Happy New Year 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, looking forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make. The new year is a time to resolve to follow through on those changes. If you haven’t made any new year’s resolutions, here are ten ideas.

1. Spend more time with family & friends.
2. Fit in fitness.
3. Lose weight.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Enjoy life more. Have more leisure time.
6. Quit drinking.
7. Get out of debt.
8. Help others.
9. Get organized.
10. Learn something new.

VOCABULARY
1. reflect (verb) It’s a time to reflect on what has already happened.
a. give back some money b. review; study c. think over; contemplate

2. resolve (verb) The new year is a time to resolve to do something.
a. to ring a bell b. to solve a problem c. to decide

3. From the short reading above, can you tell me what a New Year’s resolution (noun) is?
4. What does the verb “fit in” mean in #2?
a. be the right size. b. make enough time for c. be comfortable

5. fitness (noun)
a. good health or physical condition
b. happiness
c. able to ride a bicycle

6. What’s the difference between these two words?
lose (verb) [pronounced LOOZ] and loose (adj.) [pronounced LOOS]
Can you write a sentence for each one? YOUR TURN

lose ______________________________________________________________

loose _____________________________________________________________

7. leisure (adj.) [pronounced LEEzhur]
a. for sure; certain b. free time; freedom from work or duty c. tight clothes

8. debt (noun) [pronounced DET]

GRAMMAR

The verb in each of these resolutions is in the form of a command. It comes from the infinitive (base form), but as a command, it is directed to another person.
For example: Spend more time . . . is a command for someone else to spend more time doing something.

In the case of a resolution, it is you, yourself, you are talking to.
You say to yourself: I SHOULD SPEND more time . . .


What is the verb in each of these resolutions? Some are two-word verbs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

CONVERSATION

1. How can you spend more time with your friends and family?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How can you “fit in fitness”?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How can you lose weight (or control your weight)?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4, How can you quit smoking or how can you help someone else quit smoking?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What can you do in your leisure time?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. How can you quit drinking or quit gambling or help someone quit.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. How can you get out of debt?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


8. How can you help others?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. What can you do to get more organized?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. How can you learn something new?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Talk to your partner and find out two resolutions your partner made.
Write them down.

1. __________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________


12. Write two resolutions YOU made for 2010.

1. __________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________