TRUTH AND LIES
What’s the difference between a lie and a white lie?
A lie is a false statement told to deceive; a white lie is a small or harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.
What is an urban legend?
An urban legend is a modern story or myth that sounds believable but isn’t proven to be true. It often spreads through word of mouth or online and may be spooky, funny, or moral in nature.
Name three types of natural disasters.
Earthquake, flood, tornado, hurricane, wildfire, tsunami (any 3).
Choose the correct tense: “I ___ (watch) TV when the lights went out.”
was watching → “I was watching TV when the lights went out.”
(Past Continuous shows an interrupted action.)
When people act in a wild, panicked, or desperate way — for example, during an earthquake — they act __________.
Frantically
Give an example of a situation where telling the truth might hurt someone.
Telling a friend that their new haircut looks bad. (Hurts feelings but is honest.)
Name one famous urban legend and say where it originated.
Example: “The Hookman” – a story from the USA about a killer with a hook for a hand who attacks young couples.
What causes an earthquake?
The sudden movement of tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s surface.
Complete: “She ___ (live) in Astana for five years before she moved to Almaty.”
had lived → “She had lived in Astana for five years before she moved to Almaty.”
(Past Perfect for earlier action.)
Use one word:
When something is extremely shocking or terrifying, like a ghost sighting, it is __________.
Horrifying
What’s the meaning of the idiom “to stretch the truth”?
To exaggerate or slightly change facts to make something seem more impressive.
Describe how urban legends spread before the internet.
They spread through storytelling, newspapers, TV shows, or word of mouth.
What is the difference between a hurricane and a tornado?
A hurricane forms over warm ocean water and is much larger; a tornado forms over land and is smaller but faster.
What’s the difference between Past Perfect and Past Simple? Provide an example.
Past Perfect shows an action before another past event; Past Simple shows a completed past action.
Example: I had eaten before she arrived.
Use one word:
If someone is easily influenced or affected by others or emotions, we say they are __________.
Susceptible
Complete the sentence: “If someone is hypocritical, it means they…”
“If someone is hypocritical, it means they pretend to have moral standards or beliefs that they do not actually follow themselves.”
Answer thw question: Why do people believe in urban legends?
Write your answer using the Point – Evidence – Explanation (PEE) structure.
Point: People believe in urban legends because they sound realistic and come from people they trust.
Evidence: Many of these stories include familiar places or situations, and they are often shared by friends, family members, or on social media.
Explanation: This makes the stories feel believable and emotionally engaging. When people experience fear, curiosity, or surprise, they are more likely to accept the story as true without checking the facts.
Explain what a tsunami is and how it forms.
A large sea wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption.
Identify and correct the mistake: "I was knowing him for many years before he left."
“I was knowing” → ✅ “I had known him for many years before he left.”
(Know is a state verb; use Past Perfect.)
After the earthquake, the rescue team carefully moved through the twisted metal, shattered glass, and collapsed concrete searching for survivors among the __________.
Debris
Answer this question using at least 3 topic-related words:
How do social pressure and group norms affect our willingness to tell the truth?
People may disguise the truth or manipulate facts to fit in, avoid conflict, or gain approval, showing that honesty is often distorted by social expectations.
What’s the difference between an urban legend and a conspiracy theory?
Urban legends are fictional stories meant to entertain or warn; conspiracy theories claim secret groups control real events.
How can human activity increase the risk of natural disasters?
Deforestation can lead to floods and landslides; climate change increases hurricanes and droughts.
Write a complex sentence in the Past Perfect Continuous tense about a natural disaster.
Scientists had been collecting seismic data long before the tsunami struck the coastline.
Fill in the correct noun, adjective, and adverb forms of the verb “devastate.”
Verb - devastate; adjective - devastating; adverb - devastatingly; noun - devastation.