Reading and Writing Warm Up!
Reading: Getting Ready for LINC Classes
Last June, Maria’s LINC class closed for the summer. She was happy to have a break, but she also wanted to keep practicing English.
During the summer, Maria stayed busy. She went to the library two times a week. She borrowed easy English books and read them at home. She also watched English programs on TV. Sometimes, she spoke English with her neighbours.
In July, Maria visited her sister in another city. They spent time together and went to a park. Maria took many pictures. She also helped her sister cook dinner.
In August, Maria started to think about her English classes again. She missed her classmates and her teacher. She wanted to learn more English because she needs English for everyday life. She wants to speak English more confidently at the store, at the doctor’s office, and when talking to her neighbours.
Now it is September, and Maria is getting ready to go back to LINC class. She has bought a new notebook and some pens. She is excited to see her classmates again. She is also a little nervous because she has not been in class for several months.
Maria hopes this will be a good school year. She knows that learning English takes time, but she is ready to study and practice.
Comprehension Questions
Choose the best answer.
1. When did Maria’s LINC class close?
a) In May
b) In June
c) In July
d) In August
2. Why did Maria go to the library?
a) To meet her sister
b) To borrow English books
c) To watch TV
d) To buy pens
3. How often did Maria go to the library?
a) Every day
b) Once a month
c) Two times a week
d) Three times a week
4. What did Maria do at home?
a) She read easy English books.
b) She studied with her sister.
c) She cooked every day.
d) She watched movies with her classmates.
5. Who did Maria visit in July?
a) Her teacher
b) Her neighbour
c) Her friend
d) Her sister
6. What did Maria do with her sister?
a) They went to a park.
b) They went to school.
c) They went shopping every day.
d) They studied English together.
7. Why does Maria want to learn more English?
a) She wants to become a teacher.
b) She needs English for everyday life.
c) She wants to move to another city.
d) She wants to travel to another country.
8. Where does Maria want to speak English more confidently?
a) At the store
b) At the doctor’s office
c) With her neighbours
d) All of the above
9. How does Maria feel about returning to LINC class?
a) She is excited and a little nervous.
b) She is angry and tired.
c) She is bored and unhappy.
d) She is not interested.
10. What did Maria buy for her new classes?
a) New books and a computer
b) A new notebook and some pens
c) A new backpack and shoes
d) English movies and CDs
Short Answer
Answer these questions in one or two sentences.
11. What are two things Maria did during the summer to practice English?
12. Why did Maria miss her LINC class?
13. Why is Maria a little nervous about going back to class?
14. What does Maria hope for this school year?
Writing Assignment: My Summer Break
Write About Your Summer Break
Now it is your turn!
Write one paragraph about what you did during your summer break. You can use Maria's story as a model.
Think about the things you did during the summer. You can write about your family, friends, work, activities, trips, hobbies, or time at home.
Your paragraph must have:
1. A Title
Give your paragraph a short title.
2. A Topic Sentence
Tell the reader what your paragraph is about.
3. 4–5 Supporting Details
Give four or five things you did during the summer. Add some information about each activity.
4. A Concluding Sentence
Finish your paragraph by giving a final thought about your summer.
Use this structure:
Title: __________________________________
Topic Sentence:
Tell us generally about your summer.
Supporting Detail 1:
What did you do?
Supporting Detail 2:
What else did you do?
Supporting Detail 3:
What did you do with your family or friends?
Supporting Detail 4:
Did you go somewhere or try something new?
Supporting Detail 5:
What was another interesting thing you did?
Concluding Sentence:
How do you feel about your summer? What do you think about returning to LINC classes?
Helpful Sentence Starters
You can use these sentence starters to help you organize your ideas:
This summer, I...
First, I...
Next, I...
During the summer, I...
In July, I...
In August, I...
I also...
One interesting thing I did was...
I enjoyed... because...
Finally, I...
I had a __________ summer because...
Now I am looking forward to...
I am happy/excited/nervous about returning to LINC because...
Useful Connecting Words
Try to use some of these words to connect your ideas:
First → Next → Then → Also → After that → Finally
My Summer Break
Title: _______________________________________________
Checklist
Before you finish, check your paragraph:
☐ I wrote a title.
☐ I wrote a topic sentence.
☐ I wrote 4–5 supporting details.
☐ I used some connecting words.
☐ I wrote a concluding sentence.
☐ I checked my capital letters and periods.
☐ I checked my verb tenses.
☐ I read my paragraph again before submitting it.