Valentine’s Day is coming up soon. You are in Italy with your friend and his girlfriend.

Help your friend plan a romantic date and proposal.

IN THIS LESSON, YOU WILL

1. Listen to a podcast on Italy’s most romantic places.
2. Talk about beliefs and superstitions related to lovers.
3. Talk about engagement traditions from Japan.

PRACTICE

STEP A EXERCISE

Replace the underlined parts with expressions from the box. The form of some expressions may need to be changed.

have an impact on
it’s very typical for someone/something to
generally speaking
there is no doubt that
for the most part
  1. Almost all souvenir shops are open every day.
  2. Asian food usually has lots of spice.
  3. Gelato is definitely one of the best Italian desserts.
  4. In general, Halloween decorations are dark and scary.
  5. A country’s culture affects its art.

STEP B EXERCISE

Choose the sentences that best match the original sentences.

1. She believes in wishing upon a shooting star.

  • She thinks that wishing upon a shooting star works.
  • She thinks that wishing upon a shooting star doesn’t work.

 

2. He thinks that the idea that you should hide your bellybutton during a storm is an old wives’ tale.

  • He thinks that the idea that you should hide your bellybutton during a storm is popular with old women.
  • He thinks that the idea that you should hide your bellybutton during a storm is just a superstition.

 

3. She was excited when she found a four-leaf clover. She believes it’s good luck.

  • She believes that it will make bad things happen.
  • She believes that it will make good things happen.

 

4. The thumbs up sign has many meanings. It depends on the country.

  • The meaning of the thumbs up sign changes from country to country.
  • The meaning of the thumbs up sign is the same in every country.

 

5. This vintage clock has been passed down in his family.

  • Older generations in his family gave this vintage clock away to a charity.
  • Older generations in his family gave this vintage clock to younger generations.

MISSION

Challenge 1

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! Your friend asked you to help plan a date with his girlfriend in Rome. Listen to a podcast on some of the city’s most popular romantic destinations.

Remember?

  • for the most part
  • it’s very typical for someone/something to…
  • generally speaking

Challenge 2

You and your friend met at a café to plan his date. Talk about the places you heard about on the podcast and the superstitions related to them.

Remember?

  • believe in something
  • an old wives’ tale
  • be good/bad luck

Challenge 3

Your friend has decided to propose to his girlfriend during the Valentine’s Day date. You agreed to help him choose a ring. Help him decide what kind of ring to buy and talk about engagement traditions.

Remember?

  • there is no doubt that...
  • have an impact on something/someone
  • it depends on...
  • be passed down in one’s family

FEEDBACK

Help your friend plan a romantic date and proposal.

MISSION ACHIEVEMENT

  • 4
    Very Good

    Could complete the task with ease

  • 3
    Good

    Could complete the task with some clarifications

  • 2
    Fair

    Could complete the task with additional instructions

  • 1
    Poor

    Could somehow complete the task with difficulty

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK