Speakout A2+ Student's Book

GRAMMAR: past simple and continuous VOCABULARY: animals PRONUNCIATION: weak forms: was, were

Listening Grammar Grammar Bank Pronunciation Vocabulary Speaking Writing

LISTENING

1A Work in pairs and look at the photos. Which animals are in danger? Why?

1B Listen to a radio phone-in about animal rescues. For each story, which animal was in danger?

2.01

Audioscript 2.01

K = Katy, F = Freddie, B = Bea, L = Lucas

K: Hello again. Today, we're asking for your stories about animal rescues. Do you have any stories about the times when you rescued an animal? Maybe a bird or another animal? Please call us and tell us your stories. Our first caller is Freddie. Hello, Freddie, tell us your story.

F: Hi. Yes. Er, my story happened last year. My wife, Carla, and I were on holiday in Greece. One day, we were walking down a street and we saw a baby bird on the side of the road. It was very young. Carla hates seeing animals in trouble and she was really stressed. There was a garden next to the road so I picked up the bird and put it on the garden gate. Then we stood and watched it for a moment. It was moving its wings and looked all right.

K: Oh good! So it was OK?

F: No, wait. While we were watching, a cat came out ... and jumped on it! I think the cat was behind the garden wall. Carla cried all the way back to the hotel.

K: Oh, that's sad. Thanks, Freddie. And our next story is from Bea. Hi, Bea.

B: Hi, Katy.

K: Tell us your story.

B: Well this happened about three years ago. I was driving home in the early evening and I saw something on the side of the road. It looked like a bag, but when I got nearer, I saw it was a tortoise. I stopped and the two cars behind me stopped, too. I got out of my car and walked towards the tortoise, but ... it wasn't a tortoise. It was a football!

K: No!

B: You know, one of those really old footballs and it really looked like a tortoise. I felt really silly. The other cars were waiting and one of the drivers started to hoot his horn, so I used my jacket, then I picked up the football and carried it to my car!

K: No! That's a great story! Thanks, Bea. And our next caller is Lucas. Hi Lucas. What's your story?

L: Yeah, this is about our dog, Ezra. Ezra's part of our family. Er, the children love him. Anyway, last year Ezra was playing in the garden when a car crashed into the fence. Ezra ran away. We looked everywhere, but we couldn't find him. We put up signs, but no luck. Then a few days later a man was walking along a railway bridge, about twenty kilometres away. And he heard a noise. It was a dog ... crying. It was Ezra! He was stuck in a hole near the bridge and he couldn't climb out. So the fire department came with a ladder and rescued him. Ezra was so pleased and the children were really happy.

K: Ah, that's a lovely story. And our next story ...

Listen again. The story summaries below have mistakes. Choose the correct version.

Freddie's story

A couple saw a baby bird on the side of the road. The man picked up the bird and put it on a garden gate. A cat tried to play with the bird. The woman left because she was happy.

1 A cat tried to play with the bird. / A cat jumped on the bird.

2 The woman left because she was happy. / The woman cried because she was sad.

Bea's story

A woman was driving home and saw something on the side of the road. She stopped her car. She found a tortoise and put it on the side of the road.

3 She found a tortoise / a football.

4 She put it on the side of the road / put it in her car.

Lucas's story

A dog called Ezra was playing in the garden. A car hit the dog. The owners couldn't find the dog. A man rescued the dog.

5 A car hit the dog. / A car crashed into the fence.

6 A man rescued the dog. / The fire department rescued the dog.

GRAMMAR

past simple and continuous

2A Look at the sentences from the listening. Notice the verb forms in bold.

1 One day, we were walking down a street and we saw a baby bird on the side of the road.

2 While we were watching, a cat came out and jumped on it!

3 I was driving home in the early evening and I saw something on the side of the road.

4 Anyway, last year Ezra was playing in the garden when a car crashed into the fence.

Choose the correct words to complete the rules.

1 We use the past simple / past continuous for the main events in a story.

2 We use the past simple / past continuous for the background situation, at the start of the story.

3 We use the past simple / past continuous for the action that takes a longer time.

4 We use when / while with the past simple.

GRAMMAR BANK

Practice

Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 I cleaned / was cleaning the windows when he saw / was seeing me.

2 When I got / was getting to work, Emma talked / was talking on the phone.

3 It started / was starting snowing while we drove / were driving home.

4 We still waited / were still waiting for Susan and Mario at 9:15. They arrived / were arriving at ten o'clock.

5 Your mother called / was calling while you had / were having a shower.

6 I think I lost / was losing my phone while I ran / was running in the park.

Complete the story with the correct form of the verbs in the box. Use the past simple or past continuous.

ask find get dressed go (x2) hear look see sit stay want write

While we in India last year, we a lot of monkeys. They sometimes even came into our apartment, but I didn't mind. One evening I to sleep when I a noise. I checked in the living room, but I couldn't see anything. The next morning, while I , my daughter Anya came in. She , "Where's my phone? I was using it in the living room yesterday evening just before I to bed, but now I can't find it." We looked everywhere, but we couldn't find it. While he for the phone, my son came in. "What about the monkeys?" he asked. "When I some messages last night, I saw a monkey. It outside the living room. Maybe it took the phone because it to take selfies!" Well, later that day, we the phone and yes, on the phone there were about twenty selfies of ... a monkey!

PRONUNCIATION

Listen again and choose the correct alternative.

2.02

Audioscript 2.02

1 This time yesterday, I was having coffee with a friend.

2 On Sunday at midday, we were playing football.

3 Twelve hours ago, I was watching TV.

4 This time last week, we were sitting in a cafe in Paris.

1 In the past continuous, was and were are stressed / unstressed.

2 We pronounce was /wɒz/ / /wəz/ in these sentences.

3 We pronounce were /wɜː/ / /wə/ in these sentences.

VOCABULARY

animals

4A Look at the words in the box. Which things can you see in the photos?

feather fur skin shell tail trunk web wing

Add the missing letters to complete the animal names. Type the full word.

A t_g_r

B dol_h_n

C fr_ _

D b_t_erfly

E tort_ _se

F f_ _

G ra_ _it

H sn_k_

I m_ _e (plural)

J s_id_r

K m_nke_

L wh_l_

M _ns_cts (plural)

N r_t

O b_ _r

P b_ _

Q w_l_

R fl_

S croc_d_le

T g_ _t

SPEAKING

6A Work in pairs and read the headlines. What do you think happened?

Duck to painter: 'You're my hero!'

Lost teddy bear rescued from bus

Who says dogs can't fly?

Firefighters catch runaway monkey

Elephant surprises supermarket shoppers

Pet rabbit returns after 50 km journey

WRITING

write an animal story; use past time expressions

7A Read the beginning of this story.

I'm a teacher. Last year I took my primary school class to the zoo, and one of the workers at the zoo was showing us a monkey. The monkey was in a large cage, and he was jumping around and trying to get out. While the worker was getting some food for him from another room, one of the children - one of my students - opened the cage. I ran over to close it, but at that exact moment, the monkey ran out.

Lesson 2A - Results