II. Memorize extra vocabulary: proverbs

- If you want to test your memory, try to recall today what you were worrying about one year ago.

- Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.

- Creditors have better memories than debtors.

- He laughs best who laughs last.

- A friend in need is a friend indeed.

- Lend your money and loose your friend.

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

IV. Perform the following pre-writing tasks:

Pre-writing task 1

Read the stories. Think over the appropriate heading to each of them.

A

My strongest childhood memory is from when I was six years old. My father woke me up in the middle of the night. He told me that we were taking Mum to hospital and that I should come too. He dressed me and helped Mum to go downstairs. We got in the car and Dad drove to the hospital speeding. As soon as we arrived, my Mum was taken away and my father and I waited nervously. I don’t remember how long we waited. It must have been ages, because I know I felt tired and then fell asleep at one stage. Finally, my father was called in. Then I saw my Mum holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket. I looked and saw a little person with a wrinkled face. I couldn’t believe it! I had a new brother!

B

There are certain things which you never forget. For me, the one occasion that stands out in my memory is my first day at school. I’ll never forget that day! I was terrified as I walked through those huge gates and joined the crowd of screaming five-year-olds. I was very shy at that age, so I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I stood on my own in the corner of the playground and felt as though I was going to burst into tears at any minute. Luckily, I was soon rescued and taken to my desk where I could sit and read a book quietly so that no one would bother me! Of course, it got much better after that first experience and I made a lot of friends. Now, I honestly believe that those were the best days of my life!

Pre-writing task 2

a) The following adjectives or adverbs can be used instead of other simplistic ones. Put them in the correct box, as in the example.

 

slight, great, evil, highly, happily, massive, delightful, extremely, successfully, horrible, miniature, tiny, remarkably, gigantic, satisfactorily, absolutely, fabulous,.pleasant, huge. terrific, terrible, wicked, enormous, attractive

 

Big
Small	slight
Bad
Good / nice
Very	highly
Well

 

b) Replace the words in the extract below with suitable ones from the boxes above.

 

Melissa stepped out into the fresh and 1) nice April morning. Her 2) good mood brightened her 3) nice face as she walked 4) well to her new work place. Upon reaching the 5) big skyscraper, she looked up and felt 6) small. As she entered the building, she was nervous but 7) very excited. This job was a dream come true for her.

Pre-writing task 3

a) Match Column A to Column B to complete the similes, as in the example: e.g. as white as a sheet.

A B

1. as white as	a) a leaf
2. to swim like	b) a baby
3. to cr y like	c) a bee
4. to run like	d) night
5. as black as	e) an ox
6. to shake like	f) a fish
7. as fresh as	g) a sieve
8. as strong as	h) a sheet
9. as busy as	i) a daisy
10. to have a memory like	j) the wind

 

b) Use the similes to complete the following sentences. Then make up the sentences of your own.

1. Grace dived in the sea and started swimming. She was a very good swimmer. She swam like ……..

2. It was ……..……….. night inside the cave. Jeff looked for his torch.

3. Tom forgets about everything. He ……………………a sieve.

4. The children were …..……….……bees helping their parents prepare the garden for the party.

5. Sally was so scared that she was shaking like …………….

Pre-writing task 4

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

BEGINNINGS

A

My 15^th birthday party was a really memorable occasion. My family had just bought a house by the sea and as it was summer, my parents let me have a barbeque on the beach.

B

The sight of my friends and family standing in the living room on my arrival made tears come to my eyes. I had felt so lonely all those months away from home and their surprise welcome reminded me of how much I’d missed everyone.

ENDINGS

At the end of the evening when the last guests had left, I sat by the fireplace to have a cup of tea with my parents before I went to bed. What a relief I was to be at home again surrounded by familiar objects and people who really cared.

It certainly was the best party I have ever had! Not only because it was the first time I had ever cut my birthday cake on a beach, but also because of the great pleasure it gave me to see so many of my friends and relatives together in the same place.

 

Pre-writing task 5