Writing assignment:

1. Activate words and collocations from your student’s book:

acceptable	go for a pizza	go mad
applaud	laser lights	go to the moscue
avoid giving offence	local customs	go to a karaoke bar
book in advance	make-believe	go on holiday
chain of restaurants	move on	go out on a date
dance craze	night out	tips for foreign visitors
dance in couples to live bands	pick up	tone-deaf
dance without touching each other	tend not to hold hands	turn up
sign up for a course at the gym	desperate	unwind
entertainment	spread the idea	wear casual clothes
give a lift	split the bill	the way people dress
go for a drink	shake hands	tip the waiter

2. Memorize the words of wisdom:

Time flies when you are having fun.

All’s well that ends well.

A stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet.

Silence is golden.

3. Make up as many sentences as you can using words and phrases suggested above.

4. Perform the following pre-writing tasks:

Pre-writing task 1

Read the article below and put the verbs into the correct tense in the active or passive, as in the example, then match the headings below to the paragraphs.

• description o factual event

• feelings, comments, final thoughts

• preparations

• name, place/lime, reason

The Royal Regatta

1.

The Royal Regatta is one of the most famous events in the world of rowing. The Regatta 1) takes place (take place) every year in Henley, a small picturesque town in the south of England. The event 2) ….………. (usually /hold) at the end of June and

3) ………… (continue) for five days. Teams of rowers from all over the globe compete for prizes, especially for the prestigious Grand Challenge Cup. Last year, I went to see what the excitement was all about.

2.

When 4) ……... (arrive), I was amazed at the preparations involved. Huge grandstands 5) ….. (put up) alongside the water and rows of colourful deckchairs 6)........... (place) along the edge of the river so that spectators could watch the boat race in comfort. In addition to this, tents 7)………… (set up), in which caterers 8) ………… (serve) delicious food and refreshing drinks. Rowers from many countries 9)……… (41pologiz) with their team-mates for days before the races began.

3.

During the five days of the Regatta, many of the spectators 10) …….(dress) elegantly to watch the races. Others, like myself, 11)……… (decide) to have a picnic on the river bank. The final, which is the most important race of the Regatta, was the highlight of the event. As the finalists sped towards us, everyone 12)……… (stand up) and started shouting for their team. We cheered and 13)……….. (wave) enthusiastically as the boats 14) ………..(rush) past in their race to the finishing line. Soon afterwards, it

was time for the firework display.

4.

As the last rocket 15) ……... (explode) in the evening summer sky, I felt sad that the

event was over. I couldn’t help thinking how much fun it would be to learn to row like the people in the race and be more than just a spectator!

Pre-writing task 2

Read the short texts and replace the adjectives in bold with similar ones from each list.

playful, annual, generous, happy, amusing

A

At the 1) yearly Hobby Horse Pageant in Cracow, Poland, we followed the procession of men dressed up as Tartar warriors as they moved slowly towards the Market Square,. On his way, the leader of the procession collected money and rewarded 2) kind donors with a 3) friendly punch on the arm. He also stopped a few times to perform 4) funny dances for the hundreds of 5) smiling spectators.

exciting, delicious, noisy, grateful, exhausted

B

My parents organized a garden party for my eighteenth birthday. It was great fun! My father and brother decorated the garden with multi-coloured balloons. My mum had cooked lots of 1) tasty food. We danced and played some 2) thrilling party games. My friends and I were a bit 3) loud, but my parents didn’t mind. At the end of the party I felt 4) tired, but also very 5) thankful that my parents had put on such a great party for me and my friends.

Pre-writing task 3

Read the text about a food festival and fill in the blanks with the correct form of the words in brackets.

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival takes place every March in Ontario, Canada. It is held because collecting maple syrup from the sap of maple trees is a 1)…………(tradition) Canadian custom.

Days before the festival, 2) ……….(42pologiz) set up a long line of stalls for the outdoor mall, where locals display and sell a wide 3) …………(vary) of foods, toys and crafts. They also organize 4)…………(excite) tours to the countryside and treks in the woods.

On the actual day of the festival, the big event is the Pancake Flipping Contest. People make delicious golden-brown pancakes and use all kinds of silly utensils to flip them. Participants 5) …………(particular) enjoy taking part in it but it is also very 6) ……….. (entertain) to watch, The smell of pancakes fills the air and makes everyone feel very 7) …………. (hunger). 8)…………. (luck), there are always plenty of pancakes to go round.

If you have a sweet tooth, love pancakes and enjoy nature, don’t miss this unique festival. It is the perfect way to celebrate the end of winter.

Pre-writing task 4

Read the text and put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense.

Valentine’s day 1)………… (celebrate) on February 14 th. This modern-day holiday is a celebration of love which gets its name from a Roman priest, Valentine, who secretly performed wedding ceremonies for Christian couples in the 3^rd century.

Weeks before the fourteenth of February, shop windows 2)………… (decorate) with red paper hearts, red streamers and boxes of chocolates. Heart-shaped cakes and sweets 3)……… .(bake) gifts such as perfume and jewellery. 4)………… (promote) by department stores. Red roses 5)………(order) from florists, dinner reservations 6)…….… (make) and everyone in love 7)……… .(buy) presents while preparing for Valentine’s Day.

On Valentine’s Day many people 8)………. (wear) something red, since it is considered to be the colour of love. Gifts, wrapped in shiny paper and red ribbons 9)………. .(present) to each other, women 10)…….. (receive) bouquets of flowers and people express their feelings to their loved ones. In the evening many couples choose to dine at romantic restaurants while others enjoy spending time together at home.

Valentine’s Day is a time to let people know how much you love and appreciate them. It is a day that makes everyone feel romantic and happy.

Pre-writing task 5

Match the beginnings with the endings. Choose any of them as the introduction and conclusion of the story you would like to write.

BEGINNINGS

A

America’s most important national holiday, Independence Day, takes place on the 4th of July. Americans celebrate the Day since 1776 when the American colonies declared themselves free from British rule.

B

Thanksgiving is celebrated every year in the USA on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, many people sit down to the traditional turkey dinner and give thanks to God for the harvest.

ENDINGS

1

Families all over the country look forward to this autumn holiday. It is a time for everyone to think and appreciate everything they have.

2

People across the USA enjoy the patriotic day and take great pride remembering the history of their young country.