Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 4 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 1: All About Me

What are people doing right now around the world?

When it's morning in Kyiv, New York is sleeping and Tokyo is going home, and astronauts see 16 sunrises a day! Talk about what you're doing these days and report live from your city.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Your life now

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Where are you right now? What can you see around you?
  2. What are you doing these days at work or school?
  3. Are you reading a book or watching a series at the moment?
  4. Is your life busy or quiet this month?
  5. What are you learning at the moment?
  6. What is the weather like today?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence about your life these days.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. I can't talk — I'm driving.
  2. , I'm working from home a lot.
  3. I'm to play the guitar this year.
  4. I'm to drink more water.
  5. We aren't going on holiday. We're for a car.
  6. She doesn't like her job. She's a new one.
  7. We're our bathroom, so the flat is a mess!
  8. When it's 9 a.m. in Kyiv, it's 2 a.m. in New York. The is big.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. busy ↔
  2. temporary ↔
  3. sunrise ↔
  4. to save money ↔ to
    money
  5. to find ↔ to look
  6. these days =
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about your life now.

  • At the moment, I'm...Наразі я...At the moment, I'm sitting at my desk.
  • These days, I'm...Останнім часом я...These days, I'm working a lot.
  • I'm trying to...Я намагаюся...I'm trying to go to bed earlier.
  • I'm learning how to...Я вчуся...I'm learning how to cook Italian food.
  • Usually I..., but this week I'm...Зазвичай я..., але цього тижня я...Usually I take the bus, but this week I'm walking.
  • What are you up to?Чим займаєшся?Hi! What are you up to these days?
  • Not much. I'm just...Нічого особливого. Просто...Not much. I'm just relaxing at home.
  • It's going well / badly.Все йде добре / погано.My new job is going really well.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Right now around the world

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

What are people doing right now?

Imagine it's 9 o'clock on a winter morning in Kyiv. You're drinking coffee and starting work. But what are people doing in other parts of the world at this moment?

In London, it's 7 a.m. Many people are waking up and having breakfast. In New York, it's only 2 a.m. Most people are sleeping, but some people are working night shifts in hospitals.

In Tokyo, it's 4 p.m. People are finishing work, and children are coming home from school. In Sydney, Australia, it's 6 p.m. and summer, so people are going to the beach or having dinner outside.

And what about the International Space Station? The astronauts there go around the Earth about every 90 minutes. So they see about 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day! To keep a normal routine, they use one time zone and sleep at the same time every "night".

So, right now, while you are reading this text, millions of people are sleeping, working, cooking and dreaming. What time is it where you are?

3.2

True or false?

  1. When it's 9 a.m. in Kyiv in winter, it's 2 a.m. in New York.
  2. In Tokyo, people are having breakfast at that time.
  3. In the text, it's summer in Sydney.
  4. Astronauts on the space station see one sunrise a day.
  5. Astronauts use one time zone to keep a normal routine.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. What time is it now where you are? What are your family members doing?
  2. Do you have friends or family in other time zones?
  3. What is difficult about a big time difference?
  4. Would you like to live on the space station? Why?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Present Continuous

Actions happening now or around now: am / is / are + verb-ing.

I'm reading. She's working from home this week. They're moving house.

Negatives and questions

am not / isn't / aren't. Am / Is / Are + subject + -ing?

He isn't working today. Are you learning English?

Present Simple vs Continuous

Simple = always / usually. Continuous = now / these days.

I usually drive to work, but this week I'm taking the bus.

Spelling: make → making, sit → sitting, run → running, lie → lying. Some verbs are not usually continuous: like, love, want, know, understand, need. ✗ I'm knowing → I know. ✗ I'm wanting → I want.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. Look! It
    .
  2. I usually walk to work, but this week I
    .
  3. She
    today. She's ill.
  4. anything new?
  5. I
    a new phone.
  6. We
    our kitchen at the moment.
  7. My dad
    in a bank. He's worked there for 20 years.
  8. Shh! The baby
    .
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I am read a good book at the moment. →
  2. She is knowing the answer. →
  3. They don't working today. →
  4. Look! It rains. →
  5. What you are doing? →
  6. He is siting on the sofa. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use Present Continuous and Present Simple.

  1. What are you doing these days at work or school?
  2. What are the people in your family doing right now?
  3. What are you trying to change in your life at the moment?
  4. Usually you..., but this week you... — tell about 3 differences.
  5. What are you reading, watching or listening to these days?
  6. Describe what is happening outside your window right now.
5

Life snapshots

8 min
5.1

What's happening?

Describe each person: what do they usually do, and what are they doing these days? Which life is most interesting for you?

Snapshot 1

The busy mum

  • Usually works in an office
  • This month: working from home
  • Her son is learning to walk
  • The family is moving house soon
Snapshot 2

The student

  • Usually lives in a dormitory
  • This summer: working in a café in Poland
  • Learning Polish
  • Saving money for a laptop
Snapshot 3

The new pensioner

  • Worked as a teacher for 40 years
  • Now: learning to paint
  • Travelling around Ukraine
  • Looking after grandchildren
5.2

My snapshot

Speak for 1–2 minutes.

  1. Make your own "life snapshot": what do you usually do, and what are you doing these days?
  2. What is changing in your life?
  3. What are you looking forward to?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What are you doing these days in your free time?
  2. Are you working on any projects?
  3. Are you learning anything new?
  4. What series are you watching?
  5. Is your work busy or quiet at the moment?
  6. Are you saving money for something?
  7. Are you trying to change any habits?
  8. What is going well in your life right now?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. What is your best friend doing these days?
  2. What are your parents or children doing at the moment?
  3. Is anyone in your family moving or renovating?
  4. What are your colleagues working on?
  5. Who is learning something new in your family?
  6. What is a friend abroad doing right now?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is the world changing fast these days?
  2. What are people in your city talking about these days?
  3. Are people busier now than before?
  4. What new things are young people doing these days?
  5. What is changing in your town at the moment?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

The video call

You

Friend abroad

You are having a video call with a friend who lives in another country. You haven't talked for months. Tell them about your life these days:
  • what you are doing at work or school these days
  • what is new in your life (learning, moving, saving, trying...)
  • what you are doing right now, during the call
  • what your family is doing these days
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use Present Continuous.
Your teacher

Friend abroad

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. So, what are you up to these days?
  2. Are you still working in the same place?
  3. What are you doing this weekend?
  4. How's your family?
7.2

The live reporter

You

TV reporter

You are a TV reporter standing in the main square of your city (real or imagined). Describe what is happening around you, live!
  • the weather and the time
  • what people are doing around you
  • what is happening in the shops and cafés
  • one surprising thing happening right now
You do most of the talking. Use: Right now, ... · A man is... · Some children are... · Oh, look! ...
Your teacher

TV presenter in the studio

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. What are people doing there?
  2. Is it busy?
  3. What's the weather like?
  4. What's happening now?
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

right nowthese dayslearningtryingsavinglooking formovingtime difference
  1. I can't talk . I'm in a meeting.
  2. , I'm working from home.
  3. She's Spanish this year.
  4. I'm to eat less sugar.
  5. We're money for a new car.
  6. He's a new flat.
  7. We're to Lviv next month.
  8. The between Kyiv and Tokyo is 7 hours.
H2

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

  1. Look! It !
  2. I usually take the bus, but today I .
  3. She this week.
  4. anything good?
  5. I the answer.
  6. My brother in a shop. It's his job.
  7. Shh! I to the news.
  8. We the flat at the moment.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I'm reading a great book at the moment.
  2. She is wanting a new car.
  3. Look! The children are playing.
  4. What you are doing?
  5. He usually walks, but today he's driving.
  6. I am siting in the kitchen.
  7. They aren't working today.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. At the moment,
  2. These days,
  3. I'm trying to
  4. I'm learning how to
  5. Usually I take the bus,
  6. Hi! What are you up to
  7. Not much.

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