2 NB 2 Topic 1 Back to Routine

The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine. (Mike Murdock)

Grammar	Questions
Language Function	Describing people & places
Listening	A musician's day : audio
Reading	A special day
Speaking	A restless night
Vocabulary	Travel
Writing	Letter to a friend

1 NB 1 Topic 1 Introductions

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. (Jack Lemmon)

Grammar	To be or not to be
Language Function	Identifying people
Listening	Introducing a friend : audio
Reading	Family members
Speaking	Pronunciation
Vocabulary	Work
Writing	Introductions

Book 8 2026 An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

'Up until now, I thought I knew what was and wasn't possible. Maybe that's what innocence is, having no way to predict the pain of the future. When something happens that eclipses the imaginable, it changes a person. It's like the difference between a raw egg and a scrambled egg. It's the same thing, but it's not the same at all. That's the best way that I can put it. I look in the mirror and I know it's me, but I can't quite recognise myself .'

For our eighth book of the year I recommend An American Marriage  by Tayari Jones. It is a book about race, justice, love and heartbreak. An appalling miscarriage of justice irrevocably changes the course of Roy and Celestial's life, love and marriage. Here is the worksheet.

8 NA C2 Topic 12 Free Time and the Summer

Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun. (Randy Pausch)

Grammar	Family shots
Language Function	Holiday complaint
Listening	Australian visas + audio
Reading	Gamification
Speaking	The travel bug
Vocabulary	Great expectations
Writing	Close to nature

7 NA C1 2 Topic 12 Free Time and the Summer

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. (Sam Keen)

Grammar	Television
Language Function	Evaluating
Listening	Reality shows + audio
Reading	Reality TV
Speaking	Planning a trip
Vocabulary	Travelling
Writing	TV shows

6 NA C1 1 Topic 12 Free Time and the Summer

Aaah, summer - that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It's a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practise swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends. (Darell Hammond)

Grammar	Reporting verbs
Language Function	Explaining
Listening	Holidays + audio
Reading	A letter of protest
Speaking	Silent retreat
Vocabulary	Television
Writing	Leisure time

5 NI B2 2 Topic 12 Free Time & the Summer

The summer night is like a perfection of thought . (Wallace Stevens). 

Grammar	The Longest Day
Language Function	Relating Past Events
Listening	Singapore + audio
Reading	Summer 2021
Speaking	On the move
Vocabulary	Driving
Writing	A complaint

4 NI B2 1 Topic 12 Free Time & the Summer

Summer break: the time when parents realise teachers are grossly underpaid. (Unknown)

Grammar	Sentence transfer
Language Function	Making arrangements
Listening	Flying + audio
Reading	Fun in Spain
Speaking	Travelling
Vocabulary	Holidays
Writing	A letter

 

3 NI B1 Topic 12 Free Time & the Summer

Do what we can, summer will have its flies. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Grammar	Say & tell
Language Function	Reporting
Listening	Bad service + audio
Reading	Travelling by train
Speaking	Travelling
Vocabulary	Travelling by plane
Writing	An interesting trip