JACK’S LETTER
How do people who live in different countries keep in touch with each other?
Do you ever get letters by post? Who do you get them from?
Is it easier for you to write with a pen or do you use your computer?
Can you name the parts of a letter?
Dear Helen,
London,
30 July
How are you? I hope your summer is going well. I’ve been pretty busy myself during the last few days. At the end of July I visited my friend’s grandparents. They live in a village called Borley, not far from London. It’s a small village on the top of a small hill – – just an old church and a few houses. For most of the year it’s a peaceful and quiet place but strange things happen there at the end of July. I wanted to see the Ghostly Nun – one of the mysteries of Borley which is the most haunted village in England.
People have heard music in the empty church, and they’ve seen lights going on and off. Doors lock themselves, furniture moves and words appear on the walls. People believe this is the ghost of a nun who still walks around in Borley.
A long time ago there was a nunnery at Borley. One of the nuns fell in love with a man from the village. They wanted to run away together but the other nuns found out the plan and they killed the girl. Now, every year on July 28, the ghost of the poor nun returns and looks for her lover.
So, in the evening we took a walk through the village. Not far from the church we found a perfect place for our tent. We put it up and waited for darkness. It was July 28. Time seemed to pass very slowly. At last it began to grow dark. Fog appeared. It was beginning to feel a bit creepy. Soon it was completely dark and all I could hear was my own heart beating. And then we saw her – a ghostly figure appeared from the thick fog. Her feet made no sound when she was moving towards us. We were so frightened that we covered our eyes with our hands and started to scream. We screamed and screamed. When we opened our eyes again there was no ghost but Jim’s grandpa who thought that we were having bad dreams.
What do you think? Do you have any haunted places or famous ghosts in Estonia?
Write back soon and tell me all your news.
All the best,
Jack
Exercises
Exercise 1.1
Find:
the greeting of the letter
the date of the letter
the closing of the letter
the signature of the letter
the body of the letter
Exercise 1.2
What did you do this summer? Finish the sentences:
At the beginning of the summer I ...
At the end of June I ...
In July I ...
In August I ...
At the end of the summer I ...
Exercise 1.3
Look at the map. Ask for and give directions.
A: Where is the library?
B: It’s opposite the ...
A: How can I get from the
church to the supermarket?
B: ...
Use these expressions.
(not) far from
next to
opposite
go along...street
go across the street
turn right/left
turn to...street
go past
go across the bridge
on your right/left
*Exercise 1.4
Tell Jack’s story about his visit to Borley in the 3rd person.
Start like this: At the end of July, Jack visited his friends’ grandparents in Borley. He wanted to see...
GRAMMAR
We use the present simple to talk about:
1) actions that happen all the time or repeatedly
I brush my teeth every day.
2) something that is always true.
Earth goes round the sun.
Palm trees don’t grow in Estonia.
We use do or does to make negative sentences and questions.
Do you often have picnics in Hyde park?
Helen doesn’t visit her grandparents every weekend.
We use the present continuous to talk about
1. Actions that are happening at the time of speaking.
I’m brushing my teeth at the moment.
Exercises
Exercise 1.5
Make sentences using the present simple and present continuous.
Positive sentences
1. We / do / our homework
2. Matt and Dylan / play / hockey
3. Cindy / work / in the garden
Negative sentences
4. I / make / dinner
5. It / snow /outside
6. Laura / play / the guitar
Yes/No questions
7. Steve / write / a letter
8. They / borrow / books / from the library
9. Tom / clean / his room
Exercise 1.6
Fill in the gaps using the correct form of the verb.
1. Look! The boys ... home. go
2. I usually ... pizza for breakfast. not eat
3. Why ... you...to school every Friday? walk
4. We ... for the test right now. not study
5. Tom sometimes...lunch from the cafe. buy
6. ... your mum...shopping every day? go
7. Listen, somebody ... the piano. play
8. ... they often ..... their friends? visit
9. We ... maths every day. not have
10. I can’t hear you! I ... to the radio. listen
GRAMMAR
The following verbs are not normally used in the continuous:
like, hate, want, know, understand, believe, remember
I like apples (not I’m liking...)
I remember these words (not I’m remembering...) etc.
We use the verbs see, hear, smell and taste with ‘can’
Can you smell coffee? (not: Are you smelling...)
I can hear the birds. (not: I’m hearing...)
Exercises
Exercise 1.7
Correct the mistakes.
1. I don’t want to watch any horror films. I’m really hating them!
2. Mum, can you help me? I’m not understanding this exercise.
3. I’m smelling something sweet!
4. The teacher’s coming! Are you seeing her?
5. I’m remembering everything my mum told me.
6. I found fifty pounds in the street. Are you believing me?
7. My dad’s really wanting to buy a new car.
8. I’m not liking this song. Please turn it off .
9. Quiet! I’m not hearing the teacher!
