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Let's Gain Vocabulary
Let's Gain Vocabulary
Sara Bouaziz
SaraEnglish1
Let’s gain vocabulary :
Comprehension 1 :
(3) Field hockey is number three. Approximately 2 billion people play or watch field hockey mostly in
Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. In the United States, field hockey is mainly for high school girls.
Field hockey is a very old sport. In Egypt, 4000-year-old drawings show people playing field hockey.
(4) Next is tennis. Today, there are roughly 1 billion players and Spectators of tennis around the world.
It is originally from France but today it is very popular in the United States, Asia, Australia, and
Europe.
(5) Table tennis (ping-pong) is popular around the world, with about 900 million players and
Spectators. Today, table tennis especially popular in China, Korea, and Singapore.
(6) There are many popular sports around the world, but these are the top five. What is similar about
all of these Sports is that they are fun, they are fast, and they use a ball. Maybe that is why the
expression “have a ball” means have a lot of fun.
Questions:
A. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART WITH INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT
Name of sport Number of people (players; spectators)
.............. .................... .............. ....................
.............. .................... .............. ....................
.............. .................... .............. ....................
.............. .................... .............. ....................
.............. .................... .............. ....................
Now let’s practice: what do the underlined words in the text refer to?
It: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . they: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH.
My favourite sport is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I like it for the following reasons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Comprehension 2.
(1) It is said that most people have no more than 30 friends at any given time, and 400 over the whole
of their lives. However, on social networking sites, most users have about 150 friends. If these
numbers are correct, then friendship means different things in different situations.
(3) Online friendships are quite easy, but in the real-world decisions about friendships are harder to
make. There are no rules about friendship. There are no guidelines about how to make friends,
how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on. People have
very different opinions about this: some people would die for their friends, and they value them
more than family. Others say that friends are temporary, only there to help each other until they
are no longer needed. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to
problems.
(4) Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friendships.
We may want them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives.
Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships, or we fear we have left it
too late in life to start. If we move to another country or city, we have to find ways to make new
friends again.
(5) This dissatisfaction shows us how important friendships are for most of us. We should not think
that it could be too late to build friendships. We also need to understand that the need to be
around other people is one that is shared by many. Therefore, we should not be too frightened
about starting to talk to people who in the future may become our friends: it is likely that they too
would like to get closer to us. Remember what people say: strangers are friends we have not met
yet.
Questions:
A. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. Why are people likely to have online friends more than real ones?
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2. What makes friendships in real life harder to make?
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B. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.
1. People can have more than 400 real friends at once in their life.
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2. There are strict rules to having friends.
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C. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART.
Noun Adjective Adverb Verb
Friendship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Befriend
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Different .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Required Require
Difficulty .................. ..................
Hard ................ .. ..................
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . temporary . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .
Easiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ease
D. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE WORDS FROM THE CHART ABOVE.
It is important to have a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in our life because they can help us a lot.
Some people find it d. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . others
because they are shy or introverted. But people who are sociable, make new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
with others quite e . . . . . . . . . . . . There is a huge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . between boys and girls
when making new friends because they have d. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . interests. Most of us have
some friends who are. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . like our classmates for example, not all of us keep
in touch with them once we pass the grade.
E. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART.
Nouns Subject pronoun Object pronoun Possessive adjective
Singular (not human) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Singular (female) .................. ......... ......... ..................
Singular (male) .................. .................. ..................
Plural .................. .................. ..................
Now let’s practice: what do the underlined words in the text refer to?
Their: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . them: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . they: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH.
Having a best friend is precious for many reasons. First, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Comprehension 3.
(1) People have very different ideas for their dream home -their perfect house or apartment. Some
people dream of a simple house in a special place. Others want a large house with every
convenience. Is your dream home similar to any of the dream homes below?
(3) (3)Henry David Thoreau, an American writer lived from 1817 to 1862.
At the age of 28, he built his perfect house. It was a very small house,
just 10 feet by 15 ft (3M by 4.5 M). Inside, there were just two chairs,
a bed, a table, and a small desk. The location of this house was very
important to Thoreau. He built his house in the woods close to a
beautiful Lake.
(4) Dikembe Mutombo, a professional basketball player built a very different type of Dream Home.
Mutombo grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but he moved to the United States to
study. He wanted to be a doctor but instead he became a famous basketball player. Mutombo's
dream home is in the Congo, and it has beds for 150 people. It also has an emergency room, many
exam rooms, and some beautiful gardens. Mutombo didn't build his dream home for himself.
Instead, he built it for the people in his native country. Mutombo's dream house is a hospital.
Questions:
A. FILL IN THE FOLLOWING CHART.
Ambani’s dream house Thoreau’s dream house Mutombo’s dream house
1.very tall- 27 stories 1.close to a lake 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
Comprehension 4.
(4) With the success of the University of Bologna, other universities opened across Europe. They were
started by kings, religious groups, and former professors. Today there are so many universities that
students don't need to go far to study. They are sure to find one close to home.
Comprehension questions.
A. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE. JUSTIFY.
1. All universities which have long histories are considered as the oldest ones in the world.
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2. The university of Nalanda is still receiving scholars from different countries around the world.
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3. Although Europe had many wars, the university of Bologna never closed.
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B. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. What did scholars who came to Nalanda university study?
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2. Which university is no longer standing today?
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3. When did the university of Bologna opened its doors?
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C. COMPLETE THE FOLLOIWNG CHART.
Nouns Adjectives Verbs
Claim ........................
....................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . impress
Foundation ........................
success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Variety . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........................
D. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE WORDS FROM THE CHART ABOVE.
The restaurant, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by a passionate chef, quickly gained a reputation for its
delicious food and friendly atmosphere. Customers were . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by the . . . . . . . . . . .
menu offerings, ranging from traditional dishes to modern fusion creations. With its . . . . . . . . . . . . .
blend of flavors and attentive service, it became a favorite dining spot for locals and visitors alike.
E. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR PHRASES WHICH ALMOST MEAN THE SAME AS.
1. Set up (1): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Different (2): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Prohibited (3): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Affected (3): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO?
1. It (1): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Its (2): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. They (4): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. They (4): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH USING THE INFORMATION BELLOW.
University of Al Qaraouine:
- Founder: Fatima El-Fihriya - date of foundation: 859 AD
- Location: Fez, Morocco - Subjects of study: Islamic studies, Philosophy ,
Mathematics, astronomy and
Languages
- Open to male and female between 13 and 30.
Comprehension 5.
(2) In many ways, sign language is similar to spoken language. The words of sign language are
made with signs, which are formed with movements of the hands, face, and body. As with
words, each sign has a different meaning and can be combined to form sentences. Signed
languages also have their own grammar. The alphabet of sign language is special hand signs
that stand for letters; they make spelling possible. The signs combine to form a rich language
that can express the same thoughts, feelings, and ideas as any spoken language. And just as
people from different countries speak different languages, most countries have their own
variety of sign language.
(3) In addition to knowing sign language, it is also helpful to know something about how deaf
people communicate. Since they rely so much on actions, deaf people are generally not very
formal when they "talk," and may touch your arm or shoulder a lot to make sure you know
what they're saying. It is not seen as rude among deaf people to lightly touch someone you do
not know to get their attention. It's also okay to wave your hands or hit the table or floor. Also,
lots of eye contact is necessary.
(4) There are many ways to learn a few signs. Community colleges often teach introductory classes.
For self-learners, bookstores and libraries have books for learning sign language. There are also
instructional videos on the Internet, with actors demonstrating signs and performing interesting
stories and conversations for you to see. With practice, you'll soon get the hang of this useful
method of communicating!
Comprehension questions.
A. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH WORDS FROM THE TEXT.
Deaf people have special ways of communicating. While they can't hear, they also find it hard to
speak because they cannot hear their (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some deaf people use (2) . . . . . . . .
, where they watch the speaker's mouth. But the most widely used method of communication is
(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . They use hand signs to spell letters of the (4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,
and use hand and body movements to form words and sentences. They even have their own (5) . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the same way people in different countries speak different languages. In
addition to hand signs, communicating with deaf people involves a lot of touching and making (6) ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You may also have to ·wave your hands or (7) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the
table or floor to get their attention. There are lots of ways to learn sign language·. You can go for
(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . with trained teachers, read (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . about it, or watch
(10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All it takes is effort and practice!
B. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.
1. You can learn to lipread by reading a book.
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2. Lots of eye contact is necessary for deaf people.
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3. Sign language has letters, but no words.
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4. Waving your hands at someone is considered rude by deaf people.
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C.ANSWER THE FOLLOIWNG QUESTIONS.
1. Why is it difficult for deaf people to speak?
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3. Give two similarities between sing language and speaking.
a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART.
Comprehension 6.
(2) In college, Abrams co-wrote and sold a screenplay to a Hollywood production company. He started
gaining popularity for his work, and his next two dramas-Regarding Henry and Former Young-were
hit movies. Abrams continued to write and produce screenplays throughout his 20s, the biggest
being Armageddon. But Abrams never lost his passion for the mysterious and wanted to create
shows like the ones he enjoyed as a child. His next move was into television in 1998, when he
helped create the popular TV series Felicity. Some of his shows became huge hits, like the spy
drama Alias and the Emmy-winning and mystery thriller Lost. Abrams made his movie directing
debut almost a decade later in 2006, with Mission Impossible III. He then went on to direct science
fiction movie Star Trek in 2009. His movie success caught the attention of top filmmaker Steven
Spielberg. Together, they created the monster movie Super 8, named for the camera both men
experimented with when they were young.
(3) The Super 8 camera has proved to be very influential in Abrams' life, but there is another special
gift that has helped Abrams become who he is today. Not long after the camera, Abrams'
grandfather gave him a box of magic tricks. Abrams calls it a mystery box because he never opened
it. He says he wants to preserve the mystery and remind himself to create unexpected stories. To
him, the box "represents infinite possibility. It represents hope. It represents potential.’’
(4) Abrams has even used the box metaphor to describe movie theaters. "What's a bigger mystery box
than a movie theater? You go to the theater, you're just so excited to see anything, mystery boxes
are everywhere in what I do." The box remains a source of 35 inspiration for Abrams, and he keeps
it on a shelf in his office. At a dinner party in 1994, Abrams met a woman named Katie McGrath
and they got married soon after. Today, the couple and their three children live near Los Angeles,
California, where Abrams runs his own production company called Bad Robot. He keeps busy,
usually working on many projects at once, and is always looking to create more and more mystery
boxes.
Comprehension questions.
A. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.
1. Abrams mostly wrote screenplays in his 20s.
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2. Abrams compares the movie theater to his Super 8 camera.
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3. Steven Spielberg has worked with Abrams since Abrams' television days.
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4. Abrams works for his wife's production company, Bad Robot.
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B. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. What did his grandfather give him as a gift when he was a kid?
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2. What kind of movies did he like as a kid?
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3. What is Abrams’ biggest work in his 20s?
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4. Where did Abrams meet his wife?
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C. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART WITH INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT.
Year Event
1966 ........................................................
................ Abrams moved into Television.
2009 ........................................................
D. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART WITH THE WORDS GIVEN.
director – create - scene - scary - script - studio - credits - avoid - disappear - Hollywood
produce - hero - important - lead - actress - impossible - prepare - supervisor - famous - monster
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
(2) Clean Up Australia Day has been held annually since then, growing bigger every year. In 1993,
Kiernan started an even more ambitious program. With the help of the United- Nations
Environment Program, he launched Clean Up the World to support communities around the world
in cleaning up and conserving the environment. In its first year, more than 30 million people in 80
countries participated. Clean Up the World now falls on the third weekend of September every year
and has grown more popular as the years go by.
(4) Ian saw a problem that needed fixing, and he chose to take action. By starting Clean Up Australia
Day, he raised awareness of how we treat our Earth. What's more, he united millions of people in
their goal to make the world a cleaner place. Through persistence and hard work, Ian has shown
that anyone who puts their mind to it can make a difference.
Comprehension questions.
A. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.
1. Ian Keirnan is from Australia.
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2. No one responded to Ian when he organized a community event.
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3. Clean up the World was a success.
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B. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. What was the purpose of Clean up the World?
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2. When is Clean up the World held and how often?
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3. What kind of waste do volunteers clear?
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C. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART.
Figures Events
1993 ..........................................................
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The number of people who participated in Clean up the World for
First year.
70 ........................................................
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Comprehension 8.
(3) Some 92 percent of all fresh water used annually is dedicated to growing plants and raising
animals for food. This means that if water runs out, our food supply might follow. In India, it is
estimated that future water shortages could reduce grain harvests by 25%. In a country where
the population exceeds 1.2 billion people and is growing rapidly every year, this is a huge
concern. India, like many developing countries, is already struggling to provide for its
population. While most people in developed countries can get water at the turn of a tap, nearly
four billion people elsewhere lack access to safe water, according to a 2012 United Nations
world water Development Report.
(4) Rain forests are another endangered resource. They once covered 14 percent of the Earth's
land surface, but this has shrunk to only six percent. Every second, an area of rain forests, the
size of a football field is destroyed-at this rate, rain forests will disappear completely in less than
40 years. All rain forests are important, but it would be a disaster if the Amazon rain forest was
gone. Often called the "Lungs of the Planet," the Amazon stretches across a large portion of
south America. It is so big that it produces 20 percent of the Earth's oxygen and is home to
more than half of the world's estimated ten million species of plants and animals.
(5) Governments around the world have laws to help protect and conserve these precious
resources. But no matter how many rules there are, it is ultimately individuals who must help
the planet to sustain itself. Changing our lifestyle and limiting our use of natural resources is the
only way to ensure a better future for our children, and our children's children.
Comprehension questions.
A. ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY.
1. The number of people in our planet in rapidly increasing.
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2. The most used and needed natural resources is water.
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3. Water is not related to food.
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B. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. In which field water is used the most?
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2. What is the estimated period left for rain forests to disappear?
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3. Where does the planet get 20% of oxygen?
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C. CIRCLE ONE WORD OR PHRASE THAT DOES NOT BEMONG IN EACH GROUP. THE BOLD WORDS
ARE FROM THE TEXT.
1. strain ease difficulty stress
2. extremely greatly suddenly drastically
3. opportunity availability busy possibility
4. lack shortage exceed missing
5. forever everlasting endangered permanent
6. sustain discontinue keep going maintain
D. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE BOLD WORDS FROM C.
1. What kind of situations can put a(n). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . on a relationship?
2. The town has changed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . since the last time I visited.
3. The tiger is a(n). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . animal, There aren't many left in the wild.
4. It's easy to launch a business but it's difficult to. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it.
E. WHAT DO THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE TEXT REFER TO?
1. It (paragraph2): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Its (paragraph3): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. It (paragraph4): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. FIND IN THE TEXT WORDS OR PHRASES WHICH ALMOST MEAN THE SAME AS.
1. Stress (paragraph1): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Gathering crops (paragraph3): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Get smaller (paragraph4): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Eventually (paragraph5): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G. WRITING.
Write an email to the editor of the magazine Save Our Planet to tell him about the problems that
people can face if we run out of our natural resources and suggest some ways to preserve them.
Dear editor,
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