UNIT 1. WONDERS OF THE BRAIN

1. Grammar focus – Modals: speculation and deduction
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Wonders of the brain/Verbs of thinking
3. Functional focus – Reminding someone to do something
4. Writing task – Write a story about a time when you forgot to do something very important.

UNIT 2. MUSIC TO MY EARS

1. Grammar focus
   1. Countable and uncountable nouns
   2. Articles
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Music/ Types of music
3. Functional focus – Expressing preferences
4. Writing task
   1. Write a review of either a concert that you have been to recently or a CD that you have bought recently.

UNIT 3. NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS

1. Grammar focus
   1. Reported speech
   2. Linking words
2. Theme/Lexical focus – The news/The media
3. Functional focus – Interviews
4. Writing task – ‘Over fifty percent of what is in the news is unimportant.’ Do you agree?

UNIT 4. CRACKING THE CODE

1. Grammar focus – Relative pronouns and clauses
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Codes and Puzzles/Games
3. Functional focus – Expressing agreement and disagreement
4. Writing task – What are the pros and cons of playing computer games?

UNIT 5. RIGHT AS RAIN

1. Grammar focus – Modals: advice and suggestions
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Healthy living/Being healthy
3. Functional focus – Giving and responding to advice
4. Writing task – Describe the pros and cons of being a vegetarian.

UNIT 6. PARTY ON!

1. Grammar focus – Gerunds and infinitives
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Celebrations and festival/verbs
3. Functional focus – Making and responding to invitations and arrangements
4. Writing task
   1. Write an email to a penfriend in another country describing a local festival where you live.

UNIT 7. HOBBIES OR PASTIMES?

1. Grammar focus
   1. Mixed conditionals
   2. Third conditional
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Hobbies
3. Functional focus – Showing interest
4. Writing task – Write a letter to a friend persuading them to come on an activity weekend with you.

UNIT 8. THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

1. Grammar focus – Concessive clauses and complex sentences
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Wild weather/ Natural disasters
3. Functional focus – Asking for clarification
4. Writing task – Write a covering letter for a NGO

UNIT 9. ON THE RUN

1. Grammar focus
   1. Quantifiers as determiners
   2. Causative structures
   3. Linkers
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Crime/Crimes (nouns and verbs)
3. Functional focus – Expressing regrets
4. Writing task – Write a report suggesting ways of reducing levels of crime in your town.

UNIT 10. KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

1. Grammar focus – Phrasal verb focus
2. Theme/Lexical focus – Family and history/Family phrasal verbs
3. Functional focus – Expressing congratulations
4. Writing task – Write an article describing the person who has most affected your life.