Teen 4 PDF: My Hobby Is Blogging

# My hobby is blogging. ## Grammar - Gerunds ## Vocabulary - Talents - Hobbies ## Social Language - Introduce two classmates - Suggest an activity ## Topic Snapshots ### 1. Read and listen to the students talk about their talents and hobbies. - **Maria** - Monterrey, Mexico - People perso...

# My hobby is blogging. ## Grammar - Gerunds ## Vocabulary - Talents - Hobbies ## Social Language - Introduce two classmates - Suggest an activity ## Topic Snapshots ### 1. Read and listen to the students talk about their talents and hobbies. - **Maria** - Monterrey, Mexico - People person, good listener - Loves meeting new people and helping them with problems. - Her hobby is blogging, and she has an online advice blog called "Ask Maria". - Kids write to her often about boyfriend and girlfriend problems. - **Brian** - Boston, U.S. - Good at putting things together. - Put his brother's train set together because the instructions were not good. - **Claire** - Vancouver, Canada - Not afraid of speaking in front of people - Often the first one to stand up for presentations in class. - Enjoys acting in plays and participates in the public speaking and drama clubs. ### 2. Complete the statements about each person's abilities. 1. If you need to build some furniture, Brian **can help**. 2. If you don't have many friends and don't know what to do, write **to Maria**. 3. If you like watching plays, **go** and **see Claire** perform with her drama club this weekend. ### 3. Read and listen to the conversation. - **Sophia** - introduces Nick to Sarah. - **Nick** - new student, has a black belt in karate. - **Sarah** - good at karate, but going to drama club this weekend. ### 4. Answer the questions. 1. Who's a new student? **Nick.** 2. Who's taking someone to karate club? **Sophia.** 3. Who's good at karate? **Sophia and Nick.** 4. Who's not going to karate club? **Sarah.** 5. Who's going to drama club? **Sarah.** ## Vocabulary - Talents and hobbies ### 1. Look at the photos. Read and listen. 1. **Public speaking** - image of a person taking a microphone. 2. **Solving puzzles** - image of a person working on a puzzle. 3. **Inventing things** - image of a person building a robot. 4. **Meeting new people** - image of a person shaking hands with another person. 5. **Putting things together** - image of a person constructing an item. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen and repeat. ### 3. Listening comprehension - Listen to five students talk about themselves. - Complete the chart with their talents or hobbies, and favorite subjects. | Name | Talent or hobby | Favorite subject | |---|---|---| | Arielle Novak | solving puzzles | | | Lee Brody | | | | Celina Martinez | | | | Kate Arnold | | | | Sean Benson | | | ## Grammar - Gerunds ### 1. Study the grammar. A gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun. Use a gerund: - **as a subject** - Biking is my favorite weekend activity. - **as the direct object after the verbs like, love, enjoy, dislike, hate, can't stand, suggest, and stop** - I don't like speaking in public. - I'll never stop doing puzzles. I love solving them. - **after the verb be, to give information about the subject of a sentence** - My father's hobby is playing tennis. - **after an adjective + preposition expression such as good at, bad at, happy about, crazy about, and afraid of** - My boyfriend is good at putting things together. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen to the grammar examples. **Repeat.** ### 3. Circle the gerunds in the statements. Be careful! Not all the -ing words are gerunds. 1. Clark enjoys **playing** the drums, but his parents can't stand **hearing** them. 2. Selma is **doing** a crossword puzzle. She really enjoys **solving** them. 3. My hobby is **kayaking**. It's so exciting. 4. **Watching** horror movies is way too scary for me. I'm afraid of those kinds of movies! 5. My friends are crazy about **surfing**. They're going to the beach this weekend. ### 4. Complete the statements and questions with gerunds. 1. I don't like **going** to the beach when it's cloudy. 2. I can't stand **listening** to hip-hop music when I have a headache. 3. My sister's favorite Sunday morning activity is **cooking**. 4. **Playing** the piano really makes me happy. 5. **Hiking** can be really hard in hot weather. 6. My sister's friend Alison hates **practicing** the piano. 7. My family is crazy about **watching** old movies. ### 5. Can you identify the grammar? Choose the function of each gerund. | | subject | direct object | gives information about subject | follows an adjective + preposition | |---|---|---|---|---| | I hate shopping. | | | | ✓ | | My mom is afraid of flying. | | | | ✓ | | Fixing cars is hard. | ✓ | | | | | I don't like public speaking. | | ✓| | | | Swimming is boring. | ✓ | | | | | The best part of art class is painting. | ✓ | | | | ### 6. Write the correct gerunds and circle the correct Vocabulary to complete each conversation. 1. A: So, what do you **enjoy doing** (do) on weekends? B: Me? I like **hanging out** (hang out) with my friends or **going** (go) to parties. A: You're so good at **meeting new people** / **putting things together**! This is my first year in this school, and I don't have a lot of friends like you do. B: No problem. I'll **introduce** you to some of mine! 2. A: Hey! Life of Pi is on TV tonight. Let's watch it on the new flat-screen TV! I'm crazy about **watching** (watch) movies with special effects on a big screen. B: Me, too! But the table for the TV is still in the box. You know I'm not very good at **solving puzzles** / **putting things together**. A: Don't worry. I'll help you after work. 3. A: Hi, Terry. Are you going to talk about the movie at tomorrow's school meeting? B: Thanks! Yes, I am. But I'm a little worried about it. I can't stand **talking** (talk) in front of so many people. A: Really? I think you're great at **public speaking** / **meeting new people**. Don't worry. 4. A: Sam, what's a nine-letter word for a scary pet with eight legs? The first letter is "T.” B: Easy! Tarantula. A: Thanks! I'm really not good at **solving puzzles** / **inventing things**. B: Well, crosswords are one of my favorite hobbies. I really like **doing** (do) them. 5. A: I don't like **cooking** (cook). It's too messy for me. B: Really? I like **making** (make) cakes for my friends. Right now, I'm making some cupcakes that are going to look like volleyballs for the team party A: Awesome! You're so good at **inventing things** / **meeting new people**. ## Do you have a special talent or hobby? Complete the statements with gerunds. - My hobby is . - I love . ## I want to change my bad habits. ## Grammar - Infinitives ## Vocabulary - Good and bad habits ## Social Language - Compare your good and bad habits. ## Vocabulary - Good and bad habits ### 1. Look at the pictures. Read and listen. **Some good habits** 1. **Eating healthy food** - image of person eating fruits and vegetables. 2. **Saving money** - image of a person putting money in a piggy bank. 3. **Having good study habits** - image of a person studying. 4. **Getting plenty of exercise** - image of a person running. 5. **Getting enough sleep** - image of a person sleeping. **Some bad habits** 6. **Eating junk food** - image of a person eating chips. 7. **Spending too much money** - image of a person recklessly spending money. 8. **Leaving things until the last minute** - image of a person looking at a watch with alarm. 9. **Being lazy** - image of a person laying on a couch. 10. **Staying up too late** - image of a person in bed with an alarm clock showing the time in the middle of the night. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen and repeat. ### 3. Listening comprehension - Listen to the students talk about their good and bad habits. Complete the chart. | | has good habits | has bad habits | has a mixture of both | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | ✓ | | | | 2 | | | ✓ | | 3 | | | | | 4 | | | | ## Topic Snapshots ### 1. Read and listen to the conversation. - Mom - worried about Kevin's tired appearance. - Kevin - stayed up late finishing English homework, due today. - Mom - emphasizes the importance of enough sleep. - Kevin - has math test tomorrow. - Mom - reminds Kevin about the test. - Kevin - planning to study with classmates at the library after school and will get plenty of sleep tonight. ### 2. Read the statements. Circle T (true) or F (false). 1. Kevin stayed up late last night. **T** 2. Kevin was up late studying with his classmates. **F** 3. Kevin's mom thinks studying with his classmates is a bad idea. **F** 4. Kevin doesn't plan to study for the test today. **T** 5. Kevin is going to study for the test after school on Wednesday. **T** ### 3. Snapshot 2 Take the survey. Complete the statements so that they are true about you. - Write **always, sometimes, or never.** 1. I **always** eat healthy food. 2. I **sometimes** eat junk food. 3. I **always** save money. 4. I **sometimes** spend too much money. 5. I **always** study before a test. 6. I **sometimes** leave things until the last minute. 7. I **always** make plenty of time for exercise. 8. I **always** get plenty of sleep. ## Write about your good and bad habits. Use your survey for information. - I think I have pretty good habits. I don't eat a lot of junk food and I always get plenty of sleep. ## Things used to be different. ## Grammar: - Comparisons with as ... as - Used to/ Didn't use to ## Vocabulary: - Expressions for talking about the past ## Social Language - Compare how you were when you were little ## Topic Snapshot ### 1. Read and listen to the post. - **Abby Morgan** - new to Teen2Teen Friends, posting from Chicago. Asks her dad what Chicago was like years ago. - **Abby's Dad** - Chicago used to be the second biggest city in the U.S., after New York City. It is now smaller than Los Angeles. - Chicago was not as awesome as it is now. It didn't use to have Millennium Park. - Chicago's tallest building, the Willis Tower, used to be the tallest in the world. - However, it's not as tall as some skyscrapers in the world. - The weather still has not changed. It gets cold and windy in the winter because it's next to a lake. - Chicago is sometimes called "Second City" because it's the second largest, but also called the "Windy City" due to the wind from the lake. ### 2. Read each statement. Write In the past, Today, or Both. 1. Chicago is the second largest city in the U.S. **In the past** 2. People call Chicago "Second City". **Both** 3. Chicago has the tallest skyscraper in the world. **In the past** 4. Chicago is very cold in the winter. **Both** 5. Los Angeles has more people than Chicago. **Today** 6. People visit Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. **Today** ## Grammar - Comparisons with as ... as ### 1. Study the grammar. - Use **as + adjective + as** to say that two things are equal or the same. - My classmates this year are **as nice as** my classmates last year. - Miami is **as hot as** New Orleans in August. - Use **not as + adjective + as** to say that two things are not equal or not the same. - Willis Tower in Chicago **isn't as tall as** One World Trade Center. - Jazz and classical music **aren't as popular as** hip-hop music. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen to the grammar examples. **Repeat.** ### 3. Look at the pictures. Write statements with as ... as or not as ... as and the adjective. 1. The U.S. state of Texas **isn't as large as** the state of Alaska. (large) 2. The red motorcycle **is as modern as** the blue one. (modern) 3. Michelle Williams, the movie actor, **is as tall as** the actor Mila Kunis. (tall) 4. Playing golf **is as exciting as** playing soccer. (exciting) 5. The weather in Montreal **is as cold as** the weather in Edmonton this week. (cold) 6. Basketball player Jeremy Lin **is as big as** player Kobe Bryant. (big) ### 4. Combine the statements with as ... as and the correct form of be. 1. John's party on Friday was awesome. Peter's party on Saturday was awesome, too. - Peter's party on Saturday **was as awesome as** John's party on Friday. 2. Nick's new dog is cuter than Mona's dog. - Mona's dog **is not as cute as** Nick's new dog. 3. Riding a bike in the street is more dangerous than riding a bike in the park. - Riding a bike in the park **is not as dangerous as** riding a bike in the street. 4. Drinking juice is healthier than drinking soda. - Drinking soda **is not as healthy as** drinking juice. ## Grammar - Used to/ Didn't use to ### 1. Study the grammar. - Use **used to + a base form of a verb** for things in the past that are different now. - Chicago **used to be** the second biggest city in the U.S. - Use **didn't use to + a base form** for negative statements. - I **didn't use to like** eating fish , but now I love it. - Use **Did + use to + a base form** for questions. - **Did** you **use to take** the bus to soccer games? (Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.) ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen to the grammar examples. **Repeat.** ### 3. Circle the correct answers to complete the statements. 1. Mexico City **used to** be the largest city in the world, but now Tokyo is the largest. 2. There **used to** be a lot more fish in the ocean than there are now. 3. I **didn't use to** have good study habits, but now I do. 4. Brasilia **didn't use to** be the capital of Brazil. Until 1960, the capital was Rio de Janeiro. 5. People **didn't use to** have computers in their homes. 6. **Did** computers **use to** be a lot bigger than they are now? ### 4. Read the statements and questions with used to. Write check mark for correct statements. Write an X for incorrect ones. Correct the errors. - The weather **used to** be cooler than it is today. - **Did** your grandma **use to** wear pants to school? - The school band **didn't use to** wear special uniforms, but now they do. - **Did** your parents **use to** save money when they were young? - **Didn't** you **use to** like vegetables when you were little? - Their family **used to** live in Italy, but now they live here. ### 5. Complete the statements, using used to or didn't use to. 1. Before there were cars, many people **used to ride** horses. 2. Most kids **used to** have smartphones. Now a lot of people do. 3. In the past, most people **used to** live in cities, but now a lot of people do. 4. Before e-mail and texting, people **used to** write letters to their friends by hand. 5. Outside Japan, most people **didn't use to** eat sushi. Now it's popular everywhere. ## Vocabulary - Expressions for talking about the past ### 1. Look at the photos. Read and listen. 1. **Years ago, my city didn't use to have many tall buildings.** - image of a city with skyscrapers. 2. **In the old days, there didn't use to be so many machines.** - image of old fashioned cars. 3. **When my dad was younger, he used to have a mustache!** - image of a man without a mustache. 4. **When I was little, I didn't use to like vegetables.** - image of a young girl eating vegetables. 5. **Before I started playing on the soccer team, I used to play a lot of video games.** - image of a person playing video games. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen and repeat. ### 3. Listening comprehension - Listen to the conversations. Write the letter of the phrase that completes each statement. 1. When his grandpa was young, **a.** she used to have more time to hang out at the mall. 2. Before Trish started playing on the volleyball team, **c.** there didn't use to be a mall on Center Street. 3. When Greg was little, **b.** he used to listen to rock music. 4. In the old days, **d.** people used to walk more. 5. Years ago, **e.** he used to hate drawing. ## Write your own statements about your past, using used to and didn't use to. 1. When I was little, . 2. When my was younger, . 3. In the old days, . 4. Years ago, . 5. Before I started going to school, . ## Compare how you were when you were little. ## Grammar - Used to/ Didn't use to ### 1. Read and listen to the conversation. - **A** - asks what B was like when she was little. - **B** - used to be shy, not as talkative as she is now. - **A** - asks what B was like. - **A**- used to be serious, not as funny as he is now. ### 2. Pronunciation - Listen and repeat. ### 3. Guided Conversation - Choose a time in the past, write it on the notepad. - Write two statements about yourself then and now. Use *used to* or *didn't use to*. - Use your notepad to create a new conversation. **Adjectives** - shy - talkative - funny - serious - good at... bad at... | **Time expression** | **THEN** | **NOW** | |---|---|---| | When I was young | I used to be very funny. | I'm more serious. | - A: So, what were you like when you were little? - B: Well, I used to be pretty . - A: You mean you weren't as as you are now? - B: No, I wasn't. What about you? What were you like? - A: Me? I used to be kind of . - B: Really? Well, you're pretty now! ## Review: Units 1-3 ### 1. Read the conversation. Choose the correct answer to each question. - **Allie** - needs more sleep. - **Scott** - suggests going to bed earlier. - **Allie** - has a lot of homework, often leaves it until the last minute. Likes to watch TV and shop online (for clothes). - **Scott** - thinks she should stop spending so much money. 1. What does Allie say she needs? - b. To get more sleep. 2. Who goes to bed too late? - b. Allie. 3. Why can't Allie get to bed earlier? - b. She does her homework too late. 4. What does she love to buy online? - a. Clothes. ### 2. Look at the pictures. Complete the statements with the gerund forms of the Vocabulary below. - put things together, invent things, solve puzzles, eat a lot of junk food 1. She's awesome at **inventing things**. Image of a woman making a robot. 2. They're good at **putting things together**. Image of two people building a toy. 3. Amy and Emma like **to eat a lot of junk food**. Image of two kids eating chips. 4. They're great at **solving puzzles**. Image of kids solving puzzles. ### 3. Complete the statements with gerunds. 1. **Eating** (eat) a lot of junk food is a bad habit. 2. My parents are great at **saving** (save) money. 3. **Having** (have) good study habits helps you do well at school. 4. We started **getting** (get) plenty of exercise this year. 5. I'm not afraid of **speaking** (speak) in front of a large audience. ### 4. Choose the correct verb phrases in each of the following statements. 1. If you want to **be** an engineer, it's important to **be** good at **putting** things together. 2. It's good to **get** enough sleep, especially if you need to **get** up early in the morning. 3. It's best to **be** friendly, if you want to **meet** new people. 4. I enjoy **traveling**, but I know it's ridiculous to **spend** a lot of money on trips. ### 5. Complete the descriptions with affirmative and negative forms of as ... as. - The Omni ST **is as expensive as** the Legion LX, but the Legion LX is the fastest car you can buy. - The Omni ST **is not as fast as** the Legion LX. - The Legion LX **is older than** the Omni ST. The Omni ST is several years old, but many people still want to buy one. It is **as popular as** most modern cars. ### 6. Complete each statement with used to or didn't use to. 1. My parents **used to** go to the movies every weekend, but now they only go about once a month. 2. **Did** the bus **use to** stop in front of your school? 3. I **used to** be afraid of animals, but I saw a bear on vacation and it scared me a lot. 4. **Didn't** this school **use to** have a science lab on the second floor? ## All About You ## ### 1. Write your own response to each person. 1. What do you like doing in your free time? - You: 2. What are your good and bad habits? - You: 3. What were you like when you were little? - You: ### 2. Complete the personal statements. - My hobbies are: - I'm pretty good at: - I'm not so good at: - Before I started school, I used to: - You're epic! ## Progress Check **Check what you can do.** - Introduce two classmates - Suggest an activity - Compare things - Use the unit 1-3 grammar and vocabulary.