Social Interaction

Speaking

Look at the pictures below and answer the questions out loud:

• Where are the people?
• What are they doing?
• Do you enjoy doing what the people in the photos are doing?

Additional questions

• How often do you meet up with your friends?
• What do you do when you meet up with your friends?
• Do you talk a lot with your parents? What do you talk about?
• Do you prefer to eat your dinner in front of the television or at the table? Why?

Reading

Read the text and questions below.

For each question, choose A, B, C or D.

Dear Editor,

I am writing with regards to the article ‘Children don’t know how to socialise’ that appeared in your newspaper on 17^th September. The author claimed that teenage children no longer know how to interact and talk to people.

I find it very difficult to agree with this view. I have two children and they are very sociable human beings. Every day after school they tell me about their day, what they enjoyed the most and what they learned. We have a very close relationship. Then, whilst we have our dinner, the family talks about the news, politics or our next family holiday. After dinner, they do their homework, watch one hour of television and then go to bed.

I know other mums that are in similar positions to the one the author described in his article, and I honestly blame the parents. Parents with these problems usually allow their children a lot of freedom and don’t insist on any rules. They allow their children to play computer games all evening, to watch television and go to bed late. These families also don’t insist they eat together as a family. In fact, they let them have dinner in front of the television. Therefore, these children are unaware of how to interact with other children and adults.

The writer should write another article where he explains possible solutions to the problems a lot of mums are experiencing nowadays. One solution would be to limit the amount of time the children can play on the computer. Another solution would be to insist the family has dinner all together.

So, in conclusion, I think the author is right in some cases, but not all.

Yours sincerely,

Joanna Williams

Vocabulary

A. Add the missing adjectives. Be careful with the spelling.

B. Match these adjectives to their opposites in A.

C. Form the opposites of these adjectives by adding un, in or im. Check your answers in a dictionary if necessary.

Grammar – The passive

Form

Para crear el pasivo necesitas el verbo ‘to be’ + past participle.

Use.

Usamos el pasivo cuando:

1. No sabemos quién o que ha realizado la acción:

• My bike was stolen.
• The classroom was damaged.

2. Es obvio o no es importante quien ha hecho algo:

• My flight was cancelled.
• Was anyone injured during the game?

3. Si la persona que realizó la acción es importante, usamos ‘by’ + persona:

• The book was written by Shakespeare.
• The painting was painted by Velazquez.

Read the following statements about the history of tea.

A. Write the verb in each sentence (In the box). Which sentences are in the active and which are in the passive?

B. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb (active or passive). Be careful with the tenses!

Listening

Tara is planning a surprise party for a friend. Listen to her telephone call and choose the correct answer to the questions below A, B or C.

Writing

Your English teacher has asked you to write a story.

This is the title of the story.

An interesting day with my family

Write your answer in about 100 words.

Recording

Tara:

So, the plans for Kevin’s surprise party are going rather well. I’m calling to update you on the latest developments. We can do a final check next week to make sure we are fully prepared. So I’ve arranged to meet everyone at Michelle’s house at 6pm. The only person that’s not going to be able to come is Dan. He’s working until 7 and so he’ll meet us at the restaurant. Mark and Sue are definitely coming and so are Louise and Tanya.

At Michelle’s house we can get his present ready. Then leave just before 7 and walk to the restaurant. The walk from Michelle’s house to the restaurant isn’t very long, about 10 minutes so we should be there nice and early and definitely before Kevin. I think he’s going to get there at 8.

I’ve told the restaurant which set menu we want and we have agreed a price of £20 per person. Alex is a vegetarian though and so he’s going to be a little less and get the vegetarian option. After we’ve eaten, the restaurant is going to have karaoke. I’m really bad at singing but I’m sure the birthday boy will sing a song. Now I think I’ve remembered everything. Let me know if you think there’s something I’ve forgotten.

Now, some people have already said that they are going to leave early as they’ve got to work the next day. I’ve told them that this isn’t a problem and we expect it having a party midweek. I mean there are still two days left of the working week and until the weekend.

Anyway, I better go. Call me back if you think of anything.