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A) Complete these sentences with a word in each gap:
1. How are you thinking _________ __________ this Christmas and New Year?
2. What _________ _________ the best moment of this year, for you?
3. If you ___________ asked to choose your best book, film or cultural event from this year, what ______ ______ ________?
4. Is there anything that you did this year that you ___________ ________ done differently?
5. Have you _________ able _______ _______ all that you _______ _______ to do this time last year?
6. If you ________ to make a list of things to do _________ this time next year, which 3 would you include?
7. Do you _______ next year to be better, or worse, than this?
8. How _____ you ______ answering these questions this time next year? What ______ _______ happened in the meantime?
Remember that these questions are meant to be asked / answered at the END of the year. They may not make much sense in January, and the grammar may be different…
B) Now look at this poem by one of Britain’s most famous poets. Complete the poem with these words:
NEW / TOO – SPREAD / SAID – MAY / SAY
Philip Larkin ‘The Trees’
The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being 1)____________;
The recent buds relax and 2)____________
Their greenness is a kind of grief.
Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die 3)____________,
Their yearly trick of looking 4)____________
Is written down in rings of grain.
Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In full-grown thickness every 5)__________.
Last year is dead, they seem to 6)____________,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh……
Now Listen and Check:
Answers!
1. How are you thinking OF SPENDING this Christmas and New Year?
2. What HAS BEEN the best moment of this year, for you?
3. If you WERE asked to choose your best book, film or cultural event from this year, what WOULD IT BE / WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
4. Is there anything that you did this year that you WOULD HAVE / SHOULD HAVE / COULD HAVE done differently?
5. Have you BEEN able TO DO all that you HAD PROPOSED / HAD HOPED / HAD WANTED to do this time last year?
6. If you HAD to make a list of things to do BY this time next year, which 3 would you include?
7. Do you EXPECT next year to be better, or worse, than this?
8. How WILL you BE answering these questions this time next year? What WILL HAVE happened in the meantime?
*THERE ARE MANY POSSIBILITIES. IF YOURS IS NOT INCLUDED, WRITE A COMMENT BELOW AND I WILL ANSWER.
Poem
The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being 1)SAID;
The recent buds relax and 2) SPREAD,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.
Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die 3) TOO,
Their yearly trick of looking 4) NEW
Is written down in rings of grain.
Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In full-grown thickness every 5) MAY.
Last year is dead, they seem to 6) SAY,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh…..
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