Learning Objectives Top Notch Fundamentals is designed for true beginning students or for
students needing the support of a very low-level beginning course. No prior
knowledge of English is assumed or necessary.
Unit Communication Goals Vocabulary
1 • Tell a classmate your occupation
• Identify your classmates
• Spell names
• Occupations
• The alphabet
Names and VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• More occupations
Occupations
page 4
2 • Introduce people
• Tell someone your first and last
name
•
•
•
Relationships (non-family)
Titles
First and last names
About People • Get someone’s contact • Numbers 0–20
information
page 12 VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• More relationships
3 • Talk about locations
• Discuss how to get places
• Discuss transportation
•
•
•
Places in the neighborhood
Locations
Ways to get places
Places and How • Means of transportation
• Destinations
to Get There
VOCABULARY BOOSTER
page 20
• More places
4 • Identify people in your family
• Describe your relatives
• Talk about your family
• Family relationships
• Adjectives to describe
people
Family • Numbers 21–101
page 28 VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• More adjectives
5 • Confirm that you’re on time
• Talk about the time of an event
• Ask about birthdays
•
•
•
What time is it?
Early, on time, late
Events
Events and • Days of the week
• Ordinal numbers
Times • Months of the year
page 36 VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• More events
6 • Give and accept a compliment
• Ask for colors and sizes
• Describe clothes
• Clothes
• Colors and sizes
• Opposite adjectives to
Clothes describe clothes
page 44 VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• More clothes
7 • Talk about morning and evening
activities
• Describe what you do in your
• Daily activities at home
• Leisure activities
• Household chores
Activities free time
VOCABULARY BOOSTER
• Discuss household chores
page 52 • More household chores
Units 1-7 Review
page 60
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Grammar Conversation Strategies Listening / Pronunciation Reading / Writing
• Verb be:
° Singular and plural statements, contractions
° Yes / no questions and short answers
• Use And you? to show interest in another
person
• Use Excuse me to initiate a conversation
Listening task:
• Circle the letter you hear
• Identify correct spelling of names
Reading Text:
• Simple forms and business cards
Writing Task:
° Common errors • Use Excuse me? to indicate you haven’t heard • Write the name you hear spelled • Write affirmative and negative
• Subject pronouns or didn’t understand • Identify the correct occupation statements about people in a picture
• Articles a / an • Use Thanks! to acknowledge someone’s • Write the missing information: names and
• Nouns: complying with a request occupations
° Singular and plural / Common and proper Pronunciation:
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• Syllables
• Possessive nouns and adjectives
• Be from / Questions with Where, common errors
• Verb be: information questions with What
• Identify someone’s relationship to you when
making an introduction
• Use too to reciprocate a greeting
Listening task:
• Complete statements about relationships
• Circle the correct information
Reading Text:
• Short descriptions of famous people,
their occupations, and countries of
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• Begin a question with And to indicate you • Fill in names, phone numbers, and e-mail origin
want additional information addresses you hear Writing Task:
• Repeat part of a question to clarify Pronunciation: • Write sentences about your relationships
• Repeat information to confirm • Stress in two-word pairs
•
•
•
Verb be: questions with Where
Subject pronoun it
The imperative
• Use You’re welcome to formally acknowledge
thanks
• Use OK to acknowledge advice
Listening task:
• Write the places you hear
• Write the directions you hear, using affirmative
Reading Texts:
• Simple maps and diagrams
• Introductions of people, their
• By to express means of transportation • Use What about you? to show interest in and negative imperatives relationships and occupations, where
another person • Circle the means of transportation they live, and how they get to work
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice • Write by phrases, check destinations you hear Writing Task:
Pronunciation: • Write questions and answers about the
• Falling intonation for questions with Where places in a complex picture
• Verb be:
° Questions with Who and common errors
° With adjectives
• Use Well,… to indicate one is deciding how
to begin a response
• Use And how about…? to ask for more
Listening task:
• Identify the picture of a relative being
described
Reading Texts:
• A family tree
• A magazine article about famous actors
° Questions with How old information • Choose the adjective that describes the people and their families
• Adverbs very and so • Use Really? to show interest or mild surprise mentioned in a conversation Writing Task:
• Verb have / has: affirmative statements Pronunciation: • Write a description of the people in
• Number contrasts your family
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• Verb be: questions about time
• Prepositions in, on, and at for dates and times
• Common errors
• Use Uh-oh to indicate you may have made a
mistake
• Use Look to focus someone’s attention on
Listening task:
• Identify events and circle the correct times
• Write the events you hear in a date book
Reading Texts:
• A world map with time zones
• Events posters
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
something • Circle the dates you hear • Conversations
• Use Great! to show enthusiasm for an idea Pronunciation: • A zodiac calendar
• Offer someone best wishes on his or her • Sentence rhythm Writing Task:
birthday • Write about events at your school or in
your city
• Demonstratives this, that, these, those
• The simple present tense: like, want, need, and have:
° Affirmative and negative statements
• Acknowledge a compliment with Thank you
• Apologize with I’m sorry when expressing
disappointing information
Listening task:
• Confirm details about clothes
• Determine colors of garments
Reading Text:
• A sales flyer from a department store
Writing Task:
° Questions and short answers • Use That’s too bad to express disappointment Pronunciation: • Write sentences about the clothes you
° Spelling rules and contractions • Use What about you? to ask for someone’s • Plural endings have, need, want, and like
• Adjective placement and common errors opinion
• One and ones • Use Well to soften a strong opinion
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• The simple present tense:
° Third-person singular spelling rules
° Questions with When and What time
• Say Me? to give yourself time to think of a
personal response
• Use Well to introduce a lengthy response
Listening task:
• Match chores to the people who performed
them
Reading Text:
• A review of housekeeping robots
Writing Tasks:
° Questions with How often, time expressions • Use So to introduce a conversation topic Pronunciation: • Write five sentences about robots
° Questions with Who as subject, common errors • Use How about you? to ask for parallel information • Third-person singular verb endings • Describe your typical week, using
• Frequency adverbs and time expressions: • Say Sure to indicate a willingness to answer adverbs of frequency and time
° Usage, placement, and common errors • Begin a response to an unexpected question expressions
with Oh
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
 LESSON
Unit Communication Goals Vocabulary Grammar Conversation Strategies Listening / Pronunciation Reading / Writing
1 GOAL Wish someone a good holiday
8 • Describe your neighborhood
• Ask about someone’s home
• Talk about furniture and
•
•
•
Types of buildings
Places in the neighborhood
Rooms
• The simple present tense:
° Questions with Where, prepositions of place
• There is and there are:
• Use Really? to introduce contradictory
information
• Respond positively to a description with
Listening task:
• Determine the best house or apartment for
clients of a real estate company
Reading Texts:
• House and apartment rental listings
• Descriptions of people and their homes
Home and appliances • Furniture and appliances ° Statements and yes / no questions Sounds nice! • Complete statements about locations of Writing Task:
° Contractions and common errors • Use Actually to introduce an opinion that furniture and appliances
Neighborhood VOCABULARY BOOSTER • Questions with How many might surprise Pronunciation:
• Compare and contrast your home with
homes in a complex illustration
CONVERSATION MODEL • Say I don’t know. I’m not sure to avoid making
page 64 • More home and office
4: 05
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice • Linking sounds
4:03 vocabulary Types a direct negative statement
A Read and listen to a conversation about a holiday. of holidays

9 • Describe today’s weather

A: I heard there’s• going
• Discuss
topeople’s
Ask about be a holiday
plans
activities next week.
B: That’s right. The Harvest Moon Festival. expressions
seasonal
• Weather expressions
• Present and hfuture
re lig io
cal
istoritime
us
• The present continuous:
° Statements: form and usage
° Yes / no questions
•
•
•
Use Hi and Hey to greet people informally
Say No kidding! to show surprise
Answer the phone with Hello?
Listening task:
• Determine weather and temperatures in cities
in a weather report
Reading Texts:
• A daily planner
• A newspaper column about activities in
Activities ° Information questions • Identify yourself with This is on the phone • Complete statements about people’s activities, a town
and A: What kind of holiday is it? VOCABULARY BOOSTER
° For future plans • Use Well, actually to begin an excuse using the present continuous
Plans • More weather vocabulary • The present participle: spelling rules • Say Oh, I’m sorry after interrupting Pronunciation:
Writing Task:
• Write about plans for the week, using
B: It’s a seasonal holiday that takes place in autumn. People • Say Talk to you later to indicate the end of a
page 72 GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice • Rising and falling intonation of yes / no and the present continuous
spend time with their families and eat moon cakes. phone conversation information questions
A: Well, have a great Harvest Moon Festival!
10 B: Thanks! Same• to
4:04
• Discuss ingredients for a recipe
you!
Offer and ask for foods
• Invite someone to join you at the
• Foods and drinks
• Places to keep food in a
kitchen
• Count nouns and non-count nouns:
° Meaning, form, and common errors
• Count nouns: How many / Are there any
• Say I’ll check to indicate you’ll get
information for someone
• Decline an offer politely with No, thanks
Listening task:
• Identify the foods discussed in conversations
Pronunciation:
Reading Texts:
• Recipe cards
• A weekly schedule
Food
B Rhythm table • Containers and quantities
and intonation Listen again and• repeat. • Non-count nouns: How much / Is there any • Use Please pass the ... to ask for something at • Vowel sounds: /i/, //, /e/, /ε/, /�/ Writing Task:
Cooking verbs • The simple present tense and the present the table • Write about what you eat in a typical
page Then
80 practice the Conversation Model with a partner. continuous: usage and common errors • Say Here you go as you offer something day
VOCABULARY BOOSTER • Say Nice to see you to greet someone you
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• More vegetables and fruits already know
• Use You too to repeat a greeting politely
VOCABULARY Ways to commemorate a holiday
11
a moon cake
4:06 • Tell someone about a past event • Past-time expressions • The past tense of be: • Ask why? to ask for a clearer explanation Listening task: Reading Text:
A Read and • Describe
listen. Thenpast activities
listen • Outdoor activities
again and repeat. ° Statements, questions, and contractions • Use What about ? to ask for more • Circle the year you hear • A blog in which people describe what
• Talk about outdoor activities • The simple past tense information • Infer the correct day or month they did the previous weekend
Past Events VOCABULARY BOOSTER
° Regular verbs, irregular verbs • Use just to minimize the importance of an action • Choose activities mentioned in conversations Writing Tasks:
• More outdoor activities ° Statements, questions, and short answers • Use a double question to clarify Pronunciation: • Write about the activities of two people,
page 88 • Say Let me think to gain time to answer • Simple past tense regular verb endings based on a complex picture
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• Say Oh yeah to indicate you just remembered • Write about your weekend and what
something you did

12 • Describe appearance • Adjectives to describe hair
• Show concern about an injury • The face
• Suggest a remedy • Parts of the body
Appearance • Accidents and injuries
• Ailments, remedies
and Health set off fireworks march in parades
VOCABULARY BOOSTER
page 96
• More parts of the body
• Describing people with be and have
• Should + base form for advice
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
have picnics
• Use Oh to indicate you’ve understood Listening task: Reading Text:
• Say I’m sorry to hear that, Oh, no, and • Identify the people described in conversations • A magazine article about two celebrities
That’s too bad to express sympathy • Complete statements about injuries Writing Task:
• Use What’s wrong? to ask about an illness • Identify the ailments and remedies suggested • Write a description of someone you
• Use really to intensify advice with should in conversations
• Respond to good advice with Good idea Pronunciation
know
• Say I hope you feel better when someone feels
• More vowel sounds
sick

13 • Express a wish • Abilities • Can and can’t for ability • Use I wish I could . . . to express a wish Listening task: Reading Text:
• Politely decline an invitation • Adverbs well and badly • Too + adjective, common errors • Use But to introduce contrasting information • Complete requests for favors • A journal article about infant-toddler
• Ask for and agree to do a favor • Reasons for not doing • Polite requests with Could you + base form • Suggest a shared course of action with Let’s development
Pronunciation
Abilities and something GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice • Politely decline a suggestion with I’m really • Assimilation of sounds: Could you Writing Task:
• Favors sorry but and a reason
Requests • Accept a refusal with Maybe some other time
• Describe things people can and can’t
do when they get old
VOCABULARY BOOSTER • Use Sure and No problem to agree to
page 104
• send
More musical someone’s request for a favor
pray cards instruments give each other gifts

14 • Get to know someone’s life story

• Discuss plans
• Express wishes for the future
•
•
•
Some life events
Academic subjects
Leisure activities
• Be going to + base form
• Would like + infinitive:
° Statements
•
•
•
Use Not really to soften a negative response
Ask What do you mean? to request clarification
Use Well to explain or clarify
Listening task:
• Choose correct statements
• Circle correct words or phrases
Reading Text:
• A short biography of Harry Houdini
Writing Task:
Life Events and • Life cycle events ° Questions • Use emphatic stress on and to indicate two • Complete statements about activities, using the • Write your own illustrated life story,
° Short answers answers present continuous
Plans VOCABULARY BOOSTER
° Contractions • Infer people’s wishes for the future and complete
including plans and wishes for the
future
page 112 • More academic subjects statements, using would like
GRAMMAR BOOSTER • Extra practice
• More leisure activities Pronunciation
Units 8–14 Review • Diphthongs
page 120
wish each other well remember the dead wear costumes
Countries and nationalities / Numbers 100 to 1,000,000,000 / Irregular verbs / Pronunciation table ....page 125 Top Notch Popp Lyrics .............................................................................................................................. page 149
B Pair work Match the Vocabulary with holidays

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and celebrations you know.
“ Everyone wears costumes on . . .
”
Vocabulary Boosterr ..................................................................................................................................
Grammar Boosterr ....................................................................................................................................
page 126
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page 137
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UNIT 7
ActiveBook Self-Study Diskk ......................................................................................................... Inside back cover

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