3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the past simple or the present perfect simple.

1 I (just/finish) the book Gone with the Wind.

2 My parents (go) to Australia for a holiday last year.

3 (you/ever/eat) bird's nest soup?

4 She (write) to her boyfriend three times already this week.

5 My best friend (move) to another town three months ago.

6 Look! You (tear) the pocket of your jeans.

4 Make conversations using the question cues. Try to extend each conversation naturally.

EXAMPLE

a: Have you ever been abroad?

b: Yes, I have, several times. (No, I haven't.)

(When? Where? What? How?) a: Where did you go last time? b: I went to the USA last summer. It was great.

What about you?

go abroad

break an arm or a leg,sing or speak in public

ride a horse or motorbike

see or meet anybody famous ■

fail an exam or test

make a telephone call in English

GRAMMAR FOCUS

The first time + present perfect simple

Which is correct?

1 This is the first time I've flown.

2 This is the first time 1 am flying.

3 This is the first time I fly.

The first sentence is correct. A sentence beginning: This/It is the first/second/third time can only be followed by a present perfect tense.

It was the first/second/third time must be followed by the past perfect tense. It was the first time 7 had flown.

PRACTICE

5 Answer the questions using the present perfect with first time.

EXAMPLE

a: Are you feeling all right?

b: Not really. It's the first time I've (ever) flown.

1 Are you feeling all right? (Not really/fly)

2 Do you like raw fish? (I don't know/eat it)

3 Have you seen Tosca before? (No/go to an opera)

4 He's obviously a very experienced speaker. (Actually/speak in public)

5 This cake is delicious. (Thank you/make one)

LISTENING

6 Listen to Celia talking about the first time she did a parachute jump. Answer the questions.

1 How did she prepare for the jump?

2 Why was she the first to jump?

3 What stopped her from 'backing out' at the last minute?

4 What three stages of emotion did she experience after jumping?

FallingTO GRACE

It is high summer. The ocean breeze has cooled the air, but inside the aeroplane cabin the heat and the smell of petrol makes the passengers' heads swim. Six so-called 'problem' adolescents are taking their seats, strapped into parachutes, accompanied by a supervisor and an instructor. Their stomachs are tied in knots, their expressions frozen; the anxiety is almost palpable. It is late afternoon and this is the first time they have done a parachute jump.

Arnaud, aged seventeen, was not particularly apprehensive: 'When I first got in the plane, I felt slightly ill. But when we had to get up and go to the open door, I didn't stop to ask myself questions.' With his helmet firmly strapped on, Arnauld threw himself out. Others followed Arnaud to the door, although some couldn't bring themselves to jump.

Once his parachute had opened automatically, Arnaud, a young man with serious family problems, had time to see the world from another angle. The Essone Youth Project Service is basically trying to find an occupation for underprivileged youngsters who have nothing to do in summer. Although there is no official theory to support parachuting as a benefit, the instructors at Essone believe that the surge of adrenalin at the moment of the big jump could replace the emotional charge felt by a teenager committing a crime.