Soluciones. Writing. An informal email.

 Hi Jim

How 's it going? Sorry I haven’t written sooner. I’ve been quite busy because I’ve got exams and stuff at school. Sorry! Things have been pretty quiet since you moved to California. School’s a bit boring without you! Anyway, I’m writing as promised, to keep you up to date with all the latest news.

Swimming is going really well. I’m still on the school team and I’m training really hard at the moment because of the national competition next month. We’ve got a new coach, Mr Wilks. He’s great, but he’s really into healthy diets, so no pizza or burgers for me. Check out the photo attached!

Do you remember Mark Smith? He goes to Brighton College, but his sister’s in my class. Anyway, I’m going out with him now. He plays in a band, so I’ve been to a few of their gigs. They play in the Blue Bar every Friday night and they’re really good. I’ll send you the link to their website.

What’s your news? What are you up to? Can’t wait to hear! Have you met any cool American girls? How’s your family getting on in California? Do your brother and sister like living there too?

Write soon

Love Ellen

1. Read and Translate the email. Why is Ellen writing to Jim? (30 words)

2. Find words and expressions in the email that mean…

1. How are you? : How 's it going?

2. apologies for not writing : Sorry I haven’t written sooner

3. other things : Stuff

4. look at : Check out

5. What are you doing at the moment? : What are you up to?

6. I really want to know : Can’t wait to hear! 

3. Match the connectors in the box to the categories.

because      and      because of      but      so

• to join ideas : and

• to give reasons: because 

• to contrast ideas : but

• to talk about results : so

4. Use words from Ex 3 to complete the sentences:

• The party was fun and I met a cool girl there.

• I like the photos, but  you aren’t in any of them.

• I’ve got to go now because my girlfriend’s just arrived!

• I didn’t know many people so I invited everyone in my class to my party.

• I’m studying hard at the moment because of my exam next week.

            5.   Write an email (100-120 words)

Ten en cuenta:

• Primer Párrafo: Explica el motivo del mensaje: empieza disculpándote por no haber escrito antes, y después describe el lugar y la gente con quien estás.

• Segundo Párrafo: Empieza a contar tus noticias con alguna pregunta retórica. Háblale a tu amigo de los sitios donde has ido y la gente que has conocido.

• Tercer Párrafo: Pregúntale sobre sus novedades y pídele que te las cuente. Interésate por cómo le va e insiste en que te conteste a tu correo electrónico.

• Despedida: De manera informal.

Soluciones. Vocabulary. Stories.

 Words

Adventure: Aventura Anger: Ira Angry: Enfadado Aristocrat: Aristócrata Assemble: Montar Author: Autor Bestseller: Superventas Blockbuster: Éxito en taquilla Central: Principal Character: Personaje Cinematic: Cinematográfico Come out: Salir a la venta Comic: Comic Comical: Cómico Common: Habitual Concentrate: Concentrado Conventional: Convencional Courage: Valor Courageous: Valiente Coward: Cobarde Cowardly: Cobardía Creation: Creación Crime: Crimen Detective: Detective Digital: Digital Eventually: Eventualmente Extensively: Exhaustivamente Faithful: Fiel Fan: Fan Fantasy: Fantasía Fictional: Ficticio Frontman: Hombre de paja Genre: Género Respectable: Respetable Romance: Romance Scarecrow: Espantapájaros Sceptical: Escéptico Science: Ciencia Screen: Pantalla  Screenwriter: Guionista Script: Guión Scriptwriter: Guionista Sentiment: Sentimiento Sentimental: Sentimental Servant: Criado Soldier: Soldado Solve: Solucionar Thriller: Película de suspense Thunderstorm: Tormenta eléctrica Trilogy: Trilogía Version: Versión Writer: Escritor

Graduate: Graduarse Graphic novel: Novela Gráfica Hero: Héroe Heroine: Heroína Humanity: Humanidad Initially: Al principio Innovative: Innovador Inspiration: Inspiración Insult: Insulto Invent: Invento Legend: Leyenda Look up: Buscar Mystery: Misterio Novel: Novela Novelist: Novelista Obsessively: Obsesivo Opportunity: Oportunidad Page-turner: Tan bueno que no se puede dejar de leer Play: Obra Playwright: Dramaturgo Plot: Argumento Poem: Poema Popular: Popular Produce: Producir Publish: Publicar Put something down: Dejar de hacer algo Queen: Reina Recommend: Recomendar Relationship: Relación Reluctant: Reacio Resource: Recurso Resourceful: ingenioso Respect: Respeto Respectful: Respetable Sonnet: Soneto Speech: Discurso Spite: Maldad Spiteful: Malo Stage: Escenario Stepmother: Madrastra Story: Historia Successful: Exitoso Summary: Sumario Suspense: Suspense Take back: Devolver Theme: Tema Theory: Teoría Villain: Villano Visualization: Visualización Wealthy: Adinerado Wizard: Mago Write down: Escritor

Exercises

1. Match the genres in the box to the definitions:

romance     play     thriller     adventure     fantasy     science fiction     detective     legend

• Performed on a stage: Play

• Set in space: Science Fiction

• Exciting and often involves danger: Adventures

• Involves wizards and dragons: Fantasy

• Solving a crime: Detective

• An exciting suspense story: Thriller

• Fictional and about people from the past: Legend

• A love story: Romance

2. Complete the text with the correct form of the words in the box:

thrillers   put down   sentimental   romance    come out    fantasy    legends     courageous

There are lots of different genres of books, but which are the real bestsellers? Obviously the success of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series has made fantasy books very popular with teenagers. Recent film versions of myths and legends telling stories of courageous heroes have also put these two book genres on the map. Another best-selling author is John Grisham. His legal thrillers like The Client , have made him a very rich man. But the most popular genre is perhaps surprisingly romance - stories about love. Thousands of romantic novels are put down every year. Harlequin, the world’s largest publisher of romances publishes over 1000 novels annually. Critics may say the stories are extremely sentimental but fans love them and they can’t put them out. It’s lucky there are so many to choose from.

3. Complete the definitions with the words in the box.

detective     heroine     servant     soldier     villain     wizard

• a female hero: heroine

• someone who can do magic: wizard

• a member of an army: soldier

• the opposite of a hero: villain

• someone who solves crimes: detective

• someone who works for someone else: servant

4. Read the texts about literary characters. Label them with three of genres in the box.

detective story     fantasy     romance     science fiction     thriller

Romance

Elizabeth Bennet is the heroine who meets the proud and rather cold Mr Darcy and at first finds it unbearable to be with him. She is an independent girl who likes to say what she thinks, even in her polite 19th-century world. And, of course, Mr Darcy falls in love with her!

Fantasy

Lucy Pevensie is the heroine who discovers a magical new world at the back of a wardrobe. Together with her brothers and sister, she has many exciting adventures, and eventually liberates Narnia from the tyranny of the White Witch.

Detective story

Sherlock Holmes is the ingenious investigator who lives at 221b Baker Street, London. With his assistant, Dr Watson, always at his side, Holmes helps the local police to solve hundreds of crimes, thanks to his world-famous powers of deductions.

5. Complete the sentences with the literary genres in the box.

adventures     legend     play     science fiction     thriller

• The story of Robin Hood is an old English legend that still fascinates people today.

• If an author writes a good thriller, it is often made into a film, like the Bourne Identity.

• I love classic adventure stories like Robinson Crusoe, where people survive in impossible situations.

• I’ve never read a play, but I like seeing them performed in the theatre.

• Tony said he saw an alien yesterday. I think he’s read too many science fiction books!

6. Complete the essay with the words in the box.

angry     came out     courageous     fantasy     heroine     put down     sentimental     spiteful     villain

Today, I’d like to tell you about my literary  heroine  Katniss Everdeen. She is a character in the exciting The Hunger Games novels. The first of these came out in 2008, but I read it last year. From the very first page, I couldn’t put  it down .

Katniss is a very courageous  character - she’s never cowardly. She has to make difficult choices. The books deal with emotional issues, but Katniss is not too sentimental . There’s a spiteful  in the books, President Snow, who is a villain  and kills people who rebel against him.

I won’t say more than that because you’ll be angry  with me if you know the story before you read the books!

I highly recommend The Hunger Games books. If you like adventure or fantasy novels, you’ll love them!