ESL Holiday Lessons.com: Be Positive

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It is our chance to make a difference in the world and do something positive. It might change our lives for the better. It often seems as though the world is full of negative news, negative people and negative images. This day is for you to reverse this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron, created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of turning negatives into positives. Harold says on the Be Positive website: “I was born sickly as a child. It was thought that I would never live, but I did.” He explains how he overcame being abandoned as a child, abuse, drugs, the death of close family members and other setbacks. Every time he bounced back through positive thinking.

One of Harold’s messages is do not procrastinate. Do it today, not tomorrow. He says if you put things off for another day, they usually never get done. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a few. See what you think. How about speaking a positive word to someone first thing in the morning or posting a positive message somewhere for everyone to read? Speak a positive word to the first people you meet at school or at work. Harold also suggests donating things from your home you no longer use or need to people in need. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good time to get your life moving in the direction you want it to go. Write down your biggest life goal and go for it. You can do it.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	our chance to make a	a.	abandoned as a child
2	the world is full	b.	positive thinking
3.	This day is for you to	c.	into positives
4.	turning negatives	d.	difference in the world
5.	he overcame being	e.	of negative news
6.	he bounced back through	f.	reverse this

Paragraph 2

1.	put things off	a.	you want it to go
2	many suggestions about what	b.	for another day
3.	Speak a positive word to the first	c.	and go for it
4.	donating things from your home	d.	to do on this day
5.	get your life moving in the direction	e.	you no longer use
6.	Write down your biggest life goal	f.	people you meet at school

LISTENING GAP FILL

Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It _______________ make a difference in the world and do something positive. It might change our lives _______________. It often seems as though the world is full of negative news, negative people and negative images. This day is __________________ this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron, created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of _________________ positives. Harold says on the Be Positive website: “I was born _________________. It was thought that I would never live, but I did.” He explains how he overcame being _______________ child, abuse, drugs, the death of close family members and other setbacks. Every time _______________ through positive thinking.

One of Harold’s messages is do not procrastinate. _______________ tomorrow. He says if you put things off for another day, they usually _______________. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a few. _______________ think. How about speaking a positive word to someone first thing in the morning _______________ positive message somewhere for everyone to read? Speak a positive word to the first people you meet at school or at work. Harold also suggests donating things from your home you _______________ need to people in need. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good time to get your life moving in the direction you want it to go. Write down your biggest life _________________. You can do it.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It is our __________ to make a difference in the __________ and do something positive. It might change our lives for the better. It often seems as though the world is full of __________ news, negative people and negative images. This day is for you to __________ this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron, created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of __________ negatives into positives. Harold says on the Be Positive website: “I was born __________ as a child. It was thought that I would never live, but I did.” He explains how he __________ being abandoned as a child, abuse, drugs, the death of close family members and other setbacks. Every time he __________ back through positive thinking.

sickly
reverse
negative
bounced
turning
chance
overcame
world

One of Harold’s messages is do not procrastinate. Do it __________, not tomorrow. He says if you put things __________ for another day, they usually never get done. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a __________. See what you think. How about speaking a positive word to someone __________ thing in the morning or posting a positive message somewhere for everyone to read? Speak a positive __________ to the first people you meet at school or at work. Harold also suggests donating things from your home you no longer use or need to people in __________. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good time to get your life moving in the __________ you want it to go. Write down your biggest life __________ and go for it. You can do it.

word
off
goal
first
today
need
direction
few

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It is our change / chance to make a difference in the world and do something positive. It might change / chance our lives for the better. It often seems as though the world is full if / of negative news, negative people and negative images. This day is for you to reverse / reversal this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron, creation / created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of turning negatives into positives. Harold says on the Be Positive website: “I was born sickly / sickness as a child. It was thought that I would never live, but I did.” He explains how he overcame / overdid being abandoned as a child, abuse, drugs, the death of close family members and other setbacks. Every time he bounced front / back through positive thinking.

One of Harold’s messages is do not / never procrastinate. Do it today, not tomorrow. He says if you put things off / on for another day, they usually never get done. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a three / few. See what you think. How about speaking a positive word / words to someone first thing in the morning or posting a positive massage / message somewhere for everyone to read? Speak a positive word to the first people you meet at school or at work. Harold also suggests donating / donation things from your home you no longer use or need to people in need. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good / well time to get your life moving in the direction you want it to go. Write down your biggest life goal / score and go for it. You can do it.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It is our chance to (1) ____ a difference in the world and do something positive. It might (2) ____ our lives for the better. It often seems as though the world is full of negative news, negative people and negative images. This day is for you to (3) ____ this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron, created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of turning negatives (4) ____ positives. Harold says on the Be Positive website: “I was born sickly as a child. It was thought that I would never (5) ____, but I did.” He explains how he overcame being abandoned as a child, abuse, drugs, the death (6) ____ close family members and other setbacks. Every time he bounced back through positive thinking.

One of Harold’s messages is do not procrastinate. Do it today, (7) ____ tomorrow. He says if you put things off for another day, they usually never get (8) ____. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a few. See what you think. How about speaking a (9) ____ word to someone first thing in the morning or posting a positive message somewhere for everyone to read? (10) ____ a positive word to the first people you meet at school or at work. Harold also suggests donating things from your home you no (11) ____ use or need to people in need. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good time to get your life moving in the direction you want it to go. Write down your biggest life (12) ____ and go for it. You can do it.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	made	(b)	makes	(c)	making	(d)	make
2.	(a)	changer	(b)	change	(c)	changed	(d)	changing
3.	(a)	reverse	(b)	reversal	(c)	reversing	(d)	reverses
4.	(a)	onto	(b)	out of	(c)	into	(d)	up to
5.	(a)	life	(b)	lifetime	(c)	living	(d)	live
6.	(a)	from	(b)	by	(c)	with	(d)	of
7.	(a)	not	(b)	non	(c)	no	(d)	don’t
8.	(a)	gone	(b)	done	(c)	hone	(d)	none
9.	(a)	positive	(b)	positively	(c)	positiveness	(d)	positives
10.	(a)	Talk	(b)	Speak	(c)	Shout	(d)
11.	(a)	length	(b)	long	(c)	longer	(d)	longing
12.	(a)	point	(b)	score	(c)	goal	(d)	run

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	our cahcne
2.	gvtaniee news
3.	I was born lkcyis as a child
4.	the death of close family msmbere
5.	he oeudnbc back
6.	positive gkiithnn
Paragraph 2
7.	Do it dyaot
8.	first thing in the nngrmio
9.	a positive sseemag
10.	ngdaiotn things
11.	the rdienotci you want
12.	your sbtggei life goal

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	created this day. He has a lifetime’s experience of turning negatives into positives. Harold says on the Be Positive
( )	website: “I was born sickly as a child. It was thought that I would never live, but I did.” He explains how he overcame
( 1 )	Be Positive – Do Something Day is on March 1st. It is our chance to make a difference in the world and do something
( )	few. See what you think. How about speaking a positive word to someone first thing in the morning or posting
( )	for another day, they usually never get done. He has many suggestions about what to do on this day. Here are a
( )	in the direction you want it to go. Write down your biggest life goal and go for it. You can do it.
( )	news, negative people and negative images. This day is for you to reverse this. An Australian man, Harold Cameron,
( )	being abandoned as a child, abuse, drugs, the death of close family members and other
( )	setbacks. Every time he bounced back through positive thinking.
( )	a positive message somewhere for everyone to read? Speak a positive word to the first people you meet at
( )	in need. Be Positive – Do Something Day might also be a good time to get your life moving
( )	positive. It might change our lives for the better. It often seems as though the world is full of negative
( )	One of Harold’s messages is do not procrastinate. Do it today, not tomorrow. He says if you put things off
( )	school or at work. Harold also suggests donating things from your home you no longer use or need to people

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	in the world It is our chance to make a difference
2.	change might It better the for lives our
3.	experience positives into negatives turning of
4.	being as child overcame abandoned a he
5.	thinking positive through back bounced he time Every
6.	about suggestions many has He do to what
7.	people Speak word first meet positive the you a to
8.	your use home donating you things no from longer
9.	your direction life you moving want in get the
10.	life go Write biggest and it your goal for down

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE BE POSITIVE – DO SOMETHING DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about Be Positive – Do Something Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Be Positive – Do Something Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Be Positive – Do Something Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Be Positive – Do Something Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Be Positive – Do Something Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.