To: Laura (laura@isp.com.au)
Date: 27/10/2011
Subject: My son's VCE study
Dear Laura,
I think you know that my son Mark is in his final year at high school. The VCE exams have just started and I’m getting very worried about him. He decided to study maths methods, chemistry, physics, business management, accounting and English. I’m sure you know that it’s compulsory to study English in the VCE. He said that he was thinking about studying business management or a science or maybe engineering at university. But I’m not so sure.
I don’t think he’s the science or commerce type. His results for maths weren’t bad at year ten and eleven but they weren’t really that good either. He dropped geography to study accounting and that’s made me more worried. Like I said he’s not the maths type.
Recently he’s been studying all night and early into the morning. He has big black patches under his eyes and I think his getting really stressed. His studying long and hard and I’m worried that his studying too hard. The exams are very important to him and he really wants to get into university. I’m just not sure if I should be telling him to take it easy or to just stay quiet and let him do what he wants. I don’t want him to have any regrets about the exams after they’re finished.
Laura, you have a daughter who finished VCE exams a couple of years ago. Do you have any advice for me? Is there something I should do or maybe shouldn’t do? I’d really appreciate any advice you can give me to help my son get through his exams without getting stressed out.
Your friend,
Margery
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From: Margery (margery-12@hostname.com.au) To: Laura (laura@isp.com.au)
Date: 27/10/2011
Subject: My son's VCE study
Dear Laura,
I think you …………. that my son Mark is in his final year at high school. The VCE …………… have just started and I’m getting very worried about him. He ………….. to study maths, chemistry, physics, business management, accounting and English. I’m sure you know that it’s compulsory to study English in the VCE. He said that he was ………….. about studying business management or a science or maybe engineering at university. But I’m not so sure.
I don’t think he’s the ………….. or commerce type. His results for maths weren’t bad at year ten and eleven but …… weren’t really that good either. He dropped geography to study accounting and that’s made me more worried. Like I said he’s not the ……. type.
Recently he’s been …………. all night and early into the morning. He has big black patches under his eyes and I think his getting really stressed. His ………………. long and hard and I’m worried that his studying too hard. The exams are very ………………... to him and he really ………….. to get into university. I’m just not sure if I should be telling him to take it easy or to …………. stay quiet and let him do what he wants. I don’t want him to have any regrets about the exams after they’re finished.
Laura, you have a ………………… who finished VCE exams a couple of years ago. Do you have any advice for me? Is ………. something I should do or maybe shouldn’t do? I’d really appreciate any advice you can give me to ………… my son get through his exams without getting stressed out.
Your friend,
Margery
=========================================
From: Margery (margery-12@hostname.com.au)
To: Laura (laura@isp.com.au)
Date: 27/10/2011
Subject: My son's VCE study
Dear Laura,
I ……………. you know that my son Mark is in his ………... year at high school. The VCE exams have just started and I’m getting very ……………….. about him. He decided to study …………... , chemistry, physics, business management, accounting and …………………. . I’m sure you know that it’s ………………….. to study English in the VCE. He said that he was thinking about studying Business Management or a Science or maybe engineering at university. But I’m not so …………… .
I don’t think he’s the …………………….. or commerce type. His results for maths weren’t bad at year ten and eleven but they weren’t really that good either. He ………………… geography to study accounting and that’s made …….. more worried. Like I said he’s not the maths type.
Recently he’s been studying all ……………. and early into the morning. He has ………….. black patches under his …………. and I think his getting really stressed. His studying long and hard and I’m worried that his studying too hard. The exams …………. very important to him and he really wants to get into university. I’m ……………. not sure if I should be telling him to take it easy or to just stay quiet and let him do what he wants. I don’t ……………. him to have any regrets about the exams after they’re finished.
………………. , you have a daughter who finished VCE exams a couple of years ago. Do you have any advice for me? Is there something I should do or maybe shouldn’t do? I’d really appreciate any advice you can give me to help my son get …………………. his exams without getting stressed out.
Your …………… ,
Margery
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Comprehension QuestionsWho wrote the email?
Who is the email to?
What is the subject of the email?
Who is Mark?
List the subjects that Mark is studying for VCE?
What has Mark been doing recently?
What does Mark want to study at university?
Who is worried? Why is this person worried?
What is the email about?
________________________________________
What kind of advice would you give to Margery?
Write a short response to this email giving some advice to Margery.
Divide into groups, each group is to write Margery some advice based on the following topics.
Don’t worry everything will be ok
Tell Mark to stop studying hard and why
Tell Margery to just let Mark do what he wants to
Tell Margery to get some help, hire a tutor to help Mark study and not get stressed.
Tell Margery to tell Mark about alternatives to university.
________________________________________
What do you think of tests and exams?
What do you do when you have to do a test or an exam? Do you study a lot before the test/exam?
Write a short piece of writing describing what you do when you need to do a test/exam.
You do not need to be truthful, feel free to make up a story of what someone would do if they have to take an exam/text.
