Unit 12 Life's Firsts

Unit 12 Page 110 READING exercise 3 THE FIRST TIME I ... We asked readers to tell us some of their 'first times' and here are three that we liked. My first time eating spaghetti – Italian style My best friend in my first year at school was Italian. Her name was Caterina Ricci. We were very different, but we got on really well and went everywhere together. The first time I went to her house, we had spaghetti for dinner. I asked for a spoon, but when Caterina started giggling I knew I had made a mistake. Italians only eat pasta with a spoon when it's in a broth, she told me. No big deal – watching Caterina I tried to work out how to eat pasta the Italian way. I tried to spiral it around my fork like she did, but all I managed was to splash the tomato sauce all over myself. I guess I finished ten minutes later than everyone else. Nobody said anything, but I must have looked great in my white shirt covered in tomato stains! Caterina and her parents moved away soon afterwards. I wrote to her a couple of times, but she didn't reply. It was really strange that she never wrote back, but I'm sure she never got my emails. Emma My first time in hospital One winter day, I went ice-skating with some friends. I fell over, hit my head on the ice and knocked myself out. My friends were worried but I quickly came round. When I told my mum and dad what had happened, they took me to the hospital. The doctor decided to keep me in overnight for some tests. There were other patients in the ward with me. One of them had had his wisdom teeth taken out. It was the first time I'd heard the words 'wisdom teeth' and it sounded strange to me. I remember that I tried to talk to him, but when he spoke I couldn't make out the words, so I couldn't understand what he was saying. I felt miserable, even though the nurses looked after me and tried to cheer me up. I didn't sleep well at all. It was my first night away from home and I've never forgotten it. Paul My first time on stage I remember the excitement as everyone put their make-up on and got into their costumes. I also remember how nervous I felt just before the curtain went up. I thought I wouldn't remember any of my lines. But in the end I didn't really have to worry about that. Everything started off well, but in the middle of the play I ran into a problem. It was in a scene with the actor who played the role of my husband. He was supposed to come on stage, but I could see him offstage talking to someone. I knew he was going to miss his entrance. He didn't come on stage, so I had to make some lines up and try not to panic! It seemed like hours, although it was probably only a few seconds. Then I said: 'I wonder where my husband is?' He heard me, came on stage and we carried on with the scene. I don't think the audience noticed anything wrong. Susie

Page 113 LISTENING exercise 7 and 8 Good evening, and welcome to the first in our new quiz series of First Things First. This evening the topic is Transport. Now, let's meet today's contestants. Please welcome Belinda Nightingale from Hill High School in Kent and Steve King from Ashbury Grammar School. Hello, everybody. Hi. So are you ready for my first question? It's about cars. Who built the first car? Was it a) Karl Benz from Germany, or b) Henry Ford from America or c) Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimle from Germany? Belinda, what do you think? Was it a) Karl Benz or b) Henry Ford or c) Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler? I think it was a) Karl Benz. Yes, that's the right answer. Karl Benz completed the first car in Germany in early 1886. It had three wheels. Daimler's car was built a little later in 1886 and it had four wheels. That's five points for you, Belinda. Now question number 2 goes to Steve. Who was the first pilot to fly across th Channel from France to England? Was it a) Amelia Earhart, b) Louis Bleriot or c) Amy Johnson? Steve Was it c) Amy Johnson? Was it c) Amy Johnson? No, I'm afraid that's the wrong answer. I must now give the question to Belinda. I know this one. It was Louis Bleriot. Yes, that's the right answer. Frenchman Louis Bleriot flew across the Channel in 1909 and it made him famous all over the world. Here's question number 3. Who was the first person to travel into space? Was it a) Yuri Gagarin, b) Neil Armstrong or c) Valentina Tereshkova? This question goes to Belinda. I know it wasn't Neil Armstrong because he was the first man on the moon. I also know that Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space, but I think her space mission was later. I think it was a) Yuri Gagarin. Yes, that's correct. The Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, completed one orbit of the Earth in his Vostok spacecraft in 1961 and he became the first man to travel into space. Now, question 4. The first hot air balloon to carry passengers, over 200 years ago ... how far did it travel? Was it a) 9 metres, b) 9 kilometres or c) 19 kilometres? Steve? I really don't know this one. I'm pretty sure it's not a). So I'll guess. B) – 9 kilometres. And you're right. Well done, Steve, it was 9 kilometres. Do you know where that first flight took place? In France, I think. Yes, in France, in 1783. Question number five goes to Belinda. Where was the first underground line built? Was it in a) Budapest, b) Istanbul or c) London? This is a difficult one. I want to say London, but then I think it could be Istanbul. I'm going to go with b) Istanbul. No, I'm afraid that's the wrong answer. Sorry, Belinda, but I must now give the question to Steve. It was London – c) London. That is the correct answer. The first London underground line was opened in 1863 and it's the oldest in the world. It's known as the Metropolitan Line. The one in lstanbul wasn't built until 1875. Steve, you've got 10 points and ...

Page 114 READING exercise 3 THE FIRST TIME I MADE FRIENDS WITH A SPIDER Allen was one of the 15 percent of teenagers in the US to have an extreme fear of something – also called a phobia. Allen's problem was arachnophobia: the fear of spiders. His phobia was so bad he couldn't be in a room with a spider. I asked him what he thought made spiders so terrifying. 'It's the quick movement, the dark colour, the legs,' he said. 'I couldn't look at them. I trembled if I saw one and I'd start to panic.' He knew that the spiders in his house weren't dangerous and couldn't hurt him, so there was no real reason to be scared of them, but he just couldn't control his reaction. When Allen went to see a psychologist, she told him about the Virtual Reality app Phobia Free. He decided to give it a try. Allen sat with the psychologist while he played the game. I asked him how it worked. 'I was asked to sit at a computer,' he told me. 'Then the psychologist told me I was going to meet a spider called Itsy. It felt a bit scary at first and I was glad the psychologist was with me. But when Itsy – a cartoon style animated spider – appeared, I couldn't help but smile. Itsy is fun and friendly and supports the person who has the phobia by making them kind of forget about the fear they want to overcome. And I must say I hadn't expected I would be playing an interactive game with a spider that would be so much fun! First, I was asked to help Itsy and its friends survive in difficult situations. For example, I had to help them avoid a vacuum cleaner. The game works like any computer game, but I soon noticed that I was developing an emotional link with the spiders. I really wanted to help them, and when I couldn't, I felt sorry for them! If I do start to feel stressed or panicky, the app has relaxation and breathing exercises that really help to calm me down. They're not just for arachnophobes like me – people who have any kind of fear or phobia will find these exercises useful. What's more, there's a real difference now in how I react to spiders in the real world. So, for the first time in my life, I recently touched a real spider. I saw it on my desk just in front of me. I kept really calm. I stretched out my hand, and let it run over it. Wow! It wasn't as much fun as playing with Itsy, my virtual friend, but I was amazed that I was OK with it. If only I'd tried this programme earlier! I might have avoided all that panic whenever I saw a spider. My sister has the same phobia and I wish she'd started this programme with me, but she said the thought of it was just too frightening. Now, though, she wants to try it.' Page 114 PRONUNCIATION exercise 1 Has everyone read the article about healthy living? I have, sir. From the research I learned that we have to look after ourselves from an early age. Yes, it would appear that every year counts. Are there any more ideas? Eating and sleeping well is really important, Mr Heath. Great answer. Now let's take a break! Page 114 PRONUNCIATION exercise 3 Has everyone read the article about healthy living? I have, sir. From the research I learned that we have to look after ourselves from an early age. Yes, it would appear that every year counts. Are there any more ideas? Eating and sleeping well is really important, Mr Heath. Great answer. Now let's take a break!

Page 116 Fiction exercise 1 Bullring Kid and Country Cowboy by Louise Clover 'So are you looking forward to our holiday, Fizza?' asked her dad. 'No,' thought Fizza. 'Yes, she is!' interrupted her mum. 'Aren't you, darling?' Fizza smiled falsely [...]. Fizza McIntyre is a city girl from Birmingham, UK. One year her parents hire a holiday cottage on the very small island of Sark, where there are no cars. Fizza goes along, to keep her parents happy. She doesn't know that a big adventure is going to start. Page 116 Fiction exercise 2 And so it was that Fizza found herself on 'the island that time forgot' with absolutely nothing to do. Her mum's voice brought her out of her dream and back to the present moment. 'Why don't you go and explore, Fizza?' said her mum. 'By the time you get back, I'll have supper ready. Oh! And get your dad a newspaper, please.' Fizza went down the hill towards the little village at the bottom. In five minutes she had discovered two bicycle hire shops, three shops that sold jewellery and jugs, and a tiny post office which was also a supermarket. Fizza went up to the counter. 'Do you sell newspapers?' she asked a small grey-haired lady. 'Sorry,' she said, 'they haven't arrived from Guernsey today. 'Try tomorrow.' "What is this place?' thought Fizza. 'There aren't even any newspapers!' She thanked the lady and left the shop. As she began the climb back up the hill, she passed a group of girls of about her age. They were chewing gum and wearing short skirts. They looked just like the 'cool' girls from school, which made Fizza smile. Some things never change, she thought, 'wherever you go.' And she began to run back towards the cottage. Later, after supper, Fizza and her dad practised judo in the field behind the cottage. For over an hour they threw one another onto the grass until Imran admitted defeat and went inside to play a game of cards with Rubel. As the sun began to drop down from the sky like a great big orange, Fizza continued to practise her judo moves. Eventually, she got tired and stopped. She looked out at the dark grey sea and breathed in deeply. And for the first time since she had arrived on Sark, she found herself listening. She could hear the birds singing goodnight to each other, and the sound of sheep bells and a boat in the distance. Then, lifting her nose into the air, she breathed in deeply and she found that the evening air of Sark smelled sweet. It was completely different from the heavy city smell of her much-loved Birmingham. Such beauty suddenly made Fizza McIntyre feel alive and she decided to show the island how good she felt. 'Goodnight, Sark!' she shouted as she jumped high in the air and then fell on the grass. Laughing at herself for being silly, she picked herself up and turned to go indoors, but immediately she came to a stop. Sitting in a tree beside the cottage was a red-haired boy who looked about the same age as her. For a moment they stared at one another until her attention was taken by a small brown rabbit that ran past her. She took her eyes away from the boy for just a few seconds and during this time he completely disappeared.

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