THE BLACK CAT -questions

1. Tell two relevant things about Poe´s life.
2. Did the narrator like animals?
3. Where is he writing the story?
4. What does he say about his wife?
5. What made him change?
6. In which sense was he changing?
7. What did he do to his cat? Why?
8. What happened to his house?
9. What was the new cat like?
10. Why did he start to dislike the cat?
11. What did he do to his wife? Why?
12. How did he feel after that?
13. Where did he bury his wife?
14. How did the police discover his wife´s body?

SCANNING

Scanning is looking at text to find a single word or one piece of information.

·          

·         -You don´t need to read the whole text from the beginning.

·         -Read quickly to find the information you need.

·         -Don´t worry about the words you don´t understand

Think about the study skill. In which of these reading situations would you scan the text?

1)      Searching for a word in a dictionary.

2)      Reading a story

3)      Looking for your exam result in a list.

4)      Following a complete recipe while you cook

5)      Finding how many eggs you need in a recipe.

6)      Reading a newspaper to find the latest football score for your team.

IRREGULAR VERBS

PLAYSCRIPTS AND STORIES

playscripts
stories

SAMPLE WRITINGS

A short article expressing their opinion about what life will be like in the future.

 I believe we will be healthier and our lives will be easier in the future. Firstly, scientists will find cures for many diseases and we will also live longer. Secondly, we might have robots to do all the work so we will have more free time. Finally, I think with GM foods there will be enough food for everyone.

All in all, to me, the future will be a better place for everyone.

(Lucy, 16)

A short description of yourself or anyone you know.

 My sister is twenty. She´s medium height and slim. She´s got medium-length fair hair and a fringe. She´s also got an oval face with big green eyes and arched eyebrows. She´s got a long nose and a full mouth with a beauty spot on her upper lip.  Everyone says she is very pretty.

In relation to her personality, she is quite warm and friendly and has got a good sense of humour. She´s also very generous and helpful and she´s always willing to help me when I need her. But she can get very bad-tempered when she is angry or upset.   

Three Students Hurt in School Bus Crash

Three students were seriously injured yesterday morning when the school bus they were travelling on swerved off the road and crashed. The accident took place at 8 am on Hill Road in Newtown.

The bus driver was driving along Hill Road when a car came around the corner on the wrong side of the road. He swerved to avoid crashing into it and drove into a small wall. Mr Grey, the car driver, said that he was not speeding but witnesses disagree. One witness said, “He was driving too fast. The bus driver acted quickly.”

The police arrested the car driver. The injured students are recovering in South Shore Hospital. 

Swerved (changed direction)   speeding (driving fast)   witnesses (viewers of an accident)

An email about your holiday

Hi Mike,

Greetings from California. The weather´s gorgeous and the food in delicious. I´ve been at the ­ Camp Pacific for a week now and I´ve done lots of exciting things.

So far I´ve met lots of interesting people and I´ve made some new friends. Together we´ve been sailing and water skiing. The weather is great so I spend most mornings sunbathing. Unfortunately, I got sunburnt two days ago. It´s getting better but I still can´t go to the beach. I haven´t bought any souvenirs yet, but there´s plenty of time for that. I´ve taken a lot of pictures to show you when I get back.  See you in a week.

Take care,

Janet

A letter of application

Dear Mrs Brown,
        I am writing to apply for the position of part-time shop assistant as advertised in Sunday´s Gazette.
        I am a sixteen year old student currently in my final year at secondary school. I am studying for my
GCSEs* and I expect to do well in both English and Maths. Although I have no work experience, I am an honest and hardworking person. I am friendly and I like to meet new people and I feel these are suitable qualities for the position.
       I am available for an interview in the afternoons. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
       Your sincerily,
  Sarah Green
  Sarah Green
* Exams that British children take at the age of sixteen.

A pros and cons essay

We all like going to the zoo, but what about the animals? Should we Keep them in zoos, or is it wrong to take them out of their natural habitats?

There are certain advantages to keeping animals in zoos. Firstly, zoos help animals survive. They offer them a safe place to live in and food to eat. Endangered species also have a safe place to breed so that they won´t disappear. Also, zoos can be educational. People can visit them and learn about animals and their behaviour.

On the other hand, there are certain drawbacks to keeping animals in zoos. First of all, animals are kept in small places or cages so they could be unhappy. Secondly, it is not natural for animals to live separately from each other as different animals depend on each other for survival.

To sum up, there are strong arguments both for and against zoos. Although most zoos do their best to protect animals, I believe that we should live animals in the wild and help them to survive in their natural homes.