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1 EdgeLife on theBE

The Long WinterWhich do you
prefer – towns
and cities or thecountry?

An Island Flood

1. What do you see in this picture?
Life in the Desert

2. Where do you think this kind of weather takes place?
What other places have “extreme” weather?

3. What might be different about life in places with extreme weather?

UNIT CONTENTS
Vocabulary Extreme weather; basic needs
Grammar Simple present and present continuous review; simple past and past continuous review
Listening Biking the Pan-American Highway

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Vocabulary: Extreme weather
1. Match the words and phrases with the correct pictures.

1. g high winds
2.
blizzard
3.
hail
4.
heat wave
5.
thunder andlightning
6.
heavy rain
7.
fog

c

a

d

b

e
f

1.02

g

2. Listen, check, and repeat.
3. Which of the words and phrases in Exercise 1 do you associate witha) very hot weather, b) very cold weather, c) hot or cold weather?
4. Think about where you live. When do you experience extreme
weather? Write the words and phrases from Exercise 1 in thefollowing categories.

Sometimes in Sometimes in At least once Only once or
the summer
the wintera monthtwice a year

Get it RIGHT!
Don’t use the article a to talk about
weather.
Yakutsk has very cold weather.
NOT: Yakutsk has a very cold weather.

Never

Speaking: What’s it like outside?
5. YOUR

TURN

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the questions.

1. What other words do you know to describe weather?
2. What’s the weather like today where you live?
3. What weather stories are in the news right now?
6. Talk to your partner about the weather where you live.
We’re having a bad heat wave this week. Right now it’s 35°C!

Workbook, p. 2

Reading Freezing in Siberia!; A fun vacation; Tristan da Cunha
Conversation Agreeing and disagreeing
Writing A persuasive email

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The

COLDEST TOWN on EARTH
Freezing inSiberia!
Yakutsk – the coldest town on Earth. From November to March,
it’s only light for three or four hours a day, and the temperatureis hardly ever above freezing. The average daytime temperatureis –30ºC, and at night, it sometimes falls as low as –60ºC. Now
that’s cold!

local sport that lots of boys do is wrestling. I don’t wrestle.
I like to jump rope, and I try to do it three or four times a week.
Both jumping rope and wrestling use a lot of energy, and theykeep you warm and strong. That’s important when you live insubzero conditions!

Right now, I’m writing on my computer in the library. It’s warm
inside, but outside, people are wearing heavy pants, tall boots,
hats, scarves, and heavy coats. It often takes me half an hour
to get ready to leave the house. When I get home, it takes me
another half an hour to take off all those clothes!

In the summer, Yakutsk is a different city. In June and July, it’s theseason of “white nights,” when the sky never gets dark, not evenat midnight. The snow melts, and the temperature rises to 30ºC
and higher. Most people are happy to have a heat wave after
10 months of winter. Camping and barbecues are the favorite
summer activities, with parties allnight long. I’m thinking about summer
weather a lot these days because there
are still four more months of winter.
I can’t wait for summer!
The lowest
ever recorded
temperature in
Yakutsk, Siberia,
northeast Russia,
was –64°C.

Life in the extreme cold is difficult. At –20ºC, the air freezes
inside your nose. At –40ºC, you can’t stay outdoors for morethan 10 minutes or your skin freezes. At –45ºC, the metal
on your glasses sticks to your face! I don’t go out very much.
People only walk short distances from one warm place to another.
All activities happen indoors – from shopping to sports. A popular

Reading: A blog

DID YOUKNOW . . .?

1. Look at the title of the blog. What is special about the town of Yakutsk?
1.03

2. Read and listen to Meg’s blog. Check your answer in Exercise 1.
3. Read the blog again. Answer the questions.

1. What are the average temperatures in Yakutsk in winter?
2. What kinds of clothes do people wear outside in the winter?
3. Why does it take a lot of time to get ready to go out in the winter?
4. What is the season of “white nights”?
5. What do people do in the summer in Yakutsk?

4. YOUR

TURN

Work with a partner. Ask and answer the questions.

1. Would you like to live in Yakutsk? What are the good things about living there?
What are the bad things?
2. Are there any places in your country that are similar to Yakutsk?
3. Which is the coldest region in your country? What’s the hottest?
4. How is life in your town different in summer and in winter? In what way?
I wouldn’t want to live in Yakutsk. It’s too cold there!

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Grammar: Simple present and present continuous review
5. Complete the chart.
Use the simple present to describe what normally happens. This includes routines and facts.
The metal on your glasses sticks to your face.
cold weather. Winter is my favorite season.

I

I don’t like hot weather.
We

go out a lot in the winter. It’s too cold!

Use the present continuous to describe something happening right now or these days.
I’m wearing a hat.

My friend isn’t studying for tomorrow’s test right now.

a lot of hot food like soup these days
We’rebecause it’s cold outside.

I’m not
for them.

boots because it’s too hot outside

Check your answers: Grammar reference, p. 106

6. Circle the correct answers.

1. I’m trying / I try to stay inside the housethese days.

5. In my town, the snow melts / is melting only in
April or May.

2. When the weather is bad, most activities
happen / are happening indoors.

6. Matthew plans / is planning his vacation in the
Bahamas right now.

3. My friends love / are loving cold weather.

7. My cousin moved to Costa Rica because shedoesn’t like / isn’t liking cold winters.

4. We watch / We’re watching the weather reporton TV right now.

1.04

8. Right now, Daniel and Elizabeth put / are putting
their boots on to walk to school.

7. Complete the text with the simple present or present continuous forms of the verbs.
Listen and check.

loveMark and his family 1(love) the place they live: Costa Rica. But this week,2(live) a different life. They 3(visit) their
they
cousins in Barrow, Alaska. Costa Rica is a warm, tropical country. The temperature
4(not change) much there. It’s around 27°C all year round. The(stay)
average temperature in Barrow is 11°C, and the temperature 5
below 0°C for 160 days of the year. Mark’s in Barrow right now. He says, “I
6(have) fun with my cousins this week, but we 7
8
(not have) the right clothes!” In Costa Rica, Mark(not go) outside much. I
9(play) soccer outside after school, but this week, he
usually
10(play) video games indoors. In Costa Rica, he 11(go) to hockey(go) to the beach on Saturday or Sunday. In Barrow, he 12
games. He says, “I can’t wait to get back to hot weather!”Speaking: It’s too hot!
8. YOUR TURN Make notes about how hot weather and cold weather
affect you. Then ask and answer the questions with a partner.
– What do you eat?

– Where do you exercise?

– How well do you sleep?

– What do you do for fun?

In really cold weather, I eat a lot of bread and soup. In
really hot weather, I don’t eat anything. I’m not hungry!

BE

Find out about a family livingin Alaska. What do they doin the winter when they
don’t have enough food?
(Workbook, p. 72)

1.1 THE LONG WINTER

Workbook, p. 3

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Prudhoe Bay

On theFairbanks
Whitehorse

ROAD
Listening: Biking the Pan-American Highway

Edmonton
Calgary
Billings

1. Look at the map of the Pan-American Highway. How many kilometers
do you imagine the highway is? How long do you think it would taketo travel the entire highway by bike?

Minneapolis

DenverAlbuquerqueDallasSan Antonio

1.05
Monterrey
Mexico CitySan Salvador

Panama City

1.05

2. Listen to a radio program about a family’s experience on the PanAmerican Highway. How does Diane, the mother, feel now that thetrip is finished?
3. Listen again. Circle the correct answers.

1. How long is the Pan-American Highway?
Quito

a. 28,000 kilometersb. 100 kilometersc. 13,000 kilometers

2. In what country did the Miller family take a plane?
Limaa. Ecuador

b. Argentina

c. Panama

3. How far did the family ride each day?

Antofagasta

a. between 11 and13 kilometers

Valparaiso
Buenos Airesb. between 14 and16 kilometersc. between 50 and
100 kilometers

4. How did the Miller family communicate with family members?

Quellón

a. They read blogs.
c. They talked on the phone.

Ushuaiab. They wrote a blog post
every week.

5. What did Robert miss the most while he was traveling?
a. having a homeb. free entertainmentc. going to a different place every night
6. How can listeners find out more about the Millers’ trip?
a. They can send an email to Robert and Diane.
b. They can read the blog or Diane’s book.
c. They can read Diane’s book or call her on the phone.

Vocabulary: Basic needs
1.06

4. Match the words and phrases with the words associated with them. Then listen andcheck your answers.

1.

food and drink

a. house, apartment2.

clothesb. movies, games, sports

3.

entertainment

c. high school, college, homeschooling4.

health cared. email, text messages, phone calls

5.

transportatione. hospitals, laboratories, clinics

6.

communicationf. spaghetti, salad, juice7.

a homeg. cash, credit cards, coins8.

educationh. buses, trucks, bikes

9.

money

i. boots, jackets, hats

5. Look again at the words in Exercise 4. Write them in order of importance to you.
Then discuss your list with your partner.

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Grammar: Simple past and past continuous review
6. Complete the chart.
Use the simple past to describe actions and events in the past.
We took a plane over part of Panama.
We
What

They didn’t have to stop for food.

our own food.

He didn’t

his arm, but it hurt a lot.

you miss the most?

Use the past continuous to describe actions and events in progress in the past.
spending the night in Quito when I heard
I
that the road was closed.
Theystorm started.

He wasn’t wearing a helmet when he fell.

eating their lunch by the road when the You weren't talking to me when I dropped my phone.
last night when the electricity went out?

What were you

Check your answers: Grammar reference, p. 106

7. Circle the correct answers.

1. My bike broke / was breaking down while I rode / was riding through Mexico.
2. When she studied / was studying in Greece, Evelyn bought / was buying foodfrom local markets.
3. I sat / was sitting in the park when I heard / was hearing the news.
4. When the hail began / was beginning, I talked / was talking on the phone.
5. You called / were calling while I watched / was watching the football game.
6. Neil and Austin drove / were driving through the blizzard when they ran / wererunning out of gas.
8. Complete the sentences with the correct form of used to and the verbs
in parentheses.

used to(think) everyone in South America spoke Spanish, but
1. I
now I know that people in Brazil speak Portuguese.
(not ride) his bike much, but now he rides it every day.

2. Steve(not come) to see us often, but now

3. My grandparents
they visit every month.
4. Public transportation
we have a great subway system.

Use used to when something
happened over a period oftime but doesn’t happen
anymore.
I used to be a swimmer, but
now I play soccer.
We didn’t use to ride ourbikes a lot, but now we ride
every day.

(be) terrible in this town, but now

Did you use to live in
Boston?

(not cook) a lot of meals at home, but now we only
5. We
go to restaurants on special occasions.

Speaking: Last night and long ago
9. YOUR TURN Use the phrases below to write five questions. You can
use the simple past or past continuous.
what

do

last night

when

go

when you were younger

where

eat
live

10. Work in pairs. Ask and answer your questions.

1.07

Say it RIGHT!

In statements, used to often sounds
like /justə/. Listen and repeat thesentences.
I used to spend a lot of money on
public transportation, but now I ride
my bike.
He used to like living in Canada, but hedoesn’t anymore. It’s too cold!

What were you doing last night?
I was doing my homework. What about you?
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REAL TALKA Great Place

1.2 WHICH DO YOU
PREFER – TOWNSAND CITIES OR THE
COUNTRY?

TO LIVE

Conversation: City, town, or country?
1.08

1. REAL TALK Watch or listen to the teenagers. Check (✓) the things that theteenagers like about living in the city.
bike riding

fresh airlooking at animals

concerts

hikingdifferent neighborhoods

shopping

museumsparks

2. YOUR TURN Which do you prefer – small towns, cities, or the country?
Tell your partner.
1.09

3. Listen to Kate talking to Mark about Greenville. Complete the conversation.
USEFUL LANGUAGE: Agreeing and disagreeing
don’t you think?

✓Don’t you agree?

I don’t think so.

See what I mean?

I disagree.

Kate:

Do you live near school, Mark?

Mark:No, I live in Greenville. Have you been there?

Kate:

Yes, I live there, too. It’s a great place to live. 1 Don’t you agree?

Mark:Well, it’s really quiet. Actually, nothing ever happens, and there’s
nothing to do. It’s boring.

Kate:

There are lots of things to do. What about
Well, 2the new mall and the community center?

Mark:

Maybe, but all my friends live here, in the city, and I can’t go out withthem in the evening.

Kate:

Yeah, but Greenville is healthier, 3Mark:It’s close to the city, so I don’t
The air, you mean? 4
think living in Greenville makes a difference. And there’s so muchheavy rain.

Kate:

Well, if there’s heavy rain in Greenville, there’s heavy rain in the city,
too. They both have the same weather.

Mark:
Kate:

That’s true. I like taking my dog for walks. Greenville is good for that.

Mark:

That’s true. Maybe you’re right. Small towns are OK, but I still wish
I lived in the city.

5

It’s not all bad.

4. Practice the conversation with a partner.
5. YOUR TURN Work with a partner. Take turns giving your opinion. Then agreeand disagree.

Situation 1

Situation 2

Living in a city.

Going to a big school.

Good: lots to do, easy to travel around

Good: lots of facilities, clubs, variety of different subjects to study

Bad: noisy, stressful, unhealthy

Bad: noisy, impersonal, more bullying

There’s a lot to do in the city, and that’s good, don’t you think?
Well, I like small towns. They’re not as noisy as big cities. . . .

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To
From
Subjectlaura@net.cup.org
addison@net.cup.org
A fun vacation

Hi Laura!
I’d like you to come visit me this summer. I miss you! You live in a big city, but I live in a cabin bya lake and that’s cool, too. Ask your parents if you can spend a week with me and my family thissummer. Here’s what you can tell them:First of all, we can do lots of fun stuff. For example, we can go swimming all day, every day. My
family also has a boat, and we can go water skiing or visit other places on the lake. There’s anisland in the middle of the lake, and we can have a barbecue there.
Second, it’s healthy to be out here by the lake. You’ll get a lot of exercise. For instance, we cango hiking in the woods (and we can go swimming again when we come back!). We can shop fororganic food at the farmers’ market. And there’s no pollution, and this part of the state is reallyclean and nice.
The best part is that we can be together! I haven’t seen you in six months. That’s a long time.
I really hope you can visit us this summer! Talk to your mom and dad. If they have any questions,they can talk to my parents.
Love,
AddisonReading to write: A persuasive email
6. Look at the pictures and read Addison’s email to Laura.
What does she want Laura to do?

Writing: A persuasive
email

Focus on CONTENT
When you write a persuasive email, you can follow
this format:- Start with a topic sentence that states your position
on something.
- Explain why you think your readers should do what
you’re suggesting. Start your sentences with phrases
such as First of all, Second, and The best part.
- Close your email by stating your position again. Try to
say it in a different way this time.

7. Find examples of each of the points in Focus on Content
in Addison’s email.

Focus on LANGUAGE
Introducing details
For example and for instance are similar in meaning.
- There’s a lot to do in the city. For instance /For example, you can visit art museums.

PLAN
Think of something you’d like topersuade someone else to do. Use
the list in the Focus on Content box
and make notes.

WRITE
Write your email. Use your notesfrom above to help you. Write about
150 words.

CHECK
Check your writing. Can you say “yes”
to these questions?
• Have you followed the instructionsin the Focus on Content box?
• Did you use for example or for
instance?

8. Match the sentences.

1. There are lots of fun things to do in themountains. For example,
2. We have lots of different kinds ofweather here. For instance,
3. There are lots of great restaurants in mytown. For instance,
4. Mary eats an unhealthy amount of sugar
every day. For example,
Workbook, pp. 6–7© in this web service Cambridge University Pressa. today she had doughnuts and soda forbreakfast, an ice-cream sundae for dessert
at lunch, and a big piece of cake at dinner.
b. we have Greek ones, Italian ones, and myfavorite, a place that only serves pancakes.
c. you can ride horses, hike, or go camping.
d. we have blizzards in the winter, heavy rains inthe spring, and heat waves in the summer.
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ristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island on
the planet, is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It’sover 2,800 kilometers from the nearest land, and to getthere, you need to fly to Cape Town, in South Africa. Then,because there’s no airport on the island, you have to travelby ship for seven days.
Tristan da Cunha was named after
the Portuguese discoverer who first saw
the island. Although it is almost 10,000
kilometers from London, it’s part of a
British territory. The official language
is English, but the people who live there
also speak a local dialect. The British
monarch is the head of state, and theyuse British pounds as their currency.
The island is very small – only 11 kilometers long. Queen Mary Peak,a volcano in the middle of the island, is 2,000 meters high, and it’s active,
too! The weather doesn’t get too hot or too cold, but there are times ofheavy rain.
The island is home to 80 families, about 260 people in total, and they
have only eight last names. These are the last names of some of the firstpeople to settle on the island. There is only one town and one school, andthat’s the only place with an Internet connection.
In October 1961, the island’s volcano erupted, and the whole population
went to live in the UK. They got jobs and new homes, but they didn’t likeliving so far from their island. They weren’t used to the noise, the traffic,
and the cold winter. So, in November 1962, 200 islanders returned to
Tristan da Cunha and their old lives there. They were happier without
television, cars, and the stress of modern life!

Tristan
da

T

Cunha
The

most remote

inhabited island on

Earth!

DID YOUKNOW . . .?
Many of the original
settlers of the island had
asthma. Over 50 percentof the people on Tristan da
Cunha have asthma now.
Scientists have learned
a lot about the diseaseby studying the people ofthe island.

Culture: A remote island
1. Look at the picture. Where do you think this place is?
What is special about it?
1.10

2. Read and listen to the article. Check your answers in
Exercise 1.
3. Read the article again. Complete the table.
Approximate distance from thenearest land:

2,800 kilometers

Official language:
Approximate distance from London:
Length of island:
Number of families:
Number of schools:
Month and year that the volcano
erupted:Number of people who returned to
Tristan da Cunha in 1962:

4. YOUR TURN Work with a partner. Ask and answer
the questions.

1. Would you like to visit Tristan da Cunha? Why? /Why not?
2. What do you think are the good things about living on theisland? What are the bad things?

BE

Find out about the people inBali, India. What are their two
main foods? (Workbook, p. 73)

1.3 AN ISLAND FLOOD

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UNIT 1 REVIEW
Vocabulary

3. Circle the correct answers.

1. Write the extreme weather word for each picture.

1. The surfer swam / was swimming in theocean when she saw the shark.
2. When I was younger, I watched / used towatch a lot of TV. I don’t anymore.
3. It rained / used to rain about 10 centimeters
last night.

1.

fog

4. What did you do / were you doing at
9:00 p.m. last night?

2.

5. My sister wasn’t thinking / didn’t use tothink that education was important. Now she
studies really hard.
6. I did / was doing all my homework. Do you
want to play a video game?
3.

Useful language

4.

4. Complete the conversation.
you agree

think

See what I

disagreeJohn:

Hey, Dylan. My family is taking
a vacation abroad this summer.
We might go to Canada.

Dylan:

Canada? There are blizzards there!
The weather is pretty harsh, don’t you
1
?

John:

Actually, it’s nice in the summer. Whatabout you? What are your plans?

Dylan:(not talk) right
3. My teacher
now. She’s writing a report at her desk.

I want to learn Spanish. My friend Mikeis visiting his grandma in Colombia, andhe invited me to come. I can learn a lotof Spanish. Don’t 2
?

John:

(not like) cold weather.
4. We
That’s why we live in Florida.

No. Mike’s American. You won’t learn
Spanish.

Dylan:

I3
grandma!

John:

Well, maybe you’re right. It’ll be
fun, even if you don’t learn a lot of
Spanish.

Dylan:

4

5.

6.

Grammar
2. Complete the sentences.

1. You can’t go outside right now.
(rain) really hard!
It ’s raining(work) after school and on
2. I
the weekends to make extra money.

5. My little brother
there is thunder and lightning.

(cry) when

6. The chef is in the restaurant kitchen. He(make) a special soup.

. I can learn from his

mean? It’s a great idea!

PROGRESS CHECK: Now I can . . .
■ talk about extreme weather.
■ discuss how my environment affects my life.
■ talk about past incidents and habits.
■ ask for agreement.
■ write a persuasive email.
■ discuss a faraway place.

CLIL PROJECT
1.4 LIFE IN THE
DESERT, p. 116

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