Unit 2. Family entertainment and leisure time rejoice with your family

1. & Read the text about people spending time at a shopping center. In American English, 'a shopping centre’ is usually called ‘a mall’. Besides shops and stores, shopping centers or malls may also have their own car parks, restaurants, banks and other services. Are the malls similar to shopping centers in Russian cities?

MALL RATS*¹

My friends and I go to the mall every day after school. It’s just somewhere to spend time with your friends. We usually just hang out or walk up and down looking in the clothes shops. We don't often buy anything. We go to the mall at the weekends, too, and go to the movie theater there or hang out in the ice cream parlor. We always make sure we look good when we go to the mall in case there are any cute boys there!

We take the kids to the mall every weekend because they often have special activities there, like children's shows and games. We also go to the bowling alley there too, and the kids love eating at the food court - there's so much choice: Mexican, Italian, Thai - and plenty of fast food, of course! We get the weekly groceries at the mall too, and sometimes Vanessa goes to the spa there. It's great having everything under one roof.

My friends and I go to the mall about twice a week. We play the games in the arcade, and we like to check out the latest DVDs and computer games in the shops. You can even listen to the music or try out the new games in some shops. And we like to buy the latest sports clothes, too. Sometimes, if it's raining at the weekend, we go to the indoor skate park at the mall, too.

I go to the mall every Saturday. I don’t go for any particular reason, but I like to look in the designer shops and the cosmetics shops, and I usually end up buying something. Sometimes when I get it home I realise that I didn't really want the thing I bought - or that it doesn't go with anything else I've got! But I like to see what's new, and there's a really good atmosphere there.

$ 2. Find the words for these leisure facilities in the text Mall Rats

1. The American name for a cinema.

2. A cafe that specialises in milk and ice cream products.

3. A place where you can go bowling.

4. An area where there are lots of different restaurants and takeaways.

5. A place where you can relax, eg. in a pool, sauna or steam room.

6. A place where you can play on coin-operated games machines.

7. A place where you can skateboard.

8. To spend a lot of time in a particular place.

9. Good-looking, attractive.

10. To find yourself in a situation that you did not plan or expect to be in.

– 3. Expressing preferences. Does spending time at a mall sound like fun to you? Or would you rather do something different with your leisure time? Begin like that: As for me / If you ask me …

Model: If you ask me, I like watching TV better than going to the mall.

As for me, If you ask me,	I'd rather	V0	than	V0
	I prefer	V-ing	to	V-ing
	I like		better than
Word bank: visit a mall, go shopping round the city, watch TV, read a book, meet some friends, get on the Internet, go clubbing^1,^2 etc.

@ 4. a) Write a letter to a friend describing a day that you spent at a mall / shopping center. Mention the type of shops you went in, what you ate, and what other attractions you visited.

b) Write a paragraph about your own shopping habits - if you enjoy shopping, what shops you like, when you go shopping and who with.

Try to use the structures given in 3.

8 5. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day are some of the major holidays in the United States. Listen to the conversation and try to answer the questions. From what you understand, how are these holidays celebrated (food, family activities, local celebrations, games and recreation, etc.)?

1. Where does this news program take place?

A. at a shopping center

B. at a local school

C. in a city market place

2. How does the young girl, Elizabeth, celebrate this holiday with her family?

A. They go out to eat at a restaurant.

B. They visit close relatives.

C. They go to see a movie.

3. What does Johnny and his family eat on this day?

A. turkey

B. ham

C. chicken

4. What sentence best describes Steven's feelings about Christmas?

A. It's a time when people exchange gifts with friends, family, and teachers.

B. It's a holiday when friends give gifts during an elaborate dinner.

C. It's a day when people think of others without waiting for a gift in return.

5. The final young woman says that the best thing about Christmas is:

A. receiving presents from classmates

B. having a vacation from school

C. sleeping late every day

& 6. Now listen again and read the interview to check your answers: