A.

Chelsea
1. Match has
the always
parts ofhad
thethe
sentences.
wish…
2. She had the chance to study abroad
3. She didn’t really know
4. Despite her initial fears
5. She did some great things
6. To deal with the separation better
7. She confessed to her family
8. In the end Chelsea encourages other people

Growing up in suburbia U.S.A., I always wanted to experience another culture.

The opportunity came when I was 15. After a few months of planning and a) everything went well in her new school.
preparing, I was ready to spend the second semester of my first year of high school b) the students shared their travel stories with each
as an exchange student in Australia. other.
I knew it would be a challenge to convince my parents that it was a good idea to c) to go abroad.
send their 15-year-old daughter across the world, so I figured the best thing to do d) that she had been homesick.
would be to plan out piece by piece every element that would go into this e) to go on an exchange programme.
experience. How much would it cost? How long would I be abroad? When would f) when she was still in high school.
I go? I took all the facts to my parents and told them, "I won't take no for an g) with other exchange students.
answer." And they did not say no.
h) whether her parents would let her go overseas.
As a team, my parents and I then went to my school's counsellor to seek help on
which organization might be best suited for me. It boiled down to Youth For
Understanding, which offered a wonderful scholarship that paid for half of my
program.
Landing in Perth was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I realized then
that there was no turning back. The family I would live with was waiting for me,
and the new school year would start in only five days. The Catholic school I B. TRUE (T) or FALSE (F)? Quote from the
attended was also very different from my public school back in the States. The text to justify all your answers.
uniforms code was very strict. We were only allowed to wear one bracelet, which
had to be a watch, and one necklace, which had to have a Holy Cross. I was quite
intimidated at first, especially never having been to a new school—even in the 1. Chelsea’s parents had to support all the expenses
U.S. Everything went smoothly, though. The teachers were welcoming and the of the exchange programme.
students were friendly. 2. Chelsea didn’t like her new school at all.
The most memorable time of my semester abroad was with 41 other international 3. She had a hard time saying good-bye to her new
exchange students travelling around Australia during our semester break. The few friends.
weeks we spent together were jam-packed with amazing activities. 4. Although it wasn’t easy, Chelsea managed to re-
At the end of our stay in Australia, we had three weeks of travelling time to share adapt to her life in the US.
our stories and help each other cope with leaving. It was only natural that our last
5. Chelsea quickly forgot everything about her life
day together was filled with tears. We packed our camp, exchanged e-mail
addresses, and gathered together for a final good-bye. as an exchange student.
Upon coming home, an open mind and flexibility were again important. The
transition was at times trying, since it was difficult to convey the magnitude of my
experience and for others to understand it. Resettling home took time and effort,
but eventually I made the adjustment. All the while, I was attentive to letting my
family and friends know how happy I was to be home and how much I had missed
them—though the experience is still vividly with me. So, if you have the C. Complete the blanks with ideas from the text.
opportunity to study abroad you most certainly should.
1. Chelsea planned everything very careful because
she thought ........
1. abroad (paragraph 2) a) scared
2. At first she felt intimidated not only because the
2. seek (paragraph 3) b) difficult to deal with school ........ but also because she ........ before.
E. Match 3. intimidated (paragraph 4) c) clearly, intensely
the words 4. smoothly (paragraph 4) d) look for
5. memorable (paragraph 5) e) full of
from the 6. jam-packed (paragraph 5) f) without difficulties
text with 7. gathered (paragraph 6) g)thoughtful D. Answer these questions on the text in your own
their 8. trying (paragraph 7) h) got together words.
equivalent. 9. attentive (paragraph 7) i) in a foreign country
10. vividly (paragraph 7) j) unforgettable 1. How long and with whom did Chelsea stay in
Australia?
2. What did she enjoy the most?

GRAMMAR
A.
Insert the following phrasal verbs in the sentences below.
 COME ABOUT  COME ACROSS  COME DOWN  COME OUT  COME UP WITH
1. He’s ..... a brilliant idea of how to finance his exchange programme.
2. How did this problem with your host family .....
3. They’ve ..... some interesting leaflets on exchange programmes.
4. A new guide on summer languages courses ..... last month.
5. Don’t ..... too hard on her – it wasn’t really her fault.

 TURN AGAINST – to stop liking someone and start opposing them  TURN BACK– to return the same
way you have come  TURN DOWN – to refuse/reject  TURN OUT – to end in a particular way 
TURN UP – to arrive somewhere
1. Why did she .... your invitation to the party?
2. She failed to ... for work on Monday.
3. Bad weather forced them to ... .
4. At first it may be difficult to adjust but don’t worry everything will ... just fine.
5. After the divorce she tried to ... the children ... their father.

B.

Choose the right tense.

Hi there. Sorry I haven’t written for such a long time but I (1) have been / am really busy lately. As you know I’m
on an exchange programme in the US. I (2) arrived / have arrived three days ago and have already met another
Portuguese girl. She (3) is speaking / speaks English quite well. And guess what! We (4) stayed / are staying at
the same youth hostel and that makes things a lot easier for me. Yesterday, for example, while we (5) were going /
went home, someone (6) was asking / asked us for directions. Imagine I (7) am / was so nervous that I didn’t
know what to say. Since then my friend (8) did / has been doing all the talking, lol. Bye.

Use an appropriate tense of the verbs in brackets and complete this letter.
Dear Ana. Sorry I (1 not write) for such a long time but I (2 be) really busy lately. As you know I’m on an
exchange programme in the USA and I (3 write) you this letter to tell you all about it.
I (4 arrive) a week ago and (5 already meet) another Portuguese girl. She (6 speak) English quite well. But that’s
no surprise - she (7 learn) it for eight years now. And guess what! We (8 stay) at the same youth hostel and that
makes things a lot easier for me. Bye for now. Kisses, Susana

WRITING

Imagine you are spending a year studying abroad. Using between 120 and 180 words write a letter to your parents
telling them about how things are going. Remember that studying abroad may be fun, but not a piece of cake for
everyone. Use phrasal verbs and grammar from the article, exercises.