Writing Assignment: The Subway

Crowded subway ride

 

Vocabulary

track
station
line
transfer
express
stop
ticket
ticket window
card
to reload (a card)
to swipe (a card)
token
turnstile
strap
pole
standing room only
sliding door
overhead rack
bench
seat
map
crowded
advertisements
fire extinguisher
vending machine
announcement
terminus
direction
exit
entrance
read a book / newspaper
listen to music

 

  1. What are these people doing?
  2. Where might they be going?
  3. How crowded is this subway train?
  4. Are there more people standing, or more people sitting?
  5. What do people usually hold on to if they have to ride standing up?
  6. Does a subway train usually have seats or benches?
  7. What do people usually do if they are carrying baggage or packages?
  8. What do people often do when they ride on a subway train?
  9. What do you need to get on the subway train?
  10. Where can you buy a ticket?
  11. What kind of gate do people usually pass through to get into the subway?
  12. What do you call the place where you get on and get off the subway train?
  13. How can you tell where to get on and get off?
  14. What do you do if you have to take more than one line to get to your destination?
  15. How can you tell if your stop is next?
  16. What kind of subway train has fewer stops than normal?
  17. What might you see on the walls of the subway train?
  18. What kind of doors does a subway train usually have?
  19. What sort of safety equipment would you see in a subway?
  20. What else might you see in a subway?

 

Paragraph:  The Subway

Have you ever ridden on a subway or a train?  Do you take one every day to go to work or school?  What kind of people do you usually see on the subway train?  Write a brief paragraph about your experience riding on a subway.

 

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Grammar Basics: Unit 22 – Passive, Part I (Solutions)

Exercises: Complete the sentences by using the passive (either present or past) of the indicated verb.

Example:

The baby (give) a bath yesterday. ==> The baby was given a bath yesterday.

1. We had a snow day last week, so classes were canceled.
2. The librarian charged me a fine because several pages of the book were torn.
3. Can I exchange these jeans for some new ones? The zipper is broken.
4. The kitchen was cleaned during the night by some good fairies.
5. The old factory was burned down by a firebug.
6. There was an accident on the highway, and several people were taken to the hospital.
7. Jack was born on a fishing trawler.
8. Tom was woken up in the middle of the night by the baby’s crying.
9. The old lady was helped across the street by a Boy Scout.
10. That picture was taken on our honeymoon.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 22 – Passive, Part I

Sentences may be either active or passive. When a sentence is active, the doer of the action is specified:

John opened the door. (active – John is the one who opens the door)

 

When a sentence is passive, we are not told who is the doer of the action:

The door was opened. (passive – we don’t know who opened the door)

 

To make a passive sentence, we use an appropriate form of the verb “be” + past participle:

Simple Present passive: am / is / are + past participle
Simple Past passive: was / were + past participle

Examples:

The store was closed.
The bank was robbed last night.
Where were you born?
Ice cream is made from milk.
The toy is broken.

If we want to use a passive sentence and indicate the doer of the action, we can use the phrase “by…”:

The bank was robbed last night by a pair of masked gunmen.
The modern steam engine was invented by James Watt.

Exercises: Complete the sentences by using the passive (either present or past) of the indicated verb.

Example:

The baby (give) a bath yesterday. ==> The baby was given a bath yesterday.

1. We had a snow day last week, so classes (cancel).
2. The librarian charged me a fine because several pages of the book (tear).
3. Can I exchange these jeans for some new ones? The zipper (break).
4. The kitchen (clean) during the night by some good fairies.
5. The old factory (burn) down by a firebug.
6. There was an accident on the highway, and several people (take) to the hospital.
7. Jack (born) on a fishing trawler.
8. Tom (wake) up in the middle of the night by the baby’s crying.
9. The old lady (help) across the street by a Boy Scout.
10. That picture (take) on our honeymoon.

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Culture Focus: Leap Day

Today is Leap Day.  Normally, February has only 28 days, but 2012 is a leap year – instead of having 365 days this year, we have an extra (intercalary) day, called a leap day, which is inserted into the regular calendar on February 29.

Have you ever wondered why we have an extra day approximately once every four years?

Pope Gregory XIIIThe modern solar calendar is called the Gregorian calendar, after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced this calendar.  The Gregorian calendar is actually a modification of the Julian calendar, which was named after the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar.  The Julian calendar was a solar calendar that had 365 days per year and twelve months like our current calendar, with an extra day being added every fourth year.  This extra day was necessary, because in reality it takes a little longer than 365 days for the earth to make one complete orbit around the sun.  A solar year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, or not quite 365 and 1/4 days.  Julius Caesar therefore included an extra day every four years to keep the calendar on track with the sun.

The problem, however, was that the solar year is slightly less than 365 and 1/4 days, so adding a leap day every four years was really an overcorrection.  This error resulted in a gain of one day for every 128 years.  So by the time of Pope Gregory XIII in the 16th century, the Julian calendar was 13 days out of sync with the solar year.   After consulting with mathematicians and astronomers, Gregory solved the problem by reforming the Julian calendar.  Instead of adding a leap day every four years, Gregory’s reform said that century years (years ending in 00) are not to be considered leap years, unless they are also divisible by 400.  Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were NOT leap years (since they have a remainder when divided by 400), but the year 2000 WAS a leap year (it is divisible not only by 4 like a regular leap year, but it is a century year that is also divisible by 400).  Gregory’s reform improved the accuracy of the Julian caLeap Year Traditionlendar, making the Gregorian calendar so accurate that it would take 3,323 years to gain one day.

One tradition associated with Leap Year has to do with marriage.  Normally in a relationship it is the man who may propose marriage, but in Leap Year, a woman doesn’t have to wait for a man – she may propose marriage herself.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 21 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part III (Solutions)

Exercises: Use the words in parentheses to make the sentence either present perfect or simple past.

Example:

(you / ever / go) skiing? ==> Have you ever gone skiing?
(you / go) skiing last year? ==> Did you go skiing last year?

1. Tom has lost his key. Can you help him find it?
2. I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?
3. What did you eat for lunch yesterday?
4. Matt has taken piano lessons since he was eight years old.
5. Last week we got a lot of snow.
6. I have traveled around the world, but I have never tasted anything as delicious as this barbecue.
7. This morning I exercised before I went to school.
8. Mother has made a delicious dinner for tonight’s party.
9. Have you ever had Mr. Smith as a teacher?
10. Where did you live ten years ago?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 21 – Present Perfect vs. Simple Past, Part III

In some cases, it doesn’t matter if you use the Present Perfect or the Simple Past:

Examples:

John has gone home.
John went home.

However, if you include a finished time (yesterday, a week ago, last month, last year, etc.), then you must use the Simple Past:

Examples:

John went home last night. (not “John has gone home last night.”)
Where did you go yesterday? (not “Where have you gone yesterday?”)
Yesterday we ate breakfast at Tiffany’s. (not “Yesterday we have eaten breakfast at Tiffany’s.”)

Also recall from a few days ago: When you are talking about the past until now, then you must use the Present Perfect:

Have you ever eaten squid? (until now)
We’ve lived in Dallas for three years. (we still live there now)

Exercises: Use the words in parentheses to make the sentence either present perfect or simple past.

Example:

(you / ever / go) skiing? ==> Have you ever gone skiing?
(you / go) skiing last year? ==> Did you go skiing last year?

1. Tom (lose) his key. Can you help him find it?
2. I’ve been looking for you. Where (you / be)?
3. What (you / eat) for lunch yesterday?
4. Matt (take) piano lessons since he was eight years old.
5. Last week we (get) a lot of snow.
6. I (travel) around the world, but I (never / taste) anything as delicious as this barbecue.
7. This morning I (exercise) before I went to school.
8. Mother (make) a delicious dinner for tonight’s party.
9. (you / ever / have) Mr. Smith as a teacher?
10. Where (you / live) ten years ago?

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Education Focus: SAT

For this week’s educational focus, I want to take a look at two tests that are important for American high school juniors and seniors: the SAT and the ACT. Both of these tests are college aptitude tests; that is, performance on one or both of these tests is said to give an indication how well the student can perform academically at the college or university level. As such, these tests are frequency used in the college admissions process, and students spend a lot of time (and sometimes, money) to prepare themselves for the test in order to get a good score. This week, we’ll focus specifically on the SAT.

The SAT is the older, and more well-known, of the two tests. The exam has undergone several changes since it was first administered in 1901, the most recent change occurring in 2005. Currently, the SAT consists of three parts, each part having a score ranging from 200 – 800 points: 1) Critical Reading, 2) Mathematics, and 3) Writing. Thus, a score of 2400 points represents a perfect score on the SAT. There are 10 sub-sections to the test, including an experimental 25-minute section that is not scored, but used for the purpose of planning new tests. The timed portions of the entire test make the test 3 hours and 45 minutes long, so the tests are given on Saturdays according to the schedule set by the Educational Testing Service (the company that administers the exam). Students who cannot take the test on Saturdays for religious reasons (for example, Jewish students) can apply to take a special make-up test.

Critical Reading

The Critical Reading section of the test (formerly, the Verbal section on older tests), consists of three scored sections: two 25-minute sections, and one 20-minute section. In this section, questions may be sentence completion questions, which serve to test the student’s vocabulary, and reading comprehension questions based on long or short reading passages.

Mathematics

The Mathematics section also consists of three scored sections: two 25-minute sections, and one 20-minute section. One of the longer sections has 20 questions, all multiple choice; the other 25-minute section has 8 multiple choice questions and 10 “grid-in” questions (questions where the student must calculate an answer and fill in the computer-readable blank). The final, shorter section has 16 multiple choice questions. The contents of the Mathematics sections are: number and operations; algebra and functions; geometry; statistics, probability, and data analysis.

Writing

The Writing section consists of a 35-minute multiple choice section and a 25-minute essay section. The multiple choice section tests the student’s ability to improve sentences and paragraphs, as well as identify errors (such as diction, grammar, sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, proper word usage, and wordiness). In the essay section, the student is expected to write an essay that develops a point of a view on an issue, and then use reasoning and evidence (based on personal experience, reading, or observation) to support his ideas. In his essay, the student should be able to organize and express ideas clearly, develop and support his main idea, as well as use appropriate word choice and sentence structure.

Scoring

As mentioned previously, scores on each section of the SAT range from 200 – 800 points. One thing that is unique about the SAT’s multiple choice questions is that responses are scored to minimize any benefit from random guessing. Multiple choice questions have five possible answers, and correct answers are awarded 1 point, whereas incorrect answers are penalized with a –1/4 point. Thus, if a student has absolutely no idea what the correct answer to a question is, he is advised to skip the question and leave it blank. On the other hand, if a student can eliminate even one of the possible answer choices, he improves his chances enough to overcome the negative 1/4 point penalty.

The negative point penalty applies only to multiple choice questions. Grid-in questions on the Mathematics section are not penalized for incorrect answers, and students are encouraged to make an educated guess if they do not know the answer.

The essay portion of the Writing section is scored on a scale of 1 – 6 (1: poor, 6: best), based on the overall quality of the essay. Two readers each give a score to the essay, so the essay’s total score can range from 2 – 12 points. Essays that are not written on the essay assignment, are blank, not written in English, not written with a Number 2 pencil, or are illegible, are automatically given a score of 0.

Originally, the test was scaled to make a score of 500 the mean on each section, with a standard deviation of 100. However, SAT scores have been steadily declining since the 1960’s: at its peak in 1963, the average SAT score was 980 (out of 1600); by the 1990’s, the average Verbal score was 428, and the average Math score was 478 – both well below the intended mean of 500 points. Consequently, in 1995 the test was “recentered” to bring the average score on each section back up to 500. Critics have pointed out that manipulating the scores like this masks the fact that compared to previous generations, today’s students are scoring poorly, and thus are not as well-prepared for college as their parents were.

Next week, we’ll take a look at the alternative to the SAT: the ACT.

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Crossword – TOEFL 2 (Solution)

Crossword - Solution

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Crossword – TOEFL 2

Crossword - TOEFL

 
Across
1 able to move quickly and easily (5)
3 disreputable (6)
5 to inflict disfiguring damage on (3)
6 have a tendency to do something (3)
7 departing markedly from the usual or customary (7)
9 carried out without one’s conscious wishes (11)
10 not making or not based on careful distinctions (14)
13 impossible to dispute (16)
17 deceit by trickery (9)
19 anger, wrath (3)
21 to cover, as if with dots (3)
22 a charge, usually monetary, for something (3)
23 indignation or ill will felt as a result of a real or imagined grievance (10)
27 looking ill, not bright (3)
28 a prophetic sign (4)
29 to officially end a law, legal agreement, practice etc. (8)
30 to live (5)
31 to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow for (3)

Down
1 complete opposite of someone or something (10)
2 using or marked by the use of few words (7)
3 the existing condition or state of affairs (6,3)
4 not in the correct position (4)
5 suggesting of or characterized by expediency, deceit, and cunning (13)
6 existing or available in large quantities so that there is more than enough (8)
8 present or potential but not evident or active (6)
11 to level to the ground (4)
12 an outstanding work of art or craft (11)
14 rough; unrefined (5)
15 of or in the night (9)
16 a surprise attack by a small armed force (4)
18 very similar to something (4)
20 to improve something (7)
22 a deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain (5)
24 to arrange according to class, kind, or size (4)
25 to change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming (4)
26 to draw or pull behind by a chain or line (3)
27 deep distress or misery, as from grief (3)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 10

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

eager beaver: someone who is a diligent worker, or looks forward to working on a project or similar task.

Example:

He is such an eager beaver when it comes to yard work – he takes pride in his backyard garden.

eat like a horse: eat a lot, have a good appetite

Example:

Are you sure you have enough food for the party? Several kids on Tom’s football team are coming, and they all eat like a horse.

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