LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Love and Marriage
Level: 1º de Bachillerato
Grammar: Revision of Present Simple and Present
Continuous / Revision of Comparative Structures / Gradual
increase and Parallel increase / Adjectives + preposition.
Functions: Talking about likes and dislikes / Preferences /
Describing people / Expressing opinions.
Vocabulary: Human relationship / Weddings / Phrasal Verbs:
look.
Phonetics: Pronunciation of the vowel sounds in "cat" / "cut" /
"cart".
This unit is based on a love story as it takes place between two characters who
meet and marry. The plot is developed by means of dialogues and letters to introduce
the main grammar, functions and pronunciation points of the unit.
The vocabulary is centred on feelings, relationships and lexicon related to
wedding ceremonies.
This unit should is meant to be used in a linear way since the exercises are
connected through the characters and related to each other. Nevertheless, some of the
exercises might be used separately.
The unit is divided into four parts, each of them starting with a reading or a
dialogue whose aim is to introduce the characters and the grammar, spelling or
functions and develop the story. The final task of the lesson consists of a web quest
which aims at encouraging our students to read and practice their skimming and
scanning abilities by doing something as motivating as surfing the net, but with the
advantage that no internet connection is needed, since all the web pages have been
designed for the unit and are accessible locally. This also ensures they will be able to
find the answers to the quiz easily and avoids that they get lost or lose their time surfing
freely.
You can move into any part of the unit easily by using the menu, which is
accessible from any activity.
Students may access several screens with the essential grammar contents
through a grammar menu which appears by clicking the "Help" button. Because the
grammar points in this lesson are well known by our students, they should be used as a
mere revision of the theory. These grammar screens are both in English and Spanish.
Please remind your students to read the task button and the section "Icons" in
the introductory screen before they start any exercises when they need a more detailed
description of the activity, although some of the screens include the instructions. Also,
notice that the instructions are given only in English, taking into account that they are
addressed to 1º Bachillerato students.
This is the structure of the unit:
INTRODUCTORY SCREEN
Through this screen you can access the menu, the credits screen, this document
and the explanation of the use of the icons. If you want to start the unit click the “Start”
button.
PART 1 – First Meeting
1. Reading - First meeting: The text introduces the characters. You can click the Audio
button to listen to the text in a particular page and the arrows at the bottom to go to
another page.
2. Reading Comprehension: This is a multiple choice exercise designed to check the
comprehension of the previous text. When students click an answer they will get the
adequate feedback.
3. Video matching: In this exercise students must click on the photographs of different
people who will tell what their ideal partner is like. After that they must match the
pictures on the right with the people according to their descriptions.
4. Phrasal verbs - look: This exercise consists of two screens. In the first one there is a
selection of some of the main phrasal verbs with “look” and students can read their
definitions and an example. Then, in the second screen students must look at the
pictures and fill in the gaps of the sentences underneath with the correct form of “look”
and the right preposition.
PART 2 – Going Out
1. Dialogue - Going out: This dialogue goes further into the story. The Audio button lets
you listen to the dialogue and the arrows at the bottom take you to another page.
2. Vocabulary: In this exercise students are given some words and expressions and
they must find a synonym for them in the previous text which is accessible through the
“Show text” button. Many of the examples are adjectives which are used with a specific
preposition.
3. Listening comprehension: Here students must listen to a dialogue between Adam
and Eve telling the things they like and don’t like. Then they have to complete the chart
by dragging the symbols into the correct square. After they click the “Show answers”
button they can access the script of the dialogue and read it.
4. Present Tenses: Now students have to complete the sentences given with the
Present Simple or Present Continuous of one of the infinitives which appear in the
picture according to the meaning of the sentence.
PART 3 - Preparations
1. Reading - Preparations: This text goes on with the story of Adam and Eve. As in the
rest of the reading parts, with the Audio button you can listen to the text.
2. Rewriting (comparatives): This exercise revises the basic comparative structures.
Students have to rewrite the sentences given so as to keep the same meaning.
3. Just a problem of logic: In this exercise students must complete the chart with
information about some of Eve’s relatives who are going to the wedding. They have to
read the clues at the bottom. Make sure they understand how the exercise works since
the first clues are no help at the beginning, and they will have to read all of them several
times.
4. Gradual and parallel increase: Here students revise these special comparative
structures. The exercise is divided into two parts. There is a picture and a model
sentence on the left, and the sentences on the right. It is a gap filling exercise, and the
sentences are getting more and more difficult. When they have finished any group of
sentences the “Show answers” appears so that they can see the correct answers.
PART 4 – The Wedding
1. Reading - The wedding: The last part of the story is a letter which tell us what
happened on the wedding day. As usual you can listen to the text by clicking the audio
button. You can move the text up and down with the scroll bar on the right.
2. Phonetics: This exercise is made up of two different parts. In the first part, students
must find in the text given one example of each of the vowel sounds dealt with in the unit
(those in “cat”, “cut” and “cart”). After that, in the second part, when students click on an
audio button they hear a word and they must recognize which of the three words below
they have just heard and click on it. A positive or negative sound serves as feedback.
3. Record sentences: In this exercise the students must repeat and record some trying
to imitate the pronunciation. They can click on the sentences to listen to the original
voice, and then record them with their own voices. After that they can hear their
recording with the "Play" button.
Before doing this exercise it is convenient to try the record button first: the recording
starts when you click the button and it will go on until you click it again; the words "start"
and "stop" appear beside the button to help you.
4. Guided composition: In the first part there is a model composition and the “Hints”
button which opens a screen with some notes about the structure and certain useful
expressions which appear in the text. After reading the model (and perhaps commenting
it in class) students must click on the arrow and write their own composition entitled “A
love story” and about 80 or 100 words long. The story can be real or invented. After they
have finished it the can click the “e-mail” button to send it to you. Of course, if you prefer
so, they can write it on a piece of paper and hand it to you.
Final Task - Web Quest
Web Quest: This final exercise is a quiz about marriage. The answers to all ten
questions are in several web pages which are accessible when they click the “Navigate”
button. It would be convenient that they have a printed copy of the questions. You can
get it by clicking the “Print questions” button provided there is a printer connected to
your computer.
In fact you don’t need an Internet connection since all the web pages have been
specially designed for this exercise and are available locally. This way we try to avoid
that students get lost surfing the net, and the exercise can be done in a much shorter
period of time (it is up to you to decide how long). The task can be presented as a
competition with a limited time. This is usually very motivating for them.
ENDING
There are also six grammar help screens:
1. Present Simple - Form
2. Present Simple - Uses
3. Present Continuous - Form
4. Present Continuous - Uses
5. Comparison - Form
6. Comparative structures
How things work - Answer key
PART 1 – First Meeting
2. Reading Comprehension:
1. b
2. a
3. c
4. b
5. c
4. Phrasal verbs - look:
1. look / up
2. looked / after
4. looking / for
5. look / down on
3. look / at
6. look / out
PART 2 – Going Out
2. Vocabulary:
a.- used to b.- recipe c.- be fond of / be keen on d.- raw
e.- good at f.- parents-in-law g.- be interested in h.- pretend
3. Listening comprehension:
Adam:
Eve:
Meryl:


?






4. Present Tenses:
1. thinks
3. don’t understand
5. are you looking for



?


2. lives (is living) / is moving
4. don’t like
6. travels / is leaving
PART 3 - Preparations
2. Rewriting (comparatives):
1. ... tall as Adam.
2. ... most expensive (in the shop).
3. ... better pets than dogs.
4. ... prettiest girl he had seen.
5. ... as old as Eve.
3. Just a problem of logic:
Mark:
brother
Priscilla:
grandmother
Jonathan:
uncle
Monica:
sister
33
74
42
23
Chelton
Kingsburg
Dorham
Confield
50 miles
100 miles
10 miles
160 miles
bus
car
taxi
train.
4. Gradual and parallel increase:
Gradual increase:
1. colder
2. more and more
3. more / more difficult
4. prettier and prettier
5. more and more nervous.
Parallel increase
1. more ignorant
2. the sooner
3. younger / faster
4. the nearer / the better
5. the longer / the happier
PART 4 – The Wedding
2. Phonetics:
Part 1: a) hand / and / managed / bag
b) other / somehow / under / bunch
c) iguana / car / aunt / started
Part 2: bad cup heart pack
Final Task - Web Quest
1. twelve years old
3. Saint Patrick’s Day
5. Anne Boleyn
7. four
9. a wedding cake
2. Queen Victoria
4. blue
6. red
8. the best man
10. 1947
How things work – Audio Scripts
PART 1 – First Meeting
1. Reading - First meeting:
- What on earth are you doing down there?
The dark young man under her restaurant table looked at her with his big blue eyes.
- I... I'm looking for Nestor.
- Who's Nestor? And what is he doing under my table?
- Well, Nestor is a friend, but not a human friend. In fact, he's a ten year old iguana.
Eve looked really surprised, she brushed one of her black curls from her pretty face.
- Is there really an iguana somewhere under my table?
- Hopefully. Oh!, but you are not going to start yelling, are you?.
- That's not likely, I'm a vet.
- Good news. Nestor doesn't like loud noises, and he is already a bit restless today, that is
why I had to smuggle him into this restaurant.
- Well, maybe Nestor just needs some company.
- What makes you think so?
- I think I know where Nestor is. You see, I have also smuggled an iguana into the
restaurant.
- Hey, look at that! There are two iguanas inside your handbag!
- True, this is Nancy, an eight year old iguana. I am Eve Turner, Nancy is a patient of
mine. I'm looking after her these days.
- I'm Adam Wells, and Nestor is my pet.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Look out! The waiter is coming.
- Shall we have lunch together?
- Why not?
- Please, sit down.
3. Video matching:
Joni: My ideal partner must have kind eyes - kind, smiling eyes. And ideally, dark hair - I
don't like blondes.
Gary: My wife must have long red hair and big green eyes.
Mark: My ideal partner should be tall, blonde and good looking.
Fraser: I like women with long, blonde hair and long legs, but appearance is not so important
for me.
Pam: He's very handsome, tall and very slim.
PART 2 – Going Out
1. Dialogue - Going out:
Two years later….
Eve: I’ll never get used to that.
Adam: To what?
Eve: I understand you are very fond of tomato sauce, but you are putting it on top of your
ice-cream.
Adam: Give it a try! It is delicious; it’s …. a different combination of tastes and colours.
After all, I’m an artist!
Eve: I know you are good at colours and all those things, but I’m not really interested in
your cooking abilities. I remember last Christmas when you cooked the turkey, and
my parents wouldn’t eat any of it.
Adam: By the way, what was wrong with my Japanese recipe for turkey?
Eve: You see, Adam, the Japanese serve raw FISH not meat!
Adam: Well, Meryl liked it.
Eve: But Meryl is a dog. Dogs like raw meat. Parents don’t.
Adam: Well, your parents will have to get used to it. You know I am keen on cooking and
good parents-in-law always pretend they like their sons-in-law
Eve: Son-in-law?
Adam: Er…, yes, I forgot, there was an engagement ring inside that sandwich, have you
eaten it?
Eve: I don’t think so. No, it is here. Adam, what are you doing? Don’t kneel down,
everybody is looking at you!
Adam: Have they never seen a man asking a woman to marry him?
Eve: I don’t think it is because of that. It must be because there is tomato sauce on your
nose.
3. Listening comprehension:
Adam: They say pets are like their owners. It seems to be true, you and Meryl are so
similar, look at her, there she is, sunbathing again.
Eve: Yes, she hates rainy days, just like me, rainy days really get me down.
Adam: Well, I love them, I cannot even paint when it is really hot. But you also like
storms, don't you?
Eve: Yes, I like lightning, it's spectacular. Don't say Meryl likes the same things as me,
because she hates thunder. Do you remember when she used to hide in the bathtub?
She also does it when you watch that horrible TV programme on cars. She hates the
noise.
Adam: Yes, she's not fond of TV in general, but then, you don't watch too much TV either.
Eve: I cannot think of a more stupid way of spending my time. Look at this wonderful
morning. Doesn't it make you want to go for a walk in the country?
Adam: It might make you want to, not me; the problem with the country is that it's full of
things such as plants and insects. I don't think much of it. Go on your own, or take
Meryl, she'll love it, too. I'll stay home and make dinner, in the meantime.
Eve: Well, OK, lazybones. Stay here, but don't cook rice again.
Adam: What's wrong with rice?
Eve: Nothing, but I don't like it enough to have it for dinner every day.
PART 3 - Preparations
1. Reading - Preparations:
It was the 12th of September and the wedding was going to take place on the 24th.
Adam and his best friend, Paul, went to choose Adam's clothes for the wedding, and so
did Eve and her mother. Adam didn't want to go to the shop alone because he was
becoming more and more nervous as the wedding approached, but Paul tried to calm him
down: “The less you worry about it, the better", he said.
As for Eve, she spent the whole morning trying to decide which shoes to wear for the
occasion. She first tried on a pair of elegant high-heeled shoes with a small ribbon, but
they were very uncomfortable. The second pair she tried on were not as beautiful as the
first pair, but they were more comfortable. On the other hand the heels were lower and,
since Eve was much shorter than Adam, she preferred something that would make her
look taller. So she tried another pair with slightly higher heels and a bigger ribbon. The
problem was that they were the most expensive ones in the shop!
At last she found a pair that were. Amanda, Eve's mum, thought they looked
wonderful: "Oh, Eve!" - she said - "you'll be the most beautiful bride in the world!"
PART 4 – The Wedding
1. Reading - The wedding:
Dear Emily:
The wedding ceremony was fantastic. It was a pity you couldn't come. Eve was a little
late, of course, but only ten minutes. She looked lovely in her white gown. I didn't look so
lovely, because I was so nervous before the wedding that I spilled a cup of coffee over my
jacket and had to borrow one from Paul, and you know I am taller, so I looked like a child
who has overgrown his Sunday clothes.
On the other hand, Nestor, my iguana, and Meryl, Eve's dog, didn’t want to miss the
wedding, so somehow Meryl managed to open the car door and both got into the church.
They behaved well, and nobody noticed them under the big bunch of flowers until Mrs.
Morell, Eve's old aunt found Nestor inside her bag and started yelling.
After the ceremony, someone made a mistake and the guests followed the wrong
car, and they didn't notice the mistake until they reached the cemetery. In the end,
everybody joined us at the restaurant. Nestor ate too many flowers and had stomach ache,
but everything else was fine.
And now we are enjoying our honeymoon in sunny Spain. It's raining cats and dogs,
but we have lovely views from our hotel room and the leaks in the ceiling are not that bad.
Love:
Adam and Eve Wells.