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  1. Think over your answers to the questions below before reading the text:

  1. How do you and your friends celebrate birthdays?

  2. Do you think it is important to celebrate birthdays? Why/why not?

  3. Why do you think that today only the very young and very old have birthday celebrations?

  1. Read and translate the text: a Birthday Party

It was Julie’s eighteenth birthday and her parents were holding a formal party to celebrate this red-letter day in their daughter’s life. In fact, the day after the party was also going to be a red-letter day, not only for Julie, but also for many of her friends who would be at the party. That was the day the results of the final school exams were due to be announced, the moment of the truth when some careers would be begun and others abandoned.

Perhaps it was not the best time to hold a party, but Julie had wanted to celebrate her birthday on the actual day, rather than to postpone it until after the results were announced. Most of Julie’s student friends were glad to have something pleasant to do while they waited the announcement, which, as their English teacher said, would separate the sheep from the goats. Besides, after the results were known, not everyone would have something to celebrate.

Tonight, everyone was determined to forget about the results, let their hair down and have a good time, no matter what news the following day brought. As Tom said, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” The students had been studying very hard for weeks before the exams, and there had not been much time for a social whirl. Tonight they planned to make up for lost time. Julie’s parents were quite well off and could afford to host a good party. There was to be a lavish buffet, champagne and a band to dance to. No expense had been spared.

It was not long until the start of the party and several of the girls had gathered at Julie’s house so that they could enjoy the fun of getting ready together. They were all planning to get dressed up to the nines and so getting ready together took a considerable time. Just as they had all finally finished, the doorbell rang and Mike, Julie’s escort for the evening, appeared. ‘Your chariot awaits!’ he cried before telling Julie how beautiful she looked and that she would certainly be the belle of the ball.

The other girls’ escorts soon joined Mike and everyone went off in taxis to the party, but not before Julie’s father had a cautionary word for them. ‘Have a wonderful time, but don’t forget that big brother will be watching you.’ no one was quite sure whether he was joking or not.

  1. Explain the phrases in bold. Make sentences with them that will bring out the meanings.

  1. Answer the questions:

  1. With reference to the passage, give as many details as possible about the birthday party.

  2. Why did Julie’s friends look forward to the party?

  3. Why did several of the girls gather at Julie’s house?

  4. Why do you think the writer said ‘Perhaps it was not the best time to hold a party…?’

  5. Do you think it was a good idea for Julie to hold her party the day before the announcement of the final school exam results? Why or why not?

  6. Give your views on whether you think an eighteenth birthday is special.

Writing

  1. You have been chosen by your classmates to organize the end-of-the-year party for the class. Write a proposal of about 200 words for the party to present to your classmates. Your proposal should include the following:

  • date, time and place for the party;

  • a programme of activities;

  • types of food that will be required;

  • transport that will be needed;

  • estimated cost of the party.

See the corresponding example in Appendix 3 “Writing Samples”.

Listening

  1. Before listening to the article “Rio Carnival Says “No” to Violence” look at the “carnivals” in the table. With your partner(s) talk about what might happen in each one. Rate them: 10 is “I would love to go to this one”, 1 is “I’d rather sit at home and study English grammar”:

  • The Microsoft Carnival

  • The Hollywood Carnival

  • Carnival of Sun

  • Carnival of the Ants and Spiders

  • The English Grammar Carnival

  • Carnival of the 21st Century

  • Children’s Carnival

  • Love Carnival

  • One World Carnival

  • My Own Carnival

  1. Spend one minute writing down all of the different words and word combinations you associate with VIOLENCE. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Make up sentences that will bring out the meaning of the words and word combinations.

  1. Listen to the tape and decide whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

  1. Rio’s famous carnival opened with street riots and violence.

  2. The city’s mayor gave a key to a man for the ninth year in a row.

  3. The mayor predicted it would rain across the city.

  4. The carnival king said people from all walks of life party together.

  5. Drug related crimes have been on Rio’s newspaper front pages.

  6. A six-year-old boy’s death shocked the city’s residents.

  7. A famous samba dancer and his wife shot a gang leader.

  8. Rio’s mayor said it was an opportune time to reject violence.