Crossword – TOEFL 13 (Solution)

toefl13-sol

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Crossword – TOEFL 13

toefl13
Across
1 Small and unimportant (10)
6 Pivot (6)
8 Conceited (4)
9 Sudden and unexpected (6)
10 Of or relating to citizens (5)
12 Worldly-wise (13)
16 Mutation (11)
17 Declare, say something firmly because you are certain it is true (4)
19 Verbal abuse (12)
22 Making a hypocritical show of religious devotion (13)
24 Legendary (6)
26 Surrender (10)
28 Make a mistake (3)
29 Radiance (6)
30 A charge, usually monetary, for something (3)

Down
1 Story (5)
2 Dismal, gloomy; ferocious, savage (4)
3 To take hold of or seize firmly as with the hand (5)
4 A place where alcohol is served (3)
5 To give up residence in one’s homeland (10)
7 Soothe or quiet (4)
10 Done in secret, to conceal or deceive (11)
11 Contend (3)
12 Separate, especially by cutting (5)
13 To raise or increase the quantity or degree of; intensify (8)
14 Honored, respected (13)
15 Wander (4)
18 Discharge (4)
19 Characterized by instinct rather than intellect (8)
20 Fragment (7)
21 To rub or wipe out, to obliterate (6)
23 Logical, reasonable, convincing (6)
25 A big, furry animal that lives in the woods (4)
27 Anger (3)

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Idiom Focus: Common English Idioms 25

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.  Currently, we’re looking at some common English idioms.

up to the minute:  most recent, the latest

Example:

Grandfather always kept the radio on for up-to-the-minute news.

What for?:  Why?

Example:

What did you dig a hole in the back yard for?

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Grammar Basics: Unit 74 – The ~ (place name) (Solution)

Exercise. Answer the geography questions, using names from the box. Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

______ is the capital of Denmark. (Copenhagen) ==> Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark.
______ are near Indonesia. (Philippines) ==> The Philippines are near Indonesia.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

1. The Rockies are mountains in North America.
2. The Rhine is a river in Europe.
3. The Gulf of Mexico is on the west coast of Florida.
4. Canada is the largest country in the Americas.
5. The Canary Islands lie off the coast of Africa.
6. Germany is a country in Europe.
7. The Mediterranean is a sea between Europe and Africa.
8. China is a large country in Asia.
9. The United States is Canada’s neighbor.
10. Rome is the capital of Italy.
11. The Atlantic separates North America and Europe.
12. Lima is the capital of Peru.
13. The Amazon is a river in South America.
14. The Pacific is the largest ocean.
15. Angola is a country in Africa.

Exercise. Look at the following sentences. Insert “the” if it is needed. If “the” is not necessary, write “OK.”

Example:

The sun rises in ______ east and sets in ______ west. ==> The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Mr. Smith’s shop is on ______ Main Street. ==> OK.

1. Can you tell me how to get to the Guggenheim Museum?
2. Do you know if the Showtime Theater is open on Christmas?
3. The National Theatre is also known as “Theatre of the Presidents.”
4. Mark Twain wrote a memoir called Life on the Mississippi.
5. Once a year, Aunt Karen went shopping on Park Avenue.  ==> OK.
6. The University of Chicago is not too far from the Museum of Science and Industry.
7. The twins had their picture taken in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
8. I think this train will take you to Union Station. ==> OK.
9. France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States in commemoration of America’s Declaration of Independence.
10. It took the United States a decade to complete the Panama Canal.
11. The St. Lawrence Seaway allows boats to travel from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
12. People visit Central Park in New York to relax and enjoy some green space. ==> OK.
13. There are over 1700 islands in the Florida Keys.
14. The Chicago White Sox no longer play in Comiskey Park. ==> OK.
15. Many people were put into the Tower of London to await execution.
16. The stone statues on Easter Island are over 500 years old. ==> OK.
17. The Erie Canal was officially opened in 1825.
18. Princeton University was originally established to train men for Christian ministry. ==> OK.
19. The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world.
20. Old Faithful is a popular attraction at Yosemite National Park in Wyoming. ==> OK.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 74 – The ~ (place name)

Place names may or may not use “the”: Sometimes they use “the,” sometimes they do not.

Place names that Do NOT use “the”:

General place names – continents, countries, states, islands, cities, etc.:

Egypt is located in Africa. (not The Egyptthe Africa)
Paris is the capital of France. (not The Paristhe France)
We visited New York in April. (not the New York)
Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic. (not The Iceland)

Places in towns – streets, squares, buildings, airports, stations, universities, parks, etc.:

Mr. Smith’s shop is on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. (not the Michigan Avenue)
Jackie’s dream is to be at Times Square in New York for New Year’s Eve. (not the Times Square)
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street was Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book. (not the Mulberry Street)
Does this train line go to O’Hare Airport? (not the O’Hare Airport)
James wants to go to Northwestern University. (not the Northwestern University)
We’re planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park. (not the Yellowstone National Park)

Note: We have the following exceptions to the above situations.
Place Names that DO use “the”:

Country names with republic / states / kingdom:

The new symphony conductor comes from the Czech Republic.
What is the capital of the United States of America?
The Kingdom of Norway became independent from Sweden in 1905.

Plural place names – the –s:

General MacArthur’s son was born in the Philippines.
Mother would like to visit the Hawaiian Islands someday.
Anne Frank and her family escaped to the Netherlands as the Nazis came to power in Germany.
The Matterhorn is one of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps.

Oceans, rivers, seas, canals, channels:

The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic.
The Vikings crossed the North Sea, eventually making it to Greenland and Nova Scotia.
Agatha Christie’s book Death on the Nile was made into a movie in 1978.
The Suez Canal was opened in 1869.
Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

Names of hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, monuments, etc.:

We stayed at the Breakers Hotel on our honeymoon.
Father took Mother out to eat at the Pepper Mill for Mother’s Day.
Have you ever been to a performance at the Lyric Opera?
Uncle Jack dropped the kids off at the Multiplex for a matinee show while he practiced at the driving range.
Are you coming along on next month’s excursion to the Art Institute?
When I was a child, we could climb the stairs of the Washington Monument.

Place names with the pattern “the … of …”:

My favorite museum is the Museum of Science and Industry.
The University of Wisconsin has a number of campuses throughout the state.
John and Mary visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa on their trip to Italy.
How long is the Great Wall of China?

Points of compass – the north, the south, the east, the west:

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Exercise. Answer the geography questions, using names from the box. Use “the” if necessary.

Example:

______ is the capital of Denmark. (Copenhagen) ==> Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark.
______ are near Indonesia. (Philippines) ==> The Philippines are near Indonesia.

world map-scaled

(Click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon Angola Atlantic
Canada Canary Islands China
Germany Gulf of Mexico Lima
Mediterranean Pacific Rhine
Rockies Rome United States

 

1. ______ are mountains in North America.
2. ______ is a river in Europe.
3. ______ is on the west coast of Florida.
4. ______ is the largest country in the Americas.
5. ______ lie off the coast of Africa.
6. ______ is a country in Europe.
7. ______ is a sea between Europe and Africa.
8. ______ is a large country in Asia.
9. ______ is Canada’s neighbor.
10. ______ is the capital of Italy.
11. ______ separates North America and Europe.
12. ______ is the capital of Peru.
13. ______ is a river in South America.
14. ______ is the largest ocean.
15. ______ is a country in Africa.

Exercise. Look at the following sentences. Insert “the” if it is needed. If “the” is not necessary, write “OK.”

Example:

The sun rises in ______ east and sets in ______ west. ==> The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Mr. Smith’s shop is on ______ Main Street. ==> OK.

1. Can you tell me how to get to ______ Guggenheim Museum?
2. Do you know if ______ Showtime Theater is open on Christmas?
3. ______ National Theatre is also known as “Theatre of the Presidents.”
4. Mark Twain wrote a memoir called Life on ______ Mississippi.
5. Once a year, Aunt Karen went shopping on ______ Park Avenue.
6. ______ University of Chicago is not too far from ______ Museum of Science and Industry.
7. The twins had their picture taken in front of ______ Lincoln Memorial.
8. I think this train will take you to ______ Union Station.
9. France gave ______ Statue of Liberty to ______ United States in commemoration of America’s Declaration of Independence.
10. It took ______ United States a decade to complete ______ Panama Canal.
11. ______ St. Lawrence Seaway allows boats to travel from ______ Great Lakes to ______ Atlantic Ocean.
12. People visit ______ Central Park in ______ New York to relax and enjoy some green space.
13. There are over 1700 islands in ______ Florida Keys.
14. The Chicago White Sox no longer play in ______ Comiskey Park.
15. Many people were put into ______ Tower of London to await execution.
16. The stone statues on ______ Easter Island are over 500 years old.
17. ______ Erie Canal was officially opened in 1825.
18. ______ Princeton University was originally established to train men for Christian ministry.
19. ______ Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world.
20. ______ Old Faithful is a popular attraction at ______ Yosemite National Park in ______ Wyoming.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 73 – I like ~, I hate ~ (Solution)

Exercise. Look at the following sentences. Insert “the” if it is needed. If “the” is not necessary, write “OK.”

Example:

I hope we have ______ good weather for our picnic. ==> OK.
Did you feed ______ dogs last night? ==> Did you feed the dogs last night?

1. All’s fair in love and war. ==> OK.
2. By the time everyone was seated, the tea had grown cold.
3. Let me know when the water comes to a boil.
4. Mr. Brown encourages his children to study music. ==> OK.
5. Jack has mastered the art of cake decorating.
6. Do you think fish would make good pets? ==> OK.
7. I think the milk has turned sour.
8. Mary likes the sound of rain on the roof.
9. Sometimes life is not fair. ==> OK.
10. Father gave Mother flowers for Valentine’s Day. ==> OK.
11. Some people think it’s wrong to wear fur. ==> OK.
12. Sam spent three years studying the history of the northern fishing villages.
13. Older people are often uncomfortable using computers. ==> OK.
14. How long have you been studying English? ==> OK.
15. Wear a smock – working with paint can be messy. ==> OK.
16. Sand is used to make glass. ==> OK.
17. As soon as the oven is hot enough, put the bread in to bake.
18. Who introduced silk to Europe? ==> OK.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 73 – I like ~, I hate ~

There are some situations where we do NOT use “the”:

Do not use “the” for general ideas:

I like apples, but I don’t like pears. (not the applesthe pears)
Life is short, so eat dessert first. (not The lifethe dessert)
Cats make good pets. (not The catsthe good pets)
Variety is the spice of life. (not The varietythe life)
Sweets are not good for you. (not The sweets)
Writing with chalk is messy. (not the chalk)
Boys have lots of energy. (not The boysthe energy)

Do not use “the” for games or sports:

Do you want to play tennis? (not the tennis)
Jack likes baseball and football. (not the baseballthe football)
My favorite sports are skiing and swimming. (not the skiingthe swimming)

Do not use “the” for languages or academic subjects:

Douglas does well in science, especially physics. (not the sciencethe physics)
I teach math, usually algebra and trigonometry. (not the maththe algebrathe trigonometry)
Uncle Paul speaks French and German, but not Spanish. (not the Frenchthe Germanthe Spanish)

Note: Sometimes “the” might be needed in one context and not in another.

Look at the following examples:

  But:
I hate exams.

(exams in general – any exam)

The exams I took on Monday were easy.

(specific exams – those on Monday)

I enjoy winter weather.

(weather in general – any weather in the winter season)

Do you know what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow?

(specific weather – tomorrow’s weather)

It used to be that Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays.

(meat in general – any meat)

The meat was cooked to perfection.

(specific meat – the meat I ate)

I listen to music when I exercise.

(music in general – any music)

The music is too loud – could you please turn it down?

(specific music – the music that is playing now)

Exercise. Look at the following sentences. Insert “the” if it is needed. If “the” is not necessary, write “OK.”

Example:

I hope we have ______ good weather for our picnic. ==> OK.
Did you feed ______ dogs last night? ==> Did you feed the dogs last night?

1. All’s fair in ______ love and ______ war.
2. By the time everyone was seated, ______ tea had grown cold.
3. Let me know when ______ water comes to a boil.
4. Mr. Brown encourages his children to study ______ music.
5. Jack has mastered ______ art of cake decorating.
6. Do you think ______ fish would make good pets?
7. I think ______ milk has turned sour.
8. Mary likes ______ sound of ______ rain on the roof.
9. Sometimes ______ life is not fair.
10. Father gave Mother ______ flowers for Valentine’s Day.
11. Some people think it’s wrong to wear ______ fur.
12. Sam spent three years studying ______ history of the northern fishing villages.
13. Older people are often uncomfortable using ______ computers.
14. How long have you been studying ______ English?
15. Wear a smock – working with ______ paint can be messy.
16. ______ sand is used to make ______ glass.
17. As soon as the oven is hot enough, put ______ bread in to bake.
18. Who introduced ______ silk to Europe?

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Education Focus: School Clubs – Extracurricular Activities

clubAmerican schools are more than places of schooling, particularly at the high school level. According to American educational philosophy, one of the reasons for school is to help students develop into well-rounded persons. Thus, students are encouraged to develop interests outside of academics, and consequently, many schools offer extracurricular activities.

The nature and scope of extracurricular activities depend on various factors, such as the size of the student body (how many students attend that school) or local interest. Schools with a larger student body will be able to offer their students more extracurricular options than a smaller school, and kids in an urban school are probably not going to be as interested in agriculture-related clubs as kids in a rural school would be.

What are examples of typical extracurricular activities? In high school you might find: theater, speech team/club, debating society, math club, science club, camera club, JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps), automotive club, foreign language club, aviation club, the school newspaper, and the school yearbook. Of course, there are many possibilities – just about any interest or hobby can be organized into an extracurricular club, as long as the interested students can find a faculty member to act as an academic advisor. The role of the academic advisor is to provide oversight, guidance, and stability to the group, as well as make suggestions regarding things like excursions or projects.

There are numerous benefits to extracurricular activities. Participation in a club gives student the chance to develop greater breadth in their knowledge and expertise of a hobby or interest. Guest speakers, conferences, and discussion groups can also help students think about possible future careers, whether that career is directly related to the extracurricular club or not. Extracurricular activities give students the opportunity to develop leadership skills and learn time management skills. These clubs can help students make the connection between the subject matter learned in the classroom and real life. And last but not least, participation in extracurricular activities might even result in a scholarship, which would help students to prepare for the financial challenges of attending college.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 41 (Solution)

basic vocab 41-sol

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 41

basic vocab 41
Across
1 Small auxiliary verb (2)
2 Polygon with four right angles (9)
8 Cat sound (4)
9 Obtain (3)
10 Fantasy (11)
13 Symbol (4)
14 You have two, one on each side of your head (3)
16 Usual drinking age in America (6-3)
17 A word used when talking about something that might have happened (2)
18 Speak (4)
19 Political leader (9)
22 Not outer (5)
24 Part of a book (4)
25 ____ and on (3)
26 Thick mat (3)
28 Second thought (12)
30 What you wear on your head (3)
31 Affirmative answer (3)
32 Sick (3)
33 On top of (4)
34 Unpleasant taste (6)
35 Having to do with finances (9)

Down
1 The process of digesting food (9)
3 Way to smoke tobacco (9)
4 When (2)
5 Opposite of “come” (2)
6 Kingdom (6)
7 Relationship (10)
10 Understanding of something (14)
11 From the outside to the inside (4)
12 A second one (7)
15 Something that rolls (6)
20 Big fire (7)
21 Paper used for blowing your nose (6)
23 Nothing there (5)
24 Pot and ____ (3)
25 Opposite of “in” (3)
27 Arid place (6)
29 Place to sleep when traveling (5)
30 One of two equal parts of something (4)
34 To ____ or not to ____ (2)

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