Everyday Idioms 2

The First Year:

Introduction
Warm-Up
A. Preview

In this introduction to the series, you will learn

a little about Kate, the main character in this series.
Kate is about to start her first year of university.
How do you think she is feeling? How do you
think her parents are feeling?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the idioms on the left to

the correct definitions on the right.

1. head off a)  to quit school

2. on campus b)  good and bad events or occurrences

3. emotional roller coaster c)  experiencing many different feelings such as

happiness, sadness, loneliness, and excitement
4. comfort zone
d)  without falling apart or failing
5. in one piece
e)  to leave to go somewhere
6. count on
f)  on the property where the university is located
7. deal with g)  to take action in order to address an issue or problem
8. ups and downs h)  to rely on other people or things for support

9. drop out i)  a setting you are used to, where you feel comfortable

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 The First Year
Introduction | Everyday Idioms 2

Listening
Fill in the blanks as you listen. Then read the passage with your partner
a few times. Practise your intonation and pronunciation. Underline or
highlight any new words or phrases that you don’t understand.

Kate is               to university. She is going into her

first year of undergraduate studies. Not only is she leaving her family and

friends, she is moving into a dorm               . Kate will

experience many firsts this year. She will have her first roommate,

take her first exams, land her first restaurant job, and begin her first

serious romance. First year is an emotional roller coaster for Kate. Leaving

her               is not all fun and games. With so much

freedom, Kate finds it difficult to focus on important things like school and

finances. To get through first year               ,

Kate will have to               the people who matter

most in her life. These people include her best friend and her family

members. Follow these 15 conversations with Kate as she deals with

the               of campus life and her first year

of university.

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 The First Year
Introduction | Everyday Idioms 2

Comprehension
Answer and discuss these questions in pairs or as a class.
Then write your answers in your notebook.

1. Where is Kate going?

2. True or False? Kate is going to work while she attends university.

3. What will Kate have trouble doing this year?

4. How is Kate’s first year described?

5. Who will Kate need to count on to

get through her first year of university?

Vocabulary Review
Choose the correct word or phrase from the vocabulary on page 1 to
complete the following sentences. You may need to change the word form.

1. For my first year, I will be living                 .

2. S
 ome days I’m really stressed, and other days I’m as happy as can be.
Life has been an                 lately.

3. If you want to                 with your troubles, you have to step out of your comfort zone.

4. My oldest daughter will be                 to university in September.

5. We’ve had our                 , but our relationship is still in one piece.

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 The First Year
Introduction | Everyday Idioms 2

Discussion
MY LIFE

Discuss these questions with your class

or write your responses in a journal entry.

1. Have you ever headed off to a place outside

of your comfort zone? How did it feel?

2. What do you think will be the most difficult part of Kate’s first year?

3. Have you ever had a roommate? What was your first experience like?
If you haven’t had a roommate, would you want one?

4. Describe a time when your life was an emotional roller coaster.

Group Activity
In groups, brainstorm the ups
and downs that can occur in the Ups Downs
first year of university and fill in
the chart to the right. After the
discussion, take a class vote to
decide the best and worst
thing that can happen to
a first-year student.

Stay Tuned
In Episode 1, Kate says goodbye to her best friend Melanie.
What secret is Kate hiding from her parents?

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 The First Year
Introduction | Everyday Idioms 2

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int – Adv

In this introduction to the series, students learn some background TIME: 1–2 hours
about the main character, Kate. Students also think about and
TAGS:   idioms, university, college, first year, post-secondary
discuss the ups and downs of life as a first-year student.

Warm-Up Discussion

A. PREVIEW Answers will vary. Have a class discussion about the questions
or have students write their responses in a journal entry.
Read the introduction together and have a short class discussion.

B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
Group Activity

1. e 3. c 5. d 7. g 9. a Answers will vary. Put students in groups and have them

2. f 4. i 6. h 8. b discuss the ups and downs that occur during the first year
of university and record their answers in the chart. After the
Listening discussion, they can vote on best and worst things that can
happen to a first-year student.
Have students fill in the blanks as they listen to the passage.
After correction, have them practise reading it aloud in pairs.
The full transcript is on page 6 (optional handout).

Comprehension

1. Kate is heading off to her first year of university.

2. True.
3. Kate will have trouble focusing on important
things such as finances and schoolwork.
4. Kate’s first year is described as an emotional roller coaster.
5. Kate will need to count on the people who matter most in
her life, including her best friend and her family members.

Vocabulary Review

1. on campus 4. heading off

2. emotional roller coaster 5. ups and downs
3. deal with

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 The First Year
Introduction | Everyday Idioms 2

Reading Transcript
Take turns reading the passage with your partner a few times.
Practise your intonation and pronunciation. Underline or highlight
any new words or phrases that you don’t understand.

Kate is heading off to university. She is going into her first year of

undergraduate studies. Not only is she leaving her family and friends,

she is also moving into a dorm on campus. Kate will experience many

firsts this year. She will have her first roommate, take her first exams, land

her first restaurant job, and begin her first serious romance. First year is

an emotional roller coaster for Kate. Leaving her comfort zone is not

all fun and games. With so much freedom, Kate finds it difficult to focus

on important things like school and finances. To get through first year

in one piece, Kate will have to count on the people who matter most in

her life. These people include her best friend and her family members.

Follow these 15 conversations with Kate as she deals with the ups and

downs of campus life and her first year of university.

Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T – A DV / V E R S I O N 2 . 0) 6