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Vocabulary
Passive
Writing
Russian Roulette
100
Replace the expressions in brackets with expressions from the list below. considerably / marginally / easily / far / vast (1) People are (slightly) less healthy than they were 10 years ago. (2) Antarctica is (by far) the coldest place on earth. (3) There has been a (significant) increase in soda consumption.
marginally; easily; vast
100
What is the verb form of each crime? The person who does the activity? busking, vandalism, burglary, robbery, pick-pocketing
busk; busker; vandalize; vandal; burgle; burglar; rob; robber; pick-pocket; pick-pocket
100
Complete the passive sentence so that it means the same as the active sentence: (1) Scientists believe that sugar causes diabetes. It ___ that sugar causes diabetes. (2) People thought that the world was flat. It ___ that the world was flat. (3) Experts have said that the earth is warming. It ___ that the earth is warming.
is believed; was thought; has been said
100
Fix two run-on sentences: The vibrant city of New York is an iconic destination for tourists and businesspeople alike, the glitzy city is famous for its yellow taxis, greasy pizza, and grumpy residents. While a vacation will cost you a pretty penny, living there is even worse, the most simple of apartments can run upwards of a few thousand dollars.
The vibrant city of New York is an iconic destination for tourists and businesspeople alike. The glitzy city is famous for its yellow taxis, greasy pizza, and grumpy residents. While a vacation will cost you a pretty penny, living there is even worse, with the most simple of apartments running upwards of a few thousand dollars.
100
What is the "nutrition transition"?
It is the process through which nations go from having too little food and problems with malnutrition to having too much food and problems stemming from obesity.
200
Match the two halves of the sentences. This had all kinds of consequences / This was a direct consequence of / This caused / This gave rise / This had an impact / on farmers. / for farmers. / a change in farming. / farming./ to farming.
This had all kinds of consequences for farmers. This was a direct consequence of farming. This caused a change in farming. This gave rise to farming. This had an impact on farmers.
200
What are these people or things in need of? (1) a broken cell phone; (2) homeless people; (3) busy students; (4) sick people; (5) an out-of-date building
in need of repair; in need of shelter; in need of a break; in need of medical assistance; in need of renovation
200
Complete the passive sentence so that it means the same as the active sentence: Scientists predict that there will be 9 billion people on earth in 2020. 9 billion people are predicted ___ on earth in 2020. Historians say that Jesus died in 33 AD. Jesus is said ___ in 33 AD. They claim that there are millions of animals living in the deep sea. Millions of animals are claimed ___ in the deep sea.
to be; to have died; to be living
200
Combine the two sentences into one, concise sentence: The students gathered in a sophisticated cafe. There, they discussed philosophers who are known around the world.
Gathered in a sophisticated cafe, the students discussed globally recognized philosophers.
200
What is a secondary purpose for a cemetery in Egypt? For a stadium in Spain? For a street in Hanoi? For a railway in Poland?
home; market; restaurant; garden
300
Fill in the blanks with a verb from the list below. was caused / let to / generated / affected / stemmed / triggered / had an influence (1) My parents ___ on me; they made me who I am. (2) The controversy ___ by the story made headlines. (3) The accident ___ by a drunk driver. (4) The conflict ___ from ancient disputes. (5) The protests ___ by the assassinations were violent.
had an influence; generated; was caused; stemmed; triggered
300
Rewrite these sentences with is/are + adjective: There is no access to the bathrooms. There are too many people in the school. There is congestion in the parking lot.
The bathrooms are inaccessible. The school is overcrowded. The parking lot is congested.
300
Write these passive sentences in active voice, using "they" as the subject: Roses are said to be a sign of love. It was first thought that roses had magical powers. The first gift of roses is believed to have been given in 977.
They say roses are a sign of love. They first thought that roses had magical powers. They believe the first gift of roses was given in 977.
300
Replace the description with a concise vocabulary word: grimy / stunted / pristine / hangout / softly lit / enormous (1) The lights had been dimmed so the room was not so bright. The room was ___. (2) It was perfectly clean. It was ___. (3) The trees were short, although they should have been taller. They were ___. (4) It was really big. It was ___. (5) The table was dirty and wet. It was ___.
softly lit; pristine; stunted; enormous; grimy
300
Describe the changes in the distribution of the world's wealth from 1500 to 2002.
The wealth in North America has increased significantly. Africa is still relatively poor. Europe has remained vastly wealthy.
400
Which verbs mean A caused B? B was caused by A? led to / generated / stemmed from / was caused by / triggered / had its origin in
A caused B: led to, generated, triggered; B was caused by A: stemmed from, was caused by, had its origin in
400
Name a place that is: claustrophobic, quaint, picturesque, seedy, imposing
Own answers
400
Why do we use passive reporting verbs? Change two sentences below to make the article better: To date, the state Department of Corrections has reviewed 7,800 of more than 9,300 prison release documents for possible fraud, Crews said. So far, people say that no fraud has been detected. Someone recommended to the legislature that penalties for doctoring and forging documents be increased.
It is said that no fraud has been detected / No fraud is said to have been detected; It was recommended that penalties for doctoring and forging documents be increased / Penalties for doctoring and forging documents were recommended to be increased
400
Write a concise description using the facts below in one sentence: Oaxaca City is the capital of Oaxaca State. Oaxaca is in the south of Mexico. It is a popular tourist destination. The most popular times to visit are Holy Week and Day of the Dead. These are times when Oaxacan traditions can be seen everywhere.
The capital city of the southern state of Oaxaca is a popular tourist destination, especially during Holy Week and Day of the Dead, when Oaxaca traditions can be seen everywhere.
400
Describe the opinion of the author of the article about CCTV that we read. Do you agree or disagree with his point of view. Why?
He sees the utility of the CCTV system, but questions its overall efficacy, as it seems that it requires a lot of time and money to detect a small amount of crime.
500
Fill in the blanks using the word in brackets, plus additional words if necessary. (1) The earth ___ (unlikely) to explode in the next month. (2) The US ___ (set) hold elections in 2016. (3) We ___ (about) finish the semester! (4) We ____ (verge) disaster; everything could collapse at any minute. (5) If you eat too much sugar, you ___ (bound) get diabetes.
is unlikely; is set to; are about to; are on the verge of; are bound to
500
Rewrite the sentences so that the meaning is the same: (1) The house needs to be redesigned. It needs ___. (2) There is a need to stay calm. There is a need for ___. (3) The call needs redirection. The call needs to ___. (4) We need to consider alternatives. The alternatives need further ___. (5) We need to get more help. We are in need of ___.
a redesign; staying calm; be redirected; consideration; more help
500
Rewrite these sentences using passive reporting verbs in two ways. People say that a new teacher will arrive next week. Researchers have shown that smoking causes cancer. They said that the sun revolved around the earth.
It is said that a new teacher will arrive next week. A new teacher is said to arrive next week. It has been shown that smoking causes cancer. Smoking has been shown to cause cancer. It was said that the sun revolved around the earth. The sun was said to revolve around the earth.
500
Change these sentences to comparatives. (1) Students used to study a lot. Now, they don't study as much. (2) Now that my mom has a full-time job, she's working 8 hours a day. When she had a part time job, she worked 4 hours a day. (3) I am very happy with the progress I've made. I wasn't happy a few days ago. (4) I had expected my sister to be upset, but she was absolutely devastated.
Students used to study more than they do now. My mom is working more than she did before. I am happier with the progress I've made now than I was a few days ago. My sister was more upset than I expected.
500
Name five reasons why fast food is the solution to the obesity crisis. Name five reasons why natural food is the solution to the obesity crisis.
Own answers :)