5 things to do before you're 30!

My friend John is turning thirty next year. So a while ago, on his 29th birthday he asked us to help him think of fifty things to do before he's thirty! He's doing very well and has already completed a lot of them.

I have a few more years before I'm thirty, but I think it's a great idea and would like to do it too! Sometimes we spend so much time concentrating on work, study or cleaning our flats that we don't get a chance to think about what we really want to do. Here are a few of the things I am going to do before I'm thirty! Let me know what you would like to do or if you have any more ideas for me! As well as a reading lesson, I've also put some true or false questions in to check your understanding of the text.

1. Meet some meerkats

Meerkats are my favourite animals. They are so hilarious and cute, I could watch them for hours and never get bored. Now in some places in the UK you can get in with the meerkats and feed them and play with them. The only thing I'm concerned about is that meerkats like to eat bugs and I will not be feeding them that.

2. Write a book

I've tried to do this many times but never had the commitment or patience to finish more than one chapter. I've written lots of silly stories for my friends and think maybe I should try and write a children's book. I don't mind if it's not published (although obviously that would be nice), so long as it's written. I will write them about my little cousins and give them to them as presents. I often read stories to them and I think they'd be even more excited if they were the characters in the book.

3. Learn some DIY

There's nothing I hate more than fixing things, so when there are no handy people around, things in my flat remain broken for a very long time. At the moment this includes my bedroom curtains, oven door and shower...If I learn some DIY then I won't have to worry about finding a friend who owes me a favour or paying someone huge amounts of money!

4. Learn Spanish

This is something I've been trying to do since I was fourteen, but I still haven't got very far. I'd love to travel to South America and take classes for about six months and volunteer during the day. Unfortunately to achieve this I will have to win the lottery. In the mean time I will continue to use the internet, just like you lovely students, to help me progress. If you know any good websites let me know!

5. Visit Ronnie Scott's

This is another thing I've been wanting to do for ages and next week, I'm going to do it! Ronnie Scott's is a famous jazz club in London and I'm going to one of my favourite bands play. Not only that, I'm going with my best friend, my Mum! I'm really excited and I hope it lives up to my expectations.

Lesson by Caroline Devane

Now decide if the following statements are true or false:

• 1. Caroline has no worries about meeting the meerkats.
  
  False
  True
  
  
• 2. Caroline has written the beginning of lots of books.
  
  True
  False
  
  
• 3. Caroline’s house is falling down!
  
  False
  True
  
  
• 4. Caroline would like to study Spanish for at least a year.
  
  False
  True
  
  
• 5. Caroline will achieve one of her goals next week!
  
  False
  True