UNIT Proficiency

6
Discussing actions in the past

Now and Then Comparing the past with the present

READING: How were you different when you were younger?

A. Read how Carlos, Rachel, and Tom answer the question, “How were you different
when you were younger?”

Carlos: In some ways, I’m still exactly the same. I was always outgoing and
playful. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I was never very patient.
My parents weren’t worried about me like they are now. Believe it or not, I was a
good student when I was a kid. I was serious about school. I changed in high school,
though. I just became more relaxed about everything. My mother wasn’t very strict,
and my father was always busy. I probably had too much freedom.

Rachel: I was completely different when I was young. When I was in elementary
school, my favorite colors were pink and purple! I played the violin, and I was a
little ballerina. I was more talkative and cheerful.
Anyway, some changes happened in my family when I was in middle school, and
things were different after that. The violin and ballet weren’t interesting to me
anymore. I like darker colors now. I guess I just grew up.

Tom: Physically, I was very different when I was a kid. I was short and skinny.
I wasn’t very good at sports either! All of my friends were much bigger than I was. In
middle school, I started to grow. By the end of high school, most of my friends were
shorter than I was. I was even taller than my parents.
For personality, though, I wasn’t that different than I am now. I was easygoing and a
little shy. That’s more or less how I am now.

B. Complete the sentences

1. Carlos was __________________________ when he was younger, and he still is now.
2. Carlos was _____________________ when he was a kid, but now he isn’t.
3. Carlos’ parents weren’t ________________ when Carlos was young, but they are now.

4. Rachel favorite colors were ________________ when she was young, but now she likes
darker colors.
5. Rachel was interested in ballet and ______________ when she was a child, but now she isn’t.
6. Rachel was __________________________ when she is young, but now she is quiet.

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7. Tom was ___________ and ____________ when he was young. Now he is tall and big.
8. Tom’s parents were ______________ than Tom when he was young, but now Tom is taller.
9. Tom was _________ and ___________ when he was young, and he still is.

GRAMMAR REVIEW: Be verb in the simple past

Statement Question Short answer

I was late. Was I late? Yes, I was.
He wasn’t tired. Was he tired? No, he wasn’t.
She was busy. Was she busy? Yes, she was.
It wasn’t hot. Was it hot? No, it wasn’t.
You were cute as a child. Were you cute as a child? Yes, you were.
We weren’t late to class. Were we late to class? No, we weren’t.
They were cold. Were they cold? Yes, they were.

A. Complete the sentences with was, wasn’t, were, and weren’t.

Ellen: _____ you always tall for your age?
Tom: No, I ________. I ______ short for my age in elementary school. Most of my
classmates _______ taller.
Ellen: When did that change?
Tom: In middle school. I ______ the tallest kid in my grade before I went to high school.
How about you? ______ you different when you ______ younger?
Ellen: No, I ________. I _______ outgoing and talkative then, and I still am now.
My best friend ____ just like me. We _______very talkative in class, so I think the
teachers ________ happy with us sometimes. But we _____ still good students.

B. Listen to the dialogue and check your answers.

SPEAKING: When you were in middle school...

A. Ask and answer the following questions with a partner.

When you were in middle school...
1. who was your best friend? Are you still friends now?
2. what were your hobbies? Do you still like them now?
3. what were your favorite TV shows and movies? Do you still like them now?
4. who were your favorite singers and music groups? Do you still like them now?
5. what was your favorite subject to study in school? Do you still like it now?
6. what was your personality like? Is it different now?

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UNIT 6

LISTENING & SPEAKING: Changing times

A. Listen to Ann and her grandmother discuss how her grandmother’s hometown has changed.
Complete the chart.

10 years ago 25 years ago 100 years ago

Population
Transportation

B. Talk about how things have changed in your hometown in the past 10, 25, and 100 years. Use
the following sentence patterns:
Ten years ago, there were (many/some/a few)… 25 years ago, there weren’t any ...
There was a ...100 years ago. There wasn’t a ...10 years ago.

LISTENING & SPEAKING: Did you have a good weekend?

Listen to the following conversations. Match the characters with the activities they did.
Some activities were done by more than one character.

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

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 UNIT 6

Dialogue 1. Ellen and Carlos Ellen: B, I, K, J Carlos: __________________

Dialogue 2. Tom and Diana Tom: __________________ Diana: __________________

In your opinion, who had the best weekend? Why do you think that?
_________________________________________________________________________________

Whose weekend was most similar to your usual weekend? Why do you think that?
_________________________________________________________________________________

Listen to the dialogues again and number these activities in order for each person.

1 Went to a club
Carlos: ____ Diana: ____ Went shopping
3 Studied a little
____ ____ Went to church and visited
2 Slept in
____
her grandmother
____ Played computer games
Ellen: ____ Watched a basketball game
Tom: ____ Went to a concert
____ Ate breakfast with her sisters
____ Played soccer
____ Drove to a restaurant
____ Ate at a restaurant

GRAMMAR: Simple past-regular verbs

Positive:
I stayed up all night.
We used all the batteries.
She offered to help us.
It started to rain.
Negative:
I did not get any sleep.
You didn’t try to contact me.
They did not pass the test.
He didn’t seem happy.

Spelling--regular verbs

Most verbs: Verbs ending in e: Verbs ending in Verbs ending in consonant +

Add -ed Add -d consonant + y: vowel + consonant:
Take off the y; Double the final consonant*
Add -ied And add -ed

work → worked serve → served study → studied plan → planned

play → played use → used apply → applied beg → begged
help → helped move → moved carry → carried stop → stopped
wash → washed like → liked copy → copied step → stepped

* Never double w, x, and y: row → rowed fix → fixed stay →stayed

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UNIT 6
A. Complete the sentences with the proper form of the past tense.
1. We ________________ the dishes yesterday. (wash)
2. She ________________ here last week. (work, not)
3. I ________________ my mother to let me go to the party. (beg)
4. They ________________ at the hotel for two nights. (stay, not)
5. He ________________ in Santa Claus until he was five. (believe)
6. His dog ________________ in an accident. (die)
7. We ________________our books in our backpacks. (carry)
8. The teacher ________________ my late homework. (accept, not)
9. My uncle ________________ two miles a day when he was young. (jog)
10. I ________________ to call you, but you ________________ . (try/answer, not)

SPEAKING & LISTENING: Pronunciation

A. Although many verbs in the past tense end in -ed, their endings do not all sound the same.
Listen to the way these verbs are pronounced:

Stopped → The police officer stopped the driver. (-ed = /t/)

Ended → The movie ended at 10pm. (-ed = /1d/ )
Enjoyed → The kids enjoyed the movie. (-ed = /d/)

Verbs ending in /f/ /k/ /p/ /s/ /sh/ /ch/ → -ed = /t/ Verbs ending in /d/ /t/ → -ed = /1d/
Examples: laughed, worked, stopped, kissed, Examples: ended, decided, acted, waited
wished, reached
All other verbs → -ed = /d/
Examples: enjoyed, learned, studied, used

B. What do you hear? /t/ /1d/ or /d/? Repeat the verb you hear in each sentence and then
write it in the space.
1. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________ 6. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________
2. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________ 7. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________
3. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________ 8. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________
4. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________ 9. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________
5. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________ 10. /t/ /1d/ or /d/ ________________

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 UNIT 6
GRAMMAR: Irregular verbs

come came get got put put

do did go went say said
drive drove have had see saw
eat ate know knew sleep slept
find found make made take took
forget forgot meet met win won

See pages 142-143 for more irregular verbs.

A. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in the simple past.
1. Ellen _________ to a restaurant. (drive)
2. Ellen and her sisters __________ breakfast. (eat)
3. The university basketball team ______ the game. (win)
4. Carlos _______ late on Saturday. (sleep)
5. Carlos ___________ some homework. (do)
6. Diana _______ some good clothes on sale. (find)
7. Diana ______ to church. (go)
8. Tom _______ a soccer game on Saturday. (have)
9. Tom ________ Pete after the game. (meet)
10. They ___________ a concert in the park. (see)

SPEAKING: What did you do…

A. For each time period, tell your partner three things that you did.
• Before class today, __________________________________________________________

• Yesterday, _________________________________________________________________

• Last year, __________________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR: Past tense questions

Did he play soccer yesterday? Yes, he did.

Did they wash the car? Yes, they did.

Did you use the elevator? No, I didn’t.

Did you paint the house? No, we didn’t.

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UNIT 6
A. Practice speaking with your partner using short answers (“Yes, I did.” or “No, I didn’t.”)
to these questions. Make two more questions to ask your partner (#9 and #10).
1. Did you watch any sports yesterday?
2. Did you wake up late this morning?
3. Did your sister play tennis with her friends?
4. Did your grandmother drive you to school on Wednesday?
5. Did you eat breakfast today?
6. Did you take your brother to the dentist last week?
7. Did you study for a test yesterday?
8. Did you play soccer last weekend?
9. _____________________________________?
10. _____________________________________?

SPEAKING: What did you do last weekend?

A. Get in groups of three or four. Tell your group members five things you did last weekend.
B. As a group, decide who had…

• the most unusual weekend.

• the most active weekend.
• the most relaxing weekend.

SPEAKING: Interview

A. Ask your partner the following questions. Make notes of your partner’s answers.

Questions Notes on answers

Last summer,
did you go anywhere special?
did you have a job?
did you take any classes?
did you do a lot of fun things?
what else did you do?

B. Report: Be prepared to share with the class how you and your partner answered the questions.
Example: Last summer, both my partner and I went somewhere special. I visited my relatives
in the country, and my partner went to the beach with her family. Last summer, I
had a part-time job, but my partner didn’t work. We also...

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 UNIT 6
VOCABULARY: Simple past crossword

s e r v e d
3 4 5

6 7

9 10

11 12 13

14

15 16

A. Find and replace the verb with a simple past verb.

Across
3. The waiter serves a delicious dessert after
the main course.
5. Last weekend I go to the beach.
6. Ted and Alice wish for a new baby brother.
7. Mary has a little cat.
10. Mom and dad jump off the boat and snorkel.
11. My father says good things about me.
13. Tom gets a new bike for graduation.
14. They order a delicious appetizer with their
beverages.
15. We eat shrimp and clams at the festival.
16. Sophia plays cards with her brother.
Down
1. I know John very well.
2. I help Carlos all the time.
4. The teacher includes her email address.
5. Diana watches the tennis match with her
friends.
6. Tom wash the dishes after dinner.
8. She takes her cousins to the movie.
9. My uncle makes spaghetti and meatballs.
10. We study for five hours this week.
12. I drive to the restaurant every day.

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UNIT 6

READING: Have a ‘Mud-Tastic’ Time in July

A.Preview and predict: Read the title and headings.

Then look at the pictures. What do you think this reading will be about?
A. My best weekend C. An unusual and fun event
B. Many ways to have fun D. Rainy summer weather

Have a ‘Mud-Tastic’ Time in July

There are many famous events held around the world, like the La Tomatina festival in Spain
and the Rio Carnival in Brazil. But have you heard about the Boryeong Mud Festival in South
Korea held each year in July? This festival has become one of the most famous festivals in South
Korea. More than 5 million people attended the festival in 2017.

The Beaches of Boryeong

Boryeong is located on the west coast of South Korea. It is about two hours southwest of Seoul.
Boryeong has 3.5 km of beautiful white sand beaches facing
the Yellow Sea. The sea mud there is rich in minerals. People
report that the minerals have an excellent effect on their skin,
and they believe these minerals have many healing properties.

Early Mud Festivals

Boryeong introduced its first mud festival in 1998 to advertise
its cosmetic mud products and creams. It lasted just four days
and included 16 activities. People of all ages could roll in the
fresh mud, make new friends, and escape from the summer
heat.

Boryeong Now
The festival now has many activities happening over 10 days.
Do you prefer daytime or nighttime activities? Do you like
“extreme” activities like survival mud games or an obstacle
marathon? Do you prefer zip-lining or a mud superslide?
A giant mud bath includes special competitions and games.
There are concerts with popular performers, street parades,
and rave parties with EDM. If you prefer to relax and do
something quieter, professional painters draw beautiful
patterns of colored mud on people’s bodies. Friends, families,
and couples can give each other a mud massage. They believe it can make your skin clean and
radiant.
Whatever you plan on doing at the festival, be prepared to get dirty! People who stay too clean
are often thrown into ‘Mud Prison.’ The festival is attended by many people from outside of
Korea, but it’s not easy to realize this once the festival begins. Everyone looks the same when
they are covered in mud!

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B. Scan the article and write short answers to these questions.
1. How many people attended the 2017 Mud Festival? _______________________________

2. About how long does it take to get to Boryeong from Seoul? _______________________

3. Why do people like Boryeong mud? _____________________________________________

4. When is the festival held? _____________________________________________________

5. What are examples of its extreme activities? ______________________________________

6. What is a quieter activity at the festival? _________________________________________

SPEAKING: Fun at the Mud Festival

A. What activities from the Mud Festival are interesting to you? Rank the activities from
1(the best) to 6 (the worst).

B. Ask other students what they think and write their answers.
A. What rank do you give ______________________?
B. I rank ____________ a _____ because ___________________________.

Exercise You Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5 Student 6

Mud massage
Zip-lining
Mud superslide
Giant mud bath
Rave & EDM
Mud body painting

C. Add up the results for each activity and complete the following report.
• In my survey, _______________ had the highest average ranking. Many people liked it because
________________________________________________.
• The next highest ranked activity was ____________________________.
• People ranked _________________ and __________________ as the third and fourth most
interesting activity.
• ___________________ was the 5th most interesting activity.
• ___________________ was the least interesting activity.

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UNIT 6

READING & VOCABULARY: The Life of Elvis Presley

A. Read the timeline for the life of singer Elvis Presley. Fill in the missing words using the
vocabulary in the box below.

served moved returned graduated

born spent died finished
married divorced gave made

Elvis was ____________ into a poor family in Mississippi,

on January 8th, 1935.
Elvis’ parents _______________ him a guitar for his 11th
birthday. It was love at first sight.
Elvis’s family ____________ to Memphis, Tennessee when
he was 13 years old.
Elvis _______________ from high school. He recorded
songs with the Memphis Recording Service.

Elvis went to Nashville and _______________ his first

record. He quickly became famous. He appeared on TV
and starred in the movie Love Me Tender. He bought his
grandfather a new car.

Elvis ________________ in the army.

Elvis ____________ his military service and returned home.
He made the record-breaking album, GI Blues. Elvis began
starring in many movies.
Elvis ____________ a woman named Priscilla in Las Vegas.
They first met while Elvis was in the army in Germany.
Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born. After seven
years of starring in many (27!) movies, Elvis ______________
to making music and performing on stage.

After Priscilla and Elvis Presley got __________, Priscilla

took Lisa Marie and moved to Los Angeles.

Elvis _________________$140,000 to buy thirteen Cadillacs for

family and friends.

Elvis ________ of heart failure at his home in Graceland.

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 UNIT 6
B. Think of some of the major events of your own life. Use the chart below to write your own timeline.

Year Event

C. Share your timeline with a partner. Speak in complete sentences.

SPEAKING: What were you like as a child?

A. Ask a partner the following questions. Write down brief notes of their answers.
1. Where did you live when you were a child?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. What school did you attend? Did you like it?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. What did you do after school? Who did you play with?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
4. What did you do on weekends?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is one of your best (or worst!) memories from childhood?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

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