UNIT 4 LIFE IN THE PAST
A Phonetics
Circle the underlined auxiliary verbs if they are stressed.
1- Don't you see the sign?
- Yes, I do, But what does it mean?
- It means you mustn't walk on the grass.
2. – You don’t have the key, do you?
- No, I don't. I'm going to climb through the window.
- Are you really?
- Just kidding. I'm using the back door. It isn’t locked.
3- l've just come back from Scotland.
- Wow... Did you visit Edinburgh?
- Yes. I did, and I spent a whole day on the Royal Mile.
- I do wish I could visit it one day.
B Vocabulary
1. Use the verbs below in their correct form to complete the sentences
transport
light
act out
change
preserve
worry
communicate
pass down
1. My grandparents used ____________________ their house with oil lamps.
2. — I wonder how the farmers used ______________ their crops home in the past.
— They used buffalo-drawn carts.
3. We are making a great effort to ________________our valuable customs for the future.
4. Children love ________________ the stories as they tell them.
5. Today teenagers have ________________ a lot in comparison with teens in the past, especially in
the way they spend their free time.
6. Women in the past did not have to _____________________ too much about their weight, diets, or
obesity.
7. Customs and traditions are ____________________from generation to generation.
8.______________________by instant messaging has become an essential feature of teens' social life.
2. Match the words/phrases with their definitions
Words/phrases
Definitions
1. a family tradition
a) people of older age, or higher social position
2. entertainment
b) a family in which more than two generations live together
3. a special occasion
c) all the people who were born at about the same time
4. festivities
d) a practice which runs in a family
5. generation
e) something that we enjoy doing in our free time
6. seniority
f) types of activities which bring pleasure
7. pastime
g) activities that are organised to celebrate a special event
8. extended family
h) a particular time when something meaningful happens
3 Choose suitable words/phrasesfrom 2 to complete the conversation.
A: What's your favourite (1) _________________?
B: I have many pastimes, but I love reading the most.
A: You can easily do that at home, so I suppose you don't often go out.
B: I live in an (2) _______________where there are many (3)________________ living together. So
the house is usually crowded and noisy, and I can hardly concentrate on my reading. That's why I
usually go to the library to read.
A: Is there any type of (4) _________________that you can enjoy at home?
B: Of course there is. For example, I can play with my pets, watch TV, or …
A: What happens if your grandparents like watching different programmes from yours?
B: I will compromise. It's (5) ___________________that we have respect for (6) _____________
A: Wow …You must be a very tolerant person!
4. Use “use to” or “didn’t use to” with the right form of the verbs in brackets to complete the
sentences
1. My brother_______________interested in Geography when he was at school (not/be)
2. It might surprise you to know that he________________a wild life (lead)
3. Paper money________________on these Pacific islands (not be/used)
4. When David was young, he __________________of becoming a magician (dream)
5. Our school________________elective subjects (not/have)
6. This was my favorite bicycle. I _______________everywhere on it (ride)
7. Entertainment for the children in my village___________________as simple as playing hide –
and-seek, or going swimming in the river (be)
8. Houses ________________in light yellow only. They were not as diverse as in colour as they
are now (be painted)
5. For each group choose the correct sentence A or B
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
A
She wishes she could have a longer summer vacation.
B
She wishes she can have a longer summer vacation.
A
It is getting dark and they wish they will soon find a motel.
B
It is getting dark and they wish they would soon find a motel.
A
Did you use write with a fountain pen? I can see an ink stain here.
B
Did you use to write with a fountain pen? I can see an ink stain here.
A
I wish I had a laptop to replace this old-fashioned computer.
B
I wish I have a laptop to replace this old-fashioned computer.
A
Trees use to fully cover this bare hill.
B
Trees used to fully cover this bare hill.
A
They are building a new airport in my area. I wish they aren't.
B
They are building a new airport in my area. I wish they weren't.
A
This method didn't use to work as effectively as it does now.
B
This method didn't use to work effectively as it does now.
A
I wish I was travelling on an express train, not this slow One.
B
I wish I am travelling on an express train, not this slow one.
6. Choose the one underlined word/phrase which is grammatically incorrect
1. When we are on holiday, we used to go to the beach every day.
a
b
c
d
2. We wish we can consult an expert on how to solve this problem
a
b
c
d
3. He works much more hard for his exams than he does for his normal school work
a
b
c
d
4. I used to listen to music during I was riding my bicycle to school.
a
b
c
d
5. None of them had any idea about how make a raft with only a few bamboo canes
a
b
c
d
6. He said that they will have to set off soon after midnight
a
b
c
d
7. When he lived in Japan, he didn’t used to eat foo with forks, but with chopsticks
a
b
c
d
8. He thinks that geometry is not as difficult than arithmetic
a
b
c
d
9. She wished she is not getting stuck in another traffic jam.
a
b
c
d
10. I am tired of being told all the time what to do, when doing it
a
b
c
d
C SPEAKING
1. Use one of the expression (A-H) to respond to each of the statements (1-8). Then practice a
short conversation with a friend
A.
Me too. That was fun, but so many children did foolish things with them that they had to be
banned
B.
How could they do such things? That is so scary.
C.
How awful for the children! I can’t even stand skipping one meal
D.
Well, it explains why people rarely travelled very far then
E.
I guess the Internet really makes life much easier for us now, doesn’t it?
F.
I can’t imagine that. My sister is fourteen, and she does not even know how to cook a good
meal
G.
I feel so lucky that we have televisions now. It’s so much more interesting
H.
That’s incredible! I wish I could visit them one day
1
A: My mum said life was hard back then, and did not always have enough food to eat.
B:
2 A: People, especially girls in the countryside, used to get married as young as fourteen or
fifteen
B:
3 A: I miss the time when we used to set off firecrackers to celebrate weddings, or Welcome the
Lunar New Year.
B:
4 A: Did you know that before airplanes were invented, it could take three to four months to
cross the ocean by ship?
B:
5 A: Twenty years ago when my mum studied in Australia, I could only talk to her once or
twice a month. International calls were very expensive.
B:
6 A: I heard that in the past, many tribes used animal sacrifice to worship their gods.
B:
7 A: Can you believe that the giant pyramids in Egypt were built with just human labour?
B:
8 A: In the past, people could only listen to music or news on the radio.
B:
2. Rearrange the sentences to make a complete conversation. Then practise it with a friend.
..........A. Your grandmother taught me. Cooking used to be one of the criteria for being a good wife.
..........B I'm happy that life has changed.
..........C Why so many “shoulds', mum? Didn't a wife have any rights in the family?
…1….D Mum, how can you cook these traditional dishes?
..........E. There are many. You should know how to sew and how to embroider. You should take care
of every member in your husband's family. You should be obedient and submissive. When you talk,
you should ….
……..F What are some of the other criteria?
……..G Very few, dear. When you were married to a man, you had to obey the man as well as his
family. You didn't have a voice in the decision making.
……..H. l am too.
D READING
1. What are these people doing?
a Match the headlines (A-D) with the situations (1-4)
A. Keeping the past alive
B. Preserving family traditions
C. Cleaning up the festivals
D. Educating children about the value of the past
1………….
When a boy in the family reaches the age of twelve, the father takes him into the forest for his first
hunting season. He teaches the boy how to find his way in the forest, how to discover and follow the
tracks of a game, how to hunt, and above all, how to become the “man of the family.”
2…………..
Last year, the people in our village started a project. They collected items relating to life in the past,
especially those of cultural or historic value. Then they opened a small museum to exhibit those items,
so that everyone could come and learn about our history.
3. ………….
Last year our school carried out a programme called ‘Listen to the Past'. The participants of this
programme did some research on an aspect of life, or events, in the past. They then made group
presentations of their findings to the students in the school, and conducted follow-up quiz
competitions.
4……………
Not every traditional activity at a festival is appreciated. Recently, there have been talks about
outlawing some practices, which might cause negative reactions from the public.
b. Which answer (A, B or C) is closest in meaning to the phrases taken from the passages above?
1 ‘… how to discover and follow the tracks of a
3. ‘….some research on an aspect of life, or
game.' (passage 1)
events, in the past. '(passage 3)
A. how to find and follow an animal
A. a study of past life
B. how to play the game of hunting
B. search for objects relating to the past
C. how to discover the rules of the game
C. retell past events
2. ‘….those of cultural or historic value.'
4. 'Not every traditional activity at a festival is
(passage 2)
appreciated. (passage 4)
A. things, which cost a lot of money
A. Some activities at a festival are not traditional.
B. things which show people the history and
B. Peopledo not appreciate festivals.
culture of a place
C. Some activities are no longer appropriate in
C. the price of culture and history
modern times.
2. Read the passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.
ROOTED IN THE PAST
Good manners are a treasure to the people who possess them, as well as to the community they live in
Manners are taught, learnt, and passed from generation to generation. Even hundreds of years ago,
children were taught to behave responsibly. They learnt to respect seniority. When they passed an
object to a nother person, they had to use both hands. When they entered a room they had to bow and
greet the oldest person first. Boys learnt to work hard to support their families. Girls learnt to do
housework, and to take care of others. Loyalty and honesty were highly appreciated. When they made
a mistake, they would not let another person be punished for it. That would be cowardly and mean.
They were taught that families were strong, and everybody should stick together in adversity.
Fortunately, many of these values have been well preserved. They have contributed to making the
unique Vietnamese culture, and strengthening our society.
1. Good manners are…………….
A of great value
B of the community
C traditional
D only for the old
2. What was seen as a boy’s main duty?
A to respect seniority B to support his family
C to do housework D to share good things
3. The sentence: “When they made a mistake, they would not let another person be punished for it”
means they would……………
A deny their mistake B admit their mistake
C keep it secret
D be punished
4. The underlined word “they” refers to
A tradition
B generations
C children
D seniority
5. “cowardly and mean” is used to describe……………………………..behaviour
A acceptable
B good
C proper
D unacceptable
6. This passage is about ……………….
A. people who possess good manners
B what bad manners children in the past
had
C the preservation of bad values
D good manner and their values
3. Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D to complete the passage
As a child, Phong always dreamt of going (1) ………to study. (2) ……….he graduated from high
school, his parents sent him over to New Zealand to attend college. Phong was very happy that his
dream finally (3) ……true. When he first arrived in the country, Phong's English was not very good
and sometimes he did not (4) ……what other people said. He also had difficulties in class because he
was not familiar with the in this new new teaching and learning method. He felt (5) ……..in this place,
and missed all his buddies in Viet Nam. The food there was so what different (6) ……. his mum used
to cook for him. And for the first time in his life, Phong had to think about his finances, and to plan his
spending (7) …………. But Phong was young and enthusiastic. He learnt to (8)………… to this new
environment. After two years, Phong is now very (9) in English and has achieved the top academic
award at his school. He has a lot of friends from different countries. He is even good (10) ……………
being able to earn money for his daily needs from his part-time job at a restaurant.
A. travelling
B. abroad
C. up
D foreign
1.
A. At
B. During
C. After
D. While
2.
A. come
B. become
C. turned
D. came
3.
A. understand
B. like
C. care
D, consider
4.
A. happy
B. interested
C. desperate
D. lonely
5.
A. to
B. for
C. as
D. about
6.
A. freely
B. careful
C. carefully
D. carelessly
7.
A.
discover
B.
explore
C.
adapt
D. adjust
8.
A. bad
B. good
C. smooth
D. fluent
9.
A.
at
B.
than
C.
of
D. that
10.
E. WRITING
1a. Make notes of some facts about your school.
School:
− Size:
− Number of students in a class:
− Subjects taught at school:
− School facilities:
− Uniform:
− Extracurricular activities:
b. Write down five things you would change about your school if you could
I wish I studied/were studying in a smaller school, with fewer students
2. Write short comments giving your opinion on the traditional practices listed below
1. Children used to obey their parents and elders unconditionally.
2. Girls are not encouraged to participate in intensive activities like sports
3. Children used to spend a lot of time playing outdoors
4. Holidays used to be spent on housework
5. We used to communicate mainly through letters and visits
6. Personal things didn’t use to be posted in public
3. Think of a pastime associated with the past. Make notes and write a short description of it. In
your writing you should include
− What pastime is
− How it was practised
− Why people enjoyed it
− What you think about it
− Why is/isn’t it still popular in the modern age