People & Relationships

Language Skills

Reading: Are we born leaders?

Listening: A girl’s podcast

Speaking: Talking about family relations

Writing: Describing what has been happening

Video & Life Skills

Make a difference! Respect others:

● Consider other people’s needs and preferences

Alex

I’ve known Ben since primary school. We were in the same class and we immediately hit it off. These days we only spend time together on weekends or during the holidays because we go to different schools. This term we have both been studying hard for our exams, so we haven’t seen each other for a couple of months now. But we have been playing online computer games so we still keep in touch, even if it’s only virtually. We both love graphic novels and hip-hop, but the one thing we don’t see eye-to-eye on is football. He has always supported San Francisco 49ers and I have always been a New York Giants fan.

Sarah

I had this very close childhood friend, Becky. But one day, after a silly argument, we stopped talking and fell out with each other and I missed her company. After two months, I met Jade at high school. At first I didn’t really take to her, and then one day we started chatting and we got along really well. We have been besties for four years now. We like doing the same things. We’re both big movie so we go to the movies every week and then hang out at our favorite café to discuss the movies after. But it is like we have watched two different movies because we never agree on them. I really like spending time with Jade because she’s a good listener and always makes me laugh. In fact, she’s the best friend I’ve ever had.

Vocabulary: Friendship

1 7 Match these expressions with the definitions. Then listen and check.

fall out (with sb) • get along like a house on fire get along well (with sb) • get to know (sb) hang out (with sb) • have a lot in common (with sb) hit it off (with sb) • keep in touch (with sb) see eye-to-eye (with sb) • take to (sb)

1 quickly become good friends

2 stay in contact with

3 agree on a subject

4 like a person instinctively

5 have a good relationship with a person

6 spend time together

7 learn about a person

8 break off with a person

9 have similar interests

10 enjoy a person’s company very much

Chloe and I have known each other for a long time because when we were little our moms were best friends. But we’ve only really got to know each other since we started going to the same youth club. I always have a good time when we hang out together. We both love skateboarding, so we have been teaching each other some new tricks. Because we enjoy spending time together and we hardly ever argue with each other, we have decided to spend a year travelling the world when we finish school. To help us find work during our gap year, Chloe has been learning Mandarin and I’ve been learning

2 Underline the correct alternative.

1 I don’t get at / along very well with my brother.

2 It’s easy to keep in / of touch with social media.

3 Carl and Luis fell off / out with each other and never spoke ever again.

4 On the weekend a big group of us hang in / out at the local park.

5 I have a lot in / of common with my twin sister.

6 I’m quite shy so I don’t always hit it off / on with people when I first meet them.

3 Pairwork Talk about your best friend. How long have you known them? Where did you meet? What did you think of them? I’ve known my best friend Helen since I was five…

4 Read the four blog posts. Who has met a friend through a relative?

When my sister introduced me to her boyfriend, Owen, we quickly realized we had a lot in common with each other. We both do the Japanese martial art, Jujitsu, and we have been training at the same gym for years, but we’ve never met there. We are also both really into Japanese food and culture, particularly manga comics. So, we get along like a house on fire! My sister, Megan, has been really good about our bromance, but I think she sometimes worries that Owen likes me more than he likes her! The two of them often hang out with me and my girlfriend on weekends which is cool.

Watch out!

Stative verbs, describing a state rather than an action, are not usually used in the continuous form. Stative verbs include: verbs for feelings and emotions (want, hate); verbs for senses (see, hear); verbs for thoughts and opinions (know, think); and verbs for possession (have, own).

6 Complete the sentences with the Past simple or Present perfect of the verbs in parentheses.

1 I (meet) Chris at a party last week.

2 My bestie (not speak) English when she was a child in Cambodia.

3 ‘ (see) the movie Parasite?’ ‘No, I (see) it.’

4 He (work) all over the world.

5 ‘How long (know) each other?’ ‘Since we (be) twelve.’ bestie a person’s best friend buff a person who knows a lot about a particular subject bromance two good friends like brothers

5 CERT Read the questions and choose the correct option (A, B, C or D). Which person…

1 didn’t like their best friend straight away?

2 disagrees about sports with their best friend?

3 has a very funny best friend?

4 is best friends with his sister’s boyfriend?

5 keeps in contact virtually?

6 loves everything Japanese?

7 ’s mom was friend with their friend’s mom as children?

8 plans to travel with their best friend after school?

Grammar: Past simple, Present perfect simple and continuous

I met Jade at high school four years ago.

Chloe and I have known each other for a long time. We have been teaching each other some new tricks. We use the Past simple when we give the exact time of the event in the past.

We use the Present perfect simple when we don’t mention a specific time in the past and there is a relationship to the present.

We use the Present perfect continuous to talk about actions which started in the past and are still true now.

 Grammar reference p. 64

6 you (you / hear) the latest gossip? Jorge and Ana (fall out) for good.

7 Present Perfect simple or continuous? Underline the correct alternative.

1 I have always liked / have always been liking Sam Mendes’ films.

2 Let’s take a break! We’ve studied / ‘ve been studying all morning.

3 How long have you had / have you been having a pen friend?

4 Have you seen / been seeing Josh? We’ve waited / ‘ve been waiting for him for an hour!

5 You’ve wanted / ‘ve been wanting to try that restaurant for a long time. Shall we go tonight?

8 Read the first sentence and complete the second sentence with the Present perfect continuous of the verbs in parentheses.

1 You look very hot and dirty! (run) … you… ?

2 Lucy’s in a good mood! (text / new boyfriend) She…

3 Gareth speaks very good French. (live / Paris) He…

4 The band sounds great! (practice / lot)

It’s because they…

5 The children are bored because they haven’t been out! (rain / all morning) It…

Writing

9 Write an online message to a friend. Say what you’ve been doing since you last saw them.

Since I last saw you…