Halloween story Contest

Write your creepy story about Halloween. There will be a winner in each class. The deadline is next Monday.

More FCE grammar practice

Try this link.

More PET grammar practice

You can try here.

More KET grammar practice

Try this link.

HALLOWEEN IS GETTING CLOSER

Activity 1: Halloween’s history

Visit this link and read the first section entitled Ancient origins of Halloween. Look for the answers to these 13 (unlucky for some) questions. Share your answers with your classmates.

1. Where is the celebration of Halloween thought to have come from?
2. The Celts occupied an area of land covering six modern-day countries. Name at least four of them.
3. Why did the Celts celebrate ’Samhain’ on the night of 31st October?
4. What did the Celts believe the ghosts of the dead would cause damage and trouble to?
5. To commemorate the event, what did the Druids build?
6. What costumes did they wear?
7. What did they re-light to help protect them from the coming winter?
8. By 43 AD, who had conquered the Celts?
9. What two other festivals were combined with ’Samhain’?
10. After many changes due to the spread of Christianity, what new celebration was created in 1000 AD?
11. What were the similarities between this day and ’Samhain’?
12. What was another name given to this celebration?
13. What was the night before called and what did this finally become?

Discussion

• Are you surprised by the history of Halloween?
• Do you know any other stories about its origins?
• Are there any celebrations in your country that have a strange and uncertain history?
• Do you agree with this type of celebration?
• Do you believe in ghosts and the supernatural?

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PET

Read the following sentences to correct your USE OF ENGISH (a) in the PET exam:
1. I wanted to improve my French so I went to Fr.
2. This is the first time I've been in this shop.
3. The choice of food in the market is better than here.
4. The shops close later on Th.
5. Would you like to go into town this afternoon?
6. It's a long time since we went to a concert.
7. If I were you, I would learn a musical instrument.
8. You won't improve unless you play the piano every day.
9. There aren't very many concerts this month.
10.This room isn't big enough for  us to play music in.
11.I like playing the guitar more than playing the piano.
12. They spent a long time deciding  which concert to go to.
13. The teacher who taught me Italian was very good.
14. I went to England because I wanted to learn English.
15. I like speaking English more than writing it.
16. Languages are my best subject.
17. Meat isn't as good for you as fish.
18. You can buy snacks in the café.
19. He's really good at cooking.
20. There aren't very many good restaurants in this area.

FCE EXAM

You can correct your sentences from the exercise USE OF ENGLISH (a) here:

1. What is your favourite type of music?  
2. B’s parents don’t speak as well as he does.
3. I didn’t expect to pay so much money for my new computer.
4. The car has nearly/almost run out of petrol so we’ll have……
5. They were not able to get home that night because…..
6. Alex has (great) trouble getting up in the morning.
7. Carl remembered to buy everything except a new battery….
8. It is only a three-hour flight to Sicily.
9. That wardrobe is too tiny to hold all my clothes. (:not big enough to hold)
10. Mark is looking forward to using his new computer-games console.
11. The singer does not like it when/if people ask him for his autograph…..
12. Kelly followed/took my advice and enrolled at a gym.
13. Apart from Simon none of the students applied for a scholarship.
14. Emily has no intention of answering any of the interviewer’s questions.
15. Liam has decided to give up going to football practice.
16. Jane felt she was old enough to take care of/care for her own pet.
17. Would you mind turning/if I turned  the television off?
18. Gary likes to spend time by himself just before a race.
19. We cannot/can’t afford to wash our car.
20. Sandra is not such a good skier as her sister.