16.7 Describing countries
Free practice
Work in groups. Talk about your own country. Use the checklist below to help you.
Where it is Which continent is it in ? Which part? Northern, southern, eastern, western ? Is it on a sea or ocean ? Which countries does it border on ?
Climate Where is it hotter ? cooler ? wetter? drier?
Regions Where are there mountains? plains? deserts? Where are there agricultural areas, mining areas, industrial areas, tourist areas ?
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Features What important rivers and lakes are there? Where? Other natural features?
Towns Where is the capital ? Other major towns ?
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Writing
Write a brief geographical description of your country. Include only important and interesting information.
16.8 Skiing in scotland Listening
L
isten
to the conversation between Susan and Stephen, and answer the
questions.
What do Susan and Stephen do during the year ?
How does Susan feel about Stephen’s holiday (a) when he first mentions it? (b) at the end?
Why isn’t Stephen going to Austria or Switzerland ?
On the map, mark:
Aviemore
the ski slopes
the whisky distilleries
How many days will Stephen actually be in Aviemore?
What problems might there be with the weather?
What will Stephen do if he can’t ski?
What does he do at the end of the conversation ?
Write T(true) or F(false) against these statements:
Stephen thinks skiing in Scotland is better than skiing in the Alps.
You can’t get a suntan at a Scottish skiing resort in winter.
Stephen has been planning this trip for a long time.
Stephen has been to Aviemore before.
Stephen needn’t go to Inverness on his way to Aviemore.
Stephen will be staying in a big hotel.
Unit 16 Summary of language
In this unit you have learnt how to:
key points
He was hiding in the cupboard. I left my car in the car park. There was a label on the bottle. The house is on the main road. He was standing at the window.
My bedroom is at the back of the house. There’s a letter box at the corner of our street. The freezer is at the top of the fridge. There was a picture of Elvis Presley on the cover of the book. Our garden’s got trees at the end. There’s a hole in the knee of my jeans.
Beirut is on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. St Helens is about 12 miles northeast of Liverpool, on the A57. New Orleans is on the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of the Mississippi.
features of objects geographical features |
Activities
HOLIDAY PICTURES
Work in groups. Bring in either a set of postcards from somewhere you’ve been on holiday or some holiday photographs which show some interesting places. Show them to the others in your group, giving them any interesting information about each one. Talk about:
1. where each place is
2. what you did there
3. the tourist attractions and their history
4. the people and what they’re doing
Imagine you’re on holiday in one of the places you’ve seen. Write a postcard home.
COMPOSITION
Write 150-200 words on one of the following topics.
Tell the story of a time when you had a narrow escape.
Write a story beginning ‘It was 3 o’clock in the morning when the phone woke me up’.
Write a story ending ‘I never saw her again’.
SITUATIONS
During a job interview, the interviewer asks you about your sporting activities. What do you say?
A friend’s got hiccups. Give her some advice.
A friend asks you how long it is since you last had a holiday. What do you say?
You’re going to the King’s Theatre and you’ve got lost. Ask for directions.
A friend invites you to come mountain climbing. Refuse, saying why.
While you’re in England, someone asks you where you come from. Tell him the name of your town, explaining exactly where it is.
Someone’s going out with you in a small boat. Advise him to wear a life jacket, explaining why.
Unit 17 Similarities and differences