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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

VISITING THE
UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA:
CALIFORNIA
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1 Warm up

Look at the questions about California and select the correct answer.

1. What is the biggest city in California?

a. Los Angeles b. San Francisco c. San Diego

2. What ocean is next to California?

a. Pacific b. Atlantic c. American

3. What is the capital of California?

a. San Bernadino b. Napa c. Sacramento

4. What animal is pictured on the California flag?

a. Bear b. Dog c. Wolf

5. In which city can you find the Golden Gate Bridge?

a. San Francisco b. San Jose c. Fresno

6. Which baseball team plays in Los Angeles?

a. Green Sox b. Yankees c. Dodgers

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2 Visual Guide
Look at the images of California below and then try to fill in the gaps.

Balboa Park Big Sur Gaslamp Quarter Hollywood sign Los Angeles
Pacific Coast Highway San Diego San Francisco Santa Barbara Silicon Valley

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Have a conversation with your partner about California.

1. Have you ever been to California?

2. Do you know anything interesting about California?
3. Which of the places above would you like to visit first?
4. Would you prefer, to go to the California cities or spend some time in the country?

3 Vocabulary
You are going to listen to Oliver, who is from California, talk about the history of the state. Before
you listen, match the words to the definitions below.

blessed estimated missionaries plentiful

real estate recognisable start-up state

1. (adj.) available in large amounts

2. (adj.) being lucky to have something

3. (n) people who are sent to a foreign country to teach about religion

4. (n) organised political community forming part of a country

5. (adj.) easy to identify

6. (n) property like buildings or land

7. (v) guessed at the cost, size, value etc. of something

8. (adj.) related to a new business

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4 Listen for details

Listen to Oliver talk about California and answer these questions.

Video

1. What are the three cities in California that have the biggest populations?

2. Whose influence can still be felt in California despite arriving more than 300 years ago?

3. What was the Hollywood sign originally used for?

4. How many billionaires live in Silicon Valley?

Audio

5 Vocabulary for conversation 1

Look at the expressions that Oliver used and with your partner, try to guess the meaning of each one
from the context. Then, to help you remember the expressions, have a chat with your partner, and
use them to talk about your life.

• ... It was constructed in 1923 and has been an ever-present since then...
• ... the perfect environment for start-up companies hoping to explode.

Let’s chat.

1. Are there any shops in your town that have been an ever-present?
2. Can you think of any companies that might explode in popularity in the next couple of years?

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6 Pre-reading: vocabulary

Part A: Match the following vocabulary to the definitions.

Group 1:

1. charming (adj.) a. the western states of America that had little respect for the law
(1607-1912)
2. massive (adj.) b. connected with the science of plants

3. endangered (adj.) c. in danger of not existing any more

4. botanical (adj.) d. very pleasant and attractive

5. Wild West (n) e. very big

Group 2:

1. breathtaking (adj.) a. exciting or amazing

2. arguably (adv.) b. go or gather somewhere in large numbers

3. delights (n) c. used when providing an opinion that you think you could support
with reasoning
4. flock (v) d. something that gives you a lot of pleasure

5. landmarks (n) e. larger buildings that you can use to know where you are

Part B: Now fill in the gaps using a word from Part A.

1. The buildings in the city centre were compared to the ones in the suburbs.

2. The view from the top of the tower was absolutely .

3. London is full of so many that it becomes pretty hard to get lost.

4. The Society at the university organised a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show.

5. The on offer in Spain are too many to count.

6. We drove through the nicest village yesterday where the buildings were all so .

7. You could suggest that Jurassic Park is the best film of the last 40 years.

8. Every summer, the teenagers in our village always to the beach.

9. I really worry about all the animals living on our planet these days.

10. I love movies about the as it seemed such an interesting time in history.

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7 Skimming for general understanding

You are going to read about a road trip through California. Match the following paragraph titles (1-7)
to the article on page six, one of the titles is not needed.

1. The powerful coast

2. The view from the sand

3. Nature and cowboys

4. Hidden secrets

5. Surf’s up

6. A road full of variety

7. Something for everyone

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VISITING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: CALIFORNIA

A California road trip

The Pacific Coast Highway and a drive to remember

A.

The Pacific Coast Highway technically runs through three states and goes from Olympia in Washington to San
Diego in California, but as this covers a distance of more than 1600 miles, it is the far reduced 600 miles from San
Diego to San Francisco that presents you with an experience which won’t be all about driving. The journey offers
you a little bit of everything with the chance to enjoy the coastal roads, the charming towns and the big cities.

B.

Before you jump in your car, spend a bit of time in San Diego as this city possesses many things that will put a
smile on your face. Starting with Balboa Park - a massive 1,200-acre park that is home to 18 amazing museums,
a theatre and the San Diego Zoo. The zoo is quite the experience as it houses over 3,000 rare and endangered
animals and a botanical collection of over 700,000 plants. For the evening’s entertainment why not go to the
Gaslamp Quarter, the 150-year-old historic centre of the city that has a story that stretches back as far as the
Wild West?

C.

Get up early the next day and set your sights on Santa Barbara, which is a perfect place to stop off if you love
sandy beaches as its beautiful beaches have got the nickname, The American Riviera. After chilling out on the
sand, try stretching your legs with a hike to Inspirational Point. It is a breathtaking viewpoint which will give you
gorgeous views of the Santa Barbara coastline.

D.

For pure natural beauty, make your next stop Big Sur, which has the most dramatic scenery and is described as
the most unspoilt stretch of coastline in the whole of the US. The coast can be seen as being more powerful than
peaceful with tall cliffs, packed forests and crashing waves, presenting themselves to you along the way. Big Sur
is also not the kind of place to keep its animals hidden, so if you are a fan of wildlife then this is the place for you.
Grey whales, sea lions and elephant seals are just some of the delights that you can admire the beauty of.

E.

The final stop of your trip will have arguably left you with the best delights last. San Francisco is a city that
welcomes more than 20 million visitors every year and they all flock there for a variety of reasons. The instantly
recognisable landmarks, the world-famous ballet and the outstanding restaurant scene are just a few of the reasons
to visit, but there are countless more.

F.

Also don’t forget the hidden gems of the city such as Jack Kerouac Alley. This little street is where the two distinct
areas of Chinatown and Little Italy meet and you are left with an experience like no other.

Sources: lazytrips.com, timeout.com, balboapark.org, en.wikipedia.org, timeout.com, californiacrossings.com, pods.com

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8 Talking points

Look at the questions and discuss them with your partner.

1. Do you know anybody who has been to California? If not, would you like to go there in the future?
2. What was the most interesting thing that you read in the article?
3. Which of the places would you most like to visit? Why?
4. Would you like to go on a road trip, or would you prefer a different form of transport?
5. Now you have learnt more about California, what would you say are the main similarities and
differences between it and where you are from?

9 Vocabulary for conversation 2

Look at the examples of natural language from the article with your partner and from the context,
try to guess the meaning of each one. To help you remember the expressions, have a chat with your
partner and use them to talk about your life.

• San Diego as this city possesses many things that will put a smile on your face ...
• ... historic centre of the city that has a story that stretches back as far as the Wild West...
• ...areas of Chinatown and Little Italy meet, and you are left with an experience like no other ...

Let’s chat.

1. What kind of food puts a smile on your face?

2. Do you have any memories that stretch back to when you were a young child?
3. Have you ever been to a country, and it felt like an experience like no other?

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10 Extension/ homework: the sport of California

Look at the two texts below, each one is about a sport you can watch or try in California. Try to
complete each one with the vocabulary in the box.

Once you have read your text, you must then summarise your paragraph for your partner.

When you are summarising it, try and use different vocabulary, as this will develop your ability to
paraphrase.

Text A: Baseball

a) successful b) unbelievable c) glimpse d) capital e) unforgettable f) stunning

If you are a fan of baseball, then California is the place for you. The state is often called "America’s
1
baseball " as it is home to no less than five Major League teams.

The two teams that really stand out from that list of five are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San
2
Francisco Giants as both teams have been hugely in the past. If you can only
3
choose one then head to Los Angeles for an experience.

4
The Dodger Stadium is located in the hills of Chavez Ravine and is well worth a
5
visit. The stadium holds 56,000 fans who create an atmosphere and as it’s in LA
6
there is a chance you might get a of some famous fans.

Also if the game gets a little slow the stadium offers amazing views of downtown Los Angeles to
keep you entertained.

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Text B: Surfing

a) available b) excellent c) haven d) selling e) consistent f) impressive

1
California is a for surfers due to the fact that it shares a coastline with the Pacific
Ocean.
2
Over 800 miles of coast are for surfers to choose from, and along that coastline
3
there are a variety of surf towns each with their own interesting points.

4
Malibu is the one that has the most famous name and also an surf history that
5
stretches back as far as the 1950s. The waves that are produced here are and
the beaches are gorgeous.

Santa Cruz is a town that is hugely popular with more advanced surfers. The waves here are of a
really high standard, and this is one of the reasons why the town features in so many
6
surf films.

Look at the questions below and talk to your partner.

1. Would you rather go to watch a baseball game or go surfing at the beach? Why?
2. Do you think it is okay to just watch sports or do you think that everyone should try and participate?

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