A) Read the magazine article on thank-you notes. What do letters
Q and A stand for?
Rude! Rude! Rude!
Q: Why don't people write thank-you notes? I always send cards, and I make sure my children do too. But my friends never do. How can I get them to write notes without sounding as if I'm being pushy?
Brenda Mitchell
A: You can't change people — you can only react to them. Either stop giving them gifts (and send a greeting card instead) or learn to accept the fact that this is just the way some people are.
Jack Walker
A: For your friends' birthdays, give them packages of pretty blank cards. You might also include some that have the words thank you written inside. After these gifts you'll receive a thank-you note in return for sure.
Anna M.
A: If these people really are your friends, you should be thankful for their friendship. It's nice that you always send notes, but I'm sure your friends would appreciate you even if you didn't.
Bettie Martin
b) Which of the words in bold mean:
a) carrying no information or mark; empty or clear;
b) trying strongly to make someone else do something;
c) pleased or grateful;
d) recognize or understand that something or somebody is important; being thankful to someone?
c) Use the context to say what the words in italics stand for.
d) Match the underlined phrases with the definitions:
certainly; do something so that it will happen; be certain about something
e) Whose recommendation do you agree with?
Ask and answer.
1. Is there a tradition to send thank-you cards in Belarus?
2. Do you prefer to buy blank cards or cards with messages?
3. Does it ever happen to you that pushy shop-assistants try to make you buy something you don't really like? 4. Are you usually thankful to the people who congratulate you on your birthday or on other occasions? 5. Do you appreciate how much time your friends spend to find a present or even a birthday card for you?
_ _ 4. a) Follow the instructions to write a thank you note.
Thank you notes are short, and they do not take much time to write. Start with a blank piece of paper or a blank card, and write the following: . The date
• The person's name
• One sentence explaining why you are thanking the person
• A second sentence, saying something nice about the gift, invitation, or help you received
• Your signature (which must be legible (pa36opHHBbm))
Example:
May, 2012 Dear Sebastian:
Thank you for the lovely birthday gift. The picture looks great on my wall, and I appreciate that you remembered me on my birthday.
Alice
b) Play the Thank You Card game. Have fun!
Step 1: Get a card with a classmate's name from your teacher. Think of a suitable gift you would like to give your friend. Fill in the information on the card. Send it over to your classmate.
Step 2: Receive a 'gift' from your classmate. Write a thank-you
note for the gift. Send it over to the person who wrote it. Step 3: Receive the thank-you note. How are you feeling?
LESSON 4. THEY READ MY LETTERS!
■]
Communicative area: asking for and giving information; expressing an opinion
Active vocabulary: an amount, a boundary, to set limits, to indulge in, protective, over-protective, strict, to approve of, to forgive (for), to warn (against), to decide (against) Active grammar: verbs followed by infinitives or gerunds