Unit 2 | Session 2

Extreme living
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: describe a unique place
 Unit 2 | Session 2
Extreme living
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: describe a unique place

Lesson Overview
1. GET STARTED: Extreme environments

2. LISTENING: Colder than cold

3. CRITICAL THINKING: Using numerical words and phrases to give information

4. SPEAKING: Unique places

5. PROGRESS CHECK
GET STARTED
Extreme environments
Look at the photo of a research center in Antarctica. What do you think would be the
most difficult thing about living there?
LISTENING
Colder than cold
Look at the facts about Antarctica. Which
facts do you think are true? Which ones
do you think are false?
1. Temperatures in Antarctica do not go lower
than -20ºC.

2. August is the warmest month in Antarctica.

3. Antarctica is a desert.

4. It snows a lot in Antarctica.

5. Antarctica is the windiest continent on Earth.

LISTENING
Colder than cold
Listen to the interview with Noah Harris.
Check your predictions and identify the
statements that are true.
1. Temperatures in Antarctica do not go lower
than -20ºC.

2. August is the warmest month in Antarctica.

3. Antarctica is a desert.

4. It snows a lot in Antarctica.

5. Antarctica is the windiest continent on Earth.

CRITICAL THINKING
Using numbers as evidence
Preview the questions. Then listen to the next part of
the interview. Answer the questions.
1. How many research centers are there in Antarctica?
a. 37 b. 47 c. 57
2. How many people live in Antarctica in the summer?
a. up to 1000 b. up to 4000 c. up to 5000
3. About how many people live in Antarctica in the winter?
a. 100 b. 1000 c. 4000
4. How many people were at the center that Noah visited in the
summer?
a. about 25 b. about 45 c. about 85
5. How many people share a room when it’s crowded?
a. 2 b. 3 c. 4
CRITICAL THINKING
Using numbers as evidence
Look at the following statements. Think of
two kinds of numerical words or phrases
you could find to support each statement.
1. Antarctica is one of the coldest places on
Earth.

2. The Sahara Desert is one of the driest places

on Earth.

3. The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean in the

world.

4. The Amazon Rainforest has some of the most

diverse animal and plant life on Earth.
Spix’s night monkeys in the Amazon Rainforest
SPEAKING
Unique places
You are going to choose a unique area in
the world and describe it. Choose two
reasons why the area is unique. What
evidence will you use to support your
reasons?

Why it’s unique Evidence

1.

2.
SPEAKING
Unique places
Tell your group about your area. Use comparative and
superlative adjectives and numerical words and phrases.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
. . . is one of the most interesting
places because . . .
It is one of the most . . .
It has some of the most . . .
One surprising fact is . . .
Another interesting fact is . . .

The Chocolate Hills area is one of the most interesting places in the
Philippines because it has an unusual landscape. There are over 1500
dome-like hills. One surprising fact is that they are green during the
rainy season. They’re only chocolate brown during the dry season.
SPEAKING
Unique places
Think about what you learned about your group members’ unique places. Share the
most interesting or unusual place you learned about with the class.
PROGRESS CHECK

Now I can . . .

 describe a unique place.

 use numerical words and phrases to give information.

 Unit 2 | Session 2
Extreme living
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: describe a unique place

Thank you!