Ransom letter note

Word order is important and here is a fun activity to sensitize students to word order and sentence structure of the English language. 

1. Prepare banks with a large number of words. To make the activity more interesting and fun, you can type words with different fonts and sizes on different colour paper or cut them from magazines and newspapers.
2. Divide the students into groups and give each group a word bank, a sheet of paper and a glue stick.
3. The students work together and make sentences from the words in the bank and stick them to the sheet of paper so that it looks like a ransom letter note.
4. Stick the sheets on the wall.

For more information on word order, go to: http://linguapress.com/grammar/word-order.htm

Expand your vocabulary 2

1. Match the following words to the definitions:
            latent, catalyst, accomplice, stagnant, morose, arbitrary, rebut, paramount, servitude, facilitate

• n. a person who takes part in a crime - ..............................
• adj. unreasonable; based on one's own wishes or whims without regard for reason or fairness - .............................
• n. a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change - ................................
• v. to make easier, assist - .............................
• adj. hidden, present but not realized - ...............................
• adj. having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable - ..............................
• adj. chief in importance, above all others - ...........................
• v. to offer arguments or evidence that contradict an assertion, to refute - ...........................
• n. slavery, forced labour - ........................
• adj. not running or flowing, foul from standing still, inactive, sluggish, dull - ...........................

 2. From the words in the previous exercise, choose the one that best completes the following sentences.

• When he was suddenly deprived of everything he valued in life, the poor man became extremely gloomy and _________ . 
• After the opposing speakers had both presented their cases, they were allowed time to _________ each other's arguments.
• Though they had been there all along, Grandma Moses did not discover her ___________ artistic talents until well into her seventies. 
• In large areas of the huge swamp, there were ________ pools of water covered with unmoving masses of green slime.
• Even though the youngster did not actually steal he vehicle, he acted as one of the thief's ____________.
• The helpful librarian did much to __________ the research for my term paper.
• In certain industrial processes, __________ speed up the desired reaction by lessening the amount of energy needed to produce it.
• No matter what make of automobile you have, it is of ___________ importance that you learn to drive safely before you use it.
• Many people came to the New World after they had been sentenced to terms of penal ____________ for crimes they had committed. 
• In guaranteeing the right to "due process of law", the Constitution protects Americans against ___________ arrest and imprisonment. 

3. From the words in the previous exercises, choose the one that is opposite in meaning to the following words and expressions. 

• cheerful, jaunty, buoyant - ...................
• freedom, liberty - .................
• secondary, subordinate - ......................
• to confirm, corroborate, substantiate - .................
• to hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede - .....................
• reasoned, rational, objective - ......................
• flowing, running, fresh - ....................
• exposed, evident - .................... 

You will find the Key in the first comment.

Expand your vocabulary 1

1. Match the following words to the definitions:
        succumb, slapdash, reprimand, prattle, opaque, militant, incorrigible, exodus, brazen, annihilate

• adj. given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause - ...............................
• v. to give way to superior cause, yield - ...........................
• adj. not letting light through; not clear or lucid; stupid - ............................
• v. to destroy completely - ......................................
• v. to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; n. baby talk - ..............................
• adj made of brass; shameless, impudent - ..............................
• adj. careless and hasty - ...........................
• n a large-scale departure or flight - .............................
• adj. not able to be corrected, beyond control - ...........................
• v. to scold, find fault with; n. a rebuke - ............................

2. From the words in the previous exercise, choose the one that best completes the following sentences.

•  If we are going to use this space as a darkroom for photography, we must have a completely __________ covering over the window.
• The doctor warned the relatives that if the patient's condition deteriorated any further, he would __________ to pneumonia.
• The fact that you cannot control these small children does not mean that they are ____________ 
• "If you spent more time and effort on your essays, they would cease to be such ___________ affairs," my older sister wisely observed.
• Her friends call her "Motormouth" because she has a remarkable capacity to ___________ on endlessly about the most trivial matters. 
• Fighting is considered such a(n) ____________ violation of the rules of a game that the offending players are usually severely penalized.
• It is an unfortunate fact that the ____________ attitudes of the kaiser and his cronies helped make World War I inevitable.
•  Mom and Dad said nothing when I failed the examination, but the disappointed looks on their faces hurt more than the most severe __________.
• The second book of he Old Testament is named for the story it recounts of the _________ of the Israelites from the land of Egypt
• It is a frightening fact of modern life that we now possess the weaponry to ____________ not only our enemies, but all humankind. 

3. From the words in the previous exercises, choose the one that is opposite in meaning to the following words and expressions. 

• an immigration, influx, arrival; an entrance - ..............................
• to praise, pat on the back - ............................
• painstaking, meticulous, thorough, in-depth - ................................
• docile, tractable, curable, reparable - ...............................
• deferential, respectful, self-effacing - .............................
• to foster, promote, encourage, nurture - ............................
• to overcome, master, conquer - ..............................
• transparent, clear, bright, perceptive - .................................
• unassertive, peaceable, passive - ..............................

 You will find the Key in the first comment.

The Rila Monastery in Bulgaria

Read the text and mark the sentences True, False or No information in the text        

          The Rila Monastery is an architectural work of enormous dimensions, an apogee of the work of the Renaissance craftsmen, icon-painters, wood-carvers, artisans in the artistic area where architecture and the decorative and monumental painting of stone, wood and metal are combined.
          The Rila Monastery was founded in the l0th century by the Bulgarian monk St. John of Rila and was rebuilt in the l3th -l4th century. From that time date the fortress tower, the bishop's throne, richly carved doors and some manuscripts, icon paintings and church plates.
         Situated high up in the Rila Mountains, the monastery is not easy to reach. From the town of Rila, the monastery is still some 25km away. Access is difficult but the experience is well worth the effort.
         The building has four levels of colorful balconies with some 300 cells, kitchens, guard rooms, a hospital, chapels and even a winery. From the top balcony you have splendid views of the surrounding Rila Mountains. In the center of the courtyard, there is a beautiful church with amazing frescos. The best time to visit the monastery is weekdays (far fewer tourists) and during the early morning or sunset.

1. The Rila Monastery is a modernistic building, designed by contemporary architects. ..............
2. The Rila Monastery was established about 11 centuries ago. ...........
3. It is not a good idea to visit the monastery as it is difficult to access. ...............
4. There are four chapels in the monastery. .............
5. The best time to visit the monastery is the summer. ..............

Find words in the text which mean the following:
1. painting on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling (n.) - ................................
2. the most successful, popular or powerful point(n.) - ............................
3. a large strong building which can be defended from attack (n.) - ............................
4. an old document or book written by hand in the times before printing was invented (n.) - .........................
5. the method or possibility of getting near to a place or person (n.) - ..........................

You will find the Key in the first comment.

Landing on Mars (Word formation)

Read the text and fill in the gaps with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Late Sunday evening, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, a group of scientists 1. (breathe) ………………… monitored the progress of a robotic explorer named Curiosity that was quickly descended toward the surface of Mars. When it landed 2. (safe) ……………. inside a crater on the Red Planet the scientists erupted with joy. It was 3. (just)……………. excitement.

Curiosity, in so many ways, represents the future of space 4. (explore) ……………….. for the United States and the world and, despite the 5. (perceive) …………………. that space travel and exploration is a dead or dying industry, Curiosity's landing indicates the exact opposite notion.

Over the next two years Curiosity will use its 6. (high) …………… sophisticated equipment to analyze Mars and attempt to determine whether or not life may have ever existed on our closest neighbor. It's all a part of an increased, 7. (nation) ……………… focused effort on exploring -  and 8. (event) …………………..  sending humans to - Mars. In fact, in 2010, President Obama made a promise in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida 8. (suggest)……………… that astronauts would reach Mars' orbit by the 2030s. That's just two decades away but there's no reason to believe that the goal is 9. (attain) ……………….  . After all, it's been more than four decades since astronauts walked on the moon and returned safely back to earth. And human space travel has little to show over that time period. (Greg Houle)

You will find the key in the first comment. 

Describing shapes

Here's another activity to eliminate boredom in the classroom and enhance speaking and listening comprehension.

1.Prepare a sheet of paper with different shapes on it (like the one shown above).
2. Make several copies ( the number will depend on the number of students in class - the students may work in groups or in pairs)
3. Cut the sheets of paper along the lines so you now have sets of shape cards.
4. Divide the students into groups or pairs and give each group/pair a set of shape cards, which they spread on the desks.
5. Ask a volunteer student to be the speaker and give him/her a sheet of paper with the original arrangement of the shapes.
6. The speaker then describes each shape so that all other students can arrange the shapes in their original order.
7. At the end of the activity the students compare their arrangements with the original one.

Can you spell correctly?

Every line contains one word which is not spelled correctly. Which is it?

1. ceiling, deceive, recieve, correspondence, clique
2. bravado, chasm, ambassador, feign, acquital
3. malicious, irelevant, interrogative, martyr, indisputable
4. hindrance, gruesome, etiqette, expedient, curriculum
5. embroidery, benevolent, elimination, primitive, vulnarable
6. undoutedly, versatile, unanimous, respite, retrieve
7. prejudice, poignancy, mallicious, monotony, maintenance
8. apology, applicant, arrangement, astma, apostrophe
9. chaufeur, consequence, aerial, adolescence, abstain
10. colonel, envious, existance, legitimate, fashionable
11. insufficient, internally, inept, forgery, headquaters 
12. dilema, frivolous, council, bachelor, asphalt
13. dialogue, hospitality, crypt, coleague, dominance
14. melodious, obsolete,  prefarably, perceive, sophomore
15. predecessor, sieve, rehearsal, genious, suburban

You will find the Key in the first comment.

Chewing gum

(Open cloze)

Instructions
For questions 1-10, read the text below and write the word which best fits in each space. Use only one word in each space.


Up until WWII, chewing gum (1)……….. made of a substance called chicle mixed with flavorings. Chicle is a latex sap that comes from the sapodilla tree (native (2) ………. Central America). In other words, chicle is a form of rubber. Just like rubber bands don't dissolve when you chew them, (3) ……………. does chicle. Chicle is a good bit softer (4) ………….. rubber bands and happens to soften more (5) ……….. it gets warm in your mouth. If you freeze chicle with ice, it gets very stiff -- chicle hardens and softens over a pretty narrow temperature range.
After WWII, chemists learned (6) ………….. to make artificial gum bases to replace chicle. These gum bases are essentially synthetic rubbers (7)…………. have the same temperature profile (8)…………….. chicle.
Gum bases, (9) ………….. natural or artificial, are mixed with sugar and other flavorings to make chewing gum. When you chew it, the rubber releases these flavorings (10) ……………. your mouth. ­

 You will find the key in the first comment.

Test your vocabulary skills

Choose the best adjective out of the two given in each question below:

1.    Sammi didn’t have time to finish the whole exam, so some of her answers were incomplete/deficient.

2.    My father’s new car is really rapid/fast.

3.    The weather forecast wasn’t very accurate/truthful, because they said it would rain and it’s been fine all day.

4.    The noticeable dearth of goal-scoring opportunities means that these are annoying/worrying times indeed for Danby United.

5.    My little brother is so greedy/eager. He’s just finished his fourth banana!

6.    We gave a donation to the charity, partly because the children on their poster looked     so precious/vulnerable.

7.    When we got married my husband promised that he would always be dependable/faithful to me.

8.    I like the new cushions on your sofa, they’re lovely/lovable.

9.    I believe if you want something in life badly enough you should be powerful/persistent and never give up until you’ve reached your goal.

10.  This isn’t the finished version of my essay. I always write a rough/clean draft first.

11.  Some critics haven’t enjoyed Spielberg’s later films, such as The Terminal and AI, finding them a little too sentimental/extreme.

12.  James proposed to Maria at Gina’s party on Saturday. He got down on one knee and everything! It certainly made for a spectacular/memorable evening.

13.  When I told my boss that I needed two weeks off to visit my sick grandmother in Mexico, she wasn’t very sympathetic/acceptable. Probably because she knows I don’t have any relatives in Mexico.

14.  Jenna doesn’t like her curly/floppy hair, but she’s too lazy to straighten it.

15.  “Jas, that skirt is horrendous! No one will ever find you remotely pleasant/attractive if you go outside wearing that!” counselled Jas’s best friend, Mandy.

You will find the answers in the first comment.

 For more activities on English check this site:

http://www.englishbanana.com/

Tag questions - exercise

1. He sometimes reads the newspaper,…………………………?
2. You are Indian, ………………………?
3. Peggy didn't use the pencil, ………………………………?
4. Mary has answered the teacher's question, ………………………?
5. The boy is from Turkey, ………………………………?
6. Sue wasn't listening, …………………………?
7. Andrew isn't sleeping, ………………………?
8. Tom and Maria will arrive at Heathrow, ………………………?
9. He's been to Texas,………………………?
10. Dogs like meat, ……………………………?
11. There are some apples left, ……………………………?
12. I'm late, …………………………?
13. Let's go, …………………………?
14. Don't smoke, ……………………………?
15. He does sing in the bathroom, ……………………………?
16. He'll never know, …………………………?
17. I think, he's from India, ………………………?
18. Lovely day today, …………………………?
19. She is collecting stickers, ……………………………?
20. We often watch TV in the afternoon, …………………………?
21. You have cleaned your bike, ……………………………?
22. John and Max don't like Maths, ………………………………?
23. Peter played handball yesterday, ……………………………?
24. They are going home from school, ………………………………?
25. Mary didn't do her homework last Monday, …………………………………?
26. He could have bought a new car, ……………………………?
27. Kevin will come tonight, ……………………………?
28. I'm clever, ……………………………………?