TPR Storytelling the News FIRST DRAFT

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A Kaizen Teaching Production
“When something can be learned without effort, great effort has gone into its teaching.”
This book has done the hard work for you. Enjoy.
Dedicated with great love to my wife Youngeun.

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If you are interested in
contacting the author:
Bryan Betz
Founder - Kaizen Teaching
010-4949-6426
BBetz1985@gmail.com
Storytelling the News, First Edition
by Bryan Betz
Storytelling the News
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any mode by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior permis-
sion from the publisher.
Design and Layout: Bryan Betz
Photo Credits:
Every effort has been made to trace all sources of illustrations/photos/
information in this book, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked,
the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the
first opportunity.

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In the
News
Storytelling the News
Don’t just learn to read the news, learn how to share it.
Table of Contents
1. “The Job No One Wants”
2. “Nintendoland to Open in Japan”
3. “90-Year-Old Starts Elementary School”
4. “Pompeii Thieves Say Relics Are Cursed”
5. “Pet Dogs Lower Stress in Kids”
6. “Man Gets World’s First Bionic Eye”
7. “Discount for Bringing Own Cup to Starbucks”
8. “The Elephant that Can Speak Korean”
9. “Bread that Stays Fresh for 60 Days”
10. “McDonald’s Restaurant to Offer All-You-Can-Eat Fries”
11. “Mount Fuji Gets Free Wi-Fi”
12. “Pilot Buys Pizza for 157 Passengers”
13. “Couple Finds $10 Million of Coins in Garden”
14. “Abandoned Puppy Gets Job at Baseball Stadium”
Workbook
1. 20-Questions
2. Make Your Own Questions
3. What Can You See?

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Chapter 1: “The Job No One Wants”
Chapter 2: “Nintendoland to Open in Japan”
Chapter 3: “90-Year-Old Starts Elementary School”
Chapter 4: “Pompeii Thieves Say Relics Are Cursed”
Story Summary
 The story of some bad people and some really bad luck.
Key Insights
 Sometimes what we want gives us more than we bargained for.
 Sooner or later, your misdeeds come back to haunt you.
Story Summary
 The story of the world’s oldest elementary school student.
Key Insights
 It is never to late to be what you might have been.
 You can teach an old dog new tricks.
Story Summary
 The story of a brand new Japanese video game theme park.
Key Insights
 Anything worth having is worth waiting for.
 If you want something bad enough, the world will conspire to help
you get it.
Story Summary
 The story of a small town doctor that just can’t find a replace-
ment.
Key Insights
 Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having
few wants.
Chapter Preview

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Chapter 5: “Pet Dogs Lower Stress in Kids”
Chapter 6: “Man Gets World’s First Bionic Eye”
Chapter 7: “Discount for Bringing Own Cup to Starbucks”
Chapter 8: “The Elephant that Can Speak Korean”
Story Summary
 The story of the world’s largest language student.
Key Insights
 Gives new meaning to the adage, “If I can do it, anyone can.”
 With enough time and patience, anyone can learn to speak a new
language.
Story Summary
 The story of how one company is trying to save its customers
some money and the environment at the same time.
Key Insights
 Be careful what you believe. What companies say and compa-
nies do are not always in alignment.
Story Summary
 The story of a real-life robotic man.
Key Insights
 It is never too late for a second chance.
Story Summary
 The story of how pets can help children live happier lives.
Key Insights
 A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves
himself.
Chapter Preview

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Chapter 9: “Bread that Stays Fresh for 60 Days”
Chapter 10: “McDonald’s Restaurant to Offer All-You-Can-Eat Fries”
Chapter 11: “Mount Fuji Gets Free Wi-Fi”
Chapter 12: “Pilot Buys Pizza for 157 Passengers”
Story Summary
 The story of 157 hungry passengers and the pilot who fed them.
Key Insights
 A little bit of customer service can go a long way.
 Don’t always blame employees for problems that are out of their
hands or things that they cannot control.
Story Summary
 The story of an ancient mountain mixing with a modern technol-
ogy.
Key Insights
 It is possible to mix old with new, traditional with modern, and
technological with natural in a way that is pleasing to all.
Story Summary
 The story of a French fries lover’s dream restaurant.
Key Insights
 Be careful what you wish for because sometimes you do get what
you want...for better or worse.
Story Summary
 The story of bread that can stay fresh for as long as two months.
Key Insights
 Freshness is in the eye of the beholder.
 21st-century food problems call for 21st-century food solutions.
Chapter Preview

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Chapter 13: “Couple Finds $10 Million of Coins in Garden”
Chapter 14: “Abandoned Puppy Gets Job at Baseball Stadium”
Story Summary
 The story of a dog no one wanted and the baseball team that did.
Key Insights
 Giving someone or something a second chance provides benefits
to both the giver and the receiver.
Story Summary
 The story of a very old, very rusty, and very expensive can.
Key Insights
 Sometimes, some of the best answers to life’s problems are in
our own backyards.
Chapter Preview
Welcome to “Storytelling the News”
“Storytelling the News”, consists of 14 readings based on human-interest stories adapted from
worldwide news sources and includes materials written with interest, authenticity, and immediacy
in mind. The universal appeal of these believe-it-or-not stories ensures a pleasurable reading ex-
perience and encourages beginning-level students to read with fluency and confidence. This
book is designed to help teachers create an atmosphere conducive to reading by making the
stories read in class both comprehensible and engaging, and to build student confidence and
help them learn to read for pleasure.

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Why use “Storytelling the News”?
The purpose of “Storytelling the News” is to create an enjoyable space for students to
read and discuss the big and not-so-big current events happening throughout the
world. It also provides extensive and intensive activities to help students get the most of each and
every story.
This book gives students the opportunity to explore high-interest readings, answer authentic and
relevant questions, articulate their thoughts, and engage with the opinions of others. This will allow
students to practice reading English using a mix of lighter questions and some that are more chal-
lenging.
There are many reasons why I use true stories from the news with my students:
First, the stories are of extremely high interest. I always select stories with "out of this world" or
"too crazy to believe" type of headlines. These headlines really grab my attention and also activate
their global knowledge, which helps with keeping their interest and developing their prediction
skills. Additionally, the articles are current and usually directly applicable to students’ lives.
Second, most news stories are written using simple present & past tenses and use simple grammar
forms and sentence structures. This is especially true of the headlines, which usually provide a "big
picture" overview of the entire story. This is helpful as students can focus on the whole story in-
stead of the details of each work, chunk, or sentence.
Third, many articles can be found in English-language newspapers printed in non-English speaking
countries. I have found a number of great articles in my local papers printed with the specific pur-
pose of studying English and include a translated copy of the text, an English-to-English glossary,
comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises...etc.
In my experience, true stories from the news work equally well with students of all ages, abilities,
Instructions for Teachers

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How “Storytelling the News” Works
Page 1: New Vocabulary and Phrases—Pre-reading
Introduction
Read the introduction of the story. This will give students a
chance to preview the story and begin to make some predictions
about the story’s content.
Ranking Activities
1. Have students focus on the picture. Ask students to try and
guess what the story is about.
2. Read the 8 options for students to rank. Make sure that every
student clearly understands the meaning of each choice.
3. Ask students to list the 8 options in order from best to worst
with #1 being the best choice to complete the prompt and
#8 being the worst choice.
4. Put students into pairs. Have students share their rankings
with their partners. Tell students to write down their partner's
rankings in the space next to their own.
5. Encourage students to ask follow-up questions about their
partners choice. Encourage them to make note of any simi-
larities or major differences between their rankings.
6. Poll students to find our the BEST & WORST rankings for the
Reading activities, for a communicative teacher, often involve helping learners know how
to read using a number of different strategies. While many of your learners may think that read-
ing simply involves going word by word and sentence by sentence, researchers now understand
that reading is an involved process that can be aided by a number of different techniques and
activities. Your job as a teacher is to help learners recognize that reading is an elaborate process
that might involve predicting, scanning, skimming, and asking questions (to yourself and to oth-
ers). Having a specific focus can also help to improve reading skills, such as an attempt to focus
on general meaning, specific facts, a particular grammatical item, guessing a word in context, and
so forth. Please recognize that a teacher plays a significant role in helping learners “unpack” writ-
ten language through the use of multiple reading strategies. What follows are a few very simple
ideas to help stimulate interaction and thought while using your Storytelling the News book in
your English classroom.

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Page 2: The Story—Reading
Page 3: Vocabulary and Phrases—Post-reading Activity
Word Association
1. Encourage students to prepare to answer questions by using an
English-to-English dictionary, or translation dictionary at home.
This is an opportunity for students to expand their vocabulary.
2. Remind students that the activity is not a race, that it is meant to
spark their creativity and expand their vocabulary.
3. The students should focus on answering all questions, but not
feel pressured to race through the answers at the expense of
coming up with a quality answer.
4. Make sure that students write out their answer and at least try to
guess at its part of speech.
5. Review students’ answers to find our the best answer from the
class as a whole.
Synonym Match
1. Have students match the colored word to its partner in the black
and white box.
2. Review students’ answers for accuracy and completion. If students
are stuck and cannot figure out the synonym, this is a great op-
portunity to highlight the parts of speech of each of the vocabu-
lary words.
The Whole Story
1. Have students close their books and then read the story to
them. I will remind students that they should try and get a
more global, big-picture idea of the story during the first
reading. This will give students a chance to hear the story in
context without worrying about each individual work and
phrase.
2. Students should open the book and re-read the story alone,
with a partner, in small groups, or as a whole class. This sec-
ond reading focuses on the content and meaning of the
reading.
New Vocabulary Review
1. Have students focus on the new vocabulary. Ask students to
try and guess what the words mean before defining them.
2. Read the English-to-English definitions and clarify the mean-
ings of each new word. Translate only when necessary.

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Page 4: Comprehension Check—Post-reading Activity 2
Page 5: Conversation Starters—Talking about the News
Let’s Talk
These conversation starters give students an opportunity to have
micro-discussions about the reading with a number of different
partners in a fairly short amount of time. The instructions to stu-
dents are as follows:
a. Meet your partner and sit face-to-face.
b. Ask any question. Listen to their answer. Ask a follow-up
question. Write down your partner’s answer.
c. Repeat until all questions are answered.
This type of speed dating activity is best performed at short inter-
vals of 2-3 minutes. This increases the number of partners, inter-
est, and opportunity for elaboration each student has during a
given class.
Follow-Ups
1. Encourage students to remember the question words. Tell
them that if they hear a good answer, they should ask a fol-
low-up question.
2. The question stems include:
* Who? * What? * Where? * When? * How much?/ How
many? * Why?
Comprehension Check
Each story has eight true-or-false statements about the reading.
This comprehension check is used to ensure students have a full
understanding of the content of the reading.
Students will read the sentence and think about the story, decide
if the sentence is true or false, circle their answer, and check your
answers with the teacher.
Fill in the Blanks & Proofreading the Story
The second comprehension check also serves to ensure student
understanding. In this activity students will complete the follow-
ing:
1. Retell the story by filling in the blanks, which are made up of
the new story vocabulary.
2. Find and correct the 10 mistakes in the story.

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Page 6: The Final Question—Writing a Five-Sentence Paragraph
Workbook Page 1: 20 Questions
20 Questions
Students must answer the 20 questions about the story’s picture
and other related topics. You may choose to allow students to
answer using simple or short answers, but I recommend that you
have students answer in complete sentences.
Additionally, I would encourage students to stretch their sentenc-
es by elaborating on their answers with more detail.
These questions all come from one picture, which should help
students see that they can build an entire conversation around
just about anything.
Writing Sample
Read the writing sample. This will serve as an example and give
students a chance to preview the writing assignment and begin
to brainstorm about their own answer to the writing prompt.
Writing Outline
The writing outline provides students with step-by-step guidance
to write a five-sentence paragraph in response to the unit’s writ-
ing prompt. The outline provides support for the following:
Topic Sentence: (Use the topic sentence to explain how you
think or feel about the question)
Support 1: First of all, (Use the body sentences to explain, de-
scribe, give reasons, or give examples)
Support 2: In addition, (Use body sentences to talk about the
topic sentence in more detail)
Support 3: Lastly, (Use transitions to organize your main points
and supporting details)
Closing Sentence: In conclusion, (Use the closing sentence to
summarize the main points)

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Workbook Page 2: Question Maker
Workbook Page 3: What can you see?
What can you see?
1. Teachers should ask them to identify the 20 they associate
with the picture. After identifying the words, students should
try and write down the words on their worksheet.
2. When possible, encourage students to write down the part of
speech for each word they list.
3. From there, the teachers can use a point system of some sort
with 1 point being awarded for each correct English word
written, 1 point for the correct spelling of the word, and a
bonus point for any words the teacher deems creative.
Question Maker
1. Using the seven most common question stems, students will
make questions based upon the story’s picture.
2. When students are finished, they will find (or be assigned) a
partner whom they will ask & answer their questions with.
3. When students have completed their questions, they will
switch partners and repeat the question and answer process.
This ensures that students see their questions as having val-
ue, and have the opportunity to use and improve upon their
questions.
4. Students should be encouraged to develop follow-up ques-
tions as they become more comfortable with each passing
partner.

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News Storytelling
1.Warm-Up
2.The Story
3.Vocabulary Practice
4.Comprehension Check
5.Let’s Talk
6.The Final Question

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1. Rank these items. Put the most important things for a job at the #1 spot.
2. Find a partner and ask them their rankings. Write their answer next to yours.
 Location
 Salary
 Nice Boss
 Working Hours
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 Holidays
 Overtime
 Promotions
 Bonus
In this story you will read about a really great job...that no one wants. Before we begin reading the
story, think about some things that make a job really GREAT. What things do you think make a job
good? What things do you think make a job BAD? What is the best job? What is the worst?

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“The Job That No One Wants”
There is a doctor's job in a small New Zealand town that no one wants. It pays
US$265,000 a year. There is no weekend work, and houses in the area are cheap. The job is
just four days a week, with 12 weeks' holiday a year. The current doctor Alan Kenny is leav-
ing. He cannot find a replacement. Four medical companies also could not find a replace-
ment. Dr. Kenny thinks people want to live and work in the city and not in the countryside.
Last year, Dr. Kenny could not go on a family holiday because he could not find a
doctor to replace him. He has been a doctor in the town for 30 years. He said he wouldn't
change his countryside life for city life. He wants to retire and he needs to give his patients
to a younger doctor. He said his work keeps him busy. He loves his job. He said: "I would like
to leave but I hit my head against a brick wall trying to attract doctors."
Expression Meaning
Holiday (noun)
vacation; a period of time that a person spends away
from home, school, or business usually in order to re-
Replacement (noun)
a person or thing that replaces someone or something
else
Replace (verb) to do the job or duty of (someone)
Retire (verb)
to stop a job or career because you have reached the
age when you do not need or want to work.
Patients (noun) a person who receives medical care or treatment
Hit one’s head against a brick wall (idiom)
to reach a point at which you find it very difficult or
impossible to continue
Attract (verb)
to cause (someone or something) to go to or move to
or toward a place
If you don’t know what a word means, ask your partner. If they don’t know, ask your teacher.
The Whole Story
Listen to your teacher and follow along reading. This will help you improve your listening.

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Words from the Story Association
Write the word you think of when you read the word in the rainbow box.
Example: Blue —> Ocean, / Swimming —> Pool
Job Available Doctor Night Week
Weekend House Price Replace City
Rural Family Holiday Lifestyle Swap
Retire Patients Young Wall Hit
Match them
up!
1. Lucky (adj.) A. Way of life (n)
2. Low (adj.) B. Yearly (adj.)
3. Annual (adj.) C. Difficulty (n)
4. Replacement (n) D. Concerned (adj.)
5. Problem (n) E. Fortunate (adj.)
6. Rural (adj.) F. Scrap (v)
7. Cancel (v) G. Woo (v)
8. Lifestyle (n) H. Cheap (adj.)
9. Worried (adj.) I. Countryside (n)
10.Attract (v) J. Successor (n)
Match the numbered word to the correct lettered word.
SYNONYM MATCH

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Comprehension Check
1. Read the sentence and think about the story.
2. Decide if the sentence is true or false.
3. Circle your answer.
4. Check your answers with the teacher.
“The Job That No One Wants”
There is a nurse’s job in a small New Zealand town that no one wants. It pays US$265,000 a year. There
is no weekend work, and houses in the area are cheap. The job is just four days a week, with 12 weeks'
____________________a year. The current doctor Alan Kenny is leaving. He cannot find a ______________. Four medi-
cal companies also could not find a replacement. Dr. Kenny thinks people want to live and work in the city
and not in the countryside.
Last year, Dr. Kenny could not go on a family holiday because he could not find a doctor to
__________________ him. He has been a doctor in the town for 30 years. He said he wouldn't change his country-
side life for city life. He wants to ____________________ and he needs to give his __________________ to a younger
doctor. He said his work keeps him busy. He loves his job. He said: "I would like to leave but I
_________________________________________ trying to _____________________ doctors."
1. Retell the Story by filling in the blanks.
The job is for a doctor in the capital of New Zealand. T/F
The job means the doctor will have to work at weekends and nights. T/F
A doctor has been looking for his replacement for two years. T/F
The doctor said everyone wants to work in the countryside. T/F
New Zealand isn’t the only country where doctors want to work in cities. T/F
The doctor cancelled a family holiday last year because he was ill. T/F
The doctor said he would not swap country life for city life. T/F
The doctor said he hit his head against a brick wall looking for doctors. T/F
doctor’s

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1. Do you think that the job is a good one? 2. What is your ideal job?
3. Why is it difficult to find someone for this job? 4. What are the benefits of this doctor’s job?
5. What are the bad things about being a doctor? 6. Is city living better than country living? Why?
7. At what age do you want to retire? 8. Do you like visiting the doctor? Dentist?
9. Would you rather be a doctor or a teacher? 10. What is the most important part of a job?
Remember your question words. If you hear a good answer, ask a follow-up Q!
* Who? * What? * Where? * When? * How much?/ How many? * Why?
1. Meet your partner and sit face-to-face.
2. Ask any question. Listen to their answer. Ask a follow-up question.
3. Write down your partner’s answer.
4. Repeat until all questions are answered.
Let’s Talk...

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1. Read the final question prompt.
2. Think about your own answer.
3. Read the example paragraph. (you may use it as a guide)
4. Write a paragraph giving three reasons to support your answer.
Write Your Answers Here:
Topic Sentence: I would (not) take the job because _____________________________________________________.
(Use the topic sentence to explain how you think or feel about the question)
Reason 1: First of all, _______________________________________________________________________________________.
(Use the body sentences to explain, describe, give reasons, or give examples)
Reason 2: In addition, ______________________________________________________________________________________.
(Use body sentences to talk about the topic sentence in more detail)
Reason 3: Lastly, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
(Use transitions to organize your main points and supporting details)
Closing Sentence: In conclusion, __________________________________________________________________________.
(Use the closing sentence to summarize the main points)
“Would you want to take the job?”
Being a doctor is a great job, but there is no way I would want to take this job. First
of all, I am from New York City, so I would not want to live in a small country like New Zealand,
and I definitely would not want to like in a small town in a small country. In addition, having a
lot of money in salary is great, but only if you are able to spend it on things and at places you
want. In such a small town, it will be really hard to find the things you want. Lastly, working in
such a small community and treating the same patients for the same illness all the time can be
boring. Doctors want new challenges and want to treat new sickness. In conclusion, I would
love to take a job as a doctor, but just not this job.

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1. Rank these items. Put the theme park you most want to go to in the #1 spot.
 Disney World
 Disney Land
 Safari Parks
 Nature Parks
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 Universal Studios
 Sea World
 Water Parks
 Sports Parks
Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Wii, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS…Mario, Luigi, Pokémon,
Zelda. These are some of the most famous video game terms in the world. In this story, you will
read about a brand new type of amusement park, a VIDEO GAME theme park.

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“Nintendoland to Open in Japan”
A new theme park will open in Osaka, Japan. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is going to
build a new attraction called Nintendoland. It will be full of rides based on Nintendo's favor-
ite characters. A USJ spokesperson said Nintendoland would be ready in 2020. It is sched-
uled to open in time for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The new park will cost $351 million to
build, which is nearly $100 million more than it cost to make the Wizarding World of Harry
Potter park at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Nintendo said the new park would,
"include major attractions…and feature Nintendo's most famous characters and games".
Nintendo has not said any more about which of its brands will be part of Ninten-
doland. Many fans predict that they will get to interact with their favorite characters, like
Mario and Luigi, Link and Zelda, and Pokémon. Fans also hope the new rides will be for peo-
ple of all ages, from toddlers to pensioners. Osaka resident Mika Hashimoto said: "I'm so ex-
cited that this theme park will be built." She said many other characters (such as Harry Pot-
ter, Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty) had a theme park, so it was good that people could have
the chance to go to a Nintendo attraction. She added: "It is about time fans of Nintendo had
a place to go and have fun. I can't wait for Nintendoland to open."
Expression Meaning
Theme Park (n.)
an amusement park where the rides and attrac-
tions are based on a particular theme
Attraction (n.)
something interesting or enjoyable that people want
to visit, see, or do
Major (adj.) very important; large in number, amount, or extent
Toddler (n.) a young child who is just learning to walk
Pensioners (n.)
someone who has permanently stopped working in a
job
Resident (n.) someone who lives in a particular place
Can’t wait for ~ (idiom)
you are very excited about doing something or eager
for something to happen or begin
The Whole Story

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Theme Park Olympics Predict Excited Universal Studios
Attraction Harry Potter Interact Mickey Mouse Japan
Favorite The Future Toddlers Hello Kitty Resident
Character Brands Pensioners Nintendo Fans
Match them
up!
1. Build (v) A. Went on to say (v)
2. Nearly (adj.) B. Citizen (n)
3. Major (adj.) C. Made public (v)
4. Added (v) D. Opportunity (n)
5. Announced (v) E. Big (adj.)
6. Predict (v) F. Construct (v)
7. Hope (v) G. Enthusiasts (n)
8. Resident (n) H. Forecast (v)
9. Chance (n) I. Almost (adj.)
10. Fans (n) J. Expect (v)
SYNONYM MATCH

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Comprehension Check
“Nintendoland to Open in Japan”
A old __________ __________ will open in Osaka, Japan. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is going to build a
new ___________________ called Nintendoland. It will be full of rides based on X-Box’s favorite characters. A
USJ spokesperson said Nintendoland would be ready in 2220. It is scheduled to open in time for the Tokyo
Winter Olympics. The new park will cost $351 million to build, which is nearly $100 million more than it cost
to make the Wizarding World of Mike Potter park at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Nintendo said
the new park would, "include ____________ attractions…and feature Nintendo's most famous characters and
games".
Nintendo has not said any more about which of its brands will be part of Nintendoland. Many fans
predict that they will get to interact with their favorite characters, like Mario and Leo, Link and Zelda, and
Pokémon. Fans also hope the new rides will be for animals of all ages, from ______________ to ______________.
Osaka ________________ Mika Hashimoto said: "I'm so excited that this theme supermarket will be built." She
said many other characters (such as Harry Potter, Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty) had a theme park, so it was
bad that people could have the chance to go to a Nintendo attraction. She added: "It is about time fans of
Nintendo had a place to go and have lunch. I ________________________ Nintendoland to open."
A new Nintendo theme park will open in Tokyo, Japan. T/F
The theme park will open in the year 2020. T/F
The park will cost $100 million less than a Harry Potter theme park. T/F
The park will not feature any of Nintendo’s games. T/F
Fans hope the park will be just for young people. T/F
Nintendo has not said which characters or brands will be in the park. T/F
A woman was happy that Nintendo characters will get a theme park. T/F
The woman said she couldn’t wait for the park to open. T/F
new

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1. Are theme parks good value for the money? 2. Is a natural park better than a theme park?
3. Do enjoy theme parks or water parks more? 4. Why are theme parks for people of all ages?
5. What are your favorite amusement park rides? 6. What do you think of your country’s parks?
7. What is your favorite theme park? Why? 8. Would you like to go to Nintendoland?
9. Are there any bad things about theme parks? 10. What are the good things about theme parks?
Let’s Talk...

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Topic Sentence: I would rather go to a ____________ park because ________________________________________.
Reason 3: Lastly, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“Would you rather go to a theme park or a natural park?”
I would rather go to a natural park because I love to be out in nature. First of all, natural parks
are quiet and peaceful place. Theme parks are way too loud and crowded. In addition, going to a natural
park is free. It doesn’t cost any money to enter. On the other hand, theme parks require you to buy a ticket to
enter. Lastly, when I go to a park I want to enjoy eating a picnic lunch. In a natural park, I can bring anything I
want, I can even barbeque steaks, hamburgers, and sausage. However, at a theme park the choices are very
limited and expensive. There are usually only a few items on each menu, and those choices are not usually
very high quality or healthy. In conclusion, while theme parks are fun, natural parks are much better for
your mind, body, and spirit.

28
1. Rank your favorite parts of school. Put the best part of school in the #1 spot.
 Teachers
 Lunch
 The Classroom
 The Lessons
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 Recess (play time)
 School Building
 Friends
 Holidays
School can be scary for anyone at any age. Imagine beginning elementary school when you are
10 times older than the average student. In this story you will read about a woman in Kenya who
is doing just that. Gogo, is one brave and OLD elementary school student.

29
“90-Year-Old Students Starts Elementary School”
A 90-year-old Kenyan grandmother has become the world's oldest elementary school stu-
dent. Priscilla Sitienei, also known as Gogo, is from a small village in Kenya. She is studying at the
local elementary school to learn to read and write. Ms. Sitienei has spent most of her life working
as a midwife, helping to deliver babies. She wants to be able to read and write so she can pass on
her midwifery skills and write down the special herbal remedies she uses when she delivers ba-
bies. She also wants to be able to read the Bible. Sitienei said she never had a chance to go to
school when she was younger. She said she knows she is old but hopes she will set an example to
younger people. She wants all the children in her village to study.
When Ms. Sitienei first tried to enroll at the school, the head teacher David Kinyanjui did
not think it was a good idea. Now he is very happy that Gogo is at the school. Mr. Kinyanjui said
Gogo is a "blessing and a motivator". He added: "I'm very proud of her. She is loved by every pu-
pil. They all want to learn and play with her." He also said: "She is doing well considering her age.
I can say I have seen a big difference in this school since she came." Gogo had a message for chil-
dren everywhere, saying: "I want to say to the children of the world, especially girls, that educa-
tion will be your wealth." She added: "With education, you can be whatever you want - a doctor,
lawyer or a pilot."
Expression Meaning
Village (n.) a small town in the country
Midwife (n.)
a person (usually a woman) who helps a woman when
she is giving birth to a child
Herbal Remedies (n.) medicines made from plants
Set an example (v.)
to lead by behaving in a way that shows others how to
behave
Enroll (v.)
to enter (someone) as a member of or participant in
something
Blessing (n.) something that helps you or brings happiness
Motivator (n.) a reason for doing something
The Whole Story

30
Grandmother Elementary school Village Midwife Babies
Skills Remedies Teacher Blessing Motivator
Education Doctor Lawyer Student Message
Gift Chance Neighborhood Give Difference
Match them
up!
1. Student (n) A. Gift (n)
2. Local (adj.) B. Cures (n)
3. Pass on (v) C. Register (v)
4. Remedies (n) D. Neighborhood (n)
5. Chance (n) E. Taking into account (v)
6. Enroll (v) F. Pupil (n)
7. Blessing (n) G. Riches (n)
8. Considering (v) H. Opportunity (n)
9. Especially (adverb) I. Give (v)
10. Wealth (n) J. Particularly (adverb)
SYNONYM MATCH

31
Comprehension Check
“90-Year-Old Students Starts Elementary School”
A 20-year-old Kenyan grandmother has become the world's oldest university school student. Priscilla
Sitienei, also known as Gogo, is from a small __________ in Kenya. She is studying at the local elementary
school to learn to listen and speak. Ms. Sitienei has spent most of her life working as a _____________, helping to
deliver milk. She wants to be able to read and write so she can pass on her midwifery skills and write down
the special ___________ __________ she uses when she delivers babies. She also wants to be able to read the Har-
ry Potter. Sitienei said she never had a chance to go to school when she was younger. She said she knows she
is old but hopes she will ______ ____ ___________ to younger people. She wants all the children in her village to
study.
When Ms. Sitienei first tried to _____________ at the school, the head teacher David Kinyanjui did not
think it was a bad idea. Now he is very angry that Gogo is at the school. Mr. Kinyanjui said Gogo is a
"__________ and a ___________". He added: "I'm very proud of her. She is loved by every pupil. They all want to
learn and play with her." He also said: "She is doing well considering her age. I can say I have seen a big dif-
ference in this school since she came." Gogo had a message for adults everywhere, saying: "I want to say to
the children of the world, especially boys, that education will be your wealth." She added: "With education,
you can be whatever you want - a doctor, lawyer or a basketball player."
The world’s oldest elementary school student is also a grandmother. T/F
The student lives in the capital city of Kenya. T/F
The woman wants to be able to write about things in her job. T/F
The woman wants all the children in her village to study. T/F
The school head teacher always wanted the woman to join the school. T/F
Not all of the students in the school like the old lady. T/F
The head teacher said the woman made a big difference to the school. T/F
The woman had a special message just for boys. T/F
90

32
1. Why would going to school at 90 be bad? 2. Why do you think the students love Gogo?
3. Do you think there are things Gogo can’t do? 4. What job do/did you want in school? Now?
5. What questions would you like to ask Gogo? 6. What do/did you think of your school?
7. What do you think of Gogo? Could you do it? 8. Do you want to continue to learn all your life?
9. How is life different if you can’t read or write? 10. What can the children learn from Gogo?
Let’s Talk...

33
Topic Sentence: I think it is a good/bad idea to let elderly people study in elementary school.
Reason 3: Lastly, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“Do you think it is a good idea to let elderly people study in elementary schools?”
The goal of education is to make the student a better person. This goal is not accomplished at
the end of school, it is a lifelong task, so I think it is a good idea to let elderly people study in ele-
mentary schools. First of all, many students do not want to be in school, so if an elderly person wants to
go, they will do their best and be a great student. In addition, elderly students are calm and less energetic,
so younger students can see a good example of classroom behavior from them. Lastly, the young and elder-
ly students can learn many valuable skills from each other. The young students could teach the elderly about
technology, and the elderly students could teach the young about manners and good behavior. In conclu-
sion, there should be no age limit on learning, in school or out of school. Knowledge doesn’t care
who is learning it.

34
1. Rank the best cities for tourists. Put the best city in the #1 spot.
 Seoul
 New York
 Athens
 Bangkok
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 London
 Sydney
 Cairo
 Rio de Janeiro
For many people, bringing home a souvenir is one of the best parts of traveling. It can be a good
way to remember your trip and share your experiences with family and friends. However, many
people steal their “souvenirs” from historical tourist destination; for some tourists, it was a bad
idea.

35
“Pompeii Thieves Say Relics Are Cursed”
The ancient city of Pompeii near Naples, Italy, receives hundreds of thousands of tourists
every year. It is one of Italy's top tourist destinations. Most tourists leave the 2,000-year-old site
with happy memories, photos and souvenirs. However, some visitors take more. They take historic
relics from the city – things like small statues, stones or mosaic tiles. However, many of these peo-
ple are now regretting their actions. They say the relics are cursed and have filled their lives with
bad luck since bringing them home. A senior official at Pompeii said he has had hundreds of
packages from across the world from people returning what they had taken. Many people apolo-
gized and wrote stories about their bad luck.
The senior official, Massimo Osanna, told reporters about some of the stories he had re-
ceived. One man from Latin America explained that his life was full of traumas after he got home
from Italy with a small tile he had put in his pocket. A person from Spain returned five packages
containing stolen items, including a bronze statue that went missing in 1987. The writer com-
plained that the statue had put, "a curse on his entire family". Mr. Osanna is thinking about setting
up an exhibition of all the letters he has received. He explained that the letters might be more in-
teresting than the relics. He said: "It's not that the stolen pieces are highly interesting or valuable.
It's more the letters."
Expression Meaning
Tourist (n.) a person who travels to a place for fun
Destination (n.)
a place to which a person is going or something is
being sent
Souvenir (n.)
something you keep as a reminder of a place you
have visited, an event you have been to, etc.
Relic (n.) something that is from a past time, place, culture
Regret (v.) to feel sad or sorry about
Trauma (n.)
a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes
someone to have mental or emotional problems usu-
ally for a long time
Exhibition (n.)
an event at which objects (such as works of art) are
put out in a public space for people to look at
The Whole Story

36
Ancient Tourists Destination Memory Souvenir
Historic Relic Package Story Trauma
Stolen Statue Complain Exhibition Interesting
Valuable Italy Apologize Return Thief
Match them
up!
1. Ancient (adj.) A. Said sorry (v)
2. Tourist (n) B. Sent back (v)
3. Relics (n) C. Top (adj.)
4. Senior (adj.) D. Sightseers (n)
5. Apologized (v) E. Bad experiences (n)
6. Received (v) F. Whole (adj.)
7. Traumas (n) G. Very old (adj.)
8. Returned (v) H. Precious (adj.)
9. Entire (adj.) I. Got (v)
10. Valuable (adj.) J. Objects (n)
SYNONYM MATCH

37
Comprehension Check
“Pompeii Thieves Say Relics Are Cursed”
The modern city of Pompeii near Naples, Germany, receives hundreds of thousands of _________ every day. It
is one of Italy's top tourist ____________. Most tourists leave the 2,000-year-old site with sad memories, photos and
__________. However, some visitors take more. They take historic ____________ from the city – things like big statues,
stones or mosaic tiles. However, many of these people are now ______________ their actions. They say the relics are
cursed and have filled their lives with bad luck since bringing them home. A senior official at Pompeii said he has
had hundreds of packages from across the world from people returning what they had taken. Many people apolo-
gized and wrote stories about their bad luck.
The senior official, Massimo Osanna, told reporters about all of the stories he had received. One man from
North America explained that his life was empty of ___________ after he got home from Italy with a small tile he had
put in his pocket. A person from Spain returned ten packages containing stolen items, including a bronze statue
that went missing in 1987. The writer complained that the statue had put, "a curse on his entire family". Mr. Osanna
is thinking about setting up an ______________ of all the letters he has received. He explained that the letters might
be less interesting than the relics. He said: "It's not that the stolen pieces are highly interesting or valuable. It's
more the letters."
The article says Pompeii receives millions of visitors a year. T/F
Pompeii is over 3,000 years old. T/F
People had bad luck after stealing things from Pompeii. T/F
People returned relics along with letters of apology. T/F
A Latin American man said he got lots of good luck from Pompeii relics. T/F
A Spanish man complained about being cursed by a golden statue. T/F
A Pompeii official wants to set up an exhibition of the letters. T/F
The official said the letters are more interesting than the relics. T/F
ancient

38
1. What famous old places have you visited? 2. How important are archaeological sites?
3. What are your favorite tourist destinations? 4. Do you believe in good and bad luck?
5. What thing have you done that you regretted? 6. What traumas have you had in your life?
7. Are you generally a lucky or unlucky person? 8. Should the Pompeii thieves have to go to jail?
9. When was the last time you wrote an apology? 10. What is the best exhibition you have been to?
Let’s Talk...

39
Topic Sentence: I think the best tourist attraction in the world is ______________________________________.
Reason 3: Lastly, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“What is the best tourist attraction in the world?”
I think the best tourist attraction in the world is The Statue of Liberty in New York City. First of
all, it is located in New York City, in the United States, so to see the tourist attraction, you have to go to a re-
ally big city, not the countryside. In addition, the statue is located on an island off the coast of the city, and
the only way to get to the island is by ferry. So, the trip to the island is also a really fun part of the experience.
Lastly, you can visit the Statue of Liberty for free. Even though the ferry costs a few dollars to ride, going on
to the island is free. Also, you can stay and explore the island all day at no cost. In conclusion, there are
many amazing tourist attractions around the world, but none are as well located, interesting, and
cheap as the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

40
1. Rank these stressful things for kids. Put the most stressful in the #1 spot.
 School
 Parents
 Fashion
 Family Problems
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 Bullies
 Money
 Social Media
 World News
Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, "You make me happy. I am glad to see you."
That is why dogs make such a hit. They are so glad to see us that they almost jump out of their
skins. So, naturally, we are glad to see them. People keep dogs as pets because they give nothing
but love.

41
“Pet Dogs Lower Stress in Kids”
New research shows that having a pet dog can help to reduce children's stress. A study
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA shows that petting a dog is a great
way to help stressed kids. Researchers looked at 643 children aged six and seven over an 18-
month period. They found that children who have a pet dog suffer from less stress than children
without a dog. The researchers said that just twelve per cent of children with pets showed signs
of stress. This compares with 21 per cent of children with no dog. The research will come as no
surprise to the parents of children who have a dog. They have always known that a dog is great
for helping a child's development and mental health.
A researcher said there are many things about the research that she is still unclear about.
She said she did not know if less anxious children have pet dogs, or if it is the other way round
and pet dogs make children less anxious. She said the research just showed a link between pet
dogs and children's stress. She said pet dogs help children start conversations. This can often be
difficult for children to do and can cause them stress. The researchers also said a pet dog can be
a source of comfort for children. The dog can also act as a friend to a small child, who tells the
pet all his or her secrets and stories. Sometimes the dog is so important that its name can be the
first word the child speaks.
Expression Meaning
Research (n.)
careful study that is done to find and report new
knowledge about something
Pet (v.)
to touch (a cat, dog, child, etc.) with your hand in a
loving or friendly way
Mental Health (n.) the condition or well-being of the mind
Unclear (adj.) difficult to understand; confusing
Anxious (adj.)
afraid or nervous especially about what may hap-
pen : feeling anxiety
A link between (n.) a relationship or connection between things
Source (n.) the cause of something
The Whole Story

42
Research Dog Link Conversations Animal
Children Month Anxious Source of Comfort Comfort
Stress Suffer Unclear Secret Reduce
Pet Surprise Parents Story Name
Match them
up!
1. Reduce (v) A. Uncertain (adj.)
2. Found (v) B. Wonderful (adj.)
3. Suffer from (v) C. Discussions (n)
4. Stress (n) D. Discovered (v)
5. Great (adj.) E. Significant (adj.)
6. Unclear (adj.) F. Anxiety (n)
7. Link (n) G. Lower (v)
8. Conversations (n) H. Relaxation (n)
9. Comfort (n) I. Experience (v)
10. Important (adj.) J. Connection (n)
SYNONYM MATCH

43
Comprehension Check
“Pet Dogs Lower Stress in Kids”
New ___________ shows that having a pet dog can help to reduce adult’s stress. A study by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in the UK shows that ____________ a cat is a great way to help stressed kids. Re-
searchers looked at 643 children aged six and seven over an 18-month period. They found that children who
have a pet dog suffer from more stress than children without a dog. The researchers said that just twelve per cent
of children with pets showed signs of stress. This compares with 21 per cent of children with no dog. The re-
search will come as no surprise to the teachers of children who have a dog. They have always known that a dog is
great for helping a child's development and __________ ___________.
A researcher said there are many things about the research that she is still ___________ about. She said she
did not know if less ___________ children have pet dogs, or if it is the other way round and pet dogs make children
less anxious. She said the research just showed ____ _______ ________ pet dogs and children's stress. She said pet
dogs help children end conversations. This can often be easy for children to do and can cause them stress. The
researchers also said a pet dog can be a ____________ of comfort for children. The dog can also act as a enemy to a
small child, who tells the pet all his or her secrets and jokes. Sometimes the dog is so important that its name can
be the first word the child writes.
A center for disease control conducted the study on kids and dogs. T/F
Researchers looked at how kids aged 18 months acted with pet dogs. T/F
The article said 12% of children have a pet dog. T/F
The research is news to parents of children who have a dog. T/F
A researcher was clear that less anxious children have pet dogs. T/F
A researcher said pet dogs help children start conversations. T/F
Some children tell their secrets to their pet dogs. T/F
Sometimes the name of a pet is the first word a child speaks. T/F
children’s

44
1. Are pets important? Why or why not? 2. What can we do to reduce stress in children?
3. Why is a dog so good at reducing stress? 4. Should animals be kept as pets?
5. What do you do to reduce your stress? 6. What stresses do pets have?
7. What does a child learn from caring for a pet? 8. Are they any bad things about having a pet?
9. Is a dog or a cat better to have as a pet? 10. What secrets did you have as a child? Now?
2. Ask any question. Listen to their answer. Ask a follow-up question. .
Let’s Talk...

45
Topic Sentence: I think having a pet is a good/bad way to reduce stress.
Reason 3: Lastly, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“Is having a pet a good way to reduce stress?”
My dog is my best friend. I think having a pet is a great way to reduce stress and increase hap-
piness. First of all, having a pet is like having another member of your family who loves you. Sometimes
we get angry at our family members, but we always care about and love them. The same goes for pets, they
reduce more stress than they make. In addition, a pet only wants to show you that it loves you because it
loves its owner more than anything else in the world. Lastly, a pet needs to be exercised outdoors to be
healthy, so do people. This will help reduce the owners stress by making him or her walk in nature and get
fresh air every day. In conclusion, having a pet (dog, cat, bird, fish….etc.) is a great way to reduce
stress, stay healthy, and have a connection to nature.

46
1. Rank these beautiful things to look at. Put the most beautiful in the #1 spot.
 Babies
 Flowers
 Yourself
 a Rainbow
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 Art
 Countryside
 TV
 Cars
Each of our five sense are important to our experience as human beings. Sight, touch, hearing,
smell and taste all make our lives better. Of all these senses, many people find sight to be the
most valuable. For one man, who lost his sight, he was given back this most valuable gift.

47
“Man Gets World’s First Bionic Eye”
A man in Britain can see again because of a new bionic eye. Ray Flynn, 80, became the first
patient in the world to get the new device, which is an artificial retina. Mr. Flynn suffers from a
condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is one of the most common prob-
lems with eyesight around the world. Flynn started losing his sight ten years ago. Doctors told
him eight years ago that he had AMD. From that time, his sight became worse and worse. It be-
came so bad that he could only see things out of the corners of his eyes. Everything in the center
of his eyes was blurred and he could not see shapes properly. He said that even looking at simple
things made him very tired.
Mr. Flynn's bionic eye cost $125,000. Britain's national health service hopes the cost of the
operation will come down. This means many more people will be able to have the operation for
free. Flynn had the surgery last month. Doctors spent four hours putting a microchip in the back
of his eye. Doctors are very happy with the operation, which they said was a success. Flynn can
now read a newspaper and admire the flowers in his garden for the first time in many years. His
doctor, professor Paulo Stanga, said: "Mr. Flynn's progress is truly remarkable. He is seeing the
outline of people and objects very effectively." Professor Stanga hopes scientists can also help
people who have been blind from birth.
Expression Meaning
Bionic (adj.) made stronger or better by adding an electronic device
Device (n.)
an object, machine, or piece of equipment that has been made
for some special purpose
Artificial (adj.) not natural or real
Blurred (adj.) unclear or difficult to see
Operation (n.)
when a doctor cuts into someone's body to fix or remove a dam-
aged or diseased part
Admire (v.) to look at (something or someone) with enjoyment
Blind (n.) unable to see
The Whole Story

48
See Bionic Eye Patient Artificial
Simple Microchip Success Year Problem
National Operation Blind Remarkable Eyesight
Health Service Sense Device Worse
Match them
up!
1. Device (n) A. Middle (n)
2. Artificial (adj.) B. At no cost (n)
3. Condition (n) C. Price (n)
4. Center (n) D. Gadget (n)
5. Blurred (adj.) E. Really (adverb)
6. Cost (n) F. Out of focus (adj.)
7. For Free (n) G. Man-made (adj.)
8. Surgery (n) H. Things (n)
9. Truly (adverb) I. Illness (n)
10. Objects (n) J. Operation (n)
SYNONYM MATCH

49
Comprehension Check
“Man Gets World’s First Bionic Eye”
A man in America can see again because of a new __________ eye. Ray Flynn, 70, became the first patient in
the world to get the new __________, which is an __________ retina. Mr. Flynn suffers from a condition called age-
related macular degeneration (AMD). This is one of the most uncommon problems with eyesight around the world.
Flynn started losing his sight twenty years ago. Doctors told him eight years ago that he had AMD. From that time,
his sight became better and better. It became so bad that he could only see things out of the corners of his eyes.
Everything in the center of his eyes was __________ and he could not see shapes properly. He said that even looking
at simple things made him very tired.
Mr. Flynn's bionic eye cost $250,000. Britain's national health service hopes the cost of the _________ will
come up. This means many more people will be able to have the operation for free. Flynn had the surgery last
month. Doctors spent four hours putting a microchip in the back of his eye. Doctors are very angry with the opera-
tion, which they said was a failure. Flynn can now read a newspaper and __________ the flowers in his garbage for
the first time in many years. His doctor, professor Paulo Stanga, said: "Mr. Flynn's progress is truly remarkable. He is
seeing the outline of people and objects very effectively." Professor Stanga hopes scientists can also help people
who have been __________ from birth.
The man who received the bionic eye was more than 70 years old. T/F
The bionic eye was an artificial retina. T/F
The man found out he had a problem called AMD last year. T/F
The problem meant he could only see out of the corners of his eyes. T/F
The eye cost $125,000. T/F
Britain's health service said the operation will never come down in price. T/F
The operation took 14 hours. T/F
A doctor said the operation could not help people who were born blind. T/F
Britain

50
1. Have you ever had surgery? What body part? 2. How has your eyesight changed over your life?
3. What do you think about bionic body parts? 4. How important is eyesight?
5. Which sense would you rather lose? 6. What can you do to look after your eyes?
7. What are the ugliest things to look at? 8. What do you never want to see again?
9. What would you like to change about you? 10. What is the most beautiful part of the body?
Let’s Talk...

51
Topic Sentence: All five senses are important, but I feel ________________________ is the most important.
Reason 1: First of all, ________________________________________________________________________________________.
Reason 2: In addition, _______________________________________________________________________________________.
Reason 3: Lastly, _____________________________________________________________________________________________.
Closing Sentence: In conclusion, ___________________________________________________________________________.
“What is the most important of the five senses?”
All of the five senses are important, useful, and make our lives better, but I feel touch is the
most important. First of all, without the sense of touch, we cannot feel a loving hug from our mom or a
high-five from our dad after we do a good job at something, or a kiss from someone we really love. In addi-
tion, the sense of touch keeps us safe. If we could not use our sense of touch, we would not be able to feel
pain from something that is hurting us, this could be very dangerous. Lastly, touch is the best sense because
we can feel so many different types of textures like: wet & dry, hard & soft, rough & smooth, sticky & slimy,
hot & cold, pleasure & pain...etc. In conclusion, my life would be worse if I could not see, hear, taste, or
smell; but touch is the one sense I would not want to live without.

52
1. Rank these recyclables. Put the most important thing to recycle in the #1 spot.
 Chopsticks
 Cell Phones
 Batteries
 Plastic Bags
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 Clothes
 Light Bulbs
 Paper Cups
 Plastic Bottles
One of the great conveniences of modern life is the rise of single use products. These disposable
products are items that can be thrown away after use. Among these disposable goods, paper
cups are among the most useful, but they are also one of the most wasteful.

53
“Discount for Bringing Own Cup to Starbucks”
The international coffee shop chain Starbucks will start giving customers a discount if they
bring their own cups. The discount is part of a two month trial in cafes in England. Starbucks said
it wants to reduce the amount of waste and recycle more. The vice president of Starbucks UK said:
"Starbucks is committed to increasing recycling rates and reusable cups are a key part of our
overall waste reduction strategy." Bosses will look at the success of the trial and then decide if
they will continue it. The company wants to cut down on the huge number of paper cups that are
put in the trash. Customers who bring their own mugs will get a discount on all drinks, except for
the cafe's cheaper filter coffee.
The issue of disposable paper cups has been in the news in England a lot recently. Around
2.5 billion of them are thrown away every year – that's about seven million cups every day. Jour-
nalists have said that some coffee chains lie about how many paper cups they recycle. The jour-
nalists say the companies do not recycle as many cups as they say they do. This means customers
wrongly believe that a coffee shop is environmentally friendly. A recycling service in the UK said
that fewer than one in 400 paper cups at coffee shop chains are recycled. One coffee drinker said
she would now bring her own cup. She said: "I am disappointed that cafes recycle so little. I
thought they were more responsible."
Expression Meaning
Customer (n.) someone who buys goods or services from a business
Trial (n.)
a test that is done for a period of time to see if something is
worth buying, using, etc
Reduce (v.) to make (something) smaller in size, amount, number, etc
Waste (n.)
material that is left over or that is unwanted after something has
been made, done, used, etc.
Cut down on (v.) to use less or do less of something
Disposable (adj.)
made to be used once or only a few times : made to be thrown
away after one use or several uses
Environmentally friendly (adj.) not harmful to the natural world
The Whole Story

54
International Coffee Shop Discount Waste
Trial Disposable Journalist Customer Recycling
Cup Global Starbucks Environment Strategy
Disappointed Trash UK Friendly Success
Match them
up!
1. International (adj.) A. Very large (adj.)
2. Trial (n.) B. Topic (n.)
3. Huge (adj.) C. Apart from (prep.)
4. Trash (n.) D. Trustworthy (adj.)
5. Except for (prep.) E. Rubbish (n.)
6. Issue (n.) F. Throwaway (adj.)
7. Disposable (adj.) G. Global (adj.)
8. Thrown away (v.) H. Saddened (adj.)
9. Disappointed (adj.) I. Disposed of (v.)
10. Responsible (adj.) J. Experiment (n.)
SYNONYM MATCH

55
Comprehension Check
“Discount for Bringing Own Cup to Starbucks”
The international tea shop chain Starbucks will stop giving ______________ a discount if they bring their own
cups. The discount is part of a three month ______________ in cafes in England. Starbucks said it wants to ____________
the amount of ______________ and recycle less. The vice president of Starbucks UK said: "Starbucks is committed to
increasing recycling rates and reusable cups are a key part of our overall waste reduction strategy." Bosses will look
at the success of the trial and then decide if they will continue it. The company wants to ______________ the huge
number of plastic cups that are put in the trash. Customers who bring their own mugs will get a discount on all
drinks, except for the cafe's cheaper filter coffee.
The issue of ______________ paper cups has been in the news in America a lot recently. Around 2.5 million of
them are thrown away every year – that's about seven million cups every day. Journalists have said that some cof-
fee chains lie about how many paper cups they recycle. The journalists say the companies do not recycle as many
cups as they say they do. This means customers wrongly believe that a coffee shop is ______________. A recycling ser-
vice in the UK said that fewer than one in 300 paper cups at coffee shop chains are recycled. One coffee eater said
she would now bring her own cup. She said: "I am disappointed that cafes recycle so much. I thought they were
more responsible."
The discount is part of a two-month trial. T/F
Reusable cups are not a part of the cafe's waste reduction strategy. T/F
Bosses will decide the future of the discounts after the trial finishes. T/F
Starbucks customers will get a discount on the cheapest filter coffee. T/F
Around 2.5 million paper cups are thrown away each year. T/F
Journalists say some cafes lie about the amount they recycle. T/F
A recycling service said coffee shops recycle one in 400 paper cups. T/F
A coffee drinker was very happy with how cafes recycle. T/F
coffee

56
1. What is your favorite coffee shop? 2. Would you take a mug to get a discount?
3. What things could you recycle more often? 4. What can fast food restaurants recycle more?
5. Is coffee at home better than in a cafe? 6. Do you like hot coffee or iced coffee better?
7. Do you prefer to eat-in or take out? 8. How many times a week do you drink coffee?
9. How are you environmentally friendly? 10. What are the benefits of disposable cups?
Let’s Talk...

57
Topic Sentence: We should all try to reduce, reuse, and recycle, but I feel recycling ______________________
is the most important.
Reason 1: First of all, ______________________________________________________________________________________.
Reason 2: In addition, _____________________________________________________________________________________.
Reason 3: Lastly, ___________________________________________________________________________________________.
Closing Sentence: In conclusion, _________________________________________________________________________.
“What is the most important thing people should recycle?”
There are many things in our lives that are important to recycle, but to me, the most important
thing people can recycle are plastic bottles. First of all, the American Chemistry Council estimates that the
average consumer uses 166 plastic water bottles each year and that 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away
every hour. In addition, about 87% of plastic bottles are found in landfills, not recycled – that number is
much too high. Lastly, recycling can also help reduce the number of plastic water bottles that end up as litter
in roadways and water sources which helps keep our environment beautiful. In conclusion, you should do
your best to recycle everything you can, but plastic bottles are the most important thing to recycle.

58
1. Rank these animals. Put the animal you most want to talk to in the #1 spot.
 Lion
 Elephant
 Dolphin
 Dog
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 Ant
 Snake
 Monkey
 Eagle
We have all wished to be able to speak to our favorite pet or animal. Well for one trainer in
South Korea this dream has become a reality. In this story you will read about one man’s very
large language student.

59
“The Elephant that Can Speak Korean”
An elephant in Korea has become a language student. Koshik, a 22- year-old male elephant,
is already fluent in speaking "elephantese," but he is now trying to learn the Korean language Han-
gul. A report about Koshik was printed in the online journal "Current Biology". The author of the
report is Dr. Angela Stoeger-Horwath, who works at the University of Vienna in Austria. Research-
ers said Koshik has been listening to human speech for many years and has slowly learned to copy
it. He can now say the Korean for hello, sit down, no, lie down, good, not yet, and yes. Dr. Stoeger-
Horwath asked 16 Koreans to listen to 47 recordings of Koshik. They could all understand what he
was saying.
The researchers gave a few reasons why they think Koshik can talk. One possibility is that he
has a very close relationship with his trainer, Kim Jong-gab. Mr. Kim often sleeps near Koshik to
keep him company. The trainer talks to him every day, so Koshik copied what he heard. Another is
that the elephant is lonely and wants to communicate with people and have friends. The research
team said the way Koshik makes sounds is very unusual - he uses his trunk to reproduce human
speech. They said he is much better at making vowel sounds than consonant sounds. Trainer Kim
Jonggab said he has one more phrase that he wants to teach Koshik - "Saranghae," or "I love you."
Expression Meaning
Fluent (adj.) able to speak a language easily and very well
Speech (n.) the ability to speak or talk
Possibility (n.) a chance that something might exist, happen, or be true
Trainer (n.) a person who teaches or coaches athletes or animals
Reproduce (v.) to make a copy of
Vowel (n.)
a speech sound made with your mouth open and your tongue in
the middle of your mouth not touching your teeth, lips, etc.
Consonant (n.)
a speech sound (such as /p/, /d/, or /s/) that is made by partly or
completely stopping the flow of air breathed out from the mouth
The Whole Story

60
Language Student Fluent Elephant Online
Author Human Speech Recording Reason
Relationship Trainer Lonely Communicate Vowel
Consonant I love you Understand Copy Imitate
Match them
up!
1. Student (n.) A. Writer (n.)
2. Fluent (adj.) B. Causes (n.)
3. Author (n.) C. Follow (v.)
4. Copy (v.) D. Communicative (adj.)
5. Understand (v.) E. Unloved (adj.)
6. Reasons (n.) F. Expression (n.)
7. Communicate (v.) G. Learner (n.)
8. Lonely (adj.) H. Interact (v.)
9. Unusual (adj.) I. Imitate (v.)
10. Phrase (n.) J. Uncommon (adj.)
SYNONYM MATCH

61
Comprehension Check
“The Elephant that Can Speak Korean”
An elephant in China has become a language teacher. Koshik, a 44- year-old male elephant, is already
__________ in speaking "elephantese," but he is now trying to learn the Korean language Hangul. A report about Ko-
shik was printed in the online journal "Current Biology". The author of the report is Dr. Angela Stoeger-Horwath,
who works at the University of Seoul in Austria. Researchers said Koshik has been listening to monster __________ for
many years and has slowly learned to copy it. He can now say the Japanese for hello, sit down, no, lie down, good,
not yet, and yes. Dr. Stoeger-Horwath asked 16 Koreans to listen to 47 recordings of Koshik. They could all under-
stand what he was saying.
The researchers gave a few reasons why they think Koshik can talk. One ___________ is that he has a very dis-
tant relationship with his __________, Kim Jong-gab. Mr. Kim often eats near Koshik to keep him company. The trainer
talks to him every day, so Koshik copied what he heard. Another is that the monkey is lonely and wants to com-
municate with people and have friends. The research team said the way Koshik makes sounds is very unusual - he
uses his trunk to __________ human speech. They said he is much better at making __________ sounds than __________
sounds. Trainer Kim Jonggab said he has one more phrase that he wants to teach Koshik - "Saranghae," or "I hate
you."
An elephant in Korea has become fluent in speaking Hangul. T/F
The report about the elephant is only in newspapers and magazines. T/F
The researcher who wrote the report is not Korean. T/F
Sixteen Korean people listened to nearly 50 recordings of the elephant. T/F
The elephant gets on very well with his trainer. T/F
The researchers said the elephant has too many friends to be lonely. T/F
The elephant can use vowels better than consonants. T/F
The elephant can say, "I love you" in Korean. T/F
Korea

62
1. What do you think elephants would complain
about?
2. What is most difficult about learning English?
3. What are your strong points in English? 4. What words would you like to teach Koshik?
5. What questions would you like to ask Koshik? 6. What animal do you want to talk with?
7. What do you think elephants talk about? 8. Do you think animals will speak in the future?
9. Do you like to speak or write in English?
10. Is having a school animal a good idea or a
bad idea?
Let’s Talk...

63
Topic Sentence: Learning a language is not easy, but I feel _________________ is the most difficult part.
Reason 3: Lastly, _____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“What is the most difficult part about learning a new language?”
Language is the most important type of human communication, but it is also the most diffi-
cult. For me, elaboration is the most difficult part of learning a new language. First of all, answering
basic questions and giving simple information does not take a lot of skill—giving more details is much
more difficult. In addition, the more information I have to give the more I have to speak and that makes
me nervous. Lastly, to elaborate, I have to think about the question and this takes a lot of time. While I am
thinking, the other person is staring at me waiting for my answer. This makes me feel uncomfortable. In
conclusion, basic conversation and chit-chat are no problem, but elaborating on my ideas is a prob-
lem. Giving a detailed answer is the most difficult part about learning a new language.

64
1. Rank these breads. Put the most delicious or useful bread in the #1 spot.
 Croissant
 Bagel
 Baguette
 Indian nan
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 White bread
 Whole wheat
 Roll
 Tortilla
Food borne illness has a huge impact in the United States and the world. In the US each year
food sicknesses cause: 5,000 deaths and $5 to $7 billion in losses to the economy. Now, there is a
new technology that may be able to help make our food much safer.

65
“Bread that Stays Fresh for 60 Days”
American scientists say they can make bread last for up to two months. They have
found a way to stop mold or fungus growing on bread and other food. The researchers are
from a biotechnology company called MicroZap. The company's name gives a clue to how
their technology works. They use high-powered microwaves to zap the food and kill anything
that could grow fungus. They started their project to find an answer to the superbugs that are
found in many U.S. hospitals. However, they soon discovered that their technique could steri-
lize food. The scientists say they only need to microwave the bread for about ten seconds and
then it is OK to eat 60 days later. They also say the taste of the bread stays the same.
The scientists believe their discovery could stop people throwing away so much food.
Studies show that Americans put around 40 per cent of the food they buy into the trash. Hav-
ing food that lasts longer would save people money and help the Earth. Another benefit of Mi-
croZap's technology is in stopping disease. Illness from food has a huge impact on society.
There are 76 million cases of food poisoning in America every year, with 5,000 deaths. It costs
the economy about $6 billion annually. The company hopes to use its technology soon in mak-
ing safe, ready-made meals for war zones and areas hit by disasters. Micro Zapping could be-
come the best thing since sliced bread.
Expression Meaning
Last for (v.) to continue in good condition
Give a clue (v.) to give information about something
Zap (v.) to heat or cook (something) in a microwave oven
Sterilize (v.) to clean (something) by destroying germs or bacteria
Benefit (n.) a good or helpful result or effect
Illness (n.) a condition of being unhealthy in your body or mind
Best thing since sliced bread
(idiom.)
used to describe something or someone that you think is very
good, useful, etc.
The Whole Story

66
Scientist Biotechnology Microwave Bugs Food
Taste Discovery Food Waste Poison Ready-made Meal
Bread Last Clean Clue Survive
Huge Month High-powered Safe Company
Match them
up!
1. Last (adj.) A. Clean (adj.)
2. Way (n.) B. Effect (n.)
3. Clue (n.) C. Finding (n.)
4. Sterilize (v.) D. Survive (v.)
5. Stays (v.) E. Trashing (v.)
6. Discovery (n.) F. Hint (v.)
7. Throwing away (v.) G. Yearly (adj.)
8. Huge (adj.) H. Method (n.)
9. Impact (n.) I. Remains (n.)
10. Annually (adj.) J. Very big (adj.)
SYNONYM MATCH

67
Comprehension Check
“Bread that Stays Fresh for 60 Days”
Korean scientists say they can make bread ______________ up to two years. They have found a way to
stop mold or fungus growing on bread and other food. The researchers are from a biotechnology company
called MicroZap. The company's name _______________ to how their technology works. They use low-powered
microwaves to ___________ the food and kill anything that could grow fungus. They started their project to
find an answer to the superheroes that are found in many U.S. hospitals. However, they soon discovered that
their technique could _______________ food. The scientists say they only need to microwave the bread for
about ten minutes and then it is OK to eat 600 days later. They also say the taste of the bread stays the
same.
The scientists believe their discovery could stop people throwing away so much food. Studies show
that Americans put around 90 per cent of the food they buy into the trash. Having food that lasts longer
would save people money and help the Sun. Another ___________ of MicroZap's technology is in stopping
disease. ____________ from food has a huge impact on society. There are 7.6 million cases of food poisoning
in America every year, with 5,000 deaths. It costs the economy about $6 billion annually. The company
hopes to use its technology soon in making safe, ready-made meals for school zones and areas hit by disas-
ters. Micro Zapping could become the ____________________________________________.
Scientists have created a technique to make bread last longer. T/F
The name of the biotechnology company in the article is MacroZip. T/F
The researchers used microwaves to treat the bread. T/F
Scientists say one disadvantage is the bread tastes a little strange. T/F
The company thinks their discovery could stop people wasting food. T/F
About 40% of the food bought in the USA goes into the trash. T/F
Around 7.6 million Americans a year suffer from food poisoning. T/F
The article says the biotech company could help slice bread better. T/F
American

68
1. How much food do you usually throw away? 2. What food do you usually throw away?
3. Do you like bread? What type is your favorite? 4. Which is better—bread, pasta or rice?
5. What is the best topping to put on bread? 6. How much bread do you eat in a week?
7. Would you eat MicroZapped bread? 8. Would you be scared to eat MicroZap’s bread?
9. Do you eat food past the expiration date? 10. What food tastes better when it is older?
Let’s Talk...

69
Topic Sentence: Scientists should/should not change the food we eat. ________________________________.
Reason 3: Lastly, _____________________________________________________________________________________________.
“Do you think scientists should change the food we eat?”
Food has always changed to make it better for people. This began with
the domestication of plants and animals about 10,500 to 10,100 BC. So I think scientist should
change the food we eat. First of all, scientists are trying to create better food to help people have a
healthier diet. In addition, the changes to our food are to make food healthier, more nutritious, and
last longer—all very helpful. Lastly, as the world population continues to grow, we will need new and
better food sources to help us feed everyone on the planet. Scientists can help give us these new and
better foods. In conclusion, the world will need much more food in the future and scientists can
and should help create this extra food by changing the food we eat.

70
1. Rank these fast foods. Put the most delicious or best in the #1 spot.
 Burgers
 Pizza
 Noodles
 Sushi
1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4. 8.
 Fried chicken
 Sandwiches
 Tacos
 Falafel
The best part of McDonald’s French fries are how delicious they taste. Which is why when you
reach your hand into that brown bag, fishing around for a lost French fry, but can’t find any,
you’re always disappointed. Well for some lucky McDonald’s fans, that’s all about to change. Be-
cause soon they’ll have access to endless fries. That’s right, fries forever.

71
“McDonald’s Restaurant to Offer All-You-Can-Eat Fries”
A new McDonald's restaurant that will soon open in the USA will offer all you-can-eat
French fries. The new store in St. Joseph, Missouri, is set to open in July. The company has called
it the restaurant "of the future" because of the many features it will have. In addition to bottom-
less fries, the new location will have couches, armchairs and a large space for children to play in.
Customers will also be able to sit at their table and order food from the waiting staff. There will
also be a self-service kiosk where customers can personalize their orders by selecting the top-
pings or fillings they want. The restaurant owner said: "There really are hundreds of different
choices to build the burger of your dreams."
The addition of all-you-can-eat fries to the menu is just one of many recent changes at
McDonald's. New CEO Steve Easterbrook took over as boss last year and has been trying many
new things since then. His job is to get the company to make more profit. Some of the changes
include an all-day breakfast menu, touch-screen ordering and taking certain items off the menu.
People have mixed views about McDonald's offering all-you-can-eat fries. Health campaigners
say it will lead to a further rise in the levels of obesity. They say McDonald's should be offering
healthier food. Many of the restaurant's customers say endless fries are a great idea. One said
she couldn't wait and will be going to McDonald's more often.
Expression Meaning
Features (n.) an interesting or important part, quality, ability, etc.
Bottomless (adj.)
allows customers to have as much of something as they like for
one price
Personalize (v.) to change or design (something) for a particular person
Recent (adj.) happening or beginning not long ago
Profit (n.)
money that is made in a business, after all the costs and expenses
are paid
Campaigners (n.) people who want to help someone or to achieve something
Obesity (n.) very fat : fat in a way that is unhealthy
The Whole Story

72
Restaurant French fries Future Location Armchair
Children Self service Menu Changes Profit
Breakfast Touch screen Obesity Great idea Current
McDonald’s All-you-can-eat Unlimited Calories Burger
Match them
1. Offer (v.) A. Factors (n.)
2. Features (n.) B. Opinions (n.)
3. Location (n.) C. Choose (v.)
4. Select (v.) D. Head (n.)
5. Build (v.) E. Provide (v.)
6. Recent (adj.) F. Create (v.)
7. Boss (n.) G. unlimited (adj.)
8. Items (n.) H. Place (n.)
9. Views (n.) I. Things (n.)
10. Endless (adj.) J. Current (adj.)
SYNONYM MATCH

73
Comprehension Check
“McDonald’s Restaurant to Offer All-You-Can-Eat Fries”
A new Burger King restaurant that will soon open in the U.K. will offer all you-can-eat French fries. The new
store in St. Joseph, Missouri, is set to open in June. The company has called it the restaurant "of the future" be-
cause of the many __________ it will have. In addition to _______________ fries, the new location will have couches,
armchairs and a large space for adults to play in. Customers will also be able to sit at their table and order food
from the waiting staff. There will also be a self-service kiosk where customers can ____________ their orders by se-
lecting the toppings or fillings they want. The restaurant owner said: "There really are millions of different choices
to build the burger of your dreams."
The addition of all-you-can-eat fries to the menu is just one of many __________ changes at McDonald's.
New CEO Steve Easterbrook took over as boss last year and has been trying many new things since then. His job is
to get the company to make more __________. Some of the changes include an all-day dinner menu, kick-screen
ordering and taking certain items off the menu. People have mixed views about McDonald's offering all-you-can-
eat hamburgers. Health __________________ say it will lead to a further rise in the levels of ______________. They say
McDonald's should be offering healthier food. Many of the restaurant's customers say endless fries are a terrible
idea. One said she couldn't wait and will be going to McDonald's less often.
A new McDonald's in France will offer all-you-can-eat French fries. T/F
McDonald's say the restaurant is the restaurant of the future. T/F
Customers at the restaurant will be able to choose their own fillings. T/F
McDonald's say you will be able to build your dream burger. T/F
The new boss of McDonald's has made many changes. T/F
The new boss of McDonald's took over this year. T/F
Campaigners say the all-you-can-eat fries will keep calories down. T/F
A McDonald's customer said she would no longer eat there. T/F
McDonald’s

74
1. Do you like McDonald’s? What food tastes best? 2. What menu changes would you suggest?
3. What do you think of an all-day breakfast menu? 4. Should McDonald’s think more about health?
5. What other all-you-can-eat food would you like? 6. What is your favorite restaurant? Why?
7. What will a restaurant in the future look like? 8. What is the burger of your dreams?
9. Would you want to try the all-you-can-eat fries? 10. Self-serve or full-service restaurants?
Let’s Talk...

TPR Storytelling the News FIRST DRAFT

TPR Storytelling the News FIRST DRAFT

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