Level 2
Unit 1 – A time to remember
Topics
People; childhood; memories
Grammar
Past tense; used to for habitual actions
Speaking
Introducing yourself; talking about yourself; exchanging personal information; remembering your childhood; asking about someone’s childhood
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduced form of used to Listening to people talk about their past
Writing/Reading
Writing a paragraph about your childhood “Drew Barrymore: Actor, Producer, Director”: Reading about the life and work of this Hollywood star
Activity
“Class profile”: Finding out about a classmate’s childhood
Unit 2 – Caught in the rush
Topics
Transportation; transportation problems; city services
Grammar
Expressions of quantity with count and noncount nouns: too many, too much, fewer, less, more, not enough; indirect questions from Wh-questions
Speaking
Talking about transportation and transportation problems; evaluating city services; asking for and giving information
Pronunciation/Listening
Syllable stress Listening to a description of a transportation system
Writing/Reading
Writing an online post on a community message board about a local issue “New Ways of Getting Around”: Reading about new transportation inventions
Activity
“Tourism campaign”: Suggesting ways to attract tourists to a city
Unit 3 – Time for a change!
Topics
Houses and apartments; lifestyle changes; wishes
Grammar
Evaluations and comparisons with adjectives: not…enough, too, (not) as…as; evaluations and comparisons with nouns: not enough…, too much/ many. . . , (not) as much
/many…as; wish
Speaking
Describing positive and negative features; making comparisons; talking about lifestyle changes; expressing wishes
Pronunciation/Listening
Unpronounced vowels Listening to people talk about capsule hotels
Writing/Reading
Writing an e-mail comparing two living spaces “Break those bad habits”: Reading about ways to end bad habits
Activity
“Wishful thinking”: Finding out about a classmate’s wishes
Unit 4 – I’ve never heard of that!
Topics
Food; recipes; cooking instructions; cooking methods
Grammar
Simple past vs. present perfect; sequence adverbs: first, then, next, after that, finally
Speaking
Talking about food; expressing likes and dislikes; describing a favorite snack; giving step-by-step instructions
Pronunciation/Listening
Consonant clusters Listening to descriptions of foods
Writing/Reading
Writing a recipe “Food and Mood”: Reading about how food affects the way we feel
Activity
“Is that so?”: Surveying classmates about their experiences
Unit 5 – Going places
Topics
Travel; vacations; plans
Grammar
Future with be going to and will; modals for necessity and suggestion: must, need to, (don’t) have to, ought to, -‘d better, should (not)
Speaking
Describing vacation plans; giving travel advice; planning a vacation
Pronunciation/Listening
Linked sounds with /w/ and /y/ Listening to travel advice
Writing/Reading
Writing a letter with travel suggestions “Volunteer Travel – A vacation with a difference”: Reading about how volunteer vacations work
Activity
“Fun vacations”: Deciding on a trip
Unit 6 – OK. No problem!
Topics
Complaints; household chores; requests; excuses; apologies
Grammar
Two-part verbs; will for responding to requests; requests with modals and Would you mind . . .?
Speaking
Making requests; agreeing to and refusing requests; complaining; apologizing; giving excuses
Pronunciation/Listening
Stress in two-part verbs Listening to the results of a survey about family life
Writing/Reading
Writing a set of guidelines “How to Ask for a Favor”: Reading about ways to ensure a positive response to requests for a favor
Activity
“That’s no excuse!” Apologizing and making amends
Unit 7 – What’s this for?
Topics
Technology; instructions
Grammar
Infinitives and gerunds for uses and purposes; imperatives and infinitives for giving suggestions
Speaking
Describing technology; giving instructions; giving suggestions
Pronunciation/Listening
Syllable stress Listening to a radio program; listening to people give suggestions for using technology
Writing/Reading
Writing an email asking for specific favors “Modern-Day Treasure Hunters”: Reading about the new hobby of geocaching
Activity
“Talk radio”: Giving advice to classmates
Unit 8 – Let’s celebrate
Topics
Holidays; festivals; customs; celebrations
Grammar
Relative clauses of time; adverbial clauses of time: when, after, before
Speaking
Describing holidays, festivals, customs, and special events
Pronunciation/Listening
Stress and rhythm Listening to a description of Carnaval in Brazil
Writing/Reading
Writing an entry on a travel website about a cultural custom “Customs Around the World”: Reading about interesting customs and cultural events
Activity
“Special occasions”: Finding out how classmates celebrate special events
Unit 9 – Times have changed!
Topics
Life in the past, present, and future; changes and contrasts; consequences
Grammar
Time contrasts; conditional sentences with if clauses
Speaking
Talking about change; comparing time periods; describing possible consequences
Pronunciation/Listening
Intonation in statements with time phrases Listening to people talk about changes
Writing/Reading
phrases Listening to people talk about changes
Writing a paragraph describing a person’s past, present, and possible future “Are you in love?”: Reading about the signs of being in love
Activity
“Consider the consequences”: Agreeing and disagreeing with classmates
Unit 10 – I hate working on weekends.
Topics
Abilities and skills; job preferences; personality traits; careers
Grammar
Gerunds; short responses; clauses with because
Speaking
Describing abilities and skills; talking about job preferences; describing personality traits
Pronunciation/Listening
Unreleased and released /t/ and /d/ Listening to people talk about their job preferences
Writing/Reading
Writing a cover letter for a job application “Find the Job That’s Right for You!”: Reading about how personality type affects career choices
Activity
“Dream job”: Interviewing for a job
Unit 11 – It’s really worth seeing!
Topics
Landmarks and monuments; world knowledge
Grammar
Passive with by (simple past); passive without by (simple present)
Speaking
Talking about landmarks and monuments; describing countries; discussing facts
Pronunciation/Listening
The letter o Listening to descriptions of monuments; listening for information about a country
Writing/Reading
Writing a guidebook introduction “A Guide to Unusual Museums”: Reading about interesting museums
Activity
“Who is this by?”: Sharing information about famous works
Unit 12 – What happened?
Topics
Storytelling; unexpected recent past events
Grammar
Past continuous vs. simple past; present perfect continuous
Speaking
Describing recent past events and experiences; discussing someone’s activities lately
Pronunciation/Listening
Contrastive stress in responses Listening to stories about unexpected experiences
Writing/Reading
Writing a description of a recent experience “From the Streets to the Screen”: Reading about the rise of an unusual group of musicians
Activity
“Life is like a game!”: Playing a board game to share past experiences
Unit 13 – Good book, terrible movie!
Topics
Entertainment; movies and books; reactions and opinions
Grammar
Participles as adjectives; relative pronouns for people and things
Speaking
Describing movies and books; talking about actors and actresses; asking for and giving reactions and opinions
Pronunciation/Listening
Emphatic stress Listening for opinions; listening to a movie review
Writing/Reading
Writing a movie review “Special Effects”: Reading about the history of special effects
Activity
“Famous faces”: Asking classmates’ opinions about movies, TV shows, and celebrities
Unit 14 – So that’s what it means!
Topics
Nonverbal communication; gestures and meaning; signs; drawing conclusions
Grammar
Modals and adverbs: might, may, could, must, maybe, perhaps, possibly, probably, definitely; permission, obligation, and prohibition
Speaking
Interpreting body language; explaining gestures and meanings; describing acceptable and prohibited behavior in different situations; asking about signs and their meaning
Pronunciation/Listening
Pitch Listening to people talk about the meaning of signs
Writing/Reading
Writing a list of rules “Pearls of Wisdom”: Reading about proverbs and their meaning
Activity
“What’s going on?”: Interpreting body language
Unit 15 – What would you do?
Topics
Money; hopes; predicaments; speculations
Grammar
Unreal conditional sentences with if clauses; past modals
Speaking
Speculating about past and future events; describing a predicament; giving advice and suggestions
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduction of have Listening to people talk about predicaments; listening to a call-in radio show
Writing/Reading
Writing a letter to an advice columnist “The Advice Circle”: Reading an online advice forum
Activity
“Do the right thing!”: Deciding what to do in a difficult situation
Unit 16 – What’s your excuse?
Topics
Requests; excuses; invitations
Grammar
Reported speech: requests and statements
Speaking
Reporting what people said; making polite requests; making invitations and excuses
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduction of had and would Listening for excuses
Writing/Reading
Writing a report about people’s responses to a survey; “The Truth About Lying”: Reading about “white lies”
Activity
“Excuses, excuses”: Discussing calendar conflicts and making up excuses
Level 3
Unit 1 – That’s what friends are for!
Topics
Personality types and qualities; relationships; turn-ons and turn off s
Grammar
Relative pronouns as subjects and objects; it clauses + adverbial clauses with when
Speaking
Describing personalities; expressing likes and dislikes; agreeing and disagreeing; complaining
Pronunciation/Listening
Linked sounds Listening for descriptions of people; listening for opinions
Writing/Reading
Writing a description of a best friend “To Friend or Unfriend?”: Reading about choosing online friends
Activity
“Personality types”: Interviewing a classmate to find out about personality characteristics
Unit 2 – Career moves
Topics
Jobs; careers of the future; job skills; summer jobs
Grammar
Gerund phrases as subjects and objects; comparisons with adjectives, nouns, verbs, and past participles
Speaking
Talking about possible careers; describing jobs; discussing the negative aspects of some jobs
Pronunciation/Listening
Stress with compound nouns Listening to descriptions of summer jobs; listening for likes and dislikes
Writing/Reading
Writing about career advantages and disadvantages “Help! How Can I Find a Job?”: Reading a message board with advice on how to find a job
Activity
“The dinner party”: Comparing people’s careers and personalities to make a seating chart for a dinner party
Unit 3 – Could you do me a favor?
Topics
Favors; formal and informal requests; messages
Grammar
Requests with modals, if clauses, and gerunds; indirect requests
Speaking
Making unusual requests; making direct and indirect requests; accepting and declining requests
Pronunciation/Listening
Unreleased consonants Listening to people making, accepting, and declining requests
Writing/Reading
Writing emails with requests “Yes or No?”: Reading about the way people in different cultures respond “yes” and “no”
Activity
“Borrowers and lenders”: Asking classmates to borrow items; lending or refusing to lend items
Unit 4 – What a story!
Topics
The media; news stories; exceptional events
Grammar
Past continuous vs. simple past; past perfect
Speaking
Narrating a story; describing events and experiences in the past
Pronunciation/Listening
Intonation in complex sentences Listening to news podcasts; listening to narratives about past events
Writing/Reading
Writing a news story “The Changing World of Blogging”: Reading about the evolution of blogs
Activity
“A double ending”: Completing a story with two different endings
Unit 5 – Crossing cultures
Topics
Cultural comparisons and culture shock; moving abroad; emotions; customs; tourism and travel abroad
Grammar
Noun phrases containing relative clauses; expectations: the custom to, (not) supposed to, expected to, (not) acceptable to
Speaking
Talking about moving abroad; expressing emotions; describing cultural expectations; giving advice
Pronunciation/Listening
Word stress in sentences Listening for information about living abroad; listening to opinions about customs
Writing/Reading
Writing a tourist pamphlet “Culture Shock”: Reading blog entries about moving to another country
Activity
“Culture check”: Comparing customs in different countries
Unit 6 – What’s wrong with it?
Topics
Consumer complaints; everyday problems; electronics; repairs
Grammar
Describing problems with past participles as adjectives and with nouns; describing problems with need + gerund, need + passive infinitive, and keep + gerund
Speaking
Describing problems; making complaints; explaining something that needs to be done
Pronunciation/Listening
Contrastive stress Listening to complaints; listening to people exchange things in a store; listening to repair people describe their jobs
Writing/Reading
Writing a critical online review “The Value of Upcycling”: Reading about reusing materials to make things of greater value
Activity
“Fixer-upper”: Comparing problems in two pictures of an apartment
Unit 7 – The world we live in
Topics
The environment; world problems; current issues
Grammar
Passive in the present continuous and present perfect; prepositions of cause; infinitive clauses and phrases
Speaking
Identifying and describing problems; coming up with solutions
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduction of auxiliary verbs Listening to environmental problems; listening for solutions
Writing/Reading
Writing a message on a community website “Saving a Coral Reef – An Eco Tipping Point”: Reading about reviving marine life around Apo Island
Activity
“Make your voices heard!”: Choosing an issue and deciding on an effective method of protest; devising a strategy
Unit 8 – Lifelong learning
Topics
Education; learner choices; strategies for learning; personal qualities
Grammar
Would rather and would prefer; by + gerund to describe how to do things
Speaking
Asking about preferences; discussing pros and cons of different college majors; talking about learning methods; talking about personal qualities
Pronunciation/Listening
Intonation in questions of choice Listening to descriptions of courses; listening for additional information
Writing/Reading
Writing about a skill or a hobby “Learning Styles”: Reading about different kinds of learning
Activity
“Learning curves”: Choosing between different things you want to learn
Unit 9 – Improvements
Topics
Everyday services; recommendations; self-improvement
Grammar
Get or have something done; making suggestions with modals + verbs, gerunds, negative questions, and infinitives
Speaking
Talking about things you need to have done; asking for and giving advice or suggestions
Pronunciation/Listening
Sentence stress Listening to suggestions for self-improvement
Writing/Reading
Writing a letter of advice “Critical Thinking”: Reading about the characteristics and benefits of critical thinking
Activity
“Put yourself in my shoes!”: Discussing different points of view of parents and their children
Unit 10 – The past and the future
Topics
Historic events and people; biography; the future
Grammar
Referring to time in the past with adverbs and prepositions: during, in, ago, from…to, for, since; predicting the future with will, future continuous, and future perfect
Speaking
Talking about history events; talking about things to be accomplished in the future
Pronunciation/Listening
Syllable stress Listening to predictions
Writing/Reading
Writing a biography “Tweet to Eat”: Reading about a restaurant that uses social networking to reach customers
Activity
“History buff”: Taking a history quiz
Unit 11 – Life’s little lessons
Topics
Milestones and turning points; behavior and personality; regrets
Grammar
Time clauses: before, after, once, the moment, as soon as, until, by the time; expressing regret with should (not) have + past participle; describing hypothetical situations with if
clauses + past perfect
Speaking
Describing rites of passage; describing turning points; describing regrets and hypothetical situations
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduction of have and been Listening to descriptions of important events; listening to regrets and explanations
Writing/Reading
Writing a letter of apology “Milestones Around the World”: Reading about important life events in Egypt, Mexico, and Vanuatu
Activity
“When I was younger,…“: Playing a board game to talk about how you were and could have been
Unit 12 – The right stuff
Topics
Qualities for success; successful businesses; advertising
Grammar
Describing purpose with infinitive clauses and infinitive clauses with for; giving reasons with because, since, because of, for, due to, and the reason
Speaking
Describing qualities for success; describing features; giving reasons for success; interviewing for a job; talking about ads and slogans
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduced words Listening for features and slogans
Writing/Reading
Writing a radio or TV commercial “The Wrong Stuff”: Reading about advertising failures
Activity
“Catchy slogans”: Creating a slogan and logo for a product
Unit 13 – That’s a possibility.
Topics
Pet peeves; unexplained events; reactions; complicated situations and advice
Grammar
Past modals for degrees of certainty: must (not) have, may (not) have, might (not) have, could (not) have; past modals for judgments and suggestions: should (not) have, could
(not) have, would (not) have
Speaking
Making conclusions; offering explanations; describing hypothetical events; giving advice for complicated situations
Pronunciation/Listening
Reduction in past modals Listening to explanations; listening for the best solution
Writing/Reading
Writing about a complicated situation “The Blue Lights of Silver Cliff”: Reading a story about an unexplained phenomenon
Activity
“Photo plays”: Drawing possible conclusions about situations
Unit 14 – Behind the scenes
Topics
How a movie is made; media professions; processes; the entertainment industry
Grammar
The passive to describe process with is/are + past participle and modal + be + past participle; defining and non-defining relative clauses
Speaking
Describing how something is done or made; describing careers in the media
Pronunciation/Listening
Review of stress in compound nouns Listening to a producer describe his work; listening for personality traits
Writing/Reading
Writing about a process “Hooray for Bollywood!”: Reading about the kind of movies made in India
Activity
“Who makes it happen?”: Putting together a crew for making a movie
Unit 15 – There should be a law!
Topics
Recommendations; opinions; local concerns; controversial issues
Grammar
Giving recommendations and opinions with passive modals: should be, ought to be, must be, has to be, has got to be; tag questions for opinions
Speaking
Giving opinions for and against controversial issues; offering a different opinion; agreeing and disagreeing
Pronunciation/Listening
Intonation in tag questions Listening for solutions to everyday annoyances; listening to issues and opinions
Writing/Reading
Writing a persuasive essay “How Serious Is Plagiarism?”: Reading about plagiarism and people’s opinions about its severity
Activity
“You be the judge!”: Deciding on punishments for common offenses
Unit 16 – Challenges and accomplishments
Topics
Challenges; accomplishments; goals; volunteering
Grammar
Complex noun phrases containing gerunds; accomplishments with the present perfect and simple past; goals with the future perfect and would like to have + past participle
Speaking
Describing challenges, frustrations, and rewards; talking about the past and the future
Pronunciation/Listening
Stress and rhythm Listening to challenges and rewards of people’s work; listening for people’s goals for the future
Writing/Reading
Writing a personal statement for an application “Young and Gifted”: Reading about exceptionally gifted young people
Activity
“Viewpoints”: Taking a survey about volunteering