In this exercise, you must begin reading the article “Why I Like England” by the author Sue Townsend (famous for the novel The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4). Read the first three paragraphs. Then answer the questions in writing. After having your answers approved by the teacher, you may read the next three paragraphs, answer questions again and have them approved. After the second approval, you may read the rest of the text after which you will be place into small groups.
Question / Instructions Written answer (you must signal teacher and have answers approved before you continue your reading).
What sport does the author associate with the language they speak in
France and why?
Mention two positive things and two negative things about traveling to other countries according to the author.
Why is she not embarrassed at owning all of TWO pine dressers?
Raise your hand and wait for me to approve your answers.
From what to what did the weather change while the author was writing the text?
What examples does she give of her compatriots’ ways of dealing with emergencies?
Raise your hand and wait for me to approve your answers.
Now, you have to read the rest of the article. Raise your hand when you are done. Then I will put you into a group and you with get to work with the exciting tasks and questions below.
In your groups, prepare written answers to the questions and tasks below. You may need a dictionary to look up some of the words used in the questions. When you are done with all five tasks (or when I give you the order), you share your work with me.
1.
What does the author find romantic about the England of her childhood?
2.
What products of Blighty does she describe as being salient? (Perhaps look up “Blighty” and “salient”  )
3.
Under which circumstances would she leave England and live in another country?
4.
What do you associate with Britain and the British? List as many things as possible, which, in your view, set the British apart from other nations.
5.
Read and understand this first: When you state the opposite of what you really think, you are being ironic. If, for example, a friend has a new outfit, which you think is absolutely awful, you could say “What an amazing
outfit!”. Then use irony to state something about the things that you like or dislike about [your country].