Reading 8 grade/ 1 term

The people below will soon move to New York and they want to do a course at the Brooklyn Activity Centre. Read the descriptions of eight activities at this Centre. Decide which activity would be the most suitable for each person. There are THREE activities that you DO NOT need to use.

My first trip to Greece, by Steve Diamond

Many years ago, I went to Greece on a short work experience program with my friend Jamie. We had both just finished university and we didn’t really know what to do with our lives. So, we jumped on a plane to the island of Crete, Greece’s largest island which rests in the Aegean Sea.

When we arrived in Heraklion, the capital of Crete, we were welcomed by Irena and Jacob Lambraiki, the owners of the school where we had been hired to teach English classes to Greek children. They showed us to our flat and then, they brought us to a good Greek restaurant. I ate ‘spanakopita’ which is a spinach and cheese pie, and we also had a Greek salad. Most of the dishes were made with natural ingredients and they were very tasty.

The next day, we started teaching our first classes to Greek students. My students were between 11 and 15 years of age. I was surprised by how funny and smart the kids were. During the course, I tried to teach them English while they taught me all about Greek culture. I learned about Greek food, music, landscape and I even learned some Greek words. At the weekends, we visited ancient sights and swam in the perfect blue sea. I was amazed by the clean, white houses and lovely beaches. By the end of the work experience, I had fallen in love with Crete but to my disappointment, I had to return home for another job. Greece will always be very special in my memory.

The narrator went to Greece with their friend Jamie for a vacation.

Crete is the largest island in Greece.

The narrator stayed in Heraklion, the capital of Greece.

Irena and Jacob Lambraiki were the owners of the school where the narrator taught English.

The narrator ate moussaka, a traditional Greek dish, at the Greek restaurant.

The narrator's students were all teenagers.

The narrator learned about Greek culture from their students.

The narrator didn't have time to explore the beaches and ancient sights in Crete.

The narrator had to leave Greece because they found another job.

Greece holds a special place in the narrator's heart.

Read the text, which title fits best?

I was in a bar one night when I saw a couple having an argument. The woman looked very angry and she pointed her finger at the man's face. A few minutes later, they both got up and left - but they weren't walking together. They were walking in opposite directions!

It was clear to me that they weren't happy, but I couldn't understand what the problem was. Then my friend, who is a psychologist, explained it to me. 'Look at their body language,' he said. 'The woman is pointing her finger at the man. This means that she is blaming him for something. And they're not walking together, so they are not going home together.'

This was a good lesson for me because sometimes people don't say what they really think or feel. But if you look carefully at their body language, you can often understand them better. So now, whenever I see people arguing, I always try to guess what they are saying with their bodies as well as with their words!