TRANSFORMATIONS

In Grease, Sandy transforms from a goody-goody girl to a Sandy dressed in leather and smoking. Which look do you prefer?

GRAMMAR TRANSFORMATIONS 1.
COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

1. Rachel is smarter than her brother Tom. NOT

Tom is ...................................his sister Rachel.

2. This house costs less than the flat we visited last week. IS

This house ...............................the flat we visited last week.

3. Shakespeare was an extremely talented writer. MOST

Shakespeare was one ........................................writers in the world.

4. I preferred this singer with longer hair. LESS

I preferred this singer with................................................. hair.

5. This computer is the cheapest one I’ve found. EXPENSIVE

This computer is the.....................................................I’ve found.

6. Peter’s flat wasn’t as elegantly decorated as Mary’s. MORE

Mary’s flat was....................................................................than Peter’s.

7. It can take much less time to go on foot than to travel by bus. LOT

Travelling by bus can ...................................................................... going on foot.

8. Harry wears smarter clothes now he has a girlfriend. LESS

Harry wore.................................................................when he didn’t have a girlfriend.

9. That building is quite new. I thought it was older. AS

That building is not ..................................................I thought.

10. For me, Colin Firth is acting much better than other actors today.    FAR

 For me, Colin Firth is by ........................................................... today. 

11. The food was so good we had to leave a tip. 
SUCH It ........................................... we had to leave a tip.

12. The computer was too expensive for me to buy. 
ENOUGH  I ........................................... money to buy the computer.

13. It's the most beautiful painting I've ever seen. 
SEEN 
I ............................................ beautiful painting.

14. This summer has been much cooler than last year. 
COOL 
Last summer .................................. this year.

15. I'm not as good at maths as you. 
BETTER 
You ......................................... me.

16. The course wasn't as easy as I'd expected. 
MORE 
The course ........................................ I'd expected.

17. This car isn't safe enough to drive. 
DANGEROUS 
This car ........................................ drive.
18. This exercise is easier than the last one. 
HARD 
This exercise ....................................... the last one.

DESCRIBING PHOTOS

 

Can you describe this photo?

Talking about a photo is not just describing. We can also compare, contrast, speculate about the situation, react, give our opinion, imagine what happened before and after, who took the photo and why it was taken. 

Read this information and try to describe Elvis' photo again.

SUMMER STORIES

Listen to a boy and a girl telling their friends about their summer:

We are having a chat about our last summer holidays.

Draw your hand on your notebook to help you talk about last summer.

Thumb: Tell us something special you did
Index finger: Describe the places you visited
Middle finger: Talk about a bad experience you had
Ring finger: Talk about the people you met 
Little finger: Tell us something you wanted to do but you couldn't

 


Add your comments: Write what your partner told you about his/her summer.

BOOK REVIEW

In your review you should include:

- basic info (what type of book is it?)

- the plot (the reader needs to have an idea of the story but do this briefly)

- the characters ( describe them briefly)

- description (what was memorable or remarkable about it?)

- your reactions ( what did you enjoy or dislike about it?)

- would you recommend it? Why or why not? To whom?

First paragraph:  Introduction. Give title of book. Genre. General intro about the book.

Second Paragraph: Brief description of plot. DO NOT spend too long on this part.

Third paragraph: Discuss the things you liked/did not like about the book and WHY? How was the writer effective. Give examples to justify your arguments. Refer to all elements of the book: the plot, characters, language, style, genre.

Fourth paragraph: Conclusion. Say whether you recommend the book. Explain why/why not? Say who you think it would appeal to. Your final overall comment on the book.

VOCABULARY TO TALK ABOUT A BOOK

autobiographies    non-fiction    biographies    poetry   classic novels    romances   comic novels  science-fiction crime stories     thrillers      drama      Westerns     historical novels  whodunits        mysteries

 Which of these words below would be used to describe a book positively and which negatively?

amusing        thought provoking       best-selling        moving        entertaining      well-written      gripping    clear      literary complex        poetic        hard to understand      popular      lucid     predictable       readable     convincing      well-drawn         humorous      inventive      original    intriguing      unputdownable   full of suspense

THEME: The general overall topic of a text

love      friendship       the importance of family       ambition     war      violence     etc. 

The book/story is about…

The story is set in…

The characters are…

The plot tells the story of …

The author describes/tells the story of…

The author has written a tale of…

EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION

I felt / I thought it was

I was impressed by

What struck me most was

What I liked most / didn't like was

On reflection, I think it was

I would have no / little / some / a lot of hesitation in recommending

It struck me as being

In spite of these criticisms, I think

I especially liked/disliked

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS…?

- a twist at the end

- a cliffhanger

- I couldn't put it down

FINAL ADVICE:

* Remember that when you describe the plot of a novel or film you use the present tense.

* Reviews should inform but also entertain. Bring the book to life.

* Do not go into great detail about the plot and never give away the ending! ! !

* A review should be well organised and easy to follow for the reader.

* Look at all aspects of the novel:

style: how well-written it is and if it is readable.

characters: what kind of people they are and if they are well-drawn.

setting: where the story takes place.

personal reaction: describe the emotions it produced in you.

SOME EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

ELVIS ALSO HAS MANY QUESTIONS

1.    Can you fill in the gaps with the correct words from the box?

__________________     lonesome tonight?
_________________________     me tonight?
___________________________    sorry we drifted apart?
_______________________________    to a brighter sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
__________________________     in your parlor seem empty and bare?
____________________________      at your doorstep and picture me there?
_________________________    filled with pain?      __________________again?
Tell me dear,    ____________________lonesome tonight?

Is your heart            are you        Does your memory stray            Are you           Do you gaze       Shall I come back      Are you    Do the chairs       Do you miss

I wonder if you're lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world’s a stage
And each must play a part.
Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart.
Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance
You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue
Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange
And why I'll never know.
Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
And I had no cause to doubt you.
But I'd rather go on hearing your lies
Than go on living without you.
Now the stage is bare and I’m standing there
With emptiness all around
And if you won’t come back to me
Then make them bring the curtain down.

____________________filled with pain?______________________again?
Tell me dear, _____________________ lonesome tonight?

           are you            Shall I come back                      Is your heart

NEW WORDS: Can you match the new words with their meanings?

stray

cue

stage

curtain

bare

I’d rather

play a part

drift apart fate

gaze

parlor

lonesome

miss

lie

MEANINGS

destino

telón

separarse 

solo/a  

echar de menos/perder

salón

mentir

mirar, contemplar     

representar un papel

escenario (teatro)

desnudo

vagar, perderse

apunte (teatro)   

preferiría

MANY QUESTIONS

SUBJECT/ OBJECT QUESTIONS

1.-I bought a newspaper this morning.

2.-Something odd happened during the storm last night.

3.-Steve didn't do the final exam.

4.-Pam wrote a romantic letter to one of her friends.

5.-A noise disturbed me when I was working.

6.-I dreamt about a strange animal last night.

7.-Peter rang me at 3am last night.

8.-My husband gave me a watch for my birthday

9.-The new student  has broken the window.

10.-I visited my grandmother on Sunday.

11.-I met Peter when I was going to school.

12.-The baby was crying because he was tired.

13.-They were waiting at the restaurant.

14.-Mark ate a chocolate cake.

15.-Yes, I have visited Dublin twice.

16.-Well, I didn’t like the show.

17.-A car ran over a pedestrian.  

18.-I’ve lived in Cáceres for five years.

19.-The students stopped talking when the principal entered the room.

20.-The weather is going to be pleasant at the weekend.

Make a question for the underlined words:

1. 15 million people have seen UFO`s.

2. Obesity affects millions of people.

3. Some paper companies are now cutting trees in Russia.

4. I was only 12 when Neil Amstrong walked on the moon.

5. He wants to go to Harvard next year.

6. I grew up in Tennessee.

7. Three quarters of the world’s mail is written in English.

8. Most Ecstasy is manufactured in Eastern Europe.

9. A Tamagotchi goes to sleep at night.

10. He has to draw a map for the Geography lesson.

11. There have been millions of studies on smoking.

12. The demons returned to the Freelings’ new home.

13. Margaret Thatcher slept three hours a day.

14. Genetics changes how we see our children.

15. It took six months to find her disease.

16. Susan used to do her shopping in New York.2

17. I’m visiting my friend tomorrow.

18. She’ll arrive by train tonight.

19. He has taken David’s car to his house.

20. I was sleeping when the alarm went off.

...And 20 more!!!     

1. Joe is tall and good looking.

2. Joe is a bit shy.

3. Joe is tall, good-looking and a bit shy.

4. The Thompsons travel to Niceevery spring.

5. Dan seldom listens to the radio.

6. At 10.00 a.m. he always takes a break.

7. I borrowed Peter this coat.

8. Colin is leaving his job because he doesn’t like it.

9. The Thompsons travel to Nice every spring.

10. There are eight denominations of euro coins.

11. Forests provide shelter and food for many different types of plants and animals.

12. This dictionary cost fifty dollars ten years ago.

13. A hot, milky drink may help you relax.

14. He is a specialist in language teaching.

15. It is approximately 19 kilometres from my house to school.

16. We are going to the theatre at 7.30 tonight.

17. A hot, milky drink may help you relax.

18. He is a specialist in language teaching.

19. There are eight denominations of euro coins.

20. My brother had to wear a uniform in his secondary school. 

SUMMER HITS

What in your opinion makes a summer hit?
What do you think was last summer hit?

We are going to listen to a song that was a big hit in Britain in the autumn of 1974. The singer was called Sylvia Vrethammar. Everyone came back from their package holidays in Spain and got misty-eyed with this music. Sylvia was a Swedish pop and jazz singer. Her song was a great hit in the UK Singles Chart, spending over six months in that listing, sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. But Sylvia was just singing a version of the original song, written in 1971 and originally performed in Dutch by Belgian singer Samantha, with music and lyrics written by the Belgian song writers Leo Rozenstraten (lyrics) and Leo Caerts (music). The version in English included some Spanish words.

VOCABULARY: MATCH THE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS WITH THE SAME MEANING

beano       balmy       icy         strain       smooth        by the score       by far      allow    the finest bet       whisper     rattle    tremble    pasty       tasty        brown      guess     queue 

 permit      pleasant       pale          party       good flavor        fluid       a lot      very cold     shake                tanned      suppose      wait in line       the best option      speak softly         

                 shake and make noise       pressure (stress)        by a large margin

Now, listen and fill in the blanks with the Spanish words:

TITLE: ____________________________________________

All the ladies fell for Rudolph Valentino

He had a beano back in those balmy days

He knew every time you meet an icy creature

You've got to teach her hot blooded latin ways

But even Rudy would have felt the strain

Of making smooth advances in the rain

                              

Chorus

Oh this year I'm off to Sunny Spain ______________________________

I'm taking the Costa Brava 'plane _____________________________

If you'd like to chat a ________________, in some cool _______________

And meet _________________ by the score, _____________________

Quite by chance to hot romance I found the answer

_________________ dancers are by far the finest bet

There was one who whispered oh ________________________

Each time I kissed him behind the castanette

He rattled his __________________ close to me

In no time I was trembling at the knee

When they first arrive the girls are pink and pasty

but oh so tasty as soon as they go brown

I guess they know ev'ry fellow will be queuing

to do the wooing his girlfriend won't allow

but every dog must have his lucky day

that's why I've learnt the way to shout _________________

CONTENTS 4TH YEAR.BILINGUAL

-We will follow the book ENGLISH ALIVE 4 (Oxford). There are 9 units. We will cover 3 units each term.

-We will do extra material from different B1 level textbooks and websites. A plastic folder to keep photocopies and assignments is recommended.

-We will work on two different blogs:

               http://bilingualnorba.blogspot.com.es/

              
               http://4esobilingualnorba.blogspot.com.es/

-It is obligatory to read at least 1 reader each term. The reading work is 10% of your final mark. You must hand in a book review and prepare a presentation about each book. Both assignments must be finished on these dates:

               -31^ST OCTOBER: reader 1

               -27^TH FEBRUARY: reader 2

               -30^TH APRIL: reader 3

-Writing:

A description	Informal letter	Complaint letter
A news story	Formal letter	A diary entry
A life story	Application letter	Reporting information
An article	A discussion essay	A book/film review

-Oral:

Picture Descript./comparison	Money	Personal problems /advice
An accident	A community project	Celebrations
Your timeline	A job interview	Entertainment
Food and health	Great inventions	Polite excuses

 -HOMEWORK: Your homework will be checked every day. Your workbook, notebook, folders will be checked regularly. Your personal work will influence your mark.  

-Assignments (projects, compositions, presentations) will be handed in ON TIME.  

This year we will cover these contents:

GRAMMAR	SPEAKING	WRITING	LANGUAGE
-Present simple / present continuous. -Past simple / past continuous. -Present perfect (simple and continuous) / past simple -Future tenses -Future continuous and perfect -First, second and third conditional -Time clauses -Comparison of adjectives -Adverbs -Quantifiers and determiners -Modals -Modal perfects -Gerunds and infinitives -Relative clauses -Reported speech -Adverbs of manner and degree -Imperative -The passive -The causative -used to, be used to, get used to	-Greetings and formal and informal introductions -Classroom language -Talking about preferences -Exchanging personal information -Talking about differences -Describing photos (people, animals, places, rooms, objects) -Comparing and contrasting -Talking about natural disasters -Talking about routines and habits -Ordering food -Reporting the news -Talking about experiences and feelings -Talking about the environment -Talking about inventions -Exchanging information -Interviewing -Talking on the phone (formal / informal) -Telling a story -Giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing -Discussing attitudes -Making suggestions -Talking about famous people -Talking about the past -Comparing pictures -Predicting the future -Making plans -Making travel arrangements	-Descriptions (people, places, a room, a sport, a game) -Informative reports (about animals, places, events, etc.) -Opinion essays -A film or a book review. -Blog entries -Comparisons -Plans -Predictions -An informal e-mail -A narrative -A photo description -A biography -Formal letters	-Basic information about punctuation -Word formation -Word order -Organizing your writing. Parts (introduction, body, conclusion). -Building paragraphs -Connectors and linking words -Prepositions -Past, present and future time expressions -Phrasal verbs -Collocations: get and lose; miss, catch, book.

A guide for your oral test: 

FIRST TERM

1• Talking about yourself; exchanging personal information; remembering your childhood

Tell me about yourself. When / where were you born? Where did you grow up?

What’s your city/ town like? What do you do? Where do you work? Tell me about your daily routine.

Where did you go to elementary/ high school? What were your best/ worst subjects?

Tell me about your childhood. What’s your favorite childhood memory? What kinds of sports or

games did you use to play when you were younger?

2• Describing positive and negative features; making comparisons; talking about lifestyle changes and

wishes

Do you live in a house or an apartment? What’s it like? Is your house or apartment (adjective)

enough for you? What’s your neighborhood like?

What do you wish you could change about your home/ school or job/appearance/ skills? Why?

3• Talking about recent past events

Have you been working/studying/exercising? What have you been doing lately/ in the evening/ on

weekends? How long have you been (activity)?

4• Talking about changes

How was life different 50/100 years ago? How did people use to shop/travel? What did people do

before supermarkets/the automobile/ the Internet? What did you do before personal computers/ CD

players/ cell phones?

Nowadays, how do most people get around? When do people usually shop? These days, what do

people do in the evening/on weekends?

In the future, what are people/cities going to need more of?

5• Talking about food and health

What’s your favorite food? Have you ever eaten something you didn’t like? What was it? What

did you think of it?

Have you or a relative ever been on a diet? What did you/he/she eat? What did you/he/she stop eating? Did you lose any weight?

SECOND TERM

6• Money; hopes; predicaments; speculations

What would you do if you found a wallet full of money in a taxi/ if a friend borrowed money and

never paid you back?

Where would you go on vacation if you had enough time and money?

Tell me about a recent predicament you were in. What did you do? What should /shouldn’t you have

done?

7• Talking about vacation

What do you like to do on vacation? Where do you like to go? What did you do on your last vacation? Have you made any vacation plans for this year? Tell me about your vacation plans. What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?

What do you need to do before traveling abroad for your vacation?

8• Abilities and skills; job preferences; personality traits; careers

What are your positive/negative personal traits? Would you like to be a teacher/doctor/novelist/pilot? Why or why not?

What kind of work would you like to do? What kind of job would you be good at? Why? 

9• Technology

What technology/ inventions do you use every day? What do you use a computer to do? How do

computers make your life easier/more difficult? How do computers affect the way people work and

spend free time? What kinds of problems does technology cause?

THIRD TERM

10• Complaints

Have you ever had a problem with a neighbor or classmate? How did you resolve it?

What requests did you make?

11• Holidays, festivals, customs, and celebrations

What’s your favorite holiday/festival? What do you like about it? How do people celebrate it? Is

there any special food or drink?

What’s you favorite season? What do you like about it? What do people do at that time of year?

What do you usually do on your birthday? How did you spend your last birthday?

Tell me about weddings in your country. What couples do before their wedding? What do guests do

during/after the ceremony? When do people give gifts? What kinds of gifts do they give?

12• Entertainment; movies and books; reactions and opinions

What is the last movie you’ve seen? What did you like/dislike about it? What new movie would

you most like to see? Why? What kinds of movies are you interested in? What’s your favorite

movie/musical/book? Tell me about it. Who is your favorite actor/actress/director/author? Tell me

abut him/her.

13• Polite excuses

What are some common excuses for being late/not accepting an invitation?