LESSON 6
Memorable Experiences
What was your most memorable experience? Can you guess the meaning of the
bold words?
To me, it would perhaps be the time I played truant, back in high school.
Just so you know, I was always a straight A student. Not once have I failed
a test at school. So, it was definitely a thrilling and exciting experience for
me, something that I always remember whenever I look back at my
younger days.
Perhaps I would say, it was the time I decided to quit my boring 9 to 5 job
at the office to pursuit my life-long dream of becoming a teacher. This job,
despite the fact that it is demanding, sometimes quite stressful, gives me
a sense of satisfaction. Besides, teaching really has its perks, it provides
me with invaluable experiences that I can hardly find in any other
professions!
It would definitely be the time I made a decision to spend half of my
savings travelling to Europe to visit my best friend! You know, before, I’d
never had the guts to do something different. I always stick to what’s
familiar, never tried to do anything spontaneous. That trip really was an
important milestone that marked a new chapter of my life.
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PART 2:
Describe a positive change/important
choice in your life.
You should say:
- What the change/choice was
- When and there it happened
- What actually happened
And explain why you think it is positive or
important
Follow the Idea Flow below and discuss with your partner
(Suggestion: take up a sport; give up a bad habit; learn new thing; stand up
against someone..)
Lead: say what you would talk about
Background/ Reason:
- Time:
What were happening at the time?
How did you feel?
What was the result?
- Location:
Where did you go?
How far was it?
The actual story.
What did you do? (chronological order) (+ companion, time,..)
*if there was a problem:
How did you solve it?
What was the result?
How did you feel afterwards
Explain
=> Moral of the story:
- How did you think of the experience?
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- Did it affect you in any way?
- The future.
Sample 1:
Well I’ve made … lots of positive changes throughout my life, but if I had to
choose one… hmm … I would say it’s my decision to start exercising
regularly.
Background/ Reason:
Actually, the idea only occurred to me about 7 or 8 years ago.
You know, before that, I have always been such a couch potato. I still
remember it was the summer of 2011, right after I took the high-school
entrance exam – which is also one of the most important milestones in my
life... well,.. I successfully made it through. But not long after that, my
body collapsed since I overworked during exam preparation and did not
spend time exercising.
So that’s when I thought that I needed to do something to improve my
immune system as well as my physical health, which is why I came to the
conclusion that I need to take up a sport to improve my health condition!
The actual story:
Turned out, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. The first sport that I
tried was none other than swimming. It was really difficult for me at first,
because sports were never my strong suit. But after a while, I got used to it
and started to love it. So every afternoon after school, I would go to the
swimming pool like a habit. There was this small but very clean swimming
pool near my house where I went to almost every day of the week. I really
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enjoyed those days, especially in the summer when it is scorching hot
outside.
Explain
=> Effects:
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Discuss the following questions:
- Do you enjoy changes in your life?
- Why are young people more likely to make changes in their life?
- Why do some people like to change their jobs?
Describe and advice you received. You
should say:
What it was
Who gave it to you
What actually happened
Explain why you think it was a good piece of
advice.
Note:
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Describe a time you went to a crowded place.
You should say:
Where you went
When you went
What you did there
And explain why you went there
Describe an important journey that was
delayed
You should say:
When it was
Why it was important
How it was delayed
And explain how you felt about it
Describe a difficult challenge you met
You should say:
What it was
When and where you met it
And why you think it is a challenge
.
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PART 3: Discuss the following questions
1. How easy is it to travel around your country?
(easy -> Ex: motorbike – small & fast/ not easy -> in big cities – traffic jam)
2. Which method of travel do you consider safest? Why?
(by train – less obstacles – on one rail)
3. Has travel become safer in recent years than that it was in the past?
(yes -> past ? present? – no -> past ? present?)
4. What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?
(adv: save money – disadv: little space – bad service..)
5. How do you think people will travel in the future?
(..make a wild guess -> flying cars, teleport,..)
6. In your country, how do people treat visitors?
(hospitality/ welcoming attitude ..)
7. What are the advantages of staying in a hotel?
(good amenities/ service/ better security )
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