Categoría: B2.2

Hello everyone! Easter Week is over, and here are the homework assignments I hope you can do in the next few days.

• Open World

– GRAMMAR p.166. Ability and Possibility. Watch the video and then go to the Grammar Reference section p.229 for grammar explanations and exercises. Back to p.166, think about the ideas in ex.1. Suggested answers: good– you get to meet famous people, you get to see a lot of new places, you can watch concerts for free; bad– you would spend a lot of time away from home, you would get the blame if things went wrong, some artists are very demanding.

Ex.2 is a listening activity focused on expressing ability. After doing it, complete the rules in ex.4 and correct yhe mistakes in ex.4. Check your answers and make sure you identify the different grammar patterns according to the structures used.

Ex.5 is a one-sentence picture description. Think about how the ability shown in each picture could be expressed. Suggested answers on p.331.

– SPEAKING p.167. Short responses with So, Neither, Either, Too. See ex.1 and think about how you could answer briefly. Here are some tips that may help you: when people get married there is usually a WEDDING CEREMONY followed by a MEAL. When you move to a new house, it is very common to organise a HOUSEWARMING PARTY for neighbours and friends. Before a baby is born, most people have a BABY SHOWER party, where gifts are presented by her friends to the woman who is pregnant. When a student graduates, on most occasions there is a GRADUATION CEREMONY.

Do ex.2 and listening ex.3. Use the script on p.331 to check your predictions and help you with ideas on the topic of celebrations. This is a very frequent topic in the Mediation part of Certificación. In listening ex.5 you are asked to fill in the blanks with short responses. Check that you understand the structures used.

– LISTENING p.168. Exam focus. This is a multiple choice listening comprehension test similar to those in Certificación. Listen to it thrice before checking or looking at the script. Afterwards, read the transcript thoroughly and pay attention to new important words, expressions you didn’t recognise, and the answers you failed and where the problem seems to have been.

– READING and USE of ENGLISH p.169. The main aim of this type of exercise, apart from developing reading skills, is vocabulary practice and word formation. It does not appear in Certificación in this format, but it is very good language practice.

– WRITING: REPORT. Remember you will not be tested on this format in B2. Nevertheless, reading reports on topics like the one on p.169 can help you to  become familiar with and get fluency in the kind of language and vocabulary you may be asked to use in mediation and also in writings, even if the format could be that of a formal letter or an article.

• Online grammar practice

Can/Could/Be able to. Use and practice

Can/Could/Be able to. Exercises

So/Too/Neither/Either. Use and exercises

• Listening test: «A festival organiser«

exercise       audio      script and key

Goodbye for now! Stay safe, make the most of this 5th week of lockdown and, if possible, try to find a little bit of time for English!

This is a very odd Easter holiday none of us would have imagined a few weeks ago. It is Easter anyway, so I won’t be posting work for you to do throughout next week. Instead I am sending you now some listening and grammar practice to do if you have time and have completed the homework from previous weeks. You can send me your Film Review during Easter week if you have not done so.

I’ll get in touch again after the Holy Week. My very best wishes!

EASTER WEEK HOMEWORK

LISTENING: Body language

Body language: exercise and key

Body language: audio

LISTENING: Horror movies

Horror Movies: Exercises, Script and Key

Horror Movies: Audio 9.1

Horror Movies: Audio 9.5

USE OF ENGLISH: Revision of narrative tenses + interactive exercises

Use of past perfect simple/continuous

Use of all narrative tenses

Gap-fill exercise Past simple vs Past continuous

Exercises on past simple, past perfect and past continuous 1

Exercises on past simple, past perfect and past continuous 2 

Narrative tenses multiple choice

IMPORTANT: If you are asked whether you want to open the files in your browser, click YES and the file should open without a problem. You can also download the files to your device.

Hello guys,

Here you have the LESSON PLAN for the present week.

– Open World page 164 . The exercises on this page deal with general tips about how to write a report. This writing format is not included in B2.2 syllabus, but becoming familiar with the topics common in this kind of texts can help you to gain fluency and accuracy in the Mediation paper of Certificación. Very frequently, texts in this part of the exam recommend things to/not to do or give information about traditions, festivals, events, landmarks, cities, typical food, etc.

Page 164 in particular explains how to give feedback on a festival. I recommend going through the guided writing exercises with the help of the key on p.330 and the suggested answers given in it, always paying attention to the vocabulary.

In the Writing Bank appendix, p.242 there is another interesting sample of  a report, on this occasion about a place to visit, the city of York. Read it if you have time focusing on the vocabulary, and notice that it matches the style of the Real World videoscripts.

– Open World. Reading and Use of English p. 165. See vocabulary exercises 2 and 3, challenging but worth doing. Do also ex.5, a text which describes Snowbombing, a festival. Note that this text is not a report, and therefore it  does not begin stating the aim of the report, include personal opinions, separate ideas under different headings or use bullet points, characteristic elements of a report.

– ONLINE Practice: Modals of Obligation and Permission. Use the following links to continue working on modal verbs after what you saw in Open World.

How to use modal verbs of obligation

Exercises on modal verbs of obligation 1

Exercises on modal verbs of obligation 2

How to use modals of permission and obligation + exercises 

Exercises on modals of permission

This is all for now.

Take loads of care of yourselves and each other!

Here are some activities to boost your reading skills. They are related to both units 11 and 12.

Two film reviews    Key

What’s in a book     Exercise     Key

A concert    Key

This other reading exercise is a multiple choice cloze text+key:

King Lear

More work next week.

Stay safe and well!

Hi everybody,

This is the LESSON PLAN FOR THE PRESENT WEEK:

Revision Unit 11:

This is a Reading exercise about Filmmaking you can use to recall and revise the language related to the topic:

Filmmaking1       Filmmaking2

Unit 12:

Given that we are working with a book that is also aimed at self-study, in my view the easiest and most productive working method during this period would be to try to make the most of the resources you already have in the book. If you are willing to do so, I will be guiding you through it and supplementing here and there with other materials or resources.

You could start having a look at Unit 12, Let’s Celebrate. The vocabulary and topic of this unit are specially useful for the Mediation paper in Certificación exam (festivals, traditions, celebrations, public events). Start doing the following:

– Getting Started and Vocabulary p.160

– Listening exercises p. 161 + Did you know? cultural note

– Vocabulary exercises on p.162

Remember you have keys and transcripts on page 328-9.

– Grammar: watch the video on p.162 and go to the Grammar Reference p.228. You have some Practice there too. This is not an easy language point, take it as an introduction to what you will be working on in more advanced levels.

There are some entertaining texts about weddings in different countries, on p.163 and 202, intended to work in pairs, but you can read them on your own and focus on the vocabulary used to talk about weddings.  There’s no need to do ex.5 and 6 if you find them too challenging.

Below you will find a model description of the photos on p.162. They contain  some of the basic vocabulary on this topic:

PICTURE A – shows a bride who has applied henna to her hands in intricate patterns. This is a common tradition in the Islamic world in particular.

PICTURE B – The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together. This is symbolic as the first act they perform together as a married couple.

PICTURE C – The bride throws her bouquet behind her without looking. The unmarried girls try to catch it in the belief that the one who catches it will be the next to marry.

PICTURE D – At the reception after a wedding, speeches are traditionally given by the father of the bride, the groom and the best man.

I might write again during the week.

Above all, stay safe and well!