Journey Through Time and Moments

In this sub-chapter, you will explore the past, diving into the way we talk about moments that have shaped our lives. Through mastering the use of past tenses, you will learn to capture those memories and express them with clarity and precision, creating a clear picture of the past.

Mission 1. Reflecting on Your Favorite Moments

Think about a moment in your life that stands out as your favorite. Answer the following questions in detail, using the simple past tense to describe the event clearly. Afterward, share your responses with a partner or in a small group. 1. What was the event or moment that made you feel happy, excited, or proud? 2. Where did this event take place? 3. Who were you with at that time? 4. What were you doing when the event occurred? 5. Why is this moment significant to you?

Mission 2. A Day I'll Never Forget

Read the story below carefully. It tells about one unforgettable day in a student's life. As you read, pay attention to what happened, who was involved, and how the writer describes their experiences. After reading, answer the following questions to show your understanding and reflect on how the story is told.

A Day I'll Never Forget

Last Sunday was one of the best days of my life. I woke up earlier than usual because my family and I planned to go hiking at Mount Panderman. The air was cool, and sunlight slowly entered my room through the window. I could already smell my mother's cooking from the kitchen. Everyone in the house seemed excited. My father was packing food and water, my mother was preparing sandwiches, and my younger brother was trying to find his favorite hat. When we finally got into the car, my brother kept singing loudly, and my parents laughed the entire ride. It took us almost two hours to reach the mountain. The moment we arrived, I felt so happy to see the green hills and hear the birds chirping. The road was steep, but I didn't feel tired because we talked and laughed along the way. My father told funny stories about his school days, and my brother tried to imitate his voice, which made us laugh even harder. As we climbed higher, the view became more beautiful. The wind was strong, but it felt refreshing. We stopped several times to take pictures and drink water. When we reached the top, I couldn't believe my eyes—the entire city looked so small from up there! We sat together on a big rock, ate lunch, and enjoyed the scenery. My mother said, "Moments like this are what make life beautiful." I smiled because I knew she was right. After lunch, we explored a small path that led to a waterfall nearby. The sound of rushing water echoed through the forest, and cool mist touched my face. We took more pictures and even dipped our feet into the clear water. It was freezing, but we laughed and didn't care. In the afternoon, we decided to go home. The sun was slowly setting, painting the sky orange and pink. We were all tired, but our hearts were full. That night, while lying in bed, I looked through the photos on my phone. Each picture reminded me of laughter, adventure, and love. I whispered to myself, "This is a day I'll never forget." Now answer the following questions: 1. What made this day special for the writer? 2. Who were with the writer during the trip? 3. How did the writer feel when they reached the top of the mountain? 4. What activities did the family do during the hike? 5. What did the writer's mother say at the top, and what did it mean to the writer? 6. Which words or sentences show that the story happened in the past? 7. How did the writer describe their emotions throughout the day? 8. What lesson or message can you learn from this story?

Mission 3. Checking What's True in the Story

Reread "A Day I'll Never Forget" in previous mission carefully. Decide whether each statement below is True or False based on the story. Checklist (✓) in the True column if the statement is correct according to the text, and put cross (✘) in the False column if the statement is incorrect.

Statement	True	False

Mission 4. Yesterday's Journal

Think about a day when something unexpected happened — it could be funny, surprising, or even challenging. Write a short story about that day, explaining what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from it. Example: "One day, I missed my bus to school, and I had to walk for almost thirty minutes. At first, I was upset, but then I realized how peaceful the morning air was. I even met an old friend on the way. It turned out to be a good start to my day."

Mission 5. Find the Perfect Word!

Below are 10 sentences with missing verbs. In the box, you will find the correct simple past and past continuous forms of the verbs. Fill in the blanks by selecting the correct verb form from the list.

Verb List

1. Yesterday, I __________ to the store when I met an old friend. 2. While we __________ in the pool, it started to rain. 3. He __________ a book when I called him. 4. At 8 PM last night, they __________ basketball at the park. 5. I __________ home when I saw a dog running across the street. 6. This morning, I __________ in the ocean for the first time. 7. She __________ a newspaper when the phone rang. 8. We __________ soccer when it began to rain heavily. 9. I __________ to the bus stop when I realized I had left my wallet at home. 10. Last weekend, we __________ through the forest when we spotted a deer.

Mission 6. Role-play the Conversation

Read the dialogue below carefully. Then, practice it with a partner, taking turns playing Anna and Tom. Pay attention to the use of simple past tense and past continuous tense as you practice. Focus on pronunciation, intonation, and fluency while speaking. Anna: Hey, Tom! I heard you had an exciting weekend. What did you do? Tom: Hey, Anna! Yeah, it was great. On Saturday morning, I woke up early because my cousins and I planned to visit the zoo. We left around 8 AM, and the weather was perfect for a day out. We arrived there early to avoid the crowd. Anna: That sounds fun! What did you do first? Tom: First, we went straight to see the lions. They were sleeping when we arrived, but after a while, they woke up and started walking around. My little cousin, Mike, was jumping up and down in excitement. He couldn't believe we were so close! Anna: How cool! What did you do after the lions? Tom: After the lions, we went to see the elephants. They were playing with a huge ball, and we stayed there for a while watching them. It was so funny to see them interact with the ball. Then we took a break and had lunch at the zoo café. Anna: Wow, sounds like you had an amazing time! Did anything unexpected happen? Tom: Yes! While we were walking to the reptile house, it suddenly started to rain. We took shelter under a tree and waited for the rain to stop. It was a bit uncomfortable, but we didn't mind because we were having so much fun. Anna: That's the worst when the weather changes like that. But did you enjoy the day overall? Tom: Absolutely! After the rain, we went to see the penguins. They were swimming and diving in the water, and we spent a lot of time there just relaxing and watching them. We finished our day by taking pictures of the sunset before heading home. Anna: Sounds like a perfect day! Thanks for sharing, Tom. I need to plan a fun weekend like that soon.

Mission 7. True or False?

Now that you've practiced the conversation, read the statements below and determine if they are True or False based on the dialogue. Write T for True and F for False. 1. Tom and his cousins woke up early to go to the zoo. (T) 2. They arrived at the zoo in the afternoon. (___) 3. The lions were active when they first arrived at the zoo. (___) 4. Tom's cousin, Mike, was calm and quiet when he saw the lions. (___) 5. After seeing the lions, Tom and his cousins went to the elephant enclosure. (___) 6. The elephants were doing nothing when they arrived. (___) 7. It didn't rain while they were at the zoo. (___) 8. Tom and his cousins waited for the rain to stop under a tree. (___) 9. They spent a lot of time watching penguins after the rain stopped. (___) 10. Tom felt tired and left the zoo before seeing the sunset. (___)

Mission 8. Complete the Letter

Read the letter below carefully. Some verbs are missing. Use the word list provided to fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb. Pay close attention to the simple past tense and past continuous tense as you complete the letter. Dear Sarah, I hope you're doing well! I wanted to tell you about my amazing weekend. On Saturday, I __________ (go) to the park with my friends. It __________ (rain) all morning, so we decided to take shelter in the café. While we __________ (drink) our coffee, we __________ (notice) that the rain was getting heavier, so we __________ (leave) the park and went to see a movie instead. We __________ (arrive) at the cinema and __________ (be) there just in time for the afternoon show. We __________ (have) a great time! The movie __________ (be) amazing, and after it ended, we __________ (stroll) around the city, looking for a nice place to have dinner. By the time we __________ (sit) down at a restaurant, it __________ (be) nearly 9 PM. After dinner, we __________ (decide) to walk back to the park. As we __________ (walk), we __________ (see) a street performer playing beautiful music, so we __________ (stop) to listen. It __________ (be) such a lovely evening, and we __________ (feel) so relaxed. It was truly a fantastic day, and I can't wait to hang out with you next weekend! I __________ (plan) to go hiking next Saturday, and I would love it if you __________ (join) me! Take care, Mark

Mission 9. Ordering the Events

Read the recount text again. Below, you'll find several events from the story in random order. Your task is to arrange them in the correct sequence, just like in the story. Think about how the events happened step by step. After you arrange them, write the sequence of numbers in the blanks provided.

Mark's First Day at School

Mark will never forget his first day at school. He woke up early in the morning, feeling both excited and nervous. His heart was racing, and he couldn't stop thinking about what school would be like. Mark quickly got dressed in his new uniform, grabbed his backpack, and went downstairs to have breakfast. His parents were already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for him. They helped him get ready for the big day and reminded him to make sure he didn't forget anything. Once they finished eating, Mark's parents drove him to school. On the way there, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. What if he didn't like the school? What if the other kids didn't like him? But his mom assured him that everything would be fine. When Mark arrived at school, he was amazed by how big it was. The building looked so tall, and there were so many students. Mark felt a little scared at first because everything seemed so unfamiliar, but then he met his new teacher, Mrs. Smith. She smiled warmly at him and made him feel comfortable. She showed him around the classroom and introduced him to the other kids. They played some fun games, and Mark quickly made a new friend named Lily. They had so much in common and enjoyed chatting with each other during the break. Later that day, Mark and his classmates went to the school playground. Mark was so excited because the playground was huge, and there were so many games to play. He joined a group of kids who were playing basketball, and although he wasn't very good at it, he had a lot of fun. Afterward, they had lunch in the cafeteria. Mark's lunchbox was full of his favorite snacks, and he enjoyed eating with his new friends. By the end of the day, Mark was tired but happy. He couldn't believe how much fun he had. He was looking forward to going back the next day. That first day at school is a memory he will always cherish, and he knew that it was just the beginning of many exciting days to come. Events Order:

Events	Correct Order

Mission 10. Proverb Detective!

Below are three short stories and their corresponding proverbs. Your task is to match each story with the correct proverb and its meaning. 1. The Wise Farmer A farmer worked hard every day to grow crops on his land. One year, a terrible drought came, and all his neighbors' crops failed. However, the farmer's crops survived. When asked why, the farmer smiled and said, "I made sure to water my crops early when I saw the first signs of dryness." 2. The Clever Rabbit One day, a hungry lion saw a rabbit and was about to eat it. The rabbit quickly said, "You don't want to eat me! I'm too small to fill your stomach. But I know where there's a bigger, juicier rabbit. If you let me go, I'll lead you to it!" The lion agreed, and the rabbit tricked him by leading him into a trap. The lion was caught, and the rabbit escaped. 3. The Two Friends and the Bear Two friends were walking through the forest when they suddenly encountered a bear. One friend immediately ran up a tree and climbed to safety, leaving the other friend behind. The second friend, scared and unsure, tried to climb but was too slow. The bear sniffed him and walked away. Afterward, the friend who escaped said, "I thought I could trust you, but in moments of danger, only your instincts matter." Draw a line to match each story with the correct proverb and its meaning.

Proverb	Meaning

Mission 11. Interview and Share Your Experiences

Work in pair and look closely at the picture provided below, such as a room, classroom, or park. Using the prepositions of place, write complete sentences to describe where objects or people are located. Try to make your descriptions clear and detailed so someone who hasn't seen the picture can imagine it perfectly. Ask the following questions to each of your three friends: 1. What did you do last weekend? 2. Where did you go and who did you go with? 3. What did you enjoy the most about that activity? 4. How did you feel during that experience? 5. What happened during the activity, and how did it end?

Mission 12. Reorder the Sentences

Below is a story where the sentences are jumbled. Work together to arrange them in the correct order, then add the right connectors to make it flow smoothly. Sentences: Rina and her family had dinner together and shared funny stories. Rina woke up early on Sunday morning. They arrived at the park and played badminton for an hour. After resting, they went home and took a shower. Rina's mother prepared sandwiches for breakfast. In the afternoon, they watched a movie together. Correct Order: First, Rina woke up early on Sunday morning. ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………

Beginning	Middle/Continuing	Ending/Concluding

Examples in Sentences: First, I woke up early and prepared breakfast. Next, I went to school with my friends. Then, we played football during the break. After that, we studied science in the classroom. Finally, I went home and helped my mom cook dinner. Notice how these connectors make the story easier to understand and show a clear chronological order of events.

Mission 13. Write Your Story!

Now, create your own short recount story (about 5–6 sentences) using at least five sequence connectors. Use connectors such as: first, after that, then, before, while, later, finally. You can write about:

1. Your last holiday 2. A school event/trip 3. Your family gathering 4. Your first day at school 5. A fun weekend activity

Mission 14. Reading and Understanding a Recount

Read the recount text below carefully. Then, answer the questions that follow to check your understanding. Pay attention to the sequence of events, main ideas, and time expressions used in the text.

A Rainy Day Surprise

Last Saturday morning, Bella woke up early because she had planned to go on a picnic with her friends. The sun was shining, and the weather seemed perfect. She packed sandwiches, fruit, and a bottle of juice, then called her best friend, Nia, to remind her about their plan. However, just as Bella was about to leave the house, dark clouds began to cover the sky. Within minutes, it started to rain heavily. Bella felt disappointed and thought the picnic would be canceled. While she was waiting by the window, her phone rang — it was Nia! Instead of feeling sad, Nia suggested they have an indoor picnic at Bella's house. Bella agreed and started preparing the living room. When Nia arrived, the two friends spread out a blanket on the floor, played music, and shared the food they had prepared. They laughed, told funny stories, and even watched a movie together. Although the rain didn't stop all afternoon, Bella realized that she didn't need sunny weather to have fun. It turned out to be one of the best days she had ever had. Answer the Following Questions: 1. What was Bella planning to do that morning? 2. Why did Bella feel disappointed at first? 3. What did Nia suggest when it started raining? 4. How did Bella and Nia spend their day instead? 5. What lesson did Bella learn from her experience? 6. Identify one sentence that uses the simple past tense. 7. Identify one sentence that uses the past continuous tense. 8. What time expressions can you find in the text? (e.g., "last Saturday," "all afternoon") 9. What do you think made the day special for Bella? 10. How does this story show the structure of a recount text (orientation, events, and reorientation)?