ENGLISH 02

UNIT 4 – CHALLENGES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH THEORY

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 4b. An impossible decision
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

➢ Listen for general ideas and details about a possible decision

➢ Use adjectives describing personal qualities

➢ Use past continuous and past simple

➢ Speak about events you remember

Learning methods:
➢ Individual work
➢ Pair work
➢ Group work
 4b An impossible decision

Vocabulary personal qualities

1 Work in groups. Read this English expression and discuss the questions.
‘Two heads are better than one.’
1 What do you think the expression means?
If two people work together, they have better ideas than one. They might find better solutions to
difficult problems.
2 Do you have a similar expression in your language?
Yes, in Vietnam, there is a saying that “Một cây làm chẳng nên non – Ba cây chụm lại lên hòn núi cao”
3 What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams with other people?
Advantages: Different people are good at different things, so a team can do a better job using
everybody’s skills. Some people think better by talking with other people and exchanging ideas.
Disadvantages: It can be easier to concentrate and get on with work on your own. You waste more
time working in teams. There can be arguments and conflicts.
4 What do you think makes a good team member?
Answers will be checked in the next exercise.

4b-p. 48
2 Read the sentences (1–7) about what makes a good team member. Match these
adjectives with the sentences.

A good team member:

1 likes meeting people and gets on with everyone. friendly
2 is a good listener and thinks about other people. kind
3 gives people the time they need and waits for them. patient
4 is always happy and looks for the good things in life. positive
5 works extra hours when it’s necessary. hard-working
6 knows a lot about his or her area of work. experienced
7 is good at learning and understanding. intelligent
 3 Work in pairs. Which qualities in Exercise 2 do these people have? Why?

A good teacher is patient because the students need time to learn.

Example answers
- A close friend: kind, patient, positive
- A language learner: patient, hard-working, intelligent
- A manager: friendly, kind, patient, hard-working, experienced, intelligent
- A parent: kind, patient, hard-working
- A president: hard-working, experienced, intelligent
- A teacher: friendly, kind, patient, hard-working
 Listening

4 What difficult decisions do people have to make in life? What decisions do you have to
make at work or for your studies? Tell your partner.
I left my old company last year. It was difficult because I had lots of good colleagues there.
But I wanted a new job.

Example answers
- what subject to study at school or college
- which university to go to
- whether to leave home or stay
- who to marry and when
- what job to take
- when to change job
- what house or car to buy
- whether and when to start a family
5 Listen to the first part of a true story
about two climbers called Joe Simpson
and Simon Yates. Number these pictures
in the correct order (1–6).

Track 29
1b
2e
3c
4d
5a
6f
 Script Track 29

In May 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates climbed the Siula Grande mountain in the Andes. It’s a
dangerous mountain, but Simpson and Yates were very experienced climbers and positive about the
challenge. The sun was shining when they left their tents on the first day and everything went well.
Three days later, they reached the
top of the mountain, but they didn’t stay there long. It was snowing and the weather was getting
worse. While they were going down the mountain, Simpson fell and broke his knee. Yates tied a
rope between them and slowly lowered Simpson down the mountain with the rope. Sometime later,
when they were getting nearer to the bottom of the mountain, Simpson slipped and fell over a cliff.
For an hour, Yates held the rope while his friend was hanging in the air. But the rope was getting too
heavy and it was pulling Yates off the mountain. Simon Yates had an impossible decision. Either he
could hold the rope, but then they might both die, or he could cut the rope and save himself. …
6 Work in pairs. What was Yates’ impossible decision at the end? What do you think he did?
Yates’ impossible decision: to cut the rope and let his friend fall (his friend might die) or
keep holding on (and they both might fall and die).
7 Now listen to the whole story and answer the questions. Track 30
1 What two personal qualities from Exercise 2 did Simpson and Yates have?
2 Why didn’t they stay at the top of the mountain for very long?
3 What decision did Yates make in the end?
4 The next day, what did Yates think about Simpson?
5 What did Yates hear in the night?
6 How did the story of Yates and Simpson become famous?
1 experienced, positive
2 It was snowing and the weather was getting worse.
3 He cut the rope.
4 He thought he was dead.
5 He heard someone shouting his name.
6 Someone wrote a book and then there was a film about the story.
 Track 30

Script
In May 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates climbed the Siula Grande mountain in the Andes.
It’s a dangerous mountain, but Simpson and Yates were very experienced climbers and
positive about the challenge. The sun was shining when they left their tents on the first day
and everything went well. Three days later, they reached the
top of the mountain, but they didn’t stay there long. It was snowing and the weather was
getting worse. While they were going down the mountain, Simpson fell and broke his knee.
Yates tied a rope between them and slowly lowered Simpson down the mountain with the rope.
Sometime later, when they were getting nearer to the bottom of the mountain, Simpson slipped
and fell over a cliff. For an hour, Yates held the rope while his friend was hanging in the air. But
the rope was getting too heavy and it was pulling Yates off the mountain. Simon Yates had an
impossible decision. Either he could hold the rope, but then they might both die, or he could
cut the rope and save himself. At the last second, Yates cut the rope. The next day, Yates
looked for his friend, but couldn’t find him. Sadly, he decided he was dead. But amazingly,
Simpson was still alive and he started to crawl towards their camp. Three days later, Yates was
sleeping in his tent and planned to go home the next morning. But at midnight he suddenly
woke up. Someone was shouting his name. He ran outside and looked everywhere. Finally, he
found Simpson on the ground. He wasn’t moving, but he was still breathing. Yates carried him
to the tent and Simpson survived. Later, their story became famous as a book and a film.
 Grammar past continuous and past simple

8 Look at the sentences in the grammar box. Answer these questions.

1 Which verb(s) talk about completed actions? fell
2 Which verb(s) talk about actions in progress at a moment in the past?
were going, wasn’t moving, was breathing
3 We often use the two verb forms together. Which verb form is used for the longer,
continuing activity? Which form is used for the shorter, finished action?
The past continuous is used for the longer, continuing activity, and the past simple
is used for the shorter, finished action.
4 What is the auxiliary verb in the past continuous? What is the form of the main verb?
auxiliary verb was / were + -ing form of the main verb (the present participle)
9 Read the sentences from the story about Simpson and Yates. Choose the correct
option. Then listen and check.

1 The sun shone / was shining when Simpson and Yates left their tents on the first day.
2 When they reached the top of the mountain, it snowed / was snowing.
3 While they were going down the mountain, Simpson broke / was breaking his knee.
4 For an hour, Yates held the rope, but it pulled / was pulling him off the mountain.
5 Yates was sleeping in his tent but he suddenly woke up / was waking up.
6 Finally, he found / was finding Simpson on the ground.

4b-p.
 10 Complete the sentences with one verb in the past continuous form and one verb in the
past simple form.
was working
1 I ________________ (work) on my own when a group of people came ________________came
(come) into my office.
met
2 We ________________ were living
(meet) them when they ________________ (live) above our
apartment.
weren’t getting on (not get on) very well, so the team ________________
3 They _________________ agreed (agree) to
have a meeting.
4 The weather _____ wasn’t raining (not rain) so I cycled to work.
was (be) cold this morning but it _____________
didn’t stop
5 I saw you across the street but I ________________ (not stop) because I ________________
was running
(run) to my job interview!
was
6 What _____________ he _____________
doing phoned
(do) when you _____________ (phone) him?
7 Which cities __________
did they __________
visit were travelling (travel)
(visit) while they ________________
through Brazil?
did
8 Why ________________ answer
you ________________ (answer) that call while we
were watching (watch) the film?
________________
 Speaking

12 Which of these events happened to you in the past? Write some sentences about them and
say when the events happened.

I broke a bone in my arm

on my sixth birthday.

13 Work in pairs. Take turns to tell your partner about the things that happened to you. Ask
and answer questions about what you were doing when it happened.
A: I broke a bone in my arm on my sixth birthday.
B: What were you doing when it happened?
A: I was riding my first bicycle when I fell off.
GOOD BYE!

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