Verbs
Vocabulary
Grammar and Sentences
Aussie Culture and Phrases
General Knowledge
100
Put the correct verb in the sentence.
She _______ aged care at TAFE.
a) looks
b) reads
c) studies
d) knows
She studies aged care at TAFE.
She looks at the birds.
She reads books.
She knows Farsi and English.
100
Think of an adjective to describe each of these things:
(check that everyone on your team understands 'adjective' so they can help)
1) Today's weather:
2) Our classroom:
3) A very good nurse:
Many different answers are correct, but for example:
1) Today's weather is hot.
2) Our classroom is big.
3) A very good nurse is kind.
100
Which of these sentences is correct?
a) We will went to the beach yesterday.
d) We are going to the beach yesterday.
c) We goed to the beach yesterday.
d) We went to the beach yesterday.
d) We went to the beach yesterday.
The word 'yesterday' shows us the event happened in the past, so we need to use 'went'. We can't use 'will', because that is only for events in the future.
100
Which one of these phrases means you should bring food to share at a party or event?
a) come in the arvo
b) get in touch
c) bring a plate
d) have a chat
c) bring a plate
Bring a plate means you should come with food to share.
What do the other phrases mean?
a) come in the arvo :
b) get in touch :
d) have a chat :
100
Which one of these plants is secretly a fruit?
a) potato
b) carrot
c) capsicum
d) cabbage
c) capsicum
Capsicum is a fruit because the edible part of the plant contains the seeds (the seeds are inside the part we eat).
200
Choose the correct conjunction for this sentence:
I really enjoyed the movie, ____ I wanted to read the book.
a) so
b) because
c) or
d) nor
a) so
I really enjoyed the movie, so I wanted to read the book.
'so' explains the result (what happened or will happen next)
'because' explains the cause (why something happened)
I wanted to read the book because I really enjoyed the movie.
c) or
'or' is for options:
Should I read the book or watch the movie?
d) nor
'nor' is the same as 'or', but negative.
I have not read the book nor watched the movie.
200
Which one of these is NOT found in the ocean?
a) coral
b) abalone
c) crayfish
d) echidna
e) seaweed
d) echidna
Echidnas live on land, usually in the bush.
They are spiky mammals native to Australia.
200
What word is missing from the sentence below? Add the word in the right place and say the sentence aloud.
Last night, the phone rang when I watching TV.
The phone rang when I was watching TV.
We always say 'was' or 'were' when we're using 'ing' verbs to talk about something that happened in the past.
She was working as a magazine editor in Lebanon.
They were outside when it started to rain.
The dog was barking all night.
200
Which one of these places is the furthest away from Melbourne?
a) Sydney
b) Hobart
c) Perth
d) Ballarat
c) Perth
Perth is in Western Australia and is over 2700kms from Melbourne.
Sydney - 700kms from Melbourne
Hobart - 600kms from Melbourne
Ballarat - 100kms from Melbourne
200
Which one of these countries is biggest by land area?
a) Russia
b) United States of America (USA)
c) China
d) Australia
a) Russia
Russia is the biggest country in the world.
300
Which one of these sentences has the correct grammar for asking if someone knows English?
a) You can speak English?
b) You speaking English?
c) Can you talk English?
d) Can you speak English?
d) Can you speak English?
We use 'can', 'should', 'will', 'do', 'have' and 'am, is, are, was, were' BEFORE the noun or pronoun to ask a question.
Can you speak English?
I can speak English.
Should I go to the party?
Yes, you should go, it will be fun.
Will your friend stay in a hotel?
No, she will stay with me.
Have you got a jacket?
No, I haven't. (have not)
Are you cold?
I'm very cold! (I am)
300
Which of these jobs involves studying the ocean?
(clue: remember to break the words down into small parts)
a) psychologist
b) historian
c) marine biologist
d) horticulturist
e) cardiologist
c) marine biologist
marine - ocean
bio - living things (plants, animals, people)
logist - someone who studies, an expert
Can we figure out what the other words mean?
psychologist
historian
marine biologist
horticulturist
cardiologist
300
Put the prepositions in the correct place in the following invitation.
(use each proposition only once)
____ Sunday, we will meet ____ 2pm outside the library. We will then go ____ the creek and have a picnic. We will sit ___ the shade, but please bring a hat and some sunscreen.
1) to
2) on
3) at
4) in
On Sunday, we will meet at 2pm outside the library. We will then go to the creek and have a picnic. We will sit in the shade, but please bring a hat and some sunscreen.
300
Which is the Indigenous group who are from the area we live in?
a) Gunaikurnai
b) Yorta Yorta
c) Wurendjeri
d) Warlpiri
c) Wurendjeri
The Wurendjeri people are the Traditional Owners of most of Melbourne, including Glenroy, Merri Creek and many other local places.
a) Gunaikurnai (south-eastern Victoria - Gippsland, where I am from)
b) Yorta Yorta (northern Victoria and southern New South Wales - Shepperton, Echuca, Wangaratta)
d) Warlpiri (central Northern Territory)
300
Which of these foods doesn't spoil? (spoil - go bad, become inedible over time)
a) peanuts
b) coffee beans
c) tofu
d) honey
d) honey
Honey is mostly made of sugar, so if it is stored properly and not contaminated, it will never spoil.
Scientists have found honey that is over 1000 years old inside tombs.
400
Which of these phrasal verbs should go in the sentence?
If you want to go camping, you'll need to know how to _________ a tent.
a) set up
b) fill out
c) look after
d) call back
a) set up
'Set up' means 'build' or 'place correctly', like a tent, or to start a process.
I will set up the chess board so we can play together.
Can you help me set up the chairs in the classroom?
My friend is setting up a catering business.
What do the other phrasal verbs mean?
b) fill out
c) look after
d) call back
400
Read this paragraph and choose the word that fits.
(clue: remember to break the words down into small parts)
This week in Melbourne, we have had sunny days, overcast days and really windy days. You never know if you should bring an umbrella or a pair of shorts! The weather in Melbourne is __________.
a) endless
b) unpredictable
c) understandable
d) geographical
b) unpredictable
un - not
predict - guess what will happen next
able - can do, possible to do
400
Put all the words in this sentence in the correct order:
(clue - the sentence is about a new law in Australia)
be social Teenagers December. will media in banned from
Teenagers will be banned from social media in December.
400
Name the colours the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags (6 colours total)
Aboriginal - red, black, yellow
Torres Strait Islander - green, blue, white
I will award 400 bonus points if you can name what ALL these colours on the flags represent:
Aboriginal - red, black, yellow
Torres Strait Islander - green, blue
400
According to the 2021 Australian census, which of these languages was in the top 5 languages other than English spoken at home in Australia?
a) Vietnamese
b) Spanish
c) Turkish
b) Japanese
a) Vietnamese
About 1.3% of Australia speaks Vietnamese at home. Other top languages are
Mandarin (2.7%)
Arabic (1.4%)
Cantonese (1.2%)
Punjabi (0.9%)
Spanish 0.6%
Turkish 0.3%
Japanese 0.3%
500
Here is some sentences from a chapter of Blueback.
Abel and his mother lived off the sea and the land. Jacksons had been living here like this for more than a hundred years. The land at Longboat Bay had been theirs since whaling times and all the land around them was national park.
Abel and his mother fished and grew fruit and vegetables. They kept ducks and chooks for meat and eggs and had a goat or two for milk. There was no mains electricity out at Longboat Bay, no water except rainwater and no TV.
Which adjective is NOT a good word to describe Abel and his mother's lifestyle?
a) minimalist
b) self-sufficient
c) metropolitan
d) isolated
c) metropolitan means 'city'
metro - city (like Metro trains)
poli - city (Tripoli, Gallipoli, Indianapolis)
an - makes the word into an adjective
What do the other words mean?
a) minimalist
b) self-sufficient
d) isolated
500
There is one grammar mistake in each of the sentences. Fix all four mistakes and say the paragraph correctly.
1) Eucalyptus trees is also known as gum trees and there are many different species (different kinds).
2) Most species of eucalyptus trees are native to the Australia.
3) Some eucalyptus trees are taller apartment buildings.
4) There is a mountain ash eucalyptus tree in Tasmania that over 100 metres tall.
1) Eucalyptus trees are also known as gum trees and there are many different species. ('are' not 'is' for plurals)
2) Most species of eucalyptus trees are native to Australia. (no 'the' before names of countries)
3) Some eucalyptus trees are taller than apartment buildings. (we use than to compare with 'er' adjectives)
4) There is a mountain ash eucalyptus tree in Tasmania that is over 100 metres tall. (we use 'is' because 'that' is like a noun in the sentence. We use 'is' to show what we're talking about)
500
In Australia, we have three levels of government.
Local (councils) - Merri-bek
State - Victoria
Federal (national) - Australia
Decide which level of government is responsible for each of these issues:
(clue: 2 issues for each level of government)
1) people aren't using their recycling bins correctly.
2) the Medicare payment doctors get for bulk-billing patients is too low.
3) public high schools need more maths teachers.
4) there are not enough trains or buses at night.
5) it is difficult to afford rent on Centrelink payments.
6) there should be more parks and green spaces in our local suburb.
Local (Council):
1) people aren't using their recycling bins correctly.
6) there should be more parks and green spaces in our local suburb.
State:
3) public high schools need more maths teachers.
4) there are not enough trains or buses at night.
Federal (National):
2) the Medicare payment doctors get for bulk-billing patients is too low.
5) it is difficult to afford rent on Centrelink payments.
500
Which one of these countries use tulip bulbs as money in the 17th century (1600s)?
a) Australia
b) Holland
c) Egypt
d) Brazil
b) Holland
Tulip bulbs were so valuable in Holland that people used them to buy and sell houses.
