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CUADERNO DE

PRÁCTICAS 2021
PARA INGLÉS VII

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Contenido
Listening: Short conversations ............................................................................................ 7
1. Negative words ....................................................................................................................................... 8
2. Agreement .............................................................................................................................................. 12
3. Uncertainty ............................................................................................................................................. 14
4. Surprise .................................................................................................................................................... 23
5. Idioms ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
6. School (Assignments and tests) ..................................................................................................... 36
7. School (Tuition, scholarships, enrolling, requirements)......................................................... 41
8. School (Lectures, seminars, studying, graduation).................................................................. 45
9. Emotions ................................................................................................................................................. 49
10. Problems ................................................................................................................................................. 52
11. Selection .................................................................................................................................................. 55
12. Job hunting ............................................................................................................................................ 58
13. Work ......................................................................................................................................................... 61
14. Transportation....................................................................................................................................... 66
15. Transportation 2 & Accidents ......................................................................................................... 68
16. Food .......................................................................................................................................................... 70
17. Events ....................................................................................................................................................... 74
18. Entertainment ........................................................................................................................................ 79
19. Trips........................................................................................................................................................... 82
20. Sports ....................................................................................................................................................... 86
21. Health ....................................................................................................................................................... 89
22. Nature ...................................................................................................................................................... 93
23. Conversations ........................................................................................................................................ 97
24. House chores ...................................................................................................................................... 101
25. House problems ................................................................................................................................ 105
26. Banks and family finances ............................................................................................................. 109
27. Shopping .............................................................................................................................................. 113
28. Laboratory ........................................................................................................................................... 119

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29. Library.................................................................................................................................................... 121
30. Mail......................................................................................................................................................... 123
31. Law.......................................................................................................................................................... 125
Listening: Long audios ..................................................................................................... 127
1. Education ............................................................................................................................................. 127
2. School Red Tape................................................................................................................................ 134
3. School events ..................................................................................................................................... 137
4. School Programs ............................................................................................................................... 141
5. Lectures: History ................................................................................................................................ 143
6. Lectures: Literature and Psychology .......................................................................................... 146
7. Lectures: Chemistry and Earth’s History ................................................................................... 149
8. Lectures: Ecology .............................................................................................................................. 151
9. Lectures: Biology ............................................................................................................................... 154
10. Tours ...................................................................................................................................................... 156
11. Events .................................................................................................................................................... 159
12. Long Conversations ......................................................................................................................... 162
Grammar Part 1 ................................................................................................................. 168
Diagnostic Test............................................................................................................................................ 168
1&4&7&10. Negatives ............................................................................................................................. 170
2&6. Questions ........................................................................................................................................... 171
3&8. Omitted conditionals ..................................................................................................................... 173
5. Comparatives .......................................................................................................................................... 176
9. Locative expressions............................................................................................................................. 178
Review: Practice set ................................................................................................................................ 181
Grammar Part 2 ................................................................................................................. 184
Diagnostic Test............................................................................................................................................ 184
1. Subject-Verb Agreement .................................................................................................................... 188
2&3. The form of the verb after auxiliaries ...................................................................................... 189
4. Tense .......................................................................................................................................................... 192
5. Do not mix past with present in the TOEFL ................................................................................. 194
6. Will or Would .......................................................................................................................................... 195

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7&8 Plural or singular nouns ................................................................................................................. 196
9. A or an ....................................................................................................................................................... 198
Review: Practice set ................................................................................................................................ 200
10. Pronouns ................................................................................................................................................ 208
10.1. Reflexive Pronouns .................................................................................................................. 209
11. Possessive pronouns.......................................................................................................................... 211
12&13 Comparatives and superlatives. Part 1 ................................................................................ 213
14&15&16 Comparatives and superlatives. Part 2 ....................................................................... 214
17. Comparatives and superlatives. Part 3........................................................................................ 215
18. The comparative, the comparative............................................................................................... 217
19. Parallel structure.................................................................................................................................. 220
Review: Practice set ................................................................................................................................ 224
20. -ed and -ing Adjectives ..................................................................................................................... 231
21. Adjectives or adverbs ........................................................................................................................ 234
22. Adjectives before nouns ................................................................................................................... 235
23-25. Countable or uncountable nouns .......................................................................................... 236
26. Word Order in a Sentence ............................................................................................................... 238
27. Adjective first, then noun ................................................................................................................. 240
28. Position of adverbs............................................................................................................................. 241
Review: Practice set ................................................................................................................................ 243
29. Paired conjunctions............................................................................................................................ 247
30. Make or do ............................................................................................................................................ 248
31, 32. Relative pronouns........................................................................................................................ 254
33. Another, other, others ....................................................................................................................... 255
34. Irregular plurals.................................................................................................................................... 257
35. Predicate adjectives ........................................................................................................................... 260
36. -ly adjectives ......................................................................................................................................... 262
Review: Practice set ................................................................................................................................ 264
Grammar Practice tests .................................................................................................... 269
Practice test 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 269
Practice test 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 274

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Practice test 3 .............................................................................................................................................. 279
Practice test 4 .............................................................................................................................................. 284
Practice test 5 .............................................................................................................................................. 289
Reading .............................................................................................................................. 294
The word ____ in ______ is closest in meaning to ............................................................................ 296
Questions about specific details .......................................................................................................... 297
The paragraph preceding the passage .............................................................................................. 298
American Literature ................................................................................................................ 298
Apollo 11 ................................................................................................................................. 302
Growth in the Tree’s Cambium ............................................................................................... 299
Hope Diamond ........................................................................................................................ 300
George Washington ................................................................................................................ 301
The paragraph following the passage................................................................................................ 303
The Hummingbird ................................................................................................................... 303
Schizophrenia .......................................................................................................................... 304
George Eastman ...................................................................................................................... 305
The Olympics ........................................................................................................................... 306
The main idea .............................................................................................................................................. 307
TEXT 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 308
TEXT 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 309
The Golden Gate Bridge .......................................................................................................... 310
Appleton’s Cyclopedia ............................................................................................................. 311
Calamity Jane .......................................................................................................................... 312
The Camerata .......................................................................................................................... 313

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Listening: Short conversations
The TOEFL listening section is the first section of the test. It consists of three parts. In the
first part, you’ll hear two people speak. Look at the example below:

Man: Would you like to get some coffee or tea perhaps?


Woman: I’m a bit thirsty

WHAT DOES THE WOMAN MEAN?

(A) She’d like something to drink.


(B) She’d like to have thirty.
(C) She’d like a bite to eat.
(D) She’s a bit thrifty.

The question is always about what the second person say (in this case, the woman). The
correct answer in this case is letter A.

In the example above, notice how the incorrect answers contain words that sound like what
the woman said.

They said:
-Would you like to get some coffee or tea perhaps?
-I’m a bit thirsty. (Tengo un poco de sed)

Incorrect answers:
(B) She’d like to have thirty. (Le gustaría tener 30)
(C) She’d like a bite to eat. (Quisiera tener un poco de comer)
(D) She’s a bit thrifty. (Es un poco tacaña)

Notice how the correct answer tries to use different words from the ones used in
conversation:

Correct answer:
(A) She’d like something to drink.

The answer retains the original meaning, but it tries to use different structures and different
words. This however it’s not always possible but rest assured that the test makers try to
change it as much as possible. So be careful.

Pro tip: when you don’t understand something in this part. Do not choose an answer just
because it sounds like what you hear in the audio. This is probably the oldest trick in the
book.

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1. Negative words
There are 5 negative words that students are not usually acquainted with. Two of them are
extremely easy, so I will just mention them:

I rarely skip classes because I’m responsible = I seldom skip classes because I’m
responsible

I presume you understand the meaning of rarely. Seldom and rarely are synonyms. They
mean roughly the same thing. Do not forget it. Those are important words in the TOEFL.
Now the other three words are a bit more challenging for students. They are not hard to
learn, so don’t panic:

1. Hardly
2. Barely
3. Scarcely
Have you seen them before? Do you know what they mean? Let’s see some
sentences with BARELY /ber-li/, I will write the meaning of the first three. Then I
want you to try to see if you can do the same with the other sentences, OK?
1. He could barely read and write.
It means that he was able to read and write but it is still difficult for him. He
is not like you. He struggles with reading and writing. Those are difficult tasks
for him.
2. The music was barely audible.
It means that we could hear the music, but the music was too quiet. I wish it
had been a bit louder, you know, so I could have heard better.
3. He could barely speak.
Well, he did speak but probably not much, and certainly, with difficulty. Was
he out of breath? Was he embarrassed? Was he surprised? I don’t know, but he
said almost nothing. It was difficult for him.
4. The 120-year-old woman could barely walk.
________________________________________________________________________________________

5. We barely had time to catch the train.


________________________________________________________________________________________

6. She barely acknowledged my presence.


________________________________________________________________________________________

7. I had barely enough money to pay.


________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. He was barely 27 years old and he was already the top manager in Samsung.
________________________________________________________________________________________

9. I had barely started speaking when he interrupted me.


________________________________________________________________________________________

10. I barely recognized her.


________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you understand barely now? Yes? Well, let’s try hardly and scarcely
/sQUERS-ly/. Good news: Hardly=Scarcely. More good news: Hardly and scarcely
sometimes means the same as barely.
1. I can hardly keep my eyes open.
It means I kept my eyes open, but I wanted to fall asleep. I was fighting to
keep them open.
2. I could hardly believe what I saw on the news.
________________________________________________________________________________________

3. We can’t rest, we’ve hardly started.


________________________________________________________________________________________

4. We had hardly sat down at the table, when the phone rang.
________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Scarcely had the game started when it began to rain.


________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Scarcely had I closed my eyes when the alarm rang.


________________________________________________________________________________________

🅲 But they sometimes means something else. Can you make out what it means? I’ll
explain the first sentences, then it’s your turn! Keep in mind that hardly=scarcely.
7. There’s hardly any tea left.
There is some tea left but not much. I hope you don’t want to drink another
cup because there isn’t enough for seconds.
8. Hardly anyone has bothered to reply.
Some people has replied but not many. I would say that almost no one has
replied.

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9. She hardly ever calls me.
She almost never calls me. She calls me alright but not very often.
10. We hardly know each other.
________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Hardly a day goes by without me thinking of you.


________________________________________________________________________________________

12. I hardly speak any French.


________________________________________________________________________________________

13. There is hardly a cloud in the sky!


________________________________________________________________________________________

14. She hardly sees her parents these days


________________________________________________________________________________________

15. They have sold scarcely any copies of the book


________________________________________________________________________________________

🅳 So far so good? Now, hardly and scarcely have another meaning. It might look
harder, but it isn’t. We use them with this meaning whenever someone suggests/says
something stupid.
16. It’s hardly surprising she was fired, she never went to work.
It means that I don’t understand how anyone could have been surprised by the
news. It is not surprising she was fired; she never went to work. Duh!
17. It’s hardly the time to discuss our relationship now. My mother needs my help right
now.
It means it is not the time to discuss it. I don’t understand why you would
suggest it! Are you blind? Don’t you see my mother needs my help right now?
18. You can hardly expect her to do it for free.
________________________________________________________________________________________

19. -Couldn’t you have just said no?


-Hardly, she’s my mother.
________________________________________________________________________________________

20. He’s 24 – he’s hardly a baby.


________________________________________________________________________________________

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21. Someone died! It’s scarcely an occasion for laughter.
________________________________________________________________________________________

22. You can scarcely blame Annie. She wasn’t even there!
________________________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: All these sentences were taken from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
They were added for educational purposes only. They can’t be sold by anyone except the
owners.

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2. Agreement
Now, it’s time for you to learn a few expressions. The good news is that they are easy to
remember. They are expressions you can use to express agreement. Look at the dialogue
below:

What does the woman mean?

(A) She’d like the man to repeat himself.


(B) She thinks he is hot.
(C) She shares the man’s position.
(D) He has said that before.

In the TOEFL, the correct answer tends to be: “She shares the man’s position”, “She shares
the man’s opinion”, “She has the same opinion as the man”, “She agrees with the man”,
“She thinks the heat is unbearable too”, or “She also thinks it’s hot”. However, sometimes
the answer restates what the first person said e.g. “The weather is unbearably warm”. We
have other expressions that mean exactly the same as “you can say that again!” and you
have to know them for the TOEFL:

1. So do I (negative Neither do I)
2. Me, too (negative I don’t either)
3. I’ll say
4. Isn’t it!

You probably know the first three, however number four is often difficult for students
because it changes form.

Look at the examples below and complete the gaps with the correct form.
1. - She’s a lovely person. 4. - The movie was awful
- Isn’t she! - __________________!

2. - The instructions were helpful 5. - He looked anxious


- D_________________!
- Weren’t they!

6. - She looks worried.


3. - The professor spoke too fast! - Do_______________!
- Didn’t he!
7. - It was quick

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- __________________!

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3. Uncertainty
Whenever a speaker starts with his sentence with:

• As far as I know, it is a difficult exam


• As far as I can tell, it is a difficult exam

Or ends it with a tag question:

• It’s a difficult exam, isn’t it? (Spanish: es difícil, ¿no?)

He or she is indicating uncertainty. That means they are not 100% sure that’s the case but
they think it is.

Read the dialogue on the left:

What does the woman mean?

(A) She’s completely sure it’s next week


(B) She doesn’t have any idea when it’s the exam
(C) She believes the exam is next week
(D) She will ask about the exam next week

So, whenever you listen to those expressions, make sure to choose the answer that indicates
uncertainty (“she is not completely sure …”, “she thinks …”, “she believes…”). Easy? Go to the
next page and do the listening exercises. They are about topics 1-3. Let’s see how you do!

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1.12. a.Traffic should not be allowed. 7.12. a. She doesn’t have time to complete
b. She thinks that the traffic should additional reports.
stay outside. b. She cannot finish the reports that
c. She agrees that the traffic is noisy. she is already working on.
d. She’ll stay outside with the man. c. She is scared of having
responsibility for the reports.
a. The plane took off just after he d. It is not time for the accounting
2.23. arrived. reports to be compiled.
b. He arrived just after the plane took
off. 8.14. a. He cannot see the huge waves.
c. He wasn’t in time to catch the b. The waves are not coming in.
plane. c. He would like the woman to repeat
d. He arrived too late to catch the what she said.
plane. d. He agrees with the woman.

3.11. a.The prices are reasonable. 9.20. a. The recital starts in three hours.
b. The store is too far out of town. b. He intends to recite three different
c. He would like the woman to repeat poems.
what she said. c. He received a citation on the third
d. He agrees with the woman. of the month.
d. He thinks the performance begins
a. The history class begins next week. at three.
4.17. b. He thinks the papers should be
turned in next week. 10.25. a. She doesn’t think the news report is
c. He has already done the paper for false.
next week. b. She has never before reported on
d. The papers are not due next week. the news.
c. She never watches the news on
5.28. a. New employees are rarely initiated television.
into the company. d. She shares the man’s opinion about
b. New workers don’t generally the report.
undertake actions on their own.
c. New employees are initially rated. 11.6. a. She needs a new coat.
d. It’s rare for employees to make new b. She likes the paint in the dorm
suggestions. rooms.
c. She has the same opinion as the
6.2. a. She thinks it’s an improvement. man.
b. The fir trees in it are better. d. She left her coat in the dorm room.
c. It resembles the last one.
d. It is the best the man has ever
done.

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12.10. a.The professor gives quizzes 17.28. a. It received more attention on the
regularly. exam than it did in the lectures.
b. The woman is really quite prepared. b. It was a major part of all of the
c. It is unusual for this professor to lectures.
give quizzes. c. It was not on the exam at all.
d. He doesn’t think there’s a class d. It received more attention in the
today. lectures than it had on the exam.

13.12. a.He doesn’t know how far away the 18.4. a. He has never gone to any games.
exhibit is. b. It is rare for the football team to
b. He’s uncertain about the fee. win.
c. The exhibit is not very far away. c. He doesn’t go to games often.
d. He’s sure the exhibit isn’t free. d. It is rare for the university team to
have a game.
14.18. a.He’s already talked to the professor
about the assignment. 19.7. a. He will be far from the conference
b. There is no assignment for tonight.
tomorrow. b. He’s not quite sure who the
c. He’s not sure what the professor speaker will be.
will talk about. c. He knows Dr. Burton well.
d. The professor discussed the d. He knows that Dr. Burton will be
assignment only briefly. speaking.

15.11. a.She would like the man to repeat 20.9. a. He’s going to say something in the
himself. theater.
b. The last exam was not very hard. b. What the woman said was
c. She agrees with the man about the magnified out of proportion.
exam. c. The size of the theater was
d. The man has repeated himself magnificent.
several times. d. He shares the woman’s opinion.

16.18. a.They were unable to pay the bill. 21.27. a. She spent her normal amount of
b. The prices were surprisingly low. time on it.
c. The restaurant was too expensive b. It is rare for her to finish an
for them to try. assignment.
d. They almost didn’t have enough to c. It is rare for her to put any effort
pay for the meal. into an assignment.
d. She spent more time than usual on
it.

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22.4. a. He’ll continue to stand in line for 27.9. a. She agrees that getting the car was
texts. not a good idea.
b. He has enough to pay for the texts. b. She imagines that she would like to
c. He agrees with the woman about have a similar car.
the texts. c. She thinks that the man is mistaken
d. He thinks the woman’s in the about the car.
wrong line to get the texts. d. She thinks the man has no
imagination.
23.12. a. He’d like the woman to repeat
herself. 28.10. a. He would like the woman to repeat
b. The woman should talk to a what she said.
physician. b. He thinks that one semester is
c. He share’s the woman’s position. enough time for the course.
d. What the woman said was c. He also thinks that the course
unimportant. should be extended.
d. He would like to take the course
24.19. a. He has never gone sailing. two semesters from now.
b. He doesn’t like sailing.
c. He hasn’t had much time for 29.1. a. There’s little rain in July.
sailing. b. In July it never rains.
d. He doesn’t have any time to go c. It rains hard in July.
sailing. d. When it rains in July, it rains hard.

25.22. a. He’s not quite sure when the 30.3. a. Although he did pass, Mark’s exam
projects should be finished. grade wasn’t too good.
b. He’s doing his project for music b. Mark failed his history exam.
class now. c. The highest grade on the history
c. Music class meets for the first time exam went to Mark.
in December. d. Professor Franks didn’t pass Mark
d. He believes the music will be on the history exam.
available on December 1.
31.5. a. This party hasn’t been any fun at
26.8. a. She doesn’t like this meal too all.
much. b. He wonders if the woman enjoyed
b. This food tastes wonderful to her. herself.
c. She’s not sure if she likes it. c. He wants to know what she said.
d. She can’t stand this meal. d. He’s enjoyed himself tremendously.

32.6. a. She condones what happened.


b. She does not like what the man
said.
c. She agrees with the man about
what happened.
d. She says that she did not do it.
Auto-complete your grade. _____/32
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1.7. a. He thinks the parties aren’t loud. 6.9. a. Meat tastes delicious to him when
b. He says that the neighbors don’t it’s cooked rare.
have many parties. b. He isn’t sure if the meal is delicious.
c. He agrees that the upstairs c. This meat is the best he’s tasted in
neighbors are noisy. a long time.
d. The loud parties don’t bother him. d. He’d like to eat some meat from
this delicatessen.
2.3. a. There wasn’t enough soup to go
around. 7.3. a. She is not sure which course she
b. We had so much soup that we should take.
couldn’t finish it. b. She’s not sure if she should take a
c. Everyone got one serving of soup, trip to France.
but there wasn’t enough for c. She knows that she is not ready for
seconds. intermediate French.
d. Everyone around the table had a lot d. She wants to take neither
of soup. beginning nor intermediate French.

3.7. a. He finished the exam in plenty of 8.4. a. The man should repeat what he
time. said.
b. He was scared he wouldn’t finish. b. The man said something foolish.
c. He used every possible minute to c. She thinks that the food is the best
finish. she has ever tasted.
d. He was unable to complete the d. She agrees that the food is pretty
exam. bad.

4.8. a. This was a very long staff meeting. 9.5. a. Betty often takes vacations in
b. This was the only staff meeting in a winter.
long time. b. Betty prefers to take vacations in
c. The meeting lasted only until one winter.
o’clock. c. Occasionally Betty works one week
d. The one staff meeting should’ve during vacation.
lasted longer. d. A winter vacation is unusual for
Betty.
5.10. a. This math project was extremely
complex. 10.6. a. He rarely spends time on his
b. This math project was less courses.
complicated than the last. b. He’s an excellent student.
c. They seldom complete their math c. He never studies.
projects. d. His books are always open.
d. Complicated math projects are
often assigned.

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11.3. a. He knows the movie starts at 8:00. 17.1. a. He’s sure about which chapters
b. He is not quite sure when the they are to read.
movie begins. b. He thinks he know what the
c. He thinks the start of the movie has assignment is.
been changed. c. He has to tell her how far she
d. He will start the movie himself at should go.
8:00. d. The professor told them to read the
chapters after the exam.
12.5. a. He believes that it is acceptable to
park there. 18.9. a. He thinks the bill is due in the
b. The parking lot is too far from their middle of the month.
destination. b. The bill is approximately fifteen
c. He knows that they won’t get a dollars.
ticket. c. He knows when they should pay
d. He knows where the parking lot is. the bill.
d. The bill is going to be fifteen days
13.7. a. They always work hard in the late.
afternoon.
b. They don’t do much after lunch. 19.5. a. She’s told Matt he’ll go far.
c. After noon they never work. b. Matt has far from enough talent.
d. It’s never hard for them to work in c. She told Matt to roll farther.
the afternoon. d. She believes Matt has the ability for
the part.
14.1. a. The trip would cost too much.
b. She doesn’t think that a trip would 20.6. a. He would be glad to say it over
be a good idea. again.
c. She would like to take two trips b. He would like the woman to repeat
rather than one. what she said.
d. She would also like to take a trip. c. He says that he would like to take
the class again.
15.2. a. He would like to see the elections d. He’s happy the class is over, too.
for town council.
b. He agrees that Matt should be 21.7. a. He finished all the problems.
elected. b. He doesn’t believe what the woman
c. He thinks the elections should take said.
place next month. c. He was able to finish some of the
d. He disagrees with the woman. problems.
d. Both he and the woman were
16.1. a. She plans to talk a lot this month. unsuccessful on the math
b. She has a lot to say about the problems.
phone bill.
c. The bill is high because she has a
lot to say.
d. She agrees with the man.

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22.3. a.He has a better idea. 28.18. a.He doesn't want to study American
b. He'd prefer to listen to music. history.
c. He doesn't like the sound of it. b. He has already finished with this
d. He thinks her idea is good. course.
c. He will go to the course directly
23.6. a.It may be the day after tomorrow. from his job.
b. It's not in two days. d. He usually works too late to take
c. It's not in history class. the course.
d. She thinks it's today.
29.19. a.Traffic usually isn't a problem.
24.14. a. He disagrees with the woman. b. Six o'clock is too early to go to the
b. He never used to go to the library. airport.
c. He's not unhappy about the library c. Traffic is usually light at that hour.
hours. d. He thinks they should leave earlier.
d. He has the same opinion as the
woman. 30.30. a. He's busy performing an
experiment.
25.20. a. The woman needs to count the b. He doesn't know what to do either.
pages in her paper. c. He isn't around to show them what
b. The professor will probably not to do.
accept a late paper. d. He was there to help them.
c. Extensions are never given by this
professor. 31.1. a. She would like the man to repeat
d. It would be a good idea to turn the himself.
paper in early. b. She thinks they will have a lot of
free time.
26.1. a. He thinks the basketball team is c. She agrees with the man's
good. assessment of the situation.
b. He thinks last year's basketball d. She wants him to say whatever he
team was better. really thinks.
c. He is disappointed that he is not on
the basketball team. 32.14. a. He believes the checks are in the
d. He agrees with the woman. office.
b. He is unsure about his response.
27.17. a. She shares the man's opinion. c. He doesn't know how far the office
b. She thinks they can get it done. is.
c. She disagrees with the man. d. He knows how to satisfy the
d. She didn't want to talk to the science requirement.
professor.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/32

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1.14. a. She does not share the same 7.6. a. He believes that Robert may be on
opinion as the man. a football team.
b. She's convinced that William is b. He finds it offensive to play
going to win. football.
c. She thinks that William is through c. Robert will not be playing this year.
with the contest. d. He is sure that Robert is a defensive
d. She agrees with the man about player on the football team.
William.
8.7. a. It was impossible to understand.
2.1. a. She agrees with the man. b. It needed to be louder.
b. She thinks the quizzes are too c. It needed to be better prepared.
short. d. It couldn't have been better.
c. She doesn't like biology.
d. She thinks the quizzes aren't tricky. 9.8. a. It is essential to tear down the
buildings.
3.2. a. Continue working b. The university needs to add new
b. Quit their jobs buildings.
c. Review for the exam c. More storage is needed at the
d. Stop studying university.
d. He shares the woman's opinion.
4.2. a. He doesn't usually appear before
large groups. 10.10. a. The two big dogs are really lost.
b. This is the largest audience he has b. She can keep her dogs in almost
ever addressed. any apartment.
c. He doesn't do very much public c. Such an apartment is almost
speaking. impossible to locate.
d. He has never spoken to a large d. She can't really have gotten lost.
audience.
11.6. a. They need to have longer breaks
5.3. a. Arthur has not applied for a job. between classes.
b. It appears that Arthur has not b. The classrooms need more space.
progressed on the document. c. The man is an excellent runner.
c. She does not want to share the d. The campus is too large.
information with the man.
d. Arthur has not headed his
document correctly. 12.25. a. He finished 30 minutes early.
b. He barely finished.
6.5. a. He needs to work out a problem at c. He still has not stopped.
home. d. He was unable to finish.
b. He hasn't had time to do his
homework.
c. He hasn't exercised recently.
d. He feels he doesn't understand the
assignment.

21
13.8. a. She doesn't want to go to the 16.10. a. He wants to know if the muffins
lecture. taste good.
b. She wants the man to miss the b. He thinks the muffins were recently
lecture. prepared.
c. She's not quite sure what time the c. The muffins are not really fresh.
lecture is scheduled. d. He’s sure that the muffins were just
d. She needs plenty of time to get made.
ready for the lecture.
17.7. a. She knows where the children are.
14.27. a. The professor really didn't move b. The children have finished playing
the exam. ball.
b. The exam was a disaster for him. c. She’s going to the park to find the
c. They will see the exam schedule in children.
a few days. d. She believes that the children are in
d. He's glad the exam was changed. the park.

15.6. a. She gets along with lots of people.


b. She gets back at people who cross
her.
c. She gets rid of people she doesn’t
want to spend time with.
d. She tries to get ahead of everyone.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/17

22
4. Surprise
Consider the following sentence uttered by a mother to his son when entering the kitchen.
Pay close attention to the emoji attached to it:

¡Sí lavaste los trastes!

Do you think the mother expected her son to wash the dishes? No, right? That’s why she
said that. So, if someone were to ask you “what had the mother assumed?”, what would
you answer?

A. Que el hijo iba a lavar los trastes


B. Que el hijo no iba a lavar los trastes
C. Que no había trastes
D. Que el hijo tiró los trastes

Many students tend to choose letter A as an answer, but the fact is that the correct answer
is letter B. The reason for that lies in the meaning of the question “what had the mother
assumed?”. This question is asking you “why was the mother surprised? what had she
expected?”. By now you may have probably noticed that the answer to such a question will
always be the opposite of what the person said. Consider the following sentence uttered by
a woman, then answer the question in capital letters:

So you did go to the concert

WHAT HAD THE WOMAN ASSUMED?

A. That the concert had gone wrong


B. That the concert had gone on and on
C. That he would attend the concert
D. That he would not attend the concert

I hope that you have chosen letter D as an answer. (¿Qué esperaba la mujer que se
sorprendió tanto? D. Que él no iría al concierto). Now that that part is clear, you only need
to learn to recognize surprise in English. In Spanish, you can tell by the intonation alone. In
English, it is also fairly easy to tell too:

Fact: To show surprise, the auxiliary of the sentence must be stressed.

Compare (the word in CAPITAL LETTERS must be stressed):

Without surprise: So, you went to the concert.

With surprise: So, you DID go to the concert!

The stress in the auxiliary DID is all you need to show surprise. However, many speakers
choose to add the word SO or THEN at the beginning of their sentences to reinforce the
idea of surprise.

23
1.29. a. The man would do the dishes. 7.30.a. That he would remember her
b. The plates did not need to be birthday.
washed. b. That he would bring her a gift.
c. The man would not be ready to go. c. That he had forgotten her birthday.
d. The dishes would not be done. d. That he would get her something
she didn’t like.
2.30. a. He had not gone to the store.
b. He was still at the market. 8.22. a. That he would be at work.
c. He was going to take care of the b. That he knew a lot about
shopping. architecture.
d. He always went to the market. c. That he did not get the job.
d. That he would not be at home.
3.29. a. The door was unlocked.
b. It was better to wait outside. 9.29. a. That she couldn’t get into the lab.
c. He could not open the door. b. That she wouldn’t do the
d. He needed to take a walk. assignment.
c. That her lab assignment was
4.21. a. That she wouldn’t take the trip. already done.
b. That she would go to the beach. d. That she would start working in a
c. That she really liked the beach. couple of hours.
d. That she would take a break from
her studies. 10.4. a. The woman had run more than
three miles.
5.29. a. That John would pick them up for b. The woman always got lots of
the concert. exercise.
b. That the concert would start earlier. c. The woman ran for three hours in
c. That John would not be going to the morning.
the concert. d. The woman had not gotten much
d. That they would be late to the exercise.
concert.
11.5. a. He had been somewhere else.
6.20. a. That she would take the course. b. He had been in the library.
b. That the first lecture would not be c. He had been working on his
tomorrow. research project.
c. That he would not be in the course. d. He would start working on his
d. That she would not register. project in five hours.

12.6. a. He had changed apartments.


b. He did not like his new apartment.
c. He was still in his old apartment.
d. He had moved from a house to an
apartment.

24
13.9. a. She had registered in physics. 19.7. a. The woman did not like desserts.
b. She would go to physics class later. b. The woman ate sweets regularly.
c. She had already taken a physics c. The woman would not share her
class. chocolate cake.
d. She had not enrolled in physics. d. The woman had eaten his piece of
cake.
14.10. a. The pipes were not clear.
b. The plumber would be late. 20.8. a. The man was going to study hard.
c. The plumber had already cleared b. The man already had a driver’s
the pipes. license.
d. The pipes did not need to be c. The man would not take the test.
cleared. d. The man had already taken the test.

15.27. a. That she didn't need to read 21.2. a.Bill had never really been sick.
Chapter 6. b. Bill was too sick to come to class.
b. That Chapter 6 was required c. Bill was sick of calculus class.
reading. d. Bill had forgotten about the
c. That she only needed to read calculus class that morning.
Chapter 6.
d. That Chapters 5 and 7 were not 22.29. a.That he couldn't fail the exam.
required. b. That he couldn't get a 75 on the
exam.
16.1. a.Greg always comes to parties. c. That he didn't need to work hard.
b. Greg would come to the party later. d. That it was impossible to pass the
c. Greg was unable to attend the course.
party.
d. Greg would stay at the party for 23.13. a. That the team was not in the finals.
only a moment. b. That there would be no finals.
c. That the finals had already taken
17.2. a. The woman always rode her place.
motorcycle to school. d. That the team did make the finals.
b. The woman was not coming to
school today. 24.23. a. That the woman had been sorry
c. The woman was an expert about the decision.
motorcycle rider. b. That the woman had not taken the
d. The woman did not know how to job.
ride a motorcycle. c. That the woman had not made a
good decision.
18.3. a. The man was not a very good cook. d. That he should have taken the job
b. The man never invited friend over himself.
for dinner.
c. The man would never invite him
over for dinner.
d. The man was an excellent cook.

25
25.4. a. That she did not have the papers 30.4. a. The cafeteria was open in the
b. That she would not be in her office morning.
c. That she was waiting in her office at b. The cafeteria did not serve
3:00 breakfast.
d. That she had not graded the paper c. The breakfast in the cafeteria was
not very tasty.
26.7. a. The catalogue was wrong. d. The woman never ate breakfast in
b. They would have class on Monday. the cafeteria.
c. The holiday had been canceled.
d. The school would not be opened 31.23. a. He was going directly to the party.
on Monday. b. He didn't know the way to Kent's
house.
27.10. a. She was unable to hold down a job. c. He would be unable to attend the
b. She would not be able to attend a festivities.
family gathering. d. He had lost his invitation.
c. She would be making a trip to see
her relatives. 32.8. a. The man had mailed the package.
d. She had to cancel her reservations b. The man had forgotten to go to the
to Seattle. post office.
c. The man had given the package to
28.20. a. That the man had been in class. the woman to mail.
b. That the man didn’t have the notes. d. The man remembered the package
c. That she didn’t need the notes. after he went to the post office.
d. That the lecture had been canceled.
33.9. a. That the man had not gone to the
29.29. a. That he would be working all library.
weekend. b. That the man did not have the
b. That no one ever worked on book.
weekends. c. That the library was closed.
c. That he would not be in the office d. That the man had the book.
this weekend.
d. That the office would be open this
weekend.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/33

26
5. Idioms
Unscramble the idioms on the left and their definitions. Make sure you understand what
they mean.

1. Lo / en / la lengua / la punta de / = the tip / It’s / my tongue / on / of


tengo It’s on the tip of my tongue
Lo tengo en la punta de la lengua

2. los / Me / K-Dramas / gustan = are / of tea / my / K-Dramas / cup


________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. pan / Es / comido = as / It’s / pie / as easy


________________________________________ ________________________________________

4. Las / al pie / instrucciones / Seguí / la letra / de = the letter / I / followed / to / the directions
________________________________________ ________________________________________

5. se decide / la / nuevo iPhone / = is still up / of the / to the pandemic /


pandemia / de lanzamiento del / la new iPhone / in the air / due / The
fecha / por / Aún no release date
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________ ________________________________________

6. la oportunidad / ni una / No / de decir = word / I / get a / couldn’t / in


/ palabra / tuve ________________________________________
________________________________________
(porque la otra persona habló y habló
sin parar)

7. hizo / no / un día / se / Roma / en = in / wasn’t / Rome / a day / built


________________________________________ ________________________________________

8. dos / Matar / de / pájaros / tiro / un = one stone / Killing / with / two birds
________________________________________ ________________________________________

9. piensan / una / cabezas / Dos / que / = one / Two / heads / than / are / better
mejor ________________________________________
________________________________________

10. una / en / aguja / pajar / Buscar / un = a haystack / for a needle / Look / in


________________________________________ ________________________________________

11. pan / Es / comido = a / cake / piece / Be / of


________________________________________ ________________________________________

27
12. nunca / que / Más / tarde / vale = never / than / Better / late
________________________________________ ________________________________________

13. fuego / con / Jugar = with / Play / fire


________________________________________ ________________________________________

14. es / maravillosa / Ella = a million / one / She’s / in


________________________________________ ________________________________________

15. la / Perdió / oportunidad = missed / really / the boat / He


________________________________________ ________________________________________

16. mejor / No hay / que el / momento / ahora = the / no time / present / There’s / like
________________________________________ ________________________________________
(Hazlo ahora)

17. el / todo / Hasta / bien / momento, = good / far, / So / so


________________________________________ ________________________________________

18. que / Perro / no / ladra / muerde = bite / than / is / His bark / his / worse
________________________________________ ________________________________________

19. es / poder / Querer = there’s / there’s / Where / a will, /a way


________________________________________ ________________________________________

20. la / estamos / misma (situación) / Todos / en = same boat / all / in the / We’re
________________________________________ ________________________________________

21. personajes / cuna / de los / en Gossip / = Most of the characters in Gossip girl
nacieron / Muchos / en / de oro / Girl have / born / with / in / their mouths / a
________________________________________ silver spoon / been
________________________________________ ________________________________________
(nacieron ricos) ________________________________________

22. siempre / El / más / casa / pasto / se ve = fence / grass / is / greener / on other


/ en la / del / verde / vecino side / always / of the / The / the
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________
(no importa lo que tengas, siempre crees
que lo que alguien tiene es mejor)

23. dos / de / gotas / Como / agua = peas / two / in a pod / Like


________________________________________
________________________________________

28
24. inmediato / De = done / No sooner / than / said
________________________________________ ________________________________________

25. mi / momento / tarea / en el / Envié / = I sent my math homework / the / wire /


último under
________________________________________ ________________________________________

26. cuando / preocuparé / suceda / Me = cross / come / that / I’ll to / it / bridge /


________________________________________ when / I
(pero no ahora) ________________________________________

27. se / mosca / oía / ni / No / de una / vuelo / el = heard / could / You / a pin / have / drop
________________________________________ ________________________________________
(estaba todo muy silencioso)

28. en / clavo / Dar / el = right / the / Hit / on / nail / head / the


________________________________________ ________________________________________

de / Piensa / actuar / antes = you / before / Look / leap


________________________________________ ________________________________________

29. Después de perder mi trabajo, = After losing my job, I had to rely on the
dependía de los vales del gobierno, government help, but now I can / again
pero ahora / otra / mi / valerme / por / stand / my / feet / on / own / two
vez / ya / puedo / mismo ________________________________________
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________

30. oportunidad / la / Aprovecha = the / hot / Strike iron is while


________________________________________ ________________________________________

31. Tardarse demasiado = Taking forever and a day


________________________________________ ________________________________________

32. la / pared / espada / Entre / y / la = a rock / a hard place / Between / and


________________________________________ ________________________________________

33. ________________________________________ = Jack-of-all-trades

34. vendas / No / cazarlo / la / oso / antes = Don’t / they’re / hatched / count / before
de / piel de / your chickens
________________________________________ ________________________________________

29
35. corriente / nadar / Como / contra = trying / upstream / to / Like / swim
________________________________________ (es ________________________________________
muy difícil)

36. de Guatepeor Guatemala Ir a = the fire / of the frying pan / and into /
________________________________________ Jumping out
________________________________________

37. demás está de los muy por Ella encima = head and / She’s / shoulders / rest /
________________________________________ (es above the
la mejor) ________________________________________

38. del / Son / oficio / gajes = a day’s / all in / work / It’s


________________________________________ ________________________________________

39. Entrar en pánico y hacer todo muy = around / Run / cut off / like a / with its
rápido de manera ajetreada y confusa head / chicken
________________________________________

40. Cada quien, cada quien… = his own / each / To


________________________________________

41. tal / tal / De / astilla / palo = A / old block / chip off / the
________________________________________ ________________________________________

42. las / En / últimas = legs / her / On / last


________________________________________ ________________________________________
(muy cansado)

43. las / están / Deja / como / cosas = lie / sleeping / Let / dogs
________________________________________ ________________________________________

44. Zafarse (de un problema) = Off / hook / the


________________________________________

45. Todo / pasa / me = luck / Just / my


________________________________________ ________________________________________

46. con / Andarse / rodeos = To / bush / around / the / beat


________________________________________ ________________________________________

30
47. cuadrado / quedé / Me / con el ojo = knocked me down / You / feather / with
________________________________________ a / could have
________________________________________

48. Estár equivocado = the wrong / Bark up / tree


________________________________________

49. en / pensar / sí / Sólo / mismo = number / Look out / one / for


________________________________________ ________________________________________

50. de / Pasar / o / cambiar / página = a / leaf / Turn over / new


________________________________________ ________________________________________

51. lo mismo / igual / Me da / que da = half dozen / one, / of the other / Six of
________________________________________ ________________________________________

52. positivo / tiene / Todo / su lado = silver lining / cloud / has / Every / a
________________________________________ ________________________________________
________________________________________ o No
hay mal que por bien no venga
53. Entrarle / entusiasmo / con = teeth / my / Sink / into
________________________________________ ________________________________________

54. sobre / los / Poner / puntos / las íes = i’s / t’s / and cross / Dot all the / all the
________________________________________ o ________________________________________
Atender a cada detalle / Ser muy
meticuloso

55. algo / Hacer / de / a / sol / sol = the / at both / Burn / ends / candle
________________________________________ ________________________________________

56. pata / la / Meter (al decir algo) = your / on your / foot / mouth / Put
________________________________________ ________________________________________

57. la leche / Vender / antes de / la vaca / = the / Put / before / the horse / cart
ordeñar ________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
58. que / almohada / con / hay / = on / sleep / it / Let’s
consultarlo / la
________________________________________ _______________________________________
________________________________________

31
1.20. a.She’d like some pie. 7.13. a.The phone is off the hook.
b. It’s easy to buy it. b. The man will head the committee.
c. The task the man’s working on isn’t c. The man is no longer responsible.
difficult. d. The committee meeting has been put
d. It’s easier to prepare pie than do off.
what the man is doing.
8.24. a.He cannot work on the assignment
2.30. a. He nailed the door shut. because of a headache.
b. He is heading home. b. He thinks the assignment will take
c. He hit himself in the head. about two hours.
d. He is absolutely correct. c. It would be better to prepare two
assignments than one.
3.17. a.He’s really tall. d. He prefers not to work on it by
b. He’s the best. himself.
c. He’s got a good head on his
shoulders. 9.5. a. The man doesn’t like eating in
d. He always uses his head. restaurants.
b. She doesn’t really like that restaurant.
4.27. a.He missed an opportunity. c. Each of them has his own restaurant.
b. He was late for his trip. d. Everyone has different tastes.
c. He should take the next boat.
d. He should send in his application. 10.7. a.Abbie used a feather in his art
project.
5.13. a.She’ll be able to stay up until the last b. He was knocked down.
moment. c. He was really surprised.
b. She’s been running for some time. d. Abbie’s father knocked on the door.
c. She’s not sure when the last exam is.
d. She’s really exhausted. 11.8. a.They are taking a boat trip together.
b. The six chapters are all about the
6.26. a.The bridge is too hard to cross. boat.
b. They must pay rent for the bridge. c. Everyone has to do the same thing.
c. They must cross a bridge to get to d. The man will read while he’s on the
the house. boat.
d. They can decide later.
12.4. a.He put his foot where he should not
have.
b. He put the food that the teacher
gave him into his mouth.
c. He said something embarrassing.
d. He told the teacher that his foot was
hurt.

32
13.9. a. She is taller than the others. 19.17.a. He's leaving school this semester.
b. She put her science project on top of b. He would have done better with
the others. more effort.
c. She has a really good head on her c. He's already turned in the physics
shoulders. grades.
d. She’s the best of them all. d. He's changed a lot.

14.10. a.The man needs to improve his 20.28. a. The program is very difficult to
penmanship. complete.
b. The man doesn’t really need to apply b. She is trying hard to swim in the
for the scholarship. stream.
c. The man needs to fill out the c. She'd like to take a break and go for
application with dots and crosses. a swim.
d. The man needs to pay attention to d. Sometimes she'd like to scream
every detail. about the program.

15.2. a. He resembles his father. 21.16. a.It's better to study at two o'clock
b. He has a chipped tooth. than at one.
c. He lives one block from his father. b. If they use their heads, they'll be able
d. He and his father were playing a to study better.
game with blocks. c. She has a headache and won't be
able to study.
16.1. a. The man’s never late. d. It's preferable to study together.
b. It’s good that the man was fifteen
minutes late. 22.24. a. The needle is missing.
c. It’s never good to be late for class. b. It will only take a little bit of time.
d. It’s good that the man went to class, c. She has never been searching in a
on time or not. haystack.
d. The error is going to be difficult to
17.2. a. The woman’s work is all in her head. find.
b. The woman has to do two
experiments rather than one. 23.29. a. He plans to see a dentist.
c. It’s a good idea to work together. b. He has a sinking feeling about the
d. The biology experiment concerns offer.
two-headed animals. c. He's planning to attack the
committee.
18.3. a. She has no time to work now. d. He can really get involved in this.
b. She doesn’t want to work on the
report either. 24.2. a. They will soon be taking a trip by
c. It’s best to get it over with now. boat.
d. There’s no time to present the report b. Everyone is in the same situation.
now. c. The professor has made everyone
happy.
d. They are going to math class in a few
hours.

33
25.8. a. He wired the paper to the professor. 31.6. a. Taking a nap
b. The paper was handed in just in time. b. Leaving it alone for now
c. His paper was a little late. c. Allowing the dog to sleep
d. He slipped the late paper under the d. Discussing it further
professor's door.
32.23. a. Betty wrote the letter as directed.
26.8. a. Sara is taller than the rest of the b. The directions were given to Betty in
artists. a letter.
b. Sara's paintings are displayed higher c. Betty will follow the instructions later.
than the other paintings. d. Betty worked exactly as instructed.
c. Sara's paintings include heads and
shoulders. 33.26. a. Management will offer pay raises on
d. Sara's work is by far the best. Friday.
b. The policy has not yet been decided.
27.10. a. She is still responsible for the c. The manager is full of hot air.
situation. d. The plane has not yet landed.
b. Her actions probably went unnoticed.
c. She could easily take care of the 34.24. a. She answered his question a minute
dishes. ago.
d. She should place the dishes on b. She just bit her tongue.
hooks. c. It’s hard for her to put the answer
into words.
28.24. a. He cannot work on the assignment d. The tip of her tongue is quite sore.
because of a headache.
b. He thinks the assignment will take 35.8. a. Fred has a dog that barks a lot.
about two hours. b. Fred has hidden the money in a tree.
c. It would be better to prepare two c. Fred has backed into a tree.
assignments than one. d. Fred has made a mistake.
d. He prefers not to work on it by
himself. 36.10. a. They should postpone their decision
until morning.
29.10. a. She’s rather got swimming than do b. They should go to sleep in the new
the homework. house.
b. The chemistry homework is really c. They should not buy such a big
difficult. house.
c. She’s doing the homework by the d. They should decide where to go to
swimming pool. sleep
d. The stream is drying up.

30.10. a.He’ll make a charitable contribution.


b. He couldn’t get into the classroom.
c. He didn’t have very much to say.
d. He was not given the chance to
speak.

34
37.4. a.She’s very lucky to get the last book. 39.21.a. She does not have any good options.
b. She’s sorry she can’t get the book b. She's lying on some hard rocks.
today. c. She should not be upset about the
c. She always has good luck with books. problem.
d. She just wanted to look at the book. d. She should take the easy way out.

38.22. a.Jim didn't enjoy the outing.


b. Jim doesn't like tea.
c. It was a surprise that Jim had a good
time.
d. She didn't think that Jim was back
yet.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/39

35
6. School (Assignments and tests)
Answer the questions by circling or writing the correct answer. If you don’t understand the
words in bold letters, YOU LOOK THEM UP! (look up = search for the definition in a
dictionary)

1. Think about physics class. Which kind of assignment would you like to do the most?
a. Writing a paper
b. Reading
c. Doing a project
d. Writing a report

2. Write the name of a class in which (except English):


a. The teacher accepts late assignments: ________________
b. The teacher may give you an extension on a paper (if you couldn’t finish a
paper on time): __________________
c. The teacher prefers handwritten assignments: _____________________
d. The teacher prefers typed assignments: _____________________
e. The exam constitutes a minor part of the grade: ____________________
f. The exam constitutes a major part of the grade: ____________________
g. You’ll do a term project (term = semester): ________________________
h. You’ll do a midterm project: ______________________
i. You wrote a 2 page long paper (or longer): ______________________

3. “Final exams are usually cumulative”, what does that mean?

4. In an exam, you prefer:


a. Multiple choice questions
b. Essay questions
c. Matching
d. Short answer questions
e. True and false questions

5. Did you receive the syllabus of the class (that piece of paper teachers give you the first
day of class outlining all the contents that will be covered in the semester)? ___________

6. Before deciding to enroll at UAQ, did you look at the curriculum of your chosen
major? ______________

7. The passing grade for UAQ courses is: ______________________

8. The passing score for an exam is usually: ______________________

36
9. You’d say your handwriting is legible / illegible.

10. Is it common for your teachers to put off exams (change the scheduled day of an
exam)? ____________
11. When homework is to be submitted online, you usually send it: right under the wire /
with plenty of time

12. Are turn in, hand in, and submit synonyms? __________________

13. Do you know what a draft is? ____________________

14. Write the translation of barely and seldom: _______________ and __________________

15. This homework is due on: ________________ (write its due date)

37
Listen and answer the questions. d. Both versions were poorly written

1.4 a. He hasn’t yet begun his project 8.6. a. Steve wanted to finish his paper, and
. b. He’s supposed to do his science so did Paul
project next week b. Both Steve’s and Paul’s papers were
c. He needs to start working on incomplete
changing the due date c. Steve and Paul were busy doing their
d. He’s been working steadily on his term papers
science project d. When Steven wasn’t able to finish his
paper, Paul couldn’t help
2.17 a. The history class begins next week
. b. He thinks the papers should be 9.7. a. Long reports may not be
turned in next week handwritten.
c. He has already done the paper for b. Their professor will only accept
next week typewritten reports.
d. The papers are not due next week c. Handwritten reports must be legible.
d. The reports must be typed in the lab.
3.7. a. He needs to complete the math
assignment first
10.20. a. The woman needs to count the
b. He’ll be ready in a couple of hours pages in her paper.
c. He’s going to history class now b. The professor will probably not
d. He was ready a few minutes ago accept a late paper.
c. Extensions are never given by this
4.9. a. Returning to it later professor.
b. coming back home d. It would be a good idea to turn the
c. finishing the math book paper in early
d. leaving for class
11.26. a. Extending the paper.
5.21. a. She listened attentively during class b. Asking the professor for assistance in
b. She must make the list five pages preparing the paper.
long c. Turning the paper in anyway.
c. She did not attend all of the class d. Asking if it's possible to turn the
d. She was inattentive during some of paper in late.
the class
12.2. a. He's not in a hurry.
6.22. a. He’s not quite sure when the projects b. He's been doing the paper for several
should be finished weeks.
b. He’s doing his project for music class c. He's rushing to finish the paper.
now d. The paper has been overdue for a
c. Music class meets for the first time in week.
December
d. He believes the music will be 13.8. a. He wired the paper to the professor.
available on December 1 b. The paper was handed in just in time.
c. His paper was a little late.
7.9. a. The first essay was better than the d. He slipped the late paper under the
second professor's door.
b. The first and second drafts couldn’t
be better
c. The second draft of the essay was
much better than the first

38
21.26. a. She’s unhappy about the score
14.6. a. He thinks he got a good grade b. She hasn’t seen her score yet
b. The history grades were all C or c. She’s really pleased with her score
above d. She hasn’t taken the exam yet
c. No one got history grades
d. All the grades were C or lower 22.1. a. The final exam was harder than the
others
15.15. a. The exam was postponed b. There were two exams rather than
b. The man should have studied harder one
c. Night is the best time to study for c. He thought the exam would be
exams easier
d. She is completely prepared for the d. The exam was not very difficult
exam
23.7. a. Nothing was very difficult
16.28. a. She’s going to take the test over b. The exam wasn’t at all easy
again c. The exam couldn’t have been easier
b. She thinks she did a good job on the d. The exam had nothing difficult on it
exam
c. She has not yet taken the literature 24.1. a. She’s not very happy
exam b. She didn’t do very well on the exam
d. She’s unhappy with how she did c. She could be somewhat happier
d. She’s delighted with the results
17.10. a. The professor gives quizzes regularly
b. The woman is quite prepared 25.9. a. He did really poorly
c. It is unusual for this professor to give b. He’s felt worse before
quizzes c. The results could not have been
d. He doesn’t think there’s a class today better
d. He’s not too unhappy with the results
18.2. a. He didn’t fail by much
b. He completely failed the exam 26.24. a. He could have been better prepared.
c. He had a really high grade b. It was harder than usual.
d. His grade was low but passing c. He studied as hard as he could for it.
d. He wishes it hadn't been such a hard
19.29. a. The professor made an early test.
announcement about the exam
b. The professor failed to announce the 27.11. a. It's probably going to be hard for
exam him.
c. The professor announced the exam b. It won't have a lot of essays.
too soon c. He's not going to take it.
d. The professor did not give enough d. He doesn't have any questions about
notice for the exam it.

20.28. a. It received more attention on the 28.27. a. The professor really didn't move the
exam than it did in the lectures exam.
b. It was a major part of all the lectures b. The exam was a disaster for him.
c. It was not on the exam at all c. They will see the exam schedule in a
d. It received more attention in the few days.
lectures than it had on the exam d. He's glad the exam was changed.

39
29.1. a. She found it just as hard as the 30.7. a. The test specifications aren't outlined in
previous test. the syllabus.
b. It was more difficult than the last test. b. The final exam will cover everything they
c. She was the last one to finish it. studied this semester.
d. It was only slightly easier than an c. The exam will be longer than usual.
earlier test. d. The final exam will contain some math
problems.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/30

40
7. School (Tuition, scholarships, enrolling, requirements)
1. What is the most expensive university in Mexico? ________________________
2. Do you know how much tuition is there? ________________________
3. How do you think people can afford studying there? ________________________
4. Do you know if they offer full scholarships? ________________________
5. How much is the registration fee at UAQ? ________________________
6. Has it gone up since you started university, or has it remained the same? ________________________
7. How did you find out you were admitted in your major? Did you receive a letter or something?
________________________
8. How long does it take to complete a bachelor’s degree at UAQ? ________________________
9. The academic catalogue contains the academic calendar and some information about the
school and its majors, do you have the academic catalogue or just the academic calendar?
____________________
10. What is the deadline to drop a course you don’t like? ________________________
11. If you had known English very well, which language would you have taken to fill the language
requirement of your major? ________________________
12. Have you decided to put off taking a class you were supposed to take? ____________________
13. Which courses tend to get closed so that no one can register anymore because they are over-
enrolled? ____________________
14. To enroll in / register for a sport, do you have to go to the registrar (it is the person who is in
charge of registering students), or can you do it online? ________________________
15. In some universities, after you have done your initial enrollment, if you want to add or drop
classes, you need to fill out a schedule change form and turn it in in the administrative office,
do you have to do that here? ____________________ (You are usually required to sign and date the
schedule change form too)
16. How is your schedule this semester, is it heavy, did you sign up for many classes or just a few?
________________________
17. How likely is it for you to visit a professor during his office hours and ask him questions about
the homework? ________________________
18. Name a movie that is coming out in two months: ________________________
19. Before going to the next page, make sure you didn’t overlook anything and that all questions
have been answered.
20. Most universities in the US have a fall semester from September to mid-December and a
spring/winter semester from late January to early May and an optional summer session.
21. Do you know the meaning of:
a. The process is hold up
b. I’m heading off to Walmart
c. I’m fortunate to have a fast internet connection and that makes me very pleased.

41
Listen and answer the questions.
7.21. a. He looked over the document
1.5 a. She thinks the tuition should be carefully.
. increased. b. He probably made a mistake.
b. The semester’s tuition is quite c. He submitted the application without
affordable. signing it.
c. It costs too much. d. He failed to submit the application.
d. She has more than enough for
tuition. a. He really liked the seminar.
8.27.
b. He is unable to recommend it.
2.23 a. The tuition increase was unexpected c. The professor could have been more
. b. She was prepared for the tuition enthusiastic.
increase d. He didn't take it because it wasn't
c. She doesn’t believe that fees were recommended.
increased
d. She believes that tuition will not go 9.15. a. The registrar closed the class.
up b. There were not enough students in
the class.
3.21 a. The course is free c. They are both registered in the same
. b. The course costs $100 more this class.
semester d. The class project will no longer be a
c. The course was cheaper last semester team project.
d. She thinks the cost of the course is
too low
10.13. a. Not taking it at all
b. Taking it along with chemistry
4.8. a. He was lucky to receive a grant for c. Taking it later
his studies d. Taking it instead of chemistry
b. He used his fortune to pay his fees
c. He is a scholar at a college with low 11.19. a. He has to take microbiology
fees b. He wishes he could take
d. He paid to get a scholarship microbiology this semester
c. He is not enrolling in microbiology
5.24. a. She’d like to offer the man a this semester
scholarship d. He had hoped to take microbiology
b. The documents were returned to her this semester
with a signature
c. She needs to sign the documents 12.20. a. That she would take the course
d. She works in the scholarship office b. That the first lecture would not be
tomorrow
6.10. a. He couldn't have gotten the c. That he would not be in the course
scholarship. d. That she would not register
b. He did not get the scholarship
because he didn't study. 13.27. a. He didn’t believe the course was hard
c. He should have studied harder. b. He heard that the course was closed
d. He got the scholarship because of his c. It was hard for him to get to the class
hard work. d. He registered for the course

42
14.3. a. She is not sure which course she
should take 21.7. a. He seems undisturbed.
b. She’s not sure if she should take a b. He would prefer two semesters of
trip to France chemistry.
c. She knows that she is not ready for c. He shares the woman's opinion.
intermediate French d. He has a problem with it.
d. She wants to take neither beginning
nor intermediate French 22.16. a. Students who want to change
schedules should form a line
15.9. a. She had registered in physics b. It is only possible to make four
b. She would go to physics class later changes in the schedule
c. She had already taken a physics class c. It is necessary to submit the form
d. She had not enrolled in physics quickly
d. Problems occur when people don’t
16.14. a. He believes the checks are in the wait their turn
office.
b. He is unsure about his response. 23.7. a. The algebra course that she is taking
c. He doesn't know how far the office is. is not her favorite
d. He knows how to satisfy the science b. She doesn’t need to take the algebra
requirement. course
c. She has a good schedule of courses
17.16. a. She has been unable to get a class this semester
schedule. d. She’s good at math, but she’s taking
b. She can't attend school next he algebra course anyway
semester.
c. A course she wants to take is 24.7. a. His schedule is not really heavy
unavailable. b. He needs to add a few more courses
d. A scholarship she was counting on c. He enrolled in more courses than he
has not been offered. wants
d. He will register for a lot of courses
18.28. a. She still has two days until the next semester
deadline.
b. She didn't think of it soon enough. 25.2. a. The university accepted three
c. It's a little too soon to add a course. students
d. She hopes it's still possible to drop a b. None of the students is going to the
course. university
c. John was not accepted
19.25. a. He was not surprised by the change d. Two were not admitted
b. He didn’t expect the change
c. The requirements have not changed 26.2. a. He admitted that he wanted to go to
d. He expects to change his major law school in the fall
b. The law school accepted him as a
20.4. a. The department did not change the student
requirements c. The law professor admitted that he
b. She likes the new requirements would be a student in the fall
c. She changed her apartment just semester
before graduation d. He would be admitted to law school
d. She does not like the changes that after the fall semester
the department made

43
27.8. a. It’s fortunate that he was accepted
b. It’s good that he wasn’t admitted 29.7. a. The catalogue was wrong.
c. Fortunately, the university didn’t b. They would have class on Monday.
admit him c. The holiday had been canceled.
d. It’s too bad he was rejected d. The school would not be opened on
Monday.
28.15. a. Waiting until a decision has been
made. 30.6. a. Go to the professor's office.
b. Changing her major to something b. Attend a sociology class.
easier. c. Explain her situation to the professor.
c. Putting off the decision. d. Determine her grade in sociology.
d. Starting over again.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/30

44
8. School (Lectures, seminars, studying, graduation)

Match the expressions with the definitions:

1. Miss a class a. por fin


2. At last b. the student decides to unenroll from a course
3. Drop a class c. the student does not attend a class maybe because
he is sick or has to study for another class

Circle the correct answer. Students usually miss a lecture because:

a. The teacher is boring and just drones/goes on and on about the topics
b. The teacher does not speak loudly enough
c. The student feels worn out after having done so much homework that he doesn’t have any
energy left to attend the class
d. The student has already mastered the subject and there is nothing more he can learn from
the lecture
e. They couldn’t make it to class because of the traffic
f. Students want to use that time to get ahead on other classes by working on their projects

Choose the correct answer. Your teachers tend to be more understanding when you miss a lecture
if you:

a. Miss the class because you had to finish a project for another class
b. Miss the class because you had another exam scheduled at the time of the class
c. Miss the class because you had a family emergency (e.g. pick up a relative from the airport)
d. Miss the class because you were sick or ill
e. Miss the class because of the traffic
f. Miss the class because you needed to take time out to think about your future

Choose the correct answer. Something that almost never fails to anger a math teacher is:

a. Answering time-consuming and stupid questions


b. Students wanting to leave before the class is over
c. Students not playing attention when the teacher is outlining the course
d. Rowdy or boisterous students
e. When a class discussion turns into a monologue by a single student
f. When students arrive later than the time the class officially meets
g. Students ask for an extension even though the teacher gave them plenty of time to finish
the project
h. When hardly any student came to class
i. When students say that it’s too much information to fit in their brains
j. When students are working on a difficult problem and instead of keeping at it, they simply
give up
k. What’s the meaning of “two heads are better than one”?

45
Listen and answer the questions.
8.5. a. Her eyes hurt.
1.6 a. The professor drowned the cells in a b. She thought the lecture was great.
. lab. c. The class was boring.
b. The topic was presented in a boring d. She didn’t want to watch Professor
way. Martin.
c. The professor divided the lecture into
parts. 9.2. a. The course is becoming more
d. The biologist tried to sell the results interesting.
of the experiment. b. The course used to be more
interesting.
2.7. a. It was incomplete. c. The course is about the same as it
b. It finished on time was.
c. It was about honor d. He’s not bored in the class as the
d. It was too long woman.

3.5. a. He is resuming his duties one more a. She doesn't want to go to the
10.8.
time lecture.
b. He is assuming the class is difficult b. She wants the man to miss the
c. The class is terrible all the time lecture.
d. The class takes a lot of time c. She's not quite sure what time the
lecture is scheduled.
4.9. a. She will give him any help he needs d. She needs plenty of time to get
b. He has to give away what he doesn’t ready for the lecture.
need
c. He should not give up 11.2. a. The two classes meet in an hour and
d. He should give back what he a half
borrowed b. The classes meets three hours per
week
5.10. a. She can see him very clearly c. Each half of the class is an hour long
b. He speaks loudly d. Two times a week the class meets for
c. He’s very soft-spoken an hour
d. She didn’t speak to him
12.1. a. They were in the regular room
6.8. a. There’s a lot of difficult homework in b. The key was misplaced
it. c. He’s taking a different class
b. There are not very many exams in it. d. He has the key to the classroom
c. There is little homework.
d. There is no homework. 13.8. a. She needs to use the man’s notes
b. Yesterday’s physics class was quite
7.12. a. He’d like the woman to repeat herself boring
b. The woman should talk to a c. She took some very good notes in
physician. physics class
c. He shares the woman’s position. d. She would like to lend the man her
d. What the woman said was notes
unimportant.

46
14.16. a. She’s wearing a new dress. 22.16. a. It's better to study at two o'clock
b. She’s ready to study for hours than at one.
c. She’s exhausted b. If they use their heads, they'll be able
d. She has studied about the war for to study better.
hours c. She has a headache and won't be
able to study.
15.4. a. She has no time to go to class d. It's preferable to study together.
b. They are already late for class
c. It’s too early to go to class 23.20. a. She can't feel any pain.
d. She has to be on time for class b. The feat has drained her.
c. She has prepared considerably.
16.10. a. He would like the woman to repeat d. It's finally plain that she can't ignore
what she said. it.
b. He thinks that one semester is
enough time for the course. 24.1. a. She would like the man to repeat
c. He also thinks that the course should himself.
be extended. b. She thinks they will have a lot of free
d. He would like to take the course two time.
semesters from now. c. She agrees with the man's
assessment of the situation.
17.4. a. He thought the lesson didn’t matter. d. She wants him to say whatever he
b. He couldn’t learn the lesson. really thinks.
c. He learned a massive number of
details.
d. He didn’t like most of the lesson. 25.1. a. Learn to relax
b. Get his spending under control
18.16. a. She was extremely understanding c. Achieve success
b. She couldn’t understand the d. Head for home
explanation.
c. She did not understand the problem. 26.3. a. That the man should review more
d. She missed the class due to illness. carefully
b. That they should study together
19.6. a. He rarely spends time on his courses c. That the man needs to master the
b. He’s an excellent student subject
c. He never studies d. That there is too much information
d. His books are always open to cover

20.3. a. He has almost all the notes 27.3. a. The professor described what the
b. His attendance was perfect students should do
c. He went to all the lectures but one b. There was a long line to register for
d. He missed more than one the required class
psychology class c. The professor required an outline
d. The professor lined up for retirement
21.2. a. Paula is always lazy
b. Paula didn’t work very hard this
semester
c. Paula made a strong effort.
d. Paula could have worked harder.

47
28.10. a. The boisterous students made the
teacher mad 30.6. a. They need to have longer breaks
b. The teacher angered the students between classes.
with the exam results. b. The classrooms need more space.
c. The students were angry that the c. The man is an excellent runner.
teacher was around. d. The campus is too large.
d. The angered students complained to
the teacher.

29.3. a. He graduated last in his class.


b. He is the last person in his family to
graduate.
c. He doesn’t believe he can improve
gradually.
d. He has finally finished his studies.

Auto-complete your grade. _____/30

48
9. Emotions
Classify the following emotions in the table to their closest definition.

Infuriated, amused, pleased, upset, outraged, eager, affected, delighted.

Happy Angry Emotionally


disturbed

Use the prefixes dis- or un- to change the adjectives their antonyms.

unhappy ___organized ___expected


___amused ___honest ___usual
___pleased ___grateful ___agreeable
___affected ___interested ___just
___satisfied ___necessary ___motivated
🅲 Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option (Make sure you
understand the words in purple, that’s the point of the activity. In most questions,
there are no correct answers.)

1. If someone says something unflattering about you, you would:


a. Brush it off
b. Get outraged
c. Get sad

2. If something unjust happens to you, you feel good / bad.

3. If something fair happens to you, you feel good / bad.

4. What’s worth discussing?


a. Any issue
b. Only something insubstantial
c. Only something major

5. It is easy to get along with people who:


a. Bother you
b. Are rude to you
c. Are tolerant

49
🅳 Complete the exercise with the meaning of the sentence provided, look at the
examples:

a. He isn’t unhappy = He is happy


b. He isn’t unamused = He is amused
c. He had not been disorganized = He had been organized
d. He isn’t displeased = _________________________________________
e. She wasn’t unaffected = _________________________________________
f. The man had not been dissatisfied = _________________________________________
g. She hadn’t been dishonest = _________________________________________
h. He wasn’t ungrateful = _________________________________________
i. She wasn’t disinterested = _________________________________________

50
1.28. a.She felt inferior. 7.24. a.She’s not a very good manager.
b. She wasn’t furious. b. He’ll be able to work reasonably
c. She felt there should have been well with her.
more fairness. c. He’s unhappy that there is a class
d. She was extremely angry. project.
d. He’s happy that she’s not part of
2.1. a.Carla does not live very far away. the group.
b. What Carla said was unjust.
c. He does not fear what anyone says. 8.24. a.He needs to take a nap.
d. Carla is fairly rude to others. b. He hopes the woman will help him
to calm down.
3.30. a. They should not let what happened c. The woman just woke him up.
bother them. d. He is extremely relaxed.
b. They should keep on trying to talk
to Mary. 9.10. a. Roger has been bothered.
c. They should try to flatter Mary. b. Roger wasn’t the least bit
d. Their project is already as good as disturbed.
it’s going to get. c. The problems have had little effect
on Roger.
4.11. a. She was less than delighted. d. Roger hasn’t been disturbed.
b. She was quite pleased.
c. She was unable to accept it. 10.21. a. She does not have any good
d. She wished she could have been options.
more delighted. b. She's lying on some hard rocks.
c. She should not be upset about the
5.9. a. He thinks Judy is not telling the problem.
truth. d. She should take the easy way out.
b. He thinks Judy is upset at him.
c. Nothing that Judy says can be 11.26. a. They are sociologists.
trusted. b. They are not very friendly.
d. He is not at all angry at Judy. c. They have always been nice.
d. They spend a lot of time together.
6.25. a. He is eager to leave his job.
b. He is unhappy at the thought of
retiring.
c. He couldn’t be unhappier about
retiring.
d. He is retiring too soon.

Auto-complete your grade _____/14

51
10. Problems
Answer the following questions by choosing the correct choice. Make sure you
understand the words in bold letters, that’s the point of the activity.

1. If you are in the toilet and you are out of toilet paper, you are:
a. Not in trouble
b. In trouble
2. Select all that apply. You usually go over your notes before:
⬜ Giving a speech in front of your class
⬜ Doing your English homework
⬜ Doing an English test
⬜ Explaining a task to your team for a class project
3. If you put a lot of effort into a task, the probability of it coming out right is:
a. higher than if you hadn’t
b. lower than if you hadn’t
4. We started working on the project just a few hours before it was due, _________ it
came out right.
a. fortunately
b. unfortunately
Use the expressions to complete the following dialogues.
CONVERSATION 1
be kidding aware went down inconvenient
rescheduled what’s the matter? figures

Dario: You look worried – [1] what’s the matter?


Brand: The internet service went down and I have to write all these emails before
noon.
Dario: I think your computer is the problem. Mine still has internet connection.
Brand: You gotta be kidding me! I had it checked last week and the technician told
me it was working just fine. Stupid computer it couldn’t have happened in a
more inconvenient time!
Dario: You can use mine if you want. I’m supposed to meet Janna to go over some
figures before the meeting with the board, so I won’t be using it anyway.
Brand: I wasn’t aware it was today. I thought it was yesterday.
Dario: It was going to be yesterday, but some members of the board had another
meeting, so it was rescheduled for today. Go ahead and use the computer. It
is already on and it has no password.
Brand: Thanks! You’re a total lifesaver!

52
CONVERSATION 2
want to bother collect data trouble would you mind
get hold of

Diana: What are you working on?


Paola: I’m trying to collect data about our users.
Diana: That sounds interesting!
Paola: It is and I’m almost done. If only I could get hold of Martin, I could finish this
part, but he is not picking up his phone.
Diana: What do you need Martin for?
Paola: He has the results of the survey we conducted last month.
Diana: The ones about social media use?
Paola: Yes!
Diana: I have them because he gave me a copy.
Paola: Really? Could you send them to me?
Diana: I don’t have them in my computer. He gave me a CD with all the information.
Let me go and fetch it for you.
Paola: Isn’t it too much trouble? I wouldn’t want to bother you with something so
silly. I’m going to try to call Martin again.
Diana: It is no trouble at all. I have the CD here in my cubicle. I’ll be right back.
Thanks a lot.
Paola: Wait! Do you happen to have the proposal of the advertisement team?
Diana: As a matter of fact, I do!
Paola: Would you mind sending me those too?
Diana: Not at all. I sent them right away.
Paola: Thanks! I owe you one!

53
1.8. a.There's no more paper. 7.3. a. He always gets up early.
b. The printer is broken. b. It was a bit inconvenient.
c. They need to write a few more c. The call didn't bother him.
pages. d. He had some trouble this morning.
d. The store is closed.
8.9. a. A solution is not apparent.
2.13. a.She thinks math is easy. b. The problem can be fixed.
b. She doesn't have her calculator c. There is really a pair of problems.
with her. d. The problem is difficult to solve.
c. She doesn't own a calculator.
d. She can do calculations more easily a. 9.7.
He told his kids to leave.
than the man can. b. He seriously wanted the woman to go.
c. He was joking when he told the woman
3.14. a.A lot of information was destroyed to leave.
because of a computer problem. d. He left with the woman.
b. He has just about finished
collecting his data. 10.5. a. She has problems that others aren’t
c. He got lost trying to find the new aware of.
computer lab. b. Others aren’t aware of her problems.
d. He spent most of the day working c. She knows she’s been a problem.
on the computer. d. She doesn’t have a care in the world.

4.6. a.The wrong notebook. 11.7. a. Brush it off


b. The red notebook. b. Hold it up
c. The information she needs. c. Brush up on it
d. The completed assignment. d. Hold off on it

5.9. a.He had not written the check. 12.28. a. He agrees with what she said.
b. He was inconsiderate. b. He thinks she didn’t say anything.
c. He doesn't mind the schedule c. He couldn’t hear what she said.
change. d. He did hear what she said.
d. He should not have written the
check first. 13.9. a. The woman didn’t come.
b. The woman wanted to be there.
6.2. a.Trying to get hold of Martin c. The woman was going to leave
immediately immediately.
b. Mailing a short letter to Martin d. The woman was not really there.
c. Postponing his call to Martin
d. Leaving a message for Martin

Auto-complete your grade _____/13

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11. Selection
Answer the following questions. Make sure you understand the words in bold
letters.

1. The School of Engineering usually announces important information through


several pages, which one do you usually use to check them?

2. Have you ever headed a team or student’s committee?

3. Have your group elected a class representative yet?

4. Have you ever been appointed class representative or class treasurer or any other
similar position in a group?

5. Imagine you are working for a company. The company has a project in mind and
wants to assign a group of engineers to work on it. The company wants to choose
one of its engineers to be the person in charge of the project. They want to choose
a person that most of the people in team will consider to be a good man to work
under. Who do you think they should choose?
a. The person with the most time working for the company
b. The most skilled engineer
c. The most sociable
d. The most organized

6. Who usually has more power in a company: the chairman or the board of directors?

7. How many years does the president of the United States serves as president?

8. Write the name of an architectural firm.

Tip: There are some audios in which several people are mentioned. Many students tend to
have problems remembering who is doing what. You don’t want to be like them. So,
whenever they mention a name try to remember what happened to that person. Consider
the following example:

-Mary replaced Rob in the band

You should be able to remember at least that now Mary is in the band. It would be great if
you could remember that Rob is not in the band anymore, but as long as you can
remember who is in it now, you should be fine.

55
Listen and answer the questions. 7.10. a. Mr. Taylor was chosen to be the new
a. Mr. Drew pointedly asked the assistant
1.27. president about the committee b. The woman assisted the company
b. The president pointed to Mr. Drew’s president in the decision
head c. The company president managed to
c. Mr. Drew became head of the new make it to the appointment
commission d. The woman had hard feelings about
d. Mr. Drew was committed to the the decision
president’s appointments
8.10. a. He is noncommittal at this point
2.17 a. He’s really tall. b. He is not interested in the nomination
. b. He’s the best c. He has committed himself to the
c. He’s got a good head on his shoulders position
d. He always uses his head d. She doesn’t think he will take the
nomination
3.8. a. The chairman decided that Tony would
serve on the board for another year 9.1. a. He’ll definitely be elected
b. The chairman elected the board b. The election is now complete
c. The board decided Tony could be c. She has high hopes for his chances
chairman after one year d. It may happen
d. Tony became chairman for one more
year 10.8. a. The department chair is his new
advisor
4.10. a. The woman should announce the b. Dr. Johnson was appointed
names of the committee members department chair
b. He is thankful to be appointed to the c. The thesis advisor was chosen by Dr.
committee Johnson
c. He is sure about the time of the d. The department chair selected Dr.
appointment with the committee Johnson
d. The woman will serve on the
committee 11.1 a. The phone is off the hook
3. b. The man will head the committee
5.9. a. The students pointed at Mac c. The man is no longer responsible
b. Mac was present when the other d. The committee meeting has been put
students made the appointment off
c. The class representative suggested
Mac to the other students 12.8. a. This was a very long staff meeting
d. Mac was chosen by his classmates to b. This was the only staff meeting in a
represent them long time
c. The meeting lasted only until one
6.2. a. He would like to see the elections for o’clock
town council d. The one staff meeting should’ve lasted
b. He agrees that Matt should be elected longer
c. He thinks the elections should take
place next month 13.1. a. The woman did not need to call him
d. He disagrees with the woman b. The woman called to let him know
about the meeting
c. He’s not glad that the woman called
d. He already knew about the meeting
when the woman called

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14.10. a. With so many members present, the
committee couldn’t reach a decision
b. The committee should’ve waited until
more members were present
c. The issue shouldn’t have been decided
by all the committee members
d. d. The issue wasn’t decided because
so many members were absent

Auto-complete your grade. _____/14

57
12. Job hunting
Answer the following questions. Make sure you understand the words in bold
letters.

1. Order the following jobs by earning potential (starting from lowest to highest):
⬜ A department manager
⬜ A factory worker
⬜ A janitor
⬜ A senior engineer

2. Give two reasons why someone would want to have a part-time job instead of
a full-time job
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why would someone be turn down for a job even when he is qualified for the
position? Select all that you think should apply.
⬜ There are no positions open
⬜ His age
⬜ His résumé had a spelling mistake
⬜ He arrived late to the scheduled interview
⬜ He is a bad fit for the company in terms of personality
⬜ His GPA was not high in college
⬜ His gender
⬜ He said something rude during the interview and there are hard
feelings between him and the interviewer
⬜ The company cannot afford to pay what he is asking
⬜ Because he didn’t stay long in his last job

4. If you could choose only one employee to give him a promotion, who would
you give it to? Why?
a. A relatively recently hired employee who has proven to be very capable
b. A very loyal employee who has been with the company for several years

5. If someone is laid off after having worked in the company for 20 years, he
certainly will feel:
a. Happy
b. Sad

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6. If one of the following companies started downsizing or had to close down
because of lack of profit, which one would leave you astounded? Select all
that apply.
⬜ Tacos el Pata
⬜ Neveria Ferss
⬜ Tortas filos
⬜ Tienda naturista El Ruiseñor
⬜ Little Ceasars Cimatario
⬜ Google
⬜ Cortes de cabello Mary

7. Do you think that someone should take any job that comes their way or that it
is best to wait until a very good opportunity comes their way?

8. It is easier for you to make headway on your studies:


a. With music
b. Without music

9. Has it ever happened to you that someone who was close to you and was
usually lively and talkative starting acting withdrawn all of a sudden? What had
happened to him/her?

10. Match the following words to their definitions.


a. Town council 1. Reunión de personal
b. Department chair 2. Ayuntamiento
c. Staff meeting 3. Jefe de departamento

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1.18. a. Visiting a doctor
b. Attending a reception 9.8. a. They are going on strike
c. Applying to medical school b. They are lying down on the job
d. Interviewing for a job c. They are being released from their jobs
d. They are relaxing too much at the
2.2. a. The interview is very important factory
b. He is worried about the interview
c. What he’s wearing to the interview is 10.4. a. She quit her job.
important b. She took some time off.
d. He is not concerned about the c. She lost her job.
interview d. She moved to a company downtown

3.3. a. Arthur has not applied for a job. 11.22. a. That he would be at work
b. It appears that Arthur has not b. That he knew a lot a about architecture
progressed on the document c. That he did not get the job
c. She does not want to share the d. That he would not be at home
information with the man
d. Arthur has not headed his document 12.5. a. She’s told Matt he’ll go far
correctly b. Matt has far from enough talent
c. She told Matt to roll farther
4.4. a. Not a sound was heard d. She believes Matt has the ability for
b. She was astonished the part
c. No one was astounded
d. She was not the only one to be hired 13.29. a. He plans to see a dentist.
b. He has a sinking feeling about the
5.1. a. She isn’t certain the man is qualified offer.
b. The position hasn't been filled. c. He's planning to attack the committee.
c. There were more openings than d. He can really get involved in this.
needed.
d. There are not enough teaching 14.9. a. It was unfortunate that he went.
assistant jobs available. b. He had a successful interview.
c. An interview had not been scheduled.
6.4. a. Being careful of the hot iron d. He did not go to the interview.
b. Striking out on her own
c. Waiting for another offer to come her
15.23. a. That the woman had been sorry about
way the decision.
d. Taking the opportunity that has been b. That the woman had not taken the job.
offered c. That the woman had not made a good
decision.
7.8. a. She wants that job very much d. That he should have taken the job
b. No one is going to get the job himself.
c. Everybody else wants the job as much
as she does 16.19. a. She hasn’t met her new boss yet
d. She is not sure about taking the job b. She has a good opinion of her boss
c. Her boss has asked her about her
8.25. a. Some of them are lying down impressions of the company
b. Some of them will lose their position d. Her boss has been putting a lot of
c. Some of them are choosing part-time pressure on her.
jobs
d. Some of them laid down their
newspapers
Auto-complete your grade. _____/16

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13. Work
Answer the questions. Make sure you understand the words in bold letters.
1. What is the closing time of the stores in Antea?
2. What is the pet policy in Antea? Can you bring with you a pet to the mall?
3. After you pay with cash, do you always check that you receive the correct change?
a. Yes, I would notice even if it is too low by 50 cents
b. Yes, but not very carefully, I would notice if it is too low by 10 pesos
c. Not usually
d. Never
4. Which vacations do you enjoy the most: Summer vacations or winter vacations?
Why?
5. Some students go to school only in the morning, others only in the afternoon,
others go all day. What are the advantages of being at school almost all day?
6. What is your schedule this semester?
7. Are the following expressions synonyms?
i. Submit your homework before 12:00.
ii. Turn in your homework before 12:00
8. In a group project, what would you rather do?
a. I’d rather do the work
b. I’d rather present the work in front of the group
9. In a group project, you and your teammates decided to divide the work that
needed to be done. You’ve finished your part and one of your teammates is asking
you for help with his part. He is having problems with something is difficult for him.
Would you help him?
a. Yes, I would
b. I’d rather not, but if he insisted, I wouldn’t say no
c. No, I wouldn’t
10. Up to this day, what would you say is the greatest thing you have accomplished?
11. Is there something your parents have you do that you rather not do? (e.g. water
the plants)
12. Have you ever told someone you would get back to them but never call them
back?
13. You went to a job interview and were offered the job, but there are two shifts with
a pay difference, which one would you take?
a. Morning shift with a pay of $15,000
b. Afternoon shift with a pay of $20,000
14. If you spent money on nothing else but what is absolutely essential for your
survival, how much money would you manage to save per month?
15. Do you know someone that holds down more than one job? Which jobs does he
or she hold down?

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16. Do you think it is convenient to ask for a pay raise, or do you think employees
should wait to be offered one?
17. Two budget reports have been done, which one might have been done rather
well:
d. The one that was done carefully
e. The one that was done carelessly
18. What are good reasons to quit a job? Select all that apply.
⬜ Your effort is unappreciated
⬜ Your job is monotonous, and you are bored
⬜ Family reasons (marriage, children, moving to a different location)
⬜ Health problems
⬜ The commute to work was almost 2 hrs
⬜ You landed a higher paying job
⬜ It is apparent that there are no opportunities to grow within the
company
19. Your friend is unhappy in his job. He wants to quit. Are there any actions he must
undertake before quitting his current job? Can you name one?
20. If you are an architect or a civil engineer, do you mind explaining what’s the
difference between the plans of a building and its blueprints? If you are not an
architect or a civil engineer, do you mind attaching an image of a building’s
blueprints?

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1.22.a. jMartha’s
jobs are easy. 7.3. a. She’s happy they don’t have to
b. It’s easy to hold two jobs work on Friday.
c. It’s better for Martha to have two b. It would be nice if they could finish
jobs their work on Friday.
d. Martha should slow down c. She wonders if the man would be
nice enough to come in to work in
2.14. a.She must work tonight her place on Friday.
b. The shift in her plans is unlucky d. It’s too bad they must work on
c. Her roommate is persuasive Friday.
d. Her roommate will work in her
place 8.9. a. She doesn’t mind an hour more.
b. She’d rather stay more than an
3.29. a.That he would be working all hour.
weekend c. It’s better to stay than go.
b. That no one ever worked on d. She prefers to leave
weekends
c. That he would not be in the office 9.7. a. They always work hard in the
this weekend afternoon.
d. That the office would be open this b. They don’t do much after lunch
weekend c. After noon they never work
d. It’s never hard for them to work in
4.5. a. Betty often takes vacations in the afternoon
winter.
b. Betty prefers to take vacations in 10.21. a. He reported that the time for the
winter. budget meeting had been set.
c. Occasionally Betty works one week b. He is always late in submitting his
during vacation accounting figures.
d. A winter vacation is unusual for c. He never manages to budget his
Betty time well.
d. He is never too late in turning in his
5.3. a. She is not working too many hours reports.
next week.
b. She doesn’t have enough hours 11.27. a. She said some terrible things.
next week. b. She didn’t say anything nice.
c. She is working too many hours next c. She didn’t have any nice things.
week. d. She said really wonderful things.
d. She likes working so much.

6.6. a.He is always underappreciated.


b. She is thankful for what he did.
c. He has made no apparent effort
d. She feels little appreciation for his
efforts

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12.28. a. New employees are rarely initiated 18.8. a. The project will take all their effort.
into the company. b. They have no other work to do.
b. New workers don’t generally c. It’s impossible to finish.
undertake actions on their own. d. They aren’t even close to finishing
c. New employees are initially rated. the project.
d. It’s rare for employees to make new
suggestions. 19.12. a. She doesn’t have time to complete
additional reports.
13.9. a. The boss was working on the b. She cannot finish the reports that
reports. she is already working on.
b. He would have to finish the reports c. She is scared of having
before the end of next month. responsibility for the reports.
c. He was directed to stay late and d. It is not time for the accounting
finish some work. reports to be compiled.
d. He could finish the reports at
home. 20.23. a. Look for the missing money.
b. Investigate the problem with his
14.25. a. The project that the woman wants pay.
is impossible. c. Get the paycheck back from the
b. Two hours is not long enough to man.
complete the project. d. Look inside a pay envelope.
c. The woman’s request can be
accomplished. 21.26. a. Management will offer pay raises
d. The woman should not ask for such on Friday.
a thing. b. The policy has not yet been
decided.
15.3. a. She has no time to work now. c. The manager is full of hot air.
b. She doesn’t want to work on the d. The plane has not yet landed.
report either.
c. It’s best to get it over with now. 22.24. a. The needle is missing.
d. There’s no time to present the b. It will only take a little bit of time.
report now. c. She has never been searching in a
haystack.
16.30. a. She finished it as quickly as d. The error is going to be difficult to
possible. find.
b. She was unable to finish it.
c. It was not possible to finish it 23.22. a. It has little to offer.
quickly. b. It has a number of improvements.
d. She could have worked faster. c. It has numerous components.
d. Its advantage is questionable.
17.17. a. He didn't finish the work.
b. He completed the work rapidly.
c. He was unable to work fast.
d. He worked rather slowly.

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24.6. a. It is not done yet. 27.24. a. Walter’s had a lack of success with
b. It wasn’t done carelessly. his business.
c. It does not seem to have been b. Walter’s failed in business.
done by the accountant. c. Walter’s new company is doing
d. It contains a lot of errors. rather well
d. Walter hoped to succeed in
25.8. a. She’s sorry she moved them. business.
b. She really knows where they are.
c. They haven’t been moved. 28.1. a. She can try a little harder.
d. Someone else moved them. b. There is a lot more that she can do.
c. She’s doing the best that she can.
26.21. a. Construction workers. d. It is impossible for her to do
b. Architects. anything.
c. Insurance agents
d. Artists.

Auto-complete your grade _____/28

65
14. Transportation
1. If a police officer gives you a ticket, is that good or bad?
2. How does a parking meter work?
3. Can you park in a handicap spot or a reserved spot?
4. Give an example of a traffic sign.
5. Have you taken a driver’s test? Do you have your license yet?
6. What time is the rush hour traffic here in Queretaro?
7. Do you know of a zone in Queretaro that has heavy traffic all day long?
8. How do you commute to school?
9. Have you ever missed a plane?
10. Do you often get upset about the traffic in the morning?
11. What is the price of the Magna gas?
12. What is your or your family’s favorite service station (e.g. Oxxo gas)?
13. When you or your family fill your tank, do you fill it up full or halfway?
14. Have you or someone you know run out of gas when no service station is near?
15. Do you know how to ride a bike?
16. Do you know how to ride a motorbike?
17. Do you know how to drive?
18. You need to stand in line to board which of the following vehicles, select all that
apply:
Bike, motorbike, car, limo, bus, taxi, plane

19. Do you know the meaning of seldom, barely and scarcely?

Note: Remember the expression to show surprise. If I tell you “So you DO know how to
cook” it means “I assumed you didn’t know how to cook, I’m surprised”

Note II: If I tell you “you should get/have your laptop checked”, it means that you should
pay someone to check your laptop. But if I tell you “you should check your laptop”, it means
“You should check yourself your laptop without hiring anyone” The topic is called causatives
and you learned it in level 6.

66
Listen and answer the questions. 10.19. a. Traffic should not be allowed
1.5 a. Leave the car somewhere else b. She thinks that the traffic should stay
. b. Ignore the parking tickets outside
c. Add more money to the meter c. She agrees that the traffic is noisy
d. Pay the parking attendant d. She’ll stay outside with the man

2.17 a. He parked the car to buy the tickets. 11.21. a. Traffic usually isn’t a problem
. b. He left the car where he shouldn’t have b. Six o’clock is too early to go to the airport
c. He got a speeding ticket c. Traffic is usually light at that hour
d. He didn’t park the car d. He thinks they should leave earlier

3.24 a. He agrees with the woman’s 12.20. a. Taking the car our for a test drive
. suggestion b. Listening to the noises
b. Parking is not free on the weekend c. Fixing the car herself
c. It’s not necessary for them to park d. Getting the car repaired
d. He thinks they don’t have to pay
13.3. a. Going home on the bus
4.9. a. She doesn’t like the place he chose b. Sleeping on the bus
b. She doesn’t want to get into the car c. Taking a quick walk
c. She’s glad the spot is reserved d. Getting some sleep before going home
d. They can’t park the car there
14.14. a. He has been regularly using a computer.
5.6. a. The man might start a fire in the park b. He communicates with a Boston company
b. The man parked his car near the fire c. He regularly goes to communities around
c. The man’s thinking of doing Boston
something dangerous d. He has been traveling back and forth to
d. The man’s playing a game in the park Boston

6.5. a. He believes that it is acceptable to park 15.2. a. The bus trip is only five minutes long
there b. The man missed the bus by five minutes
b. The parking lot is too far from their c. The man doesn’t have time to waste
destination d. The bus was five minutes late
c. He knows that they won’t get a ticket
d. He knows where the parking lot is 16.8. a. She’s always been late for the bus
b. The bus has always been late
7.2. a. The man often drives too quickly c. The bus only left on time once
b. The police do not stop the man too d. Only on this trip has the bus been on time
much
c. The man drove rather slowly. 17.1. a. She never took the bus to work.
d. The police should not stop the man so b. She regularly takes the bus.
often c. She doesn’t know how to get to work
d. She gets lost on the bus
8.2. a. The woman told him about the ticket
b. He wanted the woman to get a ticket 18.9. a. The passenger waited at the corner
c. He was happy to find out about the b. The passenger looked for a taxi at the
ticket corner
d. The woman did not tell him about the c. The cab driver waited for the passenger
ticket d. The passenger cornered the waiting taxi
driver
9.8. a. The man was going to study hard
b. The man already had a driver’s license 19.16. a. They should take both cars
c. The man would not take the test b. The woman should try not to be afraid
d. The man had already taken the test c. The woman should buy a bigger car
d. They should go together in his car

67
15. Transportation 2 & Accidents

Name one means of transportation that can do ALL of the following actions: land, take
off, and depart?

“Translate” the following sentences using the word because. Look at the example:

a. Had I known, I would have come


I didn’t come because I didn’t know____________________________

b. Had she applied, she would have gotten the scholarship


________________________________________________________________________

c. Had they seen it, they would have told us


________________________________________________________________________

d. Had Mary tasted the cake, she would have gotten sick
________________________________________________________________________

e. Had he know it was on sale, he would have bought it


________________________________________________________________________
1.16. a. She didn’t ask him for a ride 6.14. a. The agent was standing in line with his
b. He isn’t going to give her a ride passport
c. She doesn’t want to ride with him b. The line to get new passports is very
d. He will give her a ride since she asked long
for one c. The woman must wait her turn to get
her passport checked
2.6. a. They filled up the gas tank at the last d. He can check her passport instead of
service station the agent
b. Although they filled up the tank, they
still ran out of gas 7.2. a. He’s a pilot
c. Even though they didn’t stop at the b. He’s a flight attendant
service station, they didn’t run out of c. He’s a member of the grounds crew
gas d. He works clearing land
d. They ran out of gas because they
didn’t stop at the gas station 8.4. a. He did not look at the right schedule
b. The plane landed in the right place
3.6. a. They were not very lucky c. The plane arrived on time
b. No one was hurt d. He had to wait for the plane to land
c. The accident was unfortunate
d. She wanted to have better luck
9.23. a. The plane took off just after he arrived
4.2. a. The woman always rode her b. He arrived just after the plane took off
motorcycle to school c. He wasn’t in time to catch the plane
b. The woman was not coming to school d. He arrived too late to catch the plane
today
c. The woman was an expert motorcycle 10.3. a. A few minutes ago, the flight departed
rider b. The fight will start in a while
d. The woman did not know how to ride c. They are frightened about the
a motorcycle departure
d. The plane is going to take off soon
5.8. a. When Joe saw the car coming, he tried
to get out of the way 11.3. a. The flight is departing in the near
b. Joe was able to get out of the way future
because he saw the car coming b. The plane is taking off early
c. Joe jumping out of the way of the c. The man needs to make plans soon
oncoming car d. The plane is taking up space
d. Because Joe didn’t see the car coming,
he couldn’t get out of the way

Auto-complete your grade. _____/11

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16. Food
Answer the questions. Make sure you understand the words in bold letters.

1. Which of the following items are usually part of your meals? Select all that apply
⬜ Dessert
⬜ Rice or beans
⬜ Chicken
⬜ Fish
⬜ Roast turkey
⬜ Barbecue
⬜ Muffins or cookies
2. Name a anything edible that can taste bitter.
3. Name a spice (besides salt and pepper).
4. Do you prefer sweet or salty food?
5. Do you like food with a lot of spices?
6. Name a thing that tastes better if it’s been freshly made and a thing that tastes
better if not.
7. Complete the following expressions so they are true for you:
a. Never have I ever tasted _______________
b. Only rarely have I ever eaten/drunk ___________________
c. I _________________ (have) friends over to play or study or hang out.
8. If one is hungry, one should:
a. Eat
b. Drink water
9. If one is thirsty, one should:
a. Eat
b. Drink water
10. If you are hosting a party, which of the following scenarios is the worst?
a. You have plenty of food to go around for all your guests
b. You have just enough food to go around for all your guests
c. You are out of food before all your guests arrive
11. In a romantic date, who should cover the bill?
12. If you have to be all day on campus, you:
a. Bring my own food
b. Eat in the cafeteria
c. Eat off campus
d. Buy something in the Oxxo
13. Have you ever known of someone who walked out of the place to avoid paying
his/her share of the bill?
14. If you are dissatisfied with the service in a restaurant, do you still leave a tip?

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1.11. a. He wishes he has something to eat. 8.1. a. If the restaurant is on the corner.
b. He hopes he won’t eat for weeks. b. If the man would like to go to the
c. He wishes he hadn’t eaten so much. restaurant.
d. He wishes he weren’t eating. c. If the vegetables are fresh.
a. If vegetarian food can be obtained.
2.17. a. The cake is extremely good.
b. He never tasted the cake. 9.7. b. It wasn’t George’s responsibility to
c. He wished he hadn’t tasted the pay the bill.
cake. c. Bill was irresponsible about paying
d. The cake has never been very good. George’s rent.
d. George acted carelessly by not
3.1. a. The coffee is much better this taking care of the bill.
morning. e. George took responsibility for the
b. He’s feeling bitter this morning. unpaid bill.
c. The coffee isn’t very good.
d. He cannot taste the butter. 10.4. a. In a bank.
b. In a restaurant.
4.8. a. She doesn’t like this meal too c. At a service station.
much. d. In a beauty salon.
b. This food tastes wonderful to her.
c. She’s not sure if she likes it. 11.7. a. It costs too much for him to go.
d. She can’t stand this meal. b. He agrees to go with them.
c. He is unworried about the cost of
5.2. a. She’d like something to drink. the restaurant.
b. She’d like to have thirty. d. The restaurant is rather
c. She’d like a bite to eat. inexpensive.
d. She’s a bit thrifty.
12.7. a. He didn’t want the coffee that the
6.2. a. It’s a good idea to be thrifty. woman ordered.
b. He’s feeling a little dirty. b. He wasn’t sure if the woman
c. He’d like something to drink. wanted coffee.
d. Stopping for thirty minutes is a c. He assumed the woman had
good idea. ordered coffee.
d. He was unaware that coffee had
7.3. a. She doesn’t like to listen to turkeys. already been ordered.
b. She thinks the dinner sounds
special. 13.5. a. The man doesn’t like eating in
c. She especially likes the roast turkey. restaurants.
d. She’d prefer a different dinner. b. She doesn’t really like that
restaurant.
c. Each of them has his own
restaurant.
d. Everyone has different tastes.

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14.4. a.The man should repeat what he 19.3. a. The man was not a very good cook.
said. b. The man never invited friends over
b. The man said something foolish. for dinner.
c. She thinks that the food is the best c. The man would never invite him
she has ever tasted. over for dinner.
d. She agrees that the food is pretty d. The man was an excellent cook.
bad.
20.2. a. The man should take the pie out.
15.4. a. The cafeteria was open in the b. The man should try something else.
morning c. The man shouldn’t try cherry pie.
b. The cafeteria did not serve d. The man should feel sorry.
breakfast.
c. The breakfast in the cafeteria was 21.7. a. There’s enough soup.
not very tasty. b. The spices are adequate.
d. The woman never ate breakfast in c. She thinks the soup’s too salty.
the cafeteria. d. The man should add more salt and
pepper.
16.6. a.The service satisfied her.
b. The food was worse than the 22.9. a. Meat tastes delicious to him when
service. it’s cooked rare.
c. She thought the service was bad. b. He isn’t sure if the meal is delicious.
d. Neither the food nor the service c. This meat is the best he’s tasted in
was satisfying. a long time.
d. He’d like to eat some meat form tis
17.3. a.There wasn’t enough soup to go delicatessen.
around.
b. We had so much soup that we 23.10.a. He wants to know if the muffins
couldn’t finish it. taste good.
c. Everyone got one serving of soup, b. He thinks the muffins were recently
but there wasn’t enough for prepared.
seconds. c. The muffins are not really fresh.
d. Everyone around the table had a lot d. He’s sure that the muffins were just
of soup. made.

18.10.a.There’s plenty to eat. 24.7. a. The woman did not like desserts.
b. The refrigerator’s broken. b. The woman ate sweets regularly.
c. The food isn’t in the refrigerator. c. The woman would not share her
d. He’s not sure if there’s enough. chocolate cake.
d. The woman had eaten his piece of
cake.

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25.1. a. They should visit their family. 28.8. a.She convinced Jack to go.
b. They should take a nap. b. She will not be able to go to the
c. They should get something to eat. restaurant.
d. They shouldn't do more without c. Jack has convinced her to go to a
getting some help. restaurant.
d. Jack is not going.
26.9. a. He doesn't have enough time to go
off campus. 29.18. a. They were unable to pay the bill.
b. He doesn't mind the school b. The prices were surprisingly low.
cafeteria. c. The restaurant was too expensive
c. He does not want to eat in the for them to try.
cafeteria. d. They almost didn’t have enough
d. He doesn't have time for lunch. money to pay for the meal.

27.9. a. Take care of Bob.


b. Invite Bob to dinner.
c. Let Bob know that they accept his
invitation.
d. Respond to the woman’s question.

Auto-complete your grade _____/29

73
17. Events
Answer the following questions. Pay attention to the words in bold letters. Make
sure you know what they mean.
1. Can you play an instrument? Which one?
⬜ The harp ⬜ The flute ⬜ The violin
⬜ The guitar ⬜ The piano ⬜ The cello
⬜ The harmonica
2. Have you ever given a speech in front of a group? What was it about?
3. What is a guest speaker?
4. If you were asked to give an impromptu speech about a random topic, do you think
you’ll be able to pull it off?
5. What is the best thing you can do to be prepared before giving a talk?
6. Have you ever attended to the Congreso Internacional de Ingenieria UAQ (CONIIN)?
Did you have a good time?
7. Do students have to preregister to attend the conferences (at the CONIIN)?
8. Do they charge students to be able to attend the conferences? If so, how much?
Is there a way you can get a discount and save money?

9. Write next to the following events the numbers of times you attended an event of
this type during the last year.
⬜ A wedding ⬜ A recital ⬜ A high school
⬜ A party ⬜ A concert reunion
⬜ A conference ⬜ A talk ⬜ A musical
10. Was there an event that you wanted to attend but you have to miss? Why did you
miss the event? Were you sick?
11. Do you like going out dancing with your friends?
12. When you go out with friends, you usually:
a. Take the bus to the place where you are meeting your friends
b. Ask a relative to drive you to the place where you are meeting your friends
c. Someone picks you up and drive you to the place where you are meeting
your friends
13. Whenever you go to the cinema, and you don’t like the movie you are watching,
you:
a. Sit through the entire movie because you have already paid
b. Head to the exit as soon as you realize it’s not getting any better
14. What is something that you shouldn’t gift at a wedding because it’s considered
bad luck?
15. Think about the events in the previous questions. Then write next to the adjective
one event that can be most likely described with that adjective (e.g. conferences are
more likely to be fascinating than weddings). You can repeat an event more than
once. You don’t have to use all the events.

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Fascinating ________________________ Magnificent ________________________
Fruitless ________________________ Crowded ________________________
Chaotic ________________________ Noisy ________________________
Disorganized ________________________
16. How many of your relatives are your cousins?
17. Who is your favorite singer?
18. How much are usually his tickets when he comes to Mexico?
19. Do you know the meaning of brave, worried and delighted? __________________

75
1.23. a.She believes she can succeed. 7.7. a.He will be far from the conference
b. She’s decided to pull out of it. tonight.
c. She wants to put off the speech for b. He’s not quite sure who the
a while. speaker will be.
d. She thinks the speech is too long. c. He knows Dr. Burton well.
d. He knows that Dr. Burton will be
2.18. a.She prepared him for what he was speaking.
going to do.
b. She was unprepared for what she 8.6. a.He went to the conference.
had to do. b. He saw his friends at the
c. She probably didn’t spend much conference.
time on her presentation. c. He was in his place at the
d. She was really ready for her conference.
presentation. d. He sent a representative.

3.26. a.He thinks the lecture was really 9.15. a.He really enjoyed the conference.
interesting. b. He’ll be able to go to the
b. He’s not sure if the ideas are conference.
workable. c. He couldn’t attend the conference.
c. He understood nothing about the d. He heard everything at the
lecture. conference.
d. He’s not sure what the woman
would like to know. 10.11. a.He was delighted to attend the
conference.
4.14. a.An astronomer. b. He was pleased to be of assistance.
b. A physician. c. He enjoyed conferring with the
c. A philosopher. woman.
d. An engineer. d. He was able to help with the lights.

5.14. a.He fascinated the guests. 11.5. a.They saved some money by
b. The speaker’s ideas intrigued him. preregistering.
c. Giving speeches is fascinating. b. They failed to register early.
d. He was a guest of the speaker. c. They were overcharged on the
registration fee.
6.12. a.It has probably not been arranged. d. They had to pay a total of $180.
b. It is ready for the conference.
c. It needs a set of chairs. 12.11. a. He though it was extremely fruitful
d. It needs to be emptied. b. He’s happy he didn’t attend it.
c. A lot of people missed it.
d. It was perturbing.

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13.28. a. He didn’t go because he was 19.19. a. He went to it.
sleeping. b. He knew about it.
b. He didn’t miss the committee c. He didn’t know about it.
meeting. d. He gave it.
c. He never returned from class.
d. He was unable to fall asleep. 20.7. a. Asking some others to accompany
them.
14.8. a. Take a short nap. b. Making up a couple of dances.
b. Go out now. c. Turning the invitation down.
c. Enjoy the rest of the evening. d. Dancing a couple more hours.
d. Have a little snack before going
out. 21.3. a. He is glad that the wedding is right
around the corner.
15.7. a. He thinks the parties aren’t loud. b. He is looking forward to attending
b. He says that the neighbors don’t the wedding.
have many parties. c. He regrets that he is unable to
c. He agrees that the upstairs attend the ceremony.
neighbors are noisy. d. He is going to miss his final exams.
d. The loud parties don’t bother him.
22.30.a. That he would remember her
16.5. a. This party hasn’t been any fun at birthday.
all. b. That he would bring her a gift.
b. He wonders if the woman enjoyed c. That he had forgotten her birthday.
herself. d. That he would get her something
c. He wants to know what she said. she didn’t like.
d. He’s enjoyed himself tremendously.
23.7. a. He has gone to his high school
17.1. a. Greg always comes to parties. reunion.
b. Greg would come to the party later. b. He lacks the funds to go to the
c. Greg was unable to attend the event.
party. c. He is braver than Cathy.
d. Greg would stay at the party for d. He dislikes high school reunions.
only a moment.
24.29. a. That John would pick them up for
18.23. a. He was going directly to the party. the concert.
b. He didn't know the way to Kent's b. That the concert would start earlier.
house. c. That John would not be going to
c. He would be unable to attend the the concert.
festivities. d. That they would be late to the
d. He had lost his invitation. concert.

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25.9. a.He’s going to say something in the 27.1.a. It was too cloudy to hold a concert.
theater. b. The audience was too noisy.
b. What the woman said was c. She did not really go to the
magnified out of proportion. concert.
c. The size of the theater was d. There were too many people.
magnificent.
d. He shares the woman’s opinion. 28.1. a.The line is short.
b. There are not very many people in
26.2. a.It was hard for her to hear Jane last from of them.
night. c. The line in front of them is too
b. Jane gave a harp recital last night. long.
c. Jane was playing hard while she d. Not many people want to get
was hurt. tickets to the concert.
d. She played the harp last night for
Jane.

Auto-complete your grade _____/28

78
18. Entertainment
1. Whenever you go to the movies, you usually prefer:
a. To sit at the back
b. To sit at the front
c. To sit in the middle
2. If a movie has just come out, you would rather:
a. Go to the matinee to get a better seat
b. Go to the premiere to be among the first ones to watch it
3. Have you ever been part of sports team, dancing or theater club?
4. How did you get in? Did they do try outs?
5. Did you have rehearsals?
6. Think about a movie you like a lot. Which one is it and who plays the lead role?
7. If you could get a free ticket to go to one of the following, which one would you
choose?
⬜ A Recital ⬜ A theater performance
⬜ A park ⬜ An airshow
⬜ The zoo ⬜ A museum
⬜ An art gallery
8. When you were in elementary school, did you ever go on a field trip to a museum /
aquarium or something? How did you like the trip?
9. If you had to go to a museum exhibit, which one would you be more interested in
seeing?
⬜ A dinosaur exhibit ⬜ An exhibit about the history
⬜ An exhibit about Egypt of fashion
⬜ An art exhibit
10. Google it. How much is the entrance fee one has to pay to get into the Museo
Regional de Querétaro? Is there a way to avoid paying the fee?
11. Who do you think does more incredible feats? Who would leave you more impressed?
a. Skydivers in an airshow
b. Cirque du soleil acrobats
12. Explain the following sentence It’s not the same to care about women than to care for
women. How is it different?
13. Imagine UAQ is organizing a contest in your area of interest (e.g. Civil Engineering),
which kind of prize will motivate you to win the contest:
a. A two-week trip to another country
b. A second-hand car
c. A wardrobe-changing gift card

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1.3. a. He knows the movie starts at 8:00. 7.8. a. In an airplane.
b. He is not quite sure when the b. In a police car.
movie begins. c. In a theater.
c. He thinks the start of the movie has d. At a fireworks exhibit.
been changed.
d. He will start the movie himself at 8.20. a. He was selected as the musical
8:00. director of a production.
b. He was chosen for the lead role in a
2.3. a. He has a better idea. musical.
b. He'd prefer to listen to music. c. He led a group on a trip to see a
c. He doesn't like the sound of it. musical.
d. He thinks her idea is good. d. He tried to select a new musical
instrument.
3.1. a.She enjoys violent movies.
b. She would have preferred a more 9.1. a.She has rules about how to play.
violent movie. b. Her goal is to pay for school.
c. She thinks the film was too violent. c. She is praying no to have a low
d. She enjoyed the movie. score.
d. She’ll be acting in a school project.
4.19. a.It met her expectations.
b. It was rather mediocre. 10.20. a.The recital starts in three hours.
c. It was what she had hoped to see. b. He intends to recite three different
d. It was the last performance. poems.
c. He received a citation on the third
5.9. a. He arrived early at the auditorium. of the month.
b. He got one of the best seats in the d. He thinks the performance begins
auditorium. at three.
c. He was not early enough to get a
seat at the front. 11.26. a. He is not very impressed with it.
d. He prefers sitting at the back. b. He thinks it is fantastic.
c. He does not want more pressure
6.5. a. He is going to the theater. on it.
b. He doesn’t have enough money. d. It is less impressive than expected.
c. He isn’t afraid to go.
d. He doesn’t want to spend the 12.2. a. She thinks it’s an improvement.
money. b. The fir trees in it are better.
c. It resembles the last one.
d. It is the best the man has ever
done.

80
13.12. a. He doesn’t know how far away the 18.17.a. She didn’t see all of the show.
exhibit is. b. The show was unbelievable.
b. He’s uncertain about the fee. c. She doesn’t believe that the show
c. The exhibit is not very far away. really happened.
d. He’s sure the exhibit isn’t free. d. The skydivers were pulled off their
feet.
14.22. a. Jim didn't enjoy the outing.
b. Jim doesn't like tea. 19.15. a.She does not share the same
c. It was a surprise that Jim had a opinion as the man.
good time. b. She's convinced that William is
d. She didn't think that Jim was back going to win.
yet. c. She thinks that William is through
with the contest.
15.5. a. He doesn't know the time. d. She agrees with the man about
b. The exhibits are closed. William.
c. Time is up.
d. He can't find the bus. 20.10.a. Kathy didn’t work as hard as
possible because she didn’t know
16.6. a. Neither Tim nor Sylvia is taking care what the reward was.
of Art. b. Kathy couldn’t have put more effort
b. Sylvia likes modern art even less into the project to win the prize.
than Tim does. c. Kathy won first prize because of her
c. Sylvia doesn’t care for anything Tim hard work on the art project.
does. d. Kathy worked so hard that she
d. Sylvia and Tim agree in their knew first prize was hers.
opinion of modern art.

17.6. a. On a playground.
b. In a parking lot.
c. At a zoo.
d. In a photo studio.

Auto-complete your grade _____/20

81
19. Trips

Go on a trip

Miss the conference

Attend a reunion

Go into the pool for a quick dip

Take a trip down the coast

Go sailing

Go skiing

Head to the lake

Skating

Sight-seeing trip

Work out for you to go

Have a chance

Make reservations

Spend money

Stay in a hotel

Provide service

Go home from the airport

Airport lot

Pack

Put my big toe in

Join me in the pool

Put my suit on

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Waves coming in

Huge

Water is rough

Boat rolled around

Be kind of scared

Lake is frozen

Enjoy

Be glad

Play it safe

Change your mind

Chains for icy roads

Carry furniture

Late in the spring

Spend time

Hold down the fort

Instead of

Unequal

83
1.10. a.Jane usually visits San Francisco for 7.10. a.He took a quick trip.
her vacations. b. The big boat was towed through
b. Jane’s cousin often visits San the water.
Francisco. c. There was coal in the water.
c. Whenever there’s a holiday, Jane’s d. He didn’t go for a swim.
cousin goes to San Francisco.
d. Whenever there’s a holiday, Jane 8.5. a.She’d rather go running.
leaves San Francisco. b. She doesn’t want to go into the
pool.
2.10. a.She was unable to hold down a job. c. She’ll change clothes quickly and
b. She would not be able to attend a go swimming.
family gathering. d. She needs a sweat suit to go
c. She would be making a trip to see running.
her relatives.
d. She had to cancel her reservations 9.1. a.The trip would cost too much.
to Seattle. b. She doesn’t think that a trip would
be a good idea.
3.8. a. She thinks she'll be able to go. c. She would like to take two trips
b. She can't afford to go. rather than one.
c. She needs to spend more time on d. She would also like to take a trip.
her books.
d. She needs to get some supplies for 10.21.a. That she wouldn’t take the trip.
the trip. b. That she would go to the beach.
c. That she really liked the beach.
4.2. a. She's departing quite soon. d. That she would take a break from
b. She's seeing her friends off on a her studies.
trip.
c. She's going on a trip tomorrow. 11.14. a. He cannot see the huge waves.
d. She's living a few minutes away. b. The waves are not coming in.
c. He would like the woman to repeat
5.4. a. He is going to miss the conference. what she said.
b. He will take his vacation next week. d. He agrees with the woman.
c. He will attend the conference.
d. He won’t miss his vacation. 12.30.a. He enjoyed the trip immensely.
b. The boat trip was really rough.
6.4. a. Leaving on Tuesday. c. He couldn’t have enjoyed the trip
b. Cutting their visit short. more.
c. Changing the day of their d. The water was not very rough.
departure.
d. Postponing their visit to a later
date.

84
13.19. a.He has never gone sailing. 18.6. a.They should be fine for driving.
b. He doesn’t like sailing. b. It's too late to drive on them.
c. He hasn’t had much time for c. They aren't very safe.
sailing. d. Chains are required for driving on
d. He doesn’t have any time to go them.
sailing.
19.27. a.The trip was less than perfect.
14.14. a.She is too scared to try it. b. There was nothing at all wrong with
b. She would like another the trip.
opportunity. c. There wasn’t any way that she
c. Her time is very scarce. could take the trip.
d. She has gone skiing for the last d. The trip could have been improved
time. in a number of ways.

15.18. a. The woman is freezing, so she 20.6. a. He had changed apartments.


doesn't want to go. b. He did not like his new apartment.
b. The lake's been frozen for a long c. He was still in his old apartment.
time. d. He had moved from a house to an
c. It's not a good idea to walk around apartment.
the lake.
d. It would be dangerous to go 21.4. a. She does want to see the movie.
skating. b. It’s extremely important to her to
go.
16.10. a. The service at the hotel wasn’t too c. She doesn’t want to go there
good. anymore.
b. This hotel gave excellent service. d. She really couldn’t move there.
c. The service at the hotel could have
been improved.
d. This hotel’s service was the same as
the service at other hotels.

17.8. a.The car was in the left parking lot at


the airport.
b. The friends parked their car at the
airport.
c. The airport couldn’t hold a lot of
cars.
d. There were a lot of cars to the left
of the parking lot.

Auto-complete your grade _____/21

85
20. Sports
Take a jacket

Try out

Pull it off

How did you do

Made the football team

Play the offense

Race

Tennis match

Get to football games

Join Chess team

Be in the finals

Disappointed

Serve & Volley

Throw the ball

Tossing the ball

Fast

Carefully

Uncomfortable

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1.4. a. He has never gone to any games. 7.9. a. He is betting that the football team
b. It is rare for the football team to will win.
win. b. He really wants to succeed.
c. He doesn’t go to games often. c. It is not so difficult to play on the
d. It is rare for the university team to football team.
have a game. d. He pulled a muscle while playing
football.
2.16. a. She doesn’t need a jacket for the
game. 8.9. a. She was second in the race.
b. She was very uncomfortable last b. She was almost the slowest person
time. in the race.
c. She will take a jacket with her this c. She won the race.
time. d. She was not faster than anyone
d. Her jacket does not feel very else.
comfortable.
9.2. a. Both parts of his game were bad.
3.10. a. He’d like to work on his social skills b. He served better than he volleyed.
at the game. c. Some parts of his game were better
b. He wishes he could work on his than others.
term paper for sociology. d. He played rather well.
c. He can’t attend the game because
of his schoolwork. 10.1. a. He thinks the basketball team is
d. Sociology is less important to him good.
than football this weekend. b. He thinks last year's basketball
team was better.
4.13. a. That the team was not in the finals. c. He is disappointed that he is not on
b. That there would be no finals. the basketball team.
c. That the finals had already taken d. He agrees with the woman.
place.
d. That the team did make the finals. 11.22. a. The runner did not fall.
b. The team won.
5.6. a. He believes that Robert may be on c. The loss was the runner’s fault.
a football team. d. The team won’t ever win a game.
b. He finds it offensive to play
football. 12.7. a. She knows where the children are.
c. Robert will not be playing this year. b. The children have finished playing
d. He is sure that Robert is a defensive ball.
player on the football team. c. She’s going to the park to find the
children.
6.12. a. He didn't have time for it. d. She believes that the children are in
b. He wanted it tremendously. the park.
c. He will try it once more.
d. He didn't want it very much.

87
13.4. a. The man taught his son about
football.
b. The boy is receiving the ball from
his dad.
c. The ball is being tossed into the air
by the boy.
d. The man is playing with the ball in
the sun.

Auto-complete your grade _____/13

88
21. Health

Have a bad headache

Not feeling well

Come down with something

Rather sick

Rather tired

Get worn out

Has looked better

Tooth hurting

Broken leg

Broken arm

Swollen hand

Stung by a bee

Give up

Stay on an exercise machine

Run miles

Go out

Skiing

Get some rest

Have a doctor’s appointment

Get my eyes checked

Motorcycle rider taken to the hospital

Take the tablets right on schedule

89
Fill this prescription

Cut down

Patient

Surgery

Leg in a cast

Stress the importance

Smoking

Unnecessary

90
1.13. a.He’s had enough exercise. 7.2. a. He’s not feeling very well.
b. He’s going to give himself a reward b. He’s rather sick of working.
for the hard work. c. He’s feeling better today than
c. He’s going to stay on for quite yesterday.
some time. d. He’d really rather not answer the
d. He would like to give the woman question.
an exercise machine as a gift.
8.3. a. She’s moving in the opposite
2.4. a.The woman had run more than direction.
three miles. b. She’s wide awake.
b. The woman always got lots of c. The rest of the people are tired.
exercise. d. She needs to take a nap.
c. The woman ran for three hours in
the morning. 9.4. a. Chuck had improved.
d. The woman had not gotten much b. This visit was better than the last.
exercise. c. Chuck looked at him in the
hospital.
3.2. a.He's wearing the wrong clothes. d. Chuck didn’t seem to be doing very
b. He likes being outside. well.
c. He'd like to continue playing.
d. He's becoming tired. 10.21. a. Choose a new dentist.
b. Cure the pain himself.
4.4. a. She felt good enough to go out. c. Make an appointment with his
b. She went out to get some dentist.
medicine. d. Ask his dentist about the right way
c. She felt like dancing, so she went to brush.
out with everyone.
d. She stayed home because she was 11.13. a. To see a dentist.
sick. b. To see a cardiologist.
c. To see a podiatrist.
5.3. a. Her headache is getting worse. d. To see an ophthalmologist.
b. She felt better this morning than
now. 12.23. a. The rider took the road to the
c. She seems to be feeling better now. hospital.
d. She is just getting another b. An ambulance took the rider to the
headache now. hospital.
c. The ambulance left the hospital
6.3. a. She’s going somewhere else. with the rider.
b. She does not like football. d. The motorcyclist followed the
c. She has a lot of work to do. ambulance to the hospital.
d. She is getting sick.

91
13.6. a. They should go to the hospital. 18.10. a. Teresa is feeling a lot better.
b. Mary should visit the man. b. The doctor didn’t prescribe the
c. The woman should try not to break medicine.
her leg. c. Teresa didn’t follow the doctor’s
d. They should go on a trip with Mary. orders.
d. Teresa did exactly what he doctor
14.10. a. He broke his arm trying to move it. said.
b. He only hurt the broken arm.
c. He only tries to move the broken 19.4. a. The tablets were all probably taken.
arm. b. The medication is not working.
d. There’s no pain if he rests quietly. c. The man took some medication.
d. The pills were not taken on
15.5. a. The patient absolutely didn’t need schedule.
the surgery.
b. The necessity for the surgery was 20.5. a. She injured her hand while parking
unquestionable. her car.
c. The surgeon felt that the operation b. An insect stung her hand.
was necessary. c. Her handbag was stolen.
d. It was essential that the surgery be d. She got lost on the way to class.
performed immediately.
21.4. a. The man should stop breaking his
16.5. a. She was broke from skiing. cigarettes in half.
b. She went skiing in spite of her b. The man should decrease the
accident. number of cigarettes he smokes.
c. Her leg was hurt on skiing trip. c. The man should cut the ends off his
d. Her skis were broken in the cigarettes.
mountains. d. The man should stop smoking
completely.
17.10. a. A pharmacist.
b. A dentist.
c. A teacher.
d. A business manager.

Auto-complete your grade _____/21

92
22. Nature
Cold

Cloudy

Humid

Weather

A bad storm is heading in

Snow

Looks like rain

Get snow this far south

Stuck around longer

Mountains

Forest

Running brook

Hillside

Like the outdoors

Gorgeous

Lighting storm

Forest Fire

Earthquake

The homes were saved

Building

Inhabitants

93
Insurance company

Damage

Die

Burn

Paths

Walk

Covered with falling leaves

I’d like it better if …

Whenever there’s a …

Mosquitos chew me to bits

Unexpected

94
1.11. a.The color of the sweater. 7.27. a. He doesn’t believe that it is really
b. The weather. snowing.
c. The condition of the campus. b. The snow had been predicted.
d. The direction the man is going. c. The exact amount of snow is
unclear.
2.4. a.Leaves covered the campus d. He expected the woman to go out
pathways. in the snow.
b. A lot of trees fell on campus.
c. It was easy to get lost on the 8.28. a. It was not cold enough.
campus paths. b. The snowball struck him forcefully.
d. The falling leaves had been c. The snow stayed around too long.
removed from the paths. d. It was too cold.

3.10. a.He wants to rest a bit. 9.1. a. There’s little rain in July.
b. He'd like something to chew on. b. In July it never rains.
c. The insects are bothering him. c. It rains hard in July.
d. It would be better if he had a book. d. When it rains in July, it rains hard.

4.15. a.It is quite humid this week. 10.4. a. The lights in the trees were
b. The humidity will last through the destroyed in the storm.
week. b. The storm damaged the trees.
c. It is drier now. c. The falling trees destroyed a store.
d. It was better just last week. d. In the light the destruction of the
storm could be seen.
5.9. a. The weather will probably get
worse later. 11.6. a. The firefighters saved the homes
b. The newspaper headlines described for last.
a bad storm. b. A firefighter saved the hillside last
c. There was news about a night.
headstrong man. c. The homes on the hillside were
d. He had a new bed. burned.
d. The houses weren’t destroyed.
6.12. a. It has rarely rained this much.
b. It hardly rained this year. 12.5. a. Some animals started the first fire.
c. It is barely raining this year. b. Animals are killed by forest fires.
d. It seldom rains so little. c. In the first frost, animals die.
d. Frost can kill animals.

95
13.10.a.After the earthquake, the insurance
company came out to inspect the
damage.
b. The insurance company insisted
that the building be repaired to
meet earthquake safety standards.
c. The inhabitants paid their
premiums after the earthquake.
d. The insurance company paid for
the earthquake damage.

Auto-complete your grade _____/13

96
23. Conversations
Headlines

Today’s paper

News report

Have a chance

Intelligent

Be a chip off the old block

Resemble his father

Friendly with everyone

Meet someone

Ran into someone

Call on the neighbors

Get along

Stay and talk

Unexpectedly

Cousin

Relatives

Nieces

Nephews

Purse

Sweater

Borrow

97
Return something to someone

Expect a nice gift

Surprise

Flights of stairs

Climb the stairs

Elevator is broken

Be on your way now

Head to the cafeteria

Ashtray

Smoking is permitted

Extinguish your cigarette put it out

Excited

Pleased

Disappointed

Willpower

The clock strike noon

98
1.13. a. The heading for today’s reading 7.18. a.At the corner she ran into another
assignment. car.
b. The chance to make the headlines. b. She ran to Carl because she cared.
c. Her reading ability. c. She unexpectedly met one of her
d. The daily newspaper. relatives.
d. Carl was running from place to
2.25. a. She doesn’t think the news report is place.
false.
b. She has never before reported on 8.5. a. They should call out to their
the news. neighbors.
c. She never watches the news on b. They should visit their neighbors.
television. c. They should phone their neighbors.
d. She shares the man’s opinion about d. They should look over their
the report. neighbors.

3.2. a. She was unhappy about the story. 9.19. a.She shouldn’t leave her purse here.
b. She did not see the story. b. She’s probably in the apartment.
c. She was sad about her role in the c. Her purse must not be in the
story. apartment.
d. She had no feelings about the d. She left without taking her purse.
story.
10.2. a.She will lend it to the man.
4.4. a. She is not very smart. b. She never lent the book to Jim.
b. She always tells him everything. c. Jim wants to borrow the book.
c. He doesn’t know her very well. d. Jim has the book.
d. She’s extremely intelligent.
11.11. a.She just left her sister’s house.
5.2. a. He resembles his father. b. Her sister left the sweater behind.
b. He has a chipped tooth. c. She believes her sweater was left at
c. He lives one block from his father. her sister’s house.
d. He and his father were playing a d. She doesn’t know where her sister
game with blocks. lives.

6.6. a. She gets along with lots of people. 12.1. a.Someone put it somewhere else.
b. She gets back at people who cross b. He hasn't seen it.
her. c. It is sitting on the chair.
c. She gets rid of people she doesn’t d. He saw someone move it.
want to spend time with.
d. She tries to get ahead of everyone
else.

99
13.1. a.He is leaving now. 17.30. a.She took the stairs out of necessity.
b. He has to go out of his way. b. She didn’t want to take the
c. He will not be leaving soon. elevator.
d. He will do it his own way. c. It was only a few flights of stairs.
d. She preferred to climb the stairs.
14.15. a.Nothing could surprise her.
b. The gift really astonished her. 18.15. a.Put it away.
c. She couldn’t have gotten more b. Put it off.
gifts. c. Put it out.
d. She was expecting the gift. d. Put it down.

15.22. a.They were disappointed. 19.4. a.She needs to finish some reading.
b. They didn’t get any gifts. b. The ideas in the chapter are too
c. They were unexcited. powerful for her.
d. They were really pleased. c. She hasn't reached the middle of
the chapter.
16.20. a.It’s hard to lock the room. d. Her head is too full of ideas.
b. The cloak was delivered on time.
c. Someone struck the crockery and
broke it.
d. It is now midday.

Auto-complete your grade _____/19

100
24. House chores

Put something off

Do the dishes

Organize the closet

Take care of the dirty clothes

Do the shopping

Take out the trash

Run errands

Take care of the children

Look after the children

Look after my fish

Feed the dog

Take care of the plants

Water the grass / lawn

Pull weed

Take turns to do the cooking

Prepare a dish

Chop vegetables

Wash the lettuce

Make the dressing

Thread dandling from .. skirt

Seam is unraveling

Hem it up

101
Sprinkler

Laundromat

Washing machine

Change machine

Quarters (coins)

Knock the dishes off the table

Get off the hook

Put away the plates

Be ready to go

Go out

Be out of town

Be back from the market

Twice a day

Dorm rooms

Roommate

It could use a new coat of paint

Be a wreck

102
1.29. a. The man would do the dishes. 7.7. a. Getting dressed.
b. The plates did not need to be b. Making salad.
washed. c. Shopping for groceries.
c. The man would not be ready to go. d. Washing clothes.
d. The dishes would not be done.
8.3. a. Mark’s plants were cared for in his
2.25. a. He should put the organ in the absence.
closet. b. Mark’s plan was to be out of town.
b. The closet has already been c. Mark was careful about his plants
organized. for the out-of-town trip.
c. He wishes the closet were closer. d. She was careful while Mark was
gone.
3.6. a. She needs a new coat.
b. She likes the paint in the dorm 9.1. a. She has to wait for some cash.
rooms. b. The waiter is bringing a glass of
c. She has the same opinion as the water.
man. c. The lawn is too dry.
d. She left her coat in the dorm room. d. She needs to watch out for a crash.

4.29 a. The woman is more than a week 10.3. a. Wash the dishes immediately.
. late. b. Use as many dishes as possible.
b. The children would have wrecked c. Wash the dishes for as long as
the house later. possible.
c. The woman was so late that she d. Wait until later to clean up.
was a wreck.
d. He’s glad that she was not any 11.10. a. If she could do the grocery
later. shopping.
b. If she prefers cooked vegetables or
5.30. a. He had not gone to the store. salad.
b. He was still at the market. c. If she could help prepare the salad.
c. He was going to take care of the d. If she minds shopping for
shopping. vegetables.
d. He always went to the market.
12.7.a. She’ll call back quickly.
6.3. a. The laundry is getting done. b. She’ll definitely be back by 4:00.
b. They are close to the cleaners. c. She’ll give it back by 4:00.
c. The woman should close the d. She’ll try to return fast.
machine.
d. He is watching someone clear the
machine.

103
13.5. a. Water the plants once a day. 19.21. a. Working in a garden.
b. Give the plants no more water. b. Putting groceries away.
c. Water the plants often while the c. Arranging flowers.
man is gone. d. Caring for some animals.
d. Give the plants a limited amount of
water. 20.12. a. Cook some fish for dinner.
b. Prepare meals for her twice a day.
14.1. a. She is very busy. c. Look for some missing fish.
b. She has lots of free time. d. Take care of some pets.
c. It is not necessary to take out the
trash. 21.5. a. She seems to be traveling.
d. She will do it if she has time. b. She should ham it up.
c. Her skirt is damaged.
15.4. a. Not doing the dishes now. d. She must mend her garment.
b. Leaving the house with the dishes.
c. Leaving later so that they can do 22.5. a. To water the plants inside and
the dishes now. outside the house
d. Washing the dishes before they b. To be sure that she sprinkles all the
leave. plants
c. To water the plants and mow the
16.9. a. She bought some eggs at the store. lawn
b. She doesn’t have any eggs to lend d. Not to water the inside plants
him.
c. He can borrow some eggs. 23.6. a. The washing machine was broken.
d. She didn’t go to the store. b. The laundromat was too expensive.
c. She needed change to finish doing
17.1. a. She gets lots of take-out dinners. the laundry.
b. She and her roommate alternate d. The washing machine wouldn't take
cooking responsibilities. her quarters.
c. Her roommate cooks more often
than she does. 24.10. a. She is still responsible for the
d. Her roommate does the cooking situation.
while she does other chores. b. Her actions probably went
unnoticed.
18.7. a. He must try to find the children. c. She could easily take care of the
b. It is necessary for him to clean up dishes.
after the children. d. She should place the dishes on
c. The children need to be watched. hooks.
d. He’s going to see what the children
have done.

Auto-complete your grade _____/24

104
25. House problems
Live close to campus

Live on the edge of campus

Move in

Call on the neighbors

Lock the door

Key fit into the lock

Leave the door unlocked

Locked the key in the car

Close the windows

Bother

Put up with you

Cut it out

Noise

Loud music

Use headphones

Turn down the music

Turn on the air conditioner

Uncomfortable

Warm

Plumber

Clear the pipes

105
Light too dim

Have a headache

Go to bed early

Have a pet dog

Clock flashing twelve o’clock

The clock resets

Power outage

Electricity come back on

Babysitter

106
1.4. a. She's leaving right away. 8.7. a. The machines do not act very well.
b. The campus is to the right. b. The machines don’t really bother
c. She's been living on campus for her.
ages. c. She would like them to stop the
d. Her home is close to school. noise.
d. She wishes the machines would cut
2.1. a. Phone their neighbors. the wood.
b. Call to their neighbors over the
fence. 9.8. a. It’s hard for him to work when it
c. Help the neighbors move in. gets warm.
d. Visit their neighbors. b. Whenever it gets warm, he turns on
the air conditioner.
3.29. a. The door was unlocked. c. The air conditioner only works
b. It was better to wait outside. when it isn’t needed.
c. He could not open the door. d. He likes to use the air conditioner
d. He needed to take a walk. when it is warm.

4.5. a. He was given the wrong key. 10.10.a. The pipes were not clear.
b. The key was top of the clock. b. The plumber would be late.
c. It was lucky that he got the key. c. The plumber had already cleared
d. The key was at his feet. the pipes.
12.7.
d. The pipes did not need to be
5.2. a. He locked the door. cleared.
b. He tried unsuccessfully to get into
the house. 11.13. a. The sofa is not comfortable.
c. He was able to open the door. b. There's not enough light for
d. He left the house without locking reading near the sofa.
the door. c. The sofa is too far away from the
light.
6.10. a. She’s unsure why she tolerates the d. He's not interested in reading the
man. paper.
b. She doesn’t know where she put
her keys. 12.3. a. To turn the music off.
c. She is actually the one who put the b. To decrease the volume.
keys in the car. c. To call her on the phone.
d. She can’t understand why the man d. To change the station.
did what he did.
13.10. a. The clock was not set properly.
7.2. a. He left the windows open. b. They failed to pay their electric bill.
b. The rain did not get in. c. There was a temporary blackout.
c. He forgot to close the windows. d. A power surge affected the clock.
d. The rain got into the house.

107
a. The baby sister went to bed quite 15.5. a. He has a dog.
early. b. He doesn’t pay attention to dogs.
b. The children were forced to go to c. He whishes he had a dog.
14.3. bed early. d. Dogs do not need much attention.
c. The baby-sitter made the bed after
the children got up.
d. The baby-sitter did not stay up late.

Auto-complete your grade _____/15

108
26. Banks and family finances

Open a savings / interest-bearing checking account

Put into savings account

Invest in a retirement fund

Improve my finances

Cash a check

Write check

Lent money

Bank account is overdrawn

Take care of

Budget

Bills

Utilities

Phone bill

Electricity bill

Pay on time

Be due on 19th

Long distance calls

Cut down the number of long-distance calls

Landlord

Rent has been raised

Keep on renting

109
Found a company

Make quite a profit

Successful

Be in business

Awful lot of

Higher

Collect it without fail

Be on your way

110
1.9. a.In a department store. 7.18. a. A visit to the woman’s family.
b. In a bank. b. The telephone bill.
c. In an accounting firm. c. The cost of a new telephone.
d. In a checkout line. d. How far away the woman’s family
lives.
2.7. a.She needs to get a driver’s license.
b. It is impossible to cash a check 8.3. a. Paying bills.
without two pieces of identification. b. Talking to the landlord.
c. The man should check to see if he c. Turning the lights off.
needs credit. d. Looking for an apartment.
d. A credit card can be used to get a
driver’s license. 9.25. a. He doesn’t have time to pay the
bills.
3.6. a.A cashier b. The bills weren’t paid on time.
b. A receptionist c. Of course, he paid the bills on time.
c. A financial advisor d. He will pay the bills for the last
d. A business professor time.

4.10. a.Chuck’s bank account has too 10.1. a. She plans to talk a lot this month.
much money in it. b. She has a lot to say about the
b. He thinks Chuck has the wrong phone bill.
kind of bank account. c. The bill is high because she has a
c. He thinks that Chuck is on his way lot to say.
home from the bank. d. She agrees with the man.
d. There isn’t enough money in
Chuck’s account. 11.9. a. He thinks the bill is due in the
middle of the month.
5.6. a.Not all the bills have been paid. b. The bill is approximately fifteen
b. They don’t have enough credit to dollars.
pay the bills. c. He knows when they should pay
c. What she said on the phone was the bill.
not credible. d. The bill is going to be fifteen days
d. He used a credit card to pay some late.
of the bills.
12.3. a. Cutting off their telephone service
6.8. a.She hasn’t seen Tim. b. Destroying their budget
b. Tim was there only for a moment. c. Reducing the number of calls
c. Tim was around a short time ago. d. Making cuts in their budget
d. Tim will return in a minute.

111
13.16. a.She gave Tom money to pay the 16.5. a.The landlord has raised the rent.
rent. b. The landlord has received a letter
b. She was given money for the rent. with some bad news.
c. Tom borrowed money for the rent. c. The landlord will not increase the
d. She has some money to lend. rent.
d. The landlord will not rent them an
14.26. a.The bridge is too hard to cross. apartment.
b. They must pay rent for the bridge.
c. They must cross a bridge to get to 17.3. a.The company was founded about a
the house. year ago.
d. They can decide later. b. It was just established that he could
go into business.
15.20. a.The landlord failed to collect rent c. The family is well established.
on the first of last month. d. The business only lasted a year.
b. The tenants absolutely must pay
rent by the first of the month. 18.9. a.It profited from previous mistakes.
c. The landlord will not fail to collect b. It earned a lot of money.
your rent on the first of next c. This was the last year that it would
month. make a profit.
d. It is important to call the landlord d. It was not so successful.
about rent on the first of the
month.

Auto-complete your grade _____/18

112
27. Shopping

Cherries

Grapes

Rug

Television set

Car

Printer

Dress

Sweater

Shoes

Wallet

Rings

Gold silver

Stamps

Book bag hold everything

Twenty dollars a pair

A dozen

Afford

Prices are outrageous

Run across bargains

Low prices

Cheap

Sale

Yard sale

Go on sale

113
Ads posted

Check it out

Product available

Come across something

Tote something home

Sleep on it before deciding

Fit right

Bookstore

Post office

Store clerk

Floor manager

Supply room

Deliver

Peel, crack, fade (paint)

Broke

Knocked off the table

Be a hassle

Last for a lifetime

Overrated

114
Affordable housing

Apartment accept pet

Keep two dogs

Just my luck

Be out of line

Crowded

Hold off going for a few minutes

Appropriate identification

check of out-of-state

115
1.5. e.She’d like the man to delay his trip. 7.25. a. He isn't interested because it costs
f. She prefers that the man leave a too much.
few minutes earlier than he b. He is impressed because it will last
planned. for a lifetime.
g. She wants to know if the man will c. It probably isn't as good as it says it
stay in the market for only a few is.
minutes. d. He doesn't think the paint is any
h. She’d like to talk to the man for a good.
few minutes.
8.10. a. The two big dogs are really lost.
2.30. a.He knew that grapes were cheaper b. She can keep her dogs in almost
than cherries. any apartment.
b. He didn’t know that grapes were c. Such an apartment is almost
cheaper than cherries. impossible to locate.
c. He bought grapes because they d. She can't really have gotten lost.
were cheaper than cherries.
d. He didn’t buy either grapes or 9.8. a. He was able to find a cheap
cherries because of the price. apartment.
b. His apartment is too expensive.
3.11. a.The prices are reasonable. c. He doesn’t like the apartment’s
b. The store is too far out of town. location.
c. He would like the woman to repeat d. The apartment is cheap because of
what she said. its location.
d. He agrees with the woman.
10.10. a. They should postpone their
4.3. a.The prices were great! decision until morning.
b. The prices were too high. b. They should go to sleep in the new
c. She didn’t buy much because of house.
the prices. c. They should not buy such a big
d. The prices could have been lower. house.
d. They should decide where to go to
5.18. a.Neither of them had five dollars to sleep.
spend.
b. She didn't find anything, but her 11.8. a. Housing withing his budget is hard
friend did. to locate.
c. They both came home empty- b. It’s hard to find his house in New
handed. York.
d. She and Joan found lots of c. He can’t afford to move his house
bargains. to New York.
d. Housing in New York is unavailable.
6.8. a.She’s found a new ring.
b. She would like a hug.
c. She’s shopping for a carpet.
d. She’s thankful she has a rag.

116
12.4. a.She’s very lucky to get the last 17.7. a. She believes he used to own a nice
book. computer.
b. She’s sorry she can’t get the book b. She's glad he has his own
today. computer.
c. She always has good luck with c. She thinks he needs to purchase a
books. computer.
d. She just wanted to look at the d. She feels that he uses the computer
book. too much.

13.4. a. He’ll continue to stand in line for 18.17. a. She couldn’t afford a new
texts. computer.
b. He has enough to pay for the texts. b. The computers were not on sale.
c. He agrees with the woman about c. She was unable to get a new
the texts. computer.
d. He thinks the woman’s in the d. She bought a new computer.
wrong line to get the texts.
19.20. a. She’d like some pie.
14.6. a. He does not like to hold too many b. It’s easy to buy it.
books at one time. c. The task the man’s working on isn’t
b. There is no bookstore in his difficult.
neighborhood. d. It’s easier to prepare pie than do
c. It’s not possible to obtain the book what the man is doing.
yet.
d. He needs to talk to someone at the 20.26.a. He got the car he really wanted.
bookstore. b. He didn’t get a new car.
c. The car that he got was not his first
15.19. a. He came to the bookstore to get it. choice.
b. He unexpectedly found it at the d. He didn’t really want a new car.
bookstore.
c. He will get one for the woman. 21.9. a. She agrees that getting the car was
d. He found it across the street not a good idea.
b. She imagines that she would like to
16.10. a. The student newspaper. have a similar car.
b. A computer. c. She thinks that the man is mistaken
c. A computer table. about the car.
d. A used printer. d. She thinks the man has no
imagination.

22.4. a. He thought the dress was so chic.


b. He was surprised the dress was not
expensive.
c. He would like to know what color
dress it was.
d. The dress was not cheap.

117
23.2. a. The sweater’s the wrong size. 28.5. a. At the post office.
b. The man’s feet aren’t sweating. b. In a florist shop
c. The sweater makes the man seem c. In a restaurant.
fat. d. In a hospital delivery room.
d. The sweet girl doesn’t feel right.
29.5. a. Use his credit card.
24.6. a. Twenty pairs of shoes are on sale. b. Write a check.
b. The shoe salesclerk spent twenty c. Pay cash.
dollars on pears. d. Get a new ID card.
c. The shoes cost twenty dollars.
d. The shoes could be repaired for 30. 6. a. The manager went to the supply
twenty dollars. room.
b. The clerk set supplies on the floor.
25.9. a. It’s her birthday today. c. The clerk went to the supply room
b. She’s looking for a birthday gift. at the manager’s request.
c. She wants to go shopping with her d. The clerk backed into the manager
dad. in the supply room.
d. She wants a new wallet for herself.

26.17. a. In a mine.
b. In a jewelry store.
c. In a clothing store.
d. In a bank.

27.22. a. It is almost five o’clock.


b. The man doesn’t really need the
stamps.
c. It is a long way to the post office.
d. It would be better to go after five
o’clock.

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118
28. Laboratory
1. Which would you rather have?
a. Chemistry lab
b. Physics lab

2. Are you taking a lab this semester?


3. Are there lab assistants in the lab you are taking?
4. Select all that apply. In order to get accurate results when conducting an experiment
during a school lab assignment, one must:
⬜ Find an independent researcher
⬜ Perform the steps indicated in the laboratory manual
⬜ Measure the quantities of the materials to use
⬜ Have years of experience conducting similar experiments
⬜ Make sure to use the adequate lab material
⬜ Replicate the experiment at least 5 times

119
1.5. a. He enjoys chemistry lab. 5.3. a. She explained the problem carefully
b. He doesn’t have chemistry lab this to the lab assistant.
afternoon. b. The lab assistant conducted a very
c. He isn’t taking chemistry class. detailed experiment.
d. He has to go to the lab. c. They were not really able to follow
the instructions.
2.1. a. In a photography studio. d. They were given very clear
b. In a biology laboratory. directions.
c. In an office. 6.29.
d. In the library. a. That she couldn’t get into the lab.
b. That she wouldn’t do the
3.30. a. He's busy performing an assignment.
experiment. c. That her lab assignment was
b. He doesn't know what to do either. already done.
c. He isn't around to show them what d. That she would start working in a
to do. couple of hours.
d. He was there to help them.
7.10. a. They are unconfirmed.
4.2. a. The woman’s work is all in her b. They are dependent on future
head. research.
b. The woman has to do two c. They are most probably correct.
experiments rather than one. d. They are independent of the
c. It’s a good idea to work together. researchers’ ideas.
d. The biology experiment concerns
two-headed animals.

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120
29. Library
1. Before the Covid lockdown, did you use to visit the library?
a. Yes, I used to go there to check out books
b. Yes, I used to go there to read journal articles
c. Yes, I used to go there to read and get work done
d. Yes, I used to go there to study, I had a spot I really liked
2. Do you know the hours of the central library (UAQ)?

3. Do you know if it opens during summer vacations or weekends?

4. What is a library circulation desk?

5. What does it mean when a book is on reserve?

6. What does it mean that a book is always checked out?

7. What does it mean to "hold" a book or put a book on hold?

8. Are you a bookworm? Has there ever been a book that you really wanted to read but
you couldn’t get hold of it because it was sold out?

9. What does it mean if a store gives you a rain check?

121
LIBRARY 6.2. a. He used his card to get an article.
1.4. a. They passed the library at 6:00. b. He needs to check on an article.
b. The library opens at 6:00 in the c. He left his card in the library.
summer. d. He does not have his library card
c. The library closes at 6:00. with him.
d. You can’t check out more than six.
7.9. a. A librarian
2.14. a. He disagrees with the woman. b. A professor
b. He never used to go to the library. c. A bookstore clerk
c. He's not unhappy about the library d. A student
hours.
d. He has the same opinion as the 8.9. a. That the man had not gone to the
woman. library.
b. That the man did not have the
3.26. a. She can't get rid of it. book.
b. She can't call it off. c. That the library was closed.
c. She can't put up with it. d. That the man had the book.
d. She can't go along with it.
9.9. a. She will check the weather before
4.23. a. The article was placed on reserve. going to the bookstore.
b. The woman must ask the professor b. The books she needed had not
for a copy. been ordered.
c. The woman should look through a c. She can't pick up her books until
number of journals in the library. her check clears.
d. He has reservations about the d. She must wait to pick up her order.
information in the article.

5.7. a. The librarian was quite reserved


with the students for two days.
b. Within two days the librarian had
the books for the students.
c. The librarian asked the students for
the books.
d. The students put the books on hold
for two days.

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122
30. Mail
1. Have you ever been to a post office?
2. Have you ever mailed a letter?
3. Have you ever mailed a package?
4. Do you have a mailbox in your house / gated community?
5. How often do you / your family check whether the courier has dropped a letter /
package in your mailbox?
6. During the COVID lockdown, the number of packages you received:
a. increased
b. decreased
c. remained the same
7. What happens if someone mails a letter without putting sufficient postage?
8. What’s postage?
9. Is there a day in which the courier usually delivers letters to your house?
10. Are you able to tell which picture corresponds to 6:30 am, 6:30 pm, and 12:00 pm?
Match the hours to the pictures.

11. Match the words to the pictures: noon, dusk, dawn


12. Do you have a pending file (i.e. a place at your desk or on your computer where you
keep messages, documents, etc. that need to be dealt with later)?

123
MAIL 5.5. a. She doesn't want to tell the man
1.6. a. She’ll do it immediately. who it is.
b. It is not possible to do it. b. She doesn't know who Brandon is.
c. The man should have told her c. She couldn't hear what Brandon
sooner. said.
d. She would have done it if the man d. She is too far away to identify the
had asked. person.

2.4. a. She did not put enough postage on 6.8. a. The meal will be served at noon.
the letter. b. The males should be driven there
b. The letter arrived last week. by noon.
c. The letter did not need more c. He’s expecting the ice to melt
postage. before noon.
d. She did not put any postage on the d. The letters ought to be delivered at
letter. 12:00.

3.8. a. The man had mailed the package. 7.7. a. Respond to the mail.
b. The man had forgotten to go to the b. Put the letters in a file.
post office. c. It depends on where the file is.
c. The man had given the package to d. File the answers she received to the
the woman to mail. letters.
d. The man remembered the package
after he went to the post office.

4.12. a. The lawyer delivered the letter this


morning.
b. The courier has already made the
delivery.
c. The letter to the courier has already
been received.
d. The lawyer’s office does not have
the letter.

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124
31. Law
1. Who would most likely benefit from having a lawyer?
a. An innocent defendant
b. A guilty defendant
2. In a trial in the US, who decides whether the defendant is innocent or not?
a. The judge
b. The jury
3. If you had to free and condone one of the following criminals, which one would
you free?
a. A murderer
b. A rapist
c. A con artist
d. A kidnapper
e. A drug lord
4. Think of a reason why a lawyer would turn down a case?
5. If a prospective employer promise to call you back the next day, but didn’t, how
much would you wait to call him yourself?

125
LAW 4.16. a. He wishes the hard work had had a
1.5. a. The client presented his case to the better result.
lawyer. b. He thinks the lawyer hardly
b. The client was upset about the prepared.
lawyer’s rejection. c. He wishes the lawyer had prepared.
c. The client was annoyed because d. He thinks the lawyer worked for
the lawyer returned the suitcase. free.
d. The client made the lawyer
unhappy about the case. 5.6. a. She condones what happened.
b. She does not like what the man
2.7. a. She will see the lawyer tomorrow. said.
b. She needs to phone the lawyer. c. She agrees with the man about
c. The lawyer will call her tomorrow. what happened.
d. The lawyer has called off their d. She says that she did not do it.
meeting.

3.9. a. The judge defended the murderer.


b. The judge tried to protect the
defendant from the murderer.
c. The judge said that the defendant
was a criminal.
d. The defense couldn’t make a
judgment about the criminal.

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126
Listening: Long audios
1. Education
ONE
Graduate seminar
Lecture
Large group
Grade
Paper
Notice
Class syllabus
Make up (verb)
Take part in discussions

TWO
Assignment
Paper
Are due
Biographie
Briefly
The majority of the paper
Primary differences

THREE
Journasl
Research
Academic articles
Turn in (verb)
Stage (as in the first stage)

FOUR
Free trade
Debate
Side
Assign somebody to something
Organized
Argue for/against

FIVE
Assignment
Attend
Write critiques

127
Be required
List (verb)
Syllabus
Extra credit
Strengths & weaknesses

SIX
Syllabus
Quiz exam
Weeks in a row
Comprehensive exam

SEVEN
Gun-control
Research
Is due
Outline
Journal articles

EIGHT
Put off
Is due
Come up with
War
Broad
Narrow something down
Automobile

NINE
Get together
Cover in depth
State court system vs federal court system

TEN
Lecture
Feel pressure

128
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.1. a. They are rather big. 5.1. a. It should be about a historical
b. They involve a lot of student event.
discussion. b. It should be a fictional paper.
c. Participation is half of the grade. c. It should be three pages long.
d. They have several hundred d. It should be about a well-known
students. person.

2.2. a. It involves a lot of lecture. 6.2. a. Read one biography of each of


b. It has 80 students in it. three different presidents.
c. It is similar to lecture courses. b. Read three biographies of each of
d. It has fewer than 20 students. three different presidents.
c. Read one biography of a single
3.3. a. The final exam is half of the grade. president.
b. Participation in class is a large part d. Read three biographies of a single
of the grade. president.
c. The grade is based only on the
exam and the paper. 7.3. a. How the biographies are dissimilar.
d. The paper is a large part of the b. What the highlights of the person’s
grade. life are.
c. Why there are differences in the
4.4. a. To begin studying for the exam. biographies.
b. To start on the paper immediately. d. What is similar in the biographies.
c. To be prepared for class
discussions. 8.4. a. On October 1.
d. To try to understand the course b. On November 1.
grading. c. On December 1.
d. On January 1.

129
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.47. a. It should be 50 pages long. 13.31.a. The next hour.
b. It is not covered in the course b. The next day.
syllabus. c. The next week.
c. It is a minor part of the course. d. The next month.
d. It counts as half of the course
grade. 14.32. a. As an unplanned discussion.
b. As a planned discussion in which
10.48. a.Survey data. one talks about both sides.
b. Academic journals c. As a disorganized argument.
c. Government documents. d. As an organized discussion in
d. Newspaper articles. which one presents one side only.

11.49. a.A minimum of 13. 15.33. a. They need to decide whether they
b. A minimum of 20. are for or against free trade.
c. A minimum of 40. b. They need to find other students
d. A minimum of 50. who agree with them.
c. They need to be ready to take part
12.50. a.The first chapter of the paper. in the debate from either position.
b. A list of possible topics. d. They need to choose which side of
c. A topic and some sources. the debate they prefer.
d. The first draft of the paper.
16.34. a. Each student will be assigned a
position to debate.
b. Each student will argue both sides
of the debate.
c. Each student will decide what to
debate.
d. Each student will choose which
debate team to join.

130
Conversation 5 Conversation 6
17.39. a. To write ten songs. 21.35. a. There could be both a quiz and an
b. To perform in ten concerts. exam in the same week.
c. To write reviews of ten b. The students can expect either a
performances. quiz or an exam each week.
d. To critique the music appreciation c. There will more exams than
course. quizzes.
d. Every two quizzes will be followed
18.40. a. The students may choose six of the by an exam.
ten concerts.
b. Only six of the ten concerts are 22.36. a. 3
listed on the syllabus. b. 4
c. The syllabus lists four of the ten c. 9
required concerts. d. 12
d. All ten required concerts are listed
on the syllabus. 23.37. a. Three weeks of material.
b. Three chapters of material.
19.41. a. Focus on criticisms of the concerts. c. One week of material.
b. Summarize the highlights of the d. All the material on the third exam.
concerts.
c. Describe the weaknesses of the 24.38. a. There will be a quiz covering one
concerts. week of material.
d. Review the positive and negative b. There will be a quiz covering four
aspects of the concerts. weeks of material.
c. There will be an exam covering four
20.42. a. They will receive additional points. weeks of material.
b. They will be assigned extra work. d. There will be an exam covering
c. They will not be required to take an eight weeks of material.
exam.
d. They will receive eleven points.

131
Conversation 7 Conversation 8
25.39. a. On the first day of class. 29.31. a. To write his paper.
b. In the middle of the semester. b. To help him decide on a topic.
c. At the end of class. c. To teach him about history.
d. In the final week of the semester. d. To discuss history with him.

26.40. a.Later today. 30.32. a.At the beginning of the semester.


b. By Friday of this week. b. Before the start of the semester.
c. In two weeks. c. Near the end of the semester.
d. In three weeks. d. One week after the semester is
finished.
27.41. a.Journal and magazines articles.
b. Books from outside the library. 31.33. a.The topic’s too general.
c. Books listed in student journals. b. He isn’t interested in technology.
d. Both books and journals. c. He doesn’t have enough time.
d. Technology has nothing to do with
28.42.a. Two. American history.
b. Three.
c. Five. 32.34. a.A month.
d. Seven. b. The semester.
c. Seven days.
d. A day or two.

132
Conversation 9 Conversation 10
33.35. a. A presentation for political science 37.31. a. Two students.
class. b. Two professors.
b. How quickly time passes. c. Two sociologists.
c. The differences between the d. Two lecturers.
various types of courts.
d. A schedule for preparing for a 38.32. a.She wants his opinion of
political science exam. sociologists.
b. She wants to hear him lecture.
34.36. a.Three levels of courts. c. She wants to know about a course
b. Only the municipal courts. he took.
c. The state but not the federal courts. d. She wants to meet Professor
d. Only the state and federal courts. Patterson.

35.37. a.On Thursday. 39.33. a.A course where the professor


b. On Monday. lectures.
c. In a week. b. A course where the students just
d. Before Monday. listen and takes notes.
c. A course with Professor Patterson.
36.38. a.Plenty of time. d. A course where the students take
b. Until Monday. part in discussion.
c. About one week.
d. Until a week from Monday. 40.34. a.She thinks it’ll be boring.
b. She doesn’t want to take it.
c. It sounds good to her.
d. She’d prefer a course with more
student participation.

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133
2. School Red Tape
ONE
Change class schedule
A drop form
Submit
Fill out
Get it signed
Get signatures
Higher level course
Lower level course
Drop a course

TWO
Advisor
Drop a class
Get the signature
Strong warning
Procedure
Receive a failing grade

THREE
Major
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Required course vs electives
Junior college
Transfer

134
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.35. a. Before the start of classes. 5.39. a. How to get a professor’s signature.
b. During the first week of classes. b. The procedure for dropping
c. During the second week of classes. courses.
d. At the end of the semester. c. When to come and see the advisor.
d. The effect of officially dropping a
2.36. a. Create a form. course.
b. Sign the form.
c. Get a form from the professor. 6.40. a.Any time, if the professor is willing
d. Turn a form in at the office. to sign.
b. Only on the day of the talk.
3.37. a. She would like to change from the c. During the first three weeks of the
higher-level course to the lower semester.
one. d. Up to three weeks before the end
b. She’s currently enrolled in the of the semester.
lower-level course.
c. She would like to change from the 7.41. a.None.
lower-level course to the higher b. One.
one. c. Two.
d. She would like to be in the higher- d. Three.
level course.
8.42. a.The student fails the course.
4.38. a. Different professors are teaching b. The course is removed from the
the course. student’s schedule.
b. Professor Grant is teaching the c. The student needs to get the
lower course but not the higher advisor’s signature.
one. d. The student receives a warning.
c. One professor is teaching the two
courses.
d. The woman is not sure who is
teaching the higher course.

135
Conversation 3
9.31. a. She’s a senior.
b. She’s a junior.
c. She’s a transfer student.
d. She’s a graduate student.

10.32. a.How to transfer to a junior college.


b. How to find his way around
campus.
c. The course requirements for a
literature major.
d. Who won the campus election.

11.33.a. Three.
b. Five.
c. Eight.
d. Ten.

12.34.a. American literature.


b. World literature.
c. Literary analysis.
d. Surveying.

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136
3. School events
ONE
Freshman
Sport complex
Facilities
Tracking field
Arena
Up-to-date equipment
Latest equipment
Pool complex
Valid student ID
It is open
Tennis court
Sign up for
Court time
Available

TWO
Orientation
Majors (students)
Head of the department
Major (verb)
Geared towards performance
Degrees
Pursue a career

THREE
Reception
University president
Eager
Last (verb)
Speech
Faculty members
Refreshments

FOUR
Head (verb)
Administration complex
Be open (building)
Post office
Bowling alley

137
Entertainment
Students records office

138
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.43. a. Students signing up for athletic 5.39. a. A professional dancer.
teams. b. A student in the dance department.
b. Students going on a tour of a c. The head of the dance department.
university campus. d. A choreographer.
c. Students playing various sports.
d. Students attending a university 6.40. a. Which dance degree to take.
dedication ceremony. b. Whether or not to major in dance.
c. Whether to be a professional
2.44. a. Membership on an athletic team. dancer or choreographer.
b. Enrollment in an exercise class. d. Whether to specialize in dance
c. A valid student identification card. therapy or dance history.
d. Permission from a faculty member.
7.41. a. Physical therapy.
3.45. a. To the tennis courts. b. Dance history.
b. To the arena. c. Choreography.
c. To the gymnasium. d. Dance administration.
d. To the Athletic Department office.
8.42. a. They are both intended for
4.46. a. Go to the Art Center. professional dancers.
b. Sign up for sports classes. b. They involve mostly the same
c. Visit the exercise room. courses.
d. Watch a football game. c. They do not need to be selected
until later.
d. They are both four-year programs.

139
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.31. a. To a reception in honor of some 13.39. a. A university administrator.
faculty members. b. A student.
b. To a gathering to greet the new c. A librarian.
head of the university. d. A registrar.
c. To watch a speech by the president
of the country. 14.40. a. How to use the library.
d. To work in the library. b. The university registration
procedure.
10.32. a. When the reception will end. c. Services offered by the Student
b. Where the reception takes place. Center.
c. Who is invited to the reception. d. Important locations on campus.
d. Who is working at the reception.
15.41. a. To provide students with assistance
11.33. a. Professors will give speeches. and amusement.
b. A speech will be given by the old b. To assist students in the
president. registration process.
c. Food and drink will be served. c. To allow students to watch movies.
d. Guests will talk informally. d. To provide textbooks for university
courses.
12.34. a. Miss the reception.
b. Stay for the entire reception. 16.42.a. In administrators’ offices.
c. Go to the library before the b. In the Student Center.
reception. c. In an auditorium.
d. Leave the reception early. d. In the Student Records Office.

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140
4. School Programs
ONE
Summer institutes
Earn a credit
Immerse in a subject
Residential programs
Journalism
Manufacture
Newspaper

TWO
Journalism course
Internship
Lower-level course
Intern
Major responsibility
Get a newspaper out
Assignment

141
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.47. a. They are eight-week programs. 5.47. a. Students who have already studied
b. They are worth six university some journalism.
credits. b. Students who have completed their
c. Students in them spend a internships.
considerable amount of time c. Students who are beginning their
together studies.
d. Students enrolled in them live in d. Students who are already working
private residences. at the newspaper.

2.48. a. French. 6.48. a.A paid position.


b. Dance. b. A way of gaining practical
c. Journalism. experience.
d. Opera. c. A highly responsible position.
d. A course of study.
3.49. a. It focuses on spoken rather than
written French. 7.49. a. It will last for 20 weeks.
b. Any student interactions must be in b. The work is done in a classroom.
French. c. It will take place at an assigned
c. Students will learn about French time.
cooking. d. The work will be relaxing.
d. Students must write a contract in
French. 8.50. a. To describe theoretical ideas.
b. To write a newspaper story.
4.50. a. Students will only be involved in c. To attend three more journalism
performing. lectures.
b. It will include visits to famous opera d. To compare practical experience
houses. with theory.
c. Six complete operas will be
performed.
d. Students will take part in many
different kinds of activities.

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142
5. Lectures: History
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
a. Cartoons about wildlife.
1.39. 5.43. a.
Water Sports.
b. Cartoons about construction. b. Physics.
c. Cartoons about social events. c. American History.
d. Cartoons about politics. d. Psychology.

2.40. a. Between 1800 and 1850. 6.44. a.To cut.


b. Between 1850 and 1900. b. To move fast.
c. Between 1900 and 1950. c. To steer a boat.
d. Between 1950 and 2000. d. To build a ship.

3.41. a. The Revolutionary War. 7.45. a.To bring tea from China.
b. The Civil War. b. To transport gold to California.
c. World War I. c. To trade with the British.
d. World War II. d. To sail the American river system.

4.42. a. They were disliked by the political 8.46. a.A reading assignment.
parties. b. A quiz on Friday.
b. They were not really created by c. A research paper for the end of the
Nast. semester.
c. Political parties still use them. d. Some written homework.
d. An elephant represents the
Democratic party, and a donkey
represents the Republican party.

143
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.47. a. The Central Pacific Group. 13.43. a. A woodcarving business.
b. The Transcontinental Railroad b. A lumber business.
Company. c. A construction business.
c. A group from Ogden, Utah. d. A jewelry business.
d. Two separate railroad companies.
14.44. a.During the construction of a
10.48. a.They had to lay tracks across a sawmill.
mountain range. b. After prospectors had arrived.
b. They had to cross all of Nebraska. c. Sometimes after Sutter’s death.
c. They had to work for another d. Before Sutter had the rights to the
railroad company. land.
d. They had to move westward to
Sacramento, California. 15.45.a. Increased prosperity.
b. A large share of gold.
11.49. a.Several days. c. A healthier lumber business.
b. Several weeks. d. Little or nothing.
c. Several months.
d. Several years. 16.46. a.To show what a terrible life John
Sutter had led.
12.50. a.Dynamite was used to blast out b. To show the folly of trying to
access. develop a business.
b. A golden spike was hammered into c. To show the effect that the
the last track. discovery of gold has on
c. The workers labored dangerously individuals.
and exhaustingly. d. To show that the development of
d. The workers traversed the Sierra the West happened partly by
Nevadas. chance.

144
Conversation 5
17.47. a. The purpose of the FCC.
b. The relatively rapid development of
radio.
c. Interference from competing radio
stations.
d. The first U.S. radio station.

18.48. a.Introduction to Engineering.


b. Popular Radio Programs.
c. Ethics in Journalism.
d. The History of Communication.

19.49. a.The many radio stations were


highly regulated.
b. In 1930 there was only one radio
station in the United States.
c. The existing radio stations were
totally uncontrolled.
d. The FCC was unable to control the
radio stations.

20.50. a.First Communications Committee.


b. First Control Committee.
c. Federal Control of
Communications.
d. Federal Communications
Commission.

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6. Lectures: Literature and Psychology

146
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.47. a. Modern American Authors. 5.47. a. Science.
b. United States History. b. Art.
c. American Democracy. c. Literature.
d. Nineteenth-Century American d. Music.
Literature.
6.48. a.They are completely different.
2.48. a. The death of Abraham Lincoln. b. They are somewhat similar but
b. The beauty of American have an essential difference.
democracy. c. They are exactly the same in all
c. The raising of plants. respects.
d. The maturity of poetry. d. They are unrelated.

3.49. a. It’s a poem about the author. 7.49. a. Objective.


b. It’s a poem about Abraham Lincoln. b. Idealistic.
c. It’s a collection of twelve poems c. Philosophical.
that remained unchanged. d. Environmental.
d. It’s a volume of poetry that grew
with its author. 8.50. a. Heredity.
b. Environment.
4.50. a. “Leaves of Grass” c. Idealism.
b. “Song of Myself” d. Natural laws.
c. “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard
Bloomed”
d. “American Democracy”

147
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.47. a. Writers. 13.47. a. Becoming a university student.
b. Actors. b. Managing time.
c. Athletes. c. Majoring in management.
d. Musicians. d. Spending a week in a management
training program.
10.48.a. He or she would see butterflies.
b. He or she would break a leg. 14.48. a. Relaxation techniques.
c. He or she would have shaky knees. b. Homework assignments.
d. He or she would stop breathing. c. A personal time-management
study.
11.49. a. By staring at the audience. d. Keeping an appointment calendar.
b. By breathing shallowly.
c. By thinking about possible negative 15.49. a. Ninety-six days.
outcomes. b. Twenty-four days.
d. By focusing on what needs to be c. Seven days.
done. d. Fifteen minutes.

12.50. a.At two o’clock. 16.50. a.Make an appointment.


b. At four o’clock. b. Begin the time study.
c. At six o’clock. c. Write down how they spend their
d. At eight o’clock. time.
d. Attend another seminar.

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148
7. Lectures: Chemistry and Earth’s History
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.1. a. That compounds do not always 5.39. a. Coal is composed entirely of
share the properties of their carbon.
components. b. Coal is composed primarily of
b. That any compound with sodium is carbon.
a dangerous compound. c. Carbon is composed entirely of
c. That sodium chloride has the same coal.
properties as sodium and chlorine. d. Carbon is composed primarily of
d. That sodium chloride is a coal.
compound of sodium and chlorine.
6.40. a. Plants.
2.2. a. It must be stored in oil. b. Pressure.
b. It is less dangerous than sodium. c. Time.
c. It has the same properties as d. Space.
sodium.
d. It reacts with either water or air. 7.41. a. Thousands of years ago.
b. Hundreds of thousands of years
3.3. a. It is green in color. ago.
b. It is in a gaseous state. c. Millions of years ago.
c. It reacts with water. d. Hundreds of millions of years ago.
d. It may be dangerous.
8.42. a. Forests and plant life blanketed the
4.4. a. They create sodium chloride. land.
b. They became ordinary table salt. b. There were tremendous deposits of
c. Their properties change. coal.
d. They become dangerous. c. The Earth was covered with carbon.
d. There was not much plant life.

149
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.43. a. It is speeding up a lot. 13.47. a. The static atmosphere.
b. It is speeding up a little. b. The cause of changes in the
c. It is slowing down a lot. atmosphere.
d. It is slowing down a little. c. The evolution of plant life.
d. The process of photosynthesis.
10.44. a.400 thousand years ago.
b. 4 million years ago. 14.48. a.Two hundred million years ago.
c. 40 million years ago. b. Twenty million years ago.
d. 400 million years ago. c. Two hundred thousand years ago.
d. Twenty thousand years ago.
11.45. a.The number of days in a year will
increase slowly. 15.49. a.The evolution of plants and
b. The speed of the rotation of the photosynthesis.
Earth will increase quickly. b. The variety of gases in the
c. The number of days in a year will atmosphere.
decrease gradually. c. The high percentage of nitrogen.
d. The speed of the rotation of the d. The ammonia and methane in the
Earth will decrease quickly. original atmosphere.

12.46. a.10 million years. 16.50. a.Read about the composition of the
b. 100 million years. atmosphere.
c. 10 billion years. b. Study the notes of today’s lecture.
d. 100 billion years. c. Prepare for a quiz.
d. Read the following chapter.

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150
8. Lectures: Ecology

151
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.43. a. Soft, warm clothing. 5.43. a. Natural soaps.
b. Problems in landfills. b. Synthetic detergents.
c. How fleece is obtained. c. Biodegradable detergents.
d. Recycling soda bottles. d. Phosphates.

2.44. a. They were left in landfill areas. 6.44. a.Synthetic detergents.


b. They were reused. b. A major cause of water pollution.
c. They were recycled. c. Substances that break down into
d. They were refilled. simpler forms.
d. The reason for the foaming water
3.45. a. Dye. supply.
b. Warm, soft clothing.
c. Computer chips. 7.45. a.They broke down into simpler
d. Glass bottles. forms.
b. They caused the water to become
4.46. a. Buying plastic bottles. foamy.
b. Solving the problems in landfills. c. They released phosphates into the
c. Buying these recycled products. water.
d. Becoming aware of the d. They damaged only the
environment. underground water supply.

8.46. a.Water pollution in the 1950s.


b. Nonbiodegradable synthetic
detergents.
c. The foamy water supply.
d. Problems caused by the
phosphates.

152
Conversation 3
9.35. a. Trash orbiting Earth.
b. A trip by an astronaut to the Moon.
c. The overabundance of garbage on
Earth.
d. Becoming space scientists.

10.36. a.From a lecture.


b. In a magazine article.
c. In a book.
d. On a television program.

11.37. a.17,000 pounds.


b. 3,000 tons.
c. 3,000 pounds.
d. 300 tons.

12.38. a.She will be able to travel in space.


b. The problem will take care of itself.
c. Scientists will find solutions to the
problem.
d. The junk will fall to Earth.

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153
9. Lectures: Biology
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.35. a.
In a book. 5.35. a.
That babies sleep thirteen hours a
b. From a television program. day.
c. During a trip that she took. b. That the woman was taking a
d. From a lecture. psychology class.
c. That more mature people required
2.36. a.To communicate with other so much sleep.
dolphins. d. That the need for sleep decreases
b. To recognize objects in the water. with age.
c. To learn human language.
d. To express fear. 6.36. a. In a psychology class.
b. In a discussion with the man.
3.37. a.Five. c. From an article that she read.
b. Fifteen. d. From the class textbook.
c. Fifty.
d. Five hundred. 7.37. a. Teens.
b. Twenties.
4.38. a.It is limited. c. Thirties.
b. It is greater than human d. Fifties.
intelligence.
c. It is less than previously thought. 8.38. a. Thirteen hours.
d. We are beginning to learn how b. Nine hours.
much they have. c. Eight hours.
d. Six hours.

154
Conversation 3
9.43. a. In winter.
b. In spring.
c. In summer.
d. In fall.

10.44. a.Seasonable, with warm summers


and cold winters.
b. Fairly constant and moderate.
c. Very humid.
d. Extremely hot year-round.

11.45. a.They come from the southwest.


b. They come most days of the year.
c. They are the hardest during the
night.
d. They increase the humidity.

12.46. a.Preparing for a trip.


b. Writing a report about the weather.
c. Beginning a study of the weather.
d. Buying warm clothes for a trip.

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155
10. Tours
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.1. a. It is more than 100 miles long. 5.43. a. Our American Cousin was
b. It was formed millions of years ago. performed.
c. It formed in a fold in the Earth’s b. Lincoln attended a performance.
crust c. John Wilkes Booth committed an
d. It has a sea of cool water. assassination.
d. Lincoln died.
2.2. a. It is the hottest place on Earth.
b. It is extremely hot there all year 6.44. a. One year.
long. b. Two years.
c. It is not as hot there as in parts of c. Three years.
the Sahara. d. Four years.
d. No one goes there because of the
heat. 7.45. a. Its condition deteriorated.
b. It was the setting for performances.
3.3. a. Plant life cannot exist there. c. It became a museum.
b. There are almost a thousand d. It was used as boarding house.
different kinds of plants there.
c. Most of the plants there are in 8.45. a. It is in a deteriorated state.
bloom all year long. b. It is owned by the Ford family.
d. The plant life gets all its water from c. It has been moved across the
rainfall. street.
d. Performances are held there.
4.4. a. It is a place to visit.
b. It is a private home.
c. A young millionaire built it by
himself.
d. It is more than a century old.

156
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.43. a. It is an obelisk. 13.39. a. In a car.
b. It is four-sided. b. On a hike.
c. It has a pointed top. c. On a tram.
d. It is more than 500 meters high. d. In a lecture hall.

10.44. a.It began before George 14.40. a. It means they have big tears.
Washington died. b. It means they like to swim.
b. It took many decades to complete. c. It means they look like crocodiles.
c. It was finished in 1848. d. It means they are pretending to be
d. Work on it was continuous. sad.

11.45. a.By George Washington himself. 15.41. a.They are sad.


b. With government funds. b. They are warming themselves.
c. With gifts from citizens. c. They are getting rid of salt.
d. By raising taxes. d. They regret their actions.

12.46. a.It costs too much. 16.42.a. Taking photographs.


b. The original designers didn’t like it. b. Getting closer to the crocodiles.
c. George Washington didn’t like it. c. Exploring the water’s edge.
d. It wasn’t included in the original d. Getting off the tram.
designs.

157
Conversation 5
17.43. a. A Cajun.
b. A tourist.
c. An Acadian.
d. A tour guide.

18.44. a.They went to Acadia in the


eighteenth century.
b. They came from France in the
eighteenth century.
c. They maintained characteristics of
their old culture.
d. They assimilated completely into
the new culture.

19.45. a.Very spicy.


b. Full of sugar.
c. Salty.
d. Full of tobacco.

20.46. a.An Acadian will give a talk.


b. The bus ride will continue.
c. They will stop in Lafayette.
d. They will see the exhibition at
Acadian Village.

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158
11. Events

159
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.35. a. He missed it. 5.31. a. On a nearby street.
b. It wasn’t very good. b. More than a few blocks away.
c. He didn’t attend all of it. c. Quite some distance away.
d. He attended each film. d. In a park they can drive to.

2.36. a.It is three days long. 6.32. a.To found a new town.
b. It starts on Sunday. b. To celebrate a national holiday.
c. It is five days long. c. To plan for Founder’s Day.
d. It ends on Wednesday. d. To commemorate the birth of the
town.
3.37. a.Each film is shown three times a
day. 7.33. a.Forty-nine years old.
b. The fifteen films are shown two b. Fifty years old.
times each. c. One hundred fifty years old.
c. Five different films are shown each d. One hundred fifty-one years old.
day.
d. The fifteen films are shown each of 8.34. a.It will be huge.
the three days. b. It will be limited to one day.
c. It will have only a parade.
4.38. a.Films that are not well known but d. It will be three days long.
are good.
b. Films that are not well known and
are not very good.
c. Films that are well known and are
good.
d. Films that are well known but are
not very good.

160
Conversation 3
9.39. a. To protect its members.
b. To save the natural environment.
c. To honor the memory of John Muir.
d. To improve San Francisco’s natural
beauty.

10.40. a.For less than a year.


b. Only for a decade.
c. For more than a century.
d. For at least two centuries.

11.41. a.San Francisco.


b. All fifty states.
c. The Sierra Nevadas.
d. The eastern U.S.

12.42. a.All over the world.


b. In the entire United States.
c. Only in California.
d. Only in the Sierra Nevadas.

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161
12. Long Conversations

162
Conversation 1 Conversation 2
1.1. a. He had a problem with the engine 5.1. a. It was two weeks long.
of his car. b. He was able to relax.
b. He missed an important lecture. c. He attended school in Alaska.
c. He struck a truck with his car. d. It took place in a natural setting.
d. He didn’t read the textbook before
class. 6.2. a.The hikes were always along the
coast.
2.2. e. Stuck on the highway. b. There were hikes every morning
f. In a coffee shop. and every afternoon.
g. On campus. c. The hikes were on varied terrain.
h. With a mechanic. d. There were two hikes during the
trip.
3.3. i. Engine trouble.
j. Poor driving. 7.3. a.He fell in the water.
k. Bad weather. b. He managed to stay out of water.
l. Spilled produce. c. He tipped over many times.
d. He rescued other kayakers who
4.4. m. A few minutes. were in the water.
n. A couple of hours.
o. All afternoon. 8.4. a.He worked there for a couple of
p. All day long. days.
b. It was high in the mountains.
c. He worked there during the entire
trip.
d. It caused an oil spill.

163
Conversation 3 Conversation 4
9.47. a. Attend a football game alone. 13.31. a. The haircut is unusually short.
b. Go to a sporting event. b. This is Bob’s first haircut.
c. Eat in the cafeteria and study. c. Bob doesn’t know who gave him
d. See a play. the haircut.
d. After the haircut, Bob’s hair still
10.48. a.It’s the final game of the season. touches the floor.
b. It’s better than the drama
department’s play. 14.32. a.It is just what he wanted.
c. It’s a very important game. b. He enjoys having the latest style.
d. It’s close to the cafeteria. c. He dislikes it immensely.
d. He thinks it will be cool in the
11.49. a.A play. summer.
b. A game.
c. A study group meeting. 15.33. a.A broken mirror.
d. Dinner in the cafeteria. b. The hairstylist.
c. The scissors used to cut his hair.
12.50. a.Saturday night. d. Piles of his hair.
b. After dinner in the cafeteria.
c. Sunday afternoon. 16.34. a.“You should become a hairstylist.”
d. Maybe next weekend. b. “Please put it back on.”
c. “It’ll grow back.”
d. “It won’t grow fast enough.”

164
Conversation 5 Conversation 6
17.39. a. Every evening. 21.35. a. From a friend.
b. Every week. b. From the newspaper.
c. Every Sunday. c. From a discussion.
d. Every month. d. From the utility company.

18.40. a. That she was eighty-five years old. 22.36. a. In a far desert.
b. That a storm was coming. b. Close by.
c. That she was under a great deal of c. At the utility company’s
pressure. headquarters.
d. That she wanted to become d. The man has no idea.
weather forecaster.
23.37. a. It’s cheaper in the short run.
19.41. a. In her bones. b. The utility company won’t need any
b. In her ears. extra money.
c. In her legs. c. The plant’s far away.
d. In her head. d. It exists in large quantities.

20.42. a.Call this great-grandmother less 24.38. a. She’s concerned it’ll be too costly.
often. b. She thinks the price is too low.
b. Watch the weather forecasts with c. She thinks the plant is totally
his great-grandmother. unnecessary.
c. Help his great-grandmother relieve d. She thinks the utility company has
some of her pressures. a good idea.
d. Believe his great-grandmother’s
predictions about the weather.

165
Conversation 7 Conversation 8
25.39. a. The Employment Office manager. 29.31. a. Fire damage to some apartments.
b. The university registrar. b. How to prevent fires.
c. The bookstore manager. c. An apartment fire and what one
d. A student working in the can learn from it.
bookstore. d. An early morning news story.

26.40. a.Prepare a schedule. 30.32. a.One was damaged more severely


b. Decide which workers to hire. than the others.
c. Plan student course schedules. b. All the apartments were completely
d. Train office workers. destroyed.
c. There was one thousand dollars of
27.41. a.What the students’ majors are. damage.
b. When the students are able to d. All twenty apartments suffered
work. some damage.
c. Why the students want to work.
d. In which jobs the students have 31.33. a.They were killed.
experience. b. They were taken to the hospital.
c. The damage to the apartments was
28.42. a.Cashier. more serious than the harm to the
b. Shelf stocker. residents.
c. Business office worker. d. They weren’t frightened.
d. Phone operator.
32.34. a.Call the fire department.
b. Rush to the hospital.
c. Listen for a smoke alarm.
d. Have an alarm and extinguisher in
good condition.

166
Conversation 9 Conversation 10
33.35. a. The price of textbooks. 37.31. a. To a doctor’s appointment.
b. History 101. b. To an exercise club.
c. The university bookstore. c. To a swimming pool.
d. Ways to sell used books. d. To a school.

34.36. a.He desperately needs the money. 38.32. a.They’re both regular members.
b. Reading doesn’t interest him. b. He likes to go there occasionally.
c. He’s finished using them. c. She wants him to try it out.
d. He’d rather have cheaper books. d. She hates to exercise alone.

35.37. a. The bookstore doesn’t want to buy 39.33. a. A limited number.


them. b. Racquetball courts and a swimming
b. He wouldn’t get enough money. pool.
c. He doesn’t like the bookstore’s c. Exercise machines, but not classes.
advertisements. d. Just about anything.
d. It’s too late to sell them to the
bookstore. 40.34. a. Visit the club once.
b. Take out a membership.
36.38. a. Post some advertisements. c. Try the club unless he hurts himself.
b. Take History 101. d. See if he has time to go.
c. Give the books to the bookstore for
nothing.
d. Keep the books.

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167
Grammar Part 1
Diagnostic Test
TOEFL EXERCISE (SKILLS 15-19). This one is a diagnostic exercise. It’s very, very
important that you indicate whether your answer was right or wrong with a tick ✔ or
a cross ✘. When you get an answer wrong, please leave BOTH answers in the exercise
so I know which one you selected, and I can quickly see what was the correct one.

1. Rarely ________ located near city lights or 5. New York City’s Central Park is larger
at lower elevations. ________ second smallest country,
(A) observatories are Monaco.
(B) are (A) than
(C) in the observatories (B) is the
(D) are observatories (C) than is
(D) than is the
2. There are geographic, economic, and
cultural reasons why ________ around the 6. Potassium has a valence of positive one
world. because it usually loses one electron
(A) diets differ when ________ with other elements.
(B) do diets differ (A) does it combine
(C) are diets different (B) it combines
(D) to differ a diet (C) in combining
(D) combination
3. Were ________ millions of dollars each
year replenishing eroding beaches, the 7. The economic background of labor
coastline would be changing even more legislation will not be mentioned in this
rapidly. course, ________ be treated.
(A) the U.S. Army Corps of (A) trade unionism will not
Engineers not spending (B) nor trade unionism will
(B) the U.S. Army Corps of (C) nor will trade unionism
Engineers not spend (D) neither trade unionism will
(C) the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers does not spend
(D) not spending the U.S. Army 8. ________ test positive for antibiotics
Corps of Engineers when tanker trucks arrive at a milk
processing plant, according to federal
4. Nowhere ________ more skewed than in law, the entire truckload must be
the auto industry. discarded.
(A) that retail trade figures (A) Should milk
(B) retail trade figures (B) If milk
(C) are retail trade figures (C) If milk is
(D) retail trade figures (D) Milk should

168
9. Located behind ________ the two lacrimal 10. Only for a short period of time ________
glands. run at top speed.
(A) each eyelid (A) cheetahs
(B) is each eyelid (B) do cheetahs
(C) each eyelid are (C) that a cheetah can
(D) each eyelid which is (D) can

My score ______ / 10

169
1&4&7&10. Negatives
Rule: When a negative word is used at the beginning of a sentence, you must put an
auxiliary before the subject AS IF it were a question.

1. I have never tasted chapulines


2. Never have I tasted chapulines

Sentences one and two mean pretty much the same. But in sentence two, you are placing
the auxiliary before the subject because that’s what you need to do whenever a sentence
starts with a negative word. That’s the rule. This is done to add emphasis. Many call it
inversion, others call it focalization. It doesn’t matter, just remember the rule. (FYI focalization
is just a fancy word for adding emphasis).

This rule is tested in the TOEFL:

Rarely ________ located near city lights or at lower elevations.


(A). observatories are
(B). are
(C). in the observatories
(D). are observatories

Since a negative word (rarely) is placed at the beginning of the sentence, you need to put
an auxiliary before the subject. The ONLY option that does that is D.

Rewrite the following sentences starting with the negative adverbial. Remember
to use inverted word order.

1. A new film has rarely produced such positive reviews


2. The public was at no time in any danger
3. He felt entirely relaxed only with close friends and family
4. The match will be cancelled only if the pitch is frozen
5. He had barely entered the water when it became clear he couldn’t swim
6. I seldom eat fast food

e.g. Rarely has a new film produced such positive reviews

________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Longman skill: 17

170
2&6. Questions
You probably know the rule to make questions:

Rule: To make questions, put an auxiliary before the subject.

What you might not know is that this rule is applied ONLY ONCE per question and it
ALWAYS applied at the beginning. Consider the following expression:

¿Sabes por qué se fue Ale?

Here we have two questions (¿sabes? and ¿por qué se fue Ale?). This is what linguists call
an indirect question, but we’ll not worry about that. Let’s translate the first part:

Do you know …

Notice that I put do before you because that’s the rule (to make questions, put an auxiliary
before the subject). But as I told you above, this rule is done ONLY ONCE per question and
it must be done at the beginning. I have already done it, so that means that whatever I
write after that part MUST look like a regular sentence, starting with the subject.

1. Do you know why Ale left? (Correct)


2. Do you know why did Ale leave? (Wrong)

Question 1 is correct while 2 is wrong. Question 2 is wrong because it applies the rule twice:

Do you know why did Ale leave? (Wrong)

Notice that in the same question I’m placing an auxiliary before you and another auxiliary
before Ale. We said that is wrong because that’s applying the rule more than one time in
the same question. The right thing to do is to write the rest of the question as if it were a
sentence, just like in question 1.

Now it is your turn. Translate the following indirect questions following the
explanation above.

1. ¿Sabes cuánto cuesta el libro?


____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ¿Te dijo Ale cómo murió el Jabberwocky?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ¿Puedo preguntar cuánto tiempo has estado viviendo en Queretaro?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ¿Me puedes explicar cómo puedo conseguir trabajo?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. ¿Me podrías decir cuánto tiempo has estado estudiando inglés?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. ¿Viste cómo Juan se le declaró a Laura?
____________________________________________________________________________________________

171
7. ¿Me estás diciendo qué no sabes qué están haciendo los niños?
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Now that you understand this. I want to tell you one more thing:
We only put auxiliaries before subjects in questions. If you DON’T HAVE a question mark (?),
please DO NOT put an auxiliary before the subject EVEN IF you have a WH word before.
Consider the following sentence:

Me preguntaba por qué se fue Ale


I was wondering why Ale left (CORRECT)
I was wondering why did Ale leave (WRONG)

Notice that in the correct sentence, I put Ale first and then the verb because it is a sentence
not a question (it doesn’t have a question mark). This is tested in the TOEFL:

There are geographic, economic, and cultural reasons why ________ around
the world.
(A). diets differ (CORRECT)
(B). do diets differ
(C). are diets different WRONG! You don’t even have a question mark(?)!
(D). to differ a diet

Longman skill: 15

172
3&8. Omitted conditionals
In conditionals, when the helping verb in the if-clause is had, should or were, the word IF can
be omitted to place more emphasis on the main clause. However, the auxiliary must be
moved in front of the subject.

a. If I had known, I would have done something


b. Had I known, I would have done something

Both sentences a and b mean roughly the same thing. Notice, however, that there are two
differences:

1. IF is omitted in sentence b
2. Had is placed before I in sentence b

These two changes are made to make emphasis. This is an advanced grammar structure, but
you can learn it too because the good news is that it only happens with conditionals that
use had, were and should in that form (was, have, has, etc. don’t work like that).

Look at the following examples. Sentences 1-3 have IF which means there is no emphasis.
Sentences A-C are the same sentences but with a bit of emphasis on the condition. To do
this, IF has been omitted.

WITH IF – NO EMPHASIS

1. If I were the president, I wouldn’t get involved


2. If I had known, I would have done something
3. If you should see him again, walk the other way!

WITHOUT IF – EMPHASIS

A. Were I the president, I wouldn’t get involved


B. Had I known, I would have done something
C. Should you see him again, walk the other way!

It is worth noticing that the structure of the conditionals without IF looks like a question
“were I the president…” starting with the auxiliary and then the subject. This should make it
easy for you to remember the structure.

173
This topic is usually tested in two ways in the TOEFL (the SELLI might be different):

1. The sentence starts with were, should or had.:

Were ________ millions of dollars each year replenishing eroding beaches, the
coastline would be changing even more rapidly.
(A) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not spending
(B) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not spend
(C) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not spend
(D) not spending the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

This is by far the easiest way in which it can be tested. The moment you see that,
you just have to ensure that it looks like a question (a subject must be placed after
the given auxiliary).

Were ________ millions of dollars each year replenishing eroding beaches, the
coastline would be changing even more rapidly.
(A) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not spending
(B) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not spend
(C) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not spend
(D) not spending the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

If more than one answer satisfies that requirement, look at which of those verbs can
follow the given auxiliary:

(A) Were … not spending


(B) Were … not spend
(C) Were … does not spend

Answer A is the correct one.

The second way in which it is usually tested is way trickier (e.g. question 8 of the diagnostic
test). But rest assured that a good handle of the rules in topics 1,2,3 and 6 of grammar part
2 and knowledge of the existence of this structure will be more than enough to answer them
correctly.

Omit the IF in the following sentences to add emphasis. Don’t forget to use the
appropriate word order.

e.g. If you should require further details, please contact our public information office.

Should you require further details, please contact our public information office

2. If today’s match should have to be postponed, it will be replayed next week

__________________________________________________________________________________

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3. If anyone had been looking at Maria when the police arrived, they would have noticed
the expression of panic on her face

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. If taxes were to be increased further, there would be a huge public outcry

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. If the doctors had operated sooner, she might have made a full recovery

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. If I were the president, I would introduce three-day weekends.

__________________________________________________________________________________

7. If your flight were to be cancelled, the insurance covers full refund

__________________________________________________________________________________

8. If heavy snow had been forecast, we would not have begun the climb.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Longman skill: 18

175
5. Comparatives
You surely know how to make comparatives in English:
a. My sister is taller than John
What you might not know is that we have three possible structures that we can use to make
comparatives. That’s right three! Although the three structures are equally correct, the one
that is more often tested in the TOEFL is the least common of the three because the test
makers are evil (it might be different in the SELLI). These are the three structures:
b. My sister is taller than John
c. My sister is taller than John is
d. My sister is taller than is John

What is the difference? That’s right, sentences c and d have something sentence b doesn’t
have. They have an auxiliary verb with John.

What’s the difference in meaning between the three structures? You may ask. Well, they
mean roughly the same, but sentence c and d add a bit of emphasis to John.

This structure is tested in the TOEFL:

New York City’s Central Park is larger ________ second smallest country,
Monaco.
(A). than
(B). is the
(C). than is
(D). than is the

Many students choose letter A. However, this is a mistake:

New York City’s Central Park is larger than second smallest country, Monaco

Although it is true that we need the word than because it is a comparison, we also need the
word the because we need to say the second smallest country. The only answer that has both
than and the is letter D. If answer A had the word the, it would be also correct, but it doesn’t.

Will I always be using the verb to BE after than? No, the auxiliary is determined by the tense
of the sentence.

I can use the verb to BE if the sentence is using the verb to BE:
a. My sister is taller than any of my friends are
b. My sister is taller than are any of my friends

I can use do or does if the sentence is in present, and it doesn’t have the verb to BE:
c. My sister has more money than John does
d. My sister has more money than does John

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I can use did if the sentence is in past:
e. My sister had more money than John did
f. My sister had more money than did John

I can use any other auxiliary verb such as will:


g. My sister will have more money than John will
h. My sister will have more money than will John

Read the comparisons below. Add the missing auxiliary.


1. I was as opposed to the new road as __was__ everyone else in the village.
2. Research shows that parents watch more television than _________ their children.
3. Kamal went to Oxford University as _________ his sister.
4. People in poorer countries consume a far smaller proportion of the earth's resources
than _________ people in developed nations.
5. He is a much better teacher than _________ Martha.
6. The results of our experiment are more consistent than _________ the results of the
other researchers.
7. This candidate has received more votes than _________ any other candidate so far.
8. Obviously, we were much more impressed with the performance than _________ the
other members of the audience.
9. The film that we saw last night at the festival was far better than _________ any of the
other films.
10. The vegetables at the market this morning were far fresher than _________ those at
the market yesterday.
11. I am afraid that the condition of these tires is as bad as _________ the condition of the
others.
12. On the fishing trip, Bobby caught twice as many fish as _________ anyone else.
13. Do you know why he needs to sleep so many more hours than _________ the others?
14. Dan is a keen golfer as _________ his wife.
15. Paper was invented in China, as _________ the process of printing.

Longman skill: 19

177
9. Locative expressions
This is among the most challenging topics of the TOEFL test. Maybe you’ve seen this
structure.
a. Here are the keys.

In this sentence, the subject (the keys) is after the verb (are). This happens whenever a place
expression is located at the beginning. Where are the answers? Here. Here is a place
expression and it is at the beginning of the sentence. Look at another example:

b. Around the corner is the Oxxo.

Where is the Oxxo? Around the corner.

There is this rule that says that when a sentence starts with a place expression, you have to
put the subject after the verb like in the examples above. However, this rule doesn’t apply to
all sentences. That’s why this topic is everything but easy. You’ll only place the subject
after the verb if the sentence sounds incomplete without the place. Consider the
following sentences:

c. In the forest are many exotic birds


d. In the forest, I took so many pictures

Which of the two sounds incomplete if I were to erase the place expression “in the forest”?
e. In the forest are many exotic birds (Incomplete without place expression)
f. In the forest, I took so many pictures (Complete even without place expression)

Let me translate them for you:


e. muchos pájaros están en el bosque
d. yo tomé muchas fotos en el bosque

You’d probably noticed that I had to translate them with the place at the end. That’s because
Spanish has something very particular that makes those sentences correct whenever I start
with the verb and that’s not the point that I’m trying to make. So please don’t pay attention
to that. Which one sounds incomplete without the place expression?

If you chose letter E, you’re absolutely right. Sentence D sounds good even without the place
expression, but sentence E doesn’t. So let me rephrase the rule here for you:

Rule: If a sentence starts with a place and the place is required for the sentence to sound
complete, the order must be PLACE – VERB – SUBJECT:

In the forest are many exotic birds

When the place expression is NOT required, the order is that of regular sentences PLACE –
SUBJECT – VERB:

178
In the forest, I took so many pictures
Pro tip: A comma is usually placed after the verb whenever the place expression is not
required (In the forest, I took so many pictures).

These rules are tested in the TOEFL:

Located behind ________ the two lacrimal glands.


(A). each eyelid
(B). is each eyelid
(C). each eyelid are
(D). each eyelid which is

Notice that the sentence starts with a place (located behind = localizado detras de). Even if
the place is incomplete at this point, we can tell that it is a place.

Notice that the verb that we have in this sentence is the verb to BE without any other verb.
The verb to BE, when it’s alone, usually requires the place expression for the sentence to
sound complete. Since that’s the case, that means that the rule that we mentioned above
applies to this sentence. Therefore the subject is at the end of my small sentence. The subject
is two lacrimal glands. Two lacrimal glands is clearly plural, so the only answer that fits this
sentence is letter C because it’s the only one that has the verb to BE in plural form.

Choose the correct word order depending on whether the sentence requires the
place expression or not. Add a comma after the place expression if the sentence
doesn’t require the place expression.

1. In the classroom some old desks were / were some old desks.
2. In the classroom, I studied / studied I hard very hard.
3. On the second level of the parking lot some empty stalls are / are some empty
stalls.
4. On the second level of the parking lot I met / met I my best friend in 2018.
5. In front of the house some giant trees were / were some giant trees.
6. In the cave a vast treasure of gems and jewels was / was a vast treasure of
gems and jewels.
7. In the park the boys were / were the boys playing cricket despite the muddy
conditions.
8. Beyond the mountains the town where I live lies / lies the town where I live.
9. Around the corner the offices that you are trying to find are / are the offices
that you are trying to find.

179
10. At the Italian restaurant the food was too spicy / was the food too spicy for my
taste.
11. Here farmers can / can farmers grow such delicious food.
12. Around her neck a jade necklace is / is a jade necklace.
13. In the office Laura found / found Laura it difficult to concentrate.
14. At home Laura works / works Laura more efficiently.
15. In the backyard the two trees that need to be pruned are / are the two trees that
need to be pruned.
16. Around the recreation hall and down the path the tents where we will be staying
this week are / are the tents where we will be staying this week.
17. In the apartment next to mine a family that had a lot of pets was / was a family
that had a lot of pets.

Longman skill: 16

180
Review: Practice set
1. Scientist now know that the lack of an
embryonic thumb in birds is why 5. A motionless atom is colder than
_______ almost impossible for birds and _______.
dinosaurs to be related. (A) in the movement
(A) is (B) to be moved
(B) it is (C) the atom moving
(C) is it (D) is a moving atom
(D) it
6. In the sand of the northern California
2. Rarely _______ now used for battle coast _______ San Agustin, which is said
purposes. to be loaded with gold.
(A) in the band (A) the galleon is lying
(B) military bands are (B) lies the galleon
(C) banded (C) the galleon
(D) are military bands (D) the galleon which lies

3. In addition to quitting smoking and 7. According to a recent survey, were


controlling blood pressure and diet, _______ of telecommuters to lose their
people need to think about how _______ jobs, they would look for other
stress to avert potentially fatal heart telecommuting positions.
problems. (A) to major
(A) can they manage (B) if a majority
(B) the management (C) a majority
(C) they manage (D) in the major
(D) managing
8. When _______ chest pain, some doctors
4. Only recently _______ popular all over recommend that they take one full
the country. 325-milligram aspirin.
(A) have indoor climbing gyms (A) patients feel
become (B) feel impatient
(B) in becoming indoor climbing (C) do patients feel
gyms (D) as patients feel
(C) indoor climbing gyms have
become
(D) indoor climbing gyms

181
9. There _______ called Epstein-Barr which 13. Should _______ help keeping their
leaves people feeling chronically weight, blood pressure, pulse, and
fatigued and feeling as if they have a cholesterol down, swimming is an
recurring case of the flu. excellent activity.
(A) a viral (A) adults need
(B) in a disease (B) needy adults
(C) a virus is (C) to need
(D) is a virus (D) need adults

10. Only in the Civil War _______ killed or 14. In the vessels of the vascular system of
wounded. the giraffe _______ of valves that
(A) soldiers in America ensures a needed supply of blood to
(B) were so many American the head.
soldiers (A) are series
(C) many in America (B) is serious
(D) so many American soldiers (C) is a series
were (D) a series is

11. Lifestyle is more important _______ in a 15. There has been a string of recent
person’s lifespan. technology advances aimed at building
(A) as genetics are new engines which are cleaner and
(B) with genes efficient than _______.
(C) genetically (A) to engineer
(D) than are genetics (B) are current engines
(C) in engines currently
12. A collision with another galaxy may be (D) current
what _______, the Milky Way, may
experience.
(A) Earth’s galaxy is
(B) is Earth’s galaxy
(C) Earth’s galaxy
(D) For Earth’s galaxy

182
16. Daylight saving time seems to reduce 18. Orthopedic and sports medicine
people’s exposure to crime, so were specialists now realize that _______
people to get home from work and people to get prolonged bed rest for
school and complete more errands and acute and chronic back problems, they
chores in daylight, _______ safer. would heal less quickly.
(A) for being (A) were
(B) to be (B) if
(C) they (C) the
(D) they would be (D) of

17. Scarcely _______ started building his 19. The hunting season for firearms is
theme park when he launched his first more restricted than _______ because
television program titled Disneyland. hunting with firearms is more
(A) Walt Disney dangerous and less challenging.
(B) Walt Disney had (A) to season
(C) had Walt Disney (B) is the archery season
(D) Walt Disney was (C) for archery
(D) is seasoning

Auto-complete your grade _____/19

183
Grammar Part 2
Diagnostic Test
Read the sentences below. They all contain a mistake. Choose the letter that contains
the mistake.

1. Some large birds, such as the ostrich and the cassowary, is too large and heavy to fly.
A B C D

2. Seventy percent of all cancers can, through a healthy diet and lifestyle, probably been
A B C D

prevented.

3. Natural asphalt lakes are find in many parts of the world.


A B C D

4. In July 1962, AT&T launches Telstar, which was the first communication satellite
A B

to transmit telephone and telegraph signals.


C D

5. Bats locate insects by means of sonar, but some moths were able to avoid capture by
A B C

sending out a jamming signal.


D

6. If the personal computer had not been invented, will the information age have arrived
A B

by other means?
C D

7. In 1980 approximately one out of every seven United States worker was employed in
A B C

work related to the automobile industry.


D

8. A sector of a circle is a pie-shaped regions bounded by a central angle, the arc it cuts
A B C

off and two radii.


D

9. Ocean currents have a enormous effect on life on this planet.


A B C D

10. Trigonometry is the study of triangles, angles, and the relationships among they.
A B C D

184
11. The author Susan Glaspell won a Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for hers play, Alison’s House.
A B C D

12. Sirius, the Dog Star, is the most brightest star in the sky with an absolute magnitude
A B

about twenty-three times that of the Sun.


C D

13. The harpsichord is the most complex and most large of all the plucked keyboard
A B C D

instruments.

14. The neocortex has evolved more recently then other layers of the brain.
A B C D

15. Most familiar type of pump in use today is the piston pump.
A B C D

16. While solvent-based wall paints offer good coverage and sealing power, they are most
A B C

difficult to clean up than are water-based paints.


D

17. With a television audience of 25 billion, World Cup Soccer has ten times
A B C

the most viewers of the Olympic Games.


D

18. The more a robot can be programmed regarding its domain of activity, the best it can
A B
perform that activity without frequent human intervention or reprogramming.
C D

19. Competitive firms are always under pressure to reduce costs, improve quality, and
A B C

catering to consumer preferences.


D

20. Abandoning towns are often called ghost towns, but sometimes a handful of people
A B

inhabit these towns that once were home to hundreds or even thousands.
C D

185
21. Emotionally stable people seem to have about the same number of nightmares as
A B C

highly anxiously individuals.


D

22. It is a chemical called capsaicin that gives hot peppers their spice flavor.
A B C D

23. Electronic games, much of which can be powerful instructional tools, are becoming
A B

more and more prevalent with the proliferation of computers in schools.


C D

24. Small cars are involved in less accidents than large ones, but large cars are considered
A B

more safe when involved in accidents.


C D

25. Manganese, found in trace amounts in higher animals, activates a large amount of
A B

enzymes involved in metabolic processes.


C D

26. On nights when is the sky clear and the air calm, the Earths’ surface rapidly radiates
A B C

heat into the atmosphere.


D

27. Exercise physical for children has been promoted in the United States and Canada since
A B C D

the mid-nineteenth century.

28. Most of the year San Miguel Island is shrouded in fog, and strong northwest winds
A B C

batter relentlessly the island.


D

29. Dreams are commonly made up of both visual or verbal images.


A B C D

30. The flute is the only woodwind instruments that is not done of wood.
A B C D

186
31. Grover Cleveland was the only American president which served two nonconsecutive
A B C

terms.
D

32. Water and petroleum are the only two liquids what occur in large quantities in nature.
A B C D

33. Ducks are less susceptible to infection than another types of poultry.
A B C D

34. The more subtle presentations of a heart attack can make a diagnoses difficult.
A B C D

35. On May 18, 1980, the asleep volcano, Mount Saint Helens, awoke in a fury, killing 57
A B C D

people as it erupted.

36. In autumn, many newspapers and magazines publish lists of year chores to prepare a
A B C D

house for winter snow and rain.

My score ______ / 36

Now you can study only the sections you don’t know. To get a score of 550 in the
TOEFL test, you need to get all 36 answers correct as other more difficult topics
have been omitted.

187
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
In English Basic I, you learned that you should make sure that the subject and the verb
agree:

1. a. The dogs are cute

b. The dog is cute

2. a. The dogs like chocolate

b. The dog likes chocolate

You use are for plural nouns (e.g. the dogs) and is for singular nouns (e.g. the dog). Likewise,
you add an s at the end of verbs with singular nouns (e.g. the dog) in the present tense.

This is tested in the TOEFL test. However, the sentences are longer and more complex:

Some large birds, such as the ostrich and the cassowary, is too large and
heavy to fly.

Who is too large and heavy to fly? Some large birds. This expression is the subject of the verb
is, which should be replaced for some large birds … are… Other expressions such as such as
the ostrich and the cassowary can get in between the subject and the verb, that’s OK. The
rule remains the same.

Note: Learning to identify subjects and verbs, sentences and clauses can help you
understand these sentences better.

Suggestion: diagraming sentences to identify its constituents will certainly help you see how
elements in the sentence interact with each another. Books such as Prentice Hall Grammar
Exercise Workbook contain exercises like that. Writing tasks will be also helpful if you have a
teacher who can mark your compositions.

Exercise: At the end of topic 2&3, there is an exercise in which this topic is included.

Longman skills: 20-23

188
2&3. The form of the verb after auxiliaries
In your classes of basic English, you learned that most auxiliaries do not need change form
regardless of the form of the subject:

a. The dogs should be quiet


b. The dog should be quiet

However, you also learned that after auxiliary verbs, verbs have a specific form:

Auxiliary Form of the verb Example


Have Past participle I have never watched Titanic.
Modals (can, could, Infinitive I could watch it with you.
may, might, should,
etc)
BE ING or past I’m watching the Titanic.
participle I’m being watched by the Big Brother.

This too is tested in the TOEFL test. Again, the sentences in the TOEFL test are a way more
complex than my examples but the rules remain the same.

Seventy percent of all cancers can, through a healthy diet and lifestyle,
probably been prevented.

Notice that the verb been is after the modal can. Therefore it is incorrect to put it in past
participle (been). You must change it to infinitive (be):

Seventy percent of all cancers can, through a healthy diet and lifestyle,
probably be prevented

Suggestion: If you knew these rules but you still got the answer wrong, you probably have
problems identifying what elements go with what in a complex sentence. You should be able
to identify that “through a healthy diet and lifestyle, probably” is extra information and you
can overlook it.

Seventy percent of all cancers can, through a healthy diet and lifestyle,
probably be prevented

189
If you have problems identifying that, diagraming sentences will certainly help you see how
elements in the sentence interact with one another. Books such as Prentice Hall Grammar
Exercise Workbook contain exercises like that. Writing tasks will be also helpful if you have a
teacher who can mark your compositions.

Figure 1. Diagram of a simple sentence

Longman skills: 30-32

Time to see how much you remember. Concepts 1-3. TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 20-23
and Skills 30-32). All these sentences contain a mistake. Select the underlined part
that is wrong.

1. A home heated by solar energy have special collectors on the roofs to trap sunlight.
2. Each number in a binary system are formed from only two symbols.
3. Alice in Wonderland, first published in 1865, has since being translated into thirty
languages.
4. The Peace Corps was establish on March 1, 1961, by then President John F.
Kennedy.
5. Scientists at the medical center is trying to determine if there is a relationship
between saccharine and cancer.
6. The advisor told himself, while listening to the speech, that a dozen other reporters
would has already asked that question.

Before you continue. Please, look up the expression such as in a dictionary. What
does it mean or when do I use it? __________________________________________________
Write a sentence that proves you know what it means: ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

7. The great digital advances of the electronic age, such as integrated circuitry and a
microcomputer, has been planted in tiny chips.
8. There are many frequently mentioned reasons why one out of four arrests involve a
juvenile.
9. At the start of the American Revolution, lanterns were hung in the Old North
Church as a signal that the British were came.

190
10. Kepler’s Laws, principles outlining planetary movement, was formulated based on
observations made without a telescope.
11. Before he died, Linus Pauling had wins two Nobel Prizes: the 1954 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize.
12. To overcome rejection of a skin graft, a system for matching donor and recipient
tissues has be developed.
13. Nails are commonly make of steel but also can contain substances such as
aluminum or brass.
14. A patient suffering from amnesia may had partial or total loss of memory.
15. The idea of using pure nicotine to help smokes stop was first tries in the mid-1980s
with the nicotine-laced chewing gum Nicotette.

191
4. Tense
This topic is extremely easy to master. There isn’t much to remember. Ok, let’s get on with
the topic.

There are some expressions that if they are in a sentence, they indicate which tense the
verb must be in. For example, if you have the expression “seven thousand years ago”, the
sentence must be in past:

“Seven thousand years ago, Toba Volcano supereruption contributed to


human population being lowered to about 15,000 people”

This means that you must learn the expressions and the tenses they go with.

Tense Expressions Example


Simple past Ago I went to the store two days ago.
Last I went to the store last week.
date* I went to the store in 2019.
Past perfect By + date* By 1934, Einstein had fled from Berlin.
By the time By the time Friedmann sent his letter, Einstein had
fled from Berlin.
Present perfect Since + date* Since 2015, I have lived in Queretaro.
(simple or Lately Lately, she has watched YouTube a lot.
continuous)
*Examples of dates: in 1992, in nineteen ninety-two, in the nineteen hundreds, in the
eighteen century, the time dinosaurs disappeared, the year Mozart was born.

This is tested in the TOEFL test:

In July 1962, AT&T launched Telstar, which was the first communication
satellite to transmit telephone and telegraph signals.

Since we have a date (1962), the verb has to be in past (launched) not in present tense
(launches).

Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verb in brackets.

1. No sooner satisfied with the emphasis of the Denishawn School, Martha Graham
________________________________ (move) to the staff of the Eastman School in 1925
2. The first major groups of amphibians ______________________________________ (develop)
in the Devonian period, around 370 million years ago

192
3. By the time of the dinosaurs, turtles ________________________________ (already
develop) the hard shell into which their heads and legs could be drawn
4. After the death of his father in 1562, he ________________________________ (become) a
ward of Queen Elizabeth and ________________________________ (be sent) to live in the
household of her principal advisor
5. By 19, he ______________________________ (change) and ______________________________
(begin) to make his own name Albert Brookson a Steve Allen
6. The number of wild horses on Assateague ________________________________ (increase)
lately, resulting in overgrazed marsh and dune grasses
7. However lately Egyptian-American relations _______________________________(become)
a little tense.
8. Since 1973, all Academy Awards ceremonies ________________________________ (end)
with the Academy Award for Best Picture.
9. Born in Massachusetts in 1852, Albert Farbanks _____________________________(begin)
making banjos in Boston in the late 1870s
Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verb in brackets.
1. Pigs, sheep, and cattle ________________________________ (be domesticated) over
10,000 years ago.
2. The number of people diagnosed ________________________________ (increase)
dramatically since the 1960s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice
3. Audi ________________________________ (report) a 10% increase in its sales from 408
units to 480 in the last year alone
4. By June, when severe storms interrupted the landing of supplies for several days
and destroyed the Omaha harbour, the British ________________________________ (land)
314,547 men, 54,000 vehicles, and 102,000 tons of supplies
5. She ________________________________ (make) their first Broadway
performance in 19 June 1939
6. Since the 1890s and beginning in France, the term "libertarianism"
________________________________ (often be used) as a synonym for anarchism
7. Tao Te Ching' scholarship ________________________________ (lately advance) from
archeological discoveries of manuscripts
8. People ________________________________ (gather) wild grains at least 105,000 years
ago
9. Last year Mirpur ________________________________ (be) the runner-up beaten by
Rawalakot in the final

Longman skills: 35

193
5. Do not mix past with present in the TOEFL
This one is another classic and easy topic that it is tested in the TOEFL test. In most cases, it
is incorrect to mix past and present in the same sentences. Although there are some
exceptions, they do not appear in the TOEFL. In the TOEFL, you can assume that mixing past
with present is incorrect.

* Bats locate insects by means of sonar, but some moths were able to
avoid capture by sending out a jamming signal

This sentence is incorrect because locate is in present and were able is in past. You need to
change them so that both are in present or both are in past.

Bats locate insects by means of sonar, but some moths are able to avoid
capture by sending out a jamming signal

Be careful though, there are some adjectives that look like verbs in past (e.g. I’m bored).

Tip: This is a GRAMMAR test not a vocabulary test. This means that if a word (e.g. jamming)
is unknown to you, it doesn’t mean it is wrong. In fact, those difficult words are rarely, if ever,
wrong. Yet many students think “I don’t know what this word means, so it must be wrong”.
Don’t be like them. People who think like that get MANY questions wrong.

Exercise: Although I don’t have an exercise that covers this topic exclusively, it is included in
the exercise on the pages of topic 6.

Longman skills: 33

194
6. Will or Would
Another simple concept. This is somewhat related to the previous one (the one of not mixing
past with present). Before you continue reading, tell me “what is the past of will?”… If you
said would, you are correct, sir. As you know, at least in the TOEFL, we don’t mix past with
present in the same sentence because it doesn’t make sense:

*I eat a lot of junk food when I was a child (como mucha comida chatarra
cuando era niño)

Since would is the past of will. We’ll only use would in sentences that are in past and use will
in sentences that are in present.

If the personal computer had not been invented, would the information
age have arrived by other means?

When wireless electricity is invented, will it arrive to every citizen?

Time to see how much you remember. Concepts 4-6. TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 33-
36). All these sentences contain a mistake. Select the underlined part that is wrong.
1. In several of his paintings, Edward Hicks depicted the Quaker farm in Pennsylvania
where he spends his youth.
2. Florida has become the twenty-seventh state in the United States on March 3, 1845.
3. After last week’s meeting, the advertising department quickly realized that the
product will need a new slogan.
4. John F. Kennedy’s grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, serves two terms as the mayor of
Boston in the beginning of the twentieth century.
5. Fort Ticonderoga, a strategically important fortification during the Revolution, had
since been reconstructed and turned into a museum.
6. In making their calculations, Institute researchers assume that the least costly form
of energy would be used.
7. A twenty-one-year-old man became the second casualty yesterday when he loses
control of his truck.
8. Most people had written with quill pens until pens with metal points become
popular in the middle of the nineteenth century.
9. In a determined drive to pare its debt, Time Warner is launching a stock offering
plan that would potentially raise $2.8 billion.
10. The formula used in the study calls for either peroxide or metaldehyde, but
metaldehyde was not always available.
Longman skills: 36

195
7&8 Plural or singular nouns
This one is another basic concept. You probably learned in basic English. Look at the
following sentences, the asterisk * means that they are grammatically incorrect:

a. I have a dog
b. *I have a dogs

c. *I have several dog


d. I have several dogs

You know that the articles a and an can only be followed by singular nouns. Conversely, you
know that quantifiers such as several or various can only be followed by plural nouns.

This too is tested in the TOEFL test. But just keep in mind that other modifiers can be placed
in between to make it a bit harder:

a. I have a brown rescue dog

This is what happened in question 7 of the diagnostic test:

In 1980 approximately one out of every seven United States workers was
employed in work related to the automobile industry.

All these words can only be followed by either singular nouns or plural nouns,
classify them: a, an, both, each, one, two, seven, every, single, many, several, various

Singular Plural
a
an

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Now tell me, the following words are singular or plural? Choose the correct verb to
complete the sentences.

a. This is the app everybody keeps / keep talking about.


b. You forgot what happens when everyone start / starts reading each others’ cards.
c. Government assumes control over all the industry, and everything is / are
nationalized by the end of the year.
d. My neighbors have been partying for two days straight, but nobody is / are
complaining
e. Other people is / are investing in the organization.
f. Maths are / is my favorite subject.
g. Behavioral economics provide / provides an interesting solution.
h. Physics is / are often only " proven " through mathematics and through experiments,
not empirical observation.
i. So, just like / unlike words that start with every (e.g. everybody), school subjects (e.g.
maths or physics) are singular / plural.

If you know all this but you are still having trouble getting this kind of questions right. You
probably need to increase your vocabulary, read, and write more often. You can also benefit
from doing exercises of sentence diagramming. Books such as Prentice Hall Grammar
Exercise Workbook contain exercises like that.

Longman skills: 39, 54

197
9. A or an
This another basic concept. You probably know this rule:

a. I’m drawing an elephant


b. I’m drawing a pig

We use a before a word that starts with a consonant sound and we use an before a word
that starts with a vowel sound.

This rule is also tested in the TOEFL:

Ocean currents have an enormous effect on life on this planet.

Although most of these questions are fairly easy. There are others that may be a bit more
challenging. How? Well, some students don’t know that the rule applies not to the way the
word looks like but the way it sounds like. Look at the sentence below, should I write a or
an?

c. This is ____ one-time opportunity

This word is pronounced as /wuan taim oportunity/. Therefore, the correct answer is:

d. This is a one-time opportunity

You have to be careful with words that start with o, e, u, h, x because sometimes they start
with a consonant sound but, sometimes they start with a vowel sound.

Fill in the gaps with a or an.

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Time to see how much you remember. Concepts 7-9. TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 39-
42 and Skills 52-55). All these sentences contain a mistake. Select the underlined part
that is wrong.
1. The scholarship that Wilson received to study history at Cambridge presented an
unique opportunity.
2. As a compilation of useful details, a weekly magazine commends itself in several
respect.
3. A radar images of Venus add details about a planet dominated by volcanoes and
lava.
4. Through aquaculture, or fish farming, more than 500 million tons of fish are produced
each years.
5. The first of two such investigation requires the students to read continuously over a
period of four hours.
6. An human ear responds to a wider range of frequencies.
7. During the U.S. Civil War, an American balloonist organized a balloon corps in the
Army.
8. The salesclerk demonstrated various additional way that the machine could be used.
9. The housekeeper cleaned the room and took two of the occupant’s dress to the
laundry.
10. When the first bill was defeated, the Senate immediately began work on a different
bills.

Longman skills: 53

199
Review: Practice set
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake and correct it if you can.

1.1.

2.1.

3.1.

4.1.

5.2.

6.2.

7.2.

8.2.

200
9.3.

10.3.

11.3
.

12.3.

13.4.

14.4.

15.4.

16.4.

201
16.5.

17.5.

18.5.

19.5.

20.6.

21.6.

22.6.

23.7.

202
24.7.

25.7.

26.8.

27.8.

28.8.

29.8.

30.8.

31.9.

32.9.

33.9.

203
34.9.

35.10.

36.10.

37.10.

38.11.

39.11.

40.11.

41.11.

42.12.

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43.12.

44.13.

45.13.

46.13.

47.13.

48.13.

49.14.

50.14.

51.14.

205
52.14.

53.15.

54.15.

55.15.

56.16.

57.16.

58.16.

59.17.

206
60.17.

61.17.

62.18.

63.18.

64.19.

65.19.

66.19.

67.20.

68.20.

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10. Pronouns
This is another basic concept. In English basic one, you probably learned that there are two
types of pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns.

Subject Object
pronoun pronoun
I Me
You You
He Him
She Her
It It
We Us
They Them

As you probably know, with the exception of constructions that involve inversion, subject
pronouns are only placed before the verb, while object pronouns are placed after the verb
or after prepositions:

a. He will get a new phone soon.


b. His parents are buying him one.
c. He is living with them.

This rule is also tested in the TOELF test:

Trigonometry is the study of triangles, angles, and the relationships


among they them.

Exercise: Although I don’t have an exercise that covers this topic exclusively, it is included
in the exercise on the pages of topic 11. If this rule is new to you, you can google exercises
of subject and object pronouns.

Longman skills: 43

208
10.1. Reflexive Pronouns
This topic is not often included in the TOEFL test. However, some variations of the TOEFL
may include it. The topic is reflexive pronouns:

Object Reflexive
pronoun pronouns
Me Myself
You Yourself
Him Himself
Her Herself
It Itself
Us Ourselves
Them Themselves
As you can see from the table, all the reflexive pronouns end in -self. We often use reflexive
pronouns when the subject and the object of the verb refer to the same person or thing:

a. I saw myself in the mirror.


b. I cut me with the knife.

Notice that using an object pronoun instead of a reflexive pronoun changes the meaning
of the sentence:
c. Luis saw himself in the mirror. (The person in the mirror is Luis too)

d. Luis saw him in the mirror. (The person in the mirror is not Luis, but the baby
Mario)

While in sentence c, the person that is in the mirror is Luis, in sentence d, the person that
Luis sees there is someone other than himself.

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We can also use reflexive pronouns to emphasize the subject:

e. Mark Zuckerberg wrote to us himself to invite us to the Facebook event

Finally, we also use them with the preposition by to indicate that the person did it without
help:

f. The children made the entire meal by themselves

Now, that you remember how to use them. I’ll tell you how this topic may appear in some
variations of the TOEFL test:

• THE SENTENCE USES AN OBJECT PRONOUN INSTEAD OF A REFLEXIVE


PRONOUN:
Maria made the cake by her herself

Her and Maria are the same person. The sentence means that Maria made the cake
without help. We need the reflexive pronoun (herself) instead of the object pronoun
(her).
• THE SENTENCE USES A REFLEXIVE PRONOUN INSTEAD OF AN OBJECT
PRONOUN:
Maria called himself him to ask him if he wanted to go the movies with her.

Maria and himself do not refer to the same person. Therefore, I cannot use the
reflexive pronoun (himself). I need the object pronoun (him).

Read the following sentences. Decide whether the sentences are correct or not. If
the sentences are incorrect, correct them.

1. ______ I love my life and I love me. When I'm procrastinating all of the time, it doesn't
show the love.
2. ______ Turns out it's quite simple; we just need to start listening to ourselves. And talk
to each other.
3. ______ Take Skepchick for example, sells erotic photos of herself, complains that people
(read MEN, disgusting men) view her in the sexual manner she sold her in.
4. ______ That, however, is pretty much beside the point. This was rape and saying she
brought it on her is just victim blaming.
5. ______ Truth be told, I had a conversation with me about how bored I was with the
Mario franchise awhile back.
6. ______ Perhaps we are deluding us, perhaps we should take a harder stance with regard
to this, as I wouldn't disagree that they are too expensive.
7. ______ I've often shared the challenge I have found in raising Porter- my beautiful 6-
year-old son. From a teeny size, I saw myself in him.
8. ______ As a Paul supporter I was disappointed that he associates himself with
government lovers like Republicans.

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11. Possessive pronouns
This topic is very easy. We have something called possessive pronouns. Most of these
pronouns have a s at the end:

Possessive Possessive
adjectives pronouns
My Mine
Your Yours
His His
Her Hers
Its Its
Our Ours
Their Theirs
Now, what is the difference between the possessive adjectives and the possessive pronouns?
When do you need to use your and yours?
a. This is your book (es tu libro)
b. This is yours (es tuyo)
c. *This is yours book (*es tuyo libro)
d. *This is your (*es tu)
As you can see, possessive pronouns (e.g. yours) cannot be placed before a noun (e.g. book)
while possessive adjectives (e.g. your) need to be placed before a noun. That’s the only
difference. This rule is also tested in the TOELF test:

The author Susan Glaspell won a Pulitzer Prize in 1931 for hers her play,
Alison’s House.

Time to see how much you remember. Concepts 10-11. TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 43-
45). All these sentences contain a mistake. Select the underlined part that is wrong.

1. Commercial letters are often used to finance export trade, but them can have
other uses.

2. On March 30, 1981, President Reagan was shot as his was leaving a Washington hotel.

3. President Andrew Jackson had an official cabinet, but him preferred the advice of his
informal advisors, the Kitchen Cabinet.

4. In order to assure her own health and well-being, Melissa removes her from an
environment where her own dignity, authority, and safety are not being respected.

5. Almost half of the Pilgrims did not survive theirs first winter in the New World.

6. They saw Steve and I at the movies last night after class.

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7. I nurse him to sleep, and he sleeps with us so if he wakes up in the middle of the
night I usually see if he goes back to sleep by him and if not, I'll nurse him back to
sleep.

8. If she borrows your coat, then you should be able to borrow her.

9. Perhaps you would like to go to the seminar with they and their friends.

10. I did not know that you and her were working together on the project.

11. Well I met with himself, explained the flipped classroom (which he loved) and boom,
wireless port in my classroom.

12. Mary and Mark invited theirs parents to see their new apartment.

13. There was an Olive Garden ourselves ate at twice a month and now we pass by it and
eat at non-Darden places.

14. Before the report is finalized, the information in their notes and our must be proofed.

Longman skills: 44

212
12&13 Comparatives and superlatives. Part 1
You probably learned that depending on the length of the adjective, its comparative and
superlative form changes. Let us consider the following adjectives:

a. Beautiful
b. Big

Beautiful is a long adjective while big is a short one. If the adjective is long, we use more
and most to form the comparative and the superlative, respectively. Conversely, if the
adjective is short, we add the suffixes -er and -est.

Long adjective Short adjective


Comparative More beautiful Bigger
Superlative Most beautiful Biggest*
*If a word ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, we double the last consonant before adding the ending:
wet→wetter, thin → thinnest

This is also tested in the TOEFL:

The harpsichord is the most complex and most large largest of all the
plucked keyboard instruments.

Sirius, the Dog Star, is the most brightest brightest star in the sky with an
absolute magnitude about twenty-three times that of the Sun.

Notice how the in the first example, they break this rule. Large is a short adjective, but the
original sentence combines it with most, which is for long adjectives. This is wrong. You
need to use -est instead. That is, you need to change most large to largest.

In the second example, the original sentence is combining both structures. It says most
brightest. It is using the word most and the suffix -est for the same adjective, bright. This is
wrong. Bright is a short adjective, so you just need to use -est. Using both structures with
the same adjective is wrong.

Suggestion: if this rule is new to you google exercises long and short comparatives and
superlatives to find exercises suitable for you.

Exercise: Although I don’t have an exercise that covers this topic exclusively, it is included
in the exercise on the pages of topic 17.

Longman skills: 27-28

213
14&15&16 Comparatives and superlatives. Part 2
This rule is pretty simple too. Let us take a look at the following sentences:

a. He is healthier than he was before.


b. Health is the most important part of your life

As you can see, comparatives (e.g. healthier) require the word than while superlatives
require the word the.

This fact is also tested in the TOEFL:

The neocortex has evolved more recently then than other layers of the
brain.

The Most familiar type of pump in use today is the piston pump.

While solvent-based wall paints offer good coverage and sealing power,
they are the most difficult to clean up than are water-based paints.

Notice how in the first sentence we have the comparative more but we don’t have the
word than. This is wrong. You need to have than when you have a comparative.

The second and third sentences have a superlative most, but they don’t originally have the.
This is also wrong. When you have a superlative, you need to have the article the.

I know what you are thinking. Many students tell me: “But teacher, I’ve seen most without
the. When do I need to add the?” Well, that’s easy. If you have an adjective, you’d better
add the.

a. Most people like dogs.


b. Dogs are the most popular pets

People is a noun. You don’t need the because most is working as a quantifier (like many).
However, popular is an adjective, so you need to add the.

Suggestion: If this fact is new to you, google exercises for superlatives and comparatives.
Additionally, write sentences using these structures until you find it odd when those words
are missing in the sentence.

Exercise: Although I don’t have an exercise that covers this topic exclusively, it is included
in the exercise on the pages of topic 17.

Longman skills: 27- 28

214
17. Comparatives and superlatives. Part 3
This is something you probably know. However, let’s be real, we are used to see so many
weird sentences that you may have gotten confused for second. So let’s make the rule
explicitly so it doesn’t happen again to you.

We use the comparative to compare or talk about two things. On the other hand, we use
the superlative to talk about one thing.

This too is tested in the TOEFL:

With a television audience of 25 billion, World Cup Soccer has ten times
the most viewers of more viewers than the Olympic Games

Notice that in the sentence above we are comparing two things: Word Cup Soccer and the
Olympic Games. However, the sentence was originally using the superlative (the most viewers
of). We said that when we have two things, we need to use the comparative instead (more
viewers than). So the sentence was originally wrong.

Answer the following TOEFL exercises.

1. The speed of light is _______________ the speed of sound


a. Faster
b. Much faster than
c. The fastest
d. As fast
2. The use of detail is _______________ method of developing a controlling idea, and
almost all students employ this method
a. More common
b. Common
c. Most common
d. The most common
3. Certain types of snakes have been known to survive fasts more as a year long
A B C D

4. The grizzly bear, which can grow up to eight feet tall, has been called a more
A B C D

dangerous animal of North America

5. Climate, soil type, and availability of water are the most critical factors than
A B C
selecting the best type of grass for a lawn
D

215
6. Peter Abelard, a logician and theologian, was the controversialest teacher of his age
A B C D
7. Protein molecules are the most complex than the molecules of carbohydrates
A B C D
8. The leek, a member of the lily family, has a mildest taste than the onion
A B C D

Suggestion: If you still need more practice on topic 17, you can find another one on page
160 (skill 28) of the book Longman Preparation for the TOEFL Test: The Paper Test. If you
need additional practice on topics 14-16, you can find another one on page 159 of the same
book (skill 27).

Longman skills: 27-28

216
18. The comparative, the comparative
The structure of “entre más …, más…” is constructed in English by using “the + comparative
+ sentence, the + comparative + sentence”.

a. The more you have, the more you want


b. The friendlier you are, the more friends you make
c. The bigger you are, the harder you fall

While most of the times, you’ll see only two sentences with the + comparative, you can
have as many as you want:

d. The more we ask it to make, the more clouds it takes in, the more radiation it
emits, and the more these food molecules could over-mutate.

In the exam, your job is to be alert. The moment you see the article THE before a comparative,
you have to remember this structure and ensure that the sentence has at least two THE +
COMPARATIVE. Let’s look at the example from the diagnostic test:

The more a robot can be programmed regarding its domain of activity,


A
the best it can perform that activity without frequent human intervention
B C
or reprogramming.
D

Notice that this sentence has a THE + COMPARATIVE at the beginning. Can you find
another structure like this in the sentence? No? That’s the mistake! Remember that we always
need to have at least two THE + COMPARATIVE in the sentence. If you don’t have it, then
that’s the mistake.

217
Now, all you have to do is to find the closest match to that structure and select it as an
answer! Which option looks more like the structure we are looking for? Yes, it is letter B (the
best). The correct version of the sentence would say the better instead.

I hope that was clear enough for you. I just want to end with a quick review of the
comparatives.

• You can make comparatives with more or -er. This depends on the length of the
adjective. Long adjectives use more (e.g. the more expensive). Short adjectives use -er
(e.g. the bigger).
e. The faster you drive, the more likely you’ll have an accident

• You can make comparatives with nouns using more (e.g. more friends).
f. The more friends you have, the happier you are.

• You can make comparatives with less instead of more. Less means menos in Spanish:
g. The faster you drive, the less time it will take to get to your destination

• You can combine them with verbs:


h. The more you study, the more you learn (entre más estudias, más aprendes)
i. The less you study, the less you learn (entre menos estudias, menos aprendes)

Try these sentences. Many of them are everyday expressions. Use ‘more’ or ‘less’
(according to logic) and the comparative form of the adjective:

1. The ___________ you practice, the ___________ (easy) it will be.


2. Please come to the party- The ___________, the merrier!
3. Do it as quickly as you can- the ___________ (soon), the ___________ (good)!
4. The ___________ the teacher explains, and the ___________ (simple) his explanation, the
___________ the students will understand.
5. The ___________ (old) you get, the ___________ (slow) you run, but the ___________ (far)
your knowledge takes you!

Time to see how much you remember. Concepts 12-18. TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 27-
29). Tell if the sentence is correct (C) or incorrect (I). Correct the incorrect ones.
1. ______ The coffee is more stronger today than it was yesterday.
2. ______ The closest it gets to summer, the longer the days are.
3. ______ He will buy the most fuel-efficient car that he can afford.
4. ______ The business department is bigger of the departments in the university.

218
5. ______ I really don’t want to live in the Southeast because it is one of the hottest
areas in the U.S.
6. ______ The more time they have to play, the happier the children are.
7. ______ The thicker the walls, the noise that comes through is less.
8. ______ It is preferable to use the most efficient and most effective method that you
can.
9. ______ Tonight’s dinner was more filling than last night’s.
10. ______ The house is now the cleanest that it has ever been.
11. ______ The hotter the food is, harder it is to eat.
12. ______ The more you say, the worst the situation will be.

Longman skills: 29

219
19. Parallel structure
Parallel structure is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. In good
English, writers use the same pattern of words to make their sentences sound more
balanced. Let’s look at an example:

You can stay home or stay here

Pay attention to the underlined parts, can you see that they look very similar? They don’t
have to start with the exact same words, but they have to start with words that belong to
the same class and have the same form. For example. I can say also:

You can stay home or go to the movies

I can change stay for go and that’s OK because they are both verbs and they are both in
infinitive. Notice that the important part is that they start the same way. They can end
differently without that being wrong. However, if they don’t start with the same form, then
it is wrong:

You can stay home or going to the movies (WRONG)

You can stay home or she to the movies (ALSO WRONG)

I hope that it is clear. Now let’s focus on when we have to use parallel structure:

Rule: Use the same structure on both sides of coordinate conjunctions (and, but, or), paired
conjunctions (either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, both…and) and comparatives.

In case you don’t know what that would look like, I have written an example for all of them:

COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS (AND, BUT, OR):

I’m interested in what you say and how you say it

The exam was short but difficult

You can stay home or go to the movies

PAIRED CONJUNCTIONS:

He wants either to go by train or to go by plane

Neither the inconsiderate neighbors nor the ineffective air conditioner will deter
Tiffany from loving her first apartment

Carlos not only missed his one-year anniversary with Adrianna but also forgot his
mother birthday

220
Joseph Heller’s novel satirizes both the horrors of war and the power of modern
bureaucratic institutions

COMPARATIVES:

What is written is more easily understood than what is spoken

This structure is tested in the TOEFL test. Let’s look at the example from the diagnostic test:

Competitive firms are always under pressure to reduce costs, improve


quality, and catering to consumer preferences.

Notice that we are using the conjunction AND, which, we mentioned, requires parallel
structure. Pay attention to what it is joining:

Competitive firms are always under pressure to reduce costs, improve


quality, and catering to consumer preferences.

It is joining three things: reduce costs, improve quality, & catering to consumer preferences.
The second item (improve quality) is usually the most helpful, you can usually look at it to
determine which structure all the others must have. Notice that the second item (improve
quality) is in infinitive, the first item is also in infinitive (reduce costs). However, the last item
is not in infinitive. This is the mistake. We should change it for cater to.

Competitive firms are always under pressure to reduce costs, improve


quality, and catering cater to consumer preferences.

Highlight the conjunction then choose the correct option:

e.g. When Diane takes her beagle for a walk, Santana enjoys sniffing for edible
garbage, ________________________, and lunging at squirrels
a. Howls at bicyclists
b. Howling at bicyclists
c. She howls at bicyclists

221
1. Josh thinks Annie is the most beautiful woman in Sprinfield, so he has not interest
in dating either Mariana or ________________________
a. Rebeca
b. dating Rebeca
c. date Rebeca
2. ________________________is more fun than eating at home
a. To dine in a restaurant
b. Dine in a restaurant
c. Dining in a restaurant
3. After Amanda cashes her paycheck, the money goes to her saving account,
cappuccino fund, and ________________________
a. Paying her credit card bill
b. Toward her credit card balance
c. Credit card balance
4. Filled with holiday spirit, Ximena bought a Christmas present not only
________________________ but also for his obnoxious younger brother Pierre
a. Andre
b. for her boyfriend Andre
c. her boyfriend Andre
5. Cheto shocked ________________________nor the valet who brought room service
a. neither the maid who cleaned the room
b. either the haid who cleaned the room
c. the maid who cleaned the room
6. His research for the thesis was more useful than ________________________
a. Hers
b. Research
7. Both the tailor ________________________could fix the damage to the dress
a. and the laundry
b. as well as the laundress
c. and the laundress
8. What you do has more effect than ________________________
a. you say
b. what you say
c. as what you say
9. To protect her delicate hands, Serena will not rake the yard, do the dishes, or
________________________
a. Refuses to scrub the bathtub
b. Won’t scrub the bathtub
c. Scrub the bathtub
10. Music in your country is quite similar to ________________________
a. the one in my country

222
b. my country
11. The collection of foreign journals in the university library is more extensive
________________________
a. the high school library
b. the one in the high school library
c. than the one in the high school library

Longman skill: 24-26

223
Review: Practice set
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake and correct it if you can.

224
225
226
227
228
229
230
20. -ed and -ing Adjectives
This is probably among the most challenging topics in the TOEFL test. Many verbs can
become adjectives by attaching -ed or -ing to them. Consider the verb confuse:

a. The class is confusing


b. The students got confused

Notice that with -ing adjective, the meaning is that the class confuses people. This means that
the class is doing the action of confusing.

Rule: When the adjective ends in ING, it means that the person or the thing is doing the
action described by the verb.

Consider the sentence from the diagnostic test:

*Abandoning towns are often called ghost towns, but sometimes a


handful of people inhabit these towns that once were home to hundreds or
even thousands.

How do you know abandoning is wrong? There is a way, but it can only be used if you have
time to spare. What you can do is to create a sentence using the noun as a subject and the
adjective as a verb. You can also add the words people, someone, something or things after
the verb, if necessary:

c. Towns abandon people (los pueblos abandonan a la gente)

If the sentence you created makes sense, then the adjective must be with -ing, if not, it
means it must be with -ed. In this case, it didn’t make any sense, so it must be with -ed:

Abandoned towns are often called ghost towns, but sometimes a handful
of people inhabit these towns that once were home to hundreds or even
thousands.

Let’s try that again:

d. The empty bottles are to the left, and the filling bottles are to the right.

Is it correct? Let’s test it:

e. The bottles fill something (las botellas llenan algo).

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That’s not the meaning in the sentence, so it must be with -ed instead:

f. The empty bottles are to the left, and the filled bottles are to the right.

Complete each sentence using a word from the box.

Amusing/amused Annoying/annoyed Boring/bored


Confusing/confused Disgusting/disgusted Exciting/excited
Exhausting/exhausted Interesting/interested Surprising/surprised

1. He works very hard. It’s not surprising that he’s always tired.
2. The teacher’s explanation was __________________. Most of the students didn’t
understand it.
3. The kitchen hadn’t been cleaned for ages. It was really __________________.
4. I seldom visit art galleries. I’m not particularly __________________ in art.
5. There’s no need to get __________________ just because I’m a few minutes late.
6. After just a few minutes of talking to James, I got __________________. He’s a very
__________________ person. He only talks about himself.
7. I’ve been working very hard all day and now I’m __________________.
8. I’m starting a new job next week. I’m very __________________ about it.
9. Steve is very good at telling funny stories. He can be very __________________.
10. Liz is a very __________________ person. She knows a lot, she’s travelled a lot and she’s
done lots of different things.
TOELF EXERCISE (Skills 51). Tell if the sentence is correct (C) or incorrect (I). Correct
the incorrect ones.
1. ______ The teacher gave a quiz on the just completing lesson.
2. ______ There is a fascinating movie at the theater tonight.
3. ______ They thought that it had been a very satisfied dinner.
4. ______ The students thought it was an interesting assignment.
5. ______ The shoppers were impressed by the reducing prices.
6. ______ He can’t afford to take long vacations because he is a worked man.
7. ______ Safety glass, a toughened glass sheet, is six times stronger than untreating
glass.
8. ______ The incubation period of tetanus is usually five to ten days, and the most
frequently occurred symptom is jaw stiffness.
9. ______ I recently received several annoying phone calls from the insurance agent.
10. ______ Today the bookkeeper is working on the unpaying bills.

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🅲 Many students get confused when they see adjectives with -ed and -ing that are
not that frequent. Let’s practice a bit. Write the correct -ed or -ing word. Look at the
example below.

1. Evolution itself is a biological phenomenon common to all _____living_____ things,


even though it has led to their differences (living / lived).
Explanation: In this sentence, “things” refers to “creatures”. The “creatures” do the
action of the verb “live”. How do I know that? Because “the creatures live” is a sensical
sentence. Therefore, it must be with ING.
2. __________________ robots operate in a controlled environment where they do simple,
monotonous tasks (pre-programming / pre-programmed).

3. Sexual reproduction enables a species to adjust to the ever __________________


conditions through history (changing / changed).

4. __________________ robots are mechanical bots controlled by humans (teleoperating


/ teleoperated) (HINT: search the meaning of the prefix tele-).

5. Examples of teleoperated robots are the __________________ submarines used to fix


underwater pipe leaks during the BP oil spill (human-controlling / human-
controlled).

6. Because life comes only from __________________ life, it is only through reproduction
that successive generations can carry on the properties of a species (preexisting /
preexisted).

7. In the book of Genesis, there are references to cattle, beasts, fowl, __________________
things, trees, and so on (creeping / creeped).

8. Perhaps one of the most useful yet __________________ accomplishments of the


recent centuries is the development of electric circuits (taken-for-granting /
taken-for-granted).

9. The amount of gravitational potential energy __________________ in an object


depended upon the amount of mass the object possessed and the amount of
height to which it was raised (storing / stored).

Longman skills: 51

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21. Adjectives or adverbs
With the exception of the words in topic 36, words ending in -ly do not modify nouns:

a. It was a careless accident.


b. * It was a carelessly accident.

This too is tested in the TOEFL test:

c. Emotionally stable people seem to have about the same number of


nightmares as highly anxiously anxious individuals.

Again, with the exception of the words in topic 36, adjectives and verbs are usually
modified by words ending in -ly:

d. It was a carelessly planned accident.


e. He does his homework carelessly.

This too is tested in the TOEFL test:

Present in rocks of all types, hematite is particular particularly abundant


in the sedimentary rocks known as red beds.

Exercise: Although I don’t have an exercise that covers this topic exclusively, it is included
in the exercise on the pages of topic 22.

Longman skills: 46

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22. Adjectives before nouns
Although you can have combinations of nouns in English (e.g. olive oil), it is rare to see them
in the TOEFL (at least in the grammar tests from the Longman book). So, if you want an easy-
to-remember rule, you can say that two nouns together may be wrong in the TOELF. However,
this rule may or may not apply to the SELLI, so be careful. Here is a much better rule (still a
bit simplified): if a noun modifies another noun and you can change it to an adjective, the
noun should probably be an adjective and it is wrong.

This too is tested in the TOELF test:

*It is a chemical called capsaicin that gives hot peppers their spice flavor

Spice (condimento) and flavor (sabor) are both nouns. However, you can make spice an
adjective by adding -y at the end (spicy – condimentado, picoso). Since there is an adjective
for spice, it is incorrect to use the noun spice to modify another noun.

*It is a chemical called capsaicin that gives hot peppers their spice spicy
flavor

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skill 46). Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
1. The mother was pleasant / pleasantly surprised when her daughter came to visit.
2. The salespeople frequent / frequently visit the East Coast for trade shows.
3. He was driving an expensive / expensively sports car.
4. There is a special / specially program on television this evening.
5. The car was not complete / completely ready at 3:00.
6. It was difficult to believe that what we read in the newspaper was a true / truly
story.
7. Points will be subtracted for each incorrect / incorrectly answered question.
8. The production manager quietly requested a complete / completely report of the
terrible / terribly incident.
9. The children finished their homework quick / quickly so they could watch the TV.

Longman skills: 46

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23-25. Countable or uncountable nouns
In the TOEFL test, there are questions that test your knowledge of countable and
uncountable words. You surely know that countable words are those that can be counted,
for example, book (one book, two books, three books, etc.) and uncountable words are those
that cannot be counted, for example air (*one air, *two airs, *three airs, etc.).

You are probably familiar with the following words: much / many, little / few, less / fewer,
and amount / number. The ones on the left are used only with uncountable words and the
ones on the right are only used with countable words:

Uncountable Countable
Much Many
Little Few
Less Fewer
Amount Number (because you count them with
numbers)

This too is tested in the TOEFL test:

*Electronic games, much many of which can be powerful instructional


tools, are becoming more and more prevalent with the proliferation of
computers in schools

*Small cars are involved in less fewer accidents than large ones, but large
cars are considered more safe when involved in accidents

*Manganese, found in trace amounts in higher animals, activates a large


amount number of enzymes involved in metabolic processes

Can you count games? Can you count accidents? Can you count enzymes? Yes, you can count
them, so they are countable nouns and you need to use the correct quantifier for countable
nouns (many, fewer, and number, respectively).

Pro tip: If it can be made plural, it is probably a countable noun. In other words, if it ends
with -s, it’s probably countable.

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skill 40). Circle the correct word to complete the sentences.

1. He received little / few notice that the bill would have to be paid in full.
2. The police had little / few opportunities to catch the thief who had committed a
large amount / number of crimes.

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3. You will have less / fewer problems with your income taxes if you get professional
help.
4. After the strike, the company dismissed much / many employees.
5. Because the bottom corner of the pocket was torn, much / many coins fell out.
6. Since he bought the new adapter, he has had less / fewer trouble with the machine.
7. There are much / many new items to purchase before leaving, and there is such a
short amount / number of time.
8. The less / fewer time you take on the assignment, the less / fewer pages you will
complete.
9. A little / a few soldiers who had been in heavy combat were brought back for a
little / a few rest.
10. It is better to go shopping in the late evening because there are less / fewer people
in the market, and you can accomplish an amount / a number of tasks in a short
period of time.

Longman skills: 40

Suggestion: If you knew these rules but you still got the questions wrong, it means you
should practice more so that it will sound strange to you when these quantifiers are used
incorrectly. Google exercises for countable and uncountable nouns. You can also write your
own sentences using these quantifiers.

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26. Word Order in a Sentence
For whatever reason, this topic is very difficult for some students. Let’s take another look at
the sentence from the diagnostic test:

*On nights when is the sky clear and the air calm, the Earths’ surface
rapidly radiates heat into the atmosphere.

When you were learning English, you learned that you need to change the word order to
make questions:

a. The sky is clear


b. When is the sky clear?

This is correct. However, this change in word order only applies to questions, not statements.
Notice that there is no question mark at the end of the sentence from the diagnostic test.
This means it is not a question, therefore, the order should not be inverted:

On nights when the sky is clear and the air calm, the Earths’ surface
rapidly radiates heat into the atmosphere.

You probably associate the inverted word order with wh- words (why, what, how, which,
when, who). However, if they are not used in a question or are part of an indirect question,
the order must not be inverted.

Read the sentences below. Circle the correct word order for each sentence.
Remember that only in direct questions, we place the verb before the subject.

1. The teacher told us how much sea level is rising / is sea level rising.
2. How much sea level is / is sea level rising?
3. This article is about what President Trump wants / does President Trump want to
do about the opioid crisis.
4. What President Trump wants / does President Trump want to do about the opioid
crisis?
5. The teacher told us where we should leave / should we leave our finished exams.
6. I cannot understand this question “How many times Earth’s gravity is / is Earth's
gravity more than the Moon’s?”
7. She started crying when the jury asked / did he jury ask her why she asked / did
she ask him for her stuff back instead of leaving before he turned violent.
8. Where Jesus was / was Jesus placed after the crucifixion?

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9. A "0xC00E5201" error code occurs when you try / do you try to create an .msp file
by using Msimsp.exe in Windows 7
10. When students explain / do students explain what they've learned to peers, fading
memories are reactivated.
11. What students need / do students need when they graduate?
12. It was / Was it a lot warmer when the dinosaurs were / were the dinosaurs
around?
13. I want to know what happens when a prisoner escapes / does a prisoner escape.
14. When a sea turtle nests / does a sea turtle nest?
15. How is crude oil / crude oil is removed from the ground?

Exercise: This topic is the same as the topic 2 and 6 from grammar part 1. The exercises are
different, so you can do those if you want more practice. You can google exercises about
indirect questions and noun clauses too.

Longman skill: 15

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27. Adjective first, then noun
This is something you probably already know but tend to forget from time to time.
Adjectives are usually placed before the noun:

a. I want the brown dog


b. *I want the dog brown

Sentence b is incorrect because the order is off. The correct word order is shown in
sentence a: adjective before noun.

This too is tested in the TOEFL test:

Exercise physical Physical exercise for children has been promoted in the
United States and Canada since the mid-nineteenth century.

Suggestion: Unfortunately, I don’t have an exercise for this topic. You can create google a
lists of adjectives and practice making sentences using the appropriate word order if you
need some extra practice.

Exercise: This topic is included in the exercise for topic 28.

Longman skill: 48

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28. Position of adverbs
This rule is not known by many at your stage of English learning process, that’s why you
got it wrong. It isn’t your fault. The good news is that it is pretty easy to learn:

Rule: Do NOT place adverbs between verbs and direct objects.

a. I took a course recently


b. *I took recently a course

Notice that sentence b is incorrect because the adverb recently is between the verb took
and the direct object a course. The appropriate word order is shown in sentence a.

This too is tested in the TOELF:

* Most of the year San Miguel Island is shrouded in fog, and strong
northwest winds batter relentlessly the island.

The adverb relentlessly (implacablemente) is placed between the verb batter (azotar) and
the direct object the island. Therefore, it is incorrect:

Most of the year San Miguel Island is shrouded in fog, and strong
northwest winds batter relentlessly the island the island relentlessly.

Topic 20, 21, 22, 27, 28. (Skills 46-48). Choose the correct expression to complete
the sentences.

1. Modern art is on display at the Guggenhein Museum, a building with an unusual /


unusually design.
2. By the beginning of the 1980s fifteen states had adopted already / already
adopted no-fault insurance laws.
3. Halley’s comet, viewing / viewed through a telescope, was quite impressive.
4. The store opened with a fantastic sale / sale fantastic.
5. In spite of a tremendous amount of electronic gadgetry, air traffic control still
depends heavy / heavily on people.
6. The pharmacist has filled always / always filled our order quick / quickly.
7. The political candidates / candidates political expressed their opposing views.
8. Only recently have Gooden’s industrial / industrially designers and engineers
been able to optimize Watertred’s unusual / unusually tread patterns for mass
production.

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9. Following the failure of the first set of plans, the manager has altered
subsequently them / altered them subsequently.
10. A serious / seriously problem is how to communicate reliable / reliably with a
submerged submarine.
11. Americans are rapid / rapidly destroying wetlands, faster than an acre every two
minutes.
12. Signing / signed at the outset of a business deal, a contract offers the participants
a certain degree of legal protection from costly mistakes.
13. The central banking system of the United States consists of twelve banks districts /
bank districts.
14. Telegraph service across the Atlantic was successful / successfully established in
1886.
15. The students had to study many hours every day during the intensive program /
program intensive.
16. Among the disputing / disputed sections of the Monteverdi opera are the sinfonia,
the prologue, and the role of Ottone.

Longman skill: 48

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Review: Practice set
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake and correct it if you can.

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244
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29. Paired conjunctions
This is one of the easiest to learn topics for the TOEFL. There are some expressions that
always go together, that is, whenever you see one, you’ll see the other. One of such
expressions are the paired conjunctions:

a. The results of the research are both impressive and alarming.


b. The results of the research are neither impressive nor alarming.
c. The results of the research are either impressive or alarming.
d. The results of the research are not only impressive but also alarming.

That’s it. It’s only those four pair conjunctions, and the TOEFL tests whether you know the
combinations or not:

Dreams are commonly made up of both visual or and verbal images

Notice how the sentence says both but it doesn’t have and. It has or instead. This is wrong.
When you have both, you need to have and.

The only thing you have to do for this topic is to memorize the combination in case they
ask you for them and that’s it.

Complete the gaps with the correct word.

1. Sonia has packed an orange soda not only for herself but also for John.
2. Reva _____________________ drank from the bottle of orange soda but also got hot
pink lipstick on the rim.
3. On vacation, Patrick can trust neither his roommates _____________________ the
veterinary staff with his 3-meter albino python, so he hides it in his suitcase and
sneaks it into hotel rooms.
4. Because Alex is always flirting with Becky, Adriana will _____________________ lend him
an eraser nor let him peek at her score sheet.
5. _____________________ she and her sister now live in New Orleans.
6. After no rabbit popped out of the hat, Julia decided she had neither the patience
_____________________ the ability to tolerate another “magic trick”.
7. Lily will _____________________ share an extra pen with Johan but also give him some
paper.
8. At the Halloween party, Patrick will either drape a snake over his shoulders
_____________________ dress as a vampire.
9. This plant grows in both Chile _____________________ Argentina.
10. In every party, Mary _____________________ drinks or smokes.

Longman skill: 25

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30. Make or do
Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?

a cake, housework, chores, breakfast, the dishes, dinner, the ironing, the shopping, coffee,
bread

Make Do

• House activities are with make / do


• Food is with make / do

Complete with make or do in the correct form.

1. In Maiduguri, the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern
Nigeria, all house chores are __________ by women.
2. She left me many notes with schedules she wished me to follow. My breakfast was
__________ up of one of the shakes from the pantry.
3. Just do your laundry! Stuart, you didn't have to __________ dinner.
4. But the more economically dependent men are on their wives, the less housework
they __________.
5. When I was looking on google at pictures it said that this cake was __________ with
sprite and jello
6. The perfect mug keeps your cocoa hot until the dishes are _________ but wont burn
your fingers or lips at the first sip.
7. " I prefer this because you don't have to wait, " said Franco, whose coffee was
_________ in less than a minute.
8. It was a big part of my life, while she was_________ the ironing, and.... " She stops,
takes a breath and then chuckles.
9. Looks like Mom's still mad and didn't __________ breakfast
10. Not all the middle-aged males _________ the shopping. Do you think they would
rather be doing something else?

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🅲 Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?
a good job, profit, well, badly, loss, investment, loan, good, bad, fortune, bet, money, a million
dollars

Make Do
Make a living Do your best

• Money is with make / do.


• Performance related words are with make / do.

🅳 Complete with make or do in the correct form.


1. Brian Moynihan has __________ such a good job running that company since he took
over.
2. We all go to work to __________ a good job, so let people know when they've done
so.
3. The seller needs to find a price that will match enough people's subjective valuation
of their product, so they can sell enough to ___________ a profit.
4. As stated, data are now available to assist managers who are tasked with
convincing consumers to ___________ an investment in or upgrade to season ticket
plans.
5. Even if Republicans ___________ well in House districts, didn't they perform terribly in
the Senate and, most importantly, in the Presidency?
6. His friends made many jokes about his uneasiness with " bosses " (his pet name for
women) and once ___________ a bet with him that he could not go to a burlesque
show
7. You ___________ your best to be diplomatic and you protest that we are twisting
things
8. Realistically I could move to Pakistan and ___________ a fortune, but who really wants
to live in Pakistan?
9. The Washington Post found Steve Bannon eventually ___________ millions of dollars
in fees to make films that usually went straight to video.

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🅴 Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?
homework, an assignment, a response, a report, a complaint, excuses, an exam, a promise,
an offer, a test, a course, a suggestion, research, a sound, noise, an experiment, a drawing

Make Do

• School activities are with make / do.


• Things you say and sounds are with make / do.

🅵 Complete with make or do in the correct form.


1. That report never came out, but then they ___________ the report on the whole
program.
2. As the ships lay at anchor, a fearful noise was ___________ by the strong imp of the
fresh water against the water of the sea coming to meet it.
3. In my opinion, the only one who ___________ the assignment well in the class
received help from his parents.
4. I also ___________ an experiment where I tried to follow all the rules of the Bible for a
year.
5. Holmes' ex-girlfriend ___________ the suggestion that Holmes begin therapy.
6. I think we can assume that England ___________ an offer that Antoine couldn't refuse.
7. As a child he had ___________ homework with frozen feet stuck to the cold floor.
8. Caperton ___________ a response I admired.
9. And of course, when she ___________ the test she made everybody look silly.
10. A female deputy ___________ a complaint of sexual harassment against the Sheriff's
Office.

250
🅶 Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?
my hair, a photo, a picture, my nails, a film, exercise, a discovery, a contribution, a difference,
my makeup

Make Do

• Contributions and art are with make / do.


• Activities you do to get ready to go out are with make / do.

🅷 Complete with make or do in the correct form.


1. And then, finally, Obamacare also __________ a difference for them, because as you
know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their
parents' plan, and that was a big gift to young people.
2. The discovery was __________ on 28 August, by one of the members of the
expedition.
3. In the twentieth century, sometime after the great holocausts and genocides but
before the most recent ones, a disturbing discovery was __________ in Africa, in
northeastern Uganda.
4. So, she __________ her nails. But when I came in, I saw nail polish on the doorknob.
5. The film was __________ by creative Coloradans at Crooked Lake Productions and 5K
Insight.
6. University Professor of Applied Physics Stephen Arnold and his team at the New
York University Tandon School of Engineering have __________ a discovery that could
lead to Star Trek-like biosensor devices capable of flagging the...
7. White House staffers tell me he __________ exercise every day, usually while he
watches sports.
8. I literally got up, took a bath, tried on my dress, ate some breakfast, __________ my
makeup, and watched TV.

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🅸 Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?
an arrangement, a job, an exception, a choice, my duty, a mistake, an interview, business, an
error, a decision, a plan

Make Do

• Plans, decisions, and mistakes are with make / do.


• Work related activities are with make / do.

🅹 Complete with make or do in the correct form.


1. Let's talk about Hillary Clinton, she ___________ an interview that's going to be on
Sunday morning with Jane Pauley and she says this: " Trump knows he's an
illegitimate president."
2. Perhaps Turbine just considered that his work was __________ as all the systems were
in place for the foreseeable future.
3. In the eyes of the law a child's welfare is paramount and that is why the decision
was __________ in court to have him treated
4. Open-air drug markets ran by rival crews ___________ business on adjacent sides of
the block. They avoided beef by selling different products, kind of like a drug food
court.
5. What he didn't factor in was the ruthlessness of some of the people he ___________
business with.
6. We are committed to ensuring our customers are aware of the decision and have
time to __________ alternative transportation arrangements.
7. President Obama had knowledge of GenP's affair since BEFORE the election, but a
decision was _________ to with hold the information
8. The treaty was not open to further negotiation, and no contingency plan was
_________ for its rejection by any member state.
9. A witness, we know, would be called when a debt was repaid, but also when an
arrangement was _________ for the debt to be satisfied.
10. The patient should have enough information to __________ an informed choice.

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🅺 Classify the following words. Do they go with make or with do?
a favor, in China, of wood, *something, *everything

Make Do

A favor is with make / do.


When we talk about the origin or material of a product we use make / do.
With something and everything we use make / do.

🅻 Complete with make or do in the correct form.


1. But if only one side is talking and the other side stays quiet it implies something
was __________ wrong.
2. Coffee mugs with a picture and name of the museum are plainly marked on the
bottom that they were __________ in Taiwan
3. That guy still thinks he __________ a favor for the Bransons.
4. Whether your ceiling is __________ of glass or covered in peeling lead paint, as a
woman, and a woman of color, I want to challenge our notions of economic justice.
5. They imagine a past where everything was __________ at the local level, with "
organic " social relationships and good family values.
6. The Lebanese judo team probably __________ a favor to the Israelis.
7. Today, if a product is __________ in France, for example, it goes through the various
regulatory hurdles to bring it to the marketplace.

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31, 32. Relative pronouns
This topic is brief. You probably know that there are three relative pronouns to choose
from:

1. Who (for people)


2. Which (for things)
3. That (for both people and things)

This is tested in the TOEFL:

Grover Cleveland was the only American president which who served two
nonconsecutive terms.

The sentence above was originally using which to modify president, a person. We know
that that is incorrect, the correct relative pronoun for people is who.

Since that and what look similar, sometimes they use what as a trap. Be careful, it cannot
be used to modify neither people nor things.

Water and petroleum are the only two liquids what that occur in large
quantities in nature.

Suggestion: If you are having problems with this topic, google exercises for relative
pronouns.

Longman skill: 9

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33. Another, other, others
Another is the combination of an + other. So it is singular.

I want another beer

This beer is warm, take another from the fridge

Others is plural. It can be precedeed by the article the or by no article.

There are so many brands of beer but I always buy Corona. I just don’t like the
others for whatever reason

There are some beers that I find more tolerable than others

If another is singular and others is plural, when do we use other? Since no word modifying
another noun can be in plural, we use other before a plural noun.

Mexico has 129 million citizens (not millions citizens)

I want to try other brands (not others brands)

Since another is the combination of an + other. We use other for singular nouns whenever
we have the article the.

I want the other beer (not the an other beer nor the another beer)

I want the other

As a result, other cannot be used if it is not precedeed by the article the nor followed by a
plural noun (*I want other is wrong).

This too is tested in the TOEFL:

Ducks are less susceptible to infection than another other types of poultry

Complete the following sentences with another, others or other. In some cases,
more than one answer is correct.

1. The waitress will bring you ___________ bowl of soup if you want
2. The printer will not function unless it has ___________ cartridges
3. You should pack ___________ pair of shoes in case that pair gets soaked
4. It is difficult to find ___________ workers who are willing to work such long hours
5. The ___________ desk clerk must have put that message in your mailbox
6. If your identification card is lost or stolen, you cannot get ___________
7. Because they were not pleased with the hotel accomodations last year, they have
decided to try ___________ hotel this year

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8. It is essential to complete the program before working on the ___________
9. As some students are moving into the registration area, ___________ are taking their
places in line

Longman skill: 60

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34. Irregular plurals
This topic is a bit lengthy, but it is also fairly easy to learn. It is about plural nouns:

a. I have a dog
b. I have two dogs

Most words can be made plural by merely attaching the suffix -s at the end. However, we
have some words that are irregular. For example, the plural of man is not mans but men.

This too is tested in the TOEFL:

* The more subtle presentations of a heart attack can make a diagnoses


difficult.

In the sentence above we have the expression a diagnoses. However, diagnoses is plural
(diagnósticos) which is incompatible with the article a for singular nouns. The singular form
of diagnoses is diagnosis.

The more subtle presentations of a heart attack can make a diagnosis


difficult.

If you want to get a good score in the TOELF, you need to learn these irregular plurals.
They can be tested in different ways:

1. With articles (*a diagnoses → a diagnosis)


2. With verbs (*men wants to have more free time → men want to have more free
time)
3. Using inexistent forms (*mans are brave → men are brave)

Complete the following table with the singular or plural form of the word
depending on the picture displayed.

man ___men___ woman ____________ ____________ feet

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tooth ____________ ____________ geese mouse ____________

____________ children ____________ oxen ____________ deer

____________ fish ____________ salmon _sheep_ sheep

____________ trout analysis analyses axis ____________

____________ crises diagnosis ____________ hypothesis ____________

____________ parentheses ____________ syntheses thesis ____________

bacterium bacteria curriculum ____________ ____________ data

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phenomenon phenomena ____________ criteria alumnus alumni

bacillus ____________ ____________ cacti fungus ____________

nucleus ____________

Choose the correct form to complete the sentences.

1. Parentheses is / are needed around that expression


2. He wants to go on a fishing trip this weekend because he has heard that the fish /
fishes are running.
3. The syllabus / syllabi for the courses is included in the pack of materials.
4. The diagnosis that he heard today were / was not very positive.
5. The crisis / crises is not going to be resolved until some of the pressure is relieved.
6. All of the alumnus / alumni are attending the reception at the president’s house.
7. A flock of goose / geese was seen heading south for the winter.
8. The tooth / teeth in the back of his mouth needs to be capped.
9. The fungus / fungi have spread throughout the garden.
10. The sheepdog is chasing after the sheep / sheeps which are heading over the hill.

Longman skill: 41

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35. Predicate adjectives
This topic is extremely easy. You just need to learn 5 pairs of words. There are 5 adjectives
that can only appear after a verb and never before a noun:

1. Alike
2. Alive
3. Alone
4. Afraid
5. Asleep

They are easy to remember because all five of them start with the letter A. If you want to
use any of those adjectives before a noun or before a verb, you need to use their other
form:

1. Like
2. Live
3. Lone
4. Frightened
5. Sleeping

So, you say:

a. The dog in the bed is asleep.


b. The sleeping dog is mine.

Notice that asleep can only be placed after the verb and when it is not followed by a noun.

a. *The asleep dog is Zeus. (WRONG)


b. *Zeus is the asleep dog. (WRONG)
c. Zeus is asleep. (RIGHT)

Look at sentence a. Notice that if you use asleep before the verb (is), the sentence is wrong.
Now look at sentence b. If you use asleep before a noun (asleep dog), the sentence is
wrong. In those cases, you need to use the word sleeping instead. The only place you can
use asleep is after the verb and if it doesn’t have a noun on its right like in sentence c.

This too is tested in the TOEFL:

On May 18, 1980, the asleep sleeping volcano, Mount Saint Helens,
awoke in a fury, killing 57 people as it erupted.

Notice that asleep is before a noun (volcano). Therefore, it is wrong. You need to change it
for sleeping.

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Pro tip: If you see these adjectives (asleep, alike, alive, alone, afraid) at the beginning of the
sentence, don’t continue reading, that part is wrong. Why? Because keep in mind that these
adjectives need to be after a verb. Therefore, they cannot ever start a sentence. If they do, it
is wrong.

TOEFL EXERCISE (Skill 50). Complete the sentence by choosing the correct
expression. In some cases, both are possible.

1. The two brothers do not look at all alike / like.


2. My friend brought the alive / live lobster to my house and expected me to cook it.
3. Are you going to be alone / lone in the house tonight?
4. The afraid / frightened child cried for his mother.
5. Everyone else was asleep / sleeping by the time I arrived home.
6. We completed our two projects in a(n) alike / like manner.
7. All of the crash victims were alive / live when they were found.
8. She tried to walk quietly by the asleep / sleeping dogs without waking them.
9. Were you afraid / frightened when you heard the noise?
10. According to the report, the president was shot by a(n) alone / lone gunman.

Longman skill: 50

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36. -ly adjectives
For this topic, you’ll need to memorize several words. If you do, everything will be
extremely easy. Here is the lists of words:
Nouns Used as an Used as an adverb
adjective
Hour Hourly Every hour
Day Daily Every day
Month Monthly Every month
Quarter Quarterly Every quarter
Year Yearly Every year
Night Nightly Every night

- Lonely Alone

- Likely likely
- early early
- Kindly kindly

Friend Friendly in a friendly way


Love Lovely in a lovely way
Man Manly In a manly way
- Lively In a lively way
Cost Costly ?

North Northerly In a northerly direction


East Easterly In an easterly direction
South Southerly In a southerly direction
West Westerly In a westerly direction
Now, what do you need to remember about these words? The words in the first column
cannot be used before nouns:

a. This is my day routine. (Wrong)

If you want to use them before a noun, you need the words in the second column:

b. This is my daily routine (Right)

But if you want to use them to modify an action, you need the words in the third column:

c. I do this routine every day.

If you don’t follow these rules, then your sentence is wrong.

This too is tested in the TOEFL:

In autumn, many newspapers and magazines publish lists of year yearly


chores to prepare a house for winter snow and rain

262
Notice how the example above breaks these rules. It says year chores (año quehaceres).
This is wrong. The word year is in the first column. It cannot be used to modify a noun
(chores). You need the word in the second column (yearly).

Complete the sentences by choosing the correct expression.

1. Federal taxes are yearly / every year taxes which must be paid every April.
2. She offered me some friendly / in a friendly way advice about how to deal with
the terrible problem.
3. The quarterly / every quarter reports need to be turned in at the next week /
weekly meeting.
4. He did not have a man / manly reaction to the negative comments.
5. The white horses head northerly / in a northerly direction.
6. The most likely outcome of the purchase of the cost / costly car is that he will not
be able to pay his monthly / every month bills.
7. No one had ever spoken to her so lovely / in such a lovely manner.
8. She takes her day / daily medication on a regular / regularly schedule.
9. The kind neighbor paid hourly / every hour visits to her unhealthy friend.
10. The boys played lively / in a lively manner.

Topics 35, 36. TOELF EXERCISE (Skill 49-51). All these sentences contain a mistake.
Select the underlined part that is wrong.
1. As the only major American river that flowed in a west direction, the Ohio was the
preferred route for settlers.
2. During the annually salmon migration from the sea to fresh water, Alaska’s McNeil
River becomes a gathering place for brown bears waiting eagerly to catch their fill.
3. Edelman stresses the mounting evidence showing that greatly variation on a
microscopic scale is likely.
4. Perhaps the most welcoming and friendly of the park’s wild places is the live oak
forest that surround the district’s alone visitor’s center in Gulf Breeze.
5. The state of deep asleep is characterized by rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep.
6. Most probably because of the likable rapport between anchors, the night newscast
on the local ABC affiliate has recently moved well beyond its competitors in the
ratings battle.
7. The story presented by Fisher is a headlong tale told so effectively that its
momentum carries the reader right through the live endnotes.

Longman skill: 49

263
Review: Practice set
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake and correct it if you can.

264
265
266
267
268
Grammar Practice tests
You must complete each test in 25 minutes or less. You need 31 correct answers for a score
of 550. Do you need more practice tests? Ask your teacher, she must have at least another 12. Your teacher didn’t
include them here because some students complain when asked to print many pages.

Practice test 1
Choose the option that best completes the sentence.

269
270
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake.

271
272
Did you get at least 31 correct answers? _____

273
Practice test 2
Choose the option that best completes the sentence.

274
275
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake.

276
277
Did you get at least 31 correct answers? _____

278
Practice test 3
Choose the option that best completes the sentence.

279
280
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake.

281
282
Did you get at least 31 correct answers? _____

283
Practice test 4
Choose the option that best completes the sentence.

284
285
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake.

286
287
Did you get at least 31 correct answers? _____

288
Practice test 5
Choose the option that best completes the sentence.

289
290
Choose the option that contains a grammatical mistake.

291
292
Did you get at least 31 correct answers? _____

293
Reading
The last section of the TOEFL test is the reading section. It is composed of 5 readings.
You will probably get about 10 questions per reading. Let’s do a diagnostic test, so
you know how good you are at reading. You have 12 minutes to answer it.

Another material that has attracted mankind’s attention is amber. From ancient times, amber has had
a strong allure, with its warm color, resinous feel, translucence, and curious flecks trapped beneath its
surface. As early as the Neolithic period, people were carving amber into figures and symbols which
were worn as special charms or used for adornment. Today, however, amber has attracted a new
audience, scientists who are interested in studying the unusual flecks. These tiny spots in amber are
of interest to scientists because many are actually preserved organisms inside the amber.

Though often used in jewelry, amber is not a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, or even a mineral.
Instead, it is the fossilized resin, or gum, from trees. It differs from other fossils, however, in that other
fossils are generally mineral replacements of original structures, while amber is entirely organic; i.e., it
is derived from living organisms. In the millions of years that it takes for amber to form, its composition
has stayed substantially the same as that of the resin that formed it.

Large deposits of amber in the Dominican Republic and Mexico are 25 to 30 million years old, and
the eastern Baltic region boasts huge deposits of amber that are 15 million years older. The extreme
age of amber, coupled with its organic make-up, have caused amber to become the focus of recent
scientific interest. Modern technology has been used to determine that the tiny organisms caught in
amber have been preserved to a remarkable degree due to the organic nature of the amber; soft
tissue, cellular detail, and DNA of ancient organisms have all been preserved, providing information
that cannot be obtained from other fossils of that age. However, there are some limitations to these
scientific endeavors.

1. The paragraph preceding the passage


most probably discussed 3. In the Neolithic period, how was amber
a. a material other than amber primarily used?
b. people who carved amber into a. It was used to calculate figures.
figures b. It was worn as clothing.
c. amber is an organic material c. It was used to provide
d. the age of the deposits in the ornamentation.
Dominican Republic d. It was used to carve wood.

2. The main idea of the passage is that: 4. The word "flecks" in paragraph 1 is closest
a. Amber is not a mineral in meaning to
b. People from the Neolithic period a. Stripes
carved amber into figures b. Spots
c. Amber’s importance for the c. Holes
scientific community d. Dents
d. Limitations to the scientific
endeavors

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5. According to the passage, amber is
a. a precious stone 10. The word "coupled" in paragraph 3 is
b. a semi-precious stone closest in meaning to
c. a mineral a. Married
d. hardened gum b. Joined
c. Doubled
6. The word "organic" in paragraph 2 is d. Replaced
closest in meaning to which of the
following expressions? 11. Why has recent scientific interest been
a. From living material focused on amber, according to the
b. Made of stone passage?
c. Filled with minerals a. It was carved by Neolithic people.
d. From fossilized wood b. It is extremely old.
c. Its composition is inorganic.
7. The pronoun "that" in paragraph 2 refers d. It can be used to preserve
to organisms.
a. Amber
b. Composition 12. The word "caught" in paragraph 3 is
c. Resin closest in meaning to
d. Dominican Republic a. Lost
b. Mixed
8. According to the passage, what has c. Trapped
happened to the composition of amber in d. Woven
the millions of years of its formation
process? 13. The passage mentions that all of the
a. It has changed from inorganic to following remnants of ancient organisms
organic. have been found in amber EXCEPT
b. It has become unlike the resin that a. Soft tissue
formed it. b. Detailed information from cells
c. It has taken on the composition of c. DNA
other types of fossils. d. Living material
d. It has remained basically
unchanged. 14. The paragraph following the passage most
probably discusses
9. Approximately how old are the deposits of a. How amber is preserved
amber in the eastern Baltic region? b. DNA of ancient organisms
a. 15 million years old c. Limitations in the study of
b. 25 million years old organisms found in amber
c. 30 million years old d. The importance of amber to the
d. 45 million years old scientific community

295
The word ____ in ______ is closest in meaning to
This question is very common. There isn’t much I can tell you about how you can answer it
correctly. The best way to do it is to increase your vocabulary so that you understand very
well what it means. Increasing your vocabulary will not only help you answer this kind of
questions correctly but also will increase your reading speed and improve your reading
comprehension in both the grammar and reading sections.

Another thing that can help you is to learn the prefixes and suffixes. For example, if you know
the word snow and you know the suffix y, you can probably guess what snowy means.

You can also try to use the context to guess more or less what the sentence means but it will
not always help you.

296
Questions about specific details
This kind of question is also extremely common in the exam. It asks you about specific
details in the reading. If you are a very competent reader, you’ll probably remember the
details. If you are like most people, you’ll probably just remember that you read something
about that. So, there is something very simple you can do to answer this kind of questions
quickly. Let’s look at an example from the diagnostic test.

In the Neolithic period, how was amber primarily used?


a. It was used to calculate figures.
b. It was worn as clothing.
c. It was used to provide ornamentation.
d. It was used to carve wood.

What you have to do is very simple. The key step is step 2:

1. Read the question (duh).


2. Identify the key words (Neolithic is probably the most unique word in that
question).
3. Identify what the question wants (how was amber used in that time).
4. Use Control + F to search for the word Neolithic in the text.

Another material that has attracted mankind’s attention is amber. From ancient times, amber
has had a strong allure, with its warm color, resinous feel, translucence, and curious flecks
trapped beneath its surface. As early as the Neolithic period, people were carving amber into
figures and symbols which were worn as special charms or used for adornment. Today,
however, amber has attracted a new audience, scientists who are interested in studying the
unusual flecks. These tiny spots in amber are of interest to scientists because many are actually
preserved organisms inside the amber.

5. Read very carefully the sentence that contains the key word.
6. Answer the question using the information of that sentence (letter C is the correct
answer).
7. You’re done!

297
The paragraph preceding the passage
This question is not very common but boy it is easy. Many students get it wrong,
though. Whenever you encounter this question, just read the first part of the first
sentence of the passage and that’s your answer. Try it (I have highlighted the first
sentence for you, but you have to identify the first part. HINT: commas divide
sentences).

American Literature
Whereas literature in the first half of the eighteenth century in America had been largely religious and
moral in tone, by the latter half of the century the revolutionary fervor that was coming to life in the
colonies began to be reflected in the literature of the time, which in turn served to further influence
the population. Although not all writers of this period supported the Revolution, the two best-known
and most influential writers, Ben Franklin and Thomas Paine, were both strongly supportive of that
cause.

Ben Franklin first attained popular success through his writings in his brother's newspaper, the New-
England Courant. In these articles he used a simple style of language and commonsense
argumentation to defend the point of view of the farmer and the Leather Apron man. He continued
with the same commonsense practicality and appeal to the common man with his work on Poor
Richard's Almanac from 1733 until 1758. Firmly established in his popular acceptance by the people,
Franklin wrote a variety of extremely effective articles and pamphlets about the colonists’
revolutionary cause against England.

Thomas Paine was an Englishman working as a magazine editor in Philadelphia at the time of the
Revolution. His pamphlet Common Sense, which appeared in 1776, was a force in encouraging the
colonists to declare their independence from England. Then throughout the long and desperate war
years he published a series of Crisis papers (from 1776 until 1783) to encourage the colonists to
continue on with the struggle. The effectiveness of his writing was probably due to his emotional yet
oversimplified depiction of the cause of the colonists against England as a classic struggle of good
and evil.

The paragraph preceding this passage most likely discusses:

(A) how literature influences the population


(B) religious and moral literature
(C) literature supporting the cause of the American Revolution
(D) what made Thomas Paine's literature successful

298
Growth in the Tree’s Cambium
Another type of growth also occurs in trees in the cambium, a layer of cells covering the woody part
of the tree. The trunk, branches, and roots become wider and thicker as the cells in the cambium
divide. This causes the cambium to grow outward and form visible tree rings, one for each year of
growth. This growth in the tree's girth is perhaps not as noticeable as the growth of leaves, the
lengthening of the branches, and the increasing height of the tree, but it is equally important. Without
the added circumference on the trunk, roots, and branches, a tree could not support any added
height.

A look at the tree rings that are added each year to the trunk, roots, and branches of a tree with the
growth of the cambium can provide insight into the speed at which the tree has developed. When
growth has been slow, perhaps during periods of drought, the tree rings are more narrow. When
growth has been rapid, during periods conducive to growth, the tree rings are broader.

Whether or not the rings of a tree are lopsided provides further insight into the development of a
tree. Several factors can cause the tree rings to be off center. One such factor concerns exposure of a
tree to wind and other natural elements. A tree that grows in an exposed location will have slower
growth on the exposed side and faster growth on the side protected from the elements, causing its
rings to be lopsided. Another factor that affects the symmetry of the rings in the branches is the size
of the branches. Large branches tend to grow faster on the underside than on the topside in order to
support the weight of the branch.

The paragraph preceding this passage most probably discussed the growth

(A) in a tree's cambium


(B) of tree trunks
(C) in the cells covering the woody part of the tree
(D) of leaves, longer branches, and height of the tree

299
Hope Diamond
Perhaps better known than the Cullinan Diamond is the Hope Diamond, a valuable and rare blue gem
with a background of more than 300 years as a world traveler. The 112-carat blue stone that later
became the Hope Diamond was mined in India sometime before the middle of the seventeenth Line
century and was first known to be owned by Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in memory of his
beloved wife. From India, the celebrated blue stone has changed hands often, moving from location
to location in distant corners of the world.

In the middle of the seventeenth century, a trader from France named Jean Baptiste Tavernier acquired
the large blue diamond, which was rumored to have been illegally removed from a temple. Tavernier
returned to France with the big blue gem, where the stone was purchased by the Sun King, Louis XIV.
Louis XIV had it cut down from 112 to 67 carats to make its shape symmetrical and to maximize its
sparkle. The newly cut diamond, still huge by any standards, was passed down through the royal
family of France, until it arrived in the hands of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. During the French
Revolution, Louis XVI and his wife met their fate on the guillotine in 1793, and the big blue diamond
disappeared from public sight.

The diamond somehow managed to get from France to England, where banker Henry Hope
purchased it from a gem dealer early in the nineteenth century. The huge blue stone was cut into a
45.5-carat oval, and at this point it took on the name by which it is known today. The diamond stayed
in the Hope family for around a century, when deep indebtedness brought on by a serious gambling
habit on the part of one of Henry Hope's heirs forced the sale of the diamond. From England, the
Hope Diamond may have made its way into the hands of the Sultan of Turkey; whatever route it took
to get there, it eventually went on to the United States when American Evelyn Walsh McLean
purchased it in 1911. Mrs. McLean certainly enjoyed showing the diamond off; guests in her home
were sometimes astounded to notice the huge stone embellishing the neck of Mrs. McLean's Great
Dane as the huge pet trotted around the grounds of her Washington, D.C. home. The Hope Diamond
later became the property of jeweler Harry Winston, who presented the stunning 45.5 carat piece to
the Smithsonian in 1958. The Hope Diamond is now taking a well-earned rest following its rigorous
travel itinerary and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it has been
since 1958.

The paragraph preceding the passage most likely discussed

(A) why gems are considered valuable


(B) how the Hope Diamond was mined
(C) a diamond other than the Hope Diamond
(D) methods for mining diamonds

300
George Washington
In 1796, George Washington, the first president of the United States, resigned after completing two
four-year terms in office. He had remained in the service of his country until he was assured that it
could continue and succeed without his leadership. John Adams took over Washington's position as
president in a smooth and bloodless change of power that was unusual for its time.

By the end of Washington's presidency, the American government had been established. The three
branches of government had been set up and were in working order. The debt had been assumed,
and funds had been collected; treaties with major European powers had been signed, and challenges
to the new government authorities had been firmly met. However, when Washington left office, there
were still some unresolved problems. Internationally, France was in turmoil and on the brink of war;
domestically, the contest for political control was a major concern. In addition, there was still some
resistance to governmental policies.

It was within this context that Washington made his farewell address to the nation. In the address
published in a Philadelphia newspaper, Washington advised his fellow politicians to base their views
and decisions on the bedrock of enduring principles. He further recommended a firm adherence to
the Constitution because he felt that this was necessary for the survival of the young country. He
asked that credit be used sparingly and expressed concerns about the unity, the independence, and
the future of the young country. In regard to relations with foreign powers, he encouraged the country
not to be divided by the conflicts in Europe. Stating that foreign influences were the foe of the
republican government, he maintained that relations were to be strictly commercial and not political.
He pleaded with the American public to guard their freedoms jealously. Finally, he reminded all
citizens of the need for religion and morality and stated his belief that one cannot have one without
the other.

The paragraph preceding the passage most probably discussed


(A) the Revolutionary War
(B) George Washington's presidency
(C) European wars
(D) the writing of the Constitution

301
Apollo 11
Just two months after the flight of Apollo 10, the Apollo 11 astronauts made their historic landing on
the surface of the Moon. This momentous trip for humanity also provided scientists with an
abundance of material for study; from rock and soil samples brought back from the Moon, Line
scientists have been able to determine much about the composition of the Moon as well as to draw
inferences about the development of the Moon from its composition.

The Moon soil that came back on Apollo 11 contains small bits of rock and glass which were probably
ground from larger rocks when meteors impacted with the surface of the Moon. The bits of glass are
spherical in shape and constitute approximately half of the Moon soil. Scientists found no trace of
animal or plant life in this soil.

In addition to the Moon soil, astronauts gathered two basic types of rocks from the surface of the
Moon: basalt and breccia. Basalt is a cooled and hardened volcanic lava common to the Earth. Since
basalt is formed under extremely high temperatures, the presence of this type of rock is an indication
that the temperature of the Moon was once extremely hot. Breccia, the other kind of rock brought
back by the astronauts, was formed during the impact of falling objects on the surface of the Moon.
This second type of rock consists of small pieces of rock compressed together by the force of impact.
Gases such as hydrogen and helium were found in some of the rocks, and scientists believe that these
gases were carried to the Moon by the solar wind, the streams of gases that are constantly emitted
by the Sun.

The paragraph preceding the passage most likely discusses

(A) astronaut training


(B) the inception of the Apollo space program
(C) a different space trip
(D) previous Moon landings

302
The paragraph following the passage
This question is again, not that common. But many students get it wrong. It is very
easy to answer. All you have to do is to read the last sentence of the passage and that’s
your answer. Try it (I have highlighted the last sentence for you).

The Hummingbird
The hummingbird possesses the highest aerobic metabolism in the animal kingdom. This tiny bird
feeds itself by hovering, in helicopter fashion, in front of a flower while sipping nectar, beating its
wings at the incredible rate of 60 to 75 times per second, so fast that the wings appear as a blur to
the naked eye. Hover-flight uses so much energy that a hummingbird must daily consume
approximately 180 meals or three times its own body weight in nectar just to survive. Ironically, the
hummingbird spends nearly 75 percent of its waking hours sitting idly on a perch. Thus, the wake-
cycle of the hummingbird is characterized by long periods of inactivity punctuated by short bursts of
intense foraging.

The heart of the hummingbird is the engine that drives its high-powered metabolism. In general, the
hearts of birds are not only larger but also more powerful than those of mammals or reptiles of
comparable size. There is an inverse relationship between overall body size and heart size, with smaller
birds having proportionately larger hearts. For example, an ostrich weighing 123 kilos has a heart that
accounts for only 1 percent of its body mass. By contrast, an average hummingbird with a body weight
of merely 4.8 grams has an "enormous" heart at 1.14 grams, accounting for nearly 25 percent of its
total body mass.

Whereas the relative size of a heart determines the power of the engine, the heart rate (i.e., heartbeats
per minute) is a measurement of how fast the engine is running. In birds, the heart rate is higher than
it is in mammals of comparable size. Also, smaller birds have higher heart rates than do larger ones.
The resting heart rate of the common pigeon is 221, whereas that of the ruby-throated hummingbird
is 614. By comparison, the average human heart beats 72 times per minute.

As evening falls, the hummingbird faces a drastic metabolic crisis, surviving the chilly night hours
without refueling itself. Nevertheless, it is able to stretch its limited reserves by suppressing its
metabolism, which in turn causes the bird's body temperature to drop to within a few degrees of the
ambient temperature. The basal temperature of Anna's hummingbird, for instance, can plummet from
a 38-degree Celsius daytime reading to a frigid 14 degrees Celsius at night. Hummingbirds can even
revert to a torpor, a dormant state with rigidity and closed eyes. Torpidity is characteristic of reptiles
but is extremely rare among birds.

The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses

a. the distribution of reptile populations


b. other species of birds that exhibit torpidity
c. climate variations in alpine regions
d. reptile predation on hummingbird species

303
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder yet is quite distinct from it.
Schizophrenia is one of the more common mental disorders, considerably more common than
multiple personality disorder. The term "schizophrenia" is composed of roots which mean "a splitting
of the mind," but it does not refer to a division into separate and distinct personalities, as occurs with
multiple personality disorder. Instead, schizophrenic behavior is generally characterized by illogical
thought patterns and withdrawal from reality. Schizophrenics often live in a fantasy world where they
hear voices that others cannot hear, often voices of famous people. Schizophrenics tend to withdraw
from families and friends and communicate mainly with the "voices" that they hear in their minds.

It is common for the symptoms of schizophrenia to develop during the late teen years or early
twenties, but the causes of schizophrenia are not well understood. It is believed that heredity may
play a part in the onset of schizophrenia. In addition, abnormal brain chemistry also seems to have a
role; certain brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, have been found to be at abnormal levels in
some schizophrenics.

The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses

a. further symptoms of schizophrenia


b. neurotransmitters in patients with multiple personality disorder
c. dealing with the behavior of schizophrenics
d. unusual levels of brain chemicals in schizophrenics

304
George Eastman
During a relatively short period at the end of the nineteenth century, George Eastman was
instrumental in transforming the labor-intensive and expensive art of photography into a popular and
affordable hobby. The phenomenal success that Eastman had in these early years of his business was
in most part due to the successful innovation that opened up photography to the population as a
whole.

While Eastman was working as a bookkeeper in a bank in Rochester, New York, he spent his leisure
time working on a process for making dry plates. By 1880, Eastman had perfected the process. Without
leaving his job at the bank, he established the Eastman Dry Plate Company. The business grew so
quickly that by 1881 Eastman had given up his job at the bank in order to develop the business.

Changes to simplify the process of taking photographs followed one after another. In 1884, Eastman
took a step that made photography a less cumbersome process: he replaced the unwieldy glass plates
with paper-backed roll film. Four years later, the hand-held Kodak was introduced. This camera came
loaded with enough film to take a hundred photographs and produced round-shaped pictures
approximately six centimeters in diameter. Something that made this camera very popular was that a
photographer did not need to know how to develop film in order to use it; after using up the film, the
photographer sent the loaded camera back to the factory, where the photographs were processed
and the camera was reloaded and returned to its owner. In 1892, another innovation, film that could
be loaded in the daylight, allowed amateur photographers to load their own film successfully.

The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses

a. another company started by Eastman


b. the effect of daylight-loading film on amateur photography
c. the predecessor to the hand-held Kodak developed by Eastman
d. further innovations in professional photography

305
The Olympics
The era of modern sports began with the first Olympic games in 1896, and since the dawn of this new
era, women have made great strides in the arena of running. In the early years, female runners faced
numerous restrictions in the world of competitive running. Even though women were banned from
competing in the 1896 Olympics, one Greek woman ran unofficially in the men's marathon. She had
to stop outside the Olympic stadium, finishing with a time of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Four years later,
women were still prohibited from Olympic competition because, according to members of the
International Olympic Committee, it was not appropriate for women to compete in any event that
caused them to sweat. In the 1928 Olympics, women were finally granted permission to compete in
running events. However, because some of the participants collapsed at the finish of the 800-meter
race, it was decided to limit women runners to races of 200 meters or less in the Olympics four years
later. The women's 800-meter race was not reintroduced to the Olympic games until 1960. Over a
decade later, in 1972, the 1500-meter race was added. It was not until 1984 that the women's
marathon was made an Olympic event.

Before 1984, women had been competing in long-distance races outside of the Olympics. In 1963,
the first official women's marathon mark of 3 hours and 27 minutes was set by Dale Greig. Times
decreased until 1971, when Beth Bonner first broke the three-hour barrier with a time of 2:55. A year
later, President Nixon signed the Title IX law, which said that no person could be excluded from
participating in sports on the basis of sex. This was a turning point in women's running and resulted
in federal funding for schools that supported women athletes. In 1978, Greta Waitz set a new world
marathon record of 2:32 at the New York City Marathon. Joan Benoit broke that record by ten minutes
in 1983 and went on to win the first-ever women's Olympic marathon in 1984; since then,
performances by women in the Olympic marathon have continued to improve with each staging of
the Olympics.

The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses

a. further benefits of Title IX


b. outstanding results by women in non-Olympic marathons
c. the history of events other than running at the Olympics
d. the participation of women in the Olympic marathon since 1984
The main idea
This question is very common. However, it appears only once per passage. Although, it is not
an easy question, it is not hard either if you learn how to answer it correctly. Something that
makes this question a bit challenging is that, unlike the other questions, it can be worded in
many different ways:

a. What is the topic of the passage?


b. What is the subject of the passage?
c. What is the main idea of the passage?
d. What is the author’s main point in the passage?
e. With what is the author primarily concerned?
f. Which of the following would be the best title?

All the questions above are asking you for the exact same thing. They want you to select the
answer that best indicates the main idea of the passage. The different ways in which it can
be asked makes this question a bit more difficult than the others.

There is another factor that makes this question difficult. Pay close attention to what I’m
about to tell you because this other factor is the one that confuses students the most. Ready
to know what that is? Ok, in this question, all the answers have probably been mentioned in
the text. Yes, that’s right, usually all the answers mention true information according to the
text. They have all been mentioned there. However, there is only one that corresponds to the
main idea and your job is to decide which one is it.

Do not despair. You probably already know how to identify the main idea of the text. And I
want to prove it to you. Read Text 1 and 2 in the following pages. Then answer:

1. Which text is about?


o Moby Dick: ____________
o Herman Melville: ____________

2. Discuss your answers with some classmates. If this exercise was easy for you, try to
explain your classmates how you decided which one was which.

If you answered the question correctly. Congratulations! You already know how to identify
the main idea of a text! I knew you knew.

Pro Tip: The main idea of the text is the one that was mentioned the most in the text. For
example, one option may be true according to the text, but if it was only mentioned in one
paragraph, it doesn’t correspond to the main idea.

307
TEXT 1
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American
Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851), Typee (1846), a
romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia, and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously
published novella. Although his reputation was not high at the time of his death, the
centennial of his birth in 1919 was the starting point of a Melville revival and Moby-Dick
grew to be considered one of the great American novels.

Melville was born in New York City, the third child of a prosperous merchant whose death in
1832 left the family in financial straits. He took to sea in 1839 as a common sailor on a
merchant ship and then on the whaler Acushnet but he jumped ship in the Marquesas
Islands. Typee, his first book, and its sequel, Omoo (1847), were travel-adventures based on
his encounters with the peoples of the island. Their success gave him the financial security
to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of a prominent Boston family. Mardi (1849), a
romance-adventure and his first book not based on his own experience, was not well
received. Redburn (1849) and White Jacket (1850), both tales based on his experience as a
well-born young man at sea, were given respectable reviews but did not sell well enough to
support his expanding family.

Melville's growing literary ambition showed in Moby-Dick (1851), which took nearly a year
and a half to write, but it did not find an audience and critics scorned his psychological novel
Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852). From 1853 to 1856, Melville published short fiction in
magazines, including "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener". In 1857, he traveled to
England, toured the Near East, and published his last work of prose, The Confidence-Man
(1857). He moved to New York in 1863 to take a position as Customs Inspector.

308
TEXT 2
Moby-Dick is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor
Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for
revenge on Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that on the ship's previous voyage bit
off Ahab's leg at the knee. A contribution to the literature of the American Renaissance,
Moby-Dick was published to mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print
at the time of the author's death in 1891. Its reputation as a "Great American Novel" was
established only in the 20th century, after the centennial of its author's birth. William
Faulkner said he wished he had written the book himself,[1] and D. H. Lawrence called it "one
of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world" and "the greatest book of the sea
ever written".[2] Its opening sentence, "Call me Ishmael", is among world literature's most
famous.[3]

Melville began writing Moby-Dick in February 1850, and finished 18 months later, a year
longer than he had anticipated. Melville drew on his experience as a common sailor from
1841 to 1844, including several years on whalers, and on wide reading in whaling literature.
The white whale is modeled on the notoriously hard-to-catch albino whale Mocha Dick, and
the book's ending is based on the sinking of the whaleship Essex in 1820. His literary
influences include Shakespeare and the Bible. The detailed and realistic descriptions of whale
hunting and of extracting whale oil, as well as life aboard ship among a culturally diverse
crew, are mixed with exploration of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence
of God. In addition to narrative prose, Melville uses styles and literary devices ranging from
songs, poetry, and catalogs to Shakespearean stage directions, soliloquies, and asides. In
August 1850, with the manuscript perhaps half finished, he met Nathaniel Hawthorne and
was deeply moved by his Mosses from an Old Manse, which he compared to Shakespeare
in its cosmic ambitions. This encounter may have inspired him to revise and expand Moby-
Dick, which is dedicated to Hawthorne, "in token of my admiration for his genius".

309
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge was only a far-fetched idea before the 1900s. The name Golden Gate, which
refers to the channel between the two peninsulas where the city of San Francisco and Marin County
face each other, is a narrow and turbulent body of water at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. In the
early 1800s, when what is now San Francisco was the small village of Yerba Buena, tank boats provided
passage across this narrow strait to the wealthy few who could afford this mode of transportation. As
tiny Yerba Buena grew into the bustling city of San Francisco, there was a need for improved
transportation across the channel. By 1868, there was regular ferry service for workers who lived in
Marin County, and the notion of a bridge to span the channel was being circulated.

Spanning the gap between the idea and a feasible plan took time and determination. In 1916, the San
Francisco Bulletin proclaimed that it was time to "bridge the Gate," and a feasibility study of the idea
was undertaken by the government. Joseph Strauss, a well-known builder of bridges, took up the
challenge after World War I and submitted his plan in 1921. The War Department granted the land
for the project, Strauss was elected head engineer, and then Strauss's plan was approved by the War
Department after the War Department was convinced that there would be a large enough differential
between the water level and the bridge for tall ships to be able to get through.

The strategy for financing the bridge was to sell bonds to raise the whopping $35 million needed for
the project and then repay the bonds with tolls from the bridge. A major hurdle to cross was to get
the voters behind the financial plan. To win the voters' support, the district promised to hire only local
workers with at least one year of residency, a suggestion that was extremely popular during the era
of the Great Depression. The plan passed with a whopping majority; with the financial issue resolved,
official construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began on January 5, 1933.

Completion of the bridge was celebrated with a parade and groundbreaking ceremonies. At these
ceremonies, a telegram of congratulations from President Hoover was read to the exuberant crowd,
and the University of California at Berkeley unveiled an 80-foot model of the bridge constructed by
its engineering students. To spread the wonderful news to the whole state, 250 pigeons were let loose
to carry the message of the birth of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The purpose of the passage is to discuss


a. the development of San Francisco into a bustling city
b. the building of the Golden Gate Bridge
c. the danger of the Golden Gate channel
d. the men behind the building of the bridge

310
Appleton’s Cyclopedia
A hoax of some note was apparently perpetrated on Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography,
an important American biographical dictionary that was published in 1889. This extensive and well-
regarded reference was published with a number of biographies of scientists who most likely never
existed or who never actually undertook the research cited in the biographical dictionary.

It was not until some 30 years after Appleton's Cyclopedia was first published that word of the fake
biographies began cropping up. It was noted in a 1919 article in the Journal of the New York Botanical
Garden that at least 14 of the biographies of botanists were fake. Then, in 1937, an article in the
American Historical Review declared that at least 18 more biographies were false.

The source of the false biographies is not known to this day, but a look at a number of steps in the
process by which articles were submitted to the biographical encyclopedia sheds some light on how
such a hoax could have occurred. First, contributors were paid by the number and length of articles
submitted, and the contributors themselves, as experts in their respective fields, were invited to
suggest new names for inclusion. Then the false biographies were created in such a way as to make
verification of facts by the publisher extremely difficult in an era without the instantaneous
communication of today: the false biographies were all about people who supposedly had degrees
from foreign institutions and who had published their research findings in non-English language
publications outside of the United States. Finally, the reference itself provides a long list of
contributors but does not list which articles each of the contributors submitted, and, because the hoax
was not discovered until well after the reference was first published, the publishing company no
longer had records of who had submitted the false information.

Unfortunately, the false information about historical research did not disappear with the final
publication of the book. Though it is now out of print, many libraries have copies of this
comprehensive and, for the most part, highly useful reference. Even more significant is the fact that a
number of false citations from Appleton's Cyclopedia have cropped up in other reference sources and
have now become part of the established chronicle of scientific and historical research.

The main idea of the passage is that Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography
a. contains some false information that was submitted intentionally
b. today is a significant compilation of biographies
c. has omitted all false information from its pages
d. contains biographies from numerous contributors

311
Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane, the heroine of the Old West, came from a very ordinary background. In 1852, she was
born to a couple living on a backwoods farm in Missouri. Thirteen years later, her parents, Robert and
Charlotte Cannary, decided to abandon their non-producing farm and headed with their six children
to Independence, where they joined a wagon train and took the famous Oregon Trail west. Five
months after the start of the trip, they veered off the trail and settled in a mining camp in Montana.
Not long after their arrival, Charlotte and Robert succumbed to illness one after the other, leaving
their children to fend for themselves. These humble lives would have been forgotten had it not been
for the eldest daughter, Martha, who later achieved celebrity as Calamity Jane.

Martha Jane Cannary was a real woman with a very interesting life. At the age of 16, forced to make
her own way in the world, she first took on what was considered women's work, such as cooking and
washing laundry. Later, she dressed in men's clothing and took on work not open to women: she laid
track for the nation's first transcontinental railroad and worked as a bullwhacker, a driver of bull teams.
She also acquired the habit of cursing ferociously and drinking raw, frontier whiskey. It was around
this time that people started calling her Calamity Jane, and, as her fame grew, she began appearing
in Wild West shows in the East. After a stint in the shows, she headed back west to Deadwood, where
she put pen to paper and captured her life story in a book. The story that she produced, however, was
more fiction than fact. It was by writing down the inflated version of her life story that this frontier
woman named Martha Jane, who dressed, drank, and swore like a man, created a true heroine of the
Old West.

Calamity Jane certainly was a heroine of the Old West, at least in the stories she told. Her skill at telling
amazing and exciting stories about her many adventures inspired others to write about them in
newspapers. As these tall tales grew into legends, Calamity was depicted as a sharpshooter, a
competitor with Buffalo Bill, a scout for General Custer, and a death-defying daredevil. It seems that
Martha Jane Cannary is known today, not for the unusual life she actually led, but for the tall tales
that she created about a larger-than-life character named Calamity Jane.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
a. Calamity Jane and the Wild West Show
b. Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend
c. The Early Years of Calamity Jane
d. Calamity Jane in Deadwood

312
The Camerata
The Camerata, a club that opened up a new world of music, was founded sometime before 1580 in
Florence, Italy. The men and women in this group were musicians, singers, composers, and poets.
They met at the home of Count Bardi, the local patron of artists. Among the club's distinguished
members were the renowned singer and voice teacher Caccini and Vincenzo Galilei, an amateur
musician and the father of Galileo, the famous astronomer.

Opera was conceived in the minds and hearts of these visionaries, motivated by a desire to improve
the quality of music for the stage. Searching for direction, they looked to the authority of the ancient
Greek dramas and set about trying to revive them. Since the actual Greek music was unknown, the
club engaged in arduous study of the writings of the great philosophers. Careful speculation and long,
animated discussions revealed the secret of Greek stage music: the perfect union of words and music,
achieved by making the words dominant. Based on this profound insight, they established three
principles: the text must be clearly understood, the words must be sung, and the music must interpret
the feeling of the entire passage.

Those simple statements provided the members of the Camerata with guidelines which served as the
foundation for the creation of a new musical form. In 1594, Jacopi Peri composed the music for
Rinuccini's libretto, Dafne, which was the first opera ever written. Three years later, in 1597, it was
sung by Caccini and his daughter Francesca at a private performance in Florence. With this event,
opera was born and her proud parents foresaw a wonderful future.

The Camerata has been compared to Columbus, who set sail to find the riches of the West Indies and
instead discovered the treasured lands of the New World. In the process of attempting to revive
ancient Greek theater and its music, the Camerata created a new form of musical theater. As the
centuries passed, opera grew and developed, endearing itself to millions even to this day.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
a. An Overview of Florence, Italy
b. The Camerata Gives Birth to Opera
c. Columbus and the Camerata
d. The Modern-Day Opera

313

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