The best-selling Ready for series is a 4-level exam preparation course that has been successfully supporting students and teachers for over twenty years.
Written by trusted expert authors and developed by listening to teachers’ needs, this popular exam series gives students of all levels everything they need to stay motivated and on track. Whether students are getting ready for the exam, or ready for life, every level in this series provides the tools and skills for success.
Ready for is ideal for any teaching scenario: online teaching, face-to-face lessons, or blended learning courses.
What does Ready for offer?
EXAM CONFIDENCE AND SUCCESS
With an abundance of exam tasks, Ready for sections focus on each paper of the exam to equip students with the key skills and strategies needed, ensuring that they feel fully confident before taking their exam.
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TARGETED AND IN-DEPTH LANGUAGE SKILLS PRACTICE
In each unit, all four language skills are systematically developed and practised. Whether they choose to take the exam or not, students gain confidence in effective communication and comprehension.
GRAMMAR MADE EASY
The Ready for Grammar reference sections give clear explanations of grammar concepts and provide extra practice.
Reading and listening texts have been carefully chosen to be contemporary and relevant to students’ lives.
ENGAGING AND CONTEMPORARY TOPICS
FLEXIBLE DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
The MEE App provides teachers and students with flexible and practical learning solutions, all in one place. Teachers have access to simple lesson planning, presentation and class management tools, giving more time to focus on student progress. Students benefit from enjoyable and regular exam-style practice.
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EXAM CONFIDENCE AND SUCCESS
01
Students taking Cambridge English exams need to feel confident and prepared for the different papers they will see. Ready for provides plenty of scaffolded exam-style tasks, strategies and tips, giving students a solid foundation for exam success.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE EXAM boxes give key information about each exam task to familiarise students with the structure of each paper.
HOW TO GO ABOUT IT exam tips appear throughout the course.
Exam-style tasks throughout each unit ensure practice of essential skills, grammar and vocabulary to build students’ confidence before the exam.
WORD FORMATION sections focus on the most important aspects of word building, ensuring that students are properly prepared for this part of the exam.
Key VOCABULARY for each level is presented to help increase and develop students’ range of vocabulary.
Ready for sections focus on each paper of the exam in detail, providing information, strategies, advice and practice.
REVIEW sections at the end of every unit help students revise and consolidate language and exam skills to build proficiency.
TARGETED AND IN-DEPTH LANGUAGE SKILLS PRACTICE
The Ready for methodology understands that learners need to develop both their language skills and their exam awareness in order to succeed. Exam-style tasks are balanced with regular and relevant practice of the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills needed for success in the exam and for life.
SPEAKING sections offer a diverse range of communicative and collaborative activities that reflect the speaking tasks students face in the exam.
Strategies for approaching the task help to develop students’ listening skills.
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in the early units of Ready for First you can allow yourself more time
Speaking Part 4 Further discussion
SPEAK In Part 4 of the Speaking test the examiner will ask you questions which are related to the topic in Part 3. Discuss the following questions. What to expect in the exam
• A particular question may be directed specifically at you or your partner. Alternatively, you may both be asked the same question and encouraged to discuss your ideas together.
• In either case, you are expected to give full answers to the questions asked, with reasons for your opinions.
• What other things make you feel happy?
• Do you think having longer holidays would make people feel happier?
• Some people say that the best way to be happy is to make other people happy. What do you think?
• If something is making you feel unhappy, is it better to talk about it with your friends or your family? Some people like listening to happy music when they feel happy, and sad music when they feel sad. Why do you think this is? Do you think it is possible to be happy all of the time?
Tasks support skills development with careful guidance around new topics, with a focus on the skills needed for the exam. Listening texts offer the right level of challenge to reflect the level of the exam.
Listening Part 2 Sentence completion
1 SPEAK Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.
1 What qualities and skills do you think an apprentice chef would need?
2 What might be the most difficult and rewarding aspects of their job?
2 4.2 You will hear a head chef called Alex Christakis giving a talk on training to be an apprentice chef. For questions 1–8, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. How to go about it
• Read through all the questions and predict the type of information required before listening.
• Underline key words before or after each gap. Think how these might be paraphrased in the recording.
• Be aware that you will hear distractors for most gaps – words or phrases the speaker uses, and which seem to fit the gap. However, they do not complete the sentence in a way that reflects the speaker’s intention or purpose.
HigH eneRgy
Clearly-explained PRONUNCIATION tips and activities boost students’ confidence to communicate clearly in the Speaking exam, so they can pick up these crucial marks.
Pronunciation Connected speech: intrusive sounds
1 5.3 In connected speech, an extra, ‘intrusive’ sound is sometimes added to link vowel sounds in two different words. Look at these examples from the listening on page 75, then listen and repeat.
1 Trying to ensure our teenage children do their fair share is no easy task.
2 But it’s best to try and avoid them before they actually happen.
3 … the chore itself is not negotiable … the job gets done sooner or later.
2 SPEAK Work in pairs. Look again at the examples in Exercise 1 and discuss when /w/, /j/ and /r/ are added in connected speech.
3 Find two intrusive sounds in each of the following sentences.
1 They’ll get the idea eventually.
2 We always go upstairs on the bus.
3 I had to wear a tie and jacket for dinner.
4 I’d like to ask you about your latest film.
5 We saw a good drama on television last night.
6 The only day it rained on holiday was Monday.
7 Everyone thought the exam was too easy.
8 We’re going on a tour of Canada in autumn.
4 5.4 Listen to check. Then practise saying the sentences.
5 Find your way out of the maze by choosing any phrases with intrusive sounds /r/, /j / and /w/ /w/ /w/ /j/ /j/ /r/ /r/
SPEAKING EXAM VIDEOS provide realistic exam scenario models for the different parts of the Speaking exam, giving students a clear idea of what to expect on their own exam day.
SPEAK tasks give students an opportunity to reflect on ideas learned, personalise language and communicate their own ideas and opinions.
03 GRAMMAR MADE EASY
Students build up a solid knowledge of grammar concepts throughout the course, with regular explanations and practice tailored to each level.
LANGUAGE FOCUS sections clearly present grammar points before testing understanding.
Language focus The present
1 Read sentences 1–4, in which both the present simple and present continuous are possible and answer the questions.
1 Alisa is already quite proficient in Portuguese, but she always looks / is always looking for ways to improve it.
Which form shows that something happens so often it is characteristic of that person?
2 i hope / ’m hoping you’ll be available to help set up for the children’s concert. Which form makes the request sound more direct and less polite?
3 For social media companies, monitoring content only gets / is only getting harder. Which form emphasises that a situation is in a state of change?
4 To improve her German, Federica spends / is spending July in Hamburg. Which form indicates that the action is only temporary instead of habitual?
2 SPEAK Work in pairs. Some verbs have different meanings depending on whether they describe a state or a dynamic action. Read sentences 1–4 and discuss the differences in meaning.
1 A For some professionals, like dentists, referrals and word of mouth appear to work just fine.
B i hear several of these actors are appearing on stage for the very first time.
2 A What first attracts me is her sparkling wit.
B Marked by radiant splendour, the refurbished palace is attracting visitors from the world over.
3 A The authors of the report conclude that contagious yawning is closely related to empathy.
B After days of wrangling, the negotiators are finally concluding the trade agreement as we speak and details will be made public shortly.
4 A The court may make such enquiries as they consider necessary, and may hold a hearing for the purposes of so doing.
B We’re considering holiday options for our dog – probably either a sitter or a kennel.
3 Go to the Ready for Grammar section on page 204 for further rules, explanations and practice.
4 Read the anecdote. Underline the correct option in italics.
My dog, Bella – she (1) absolutely adores / is absolutely adoring water. This one day, we (2) hang / ’re hanging about at the pool and Bella (3) just wants / is just wanting to swim the whole time. At one point we (4) put / ’re putting her in the garage, but less than a minute later she leaps up through an open window. She (5) hits / ’s hitting the ground running and she (6) jumps / ’s jumping right back in the pool.
5 1.3 Listen and check your answers.
6 Read the social media post with advice for telling anecdotes. Did the speaker in Exercise 5 follow all the tips?
7 Prepare to tell an anecdote about something that happened to you or someone you know. Make sure you follow the tips in Exercise 6.
8 SPEAK Work in small groups. Take turns telling your anecdotes. Tell each other which details from the story you found most interesting or amusing.
TOP FIVE TIPS FOR TELLING ANECDOTES
1 Identify the purpose of your anecdote: tell a joke, make a point, teach a lesson, etc.
2 Skip long introductions. Jump right into the action.
3 Bring the story to life with relevant details. But avoid overwhelming your story with unnecessary information.
4 Use present tenses. They make it feel like the action is happening right now.
5 Finish with a bang. Make your ending count.
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Students are given extra practice in the READY FOR GRAMMAR sections at the back of the Student’s Book.
The student-friendly READY FOR GRAMMAR reference has clear explanations and further grammar practice, making grammar easy to understand and use.
READY FOR GRAMMAR
A The present continuous vs the present simple
The present continuous is used:
• to emphasise that a situation is temporary or takes place for a period of time around the present. Our dogs are staying with our neighbour while our house is being refurbished.
• to emphasise change, development or progress. As information is more readily available and accessible, we remember / are remembering less about the past.
• to make requests or demands sound less direct and more polite.
I need to crowdsource a new project and I hope / I’m hoping you can lend a hand.
• with indefinite adverbs of frequency, such as always, constantly to show that something happens so often that it is characteristic of that person, group or thing. My cousin is so helpful. She always offers / she’s always offering to check my homework.
• to show the speaker is less confident about something. Our horse always runs well on this track, so we expect / are expecting him to qualify for the final.
• to add a tone of disapproval or annoyance, or to emphasise the surprising/undesirable nature of events. My four-year-old son always knocks / is always knocking over cups during breakfast. (= it’s annoying) We are constantly finding the kids’ toys hidden in odd places around the house. (= it’s surprising)
B Narratives
The present tenses can be used for certain types of narratives. Generally, the present simple is used for quicker actions and events, while the present continuous describes longer actions and situations.
1 in live commentary (e.g. sporting events or ceremonies). Here, the present continuous captures actions that are unfolding at the time of speaking. There’s 35 seconds to go, this is the one. It’s coming back for Johnny Wilkinson. He drops for World Cup glory. It’s up, it’s over, he’s done it.
2 When giving directions, instructions or demonstrations. Okay, let’s go over it again. You wait behind the hedge until Dad arrives. Then you signal to Francesca, who’s crouching behind the car.
3 in storytelling – whether in jokes, anecdotes or works of literature. The present tenses are used to make a story sound more vivid, as if it were happening now.
Two goldfish are in a tank. One looks at the other and says, ‘You know how to drive this thing?’
So, one day I’m heading home from work and the traffic slows to a crawl. I’m waiting for it to get going when THUD! A deer jumps onto the bonnet.
4 in summaries of films, books or TV series to give a sense of immediacy.
It’s easy to find gaps in existing laws, the author argues, as they fail to keep pace with technological change.
C Other uses of the present tenses
1 in headlines, the use of the present tenses helps ensure the headlines are short, punchy and dramatic.
Man bites dog (= a man bit a dog)
2 in rhetorical questions, both the present simple and continuous can be used. in speech, these are often used to call attention to negative situations: What’s the world coming to? (I’m disillusioned.)
Do you know what time it is? (You’re late.)
3 have to have + past participle is used to express a present obligation about experiencing a past action. It’s indescribable – you have to have seen it for yourself. (= the only way for you to understand is if you see it for yourself)
D Stative verbs
Stative verbs are rarely used in continuous forms. These verbs include those which describe:
1 the experience of our senses: e.g. feel hear, notice
2 appearance: e.g. appear, be, look, resemble, seem
3 possession: e.g. belong to, have own, possess
4 mental states or processes: e.g. agree, astonish, deny, doubt gather (= understand), guess imagine, impress
5 attitudes and emotional states: e.g. appreciate, desire, despise, envy. NB two exceptions are long for and enjoy
6 other: e.g. concern, consist, contain, depend hold ( = contain), owe, reach require, signify, weigh Novakivsky’s style during his Cracow period resembles that of his contemporary Stanislawski.
Some verbs can have different meanings in their stative and dynamic forms, e.g. appear, attract, conclude, consider, depend, expect feel, fit, have, imagine, look, measure, see, smell, taste think, weigh It’s a chewy, perfect cookie that is loaded with chocolate and tastes faintly of toffee.
The cook is tasting the sauce to see if it has enough salt. NB the verb be can be used in a dynamic way to talk about behaviour and actions, but not feelings. He is being extremely nice. He is being pleased.
E Performative verbs
We use performative verbs to perform an action by saying them, e.g. acknowledge, assure, authorise, congratulate, contend declare, demand, deny forgive guarantee order, pledge, predict, promise, quit, refuse, resign, second swear, vow warn
I second the idea of taking a novel approach to this article.
We acknowledge the complex reality of the situation.
Modals can be used with performative verbs to make a statement sound either more tentative or more polite.
I must apologise
introductory phrases with performative verbs can be used with a present perfect or past simple meaning, e.g. I gather, I see I hear you’re getting married. (I’ve heard…)
On-the-Go practice activities, found in the next generation MEE app, are available for each unit, so that students are consolidating and practising wherever they are.
ENGAGING AND CONTEMPORARY TOPICS
Attention-grabbing topics motivate students to develop their language skills as well as their world knowledge.
Contemporary topics and exam-style reading tasks offer interesting insights, while demonstrating vocabulary in context and allowing students to perfect their reading skills and strategies.
Captivating images throughout the unit paired with relevant and thought-provoking subjects engage students in meaningful discussions.
ON THE MOVE 8
Speaking Part 1 Interview
1 Where do you usually spend your holiday?
2 Where are you going to spend your next holiday?
3 What types of things do you like doing on holiday?
Phrasal
4 Would you enjoy going on holiday on your own?
5 What is the best holiday you have ever had? And the worst?
6 Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? Why?
Ready For digital tools streamline teaching with next generation planning features that save teachers time. Elevate your classes with engaging content and gamified practice, while gaining insights to boost outcomes and support students’ specific needs. Enjoy offline access, flexible assessments, and seamless progress tracking with the Macmillan Education Everywhere Platform (MEE).
FOR STUDENTS FOR TEACHERS
• Student’s Book with Key with App and Digital Student’s Book
• Student’s Book without Key with App and Digital Student’s Book
• Digital Student’s Book with App
• Digital Student’s Book with App and Digital Workbook
• Workbook and Digital Workbook with Key and access to Audio
• Workbook and Digital Workbook without Key and access to Audio
