UNIT 1. WONDERS OF THE BRAIN
Grammar focus – Modals: speculation and deduction
Theme/Lexical focus – Wonders of the brain/Verbs of thinking
Functional focus – Reminding someone to do something
Writing task – Write a story about a time when you forgot to do something very important.
UNIT 2. MUSIC TO MY EARS
Grammar focus
Countable and uncountable nouns
Articles
Theme/Lexical focus – Music/ Types of music
Functional focus – Expressing preferences
Writing task
Write a review of either a concert that you have been to recently or a CD that you have bought recently.
UNIT 3. NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
Grammar focus
Reported speech
Linking words
Theme/Lexical focus – The news/The media
Functional focus – Interviews
Writing task – ‘Over fifty percent of what is in the news is unimportant.’ Do you agree?
UNIT 4. CRACKING THE CODE
Grammar focus – Relative pronouns & clauses
Theme/Lexical focus – Codes & Puzzles/Games
Functional focus – Expressing agreement and disagreement
Writing task – What are the pros & cons of playing computer games?
UNIT 5. RIGHT AS RAIN
Grammar focus – Modals: advice and suggestions
Theme/Lexical focus – Healthy living/Being healthy
Functional focus – Giving and responding to advice
Writing task – Describe the pros and cons of being a vegetarian.
UNIT 6. PARTY ON!
Grammar focus – Gerunds & infinitives
Theme/Lexical focus – Celebrations & festival/verbs
Functional focus – Making & responding to invitations and arrangements
Writing task
Write an email to a penfriend in another country describing a local festival where you live.
UNIT 7. HOBBIES OR PASTIMES?
Grammar focus
Mixed conditionals
Third conditional
Theme/Lexical focus – Hobbies
Functional focus – Showing interest
Writing task – Write a letter to a friend persuading them to come on an activity weekend with you.
UNIT 8. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Grammar focus – Concessive clauses and complex sentences
Theme/Lexical focus – Wild weather/ Natural disasters
Functional focus – Asking for clarification
Writing task – Write a covering letter for a NGO
UNIT 9. ON THE RUN
Grammar focus
Quantifiers as determiners
Causative structures
Linkers
Theme/Lexical focus – Crime/Crimes (nouns & verbs)
Functional focus – Expressing regrets
Writing task – Write a report suggesting ways of reducing levels of crime in your town.
UNIT 10. KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Grammar focus – Phrasal verb focus
Theme/Lexical focus – Family and history/Family phrasal verbs
Functional focus – Expressing congratulations
Writing task – Write an article describing the person who has most affected your life.”
