1b. There when it mattered most

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READING

A. Discuss.

• What is the best thing someone has ever done for you?

The best thing someone has ever done for me was when my friend spent his whole weekend helping me prepare for a difficult exam that I was really struggling with.

• What is the best thing you have ever done for someone else?

The best thing I have ever done for someone else was helping my elderly neighbour carry heavy groceries home and taking care of her garden when she was unwell.

B. Read the online magazine article and choose the best title for it.

c (There when it mattered most)

C. Read the article again and answer the questions. Write H for Harold, A for Amy and M for Marvin.

Which person…

1. became better at something? — M
2. changed their mind about something? — M
3. is surprised that a person was able to achieve something? — H
4. realised they needed help and asked for it? — M
5. provides advice on how to react in a particular situation? — H
6. says they have a lot in common with somebody else? — A

D. Look at the highlighted words in the text and match them with their definitions.

1. unharmed — d (not hurt)
2. crawled — e (moved on hands and knees)
3. entire — a (whole)
4. delighted — b (very happy)
5. grateful — c (feeling thanks towards sb)

GRAMMAR

Rewrite the sentences using the words given.

1. There were so many noisy children in the park that we decided to leave.
2. My grandparents went shopping despite the rain.
3. Although we were tired, we managed to solve the puzzle.
4. Kelly downloaded some fitness videos so as to work out at home.
5. Even though Mr Thomas is strict, he is a wonderful teacher.
6. You should take up a new hobby this summer so that you won’t be bored.

VOCABULARY

A. Place the words in the box in the appropriate category. One word may be used more than once.

• Family: sibling, relative, stepfather/stepmother, in-laws, ex-wife/ex-husband
• Friends / Social Contacts: mate, pal, acquaintance, buddy, peer
• At School: fellow student, classmate, headteacher, peer
• At Work: boss, colleague, co-worker, supervisor, peer

B. Now complete the sentences with the correct form of the words from the word web. In some cases more than one option may be appropriate.

1. I don’t know him very well. He is just a(n) acquaintance who I see while walking in my neighbourhood.

2. My colleagues / co-workers and I are worried about our future because our boss is selling the company.

3. I’m glad I grew up with siblings because I always had someone to play with.

4. Friendship is very important to teenagers and that is why they are often under pressure from their peers.

5. My wife and I are seeing her parents this weekend, so I’m looking forward to spending time with my in-laws.

6. The headteacher welcomed the new students to school.

C. Read the note and complete the table with the nouns or the adjectives missing.

D. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in capitals.

1. The guide was very helpful and answered all our questions.

2. This project is quite challenging, but I think I can do it by myself.

3. Sandra has this incredible ability to always say the right thing.

4. Despite the accident, John wasn’t seriously injured.

5. The spider looked scary, but it was completely harmless.

SPEAK

Talk in pairs about positive experiences you have had with people in your life. Think about your friends, family, neighbours and teachers.

The best thing someone has ever done for me was when my English teacher spent extra time after classes to help me prepare for a speaking contest. I was really nervous and lacked confidence, but her encouragement helped me believe in myself and win second place. In addition, when my family moved to a new flat, our neighbour brought over a warm homemade pie and offered to help us carry our heavy boxes. That kind gesture made me feel welcome and showed me how supportive people can be.

LISTEN

A. Before you listen, read the definition of ‘peer pressure’ and discuss the questions.

• Do your peers affect your choices/decisions, the way you dress or the way you behave?
  Peers definitely influence fashion choices and music tastes because teenagers naturally want to share common interests with their friends. However, core personal values and important life decisions remain independent of peer influence.

• How often do you find yourself in situations where you feel peer pressure?
  Situations involving peer pressure occur occasionally, especially during group social events or when making collective plans after school.

• Do you find it difficult to resist peer pressure?
  It is not very difficult to resist peer pressure when staying confident about one’s own values and knowing when to say no.

• Do you think peer pressure is always negative?
  Peer pressure is not always negative because friends can encourage each other to study harder, participate in sports, or adopt healthy habits.

B. You will hear a quiz which is part of a radio programme. Listen and do the quiz. Mark your answers in the boxes below.

Total score calculation:

• Question 1: C (2 points)
• Question 2: C (2 points)
• Question 3: A (1 point)
• Question 4: C (2 points)
• Total score: 7 points

C. Now listen to the rest of the radio programme. What does the quiz reveal about you? Do you agree?

With a score of 7 points (falling in the 6–8 point range), the quiz reveals that I am not affected by peer pressure, that I am not afraid to express my opinion, and that I usually do what I think is right. I agree with this result because standing by personal principles and making independent choices is very important in daily life.

WRITE

A. Read the email and answer the questions.

1. Who is writing the email?
Peter is writing the email to his friend Max.

2. Why is this person writing?
Peter is writing to ask Max for help with finding a cheaper pair of popular trainers online and to ask if Max can arrange a call with his uncle about a weekend job at his restaurant.

3. What set phrases are used to begin and end the email?
To begin the email, Peter uses the greeting “Hello Max,” and the opening set phrase “How’s life? I hope you’re okay.” To end the email, he uses the closing set phrase “Write back soon!” and signs off with his name, “Peter”.

4. What makes this email informal?
The email is informal because it uses informal greetings and sign-offs (“Hello Max,”, “Write back soon!”), contractions (“How’s”, “you’re”, “won’t”, “They’re”, “don’t”, “I’m”), casual conversational language, and exclamation marks.

B. Now read the email that Max has written to Peter, and answer the questions.

1. Does Max agree to Peter’s requests?
Max agrees to help Peter find cheaper trainers online, but he refuses the request to arrange an immediate call with his uncle because his uncle is on holiday.

2. What phrases does Max use to show this?
To politely refuse the request about his uncle, Max uses the phrase: “I’m afraid it won’t be possible to ask my uncle to call you until next week.” To agree to the request about searching online, he uses the phrase: “Of course, I’d be glad to help you look online for a cheaper pair.”

WRITING

C. Read the boxes with the tips in the Writing section about when to use capital letters and punctuation marks, and correct sentences 1-4. Then write a reply to each request, using the expressions/phrases in the tables.

1. Sentence: My friends and I are going camping this weekend. Would it be possible to borrow your tent?
   Reply: Of course you can borrow my tent! You’re more than welcome to take it for the whole weekend.

2. Sentence: Guess what! I’m having a get-together on Saturday. I was hoping you could be in charge of the music.
   Reply: Wow! That’s fantastic news! It would be my pleasure to prepare a playlist and take care of the music.

3. Sentence: I have to do a project on the most popular hobbies in Wales, but my laptop is broken. Could I possibly borrow yours?
   Reply: I’m afraid that it won’t be possible to lend you my laptop because I need it this evening to finish my own science project.

4. Sentence: I’m thinking of going to London in July and I want to stay near Oxford Street. Do you think you could help me find a nice place to stay?
   Reply: I’d be glad to help you look for some nice and affordable hostels in that area.

D. Imagine that Peter is a friend of yours and has sent you the email in activity A. Write an email responding to him, in which you agree to one of his requests but also refuse the other one politely. You can use Max’s email as a model, but you must use your own ideas and other expressions/phrases. Before you begin, read the tip and follow the plan in the Writing section.

Hi Peter,

It was great to hear from you!

I think it’s fantastic that you want to earn your own money rather than asking your parents. Regarding my uncle’s restaurant, I’d be happy to talk to him this weekend and see if he needs an extra hand during the rush hours. I’ll let you know as soon as he answers.

However, about searching for discount websites, unfortunately, I won’t be able to help you right now because I have two big exams coming up this week and very little free time.

Anyway, are you sure you really need those specific trainers? Trends come and go quickly, and you don’t need to wear what everyone else is wearing just to fit in. Think about whether they are truly worth all that hard work!

Catch up soon,
Alex