Thứ Sáu, 17 tháng 8, 2007

UNIT 1: WHO USES ENGLISH ?

A. READING

Before you read
Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about your daily routine, using the cues below.
Example: what time you often get up
A: What time do you often get up?
B: I often get up at six.

_ what time you go to school / have breakfast / lunch / dinner / go to bed
_ what you often do in the morning / afternoon / evening

While you read

Read the passage and then do the tasks that follow.


Mr. Vy: The alarm goes off at 4:30. I get up and go down to the kitchen to boil some water for my morning tea. I drink several cups of tea, have a quick breakfast and then lead the buffalo to the field. It takes me 45 minutes to get ready. I leave the house at a quarter past five and arrive in the field at exactly 5:30. I plough and harrow my plot of land and at a quarter to eight I take a short rest. During my break I often drink tea with my fellow peasant and smoke local tobacco. I continue to work from a quarter past eight till 10:30. Then I go home, take a short rest and have lunch with my family at 11:30. After lunch I usually take an hour's rest.

Mrs. Tuyet: At 2:30 in the afternoon we go to the field again. We repair the banks of our plot of land. Then my husband
pumps water into it while I do the transplanting. We work for about two hours before we take a rest. We finish our work at 6 p.m. We have dinner at about 7 p.m., then we watch TV and go to bed at about 10 p.m. Sometimes we go and see our neighbours for a cup of tea. We chat about our work, our children and our plans for the next crop. Although it's a long day for us, we are contented with what we do. We love working and we love our children.

Task 1. Choose the option A, B or C that best suits the meaning of the italicised word(s).

The alarm goes off at 4:30.
A. goes wrong B. goes away C. rings

It takes me 45 minutes to get ready.
A. to go B. to wake up C. to prepare

We chat about our work.
A. talk in a friendly way B. learn C. discuss

We are contented with what we do.
A. satisfied with B. disappointed with C. interested in

Task 2. Answer the following questions.

What is Mr. Vy's occupation ?
What time does he get up and what does he do after that ?
What does he do in the morning ?
What do Mr. Vy and his wife do in the afternoon ?
Are they happy with their life or not ? Why ?

Task 3. Scan the passage and make a brief note about Mr. Vy and Mrs. Tuyet's daily routines. Then compare your note with a partner.


After you read
Work in groups. Talk about Mr. and Mrs. Tuyet's daily routines.