EVALUATING OPTIONS
1 Ask and answer the questions with a partner.
1 Yes, I often find it hard to make decisions because I worry about making the wrong choice and regret it later. 2 I usually ask my parents and my best friend for advice when I need to make an important decision. 3 Yes, I sometimes change my mind after I decide if I get new information or realise that another option is better.
2 Read the forum posts. Who mentions the following topics?
1 Using exercise to relax — Bryan 2 Reading articles online — Michael 3 Chatting with close friends or relatives — Emily 4 Taking language classes — Jenna
3 Read the forum posts again and answer the questions.
1 Jenna writes things down and creates a two-column table to compare advantages and disadvantages. 2 Jenna sometimes talks to herself out loud when she is having a difficult time making a choice. 3 Michael was looking for photos online to use in his history presentation about Ancient Rome. 4 Michael needs time to make decisions because he prefers to think carefully, explore different ideas, and understand all the options. 5 Bryan gets stressed because he overthinks and worries that he might make the wrong choice after deciding. 6 The guidance counsellor at school, as well as her friends and close relatives, are helping Emily think about her studies. 7 I am most similar to Michael because I also like to take my time, research information on the internet, and evaluate all possible options before making a final choice.
4 Listen to Molly and Patrick. Who makes decisions quickly? Who needs more time? Why?
Patrick makes decisions quickly because he knows what he likes, finds it easy to choose, and does not worry much if his choice turns out to be wrong. Molly needs more time because she wants to gather all necessary information, weigh the advantages and disadvantages, and discuss her options with her family before deciding.
5 Listen again. Are the sentences true or false?
1 Molly wants to be outdoors because she loves camping. — False (She likes being outdoors in the summer, but she says she does not like camping in tents). 2 Patrick doesn’t mind being indoors for summer camp. — True (He is interested in doing the Science camp, which takes place indoors in the school lab). 3 Molly wants to know who is going to teach the art camp. — True (She wants to know who is organising it and says it depends on the teacher). 4 Patrick suggests they sign up for the French camp together. — False (Patrick suggests the Science camp and then the Outdoor Adventure camp). 5 Patrick suggests they ask for more information about the summer camps. — True (He suggests going to the community centre together to ask for more details). 6 Molly wants to talk to her friends before she makes a decision. — False (She says she wants to talk to her family).
6 Read the Useful language phrases. Change the words in brackets. Use your own ideas.
1 I prefer to be at the beach in summer. 2 I think I’d rather go swimming in July. 3 The music camp sounds boring to me. 4 The art and design camp might be interesting. 5 I’m not sure about the French culture camp. 6 I’d probably choose the outdoor adventures camp.
PROJECT
Imagine you are going to choose one of the summer camps above. How would you evaluate the options? Use the questions below to help you. Discuss the options with a partner and try to make a decision. Tell the class which summer programme you would prefer, explaining your reasons and how you evaluated the options.
When making important choices, I usually take my time to evaluate all available options carefully. To compare the camps, I made a table listing the advantages and disadvantages of each programme, such as the location, daily schedule, and activities offered. Before deciding, I also needed additional information about the exact daily timetable and the teachers in charge. I discussed the options with my parents and best friend to hear their opinions.
In the end, I would choose the Outdoor Adventures camp. I prefer spending July being active outdoors rather than staying inside a classroom. This camp provides great opportunities to do sports like swimming, rock climbing, and cycling with other teenagers.
VOCABULARY
1 Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
1 Do you plug in your phone to charge it overnight? 2 Some people think that the wheel is the greatest invention ever. 3 After the flood, we used a pump to get the water out of our house. 4 My calculator doesn’t need batteries – it gets its power from sunlight. 5 I can’t see the display on my phone when the sun is shining. 6 Cars that have a bigger fuel tank can travel further without stopping.
2 Rewrite the second sentence with enough, too or not … enough, adding any other words necessary.
1 The river was not warm enough to swim in. 2 There was too little information about the trip. 3 Brian has got too few qualifications to go deep-sea diving. 4 This online game is too difficult to learn in an afternoon.
3 Complete the sentences with compound nouns formed from one word in each box.
1 Our teacher wrote the answers on the blackboard. 2 If students are late for school more than once, they are sent to the headteacher. 3 In my school, we write in our notebooks and not in our textbooks. 4 On the first day of the school year, they give me my new timetable. 5 My best friend and I are in different classes, but we always meet up at break time.
4 Match the two parts of the phrases.
1 b (do badly in an exam) 2 e (set off on a journey) 3 d (be held up in traffic) 4 a (break up for the school holidays) 5 c (go abroad)
5 Read the definitions and write the words in the puzzle. What is the missing word going down?
1 crops 2 creature 3 population 4 rainforest 5 endangered 6 jungle 7 habitat 8 human 9 environment 10 landscape
Missing word going down: PLANET EARTH
GRAMMAR
1 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs. Use the past simple and past perfect.
1 The strong wind the day before had blown all the leaves off the trees and they looked very ugly. 2 Although I had heard the news earlier, I still didn’t believe it. 3 My younger sister had never visited the mall before, so I took her there last Saturday. 4 I decided not to go on the evening river cruise, as I hadn’t felt well all day.