Title: choose it in Task 2
1
Look at the picture. What do you think the text will be about?
Then read the first and last sentences of paragraph 1 quickly.
Subskill: Reading for gist / skimming. Read the text quickly first to get a general idea of what it is about. You can read the first and last sentences of each paragraph. The rest of the text is blurred for now.
Talk about the picture
- Who are the people? What are they wearing?
- Where are they? What is happening around them?
- How do you think they feel?
Read paragraph 1 · When did the events in this article happen?
Teacher · 4–5 min. Model prediction (key): the text could be about firefighters fighting bush fires – the dangers, how brave they are, or how you follow a career in firefighting. Elicit: firefighters, smoke, helmet, protective clothing, bush fire. Answer: the summer of 2019–2020 – remind the student that the Australian summer is December to February.
2
Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. Choose the best title for the text.
Only the first and last sentences are clear. Skim them, don't read every word.
Teacher · 3 min. Answer: 3. Ask why 1 and 2 don't work: 1 is only about the fire, 2 is about the future – the text is about real firefighters and why they are fantastic (last sentence!).
3
Read the text and choose the correct answers.
Now the whole text is clear. After you answer, tap Show me in the text to see where the answer is.
Teacher · 8–10 min. Key: 1a · 2b · 3b · 4a · 5b · 6b. For wrong answers, ask the student to find the sentence that proves the right one before using Show me in the text.
4
Read the text again and write a description for each number.
Find the number in the text, then write what it means in your own words.
Example: 2019–2020 – the summer of very bad forest fires in Australia
Teacher · 5 min. Accept any accurate paraphrase. The numbers light up in the text after comparing. Push for full phrases: the number of…, the average age of….
5
Word work. Complete the sentences with the underlined words in the text.
Tap a word, then tap a gap. Tap a filled gap to take the word back.
Teacher · 5 min. Key: 1 against all the odds · 2 stamina · 3 Despair · 4 Motivation · 5 risk · 6 sense of duty. Ask the student to read each word in its sentence in the text – the underlining turns green when it’s found.
6
Answer the questions for you.
Make notes first, then talk about your ideas.
1 · Would you volunteer to be a bush firefighter? Why / Why not?
I'd definitely… because…I don't think I could… because…It takes a lot of stamina to…I'd feel a sense of duty to…The biggest risk would be…
2 · Can you think of another volunteer job that requires similar qualities?
bravehard-workingdeterminedcaringa good team playerphysically fitcalm under pressure
Great work!
You skimmed, read for detail and learnt six new expressions. Now tell your teacher about your ideas.
Teacher · 5–7 min. Ideas for Q2: lifeguard, mountain rescue, Red Cross volunteer, animal shelter worker, sea rescue (RNLI-type) crew. Encourage at least two words from Task 5 in the answers.