A Foreigner in New York

by Ram n Ybarra Rubio

Te a c h e r ’ s
Material
 C O N T E N T S

To the Teacher ....................................................................................................................... 3

Before Reading...................................................................................................................... 5

After Reading: Extra Challenges .......................................................................................... 6

After Reading: Group Work .................................................................................................. 7

Possible Answers to Group Work ........................................................................................ 8

Worksheet 1: Introduction and Chapters 1-7 ...................................................................... 9

Answers to Worksheet 1 ..................................................................................................... 10

Worksheet 2: Chapters 8-12 and Epilogue......................................................................... 11

Answers to Worksheet 2..................................................................................................... 12

Final Test .............................................................................................................................. 13

Answers to Final Test .......................................................................................................... 14

Answers to Questions in the Reader.................................................................................. 15

Before using the following teacher’s material, we recommend that

you read the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet.

Copyright © 2003 Burlington Books

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 A Foreigner in New York

TO THE TEACHER

LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS

Antonio: the narrator of the story. A young man of Spanish / American origin.
Jason: a friend of Antonio’s who invites him to visit New York City.
Elaine: a friend of Jason’s who shows Antonio interesting sights in New York City.
Other friends and people Antonio meets while visiting New York City.

P L O T S U M M A RY
The narrator, Antonio, studied at Salamanca University, where he met Jason, an American student spending
one year of his university studies there. Two years later, Jason invites Antonio to visit him in New York
City, where Jason now lives. Antonio arranges for the magazine that he works for to send him to New York
to write an article about the city. Jason introduces Antonio to his friends, who take Antonio to see the
sights. Antonio tells us about the people he meets and the places he sees during his exciting visit.
Antonio’s visit begins with a ride in a limousine with George, an editor for The New York Times, who had
sat next to him on the plane from Madrid and then offered to take him to Manhattan. The next day Antonio
goes to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He watches the spectacular parade of floats with Jason
and his attractive friend, Elaine, who is studying the history of New York. Later they have a traditional
Thanksgiving dinner with the most interesting group of people Antonio has ever met and Elaine volunteers
to show Antonio some of the famous tourist attractions in the city. First, they study the best routes of the
subway system so they can get around easily. They take a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island,
where 30 million immigrants passed through to their new lives in the United States. They then continue to
Ground Zero, which Antonio describes as surrealistic, and after that, to the Empire State Building, where
they look out over a fantastic view of Manhattan.
Antonio spends the next few weeks exploring the city, sometimes on his own and sometimes with new
friends Jason has introduced him to. He sees some famous people doing normal things such as buying a
newspaper or going for a walk in the busy streets of New York. He enjoys excellent meals in Chinatown
and at a variety of ethnic restaurants, and drinks delicious espresso in Little Italy.
One evening, Jason comes home with tickets for the New York Knicks’ basketball game at Madison Square
Garden. Even the introduction of the players is spectacular, highlighted by a laser light show. Antonio and
the other fans go crazy after the Knicks win the game by two points. Just before travelling to New Jersey to
spend Christmas with Jason’s family, Jason takes Antonio ice-skating at Rockefeller Centre, where Antonio
has the opportunity to see the 20-metre Christmas tree that is a New York landmark every Christmas.
Elaine invites Antonio to a New Year’s Eve celebration in an elegant hotel restaurant. He spends a
wonderful evening, dancing and laughing. The next day, he returns to Spain but six months later, he finds
himself planning a second visit to New York. Jason has a role in a Broadway play and he wants Antonio to
come and see it. Because Antonio’s first travel article about New York was so successful, his editor agrees
that Antonio should return to the city to write a second article, this time about New York in the summer. So,
one July afternoon, Elaine greets Antonio at the airport and tells him to get ready to attend Man of La
Mancha that very evening as Jason is substituting for an actor who is ill. The performance is excellent,
Jason does very well and later gives Antonio and Elaine a little tour backstage.
In the summer, there are many free cultural events in New York, and Antonio often finds himself in Central
Park, watching the New York Philharmonic, seeing an opera or a Shakespeare play, or attending other
events. He even meets Antonio Banderas at a softball game in the park.
Antonio’s summer fun continues as he goes with friends to Yankee Stadium to watch the New York
Yankees baseball team. Antonio notices how often the people around him buy things to eat and drink. At
the end of his visit, he and Elaine spend a day on Coney Island at the famous amusement park, where they
act like two children, laughing and running from ride to ride. Elaine asks Antonio to teach her some words
in Spanish and tells him she wants to visit him in Spain. Antonio finally leaves New York hoping that his
adventures there will inspire us to visit the city too.
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 A Foreigner in New York

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ramón Ybarra Rubio is bilingual in English and Spanish. Born in Madrid in 1961, the son of an Asturian
mother and a Cuban father, Ybarra grew up in New York, studied theatre at Brandeis University, just
outside Boston, and later worked as an actor and director in theatres in New York, Los Angeles, and
Chicago. Now living in Spain, Ybarra has founded a bilingual theatre company. He continues to be
involved in communications, theatre and film production and education.

BACKGROUND
• Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This American harvest holiday
originated in the 1620s when the early settlers, called Pilgrims, held a three-day festival in Massachusetts
to give thanks after an especially abundant harvest. They invited the American Indians, who had taught
them about planting corn and other useful agricultural knowledge, to join their celebration. Thanksgiving
in the USA today is marked by family gatherings and holiday meals of turkey, corn, cranberries and
pumpkin pie. Many people decorate their homes with things connected to Thanksgiving, such as
pumpkins, ears of colourful Indian corn, models of the early Pilgrims, etc.
• Macy’s is the oldest and largest department store in the USA and has been in business since 1902. Spread
over ten floors with half a million items for sale, Macy’s is a New York City landmark.
• The Statue of Liberty is one of the universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. It was
extensively renovated in 1986 for its centennial celebration. In recent years, the statue has been closed to
tourists for security reasons.
• At the end of 2003, the rebuilt commuter train station, named the World Trade Center station, was the
first part of the restoration at the Ground Zero site to open. The design for a new skyscraper to be
constructed at Ground Zero has generated much controversy among the public.
• Madison Square Garden is a huge business, sports and entertainment facility. This exciting arena is
home to two professional sports teams, the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Rangers
ice hockey team. A tour of Madison Square Garden shows visitors how the basketball court can be
converted into an ice hockey rink. Madison Square Garden also houses a theatre.
• The NBA, the National Basketball Association, was formed in the USA in 1949 and is the most famous
and prestigious professional basketball league in the world.
• The Knicks, the NBA team from New York City, plays its home games in the Madison Square Garden
arena. The Knicks are traditionally a strong, competitive team.
• Broadway is a street in Manhattan, famous the world over. Some 40 theatres of various sizes, situated
primarily along 42nd through 46th Streets and a few on Broadway itself, offer a stunning year-round
selection of plays, musicals and shows.
• Yankee Stadium hosted its first game in 1923 and is the home of the professional baseball team, the
New York Yankees. The stadium became known as the ‘Home of the Champions’ because of the team’s
26 World Series titles, far more than any other professional baseball team. The original stadium was
triple-decked, having three tiers of seats one above the other. It was demolished after its 50th anniversary
in 1973 and rebuilt to modern standards with a seating capacity of approximately 80,000. In the past, the
stadium hosted professional football games as well as the Yankees’ baseball games, and two popes
celebrated mass there.

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 A Foreigner in New York

BEFORE READING

SUGGESTIONS FOR LEAD-IN ACTIVITIES

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicit
the answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.)
1. Why do people enjoy travelling? (they meet new kinds of people; they have a change from the usual
routine; they do new things and see interesting places; they learn about other cultures) Describe a place
you have visited.
2. Have you ever read a book or seen a film about New York City? What did you learn? Tell the class
about some of the interesting things you know about the city.
3. What do you think young adults do for entertainment in New York City? (watch professional sports
teams; go to restaurants, discos and clubs; see a Broadway show; visit tourist sights such as the Statue
of Liberty; go to concerts and parks; go walking or jogging in Central Park)
4. What kinds of restaurants would you expect to find in New York City and why? (Italian; Chinese;
Japanese; Indian; Latin American; Jewish. People from many different cultures have settled in New
York City.)

K E Y V O C A B U L A RY
Pre-teach the words in bold. Write the words on the board and then write the following text (omitting the
words in bold). Ask the students to copy the text and fill in the correct words.
My sister Nina writes travel articles for a magazine. Recently, she was a guest at a famous hotel in New
York City. The hotel was actually a skyscraper, one of the many forming New York City’s famous skyline.
Many other reporters were there for a seminar. Nina’s roommate was an interesting woman from India.
They went sightseeing together and also to a wonderful performance by a famous singer. Nina even saw
Cameron Díaz at the corner of a busy street near the hotel. However, she felt a bit embarrassed because
she was the only travel reporter who had never been on a subway ride.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES

The Before Reading Activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11,
can be applied to A Foreigner in New York.
In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can answer the following questions.
1. Who is the narrator of the story? (Antonio) Read the back cover of the reader and lines 6-18 on page 9.
What do we find out about the narrator? (Antonio’s father is from New York City. Antonio lived in
Florida until just before his 12th birthday and then moved to Spain. Antonio has never visited New
York.)
2. Read the third and fourth paragraphs on page 10. What problem did Antonio have and how did he solve
it? (He didn’t have enough money to stay in New York for a long time and he planned a long visit
because there are many things to see and do in New York. He decided to ask the magazine he worked
for to pay him for writing an article about New York at Christmas time.)
3. Look at the picture on page 15. Write at least three sentences to describe the picture. (Two young men
are watching the activity in the busy square. They look happy. The taller man is pointing, maybe he’s
explaining something. It looks like a place with many people. There are tall buildings with
advertisements on them so maybe the square is in a shopping or tourist area.)
4. Look at the pictures in the reader and make a list of the places Antonio goes to. (the Empire State
Building, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Centre, Broadway, Central Park, the Delacorte Theatre,
the Bronx, Coney Island) Find these places on the map on page 6. Tell the class anything you know
about these places or the other places mentioned on the map.

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 A Foreigner in New York

AFTER READING: EXTRA CHALLENGES

MAKE YOUR STUDENTS THINK

Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the book.
1. What influence did Antonio’s meeting with George have on his visit to New York?
2. Antonio sometimes makes comparisons with Spain. Which things are similar and which are different?
In what way?
3. Describe the various things that made the Thanksgiving dinner memorable for Antonio.
4. Choose one of the places Antonio visits that you would like to visit and explain why.
5. Explain why the way New Yorkers behave towards famous people is special. Write a short paragraph
about this from the point of view of a famous person who lives in the city.
6. What special contributions did Elaine make to Antonio’s stay in New York City?
7. What surprised you most in the book and why?

DRAMA ACTIVITIES AND PROJECT SUGGESTIONS

1. Design a travel poster, divided into four sections, for New York City. Show a different place in each
section and list several things about each place that would attract tourists.
2. Imagine that you enter a competition to win a two-week vacation in New York City. The winner will
be the person who writes the best short essay about the places he / she wants to visit and why. Write
your essay, using the information in the reader to help you.
3. Imagine that you are Antonio. You are standing on the stage of the Broadway theatre after watching
Man of La Mancha. Present a monologue to the class in which you act out your feelings about the
performance.
4. Imagine that you go to visit Ground Zero. Write a letter to a friend describing your impressions of the
site. You can include your feelings when you first heard about what happened, and what you think
should be done at the location to commemorate the victims.
5. With a partner, act out one of the following scenes between Antonio and Elaine:
a. when Elaine and Antonio watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
b. when Elaine and Antonio sit on the beach in Coney Island.
6. Work in a group of three. Write and act out the conversation between Antonio, Jason and José Luis
when they meet for an early dinner at the Carnegie Deli after Antonio has been to Yankee Stadium.
7. Imagine that you have just been to Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Knicks play
basketball. Tell the class about the arena, the atmosphere, the introduction of the players and the final
score.
8. Imagine that you are Antonio. Write the introduction for the travel magazine article about visiting New
York City at Christmas time.
9. Imagine that you are Antonio. You have been invited to be a guest speaker at a meeting of a club for
people who like to travel and to learn about interesting places to visit. Give a short talk about your
recent visit to New York City.
10. Work in pairs and prepare a tourist brochure for Coney Island. You can add information about
Nathan’s Hot Dogs if you like.
11. Use an encyclopedia, another reference book or the Internet to find information about the early days in
New York City (immigrants, life style, gangs, etc.). Write a report and tell the class what you have
learned.

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 A Foreigner in New York

AFTER READING: GROUP WORK

TO THE TEACHER:
1. Hand out two copies of this page to each group.
2. Tell the students to imagine that they are tour guides. They have to decide what type of tourist or tourist
group they are guiding for their first visit to New York City, for example: one person, a family or a
class of foreign teenagers. The students must then plan a 2-day tour using the schedule provided. They
should include: places to be visited; remarks to be made; means of travel; information to be passed on.
Tell the students they will have to use their imagination as well as information from the story.
3. The group spokesperson reports the group’s ideas to the whole class.

TO THE STUDENTS:
1. Imagine that you are working as a tour guide. Decide what type of tourist or tourist group you are
guiding for their first 2-day visit to New York City. Fill in your schedule for the tourist(s), showing their
name(s) and the dates for the tour. Include the places you will visit, how you will travel there, the
reason you chose each place and some notes about things you want to tell your visitor(s). Use the
information from A Foreigner in New York and your imagination.

2. The group spokesperson reports the group’s ideas to the rest of the class.

TRAVEL SCHEDULE
Name of Tourist / Group: ______________________________________________________________
Remarks: __________________________________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________________________________

MORNING: Place: _________________________ Travel by: ________________________

Reason for choice: __________________________________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
LUNCH: Place: _________________________ Travel by: ________________________
Reason for choice: __________________________________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
AFTERNOON: Place: _________________________ Travel by: ________________________
Reason for choice: __________________________________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
EVENING: Place: _________________________ Travel by: ________________________
Reason for choice: __________________________________________________
Notes: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13-15, for more After Reading
activities.
7

POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Name of Tourist / Group: English class from Top High School, Rome, Italy with their teacher
Remarks: Interested in Ground Zero, want to see Little Italy, like sport
Date: Thursday, 8th July
MORNING
Place: Ground Zero, southern tip of Manhattan
(p.6 map)
Travel by: Subway or bus
Reason for choice: The class is interested in going
there. The uncle of one student was almost killed in
the attack on 11th September 2001.
Notes:
Ask this student to tell the class a story about the
uncle’s experience: He was a lawyer sent by his law
firm to work in the New York offices in the Twin
Towers. On 11th September 2001, he arrived 15
minutes early at his office in the second tower. He
had time to walk safely down the stairs after the
first tower was hit. If he had arrived 15 minutes
later, he would have been hit as he arrived at his
building by the big parts of the plane that hit the
first tower and fell in front of the main door of his
building. (p.29)
Discuss what should be done at the site to
commemorate the event. (imagination)
Ask the class to write a few sentences in English
about their impressions at Ground Zero, e.g. it’s
surrealistic; their eyes filled with tears when they
saw the enormous crater; it was hard to believe
that was where the towers had stood. (p.28-29)
LUNCH
Place: Café in Little Italy (p.6 map)
Travel by: Walk from Ground Zero or ride in cabs
Reason for choice: The class wants to have a taste
of home and the neighbourhood is full of Italian
restaurants, cafés and food stores. (p.35)
The coffee in this café is very good. The espresso
and the atmosphere are just like sitting in a café in
Rome. (p.35-36)
The menu is in English and Italian and the café
isn’t expensive. (imagination)
Notes:
Tell the class about the San Gennaro festival: San
Gennaro is the patron saint of the neighbourhood.
In September, there’s a big party. People sell Italian
food everywhere, and there’s music and dancing.
There’s a procession through the streets with the
bust of San Gennaro. (p.36)
AFTERNOON
Place: Ellis Island (p.6 map)
Travel by: Subway, then ferry (p.27)
8
Group Work
Reason for choice: Many immigrants came to
New York City at the beginning of the 20th century.
Some students and teachers have great-
grandparents who came through Ellis Island when
they emigrated from Italy. (p.27)
Notes:
Discuss the location of Ellis Island in New York
Harbour. (p.6 map)
See the audio-visual exhibits that explain the
history of Ellis Island. (p.27)
Show the class the wonderful photographs of the
many immigrants from so many places. (p.28)
Show the class the ‘kissing post’ where new
immigrants were reunited with other family
members already in New York. (p.28)
The teacher wants to tell the class a story about one
of the immigrants: The brother of the teacher’s
great-grandfather came through Ellis Island when
he emigrated from Naples at the beginning of the
20th century. He came to start a new life in an
unknown place and he left everything behind – his
country, his culture, his family and his friends. He
knew he would probably never see his family in
Italy again. (p.27-28 with imagination)
EVENING
Place: Yankee Stadium, the Bronx (p.6 map)
Travel by: Subway
Reason for choice: The class likes sport. They’ve
never seen a live baseball game. Yankee Stadium is
the temple of professional baseball. (p.61)
Notes:
Explain about the Yankees: They’re like the Real
Madrid of baseball. Most people either love them
or hate them. The Yankees have been the league
champions (or World Series champions as we say in
the USA) 26 times in less than 100 years. A lot of
the greatest players in baseball history have been
on this team and are now part of national folklore.
(p.61-62)
Show the class the press box where the journalists
watch the game and write their stories. (p.62)
Tell the students about the stadium: it’s a very big,
elegant building and the playing field is in perfect
condition. (p.62)
Tell them that if they want to eat the most typical
thing at a baseball game, they should order a hot
dog and a Coca Cola. (p.62)
 A Foreigner in New York

WORKSHEET 1: INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTERS 1-7

A. Choose the correct answer.

1. There used to be a lot of (skylines / gangs) in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood.
2. For the first parade, the immigrants (fully / even) borrowed animals from the zoo.
3. Enormous apartments in buildings that were once factories are called (courts / lofts).
4. Peter’s friends (owned / introduced) the beautifully furnished apartment.
5. Turkey is the traditional main (dish / harbour) for Thanksgiving.
6. The Statue of Liberty is 22 (storeys / square miles) high.
7. You can look down on many other (subway rides / skyscrapers) from the Empire State Building.
8. Antonio saw a lot of famous stars in the (welcome / busy) streets of New York.

B. Complete each sentence with a phrase from the box.

don’t mind didn’t mean to we’d better

what it was like to agreed to you’re very welcome
1. The magazine editor ................................................... pay Antonio in advance for his travel article.
2. Antonio wanted to feel ................................................... live in New York City.
3. “You’ve helped me enough. I ................................................... taking the bus,” Antonio said.
4. “................................................... ,” George said when Antonio thanked him.
5. “You’re tired. ................................................... get you home and into bed,” suggested Jason.
6. Antonio was upset. He ................................................... make Elaine feel sad.

C. Write True or False next to each sentence.

……………. 1. Jason’s invitation to visit New York was unexpected by Antonio.
……………. 2. Antonio’s father grew up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood.
……………. 3. The most impressive things in the Christmas parade are the enormous balloons.
……………. 4 .Antonio was surprised to see a cab driver wearing a turban.
……………. 5. Antonio was curious to travel by subway because he’d seen it in movies many times.
……………. 6. On Ellis Island, Antonio visited a museum about American sports.
……………. 7. On a clear day you can see into New Jersey from the Empire State Building.
……………. 8. Chinatown in London is much bigger than Chinatown in New York.

D. There are three false sentences in exercise C. Correct them.

...................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................

E. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb.

1. If Antonio ......................................... (not be) so tired, he would have stayed longer in the bar.
2. You would see people from all over the world if you ......................................... (visit) New York.
3. If they had had more time, they ......................................... (stay) longer in the museum.
4. If Elaine ......................................... (invite) Antonio for New Year’s Eve, he will go.
5. Antonio ......................................... (feel) very happy if Elaine kissed him at midnight.
6. If I had planned this city, I ......................................... (use) a grid system like Manhattan’s.

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 Worksheet 1: Introduction and Chapters 1-7

ANSWERS

A. 1. gangs
2. even
3. lofts
4. owned
5. dish
6. storeys
7. skyscrapers
8. busy

B. 1. agreed to
2. what it was like to
3. don’t mind
4. You’re very welcome
5. We’d better
6. didn’t mean to

C. 1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False

D. 3. The most impressive things in the Thanksgiving parade are the enormous balloons.
6. On Ellis Island, Antonio visited a museum about immigration to the USA.
8. Chinatown in New York is much bigger and busier than Chinatown in London.

E. 1. hadn’t been
2. visited
3. would have stayed
4. invites
5. would feel
6. would have used

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 A Foreigner in New York

WORKSHEET 2: CHAPTERS 8-12 AND EPILOGUE

A. Complete each sentence with a word or phrase from the box.

pity roommate success guests

embarrassed lined up rides warmly

1. After kissing Antonio .............................. , Elaine told him about the Broadway show.
2. Antonio and Elaine could have a tour backstage because they were Jason’s .............................. .
3. Scott’s girlfriend, Elise, was Elaine’s .............................. and lived in the apartment with her.
4. Everyone knew that Antonio was .............................. because his face became red.
5. People .............................. early to get their free tickets for the show in Central Park.
6. The sandwiches were delicious and it would have been a .............................. to throw them out.
7. Antonio and Elaine went on the roller coaster and all the other .............................. .
8. Antonio’s second article on New York was a tremendous .............................. .

B. Match the words in A with their definitions in B.

A B
1. crowd ..... a. not inside a building
2. the press ..... b. finished
3. outdoor ..... c. a large number of people together
4. performance ..... d. newspaper reporters
5. realise ..... e. presentation, show
6. over ..... f. understand

C. Where did Antonio do the following things? Write M for Madison Square Garden, CP for
Central Park, or CI for Coney Island.
1. watch an NBA game .......... 6. watch a softball game ..........
2. ride on a roller coaster .......... 7. ask Woody Allen for an autograph ..........
3. talk to Antonio Banderas .......... 8. learn about the hot dog ..........
4. teach Elaine some Spanish .......... 9. see a Shakespeare play ..........
5. see an exciting laser show .......... 10. play football ..........

D. Complete the sentences with the correct relative pronoun: who, which, where, when, whose.
Jason had a role in Man of La Mancha, 1. .............................. had opened on Broadway. The tickets,
2. .............................. cost $98, were very expensive, so Antonio and Elaine were very grateful to Jason,
3. .............................. had reserved tickets for them. The actor 4. .............................. role Jason had been
understudying was sick, so Jason was going to play his part. Fortunately, right from the moment
5. .............................. Jason sang his first song, everything went very well.
After the play, Antonio stood on the stage 6. .............................. Jason had sung his song so beautifully.
He was filled with admiration for the actors, 7. .............................. had performed so professionally.
Then Antonio, Elaine and Jason went to a nearby bar 8. .............................. most of the actors in the
show came to celebrate. It was a lot of fun.

11
 Worksheet 2: Chapters 8-12 and Epilogue

ANSWERS

A. 1. warmly
2. guests
3. roommate
4. embarrassed
5. lined up
6. pity
7. rides
8. success

B. 1. c
2. d
3. a
4. e
5. f
6. b

C. 1. M
2. CI
3. CP
4. CI
5. M
6. CP
7. M
8. CI
9. CP
10. CP

D. 1. which
2. which
3. who
4. whose
5. when
6. where
7. who
8. where

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 A Foreigner in New York

FINAL TEST

A. Choose the correct answer.

1. Elaine was a good tour guide because
a. she worked as a professional tour guide.
b. her family had lived in New York for
200 years.
c. she was studying the history of New
York.
2. Antonio didn’t ask famous people for their
autographs because
a. Jason advised him not to bother them.
b. he was worried that they would refuse.
c. he wasn’t interested in any of them.
3. Elaine gave Antonio an envelope before he
left New York. Inside was
a. an invitation to return to New York in
July.
b. a photo of them at the Empire State
Building.
c. a love letter to Antonio.
4. At Yankee Stadium, Antonio’s attention was
mostly attracted by
a. how often the people bought food and
drinks.
b. the famous baseball players he saw.
c. the number of journalists reporting on the
game.
5. Antonio spent many memorable evenings in
Central Park
a. watching professional sports events.
b. listening to concerts.
c. going on roller coasters and other rides.
6. At his goodbye dinner, Antonio promised
a. to return to New York in less than a year.
b. to e-mail everyone often.
c. to offer hospitality to anyone who came to
Spain.
30 points (5 points each)

B. Choose the correct answer.

Antonio was very interested in (1. visit / visiting) New York City because his father had grown up there.
Antonio planned to stay there for a month to feel (2. what it was like / he’d better) to live in New York.
Fortunately, his editor (3. lasted / agreed) to pay him in advance for an article about the city.
Antonio was excited to get his first view of the impressive (4. skyline / main dish) of New York, which
is so famous because of its many (5. gangs / skyscrapers). He was also very happy when Jason
(6. realised / introduced) him to a nice group of friends. They all (7. enjoyed / have enjoyed) a
delicious Thanksgiving dinner in an enormous (8. court / loft) apartment. Two days later, Antonio and
his new friend, Elaine, visited the Statue of Liberty (9. on / in) Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty is
22 (10. storeys / performances) high, so there were a lot of steps to climb! Then they visited Ground
Zero (11. where / who) the Twin Towers were missing, of course. When Antonio said to Elaine that it
(12. isn’t / wasn’t) the same without the Twin Towers, Elaine’s eyes filled with tears, though Antonio
really (13. didn’t mind / didn’t mean) to upset her. Their friendship continued to grow and they spent a
lot of time together (14. sightseeing / owning) in the city.
Antonio finally returned to Spain and wrote his article on New York, which was such a (15. success /
guest) that his editor called him her ‘star writer’.
45 points (3 points each)

C. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 60 words long.
1. If you were going to design a poster to advertise New York City, which place or event mentioned in
the book would you choose to represent the city? State the place and the reasons for your choice.
2. Choose one of Antonio’s companions in New York. Write a little about the person, say how Antonio
met the person and describe a place where they went together.
3. Describe George’s background and explain why Antonio felt lucky that he had met George.
25 points

13
 Final Test

ANSWERS

A. 1. c 3. b 5. b
2. a 4. a 6. c

B. 1. visiting 6. introduced 11. where

2. what it was like 7. enjoyed 12. wasn’t
3. agreed 8. loft 13. didn’t mean
4. skyline 9. on 14. sightseeing
5. skyscrapers 10. storeys 15. success

C. Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers.

Possible points for inclusion:
1. I would choose the Statue of Liberty because it is a symbol that represents New York City and the
USA. It also represents the political freedom and democracy in the USA. It is one of the first things
that the millions of immigrants saw when they came to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century.
The famous statue is beautiful and interesting. It was a gift from the French people to the people of
the United States in 1876, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the USA.
I would choose a photo of Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The weather is cold, but Times Square
is full of thousands of people and there’s a holiday atmosphere. The people are happy and friendly
and ready to celebrate the New Year. I think it’s a good photo to represent New York because the
people who celebrate in Times Square don’t mind arriving early and waiting for several hours until
midnight. They are happy and proud to be in New York City’s famous Times Square for this special
event.
2. One of Antonio’s friends is Jason. The two met when they were studying at Salamanca University.
Jason spent a year there and then returned to Boston University to finish his theatre studies. Jason
later moved to New York City because he hoped to act in a Broadway musical. He loved New York
and invited Antonio to come to visit him. After Antonio arrived, Jason introduced Antonio to a
group of interesting friends and they went to many places together when Jason didn’t have to work.
Antonio’s most special new friend in New York City is Elaine. She’s finishing her doctoral thesis on
the history of New York City and lives near Jason. She’s also very pretty and looks just like Nicole
Kidman. Jason introduced Antonio to Elaine the day after Antonio arrived. The three of them went
to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade together and later to a Thanksgiving dinner with a
group of Jason’s friends. At the dinner, Elaine volunteered to show Antonio some of the famous
places of New York, such as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building and
Central Park. They also went to Ground Zero together. There was only an enormous crater instead
of the Twin Towers and it all seemed really surrealistic to Antonio.
3. George grew up in New York City but was born in Athens. His parents came to the USA shortly
after George was born and his father worked very hard. He began as the owner of a small fruit
store in the Bronx and was so successful that he now has an enormous fruit market. George works
as an editor for the prestigious newspaper, The New York Times. Antonio felt lucky that he met
George because he was friendly and interesting. George also told Antonio many interesting things
about life in New York City that weren’t in Antonio’s guidebook. Antonio planned to take a bus to
Jason’s apartment, but George took him in his private limousine. On the way, George made a list
for Antonio of some of his favourite places in the city. Antonio felt that George had given him a
wonderful introduction to the city.

14

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN THE READER
These answers relate to the questions on pages 72-75 of the reader itself.
Introduction
1. Antonio’s family moved from Florida to Spain
just before his 12th birthday and he never got
the opportunity to visit New York. OR Antonio
didn’t have enough money to stay there for a
long time.
Chapter 1
1. People from different races and cultures have
been coming to New York to make a better life
for themselves since the city was founded.
2. He was speechless because there were so many
people and lights and traffic. It had an energy
he’d never felt before or since.
3. Hell’s Kitchen was very near the piers where
the ships used to arrive and there were a lot of
gangs in the area.
4. Times Square and the Puerta del Sol both have a
building where a ball comes down during the
countdown to midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Chapter 2
1. Thanksgiving commemorates how the Native
Americans, or Indians, helped the first English
settlers in Massachusetts survive their first
difficult year in the New World.
2. Marching bands from high schools all over the
country, clowns and famous people who ride in
elaborate floats all take part in the parade.
3. Elaine and Jason had friends who couldn’t be
with their families for Thanksgiving. They were
having Thanksgiving dinner together and
making their own family, as if they were
orphans.
4. The apartment was so big that one of the guests
was riding a bicycle around it although it was
fully furnished.
5. There’s a very large Hispanic population in New
York with people from almost every part of
Latin America. Many of them like to read the
news in Spanish.
Chapter 3
1. Antonio’s body was still getting used to the
change in the hours and he needed some rest
before his big day of sightseeing.
2. Elaine told Antonio that the subway was the
fastest, cheapest and most efficient way to travel
around the city.
3. Ellis Island was the place where the majority of
immigrants who came to America between 1892
and 1954 were processed.
4. The French government gave the Statue of
15
A Foreigner in New York
Liberty to America to commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the founding of the USA.
5. They left their countries, their cultures, their
friends and their families for a new life in a new
and unknown place.
Chapter 4
1. She felt like a part of her had been amputated.
When she looked at the skyline, she still
expected to see the Twin Towers.
2. He had to be at a meeting at 9.00 am, and he got
to his building 15 minutes early. If he had
arrived a few minutes later, parts of the plane
that hit the first tower would have killed him.
3. They realised that they needed a big green space
for people to relax from city life.
Chapter 5
1. Antonio liked to wander at his own pace and to
see things that weren’t in the usual guidebooks.
2. He was surprised because he saw them in the
middle of the day on very busy streets and
almost everyone left them alone.
3. The signs on the walls in the subway station
were all in Chinese and English and the streets
were crowded with Chinese people.
4. Chinatown in New York is much bigger and
busier than in London and it’s the biggest
Chinese neighbourhood in the United States.
5. When they crossed Canal Street, they were in a
completely Italian neighbourhood.
Chapter 6
1. He read as much as he could about both teams
and watched any televised game they played.
He wanted to know all the rules as well as the
players on both teams.
2. All the lights went out, really loud music began
to play and an exciting laser show began.
3. Antonio shyly walked up to Woody Allen, got
his attention and told him that he was visiting
from Spain and was a big fan of his.
4. Antonio really enjoyed the hamburgers at the
sports bar close to Madison Square Garden. All
the ingredients were fresh and the hamburgers
were really big.
Chapter 7
1. Antonio is going to go with Elaine and some of
the people from the Thanksgiving dinner to a
hotel overlooking Times Square. They’ll have
dinner and dance.
2. You can see an outdoor ice-skating rink, and an
enormous Christmas tree above it. There are

more than five miles of lights on the tree.
3. Times Square was already almost full. There
were thousands of people there although it was
freezing.
4. There was a photograph of the two of them at
the Empire State Building with something
written on the back.
Chapter 8
1. Antonio had received an e-mail from Jason
entitled ‘Urgent’. In it, Jason asked Antonio to
call him at home as soon as possible.
2. Jason was an understudy for one of the principal
roles in a Broadway show. If that actor got sick
or couldn’t do the show for any reason, Jason
would play his part.
3. The actor Jason was understudying for was sick,
so Jason would be doing the role in that night’s
show. Jason had reserved two free tickets for
them for the show.
4. A place in the middle of Times Square sells
half-price tickets for Broadway shows. They
only sell tickets for that night’s performance and
for shows that aren’t completely full. There’s
usually an enormous line.
5. Antonio would be scared to death to walk out in
front of almost 1,000 people and sing and act!
Chapter 9
1. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra gives a
free classical music concert in Central Park.
2. John Lennon, one of the Beatles, liked to spend
time in the garden. Shortly after he died, the
city dedicated the garden to him. In the centre
of the garden is a circular area with a mosaic
that spells out ‘Imagine’, the title of Lennon’s
most famous song.
3. Central Park has got millions of trees and
plants, bushes, lakes and green spaces.
4. Everyone in the field had lit candles and was
eating silently while listening to the music.
Chapter 10
1. Most of the Broadway shows form teams with
their actors and technicians and play softball
every Thursday. This is called the Broadway
Show League.
2. He didn’t know much about softball and it
sounded as if Antonio and José Luis did. It was
A Foreigner in New York
nice to speak to people from his own country.
3. People lined up to get their free tickets early
and organised picnics in the field next to the
theatre while they waited for someone from the
theatre to distribute the tickets. Some time
between 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm, a representative
from the theatre distributed the tickets for that
evening’s performance.
Chapter 11
1. During the summer, José Luis was in charge of
writing about the New York Yankees baseball
team for his newspaper and that’s why he could
get Antonio tickets.
2. They have been World Series champions 26
times in less than 100 years. A lot of the greatest
players in baseball history have been on this
team and are now part of national folklore.
3. What most attracted Antonio’s attention was
how often people bought things to eat and drink.
4. He wanted Antonio to have some typical New
York food. He also thought that Antonio would
like to see a place connected to Woody Allen.
Chapter 12
1. The hot dog was invented there. It was a
popular vacation place for rich people during
the second half of the 19th century. It had the
oldest amusement park in the USA.
2. In 1920, the subway reached Coney Island and
it became a recreational place for people of all
classes.
3. He convinced ten vagabonds to have a bath and
then dress as doctors in white coats for free
food. Then he put up a sign that said, ‘If doctors
eat our hot dogs, you know they’re good!’
4. Elaine wanted to take Antonio for a ride on the
Cyclone, one of the first and most famous roller
coasters in the world.
5. He was thinking that he would be returning to
Spain in a couple of days. He was going to miss
New York and the friends that he had there and
he was going to miss Elaine most of all.
Epilogue
1. When Antonio invited his friends to visit him in
Spain, Peter replied that they knew they would
have to wait until after Elaine had visited him.