1

1 GRAMMAR
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
LESSON A What kind of person are you?

Which verbs and expressions can complete the sentences?

Write the correct numbers of the sentences next to the verbs.

1. I spending time outdoors.

2. I to spend time outdoors.

a. 1 am afraid of g. 1 feel like

b. 1 am into h. 1, 2 hate
c. 1, 2 avoid i. 1 insist on
d. 1, 2 can’t stand j. 1, 2 love
e. 1, 2 don’t mind k. 1, 2 prefer
f. 1 enjoy l. 1 worry about

2 GRAMMAR
Read the conversations and complete the sentences using the gerund or infinitive form of
the verb. If the two forms are possible, write both of them.

1. Ada: Sam isn’t happy when he has nothing to do.

Gary: I know. It really bothers him.
Sam can’t stand having nothing to do / to have nothing to do.
2. Vic: I hardly ever go to school parties anymore.
Joon: Me neither. They’re not as much fun as they used to be.
Vic and Joon avoid going to school parties / to go to school parties.
3. Tina: You visit your parents on the weekends, don’t you?
Leo: Yes, I visit them on Sundays so I can spend the whole day with them.
Leo prefers visiting his parents on Sundays / to visit his parents on Sundays, so he can spend the whole day with
them.
4. Tom: Are you going to take an Italian class this summer?
Ivy: Yes, I am. I love to learn new languages.
Ivy is into learning new languages, this summer.
5. Ang: Do you want to go rock climbing with me this weekend?
Sue: I don’t know. Rock climbing sounds dangerous!
Sue is worried about rock climbing because it sounds dangerous.
6. Josh: What sort of volunteer work do you do for the library, Celia?
Celia: I love to read to kids, so I volunteer as a storyteller on Saturdays.
Celia enjoys volunteering as a storyteller on Saturdays.

LESSON A What kind of person are you? 1

 3 GRAMMAR
Write sentences about yourself using the verbs and expressions in the box.
Use the gerund of the verbs in the phrases below.

am afraid of avoid don’t mind hate love

am into can’t stand enjoy insist on prefer

1. go shopping on the weekend

I love going shopping on the weekend.

2. try different types of food

I love trying different types of food.

3. learn new sports or hobbies

I insist on learning new sports or hobbies.

4. meet new people

I enjoy meeting new people.

5. work on the weekend

I hate working on the weekend.

6. clean and organize my room

I enjoy cleaning and organizing my room.

4 VOCABULARY
A Match the words to make logical sentences.
1. Angelina volunteers at a hospital. She’s very b . a. wild and crazy
2. Stan drives too fast and stays out late. He’s a . b. kind and generous
3. Anna never gets angry. She’s always e . c. shy and reserved
4. Don hates a messy room. He likes being f . d. friendly and outgoing
5. Tad avoids speaking out in class. He’s c . e. calm and cool
6. Neil loves throwing parties and making his guests f. neat and tidy
feel welcome. He’s d . g. honest and sincere
7. City life is crazy! In the country, I feel more h . h. laid-back and relaxed
8. Julia insists on doing things her way. She’s i . i. strong and independent
9. Mei never hides her true feelings. She’s always g .

B Use the vocabulary above to write sentences about people you know.
1. My sister is shy and reserved. She avoids meeting new people.
2. My father si strong and independent. He avoids asking for help.
3. My mom is honest and sincere. She can’t stand to lie.
4. My best friend is kind and generous. She enjoys helping people.
5. My friend Deborah is friendly and outgoing. She loves to go to parties
6. My friend Pablo is calm and cool. He avoids getting angry.

2 UNIT 1 Friends and family

5 WRITING
A Choose the main idea for each paragraph, and write it in the blank below.

My mother loves speaking Chinese.

My mother is very adventurous.
I really admire my mother.
I am not like my mother at all.

1. I really admire my mother . She enjoys doing unusual things and

pushing herself to the limit. Last year, for example, she insisted on visiting China.
She enrolled in Chinese language classes, planned her trip, and then took off across
China with a friend. She loves exploring new places, and she doesn’t hesitate to start
conversations with locals wherever she goes.

I have a friend named John.

My friend John and I are in the same class.

My friend John is the kind of person who loves to talk.

My friend John always says what is on his mind.

2. I have a friend named John . He’s probably the most outspoken person
I know. Last week after class, for example, he said to our English teacher, “Some of
the students are a little confused by this week’s class, but I have some ideas to help
explain it to them. Do you want to hear my suggestions?” John was saying what he
thought, and luckily our teacher was willing to listen to him.

B Complete these two sentences. Then choose one of them, and write a paragraph
to support it.

1. My friend Ricardo is the kind of person who always try to support

to support you, he is always willing to listen because he is really a good friend.

2. My cousin Juliana is the most strong and independentperson I know.

She left her home at 16, since then she always have leave in her own. She works
a lot, once she told me that she saved money for over 2 years so she could buy
the car of her dreams, a Mazda 3 HB. We are very good friends and almost every-

LESSON A What kind of person are you? 3

 LESSON B
X WB_LSN_T
Every family is different.

1 GRAMMAR
Read the blog entry. Then underline the noun clauses.

May 15, 2014

I love my family so much, and I really get along
with everyone – my parents and my four brothers
and sisters. However, sometimes they drive me
crazy. There are both good and bad things about
coming from a large family. One of the best things
y
about coming from a large family is that I always
have someone to talk to. Unfortunately, one of the
disadvantages is that I never have any privacy. And
of course, the trouble with not having any privacy is
that I never have any space I can call my own. Our
house is big, but sometimes not big enough!

2 GRAMMAR
Combine each pair of sentences into one sentence using noun clauses.

1. I’m the youngest in my family. The best thing is I’m the center of attention.
The best thing about being the youngest is that I’m the center of attention.

2. I have a lot of kids. The disadvantage is I can’t give each of them the individual
attention they want.
The disadvantage about having a lot of kids is I can’t give each of them the individual
attention they want.

3. I live with my father-in-law. The problem is we disagree about everything.

The problem with living with my father-in-law is we disagree about everything.

4. I have two younger sisters. The worst thing is they always want to know all
about my personal life.
The worst thing about having two younger sisters is they always want to know all
about my personal life.

5. I have an identical twin. The trouble is no one can ever tell us apart.
The trouble with having an identical twin is no one can ever tell us apart.

4 UNIT 1 Friends and family

3 GRAMMAR
Use noun clauses and your own ideas to complete these sentences.

1. A disadvantage of having siblings who are successful is that my parents expect me

to be successful, too.

2. The problem with having a large family is that sometimes we can’t go out in one car.

3. The best thing about having grandparents is that they are going to tell you great stories.

4. The trouble with being part of a two-income family is that you never get to see your parents.

5. One benefit of living far away from your family is that you get the opportunity to miss them.

6. The worst thing about taking a family vacation is that you would not be able to rest.

7. An advantage of living with siblings is that you always have someone to talk with.

4 VOCABULARY
Are the statements true or false? Choose the correct answer.

True False
Sylvia’s mother has a great-uncle named Martin.
1. Sylvia is Martin’s great-granddaughter. ✓
2. Sylvia’s mother is Martin’s grandniece.

Hal’s wife, Nikki, has a sister named Joanne.

3. Joanne is Hal’s sister-in-law.
4. Joanne is Hal’s grandmother.

Hugo’s niece Diana has a son-in-law named Jason.

5. Jason’s wife is Hugo’s granddaughter.
6. Diana is Jason’s mother-in-law.

Molly’s nephew Tom has a daughter named Jennifer.

7. Molly is Tom’s aunt.
8. Molly is Jennifer’s great-aunt.

Irene’s father, Roberto, has a grandfather named Eduardo.

9. Eduardo is Roberto’s grandson.
10. Eduardo is Irene’s great-grandfather.

LESSON B Every family is different. 5

 5 READING
A Read the article. Then choose the main idea of each paragraph.

Is it Better or Worse to Be an Only Child?

I
f you are an only child – someone with no brothers attention for the
or sisters – you have probably been the object of simple reason that
both sympathy and suspicion. “Oh, you poor thing!” there are fewer
some people say. “You must have been so lonely!” demands on the
Other people might not say much, but you know they parents. The same
are thinking that you are selfish, spoiled, and have no goes for educational
idea how to get along with others. People assume that opportunities –
only children are somehow at a disadvantage because there tend to be
of their lack of siblings, and this idea has probably been more resources available in single-child households.
around as long as only children have. However, there is little evidence that this has long-term
Recent studies, however, have shown that the benefits for only children.
stereotype of the only child is really just a myth. Only For some reason, though, popular opinion and
children show very little difference from children with culture seem to have a hard time accepting the fact
siblings, and as adults they are just as likely to be well that only children are just like everyone else. Movies
adjusted. One slight difference they show from children and TV shows still portray “onlies” as socially awkward
with multiple siblings is that they often score higher and expecting to get whatever they ask for. What keeps
on intelligence and achievement tests. But first-born the stereotype alive? Could it be that most of us have
children and those with only one sibling have similar wished – at one point or another – to be an only child?
results, so we can’t really say this is a characteristic of At least we wouldn’t have had to deal with siblings
the only child, either. The one undeniable difference is playing with our toys, borrowing our clothes, and eating
that only children get more of their parents’ time and that last piece of cake we had saved for later.

1. First paragraph:
a. Only children all wish they had siblings.
b. Only children think other children are selfish.
c. Many people make assumptions about only children.

2. Second paragraph:
a. Only children really are different from children with siblings.
b. Only children are basically the same as those with siblings.
c. No one has really studied only children.

3. Third paragraph:
a. The popular view of only children seems difficult to change.
b. The popular view of only children has changed recently.
c. The popular view of only children is based on facts.

B Are the statements true or false? Choose the correct answer. Then rewrite
the false statements to make them true.
True False
1. Some people feel sorry for only children.

2. When only children grow up, they are less sociable than children with siblings.
When only children grow up, they are as sociable as children with siblings.

3. Only children are more intelligent than children with siblings.

Only children are as intelligent as children with siiblings.

4. According to the author, people’s ideas about only children need to change.

6 UNIT 1 Friends and family