🎬 Interactive video — script & questions
NARRATOR: Listen to Anna talking to her friend Mark about her holiday in Spain.
SPEAKER 1: Hi Mark! I'm back! Guess what, I went to Barcelona last week!
SPEAKER 2: Wow, Anna! How was it? Did you go with your family?
SPEAKER 1: No, I went with my sister. We stayed in a small hotel near the beach.
SPEAKER 2: Nice! What did you do there?
SPEAKER 1: On the first day, we walked around the old city and visited a big church. It was amazing! Then, in the afternoon, we swam in the sea because the weather was really hot.
SPEAKER 2: That sounds great. Did you try any Spanish food?
SPEAKER 1: Yes! We ate paella at a small restaurant. It was delicious, but my sister didn't like the seafood.
SPEAKER 2: Ha! What about the second day?
SPEAKER 1: On the second day, it rained a lot, so we didn't go to the beach. Instead, we visited a museum and bought some souvenirs for our parents.
SPEAKER 2: Did you buy anything for yourself?
SPEAKER 1: Yes, I bought a beautiful hat. Oh, and something funny happened — while we were walking back to the hotel, we got lost! We didn't have a map, so we asked a local woman for help.
SPEAKER 2: That's funny! Did you take a lot of photos?
SPEAKER 1: Of course! I took more than a hundred photos. It was the best holiday I've ever had!
SPEAKER 2: I'm so happy for you! Maybe I'll go to Barcelona next year too.
- Who did Anna go to Barcelona with?
- a) Her family
- b) Her sister
- c) Mark
- d) Her parents
- What did Anna and her sister do on the first day?
- a) They visited a museum
- b) They bought souvenirs
- c) They walked around the old city and swam in the sea
- d) They got lost in the city
- Why didn't Anna's sister like the paella?
- a) It was too hot
- b) She didn't like the seafood
- c) It was too expensive
- d) It wasn't Spanish food
- Why didn't Anna and her sister go to the beach on the second day?
- a) They were tired
- b) The beach was closed
- c) It rained a lot
- d) They went to a restaurant instead
- What happened while they were walking back to the hotel?
- a) They met Mark
- b) They lost their camera
- c) They got lost
- d) They found a hat
📖 Reading
Last summer, Maria and her brother Tom went on holiday to a small town by the sea in Spain. They travelled by plane, and the flight took about two hours. When they arrived, the weather was hot and sunny, so they were very happy.
Their hotel was near the beach. Every morning, they walked to the beach and swam in the sea. In the afternoon, they usually visited the town and looked at the old buildings. Maria loved the little shops, and she bought some presents for her friends back home.
One day, they decided to try a new restaurant near the harbour. The food was delicious, and the waiter was very friendly. Tom ordered fish, and Maria had pasta with vegetables. After dinner, they walked along the beach and watched the sunset. It was one of the best evenings of their holiday.
On their last day, it started to rain, so they couldn't go to the beach. Instead, they visited a museum in the town centre. Maria said, "I've never seen so many old paintings before!" Tom took a lot of photos to remember the trip.
Before they went home, they promised to come back to the same town next year. Maria thinks that a beach holiday is the best way to relax, and Tom agrees with her completely.
🗣️ Speaking — discussion
Context
- A simple, personal topic where students talk about a holiday they went on in the past.
- Students think about where they went, who they went with, and what they did.
- Good for practicing past simple with regular and irregular verbs.
- Can include holidays in their own country or abroad.
Themes
- Memories — Talking about happy memories from trips we took in the past.
- People and Places — Who we traveled with and where we went.
- Activities on Holiday — What people usually do when they are on holiday, like swimming or sightseeing.
Personal Response
- Where did you go on your best holiday?
- How did you feel during that trip?
- Did you take a lot of photos?
Themes & Ideas
- What is more important on holiday: relaxing or doing activities?
- Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?
Critical Thinking
- Why do you think that holiday was so special?
- What made it different from other trips?
Cultural & Social Topics
- Do people in your country usually travel in summer or winter?
- What are popular holiday destinations for people from your country?
🎭 Classroom activity
Students work in pairs and interview each other about their best holiday using past simple questions (Where did you go? What did you do? Who did you go with?). Then each student introduces their partner's holiday to the class.
✏️ Questions
- Last summer, we ___ (travel) to Spain for two weeks.
- She ___ (go) to Italy last year and visited many museums.
- They ___ their passports at home, so they missed the flight.
- a) forget
- b) forgot
- c) forgets
- d) forgetting
- We ___ a beautiful sunset from the hotel balcony on our first night.
- a) see
- b) saw
- c) seen
- d) sees
- The tour guide ___ (not / arrive) on time, so we waited outside the museum.
- ___ you enjoy your holiday in Portugal last month?
- How did Maria and Tom travel to Spain?
- a) By car
- b) By plane
- c) By train
- d) By boat
- What did they usually do in the afternoon?
- a) They swam in the sea
- b) They visited the town and looked at old buildings
- c) They cooked dinner at the hotel
- d) They took the train to another city
- What did Tom order at the restaurant near the harbour?
- a) Pasta with vegetables
- b) Fish
- c) Salad
- d) Soup
- Why did they visit a museum on their last day?
- a) They wanted to buy presents there
- b) It was closer to their hotel than the beach
- c) It started to rain, so they couldn't go to the beach
- d) The beach was closed for cleaning
- What does the word 'promised' mean in the last paragraph?
- a) Forgot about something
- b) Said they would definitely do something in the future
- c) Asked a question
- d) Refused to do something
- What can we infer about Maria's opinion of the holiday?
- a) She didn't enjoy the food at all
- b) She thinks beach holidays are the best way to relax
- c) She prefers museums to beaches
- d) She wants to travel by train next time