming (Student As) and ideas and vocabulary (Student Bs).
• When students are ready, Student A interviews Student B. At the end, Student A must decide whether to give Student B the job or not.
Extra: You could ask Student Bs to move one place round the class in a clockwise direction after the first interview.
Student As then interview a new Student B. Move them on one more time and have a third interview. Then ask Student As to choose who they would give at least one of the jobs to after having interviewed three people.
1.2 Do you work long hours?
AIM to practise asking and answering yes / no questions about jobs
Activity type: groupwork
Before the lesson: Photocopy the worksheet and cut out the four cards along the cut lines. If you have more than four groups, photocopy more worksheets: you will need one card per group.
Procedure: Write the adjectives below on the board and check students know them:
experienced inexperienced well-qualified unemployed retired hard-working busy well-paid successful
• Model the activity. Tell the class that you are thinking of a job and one of the adjectives on the board (e.g. an experienced teacher, a successful doctor, an unemployed footballer). Tell students to ask you yes / no questions until they guess who you are. Brainstorm typical questions they could ask: Do you work in an office / outside / in a classroom? Do you work long hours? Do you work for yourself? Do you work with animals? Are you working at the moment? Did you go to university?
Remind them that you can only answer Yes or No.
• Organize your class into four groups. Ideally you want about four or five students in each group. Give one person in each group a card, and tell them to keep it secret. Each group should have a different card. If you have a small class, use fewer cards. If you have a very large class, use another set of cards, and duplicate one or two cards.
• The aim of the game is for the group to ask the student with the card lots of yes / no questions until they guess each job on the card. They start by asking questions to guess job 1, then move on to ask questions for job 2, etc. Set a five-minute time limit. Tell the students with the cards that they can look up any jobs they don’t know, or ask you (without revealing the job to other group members!) before starting.
• At the end of five minutes, say STOP and find out which group has managed to guess the most jobs.
• Ask students with cards to pass on their card to someone in the next group. Make sure it is someone who didn’t have a card the first time. Repeat the game with new cards.
2.1 Comparatively speaking
AIM to practise making comparisons
Activity type: pairwork
Before the lesson: Photocopy one worksheet for every pair of students in the class. Cut along cut line.
Procedure: Write Australia and India, China and Chile on the board. Ask students the following: What are they?
Where are they? Elicit answers. Then ask students to compare the two places in as many ways as they can.
• Organize the class into pairs. Half the class are A pairs and half are B pairs. Hand out the worksheets to students in pairs, making sure that A pairs get the same A worksheet, and B pairs get the same B worksheet.
• Tell students to read the incomplete sentences and complete them so that they are correct in their opinion.
It doesn’t matter if pairs disagree.
• When students have completed their sentences, mix pairs so that a Student A is with a Student B. Students take turns to read out their sentences. Their partner corrects them or congratulates them for getting the sentence right. In the end, find out which students got the most correct answers.
2.2 Tell us …
AIM to practise describing shopping experiences and things we buy
Activity type: groupwork
Before the lesson: Photocopy the worksheet: you will need one game board per group. You also need a large coin per group.
Procedure: Start by brainstorming phrases students can remember that are used to describe things we buy (good quality, smart, thick, second-hand, in good condition, etc.).