Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 48 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 10: Past and Plans

Who was the first person in space?

On 12 April 1961, a man flew into space for the first time. In this lesson you ask and answer questions about the past. You use did, didn't and the base verb.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Space

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Do you like space?
  2. Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a child?
  3. Did you see the Moon last night?
  4. Did you watch a film about space?
  5. Did you learn about space at school?
  6. Do you want to go to space?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. The Earth, the Moon and the stars are in .
  2. A very big machine that carries people to space is a .
  3. An is a person who travels to space.
  4. Earth, Mars and Venus are each a .
  5. The goes round the Earth, and we can see it at night.
  6. A person who flies a plane is a .
  7. A person who is not afraid of danger is .
  8. The path of a ship around a planet is an .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. a rocket goes to
  2. an astronaut travels to
  3. the Moon goes round the
  4. a pilot flies a
  5. brave = not afraid of
  6. history = things that happened in the
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to ask and answer about the past.

  • Who was the first...?Хто був першим...?Who was the first person in space?
  • He flew into space.Він полетів у космос.He flew into space in 1961.
  • She didn't...Вона не...She didn't go to the Moon.
  • Did you...?Ти...? (у минулому)Did you watch the film?
  • Yes, I did.Так.Did you see it? Yes, I did.
  • No, I didn't.Ні.Did you see it? No, I didn't.
  • What did you do?Що ти робив?What did you do yesterday?
  • Where did he go?Куди він ходив?Where did he go?
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

The first person in space

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Who was the first person in space?

Who was the first person in space? The answer is Yuri Gagarin. On 12 April 1961, this young pilot from the Soviet Union flew into space in the spaceship Vostok 1. He made one orbit round the Earth. The flight lasted about 108 minutes, and then he landed safely. He was only twenty-seven years old.

Before the flight, people did not know if a person could live in space. Gagarin was brave, and he did not stop. After the flight, he said that the Earth was beautiful and blue. He became famous all over the world, and the date of his flight is now celebrated as a day of space flights in many countries.

There were other firsts in space. The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963. In 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon. The first Ukrainian astronaut was Leonid Kadenyuk, who flew into space in 1997.

Did you want to be an astronaut when you were a child? Many children did, and some of them did not forget their dream.

Did you watch a film about space? What did you learn?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space.
  2. He flew in 1961.
  3. Gagarin made ten orbits.
  4. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space.
  5. Nobody wanted to go to space.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Do you want to go to space?
  2. Is space travel important?
  3. Is space travel too expensive?
  4. Who is your hero from history?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Past Simple: negative

Use didn't + the base verb for the negative. The verb does not change. Use the same form for all persons.

I didn't go to school. She didn't watch the film. We didn't see the Moon. They didn't believe it.

Past Simple: questions

Use Did + person + the base verb. Short answers: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. With question words: What did you do? Where did he go?

Did you see the film? Yes, I did. Did he fly to the Moon? No, he didn't. What did you do yesterday? Where did she go?

Block 10 review

Use the grammar from this block.

was / were (L46) · Past Simple: regular and irregular verbs (L47)

Common mistakes: after did / didn't use the base verb, not the past form. ✗ I didn't went to school → I didn't go to school. ✗ Did you saw the film? → Did you see the film? ✗ Where did he went? → Where did he go?

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    to school.
  2. She
    the film.
  3. you see the film?
  4. Yes, I
    .
  5. No, he
    .
  6. What
    you do yesterday?
  7. Where
    he go?
  8. He
    visit us.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I didn't went to school. →
  2. She didn't watched TV. →
  3. Did you saw the film? →
  4. Where did he went? →
  5. Do you see the film yesterday? →
  6. He no visit us. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use did and didn't.

  1. Did you want to be an astronaut?
  2. Did you watch a film yesterday?
  3. What did you do last night?
  4. Where did you go last weekend?
  5. Did you see the Moon?
  6. Who was your hero when you were a child?
5

Three people and space, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and space

Three people talk about space. Compare them. Who watched the flight? Who didn't believe it? What did you want to be when you were small?

Person 1

Ivan, 75

  • Was a small child in 1961
  • Heard the news about Gagarin
  • Didn't sleep that night
  • Wanted to be a pilot
Person 2

Anna, 30

  • Watched a film about space
  • Didn't like the end
  • Saw the Moon last night
  • Didn't go to the cinema
Person 3

Leo, 10

  • Loves space
  • Visited a space museum
  • Saw a real rocket
  • Didn't want to leave
5.2

Mini-talk: space and the past

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: say what you did and didn't do yesterday.
  3. Part 2: say what you wanted to be when you were a child.
  4. Part 3: ask your teacher two questions in the past with Did you...?
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Did you want to be an astronaut?
  2. Did you watch a film about space?
  3. Did you see the Moon last night?
  4. What did you do yesterday?
  5. Did you go to work yesterday?
  6. Where did you go last weekend?
  7. Did you learn about space at school?
  8. What did you want to be when you were small?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who in your family watched the news about space?
  2. Who wanted to be a pilot?
  3. Who went to a museum last year?
  4. Who saw the Moon last night?
  5. Who didn't sleep well?
  6. Who visited another country?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is space travel important?
  2. Is it good to be brave?
  3. Do you want to go to space?
  4. Is it worth spending money on space?
  5. Is the Moon interesting?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

In a museum

You

Visitor

You are in a space museum (your teacher is the guide):
  • ask who was the first person in space
  • ask when he flew
  • ask if he landed safely
  • say thank you
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use Did...? and Who was...?
Your teacher

Guide

Says things like:
  1. It was Yuri Gagarin.
  2. He flew in 1961.
  3. Yes, he did.
  4. You are welcome.
7.2

Telling about yesterday

You

Speaker

A friend (your teacher) asks about yesterday:
  • say what you did
  • say what you didn't do
  • ask your friend a question with did
  • say goodbye
You do most of the talking. Use: I... · I didn't... · Did you...?
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. What did you do yesterday?
  2. Did you go out?
  3. And you?
  4. I stayed at home.
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

spacerocketastronautplanetMoonpilotbraveorbit
  1. The Earth, the Moon and the stars are in .
  2. A very big machine that carries people to space is a .
  3. An is a person who travels to space.
  4. Earth, Mars and Venus are each a .
  5. The goes round the Earth, and we can see it at night.
  6. A person who flies a plane is a .
  7. A person who is not afraid of danger is .
  8. The path of a ship around a planet is an .
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. I to school.
  2. She TV.
  3. you see the film?
  4. Yes, I .
  5. No, he .
  6. What you do yesterday?
  7. Where she go?
  8. He come.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I didn't go to school.
  2. I didn't went to school.
  3. Did you see the film?
  4. Did you saw the film?
  5. Where did he go?
  6. Where did he went?
  7. She didn't watch TV.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I didn't
  2. She didn't
  3. Did you
  4. Yes,
  5. No,
  6. What did
  7. Where did

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.