2G Festival fever

A What do you know about music festivals? Have you ever been to one? Talk about your ideas and experiences
with your partner.

B What are elements of a good festival? Rank these things in order of importance for you 1–6 (1 is the most important).
Discuss with your partner.

Music / Line up – bands you know and like

Workshops – new things to try your hand at
Food and drink – lots of places to buy a variety of food and drink
Campsite facilities – lots of clean toilets and showers
Setting – beautiful location
Weather – dry and warm

C Read the first three paragraphs from a review of One Planet Festival, ignoring the gaps, and put the plan below in the
correct order (1–5).
Paragraph plan

The setting and/or weather conditions

Conclusion: Your overall verdict of the festival
The music
Background information about the festival and general introduction for those who haven’t been before
One further aspect of the festival – food and drink/campsite facilities/workshops

As a 1 hardened festival-goer I was not put off by the 2 dreadful weather

forecast for the weekend of One Planet Festival this year. The festival, which has been going since 1984, attracts
a young crowd eager to see an exciting mix of the well-known and the unsigned. Since it was my third time at One
Planet, I knew I was in for a weekend of non-stop dancing.
Dancing in wellies?! Well, armed with rain gear, I was ready for anything and, to be honest, we did all get
3
soaked and 4 cold too but it was worth it. Sure, it would have been nice to see
just a little sun but I’m not one to let a little bit of water get me down and I still managed to have a fantastic time.
The highlight was definitely Mission who packed out the main stage area. They never fail to impress with their
5
original sound and energetic performances. Unfortunately they were followed by Tom Clancy
who fell 6 flat maybe because it’s 7 difficult for any solo act to follow such a
great band, but probably because his songs are just 8 depressing!

D Read the text again. Add modifying adverbs to the adjectives. Then compare with a partner.
Which of the adjectives are non-gradable?

E You are going to find out about a real festival – Glastonbury Festival in the UK. Use the following questions to help
guide your research and try to read reviews of Glastonbury. Then prepare and write your own review (200–250 words)
following the correct plan in C.
1 Who started Glastonbury? When, where and why did Glastonbury start?
2 What kind of people does it attract?
3 Is it easy to get tickets?
4 Apart from music, what is there to see and do at Glastonbury?
5 What has the weather been like at Glastonbury in recent years?

Solutions 2nd edition  Advanced classroom activity © Oxford University Press • Photocopiable
 2G Festival fever

Aims  To practise using modifying adverbs. To give students

practice in writing a review.
Time  15–20 minutes
Materials  1 handout for each student
• Divide the class into pairs. Give each student a handout.
Tell them to complete tasks A and B. Conduct a brief class
discussion or group two pairs together to share their opinions.
• Students complete task C.
Answer Key
2 The setting and/or weather conditions
5 Conclusion: Your overall verdict of the festival
3 The music
1 Background information about the festival and general
introduction for those who haven’t been before
4 One further aspect of the festival – food and drink / campsite
facilities/ workshops
• Ask students to complete the text in task D with suitable
modifying adverbs. If necessary, review gradable and non-
gradable adjectives. Check answers as a class.
Suggested answers
1 fairly, rather, very
2 absolutely (non-gradable)
3 absolutely, completely, totally (non-gradable)
4 a bit, extremely, fairly, pretty, quite,
5 completely, really, totally (non-gradable)
6 a bit, fairly, rather
7 extremely, pretty, very (non-gradable)
8 extremely, really, so
• Tell students to complete the writing task in E. Ask students to
check and give feedback on each other’s writing.

Solutions 2nd edition  Advanced classroom activity © Oxford University Press • Photocopiable