Part 1: Preparing To Write

Getting Started

Talking About Postcard Photos

 Photo 1 (Mexico City, Mexico): I see a colorful city with colonial architecture. There are many buildings and the sky is clear.
 Photo 2 (San Francisco, California, U.S.): I see a city with tall buildings and a body of water. There are boats in the water and a bridge in
the distance.
 Photo 3 (Bangkok, Thailand): I see a busy city with many vehicles, including motorcycles. There are also buildings and trees.

I have not visited any of these places.

Brainstorming About a Photo

If I were to describe a postcard photo from where I live now, I would describe a scene with a mix of modern buildings and green spaces. There would
be a park with trees and a playground, and in the background, there would be some tall apartment buildings.

Freewriting About First Impressions

I once traveled to a small town in the mountains. My first impression was how peaceful and quiet it was compared to the city. Something that
surprised me was how friendly and welcoming the people were. It was different from my home because the pace of life was much slower, and
everyone seemed to know each other. The air was cleaner, the food was simpler and fresher, and people relied more on walking or bicycles than cars.

Preparing to Read

1. I sometimes send postcards when I travel to a new place. I usually send them to family members and close friends.
2. First impressions are not always lasting. I remember when I first met my neighbor, I thought he was very quiet and reserved. However, as I
got to know him better, I realized he has a great sense of humor and is very outgoing.

Reading

The postcards are in the provided document.

Thinking Critically: Making Inferences

1. Statement: Boston is not cold in August.

o Inference: We cannot infer this from the postcards.
2. Statement: It is expensive to visit museums in Mexico City.
o Inference: We cannot infer this from the postcards.
3. Statement: Pete has visited San Francisco.
o Inference: We cannot infer this from the postcards.
4. Statement: David does not speak Japanese.
o Inference: We can infer this because he mentions having trouble communicating.
5. Statement: There are no cars in Bangkok.
o Inference: We can infer this is false because the postcard mentions "so many motorcycles."

Gathering Information

Visiting a New City or Country

 Person's Name: Thu

 City or Country Visited: Tokyo
 Year: 2023
 First Impressions: Tokyo is modern and busy. The city is clean, public transportation is very convenient, and people are very polite.
 Difficulties: Most Japanese people don't speak English, so communication was quite difficult. Some dishes had unfamiliar flavors.

Part 2: Focusing on Words and Phrases

Describing Impressions of People, Places, and Things

Using Descriptive Adjectives

 People: welcoming, friendly, polite, helpful

 Places: historic, crowded, orderly, neat, huge
 Things: delicious, wonderful, beautiful

My first impression of my current city is that it is vibrant and diverse. The people are friendly, the food is delicious, and the culture is rich.

Describing Problems

1. The weather is so cold.

2. I'm having trouble with the language.
3. I can't remember new vocabulary.
4. Many people use public transportation here.
5. The biggest problem is the high cost of everything.

Strategy

Asking and Answering Information Questions

Practicing Information Questions

1. What...?
o What were your first impressions?
o What is the weather like?
o What are the people like?
o What is the food like?
2. When...?
o When did you arrive?
o When is the best time to visit?
o When are the markets open?
o When do people usually eat dinner?
3. Where...?
o Where can I find a good restaurant?
o Where is the nearest train station?
o Where should I go for sightseeing?
o Where do people usually hang out?
4. How much...?
o How much does it cost to take a taxi?
o How much is a meal at a restaurant?
o How much does it cost to stay in a hotel?
o How much is the entrance fee to the museum?
5. How many...?
o How many days did you stay?
o How many people live there?
o How many languages do people speak?
o How many tourist attractions are there?
6. How long...?
o How long does it take to get to the airport?
o How long is the flight?
o How long have you lived there?
o How long does it take to visit the museum?
7. Why...?
o Why did you choose to visit this place?
o Why is it famous?
o Why do people like living there?
o Why is the food so spicy?

Interviewing

Visiting a New Place

  Person's Name: (Hypothetical) Maria
 City or Country Visited: Spain
 Year: 2022
 Questions:
o What were your first impressions of Spain?
o What was the food like?
o Did you have any trouble with the language?
o What was your favorite part of the trip?
o How did you get around?
o Would you recommend visiting Spain?
 Answers:
o My first impression was that Spain is a beautiful country with a lot of history and culture.
o The food was amazing! I loved the tapas, paella, and churros.
o Yes, I had some trouble with the language at first, but I learned some basic Spanish phrases, which helped.
o My favorite part of the trip was visiting the Alhambra in Granada.
o I mostly used the public transportation system, which was very efficient.
o Yes, I would definitely recommend visiting Spain. It's a wonderful place!

Listing Useful Words and Expressions

 welcoming
 friendly
 polite
 helpful
 historic
 crowded
 orderly
 neat
 huge
 delicious
 wonderful
 beautiful
 vibrant
 diverse
 amazing
 efficient
 unfamiliar
 trouble with
 can't
 biggest problem

4. Writing Topic Sentences Before Writing a Paragraph

 Remember that good topic sentences:

o have one main idea.
o have a clear focus.
o tell the reader what the paragraph is about.

A. Topic sentence: Cultural differences in body language can often lead to misunderstandings.

B. Topic sentence: Walking styles can reveal a person's cultural background.

 Explanation: This topic sentence introduces the idea that a person's walking style can be indicative of their cultural origins. The paragraph
then provides specific examples of how walking styles differ across cultures.

C. Topic sentence: Even simple gestures can have different meanings across cultures.

 Explanation: This topic sentence highlights that seemingly universal gestures can carry distinct interpretations in different cultures. The
paragraph illustrates this point by examining the variations in the "waving farewell" gesture.

5. Writing Topic Sentences After Writing a Paragraph

  You can write a topic sentence after you decide what your paragraph is about. For example, imagine that David has to write a paragraph
about his first impressions of Tokyo. He wants to organize his ideas first, then write the topic sentence, and then write the paragraph. The
following steps show you how to write a topic sentence this way, using David's letter as a model.

Step 1:

 Make a list of all your first impressions when you visited a new place. Look at David's list, and then make a list of your ideas.

David's list of impressions of Tokyo:

 People are helpful and polite.

 People are always in a rush.
 Tokyo is so crowded.
 Food is displayed in restaurant windows.
 I read a few travel books about Japan before I went.

Your list of impressions of:

 (This section requires you to fill in your personal experiences)

Example (Using David's list to demonstrate):

 Possible Topic Sentence: Tokyo presented a unique blend of courtesy and chaos during my initial visit.

Bước 2:

 Xem qua danh sách và xác định các ý tưởng có liên quan. Điều này sẽ giúp bạn tìm ra ý tưởng chính cho đoạn văn của mình.
 Gạch bỏ bất kỳ mục nào không liên quan.

Danh sách của David:

 Tôi đã đọc một vài cuốn sách du lịch về Nhật Bản trước khi đến.
 Mọi người luôn vội vàng.
 Tokyo rất đông đúc.
 Mọi người rất hữu ích và lịch sự.
 Thức ăn được trưng bày trong cửa sổ nhà hàng.

Danh sách của Bạn:

 (Phần này cần bạn tự điền dựa trên trải nghiệm cá nhân)

Ví dụ (Sử dụng danh sách của David để minh họa):

 Ý tưởng liên quan: Mọi người luôn vội vàng, Tokyo rất đông đúc, Mọi người rất hữu ích và lịch sự.
 Ý tưởng không liên quan: Tôi đã đọc một vài cuốn sách du lịch về Nhật Bản trước khi đến.

Bước 3:

 Bây giờ hãy viết một câu chủ đề mô tả ý tưởng chính bạn tìm thấy ở Bước 2.

Câu chủ đề của David:

 Tôi đã gặp rất nhiều bất ngờ kể từ khi đến Tokyo.

Câu chủ đề của Bạn:

 (Phần này cần bạn tự viết dựa trên danh sách của mình và ý tưởng chính bạn tìm thấy)

Ví dụ (Sử dụng ý tưởng liên quan từ danh sách của David):

 Câu chủ đề của Bạn: Tokyo is a city of contrasts, where helpfulness meets hustle and bustle. (Tokyo là một thành phố tương phản, nơi sự
hữu ích gặp gỡ sự hối hả và nhộn nhịp.)