Reading and Writing in English, Book A

An Interactive Text for Advanced Beginning ESL Students

Samples

Engaging reading material:

READING 1: A JOB OFFER FOR ELLEN

        It is Saturday afternoon. The Masons are sitting at the table. But they are not eating. They are talking about an important letter in today's mail. The letter is from a company in the Silicon Valley of California. The company is offering Ellen a job as a computer programmer. The company in California is planning to give her a higher salary. The Masons are considering the offer.
        At this time of the day on Saturday, Silvia is usually practicing her clarinet or spending time with her friends. Mark is normally playing soccer with his friends. Sometimes he is doing something in the house, especially if it is raining or snowing outside. But right now, both of the children are listening to their parents talk about the situation. They are paying attention to their parents' conversation because the decision is so important.

Robert:	Congratulations! I am so proud of you!
Ellen:	Thanks! I am excited about their offer. But we need to think it over carefully.
Robert:	Yes, we do.
Ellen:	The salary that they are offering is much higher than my present salary.
Robert:	Yes, but the cost of living is much higher in California.
Ellen:	And you are working for your uncle now. I wonder if restaurants in the Silicon Valley are hiring waiters. Many people are moving there. I wonder if a lot of people are trying to get jobs in restaurants. If they are, it may be difficult for you to get one. At least, it may be hard to get one right away.
Robert:	I think that it will not be hard for me to find a job. If my first job is not a very good one, I can look for a better one.
Ellen:	What about the children? Silvia is making a lot of progress in music here. And Mark is playing soccer with a good team.

[Continued...]

READING 6: WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?

Ellen:	What are you watching?
Silvia:	I am watching a really interesting program about extraterrestrials.
Ellen:	Am I interrupting you?
Silvia:	No, you are not interrupting anything important right now. They are doing commercials.
Ellen:	What are the people in the program saying about extraterrestrials?
Silvia:	They are saying that some of the creatures from space are giants.
Ellen:	Giants? That is interesting. Are they explaining why they think the creatures are giants?
Silvia:	Yes. They are telling the stories of many people on Earth. ...

[Continued...]

READING 3: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY

        The Masons and their friends are sitting in the backyard. They are eating and talking.

Kim:	Have you gotten information about the Silicon Valley? What have you found out about the area? What is there besides computer companies in the Silicon Valley?
Ellen:	Actually, there is a lot in the Silicon Valley besides computer companies. In fact, there was a lot in the area before the computer companies came in.
Kim:	What was the area like before that?
Ellen:	Native Americans came into the area hundreds-or maybe thousands-of years ago. A lot more people came to the San Francisco Bay Area about a hundred and fifty years ago. Mexicans came from the south, and different Europeans came from the east. A few Russians came from the north, along the Pacific Coast from Alaska. Then many Chinese arrived from the west-they crossed the Pacific Ocean to get to California. San Francisco became a very busy city, and San José grew too.
Kim:	How far is San José from San Francisco?
Ellen:	It is about an hour away. It is south of San Francisco, at the bottom of the peninsula.
Kim:	Why did so many people go to that area a hundred and fifty years ago?
Ellen:	They wanted to get rich. Gold was discovered in California in 1848.

[Continued...]

Sentence-writing activities related to the readings:

Questions about the reading

2-2.	Answer each of the following questions in two ways: 1) with a short answer, and 2) in a complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. In the reading, are the Masons eating?
2. In the reading, is Silvia playing her clarinet?
3. Is Mark playing Silvia's clarinet?
4. What is Silvia doing?
5. What is Mark doing?
6. What are their parents doing?
7. Where is the company that is offering Ellen the job?
8. Where is the cost of living higher, in Denver or in the Silicon Valley of California?
9. Is Silvia making a lot of progress in music?
10. What sport is Mark playing with a team?
11. Are there many opportunities for children in the Bay Area of California?
12. Does Robert know how to use a computer?

In your own words

2-3.	Answer each of the following questions in at least one complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Are you watching television now?
2. Are you talking to a friend now?
3. Are you using a computer now?
4. What are you doing?
5. What is the person sitting next to you doing?
6. What are all of the students, including you, doing?
7. Are there many opportunities for children where you live?
8. Is the cost of living high where you live?

Questions about the reading

2-17.

Answer each of the following questions in two ways: 1) with a short answer, and 2) in a complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Who is watching television?
2. Who is talking to Silvia?
3. Is Silvia watching a movie?
4. Is she watching commercials?
5. What kind of program is she watching?
6. Are they interviewing people on the program?
7. Who is talking about something that happened in Russia?

In your own words

2-18.

Answer each of the following questions in at least one complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Are you watching television?
2. What are you doing?
3. Do you believe that extraterrestrials exist?
4. Do you watch programs about extraterrestrials?
5. Do you believe that giants exist?
6. Do you know any stories about giants?
7. Are there stories in your original country about giants?
8. Do most people in your original country believe in giants?
9. Do most people in your original country believe in ghosts?
10. Is the government in your original country investigating creatures from outer space?
11. Are any people in your country investigating extraterrestrials?

Natural, everyday language that is accessible to adult ESL learners:

READING 2: ROBERT NEEDS HELP

Robert:	I need to write a letter to my dad. I want to do it on the computer. Can you help me?
Ellen:	You need to learn to use a computer by yourself!
Robert:	I don't want to learn to use computers by myself. I can type. So I can do my own typing. I am not asking you to do that for me. But I don't want to learn the other things. It takes a lot of time to learn the other stuff on a computer. I have other things to do with my time. You can do everything else for me.
Mark:	Dad, most people want to be able to use computers by themselves. It is easier for them to take care of a lot of things. It is also easier for them to get jobs.
Robert:	It looks difficult to learn. [to his wife] Don't you want to help me?
Ellen [laughing]:	I think that you always just like sitting by me! Come on! Let's write your letter.

READING 3: WILL STACY BE DRIVING?

        Silvia wants to go out with her friends next Saturday night. They plan on going to the mall for two or three hours. Then they want to go to a movie theater on the other side of town. They will get home around midnight or a little later.
Silvia's friend Stacy now has her driver's license. She will be driving.

Ellen:	Stacy will be driving? Do you think that I will let you ride around with her for hours? She is only sixteen!
Silvia:	Stacy is really a very responsible person.
Ellen:	But she is only sixteen! Who else is planning on going with you?
Silvia:	Just the new girl across the street, Rosa.
Ellen:	And what will you do if you run into other friends at the mall? They will want to go to the movie with you. What will you tell them?
Silvia:	Oh, I don't know.
Ellen:	You need to go to just one place. Either go to the mall or go to see the movie. You also need to be home earlier than midnight. Stacy is a nice person, but you don't know what she will do when she has a car to use. You are planning to do too much. I don't want you to take chances like that.
Silvia:	I'll call Stacy and talk to her about it. Maybe we will just go to the mall for a couple of hours. Is that all right with you?
Ellen:	That will be much better.

Vocabulary and grammar activities in context:

READING 1: LIFE IN THE MASON FAMILY

        The Masons live in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Mason's name is Robert. He is 42. He works as a waiter in a restaurant. His uncle Ed is the owner of the restaurant. Ed also runs the business. Ms. Mason's name is Ellen. She is 40. She is a computer programmer. Their daughter, Silvia, is a high school student. She is 15. Their son, Mark, is 13. He goes to middle school.
        Mr. Mason works every day Wednesday through Sunday. He goes to work at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and gets home at 11:30 in the evening. Ms. Mason is also employed five days a week. She leaves for work at 8 in the morning and returns home at 5:30 in the afternoon. Silvia starts school early in the morning: her first class begins at 7:15. Her brother has his first class at 8 o'clock.
        Silvia is on the basketball team at school, and she is also a member of the marching band. Consequently, she sometimes stays at school after her classes are over. Twice a week, her team practices. During the football season in the fall, the band meets after school at least one day a week. They practice for the show that they are going to do at the football game the following Friday night. Silvia also works on Sundays as a volunteer at the local hospital. She is a busy person.
        Mark plays soccer at his school. He stays after school twice a week to practice with his team. Sometimes they play in a competition against a team from another school.

Vocabulary

• the Masons: the Mason family
• an owner: a proprietor, a person who owns something
• runs the business: takes care of the business, operates the business
• is employed: works (for somebody)
• a team: a group of people who play a sport
• a band: a group of people who play musical instruments
• over: finished
• twice: two times
• practices: does exercises
• following: next
• volunteer: person who offers to help for no money
• a competition: a match, a series of games to decide who wins and who loses

In other words

1-1.	Using the other words from the "Vocabulary" section, write a new sentence for each of the following sentences. Make any other necessary changes. Practice saying and writing the new sentences.

Example:

The Masons live in Denver, Colorado.

New sentence:

The Mason family lives in Denver, Colorado.

1. Mr. Mason's uncle is a restaurant owner.
2. Her aunt runs the business by herself.
3. Her brother is employed by somebody.
4. Her brother is part of a team.
5. She is part of a band.
6. The late show on television is over at midnight.
7. Most people brush their teeth twice a day.
8. One of the students practices early every morning.
9. There is a picture on the following page.
10. Their daughter is a volunteer in a hospital.
11. They often play in a competition.

Questions about the reading

1-2.	Answer each of the following questions in two ways: 1) with a short answer, and 2) in a complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

Example:

Where does Robert Mason work?

Short answer:

In a restaurant.

Complete sentence:

He works in a restaurant.

1. Who is employed as a waiter?
2. Does Robert Mason work for his uncle?
3. Who is the proprietor of the restaurant?
4. Is Silvia a musician?
5. Is their son a high school student?
6. Who is the high school student in the Mason family?
7. Where does Silvia work on Sundays?
8. How many people are there in the Mason family? (the immediate family, that is, parents and children)
9. Does Robert Mason work for a relative of his?
10. What sport does Mark play?

Additional sentence writing to develop grammar and vocabulary skills:

USING LANGUAGE

4-21.

Make sentences with the following ideas.

Examples:

A doctor works in a hospital.
Doctors work in hospitals.

1. a storekeeper 2. storekeepers 3. a nurse 4. nurses 5. a businessperson          6. businesspeople	7. a teacher 8. teachers 9. a cook 10. cooks 11. an auto mechanic 12. auto mechanics
A. restaurant B. hospital C. garage	D. classroom E. store F. office

USING LANGUAGE

2-6.	Write a sentence that gives the opposite meaning.

Example:

He speaks English badly.

Change to:

He speaks English well.

1. Sally is in her last year of high school.
2. Bill is older than his sister.
3. She took a little more rice.
4. A bird flew over the bridge.
5. The first reading is easy.
6. The first reading is easier than the second one.
7. When people move, they usually lose friends.
8. Their neighbor is very old.
9. Their son is short.
10. Let's eat before we go to the movie.

Synonyms for vocabulary items in the readings:

Vocabulary

• besides: in addition to
• actually: in reality, really
• native Americans: American Indians
• grew: got bigger
• peninsula: area of land with water on three sides
• to get rich: to get a lot of money, to become rich
• soldiers: military personnel on land
• sailors: military personnel on ships
• war: fighting between countries or large groups of people
• largest: biggest
• larger: bigger
• it has grown a lot: it has gotten a lot bigger
• a century: one hundred years
• during the past century: in the last one hundred years
• more space: a larger area
• industry: business
• factories: places where things are made (manufactured)
• theme parks: parks such as Disneyland, Sea World, and Universal Studios
• anxious: eager, impatient, in a hurry

Speaking and writing activities that move from simple to more complex:

In other words

5-9.	Using the other words from the "Vocabulary" section, write a new sentence for each of the following sentences. Make any other necessary changes. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Besides playing in a band, she sings.
2. Actually, Bill made dinner.
3. Native Americans have lived on this continent for thousands of years.
4. The population of California grew fast after World War II.
5. San Francisco is at the end of a peninsula.
6. Many people want to get rich.
7. The army has soldiers.
8. The navy has sailors.
9. When there is a war, people die.
10. New York is the largest city in the United States.
11. Chicago is larger than Denver.
12. Since we planted the pine tree, it has grown a lot.
13. Automobiles were invented more than a century ago.
14. Technology has grown a lot during the past century.
15. Chris needs more space for her vegetable garden.
16. The computer industry is an important one in the Silicon Valley.
17. People who work in factories stand most of the time.
18. Children like to go to theme parks.
19. Cindy is taking her first trip to Florida next month, and she is anxious to go.

Questions about the reading

5-10.

Answer each of the following questions in two ways: 1) with a short answer, and 2) in a complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Have the Masons gotten information about the Silicon Valley?
2. Who were the first people in California?
3. When did they come to California?
4. Which people crossed the Pacific Ocean to come to the Bay Area?
5. Which city grew a lot a hundred and fifty years ago, San Francisco or Los Angeles?
6. What was discovered in California in 1848?
7. Why did many people go to California after gold was discovered there?
8. Is the movie industry a big one in San Francisco or Los Angeles?
9. Are there many tourists in California?
10. Is Ellen anxious to go to California?

In your own words

5-11.

Answer each of the following questions in at least one complete sentence. Practice saying and writing the answers.

1. Have you ever been in California?
2. Have you studied the history of your original country?
3. Have you studied the history of the United States?
4. Did you cross an ocean to come to the United States?
5. Where is the movie industry important besides Hollywood (Los Angeles)?
6. Where are there theme parks besides in the United States?
7. Are there many tourists in your original country?
8. Are there many factories in your original country?
9. Are you anxious to get rich?
10. Are you anxious to learn to speak English well?

Clarifications of essential grammar:

A MOMENT FOR GRAMMAR

Verbs: the present perfect

        Words like so far and up to now indicate past time that is not finished. We use a different verb form for time that is not finished.

They have visited their cousins three times so far this year. (up to this time)

Another way of saying the same thing is

They have visited their cousins three times since the beginning of the year. (from the beginning of the year up to now)

In both sentences, we are talking about time that started in the past but continues into the present.
        Examine the following examples:

He has talked to his mother only once so far this week. (time starting at the beginning of the week and continuing into the present)

Has he talked to his mother twice this week? No, he has talked to her only once up to now.

She has been using the computer for three hours. (time starting in the past, showing an action still in progress)
The dogs have been playing in the backyard for half an hour. (time starting in the past, showing an action still in progress)

Has she been using the computer all day? No, she has not been using it that long.

5-4.	Add the correct form of the verb. Use the progressive form for an action in progress. Use the simple form if there is no action in progress.

1. Silvia _______________ to her friends for almost an hour. (talk)
2. Mark _______________ two friends since he got home from school. (call)
3. Ted and his friends _______________ two movies so far this week. (see)
4. Rosa _______________ several books in English since she came to the United States. (read)
5. The Masons _______________ three programs on television so far this weekend. (watch)
6. Their friends _______________ several movies since the new video store opened in the local shopping center. (rent)
7. Ellen _______________ several dinners for her friends at work since she started working at her present company. (prepare)
8. The Masons ________________ many programs since they got their new VCR. (record)
9. Robert _______________ four days so far this week. (work)
10. The Masons ________________ two foreign countries since their children were born. (visit)
11. Mark _______________ dishes for fifteen minutes. (wash)
12. The children ______________ since nine o'clock. (sleep)

5-5.	Put the sentences in Exercise 5-4 into the interrogative form.

Word forms:

WORD FORMS

2-19.

Add the correct word in the proper form.

decide, decision

1. It was an important _______________.
2. They always _______________ everything at the last minute!

life, live, living

3. People on minimum wage do not make a good _______________.
4. They _______________ in a small town.
5. She has an interesting _______________.

organize, organization

6. He sometimes _______________ activities for his children and their friends.
7. They are members of several ________________.

different, difference

8. There is a big _______________ between them even though they are sisters.
9. Texas and Alaska have _______________ climates.

pronounce, pronunciation

10. It is difficult to understand his _______________.
11. It is important to _______________ a language well.

[Continued...]

Questions for answers:

QUESTIONS FOR ANSWERS

1-17.

Ask the question for each answer. Use the word(s) given.

Examples:

1. Silvia goes to high school. Who…
2. Ellen Mason goes to work every day. Where…
3. Pilots fly airplanes. What…
4. They are leaving in the morning. When…

The questions:

1. Who goes to high school?
2. Where does Ellen Mason go every day?
3. What do pilots fly?
4. When are they leaving?

1. Ellen gets up at 6 o'clock in the morning. Who…
2. Mark likes to play video games. Who…
3. Robert works in a restaurant. Who…
4. Ellen does housework in the evening. Who…
5. Dinner is the biggest meal. What…
6. A computer is a device that we use to store, send, and receive information. What…
7. A kitchen is a place where people cook. What…
8. A refrigerator is an appliance that keeps food cold. What…

Basic paragraph writing:

PARAGRAPH WRITING

        A paragraph is a piece of writing about some ideas that are connected. The following writing about children in American schools is an example of a paragraph.
        Notice that the first line in a paragraph is indented (moved a few spaces to the right).

        Children in American schools have a variety of experiences. First, they study traditional subjects. These subjects include reading, writing, mathematics, history, geography, and science. Young students can also learn about art and music in school. In addition, children here take classes in practical skills. They have opportunities to learn how to cook, make something with wood or metal, repair a car, or use a computer. Children in this country also play sports and join school clubs. With these activities, they get to be part of a group, In this way, they learn to get along with other people. Schools in America, in other words, are supposed to prepare children for life.

1-18.

Write a group of sentences in paragraph form introducing your family. Give their names. Talk about what happens every day in your home. Tell what each family member does (where each one works or what type of school each one attends) every day. Tell what your family members do in addition to working or going to school. Tell what they like and what they do not like.

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