The Best Memories

flying a kite
playing basketball
using a mobile phone
drawing on a door
walking on a catwalk
staying in hospital
going to kindergarten

Which of these things do you see in the pictures? Which of them make good memories?
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What is your favourite childhood memory?

1) You might not believe this, but my favourite childhood memory is of a time when I was sick in hospital. Although I wasn’t feeling well, I was happy that my family, friends and classmates came to see me. It brings back warm memories!

2) When I was little, my friends and I were awarded the first prize in a kite-flying competition. It was a clear, sunny day and all sorts of colourful kites were flying over the park. Most of them looked like animals and our kite – a long, red dragon – was the most eye-catching of them all. We won a trophy, some biscuits, and candy. All of us had a wonderful time and we took some great pictures to remember the special occasion.

3)  The time I “stole” my mother’s high heels while she was sleeping. I was little then, and I wanted to become a teacher when I grew up. So, I put on the heels, picked up a book and a pen, and pretended to be a teacher. Later, my mum scolded me because I drew on one of the doors. But it was still an enjoyable experience!

4)  Winning a fashion show. It was the first time I had ever walked down a catwalk. I was dressed like a princess, and our group was very nervous because there were a lot of beautiful dresses on show. But we won! That’s why it’s one of my favourite childhood memories.

5) The time I spent in kindergarten. Those were the best days of my life. I was very happy and had nothing to worry about. We celebrated our classmates’ birthdays in school. These days, things are much harder. We are very busy with revision, homework, and extracurricular activities. We have to manage our time well or we get into big trouble. I really miss my kindergarten days.

6) The first time I went swimming. I was six years old and I wasn’t afraid of the water. Since then, I’ve swum almost every week. I consider it to be one of the most important things in my life.

7) When I got my first mobile phone. I was seven years old. It was a dream come true because all of my friends and every member of my family had one. My mother told me if I did well in my English test, she would buy me a phone. Luckily, I got good marks in the test, so she got me a phone the next day. I was over the moon, and that’s still my best childhood memory.

8) Playing basketball, for sure. I never wanted to stop playing, but my mum would always say that I had to be home at a certain time. Also, in 2014, I met a foreigner while playing basketball, and I am glad that I got to know him.

Where does each title go?
Play your heart out 
Ringing in the good news 
Just keep swimming 
Best days of my life 
Taught a lesson 
Catwalk glory 
High fliers 
Believe it or not! 
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Find examples of:

irregular past simple verbs: came, ...
regular past simple verbs: looked, ...
past continuous verbs: was sleeping, ...

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What words in the text are similar to these :
it's nice to remember something (1) 
the brightest kite (2) 
the girl's mother told her off (3) 
out of class activities (5) 
something really wanted and thought of a lot, finally obtained (7) 
somebody does a good job (7)
very happy (7)
 
Which of the memories from the article do you find the most exciting? Why?
What is your earliest memory?
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Glory Days



Listen to the song and change the verbs in brackets to past simple or present simple forms:

I (have) a friend (be) a big baseball player
Back in high school
He (can) throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
(see) him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We (go) back inside (sit) down (have) a few drinks
But all he (keep) talking about was
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days
Well there's a girl that lives up the block
Back in school she (can) turn all the boy's heads
Sometimes on a Friday I'll stop by
And have a few drinks after she (put) her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby well they (split) up
I guess it's two years gone by now
We just (sit) around talking about the old times,
She (say) when she feels like crying
She (start) laughing thinking about
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days

And I hope when I get old I don't (sit) around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
A little of the glory of, well time (slip) away
And (leave) you with nothing mister but
Boring stories of
Glory days yeah they'll pass you by

Who did the singer see the other night?
Who does he sometimes see on Fridays? Where does this person live? What do they talk about?
What does 'split up' mean?
Was the singer happier in the past?
What are 'glory days'?
When something will pass you by, will you really notice it?
When something happens in the wink of a young girl's eye, does it happen quickly or slowly?
Do you have memories that you like to talk about with your friends?
Why is it true that glory days will pass you by?

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Kerry tells us how she met her husband

Where is the speaker from?
Where is her husband from?
What was her job when she met her husband?
What was her husband doing when they met?
What places did they visit together?
How long did they travel together?

Do you think Kerry's memories of meeting her husband are good ones?
Is it difficult to be married to someone of a different nationality?