English For Today chapter 3: What are Friends for

Unit Three

What are Friends for?

Learning Outcomes

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• ask and answer questions
• talk about familiar events
• read and understand texts
• write answers to questions
• write short compositions

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Lesson 1: Prize-giving Day at School

Key words: eminent outstanding performance

A. Look at the picture and discuss the following questions.

1. Whom can you see in the picture?

2. What are they doing?

Figure

Description: A girl seen from behind at the left, a boy in school uniform in the middle, and a man in a dark uniform-style jacket at the right, who is handing a wrapped prize to the boy over a table. A bookshelf is in the background at the left.

B. Read the text about a prize-giving ceremony.

Farabi is Flora’s best friend. They live in the same area. Also they both are in class 7. But they go to different schools.

It is a school holiday. Flora has come to visit Farabi. They are talking. Flora wants to know about the prize-giving ceremony of Farabi’s school.

“Yesterday was our school prize-giving day,” Farabi says. “On this occasion our school auditorium and its dais were brightly decorated. Prizes were also neatly displayed on a separate table on the dais. All the students were present at the function. Among others, the guardians and some eminent persons of the locality attended the function,” Farabi continues. “The Principal of PN College was the chief guest.”

“When did the function start?” Flora asked.

“Oh, it started on time—just at 4 pm,” Farabi says. “Our Head Teacher first read out the annual report. Then the chief guest delivered a short speech. He highly praised the overall performance of the school and its excellent JSC and SSC Exam. results. Then he gave away the prizes among the students for their outstanding activities.”

“Did you get any prize, Farabi?” Flora enquires.

“Yes, I did,” Farabi replies. “I’ve got two prizes—one for regular attendance and the other for good results in the last annual exams.”

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C. Match words with their meanings.

D. Ask and answer in pairs. Make questions and then choose answers from this table.

E. Complete the passage with the verbs in the box. Give their correct forms.

be, sing, speak, stage

At the end of the prize-giving function there _______________ a cultural show. The students_____________________, danced and __________ a one-act play. It was so good that everyone _________________ highly of it.

F. Do you have a sports day at your school? First tell the class about it and then write about it in your notebook.

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Lesson 2: Flora’s First Day at School (1)

Keywords: recall add chat

A. Talk about the picture and read the story.

Figure

Description: A girl sits at the left end of a sofa and a boy sits at the right, pointing with one finger. A chair and a table with a stack of books and a book are at the left; curtains hang at the window on the right.

Next week Farabi comes to visit Flora in her house. They are having a chat.

“Can you remember your first day at school, Flora?” Farabi asks.

“Oh, yes, I can,” Flora says. “I can recall exactly what happened. Would you like to hear it?”

“I’d love to,” says Farabi. “Please, tell me.”

“Okay,” says Flora. “It was 2006. I was then 6 years old.” One day my mother said, “Flora, you’re going to start your school tomorrow.”

I was very excited. I couldn’t think of anything else. I was always thinking about the school, the teachers and the students of our school. I couldn’t even sleep well that night.

The next morning my mother woke me up early in the morning. I had a bath and put on my best clothes. Then I had breakfast and started for the school with my mother.

The school was not very far from our home. So, we walked all the way.

B. Say whether the following statements are true or false. If false, give the correct information.

1 Farabi and Flora are talking at school.

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2 Flora is talking about her school. 3 Flora first went to school at the age of 6. 4 Her mother dressed her in her best clothes. 5 Flora walked to school.

C . Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

Flora is a student. She is _________________ class 7. She can remember her ____________ day at school even today. She ___________ to school in 2006. Her mother _______________ her to school. The school was _______________ a long way from their house. ________________ Flora walked to school _______________ her mother.

D . Match the words with their meanings.

E . Do you remember your first day at school? Write a short composition about it answering the questions below.

1 How old were you at that time? 2 What is the name of the school you went to? 3 What did you put on? 4 How did you feel before you started for the school? 5 Who did you go with?

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Lesson 3: Flora’s First Day at School (2)

Keywords : intelligent, stare, nervous

A . Read the text to know more about Flora’s first day at school.

Flora continues her story.

Figure

Description: A woman in a sari stands at the left, talking with a girl beside her. A man in glasses and a checked shirt sits at the right behind a table with a globe, papers and a pen. Books are stacked on a cabinet at the left.

It took us half an hour to reach the school. I saw many students on the school campus. Some were playing and some were talking to each other. I didn't know anyone. So I was a little bit afraid.

My mother soon took me to the Head Teacher. He asked me a few questions and I answered them intelligently.

The Head Teacher was very pleased. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good! You're a highly intelligent child. You know a lot. I'll take you in my school. I hope you'll be happy here."

I was admitted to class 1. The Head Teacher was a very nice person. He called a teacher and said to her, "Ms Laila, this is Flora. She is a new student in class one . Take her to the class, please."

Ms Laila took me to the class. The class teacher welcomed me and gave me a seat. All the students in the class were staring at me. I felt a bit nervous to see all the new faces. But soon I felt easy. I could make friends with two or three students sitting close to me.

A new place is a new experience. So my first day at school is a new experience in my life. I will remember the day as long as I live.

B . Choose the correct answer.

1. How long did it take Flora to reach the school?

a. an hour b. half an hour c. less than half an hour d. one and a half hours

2. Flora was a little bit afraid when she reached the school campus because

a. the campus was full of students. b. it was the first time she went there. c. all the people there were unknown. d. the school was a long way from home.

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3. The Head Teacher was pleased with Flora because she (Flora)

a. looked very innocent. b. had a sweet voice. c. could answer the Head Teacher's questions. d. was very smart.

4. Who took Flora to the class after admission?

a. a teacher b. a peon c. her mother d. the Head Teacher

5. Flora felt nervous in the class because

a. it was a new place. b. the class teacher was very strict. c. she did not know any student in the class. d. the class did not welcome her.

C . Make sentences from this table.

D . How did you feel about the students and teachers on your first day at school? If you remember any incident or anything interesting that happened on the first day, tell the class about it and then write about it in short.

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