CULTURE
1 Match the photos to the names of the animals. Which two aren’t real?
A kangaroo B dragon C kiwi D lion E tuatara F beaver G bison H eagle I unicorn J horse K emu
The dragon and the unicorn aren’t real.
2 Read the article. Find the names of the animals from Exercise 1. In which countries are they important?
- Eagle (bald eagle): the USA
- Bison: the USA
- Beaver: Canada
- Horse (Canadian horse): Canada
- Lion: England (the United Kingdom)
- Unicorn: Scotland (the United Kingdom)
- Dragon: Wales (the United Kingdom)
- Kangaroo (red kangaroo): Australia
- Emu: Australia
- Kiwi: New Zealand
- Tuatara: New Zealand
3 Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences.
1 False. The bison is a symbol of strength and power (the bald eagle is a symbol of independence). 2 True. 3 False. Canadian horses were strong and had a good nature. 4 True. 5 False. Emus live only in Australia. 6 False. Tuataras live only on 32 small islands.
4 Match the highlighted words in the text to the meanings.
1 mythical 2 fur 3 coins 4 flightless 5 strength 6 brave
5 Listen to Sonia giving a presentation to her class. Tick (✓) the topics that she talks about.
1 when the eagle became a national symbol ✓ 2 where the bald eagle lives in winter 3 how Sonia feels about the bald eagle ✓ 4 why bald eagles became endangered 5 some other animals that people suggested 6 how a famous man felt about the bald eagle ✓ 7 how the bald eagle usually gets its food ✓
6 Listen again. Answer the questions.
1 It became a national symbol in 1782. 2 She thinks it is a symbol of freedom because it can fly away into the air from the tops of mountains. 3 It was more common in the eighteenth century. 4 They have pictures of golden eagles on them instead of bald eagles. 5 He thought bald eagles were birds of bad character and too lazy to catch fish for themselves, stealing food from other birds instead. 6 She thinks the bald eagle is a magnificent bird and a great symbol of the country.
7 Read the Useful language phrases. Complete them with the words in the box.
1 It’s the country’s national animal. 2 It has been a symbol of our country for 200 years. 3 It’s quite an unusual animal. 4 It appears on coins and stamps. 5 It represents the quality of freedom. 6 It’s a symbol of independence.
PROJECT
Prepare a presentation about a country’s iconic animals. Use the following questions to help you.
The nightingale and the white stork are well-known iconic animals of Ukraine. Although they are traditional rather than official state symbols, they have played an important role in Ukrainian culture and folklore for centuries. The nightingale is famous for its beautiful song and symbolises talent, joy, and the beauty of the Ukrainian language. The white stork is a large migratory bird that builds nests on village roofs and symbolises family happiness, peace, loyalty, and love for one’s homeland.
ABOUT YOU
09 Watch the video and then answer the questions.
How many hours a week do you spend at school?
I spend about thirty hours a week at school, attending six to seven lessons every day from Monday to Friday.
How long does it take you to get to school each day?
It takes me about twenty minutes to walk to school each morning.
What do you think is important to have in a classroom?
I think it is important to have comfortable desks, modern interactive whiteboards, and good natural lighting with large windows to create a productive learning environment.
VOCABULARY
1 Look at the photos of difficult journeys to school. Which journey do you think is the most difficult? Why?
I think the journey shown in photo B is the most difficult because climbing steep vertical ladders up a high mountain cliff is extremely dangerous and physically exhausting. A single slip could lead to a serious fall, which requires immense courage and concentration from the children every single day.
2 Listen to a photographer talking about the photos. In what order does she talk about them?
The photographer talks about the photos in the following order:
- Photo B (children crossing a river in the Philippines)
- Photo A (children climbing ladders on a mountain in China)
- Photo C (children walking over flood water in Kashmir, India)
3 Complete the sentences with the words in the boxes. Listen again and check.
1 The children are very young and go to the primary school in the village. 2 I’m not sure where they will go to school when they are secondary school age. 3 I think he was in Year 1, so age six. 4 I wonder what qualifications these children will end up getting. 5 The children attend a school which is on the other side of the mountain. 6 Fortunately, the children can live at the boarding school. 7 The children and their parents want them to do well. 8 They want them to go on to university and get a degree. 9 We had been undergraduates together at the University of Cambridge. 10 The children had two more weeks before they broke up for the holidays. 11 One young teen I spoke to afterwards thought he had done badly in his exams. 12 It seems that education is a priority for this community.
4 Group the words in the boxes in Exercise 3 into verbs and nouns. What are the infinitives of the verbs?
| Part of Speech | Words from Exercise 3 | Base Form / Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| Verbs | attend | to attend |
| do well | to do well | |
| broke up | to break up | |
| done badly | to do badly | |
| Nouns | qualifications | — |
| Year | — | |
| boarding school | — | |
| degree | — | |
| undergraduates | — | |
| education | — |
(Note: The words primary and secondary function as adjectives in the sentences).
5 Read the sentences about school. Do you agree?
1 All children should attend school up to the age of 18. I agree because completing secondary education gives teenagers essential knowledge and prepares them better for adulthood and future careers.
2 Only excellent students should go to university and get a degree. I disagree because any student who works hard and wants to develop professional skills deserves the opportunity to get higher education.
3 Schools should break up for holidays every four weeks. I disagree because frequent breaks would interrupt the learning process, making it difficult for students to focus and finish the curriculum on time.
4 Children who do badly should never have to repeat a year. I disagree because repeating a year can give a student a necessary second chance to master difficult subjects and build confidence.
5 Children should start primary school when they are aged 4, and secondary school when they are aged 12. I disagree because four years old is too early for formal schooling; children at that age learn best through play in kindergarten.
6 It’s really important to do well at school. I agree because getting good marks opens up more opportunities for further education and future job choices.
7 Education should be free and available to everyone in the world. I agree because basic human development and equality depend on every child having access to quality education.
8 Experience in life is more important than qualifications. I agree to some extent, because practical life skills and emotional maturity are crucial, though academic qualifications are still required for many professions.
9 All children should start learning another language in Year 1. I agree because young children acquire foreign languages naturally and quickly, which helps their overall cognitive development.
10 Undergraduates shouldn’t have to pay to attend university. I agree because free university education allows talented students from all financial backgrounds to achieve their academic goals without debt.