10.7 Modern developments

Free practice

Work in groups. Discuss how these modern developments have changed people’s everyday lives. For each one, talk about:

1. what things used to be like

2. what things are like now

3. how things have changed

television cassette tapes

pocket calculators supersonic airliners

the telephone convenience foods

Writing

Choose one of the developments you discussed. Write a short article (100—150 words) saying what good and bad effects it has had.

10.8 Hallowe’en

Reading

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow it.

H allowe’en is the last night of October, and it used to be thought the most enchanted night of the year. It was the night when witches and evil spirits came back on earth to weave their magic spells. Superstitious people kept up many strange old customs in an effort to keep these evil influences away. Farmers used to light big fires in their fields, and the farm workers and their families would walk around the fields singing old songs and hymns. At intervals, the strange procession would stop to hear the local priest offer prayers to the good spirits, and ask them to help keep the evil ones away.

Great care was taken that none of the farm animals were left in the fields. They would all be locked up safely in their stables and sheds, and over each of the stable and shed doors a few rowan leaves would be hung. Witches and evil spirits would not go anywhere near the rowan tree.

In more recent times, Hallowe’en has become a time for parties, when children dress up as witches and play all kinds of special games such as ‘ducking for the apple’. After the games there is often a big supper with plenty of pumpkin pie, cakes and a lot of other delicious things to eat.

But for the most part the children enjoy the fun of dressing up and playing their favourite game of ‘Trick or Treat’. They run down each street knocking on the doors crying loudly ‘Trick or Treat!’, and most people have some sweets ready to give them. Those that do not can expect maybe to have a tyre flattened, or their windows covered in soap. Or the children may just knock on the door and run away.

Many of the houses have a jack-o’-lantern in their windows, which are hollowed out pumpkins with candles burning inside them. But in this modern age many of the pumpkins are being replaced with plastic electric ones that can be brought out each year.

1. In one sentence, say:

a) why people used to think Hallowe’en was important

b) why people celebrate it nowadays

2. Make a list of six old customs that we would call ‘superstitious’.

a) How do you think the game ‘Ducking for the apple’ might be played?

b) Why is the game ‘Trick or Treat’ so called ?

4. Does Hallowe’en exist in your own country ? If so, how is it different? If not, what is the most similar festival?

Writing

1. Write down a list of five things that children do on Hallowe’en.

2. Imagine you were one of these children, but have now grown up. You are telling a friend what you used to do on Hallowe’en when you were young. Write your description of what you used to do.

Unit 10 Summary of language

In this unit you have learnt how to:

• talk about past habits and states

• remember the past

• talk about recent changes

• compare the past and the present

key points

1. ‘Used to’

We used to live in Wales.

I used to be driven to school in the morning,

People

used not to didn’t use to

travel abroad much.

Where did you use to go for your holidays ?

2. Other structures for remembering the past

I remember playing in the park when I was young.

I remember we used to fish in the canal, but we would never catch anything.

3 ‘Not... any more/longer’

We don’t go out together any		more. longer.	(We’ve stopped going out together.)
He hasn’t got his car any	used not to didn’t use to			(He’s sold it.)

4. Present Perfect Passive

They’ve pulled the hotel down.

The hotel has been pulled down.

They’ve turned the old houses into offices.

The old houses have been turned into offices.

5. Time comparison

I don’t go to the theatre as often as I used to.

I used to go to the theatre more often than I do now.

I laugh more than I used to.

I used to laugh less than I do now.

Activities

BALLOON DEBATE

F our famous people are in a balloon over the Atlantic, and the balloon is slowly dropping towards the sea. It can only carry one person safely: three of the balloonists are going to have to jump out of the balloon, so that one can survive. Each of the four people on board thinks that he or she should be the one to stay on board ...

Students А, В, С and D: You are the four people in the balloon. Decide who you are (you can be any famous person, alive or dead), and prepare a two-minute speech, saying why you should be the one to be saved. In your speech say:

1. what you have achieved in your life

2. what you intend to achieve in the future

3. why your life is more important than the others.

procedure

1. In turn, the four balloonists give their speeches to the class.

2. The class can ask any of the balloonists any questions they like.

3. The balloonists give a short closing speech, summarising their arguments.

4. The class votes. The balloonist who stays in the balloon is the winner.

COMPOSITION

Who do you think is either the greatest living musician or the greatest living writer or the greatest living statesman ?

Write 100-150 words saying why you have chosen him/her.

Unit 11 Likes and dislikes