9789151110585

VOICE S 7

Coursebook

Mia Smith

Jeremy Taylor

Unit 5

RUMOUR HAS

Unit 6

CHANGERS

Unit 1 ▶ LEARNING JOURNEYS

Get Talking!

1. Which subjects do you study? Are there subjects you would like to add to your schedule?

2. Apart from teachers, what other staff members work at your school?

3. The students in the picture are carrying backpacks. What do students usually put in their school bags?

4. What are the differences between the first years of school and school at your age?

5. Have you, or someone you know gone to school in another country? What differences do you know of?

6. Name as many items in your classroom as possible in English. Make a list and compare it with a classmate.

Unit Starter

This unit is all about your favourite subject: school! To start you off, here are some questions to discuss with your classmates.

1A

Before you read the text

→ The text talks about students from India, Nigeria, and Ireland. Do you know where these countries are? Try to find them on a map.

→ Have you ever started a new school? How did it feel?

→ Has your class ever had a new student? What did you do to help them feel welcome and make friends?

→ Look at the word list. Are any of the words new to you?

Text type

• dialogue

Language

• basic level

• familiar register

• Irish English, Indian English, Nigerian English

gather samla, samlas during under break rast a new position ett nytt jobb several flera neighbour granne be joined by få sällskap av exchange student utbytesstudent join ansluta till yet ännu me neither inte jag heller grateful tacksam be (was, been) used to vara van vid by someone’s side vid någons sida all-girls school flickskola make (made, made) do klara sig take (took, taken) ta hand om care of as well också figure out få koll på subject skolämne challenge utmaning primary school låg- och mellanstadiet secondary school högstadiet och gymnasiet continue fortsätta imagine föreställa sig physics fysik

Schools Around the World

At Greenham Secondary, a new group of friends are gathering during the break. Aisha has just moved to Dublin from Pune, India. Her mother has got a new position as a professor at the university and her father has been working for an international IT company for several years. The company also has offices in Ireland. Aisha has become friends with Chloe, her new neighbour, and her friend Lily. Today they are joined by Adanna, an exchange student from Nigeria.

Adanna Thank you for letting me join you, I don’t really know anyone here yet.

Aisha Me neither, but Chloe and Lily have been very nice.

Chloe We’re always happy to make new friends.

Aisha I’m so grateful. I’m used to having my twin brother by my side, but since this is an all-girls school, I’ll have to make do without him.

Lily I hope he’s taken care of at his new school as well. Have you figured out all your subjects yet? Are they the same as you are used to?

Adanna Well, I’m used to being in an all-girls school, but the language is still a bit of a challenge for me. In primary school, I learned everything in my family’s language, Yoruba. Since I started secondary school last year, all my subjects are in English.

Aisha The same for me, but my language is called Marathi. I studied German in school as well, and I hope to continue here.

Lily I can’t imagine trying to learn maths, physics, and history in another language. That seems like such a challenge!

Adanna I’m just happy I get to go to school. Not everyone in my country continues after primary school.

Chloe Based on your answers in chemistry class today, I would say you’re both going to do very well here. I’m starting to think I should pay better attention in Irish classes too, to honour my grandma’s language.

Aisha Languages are important, but I want to focus on science and technology as well. Programming is an important part of our future.

Lily I don’t really like computers. I’d much rather spend my time on creative subjects like drama and music.

Adanna Drama is a new subject to me. I must admit, I‘m a bit nervous about it.

Aisha Me too! It will be fun, I hope. But there is one thing I am sure of: I am really happy that my school uniform here is warmer than the one I wore back in India. This country is freezing cold!

Adanna I’m with you on that!

get (got, got) to få möjligheten att based on baserat på, utifrån in chemistry class på kemilektionen do (did, done) well göra bra ifrån sig pay attention to fokusera på, vara uppmärksam på honour ära, värdesätta focus on fokusera på science NO

I’d (I would) rather jag skulle hellre spend (spent, ägna tid åt spent) time admit erkänna nervous nervös

I’m with you on that det håller jag med dig om

Did you get it?

Paddle

Choose the correct answer.

1. Who speaks Yoruba with their family?

a) Aisha b) Chloe c) Adanna d) Lily

2. Who is Aisha’s new neighbour?

a) Aisha b) Chloe c) Adanna d) Lily

3. Who studied German in school before moving?

a) Aisha b) Chloe c) Adanna d) Lily

4. Who describes Ireland as a cold country?

a) Aisha b) Chloe c) Adanna d) Lily

5. Who mentions wanting to focus on science and technology?

a) Aisha b) Chloe c) Adanna d) Lily

Swim

Answer the following questions. Use details from the text to support your answers.

6. What are Aisha’s feelings about moving to Ireland?

7. How does Adanna feel about learning in English instead of her first language, Yoruba?

8. Drama is a new subject for Adanna and Aisha. Why do you think it feels challenging for them?

Dive

Discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups.

9. If you were an exchange student like Adanna, what do you think would be the hardest part of living in a new country and going to a new school?

10. How important is it to have friends from different countries?

11. If you could give advice to someone starting a new school in a foreign country, what would you say?

12. Would you prefer wearing a school uniform or not? Why?

Language work

Useful chunks

Here are some good-to-know phrases from the text. Answer the questions with a classmate. Can you think of other ways to use the useful chunks?

a new position Why do people feel nervous about starting a new position? exchange student What are the positive and the negative things about being an exchange student?

be used to What are you used to eating for breakfast? by one’s side I want my dog by my side when I go hiking. What (or who) do you want by your side?

all-girls school Is it better for girls to go to an all-girls school? take care of What’s the best way to take care of a goldfish? get to If you get to meet a famous person, what would you say? figure out How do you figure out the answers to hard math problems? do well If someone wants to do well at school, what should they do?

Describing feelings and attitudes

In this text, the characters express their feelings and attitudes about new experiences. Look at these examples and discuss whether they are positive, negative or neutral.

nice happy grateful be used to

Antonyms

a bit of a challenge I should pay attention I don’t really like I’d much rather new nervous fun I hope

An antonym is the opposite of a word. Can you find the antonyms for these words below? They are all in the word list.

1. few

2. me too

3. spread out

Imagine that you too are a new student at Greenham Secondary. Use the phrases to describe how you feel.

4. leave 5. stop

6. dishonour

7. calm

8. ungrateful

Pair up

Match each sentence beginning with the correct ending to form a complete sentence.

1 I do a lot of sports

2 Have you done your homework

3 In England, most people start primary school

A this tunnel to get to the lake?

B we’ll be home by six o’clock.

C almost 1000 students.

4 Do we need to go through D yet?

5 Can you imagine

6 If we continue at this speed

7 My secondary school has

8 At music school, we were joined by

E it’s broken so I’ll have to make do with my old one.

F three professional musicians.

G during the holidays.

H when they are five years old.

9 Normally I ride my new skateboard but I playing ice hockey for Sweden?

Listen

Lily and Adanna

Listen to the conversation between Adanna and Lily. Read the questions before you listen. Feel free to listen more than once if needed.

1. How long is Adanna’s ride to school? a) 5 minutes b) 15 minutes c) 25 minutes

2. What does Adanna’s host mother do for a living? She works as a … a) police officer b) flight attendant c) real estate agent

3. What does Adanna’s host father do for a living? He works as a … a) police officer b) flight attendant c) real estate agent

4. How many people live in Adanna’s house at the moment? a) four b) five c) six

5. Who is Erin?

6. How many siblings does Adanna have back home in Lagos?

7. What does Adanna want to do when she grows up?

8. Which is Adanna’s favourite subject?

9. What is Lily’s advice to Adanna to get through drama class?

Speak

Adanna is doing an exchange year, living with a host family in another country for a full year. Imagine you were to do the same thing.

• Which country would you go to? Why?

• Would you like to live in a large city or in the countryside? Why?

• Would you prefer living with a large family or with a small family? Explain!

• What kind of things kind of things do you think would be different in your new home?

• What kind of things would be different at school?

• What could you learn from doing such a year?

Write Letter

Write a letter from Adanna to her family back in Lagos, telling them all about her new life in Dublin. Use the information from the text. Feel free to add other experiences she might have had as well.

1B

Before you read the text

→ In the United States, many cultural activities and sports clubs are part of school life. What kinds of activities does your school offer after classes?

→ Do you or your classmates take part in any activities outside of school? What are they?

→ What do you think students can learn from joining activities outside of class?

→ Look at the word list. Are any of the words new to you?

Text type

• dialogue

• flyers

• form

Language

• standard level

• neutral register

• American English

extracurricular skolaktivitet utanför activity läroplanen  how am I supposed to hur ska jag kunna option valmöjlighet thought tanke academic akademiskt, kopplat till skolämnen

Not Just Lessons

Maddox returns home from his first day at East Mills High School, landing on the couch next to his older sister, June.

“Have you seen these extracurricular activities? How am I supposed to choose? There are so many options!” June smiles in return.

“I’ll help you, I have been through my years at East Mills, I know the teachers and what to do. I see that you’ve grabbed some flyers. Any thoughts?”

“Maybe one sport, something creative, and maybe something academic as well? If I want to get into a good college, right?”

“Good thinking, let’s look at the flyers you’ve picked out.”

Archery

Do you dream of becoming Robin Hood? Focus and stamina are required if you want do well at archery. Bows and arrows are provided by the school.

→ Practice on Mondays at 3:30 p.m.

Marching Band

Do you play a wind instrument? Or do you want to learn to play the drums? Join the marching band! Bring your own instrument. Drums are provided by the band.

→ Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. We play at lots of sporting events as well as parades.

Amnesty International

Join our fight for human rights! We believe human rights should apply to everyone, no matter who you are or what you believe in. That’s why we have been fighting against injustice since 1961. We raise awareness about human rights all around the world. We organize lectures and letter-writing sessions as well as collect signatures for different cases.

→ Meetings on Fridays at 3 p.m.

Model United Nations

In Model UN, we simulate real-world processes and debate current and historical issues in world politics. The club promotes awareness of international issues and allows students to practice their debate skills. We participate in regional and national UN events yearly.

→ Meetings on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m

archery bågskytte stamina uthållighet bow pilbåge arrow pil be provided by ordnas av practice träning p.m. på eftermiddagen

wind instrument blåsinstrument join gå med i bring ta med ought, brought) rehearsal repetition, övningstillfälle sporting event idrottsevenemang as well as liksom, och

join someone’s fight ansluta till någons kamp human rights mänskliga rättigheter believe anse, tycka apply to gälla no matter oavsett injustice orättvisa aise awareness öka medvetenhet lecture föreläsning session träff signature namnunderskrift case fall

ed Nations (UN) Förenta Nationerna (FN) simulate simulera current aktuell promote stödja awareness medvetenhet ernational issue internationell händelse allow tillåta participate delta

track and field friidrott dash sprint pole vault stavhopp shot put kulstötning hammer throw släggkastning discipline gren (i idrott) heptathlon sjukamp decathlon tiokamp practice träning depending on beroende på

screwdriver skruvmejsel soldering iron lödkolv competition tävling

create skapa cooperate with samarbeta med possibility möjlighet

volunteer arbeta frivilligt (utan betalning) throughout the year under året leadership ledarskap

CPR HLR (cardiopulmonary (hjärt-lungräddning) resuscitation)

raise money samla in pengar charity välgörenhet

Track and Field

Do you like running the 5k? Or do you prefer the 100m dash? Maybe high jump, triple jump, or pole vault is more your thing? Try shot put or hammer throw. At track and field, you will try all disciplines and focus more on the ones you are better at. Heptathlon and decathlon are also options.

→ Practice Monday–Thursdays 3 p.m.–4:30 p.m., depending on which disciplines you want to try.

Yearbook

Do you like creating memories? In Yearbook, we take photos, write about events, and make sure no memories are lost along the way. We cooperate with the photography club and the graphic design club as well.

→ Meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. with the possibility to meet up on other days as well.

Robotics

Robotics isn’t just about screwdriv- ers and soldering irons. Computers are central when building and programming your very own robot. At the end of the school year, we will participate in the state robotics competition.

→ Meetings are on Mondays at 3 p.m. but the lab is open for individual work all weekdays from 3 p.m.

Red Cross

We volunteer to help others in society. Throughout the school year, we have leadership training, CPR training, and activities to raise money for charity. We also spread awareness about global issues.

→ We meet every Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Field Hockey

Are you a team player? Do you enjoy fresh air? In field hockey, you get to develop team spirit. Get ready to sweat! We play in the regional field hockey league, and there are games most weekends. Will you get to raise the trophy at the end of the school year? All equipment can be borrowed from school.

→ Practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.

Drama Club

French Club

Tu aimes les langues? In French club, you practice speaking French, expand your vocabulary, learn about French culture, and make new friends. On a few occasions, we will cook typical French food together.

→ French club meets on Fridays at 4 p.m.

Do you long for the stage? In Drama club, we practice improvisation and different drama exercises. In January we have auditions for the spring play. There are also backstage posi- tions where you can work on props, costumes, and other tasks.

→ Wednesdays 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

4 – H

Head – Heart – Hand – Health

Do you want to work hands-on and learn more about agricultural life? In our 4-H club, you’ll take part in projects with local farms and discover more about the future of farming. Our focus is also on the environment.

→ We meet every other Monday from 3.30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Winston Farm, just across the street from our school.

field hockey landhockey team player lagspelare develop utveckla et (got, got) ready förbereda sig på aise the trophy höja pokalen equipment utrustning borrow låna expand one’s utöka sitt ordförråd vocabulary ew occasions vid några tillfällen

long for längta efter stage scen exercise övning audition provspelning play pjäs backstage bakom scenen props rekvisita costumes teaterkläder hands-on praktisk agricultural jordbruksenvironment miljö

require kräva experience erfarenhet previous tidigare

disc golf frisbeegolf rowing rodd ceramics keramik

diversity mångfald alliance samarbete

East Mills High School

Sign-up form: Extracurricular activities

Name:

Maddox A. Johnson

E-mail: Phone number: johnsonmaddoxa@eastmillshigh.com (424) 555-1234

Academic clubs

■ Book Club

■ Creative Writing Club

■ Debate Team*

■ French Club

■ Model United Nations*

■ Robotics*

Athletics and sports

■ Archery

■ Track an Field

■ Basketball

■ Disc Golf

■ Field Hockey

■ Rowing

Arts

■ Ceramics Club

■ Drama Club*

■ Graphic Design

■ Marching Band*

■ Photography Club

■ Chamber Choir*

■ Yearbook

Community clubs

■ 4-H

■ Amnesty International

■ Diversity Club

■ Gay-straight Alliance

■ Red Cross

Note! Clubs marked with * are very popular. Write a short text where you explain why you should be picked to join the club of your choice.

I am interested in joining Model United Nations. When I was younger my family lived in Venezuela for three years, which has given me some experience of meeting people from different cultures. I went to an international school and still keep in touch with friends from several other countries.

Previous experience or other information of interest:

I’m interested in either archery or disc golf but won’t have time for more than one. I have no experience in either sport but would like to try if there is a spot for me.

Note! Clubs marked with * require auditions. Explain what previous experience you have. If you have chosen Marching Band, write which instrument you play and for how long you have played:

I’ve played the trombone for three years and would like to join the marching band. I mostly play jazz but would like to expand my musical horizons.

Previous experience or other information of interest:

Did you get it?

Paddle

True or false? Correct the false sentences.

1. June just started at East Mills High School.

2. People who play string instruments can join the marching band.

3. Amnesty International was founded in 1961.

4. Field hockey is played outdoors.

5. Tools like soldering irons and screwdrivers are used in Drama Club.

6. Vault and shot put are activities in archery.

Swim

Answer the questions. Use details from the text to explain your answers.

7. Which activity teaches you to save someone’s life?

8. Which club requires students to create something physical, like artwork or machines?

9. For which activities do you need experience from before?

Dive

Discuss in pairs or small groups.

10. If your school offered clubs like the ones in the text, which one do you think would attract the most students? Why?

11. Some clubs in the text focus on teamwork, while others focus on individual work. Which type of club would you prefer to join? Explain your choice.

Language work

Useful chunks

Here are some good-to-know phrases from the text. Answer the questions with a classmate. Can you think of other ways to use the useful chunks?

be provided by Do you think school dinners should be provided by the school or should pupils pay for them? depending on Depending on the weather, what are your plans this weekend? get ready to

How do you get ready for a big test? expand one’s vocabulary What is the best way to expand your vocabulary in a new language?

raise money

Would you like to raise money for a local charity? cooperate with Is it better to cooperate with other people or is it better to look after yourself?

join our fight

human rights

Why do you think it’s important to join our fight against bullying?

What human rights do you think are most important? apply to Which rules apply to students in your school? throughout the year What holidays do you celebrate throughout the year?

After-school clubs

a) Match the description to the correct extracurricular activity

1 Here, teenagers act as diplomats from different countries and try to make the world a peaceful place.

2 In this club, students learn how to take really nice pictures using light, shadows and different angles.

3 Use clay to create things like cups and bowls. Your items are ‘fired’ in an oven called a ‘kiln’, and can be painted afterward.

4 This activity is a sport inspired by a fantasy world from books and movies. In real life, flying broomsticks are not used, but your goal is still to catch the snitch.

5 Students prepare to compete against other schools in physics, chemistry, and biology.

6 Students who like to sing together make beautiful music with harmonies. This group usually focuses on classical music.

7 Using a telescope, students meet late at night to look at the sky. They use special maps to find different stellar constellations.

8 Everyone reads the same book or story and meets to discuss what they have read.

9 One player pitches a ball to someone on the other team, who tries to hit it with a bat. If they hit the ball, they run around a diamond-shaped field, touching three bases before reaching home.

10 This group focuses on using computers to create nice looking images.

A Science Olympiad

B Astronomy Club

C Softball

D Book Club

E Graphic Design

F Photography Club

G Quidditch

H Model United Nations

I Chamber Choir

J Ceramics Club

b) Choose four more activities that you know about. Write similar descriptions of them. Switch descriptions with a classmate and try to figure out which activity is described.

Idioms – easy or hard?

Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. Instead, they have a special meaning. Every language has its own idioms. The ones below describe if something is easy or hard to do.

Read the sentences and decide: Which idioms mean something is easy? Which ones mean something is hard? Remember, the same idiom can sometimes be used in more than one situation!

This quiz is a piece of cake.

It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack

It’s all plain sailing from here. (BrE)

It’s all smooth sailing from here. (AmE)

She could do that with her eyes closed.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew!

This case sure is a tough nut to crack

The test last week was child’s play

Read the dialogues below. Choose from the bold phrases to complete the sentences.

1. - People say high school is easy, but this task sure is • • • .

- You think so? I thought it was • • •

2. - Have we finished the hardest parts of this project yet?

- Yes, it should be • • • after this.

3. - Before you start this new job, remember to not • • • . I know you like a challenge, but don’t make it too hard.

- I’m not expecting it to be • • • , but I’ll try to deal with it.

4. - Do you know where Sandy’s house is? My phone is dead and without the GPS it’s like • • • .

- Well, finding her house is easier said than done. We might have to ask someone for directions.

5. - I’m nervous even watching this. Do you think Caitlin will do well in the contest?

- Don’t worry, she has practised for months, she can do this • • • .

Speak

Look at the full list of activities in the sign-up form on page 18. Discuss in a group which activities you would like to try, and which ones are not for you. Mention positive and negative aspects of the different activities. Use the following phrases when discussing.

Positive Neutral Negative

… is something I would like to try out.

… seems like something I would like.

… is a thing I’ve always dreamed of trying.

I would love to try …

I think I would enjoy …

I’m dying to try …

It would make me really happy if I could join …

Write

Group chat

… might be interesting to try.

… is something I know very little about, it might be fun.

… is something I know very little about, I want to know more before I decide.

I’m not really sure about …

I need to find out more about …

… is not really my thing.

… is not the best fit for me.

… is something I wouldn’t really want to do.

… is something I really don’t like.

I’m a little bit scared of …

I’m not fond of …

I don’t enjoy …

Write a digital group chat between two or three friends. Use the list of activities on page 18 to talk about which ones to join this year.

• Discuss at least four activities, including their pros and cons.

• Try to agree on one activity that everyone wants to do together.

You can write the whole conversation yourself or work with classmates in a shared document, where each person writes one part of the chat.

Tip! To keep track of who is who, one person can keep their text bold, one person can keep their text underlined and one person can keep their text italicized.

Listen

A long way from home

In text A you read about Adanna, the exchange student from Nigeria. Now listen to an American exchange student who will be going to a school in Scotland.

Read questions 1–6 before you listen. Feel free to listen more than once if needed.

1. What’s the name of the girl?

a) Eyla b) Isla c) Izzla

2. Which state is Ricky from?

3. In America, Ricky went to a public school. What kind of school will he be going to in Scotland?

a) private school b) state school c) public school

4. In Scotland they call it ‘food technology’. What do they call it in the US?

5. What is Gaelic?

a) Scottish language b) a vegetable c) an island

6. What extra-curricular activity does Isla mention still happens at their school? a) a Christmas play b) a robotics club c) a sports team

After listening

7. Summarise the information that Ricky got from his neighbours.

8. If you could ask either Cameron or his sister about schools in Scotland, what would you ask them?

9. Ricky mentions four after-school clubs he was a member of. Can you remember three of them? What do you think happens in those clubs?

IN FOCUS

School Vocabulary

School systems are different in each country. Below is a simple version of the school systems in the USA and England.

Other words that might be useful:

Swedish

British English American English

elev pupil (younger), student (older) student

lärare teacher teacher

rektor headteacher principal

studie- och yrkesvägledare career advisor guidance counselor

skolsköterska school nurse school nurse

betyg marks, grades grades

mentorstid form homeroom

rast play time/ break recess

schema timetable schedule

All countries don’t study the same school subjects, and which subjects you get to choose or not differs. Below is a translation of the Swedish school subjects. Note that some of them have different names in different countries.

Swedish English

svenska Swedish

engelska English

tyska German

franska French

spanska Spanish

modersmål native languages

matematik, matte mathematics, maths (BrE)/math (AmE)

NO-ämnen science

biologi biology

fysik physics

kemi chemistry

teknik technology

Swedish English

SO-ämnen social study subjects

geografi geography historia history

religionskunskap religion/religious education

samhällskunskap civics (BrE)/ social studies (AmE)

idrott och hälsa physical education (P.E.)

bild art

musik music

slöjd, träslöjd, textilslöjd design technology, woodwork, needlework

hem- och konsumentkunskap food technology/home and consumer studies/ home economics

Try it out

Which Year

Look at this family.

1. Describe the school situation for all of the children if they lived in the USA.

2. Describe the school situation for all of the children if they lived in England.

3. Describe their situation for next year, based on both countries.

Schedule

1. Look at your own schedule. Tell a classmate which subjects you have on a certain day. Take turns to speak about one day each until you have described your entire school week.

2. Tell a classmate about your three favorite school subjects and explain why you like them.

3. What school subjects do you think students around the world study? Which ones do you think are less common?

4. Which school subjects do you think will no longer be taught in twenty years? Do you think any new subjects will be added?

Transatlantic Translation

The following text uses American school vocabulary. Change it to a British setting,

I can’t believe we’re sophomores already. I can’t wait until next year when we’ll be juniors! My schedule actually looks pretty good too. Hang on, I need to swing by the school nurse before lunch. This afternoon, after social studies class I have an appointment with the guidance counselor. Her office is next to the principal’s office. But that’s for later. Come on, we’re almost late for math. By the way, who do you sit next to in homeroom?

Lizzie, 15 Liam, 17 Leah, 5 Lynn, 8

1C

Before you read the text

→ It’s important that there are people you can talk to when life is hard. Which people in school, or perhaps related to a hobby, do you feel that you can talk to?

→ How do you balance life at school and life at home? What makes this balance difficult sometimes?

→ What kind of reasons can there be for a student not doing their homework?

Text type

• e-mail

Language

• standard level

• informal register

• British English

actually faktiskt yell skrika unfair orättvist fractions bråk (matematik) the whole picture helheten throw (threw, offra någon annan för thrown) someone att skydda sig själv under the bus look after ta hand om pick someone up hämta någon do laundry tvätta kläder deal with something hantera något on one’s own på egen hand mean (meant, meant) betyda possible möjligt probably förmodligen, rimligtvis either heller especially särskilt

→ Look at the word list. Are any of the words new to you?

No One Asks Me Why

l.stokes@waterbridgeacademy.co.ok delvinkelvin999@gmail.com

No one asks me why …

Dear Mr. Stokes,

I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. You were angry with me for not doing my homework. I know that you were right, I hadn’t actually done it, but the way you yelled at me felt really unfair. I know that fractions are an important part of maths, but you don’t see the whole picture.

I don’t want to throw my family under the bus, so I won’t give you all the details, but life isn’t always easy. My parents work a lot, and I’m often left to look after myself and sometimes my younger sister as well. I even have to pick her up from school some days. I love my parents and they do their best, but right now, it’s just too much. Nobody had time to do the laundry, so I had to deal with it on my own to make sure my school uniform was ready, but that meant I had to choose between doing laundry and doing my homework.

It’s not that I don’t want to do my best in school, it’s just not always possible. You don’t know everything about my life and probably you shouldn’t either, but please don’t be so angry if I miss my homework. It made me feel really bad when you yelled at me like that, especially in front of my friends.

Kelvin Munro

Re: No one asks me why …

Dear Kelvin,

Thank you for your email and for contacting me. You show great courage and that kind of courage is something not everyone has.

I want to start by apologising, I actually feel a bit ashamed of myself. I realise now that I never gave you the chance to tell me your side of the story. I know it’s not an excuse but I had a really bad morning and maybe that is the reason why I didn’t hear you out. I guess we are all just humans that can have really crappy days.

You are right that I don’t know everything about my students’ lives outside of school, and as you say I probably shouldn’t, but I also should have addressed the topic in a more sensitive way. I was stuck in the notion that teenagers can’t resist the temptation of playing computer games rather than doing schoolwork. I could have asked you why you hadn’t done the homework instead of scolding you for it. I appreciate that you reminded me of this, and I apologise.

courage mod apologise be om ursäkt be ashamed of skämmas över realise inse chance möjlighet someone’s side of någons version av vad the story som hänt excuse ursäkt reason anledning hear someone out lyssna klart crappy kass address hantera, ta itu med topic ämne resist motstå temptation frestelse rather than snarare än scold skälla ut appreciate uppskatta remind of påminna om

support stöd society samhället in general i allmänhet within inom be aware of vara medveten om school nurse skolsköterska yet ännu SEN teacher (special speciallärare educational needs) school counsellor kurator get someone in sätta någon i kontakt touch with med in someone’s opinion enligt någons åsikt be able to kunna either - or antingen - eller support stötta figure out lista ut confident säker på opportunity möjlighet carry on fortsätta, gå vidare grade betyg depend on vara beroende av grasp uppfattning upcoming kommande unfortunately tyvärr persuade övertyga exam board de som gör proven remove ta bort national exams nationella prov manage hantera, klara av tell (told, told) säga tutoring läxhjälp stay behind stanna kvar catch (caught, komma ikapp caught) up prioritise prioritera doubt tveka på achieve åstadkomma, nå (mål)

The positive news I have is that we have a great support system, both in society in general but also within the school system. I don’t know if you are aware of the different staff members at school. We have a school nurse and a SEN teacher. They are here to help, as is the school counsellor. Could I perhaps help you get in touch with the school counsellor for a first meeting? He is called Mr. Claremont and is one of the friendliest people at this school, in my personal opinion. He will be able to listen to you in a way that I as a teacher don’t always have time to, and he can either support you himself or figure out if there are other kinds of help needed. If so, I’m confident he can find the best way to support you, and I hope you see this as a good opportunity to get some help.

As for the homework, I won’t say that we’ll just forget about it and carry on, but I will tell you that we will find a way to deal with it. Even if your grade in maths does not depend on this piece of homework, it is important that we make sure you have a good grasp of how fractions work for the upcoming tests. Unfortunately, I can’t persuade the exam board to remove fractions from the national exams, I hope you understand that.

Together we’ll find a way to manage your schoolwork. As I’ve told you in class before, I have an extra open hour of maths tutoring on Wednesdays, just after your last class. If you could stay behind, I can help you catch up then. If it helps you, I can send an email to your parents and make sure they understand that you need to prioritise school this week.

I do not doubt that you want to do your best, and I hope we will be able to help you manage school and life at home. We want to help you achieve your goals. Let me know if you want me to get you in touch with the school counsellor.

All the best, Lawrence Stokes

delvinkelvin999@gmail.com

h.claremont@waterbridgeacademy.co.uk

Making an appointment

Dear Kelvin,

My name is Mr. Claremont and I am the school counsellor at Waterbridge Academy. I talked to Mr. Stokes and he let me know that you might need someone to talk to.

I want to start by saying that you are very brave for asking for help. It was probably a very hard thing to do. It is important that you feel that there are people you can talk to when you need it. Sometimes that is your parents, but it can also be other relatives, a coach from a sport, a teacher, or any other staff member at school. The important thing is not who it is, but rather that there is someone you trust enough. Can I invite you to a first meeting? It doesn’t have to be a long one, and you decide what you want to share with me. If you want, you can drop by my office after class either tomorrow or on Friday. I’ll be there for you if you need me.

Kindly, Mr. Claremont

Did you get it?

Paddle

Choose the correct answer.

1. Why didn’t Kelvin finish his homework?

a) He didn’t understand it. b) He was doing the washing. c) He was playing computer games. d) He forgot about it.

2. What does Kelvin sometimes have to do at home?

a) cook for his family b) take care of his sister c) help with his parents’ jobs d) study with a tutor

let someone know berätta för någon brave modig probably troligtvis, säkert relative släkting coach tränare staff member personal trust lita på enough tillräckligt invite bjuda in decide bestämma share dela med sig av drop by komma förbi

3. What subject was Kelvin struggling with?

a) English b) Science c) Maths d) History

4. What does Mr. Stokes offer to do for Kelvin?

a) help him after class on Wednesdays

b) excuse him from homework completely

c) let him skip maths tests

d) talk to Kelvin’s parents about switching schools

Swim

Answer the questions. Use details from the text to explain your answers.

5. Why do you think being scolded in front of his friends was so upsetting for Kelvin?

6. What does Mr. Stokes’ apology show about the kind of person he is?

Dive

Discuss in pairs or small groups.

8. How can schools make sure they don’t embarrass students in similar situations?

9. How can schools or communities support students with challenges like Kelvin’s?

Language work

Useful chunks

Here are some good-to-know phrases from the text. Answer the questions with a classmate. Can you think of other ways to use the useful chunks?

do the laundry

look after

feel ashamed

Who usually does the laundry in your family?

Who do you look after at home, and why?

What is something you’ve done that made you feel ashamed? ask why

Who asks why the most in your family? ask for help

deal with

Who do you ask for help at school, and why?

How do you deal with problems when life feels difficult? make someone feel bad Has anyone ever said something that made you feel bad?

have time for

What do you always have time for?

get in touch with How do you get in touch with a teacher if you need help? catch up

What do you do to catch up when you miss schoolwork?

Which word?

Match the descriptions with the words in the box.

appreciate look after doubt enough probably courage persuade achieve support temptation

1. likely but not certain

2. to take care of someone or something

3. something you have if you are brave

4. something you can give to someone, and it doesn’t cost you anything at all

5. to be thankful for something or someone

6. a desire to do something – perhaps something naughty

7. to try to get someone to think the same way as you

8. the right quantity (or more) of something

9. when you question whether something is true or not

10. to succeed in doing something you worked for

Speak

Work in small groups. Read the statements below and discuss them. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Give examples and try to look at different perspectives.

• Homework is always more important than helping out at home.

• It is reasonable that teenagers do some work at home to help their families.

• Teachers should never talk about a student’s homework or test results in front of other students.

• Teachers should not care about a student’s home situation.

Write

Email or Dialogue

Write one of the following.

• An email where Kelvin replies to Mr. Stokes or to Mr. Claremont.

• A dialogue between Kelvin and Mr. Claremont during their first meeting.

1D

Before you read the text

→ What do you think of your school dinners?

→ Would you prefer to bring a packed lunch to school? Why or why not?

→ Look at the word list. Are any of the words new to you?

Text type

• opinion piece

Language

• challenging level

• neutral register

• British English

fond positiv provide tillhandahålla, erbjuda opinion åsikt make up one’s mind bestämma sig

as the saying goes enligt talesättet healthy nyttig, hälsosam nutritious näringsrik expensive dyr feed (fed, fed) mata malnutrition näringsbrist issue problem educated utbildad population befolkning employment anställning involved in involverad i, inblandad i preparation förberedelse, tillagning

poverty fattigdom as equals som jämlikar

School Dinners

Some adults have fond memories of their school dinners while others hated them. But should schools provide meals for all children? Read these two opinion pieces and make up your own mind.

School Dinners? Yes, Please!

As the saying goes, you are what you eat. If children eat good, healthy, nutritious food, they will have the basis of a good, healthy life. So why is it that so few countries provide school dinners for all their children? Sweden, Finland, Estonia and India can do it. Why not everyone else?

Of course, the reason that many countries don’t give children free lunches is because it is expensive. But is it really? India started its Mid Day Meal (MDM) programme in 1995. It feeds 120 million children at school. The food is nutritious and is very popular with the children – and with their parents who don’t have to pay for the food. It also means that all children are fed so malnutrition is (hopefully) no longer an issue in India. It is hard to study when your belly is empty so the MDM programme will lead to a more educated population. Another important factor is that it provides employment to hundreds of thousands of people involved in the preparation of the food.

But why should rich countries like Estonia provide free meals for all children? Estonia is not famous for its poverty and malnutrition. I think it is important to remember the social importance of eating together – as equals. Over dinner, pupils can talk about all sorts of things. Friendships, often for life, can begin around the school dinner table.

In Britain, all children get free school dinners for their first three years. After that, 80 % of families have to pay. Sadly, many choose not to and send their child to school with a packed lunch – which could be healthy, but in the majority of cases, it isn’t. Often pupils get what they want – a bag of crisps, a can of sugary cola, a chocolate bar, and maybe an apple that regularly goes uneaten.

While only 20% of children in Britain get free school meals, children in Rwanda are benefiting from a new project supported by the World Food Programme and the Rwandan government. They ask that parents pay just 11% of the price of the food and the government pays the rest. Large numbers of Rwandan children now enjoy a healthy lunch.

My hope is that in the future, all children around the world will be able to get tasty, nutritious food for free and be able to enjoy it with their friends at school. Rwanda’s example surely shows that the rest of the world can make it happen too.

sadly tyvärr, ledsamt nog a packed lunch matlåda in the majority of i de flesta fallen cases crisps chips regularly regelbundet, ofta go uneaten förbli oätet

benefit from dra nytta av supported by stöttat av government regeringen tasty läcker surely säkert

in theory i teorin certain foods vissa maträtter for religious reasons av religiösa skäl suffer from lida av special foods specialkost supply erbjuda whether ifall, huruvida decide for oneself bestämma själv wealthy välbärgad, rik actor skådespelare racing driver rallyförare business leader företagsledare in my opinion enligt min åsikt hospital sjukhus public library offentligt bibliotek offer erbjuda the vast majority den stora majoriteten on the whole på det stora hela

School Dinners? No, Thank You!

Sure, school dinners are a good idea, in theory. Let’s feed all the children with tasty, nutritious food. Simple, right? Well, some children are vegetarian, so we’ll need to provide them with something different. Then there are children who don’t eat certain foods for religious reasons. Then there are those that are gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant, children suffering from type 1 diabetes … There’s a very long list of special foods that schools will have to supply. Isn’t it far easier for parents to provide food that their child can (and will) eat? There’s also the debate as to whether parents should be told what to put in their children’s lunch boxes. Parents are adults. I believe they should be able to decide for themselves what they put in their children’s lunchboxes. You probably know that in Finland, all children get free school meals. Now Finland has some very wealthy people: actors, racing drivers, business leaders. Is it right that their children should get free school dinners? In my opinion they should pay the few euros a day for school dinners and the government can save money and spend it on hospitals, roads or public libraries instead.

Some people think that if the government only provides free school meals for poor children that they will feel bad. Really? If I were hungry and someone offered me a plate of hot food, I wouldn’t feel bad – I’d be happy I could fill my belly.

As you may know, there are a handful of countries that give all children free school meals. That means that the vast majority of countries don’t. Do all the children in those countries suffer from malnutrition? Of course, they don’t. Do the children eat what they want to eat? On the whole, I imagine they do. Is that a bad thing? In my opinion, it is better to have free choice and to learn for yourself what you should and shouldn’t eat.

What is the English word for the meal we eat at midday?

It depends where you are in Britain. Generally, in the south, people have breakfast in the morning, lunch at midday and dinner in the evening. In Wales, Scotland and the north of England, people have breakfast in the morning, dinner at midday and tea in the evening (this is a meal, not just a drink). Some people refer to their evening meal as ‘supper’. Other people might eat something after their regular evening meal and call that supper.

Did you get it?

Paddle

Choose the correct answer.

1. How many different countries are mentioned in the text? a) 2 b) 4 c) 6 d) 8

2. Which country gets support from the World Food Programme for its school meals? a) India b) Rwanda c) Sweden d) Britain

3. Who are NOT mentioned in the text as an example of wealthy people? a) teachers b) people in films c) racing drivers d) business leaders

4. How much of the cost for children’s meals in Rwanda is covered by the Rwandan government and the World Food Programme? a) 89% b) 80% c) 20% d) 11%

Swim

Answer the questions. Use details from the text to explain your answers.

5. India’s Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program has been running for many years. Why do you think it was introduced?

6. The text School dinners? No thank you! mentions many types of special meals that schools might need to provide. Why might this be a challenge for schools?

Dive

Discuss in pairs or small groups.

7. If you were designing a school meals program for your country, whose ideas from the text would you use? What changes or improvements would you suggest, and why?

Language work

Useful chunks

Here are some good-to-know phrases from the text. Answer the questions with a classmate. Can you think of other ways to use the useful chunks?

fond memories

make up one’s mind

be involved in

as equals

What are some fond memories you think you will have from school when you leave?

How do you make up your mind when you have to choose between two important options?

Which sports or clubs are you involved in, and what do you enjoy about them?

What does it mean to treat others as equals in a friendship? a packed lunch

in the majority of cases

What do you usually put in a packed lunch for a trip?

Why do you think, in the majority of cases, teamwork is better than working alone?

benefit from How do you benefit from living in Sweden?

be supported by

How are local sports teams supported by the community? in theory In theory, how would school change if there were no homework? on the whole

How do you feel about the quality of school dinners on the whole?

Which word?

Match the descriptions with the words in the box.

educated employment expensive healthy issue poverty preparation population provide wealthy

1. the state of being paid to do work

2. not sick

3. what you need to do before you begin something, such as cook food

4. to give someone something they want or need

5. someone who has successfully passed through school is …

6. the number of people in a village, town, country etc.

7. having a lot of money or resources

8. a particular problem or fact that needs to be looked at

9. the state of having less money than other people around you

10. costing a lot of money

Speak

In an unnamed country the government is planning to introduce free buses to transport children to school in the morning and take them home in the afternoon. Do some research and then prepare a short speech either in favour of the idea or against the idea:

• write notes with the main points

• practise speaking without reading everything word-for-word

• record your speech either as an audio file or a video

The following phrases might be useful:

Starting off …

Thank you all for coming today.

I’d like to start by saying …

To kick off, can I have a show of hands to find out how many people think … First of all …

Write

Providing structure …

Now I’d like to move on to speak about …

Moving on to …

The next point I’d like to make is …

At this point I’d like to mention …

Concluding …

In conclusion …

I hope it is now clear that … I think we can all agree that … Finally, I would like to thank … I hope you found this useful.

Taylor is a student in Bristol, England, who is writing a text for their school newspaper about school dinners across the world. Help Taylor understand the situation in Sweden by describing school dinners at your school. Write a text where you:

• describe the meals you get

• mention the kinds of vegetables served

• describe what the dining room looks like

• share your opinion about school dinners

Use words and phrases from the text to help you write.

PROJECT

My Exchange Year

Have you heard about spending an exchange year in another country where you live with a family and go to school for a full year? Imagine that you are going to the USA for an exchange year!

→ Use the internet, information from the texts in this unit, and your imagination in this project.

Step 1: Details About Your Year Abroad

Look at a map of the USA and find a city to go to. Search online for high schools in the

MY SCHOOL

Name: Location: Number of students: Ages:

MY SPARE TIME

Extracurricular activities

Athletics and sports:

Academic clubs: Arts:

Community clubs and leadership:

Friends:

Other activities:

MY FAMILY

Parents: Children: Pets: Home:

MY CITY Name: State: Population: Known for: Things to do:

Step 2: Present Your Experience

You are now in the USA, halfway through your exchange year. Use the information you wrote down in step 1 to present your experience in one of the following ways:

→ a poster presentation with text and pictures

→ a video message for your class back home, in English

→ a letter to one of your grandparents back home, including pictures and text

GRAMMAR

The Indefinite Article – Obestämd artikel

På svenska används två obestämda artiklar; en och ett. Även engelskan har två obestämda artiklar; a och an. Valet mellan a och an beror på hur ordet som kommer direkt efter uttalas.

a kommer före konsonantljud an kommer före vokalljud

a teacher a student an activity an opinion

Eftersom man i engelskan låter valet mellan a och an hänga ihop med hur ordet efter uttalas, kan det innebära att artikeln ändras. I följande exempel har adjektiv med andra begynnelseljud gjort att artikeln ändrats.

an excellent teacher an extremely talented student a popular activity a common opinion

OBS! Tänk på att vokal och vokalljud inte är samma sak. Det gäller att lyssna på hur begynnelseljudet låter– vokalljud eller konsonantljud – för att välja rätt artikel.

Läs de markerade orden högt och lyssna på begynnelseljudet.

a university an ugly painting a yellow notebook a house an hour

an MP (member of parliament) an X-ray

Plural Nouns – Substantiv i plural

Plural betyder flertal. I de flesta fall lägger man till -s för att markera plural, men det finns också en rad undantag.

singular plural

de flesta substantiv → -s dog cat dogs cats

substantiv som slutar på konsonant + y → -ies

country family

countries families

vissa substantiv som slutar på o → -es hero potato tomato heroes potatoes tomatoes

substantiv som slutar med s-ljud: s/sh/ch/x/z → -es kiss fox bush peach bridge kisses foxes bushes peaches bridges

Det finns också substantiv som ändras på andra sätt. Dessa kallas oregelbundna. Här är några av de vanligaste exemplen, men det finns fler.

vissa substantiv som slutar på f eller fe → -ves

OBS! De flesta ord som slutar på f eller fe har regelbunden plural: roofs, safes

substantiv som byter vokal

elf knife life

shelf thief wolf

foot

goose

tooth

man

woman

louse

mouse

elves knives lives

shelves thieves wolves

feet

geese

teeth

men

women

lice

mice

substantiv som behåller samma form deer reindeer sheep deer reindeer sheep

substantiv som ändras på andra sätt child person children people

Unit 1

▶ LEARNING JOURNEYS

Text type

• feature story

Language

• challenging level

• neutral register

• British English

run (ran, run) away rymma trapeze trapets skilful skicklig juggle jonglera performer aktör, skådespelare skill förmåga tomb grav ancient antik while medan throughout genom teach (taught, lära ut taught) perform uppträda perhaps kanske be keen to vara sugen på att allow tillåta business verksamhet prosperous framgångsrik afford ha råd med entertainment underhållning skyrocket skjuta i höjden appear dyka upp, förekomma opportunity möjlighet in its infancy i sin linda, i ett tidigt skede in recent years de senaste åren be forced tvingas include inkludera, ta med the 20th century 1900-talet century århundrade since then sedan dess be (was, been) grundas founded actually egentligen

Before you read the text

→ Have you ever been to a circus? What did you see, and what did you enjoy the most?

→ What skills do you think circus performers need?

→ Some people dream of running away to join the circus. Why do you think this idea is exciting for some people?

→ Look at the word list. Are any of the words new to you?

Circus Schools

Have you ever been to a circus? Have you ever dreamed about running away to join the circus? Are you strong enough to swing from trapeze to trapeze? Are you skilful enough to juggle nine balls? Or perhaps you’re a clown that loves to make people laugh. How do people become circus performers? Where did it all start?

Circus skills have been around for a long time. In Egypt, there is a tomb which is about 4300 years old. Inside the tomb, there are pictures of jugglers. Juggling and acrobatics were also practised in Ancient Greece and Ancient China.

While there have been many people with circus skills throughout history, the majority of them were taught by others in their family. Teams of acrobats or clowns often performed as a family and were perhaps not too keen to allow ‘outsiders’ into their business.

During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901) Britain became prosperous, and people could afford to pay for entertainment. As a result, the number of circuses skyrocketed.

At this time, many animals appeared in circuses. This was the only opportunity for people to see elephants, tigers, or lions. Zoos were also in their infancy. In recent years, many people feel animals shouldn’t be forced to do tricks for our entertainment, and there are few circuses today that include animal acts.

It wasn’t until the 20th Century that the world’s first circus school opened. Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University opened its doors in 1929 and they put on their first show in 1931. Since then, many more circus schools have opened around the world – including Cirkus Cirkör in Stockholm, which was founded in 1995.

But what actually happens in a circus school? There is a large circus school in South West England where you can learn how to

juggle, walk a tightrope, trapeze work, acrobatics as well as many physical theatre skills. A few years ago, an Irish teenager from Dublin called Owen Jackson won a scholarship to go to the school. Owen was already a good juggler, but at the school he became a lot better and learned a lot more about performing. At the circus school, Owen met another juggler, a German teenager called Mickey. Mickey and Owen practised juggling together and later performed shows in many countries around the world – including at Las Vegas in America.

‘I really recommend going to a circus school,’ said Owen. ‘I learned so much, and it was great to be surrounded by other performers. People talk about ‘finding your tribe’. I definitely found my tribe at the circus school. I left quite a while ago, but I still keep in touch with the great people I met there.’

But studying at circus school is challenging. ‘It is a tough workout every day,’ said Owen. ‘The trapeze work was the hardest for me. I have huge respect for the guys who do that professionally.’

Since leaving the circus school, Owen has performed in many places with Mickey. He has also appeared in a number of advertisements and is now part of one of the top juggling shows in the world.

coordination koordination the basics grunderna it’s a matter of det handlar om proper riktig creepy läskig horror novel skräckroman height höjd aerial performer luftakrobat silk silke, siden fabric tyg a dramatic drop ett dramatiskt fall within inom see-saw gungbräda a fellow performer en medaktör street performer gatuartist expect förvänta sig in this case i det här fallet

What Might You Become After Studying at a Circus School?

• If you have good hand-eye coordination, then perhaps juggling is for you. It is not difficult to learn the basics and then it is ‘just’ a matter of years of practice. Juggling is versatile – you can do it alone or with friends, indoors or outdoors. While proper juggling balls are best, you can start with three apples.

• It’s strange that clowns have been part of circuses for over 100 years, but in recent years, many people have found clowns creepy (perhaps not helped by Pennywise, the evil clown from Stephen King’s horror novel It). Despite this, clowns still appear in circuses and remain popular with many children.

• If you’re afraid of heights, being an aerial performer is probably not for you. Many aerial performers use silks – long pieces of fabric – which they climb and use to perform acrobatic skills high above the circus ring. This often includes a dramatic drop, falling to within a few centimetres of the ground.

• Acrobatic skills are an important part of training at a circus school and are a popular part of a circus. You could learn to swing from a trapeze, create a human pyramid, or use seesaws to launch a fellow performer into the air. Acrobats perform in circuses, but they can also be found in small theatres and as street performers.

• There are many more artists who can perform in a circus. If you’re interested, find out where your nearest circus school is, and perhaps one day, you’ll be the star of a top circus.

Fun fact

If you go to Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus in London, don’t expect to see any clowns, jugglers or trapeze artists.Here, the word ‘circus’ refers to the Latin word for ‘circle’ – Piccadilly circus is a traffic circle.

Work with the text

1. The tomb mentioned in the text was in …

a) Africa b) Europe c) Asia d) America

2. Find the word ‘skyrocketed’ in the text. From the context, can you work out what it means?

a) goes into the sky b) make a loud noise c) goes up quickly d) falls to zero

3. What fruit is mentioned in the text?

4. If you go to Oxford Circus, what are you most likely to see?

a) Pennywise b) jugglers c) circus acts with animals d) cars

5. Name three countries that you know Owen has spent time in.

6. Summarise the text in five sentences.

7. Pick ten new words and use them in sentences to show you understand their meaning.

Language work

Useful chunks

Here are some good-to-know phrases from the text. Write down an answer to each question. Write at least one full sentence for each question.

be keen to

Why are some people keen to start working instead of studying? in its infancy

Why is AI still considered to be in its infancy? in recent years

How has technology improved in recent years? in the 20th century

Who is the greatest person who was born in the 20th century? since then

You started school a few years ago. Since then, what have you learned?

be founded

When was your school founded? walk a tightrope

How do people learn to walk a tightrope? be surrounded by What is your town surrounded by? it’s a matter of Do you think it’s a matter of practice to get better at sports? a dramatic drop

Why do you think there’s been a dramatic drop in book reading?

Which word?

Match the descriptions with the words in the box.

afford allow ancient entertainment performer perhaps prosperous skilful skill century

1. the quality of having many talents

2. someone who entertains, perhaps a musician or actor

3. an ability which someone has after a lot of practice

4. very old

5. a period of 100 years

6. maybe

7. give permission

8. rich

9. to have enough money to buy something

10. films, television, and computer games all provide this

Pair up

Match each sentence beginning with the correct ending to form a complete sentence.

1 I expect that polar bears A on television?

2 Do you live within 100km B in feet and inches?

3 What fabric C of a ski resort?

4 Have you ever seen a proper D if we don’t go out tonight.

5 Can you teach me the basics E classical concert with a full orchestra?

6 My sister won a scholarship F is your coat made of?

7 Would you want to appear G will go extinct in the next 100 years.

8 I actually don’t mind H film I can watch at Halloween.

9 Can you recommend a creepy I of American history?

10 Do you know your height J to study in the US.

Gender neutral terms

In the text, Owen says, ‘I have huge respect for the guys who do that professionally.’

The word ‘guys’ used to refer to a group of men, but the usage has changed and it is now common to hear the word guys used to describe a group of people, regardless of gender, and even a group of all females.

For many years, many jobs had different words for male and female professions: policeman, policewoman, actor, actress, etc. Look at the words in the box below.

a) Which are the gender-neutral terms that are more commonly used today? You may need to do some research online.

firewoman chairman actress postman air stewardess male nurse

b) Who is most likely to say the following phrases? The answers are all the workers in exercise A.

1. ‘Would you like ice in your lemonade?’

2. ‘It’s too smoky to go in there without breathing apparatus.’

3. ‘I say we give the workers an eight per cent pay rise. They deserve it!’

4. ‘I just need to take a quick blood sample.’

5. ‘You won’t be getting any more letters until you can keep your dog under control.’

6. ‘Oh, my darling. My love for you is deeper than the deepest ocean.’

Write

Letter of application

Imagine you are going to apply to a circus school. Write a letter of application where you describe why you would like to attend the school. Describe what parts of the circus life appeal to you, what experience you have, which skills you would like to focus on, and why you think you would be a good addition to the school. Structure your letter in paragraphs and start and finish it in a suitable manner.

Source Criticism

Source criticism has always been important, but in today’s information age, where news travels faster than ever, it is even more important. Every day, you will read and hear things hundreds of times that you need to question. Is someone trying to trick you? You need to be alert. Below are some tricks to help you.

The Four Criteria

There are four basic criteria that you will meet in many discussions about source criticism.

1. Authenticity

Is the source really what it says it is?

You can check a website for contact information or ‘about the site page’. You might also want to look into who the people are who wrote a book or who published a website.

2. Time

Is it still true?

What was true at one time might not be true today. Is your source up to date? Have the things you are reading about changed since the website was last updated? Some facts change over time, while others do not.

3. Dependency

Is the source dependent on other sources?

Does it include links to other websites or references to books or interviews?

Sources are ranked based on how close they are to the original information. A primary source is the original. A secondary source explains what was learned from the primary source. A tertiary source is based on the secondary source, and so on. Did you ever play the whispering game as a child? Sitting in a circle one person begins by whispering something to the person sitting next to them, who is supposed to repeat exactly what they hear to the next person and so on. When the message finally reaches the first person again, is it ever the same? Consider this effect on things you read online as well.

4. Tendency

Is the source objective or subjective?

An objective comment does not include values or opinions, while a subjective comment contains both. It might also be influenced by political, religious, or commercial interests. Does the source want to make you buy something or support a specific cause?

Objective: This is a tree. Subjective: The tree is beautiful.

Study Techniques and Strategies

Vocabulary Training

To learn new words your brain needs to see them, hear them, and use them several times. If you have finished the tasks in the book, try using the words in more ways. Look at the wordlist of the text you are working with.

To remember the words, you need repetition. About a month after studying a text, review the words again to help you remember them.

Standard Practice

• Which words are new to you? Write them down. If there are many, focus on the bold ones.

• Write sentences using each word.

• Read the words and the sentences you have written aloud.

Practise the words using the accordion method:

1. Fold a piece of paper several times.

2. Write the words you want to learn in English in the first section.

3. Write the translation into Swedish, or another language you prefer, in the next section.

4. Fold the first section so you only see the translated words. Write the English words again in the next section.

5. Check for mistakes. Correct them if needed.

6. Fold away the first two sections and translate again. Repeat this until you know all the words or fill the paper.

• Create flashcards. Write the word in English on one side and in your own language on the other. Use them to test yourself. Save the flashcards for repetition after a few weeks.

• Spell a word for a friend and let them write it. Check if it’s correct. Take turns with different words.

• Go back to read the text again once you know the words to see them in their context.

Challenge

• Which part of speech is the word? Is it a verb, noun, or adjective?

• Are there other forms of the same word? e.g., one shelf – many shelves or see – saw - seen

• Can you find the same word in another part of speech? If the word is a verb, is there an adjective or a noun that is similar? e.g., to dream (verb) – a dream (noun) – dreamy (adjective)

• Can you think of a synonym for the word? e.g., happy – glad – joyful.

• Can you think of an antonym for the word? e.g., silent – loud.

• How many words from the text can you use together in one sentence?

‘To line’

‘From line’

‘Subject line’

Greeting

Introduction

MODEL – Email

The full email can be read on page 28.

Body paragraph 1

Ending

Closing phrase

Your name

L.Stokes@WaterbridgeAcademy.co.uk

DelvinKelvin999@gmail.com

No one asks me why …

Dear Mr. Stokes,

I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. You were angry with me for not doing my homework. I know that you were right, I hadn’t actually done it, but the way you yelled at me felt really unfair. I know that fractions are an important part of maths, but you don’t see the whole picture.

I don’t want to throw my family under the bus, so I won’t give you all the details, but life isn’t always easy. My parents work a lot, and I’m often left to look after myself and sometimes my younger sister as well. I even have to pick her up from school some days. I love my parents and they do their best, but right now, it’s just too much. Nobody had time to do the laundry, so I had to deal with it on my own to make sure my school uniform was ready, but that meant I had to choose between doing laundry and doing my homework.

It’s not that I don’t want to do my best in school, it’s just not always possible. You don’t know everything about my life and probably you shouldn’t either, but please don’t be so angry if I miss my homework. It made me feel really bad when you yelled at me like that, especially in front of my friends.

See you in class, Kelvin Munro

‘To’ line This is the address you want to send the email to. It should always contain the @ symbol, and there should be no spaces. Even a small mistake means your email won’t be sent. If you are replying to an email, check if you are responding to one person or a group. Many people have sent embarrassing emails to a group when they only wanted to send them to one person.

‘From’ line This is your email address. If you have more than one email address, make sure you use the right one for the person you are writing to. For example, it doesn’t look good to write to your bank manager from an email address called ‘BarbieBabe16@superpower.com’

Subject line This is a short phrase that tells the reader what the email is about. Some people get hundreds or even thousands of emails every day, so it helps if they can see the topic quickly.

Greeting Choose a greeting that is suitable for the person you are writing to. In most English-speaking countries, you write Dear Mr XXX, for a men and Dear Ms XXX, for a woman. It is also acceptable to write Dear Pat Brown, particularly if you don’t know the gender of the person you are writing to. If you are writing to someone your own age, it is better to write Hi Tom or Hello Julie, rather than the more formal dear

An Email Checklist

❒ I’ve checked the email address of the person I’m writing to.

❒ I’ve checked that my email address is the correct one.

❒ I have added an appropriate subject line.

❒ I have used an appropriate greeting.

❒ My email is set out in logical paragraphs.

❒ I have used spellcheck.

Introduction Start by saying why you are writing. You can refer to your last contact or explain your reason. For example: It was great meeting you at football camp last summer … I’m writing to tell you that I won’t be able to go to the concert next weekend.

Body The email should be clear and easy to read. If the email is short, you don’t need to use paragraphs. For longer emails, use paragraphs to organise your ideas so the reader can follow your message more easily.

Ending Repeat the reason for writing or summarise your email. Sometimes, you can add a closing line. Examples of formal endings are Thank you in advance, Please let me know if you have any questions or I look forward to hearing from you soon. Examples of informal endings are Talk to you soon! Keep me posted, or Have a great day!

Closing phrase This depends on who you are writing to. Formal emails often end with yours, sincerely, best regards, or kind regards. For informal emails, people often use love (for close friends and family), see you soon, talk soon, or take care.

Your name Write just your first name for informal emails or both names (first name and surname) for more formal ones.

❒ The tone of the email is appropriate – no slang in a formal email

❒ I have checked the grammar in my email. Don’t forget the third-person ’s’

❒ I have used an appropriate ending and closing phrase.

❒ I have written my name at the bottom.

A clear title setting out your position.

Background – what is the issue?

Thesis – your opinion

Emotionally charged words – describing and stirring emotions

MODEL – Argumentative Text

The purpose of an argumentative text is to try and convince the reader that your position on a particular topic is the best one. Here’s an example. -

Orchestral Life is for Everyone

Many teenagers today do not interact with others in a structured sparetime activity. This leads to understimulated youth seeking trouble instead of friendship. The solution to this is making music together with other, as a part of formal education.

Interacting with others is a key part in learning democratic values. When playing in an orchestra, be it a string ensemble, a wind band or a symphony orchestra, you learn to find your place in a group, and how you together can create something great when everyone does their part. It also shows that we are specialists on different things, and each one doing their thing is what makes everything come together. The feeling of togetherness is essential to building a strong society.

It is known that the brain is stimulated by reading sheet music and playing instruments. Learning fractions in mathematics is easier when you are used to reading the time values of the notes on the paper as well. You will become smarter and manage school work easier. It is even said that people who play in orchestras run a lower risk of developing dementia when growing old, thanks to the brain stimulation. A brain workout may help you to a longer life.

1 Argument 2

Counterarguments – what would the other part say

Answer the counterarguments?

Some people argue that not everyone is musically talented, that not everyone is cut out for playing music. However, we do not aim for everyone to become a professional musician, we want everyone to be able to take part, try it out and see if this might be something for them in the future. You do not know what you are skilled at before you try it out.

Counterargument and answer

Short summary of your arguments

Repetition of your thesis is a short appeal.

Signature – name and the roll in which you address the issue

Being a part of a creative process fills the soul with harmony. Knowing that you are a part of making something beautiful will strengthen your well-being and make you a happier person. We wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on that, would we?

Learning how to be a part of a democratic context, stimulating your brain and becoming a more peaceful, happy person is something that can all be achieved by playing an instrument together with other people. This is why we think that everyone should have instrumental lessons in school, as well as orchestra or band rehearsals.

Thom Peter, trumpet

Jaclyn McGuinnea, clarinet

Annie Smith, violin and percussion students at Mackenzie Upper Secondary School

An argumentative text checklist

❒ My title is clear and states my position.

❒ I have structured three arguments in separate paragraphs.

❒ I have mentioned good arguments from the other side and explained why I disagree with them.

❒ I have used emotionally charged words to strengthen my arguments.

❒ My closing paragraph strongly explains why my side of the argument is the right one.

❒ Although it’s called an ‘argumentative essay,’ it does not have to be angry or aggressive in tone. I have avoided petty name-calling and kept a good tone.

❒ I have checked my spelling.

❒ I have checked my grammar – including the tricky third-person ’s.’

❒ When reading it again, my text has the right level of formality for my intended audience.

Verb Table

svenska infinitiv preteritum perfekt particip

vara be was/were been bli become became become börja begin began begun

satsa (pengar) bet bet bet

göra sönder break broke broken ta med bring brought brought

bygga build built built

köpa buy bought bought

fånga catch caught caught

välja choose chose chosen

komma come came come

göra do did done

dricka drink drank drunk

äta eat ate eaten falla fall fell fallen

mata feed fed fed

känna feel felt felt

kämpa, slåss fight fought fought

hitta find found found

flyga fly flew flown få get got got/gotten ge give gave given

gå, åka go went gone

växa grow grew grown

höra hear heard heard

slå hit hit hit

hålla hold held held

göra ont , skada hurt hurt hurt

behålla keep kept kept

veta know knew known

svenska infinitiv preteritum perfekt particip

leda lead led led

lämna leave left left

förlora lose lost lost

göra make made made

mena mean meant meant

möta meet met met

råka höra overhear overheard overheard

köra om overtake overtook overtaken

betala pay paid paid

sluta quit quit quit

läsa read read read ringa ring rang rung springa run ran run

säga say said said se see saw seen

sälja sell sold sold

skicka send sent sent skaka shake shook shaken

skjuta shoot shot shot

krympa shrink shrank shrunk spendera spend spent spent sprida spread spread spread

slå, stöta till strike struck struck ta take took taken

lära, lära ut teach taught taught

berätta tell told told kasta throw threw thrown

förstå understand understood understood

vinna  win won won

skriva write wrote written

Answer Key

UNIT 1 LEARNING JOURNEYS

1A Schools around the world

Did you get it?

Paddle

1.C 2.B 3.A 4.A 5.A

Swim

6. Even though Aisha is settling well, she still feels a bit uncertain about some things.

Text evidence:

• Aisha feels grateful for her new friends.

• She misses her twin brother (who is in a different school).

• She thinks Ireland is very cold (but is happy that her school uniform is warmer than in India).

7. Adanna finds learning all subjects in English difficult, but she is getting better.

Text evidence:

• In primary school, Adanna studied all subjects in Yoruba, her family’s language.

• It has only been a year since Adanna started taking all school subjects in English.

• She describes learning in English as ‘a bit of a challenge’.

• Chloe says: ‘Based on your answers in chemistry class today, I would say that you’re both going to do well here.’

8. To Adanna and Aisha, Drama is a new subject, so they are unsure of what to expect. Drama involves performing and expressing emotions, which might feel uncomfortable for them in a new school.

Text evidence:

• Adanna says she is ‘nervous about it’ and Aisha responds, ‘Me too!’

• Aisha hopes that Drama will be fun.

• Aisha prefers science and technology, so she might be more comfortable with factual subjects than with creative subjects.

Language work

Antonyms

1. several 2. me neither 3. gather 4. join 5. continue 6. honour 7. nervous 8. grateful

Pair up

1G, 2D, 3H, 4A, 5I, 6B, 7C, 8F, 9E

Listen: Lilly and Adanna

1.B 2.C 3.A 4.B. 5 Lily’s sister 6. five 7. teaching 8. maths 9. stick with Lily

1B Not Just Lessons

Did you get it?

Paddle

1. F (Maddox is the new student, not June.) 2.F (Marching band is for wind instruments and drums.) 3.T 4.T 5.F (Soldering irons and screwdrivers are used in Robotics, not Drama Club.) 6.F (Vault and shot put belong to Track and Field, not Archery.)

Swim

7. Red Cross Club (the flyer mentions CPR training).

8. Robotics Club. (the flyer mentions building robots), Ceramics Club, Graphic Design, Photography Club, and Yearbook.

9. Marching Band, Chamber Choir and Drama Club all require experience (because they require auditions). However, in Drama Club there is also backstage work, which doesn’t require experience. Similarly, if you want to learn to play the drums, you can join a Marching band without prior experience.

Language work

After-school clubs

1H, 2F, 3J, 4G, 5A, 6I, 7B, 8D, 9C, 10E

Idioms – easy or hard?

1. a tough nut to crack, a piece of cake/ child’s play

2. all plain sailing /all smooth sailing

3. bite off more than you can chew, a piece of cake/child’s play

4. finding a needle in a haystack

5. with her eyes closed

Listen: A long way from home

1.B 2. Wisconsin 3.B 4. home economics

5.A 6.A

7. Ricky learns that:

• food technology is the UK equivalent of home economics in the US.

• Gaelic is a Scottish language, mainly spoken in the Highlands and islands.

• school uniforms are mandatory, unlike in American public schools.

• the debating society no longer exists, but the school puts on a Christmas play.

• extra-curricular activities are available, but fewer than in the US.

8. Student’s own answer.

9. Debate team – students debate a variety of issues.

Drama Club – students put on plays and shows.

Robotics Club – students design and build robots.

Gay-straight Alliance – gay and straight students hang out in a friendly environment.

1C No One Asks Me Why Did you get it?

Paddle 1.B 2.B 3.C 4.C

Swim

5. Kelvin feels ashamed, frustrated, and misunderstood.

Text evidence:

• Kelvin says that being yelled at in front of his friends hurt him.

• Kelvin says: ‘I know that fractions are an important part of maths, but you don’t see the whole picture.’

• Kelvin had responsibilities that Mr. Stokes didn’t consider. For example, Kelvin writes: ‘Nobody had time to do the laundry, so I had to deal with it on my own to make sure my school uniform was ready, but that meant I had to choose between doing laundry and doing my homework.’

6. Mr. Stokes thinks about his actions and cares about his pupils. He wants to be a better teacher.

Text evidence:

• He feels ashamed of his behaviour.

• He admits that his own bad mood affected how he treated Kelvin.

• He values Kelvin’s honesty and wants to learn from it. ‘I appreciate that you reminded me of this, and I apologise’.

Language work

Which word?

1. probably 2. look after 3. courage

4. support 5. appreciate 6. temptation

7. persuade 8. enough 9. doubt 10. achieve

1D School Dinners

Did you get it?

Paddle

1.C 2.B 3.A 4.A

Swim

5. India’s Mid-Day Meal (MDM) program was introduced because many children were not getting enough food, and malnutrition was a concern. The program is expected to help pupils focus better in class.

Text evidence:

• The MDM program ‘feeds 120 million children at school’. (Such a big program means that there must have been a great need for food or assistance in India.)

• ‘Malnutrition is (hopefully) no longer an issue in India.’ (suggests that malnutrition was a real problem before)

• ‘It is hard to study when your belly is empty.’

6. Schools may struggle with special meals because they have to plan for many different diets. This takes time, effort and resources (money and staff).

Text evidence:

• ‘There’s a very long list of special foods that schools will have to supply.’

Language work

Which word?

1. employment 2. healthy 3. preparation

4. provide 5. educated 6. population

7. wealthy 8. issue 9. poverty 10. expensive

1E Circus Schools

Work with the text

1.A 2.C 3. apples 4.D 5. Ireland, England, America, 6. Student’s own answer 7. Student’s own answer.

Which word?

1.skillful 2. performer 3. skills 4. ancient 5. century 6. perhaps 7. allow 8. prosperous 9. afford 10. entertainment

Pair Up

1G, 2C, 3F, 4E, 5I, 6J, 7A, 8D, 9H, 10B

Gender neutral terms

a) firewoman → firefighter chairman → chair or chairperson actress → actor postman → postal worker (postie) or mail carrier air stewardess → flight attendant male nurse → nurse

b) flight attendant, firefighter, chair, nurse, postal worker, actor

Unit 2 TIME TO TASTE

2A Brownies on a Rainy Day

Did you get it?

Paddle

1.F (It takes place in mid-July.) 2.F (two friends) 3.T 4.F(it’s in the refrigerator.) 5.T 6.T

Swim

7. Alex and Yasmine decide to bake brownies because it’s a rainy day and they want to do something fun indoors.

Text evidence:

• ‘It’s a rainy day in mid-July, and Alex is bored.’

• ‘Scrolling on her phone, Yasmine spots a yummy cake.’

8. Alex and Yasmine are comfortable with each other and have shared interests. Text evidence:

• Alex: ‘Do you want to play a game while we wait for the brownies?’

• Yasmine: ‘Mario Kart?’ (Shows they often play together.)

• Alex: ‘Of course! I’ll beat you!’ / Yasmine: ‘No way, loser …’ (They joke and tease each other.)

9. Baking needs exact measurements and steps. If you change something, the brownies might not turn out right.

Text evidence:

• ‘The recipe says that you’re not supposed to overmix.’ (Too much mixing could ruin the brownies.)

• ‘Set a timer on your phone for 40 minutes.’ (Baking time is important.)

• The recipe lists exact amounts of ingredients, meaning they must be measured correctly.

Language work

Kitchen vocabulary

1. cocoa powder 2. recipe 3. whisk 4. bowl 5. sugar 6. timer/phone 7. pot 8. flour 9. pan 10. oven 11. butter 12. chocolate chips 13. baking powder 14. eggs 15. refrigerator

2B Have You Seen My Face on Television?

Did you get it?

Paddle 1.C 2.A 3.B 4.B 5.C

Swim

6. If only rich people watched his show, Harben may have thought they wanted to learn expensive recipes.

Text evidence:

• ‘In 1946, the chef Philip Harben spent ten minutes showing viewers how to make lobster vol-au-vents.’

• ‘At that time, televisions were horribly expensive so only rich people could afford them – which was also true for lobster vol-auvents.’

7. Madhur Jaffrey was used to Indian food, which has more spices and stronger flavours. British food tasted plain to her, so she missed the food from home.

• She asked for recipes from home, this shows that she wanted Indian food because she didn’t like British food.

Listen: Gordon Ramsay

1.B 2. his knee 3.C 4.B 5. Iceland

VOICE S – ger alla en röst!

VOICES 7–9 är ett basläromedel för högstadiet, som hjälper alla elever att utveckla sina kunskaper i engelska språket. Innehållet har en tydlig struktur, är inkluderande och lätt att anpassa.

I VOICES får vi lyssna på andras röster genom att läsa, lyssna på och lära känna människor från olika delar av världen. Vi lär oss också att använda våra egna röster för att diskutera olika ämnen och åsikter, dela berättelser, ställa frågor och stärka det engelska språket.

Årskurs 7 fokuserar på Storbritannien och Irland, i årskurs 8 besöker vi olika delar av Nord- och Centralamerika och i årskurs 9 öppnar vi upp för resten av den engelskspråkiga världen.

Varje årskurs av VOICES består av

• Coursebook – texter och övningar. Täcker kursplanen.

• Workbook med digital elevträning. Mängdträning och extra hörövningar.

• Digitalt lärarstöd. Färdighetsprov, hörövningar, individanpassning, lekfulla uppgifter.