ESL Jigsaws

Topics not covered in Thematic Jigsaws, such as environment, employment, food, restaurant, divorce, driving, airport, and life events are covered in this book.

Here is a description of the stories you will find:

• The Half-Sister is the funny story of a man whose father tells him each of his girlfriends is his half-sister. (see sample)
• The Passport is the story of a woman unable to obtain a passport because her parents falsified the date of her birth.
• The Widow is the story of a woman whose husband is killed in the war two months after their marriage, yet she never remarries.
• The Divorce is the story of a couple fighting over custody of children, their home and their belongings.
• The Custody Case is the story of a divorced couple fighting over custody of their frozen embryos. There are numerous cases like this in the courts today.
• Pham’s Employment Decision outlines four different job scenarios. Students must choose which job is best for Pham.
• The Promotion is the story of an employee who is repeatedly promoted to higher and higher positions within a company.
• Mark’s Lunch is the story of a man with various dietary restrictions deciding what to order on a lunch menu.
• The Invitation is the story of some coworkers fighting over who should pay the bill in a restaurant. The story touches on cultural customs around inviting and paying.
• Two Families is the story of two families and their shopping habits at the grocery store. One family tries to make environmentally friendly choices, while the other does not.
• Broken, Torn, Stained is the story of a couple committing insurance fraud after coming home and finding a flood in their basement. (see sample)
• The Bad Driver is the story of a man criticizing a woman driver who is putting on mascara while driving, while he himself is shaving and drinking coffee. (see sample)
• The Parking Spot is the story of a man who steals a parking spot a couple have been waiting for and his reaction when confronted. The story touches on issues of racism.
• Dog in the Taxi is the story of a taxi driver who refuses to take a blind person’s dog in his cab. There have been several court cases about this in America, Canada and England.
• The Second Seat is the story of an obese passenger who is forced to buy a second seat on an airplane. There have been stories in the news about similar incidents in North America and Europe.