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Guide For English I

(Prepared by professor Ligia Álvarez)

SELF INTRODUCTIONS

Introduce yourself to the class:

Common Greetings: Formal: Hello/ Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening/

Informal: Hey/ Hi/What´s up?/ What´s new?

I´m / I am (name)_________.

My nick name is_______.

I was born on_______ .(DATE)

I was born in_______. (PLACE)

I’m ________years old.

My major is_________. (Theater/ Dance/ Audiovisual Arts/ Plastic Arts/ Education in Arts/
Music).

I’m living in __________.

I live___________ .(alone/ with my family, with a sister, with a brother, with my uncle,etc.)

My phone number is_________

My Email address is__________

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THE ALPHABET

How many letters does the English language have? It consists of 26 letters.

EXERCISE: After listening to your teacher, write beside each letter its pronunciation.

Letter
Pronunciation

K
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Letter
Pronunciation

Z
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Spell your full name and the following words:

Your name, computer, teacher, house, language, fate, Venezuela, Greece, paper, telephone, tool,
bag, book, dictionary, piece, cake, cook, stove, calculator, cell, monitor, radio, picture, mask,
theater, dance, photography, etc.

PROVERBS

Read the following proverbs aloud after listening to your teacher´s pronunciation. Find out the

meaning of each one with her assistance and the help of your dictionary.

0. Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed
Him for a Lifetime.

1. A bad workman always blames his tools.

2. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
3. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
4. A cat has nine lives.
5. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
6. Actions speak louder than words.
7. A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.
8. All’s well that ends well.
9. All that glitters is not gold.
10. A picture is worth a thousand words.
11. Barking dogs seldom bite.
12. Be slow in choosing, but slower in changing.
13. Better late than never.
14. Clothes do not make the man.
15. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
16. Every man is the architect of his destiny.
17. Fortune favors the brave.
18. God helps those who help themselves.
19. Honesty is the best policy.
20. If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.
21. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open.
22. Laughter is the best medicine.
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23. Necessity is the mother of invention.

24. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
25. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
26. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others.
27. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
28. Still waters run deep.
29. The harder you work, the luckier you get.
30. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
31. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

REFERENCE

It is a type of semantic relationship in the text. It deals with how the different elements of a text
are related and how this relationship helps the reader to interpret the reading selection. It is
expressed through personal pronouns, possessive adjectives, demonstratives *this, *that, *these,
*those, comparative forms, relatives*who, whom, which, where, when, what, that*, interrogative
words *who, *whom, *whose, *which, *where, *when, *what, *how*, words such as
*everybody, *anyone, *nobody, *somebody, *everything, *something, *anything, *nothing,
*everyone, *someone, *anyone, *none, *some, *any, *each, *all, * every, words such as *the
former, *the latter, *the first, *second, *the last, *such, etc. Reference helps join ideas and it also
avoids repetitions.

PRONOUNS

A pronoun stands in place of a noun, noun group or name. The purpose of pronouns is to avoid
repetition and make sentences easier to understand. Pronouns generally need to have a clear
reference, referring to something that has been identified or named elsewhere in the text.
Pronouns generally refer back to words mentioned earlier in the text; however, sometimes a
pronoun can be used and referenced to a word that is forward in the text. For example:

 Lucy may seem shy but she loves making friends (refers back).
 although  it was late, the train finally arrived (refers forwards).

Pronouns help to give cohesion to a text and prevent it from becoming repetitious. An informal
rule in the use of pronouns is sometimes taught as ; a pronoun is used no more than twice
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before the noun is again named. A second noun in the line requires the first noun to be repeated
before the next use of another pronoun.' This is important in less sophisticated writing.
(Showing a direct reference line controls confusion).

Different types of pronouns include:

Personal Pronouns Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns
subject form object form possessive adjectives possessive pronouns

I me My mine myself

You you Your yours Yourself

He him His his Himself

She her Her hers Herself

It it Its its Itself

We us Our ours Ourselves

You you Your yours Yourselves

They them Their theirs Themselves

Other types of pronouns are:

 Demonstrative: this, that, these, those

 indefinite: each, any, some, all, one, none, anybody, anything, nobody, nothing,
(indefinite negative pronouns) somebody, something, everybody
 Relative: who, whom, whose, which, that
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 Interrogative: who, which, what, whose, whom.

 Reciprocal: each other, one another

EXERCISE

Indicate the background or referents of the underlined words in the text.

Modern accounting firms use spreadsheet software to do complicated calculations. They can
provide their clients with an up/to/date report whenever it is needed. This software has many
functions and can be integrated with other software. The spreadsheet´s basic components is a
cell. This may contain a formula which performs a mathematical operation. It could also contain
a label or data. The former describes the information of the worksheet. The latter is the
information itself. The worksheet is the basic work area of a spreadsheet program. It is made up
of cells arranged in rows and columns. The number of these varies depending on the software
you are using. You can change the width and format of cells. Such parameters are usually quite
easy to change with just a few key strokes.

PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are words which begin prepositional phrases.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition,

a noun or pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object.

A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object.

The following words are the most commonly used prepositions:

About Below excepting Off toward

Above Beneath For On under

across beside(s) From onto underneath

After Between In out until

against Beyond in front of outside up

Along But Inside over upon

among By in spite of past up to

around Concerning instead of regarding with

at  Despite Into since within

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because of Down Like through without

before During Near throughout with regard to

behind Except Of to with respect to

(Taken from https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/prepositions.htm)

Identify prepositions in the following text.

What kind of text is this?

Hi Lucia

How are you? It was so nice to meet you last week in Sydney at the sales meeting. How was the rest of
your trip? Did you see any kangaroos? I hope you got home to Mexico City OK.

Anyway, I have the documents about the new Berlin offices. We're going to be open in three months. I
moved here from London just last week. They are very nice offices, and the location is perfect. There are
lots of restaurants, cafés and banks in the area. There's also public transport; we are next to an U-Bahn
(that is the name for the metro here). Maybe you can come and see them one day? I would love to show
you Berlin, especially in the winter. You said you have never seen snow – you will see lots here!

Here's a photo of you and me at the restaurant in Sydney. That was a very fun night! Remember the
singing Englishman? Crazy! Please send me any other photos you have of that night. Good memories.

Please give me your email address and I will send you the documents.

Bye for now

Mikel

Taken from: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/pre-intermediate-a2-reading/message-new-friend

CONJUNCTIONS TABLE
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Identify conjunctions in the following text.

Hi Samia,

Just a quick email to say that sounds like a great idea. Saturday is better for me because I'm meeting my
parents on Sunday. So if that's still good for you, why don't you come here? Then you can see the new
flat and all the work we've done on the kitchen since we moved in. We can eat at home and then go for
a walk in the afternoon. It's going to be so good to catch up finally. I want to hear all about your new
job!

Our address is 52 Charles Road, but it's a bit difficult to find because the house numbers are really
strange here. If you turn left at the post office and keep going past the big white house on Charles Road,
there's a small side street behind it with the houses 50–56 in. Don't ask me why the side street doesn't
have a different name! But call me if you get lost and I'll come and get you.

Let me know if there's anything you do/don't like to eat. Really looking forward to seeing you!

See you soon!

Gregor

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/pre-intermediate-a2-reading/email-friend
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Nouns

Nouns are words that name people, places, things, ideas and states of being. Certain nouns
refer to things that are able to be counted, for example, ten toys. Some nouns refer to
uncountable things, for example, air, research, happiness, snow, hair, traffic and so on. There
are different types of nouns:

 common nouns (the vast majority) are the names of classes of things and begin with a
lower-case letter, for example, boy, girl, name, verb, biography, computer.
 proper nouns name specific people, places, things and acronyms and begin with a
capital letter, for example, Cathy Freeman, Sydney Harbour, Olympic Games.
 abstract nouns name concepts or things that cannot be seen, for example, democracy,
hate, joy, honesty, hypothesis.
 collective nouns name groups of things, for example, team, family, committee, flock,
bunch.
 mass nouns name things that you cannot count, for example, gold, milk, sunshine,
furniture, traffic, information.

Articles

In English, there are two types of articles:

Definite article: The. Example: The teacher

Indefinite article: A/ An: Example: A house, an apple.

Important information: A or an are used only with singular nouns.

Exercise: Complete using a or an when necessary.

1:_______computer

2:_______table

3:_______three unhappy tigers

4:_______ European history

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5:_______outcomes

6:_______orange

7:_______easy exam

8:_______children

9:_______ honest woman

10:_______ paints

What is a sentence?

A group of words expressing a statement, a question or an order, containing a subject

and a verb. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.

Types of sentences:

Declarative: Mary understands the grammar exercises.

Interrogative: Does Mary understand the grammar exercises?

Imperative: Do the grammar exercises, please.

Exclamatory: She likes doing the grammar exercises!

Exercise

Identify and label each sentence as declarative, interrogative, imperative or

exclamatory.

1. Have breakfast.
2. Will you go to the beach next weekend?
3. What a lovely baby!
4. She prefers to eat some cereal for breakfast.
5. Did Helen do the shopping?
6. Make a copy of this letter.
7. He likes doing nothing.
8. Read an invitation to an office event to practice.
9. Improve your reading skills.
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10. Dino will provide the yoga mats.

In English, a sentence consists of a noun group and a verbal group.

Example: The new teacher was telling them about the cellular phone.

The new teacher Was telling them about the cellular phone

Noun group (NG) Verbal group (VG)

THE NOUN GROUP

The noun group is a group of words whose principal word is a noun (principal noun).

Pre-modifiers

0: Principal noun

People

1: Noun+ Principal noun

School teachers

2: Adjective+ Principal noun

Systematic results

3: Adjective+adjective+ Principal noun

Guided and fascinating experiences

4: Adjective+ adjective+ noun+ Principal noun

Wonderful and inspiring teaching moments

5: Adjective+noun+ Principal noun

A gratifying education process

4.Possessive+adjective+ Principal noun

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Neighbour´s constant complaints

The principal noun can be followed by -ing clauses, infinitive clauses, -ed clauses,
preposition clauses, and relative clauses.

Post modifiers

1. -Ing clauses: A school system introducing a better education.

2. Infinitive clauses: News to know today.
3. -Ed clauses: The new syllabus introduced this semester.
4. Preposition clauses: Systematic results about more opportunities to the elderly.
5. Relative clauses: Fascinated experiences that require more attention.

Relative clauses are identified by the use of: where, when, why, which, what, how, whose,
who , that.

VERBS

Regular verbs in English

Find the regular verbs listed below the puzzle.

S E D D R C D R W E T L N T M

T K M K A E E T V G I U E R A

A I H R I B C I C N A A T A E

R L R S M H L E E E W R S V R

T Y L E A R N S I O R R I E D

N T M N F R L Z E V E I L L T

Q E G E D I C E D A E V D H S

R E V F R C R O S H R E O T S

S I K E H I X T N U O C O D H

M S T P A Z U L L A C P H R O

W N I P A D S E P A R A T E W
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E T E K Y I N W Y O K L A T K

L R L O V E N R O S P S W L V

W A N T M R E T U R N E A A G

U J G L Y B D Y J T K W N J P

ARRIVE CALL CARRY

CHANGE COUNT CRASH

DECIDE DIRECT DREAM

ENTER KISS LEARN

LIKE LISTEN LIVE

LOVE OPEN PAINT

RECEIVE REMEMBER REPAIR

RETURN SEARCH SEPARATE

SHOW START STOP

STUDY TALK TRAVEL

TURN WAIT WALK

WANT WORK

Irregular verbs
Find the irregular verbs listed below the puzzle.

E B W V V W T F K T S E E V K

Y S R U F O E I X N T M Y G E

T C O I E R G G D N I F Y V E

A O E O N G R H F X K H A U P
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E M I W H G O T S N C H T X B

L E A F E C F E O I E S I N G

O K V Q X W H W K T X L P W G

E A O F Q R L I I A K U B S G

K B B R E A K B D B M N G N U

K Q U L E V A W K E L N U O T

E S W I N E E I L E I R Z F E

J D W I L T T V A R G D A L L

S J G I I I E V I J L L V I L

H E A R M R E O M G L E S O L

B L O W D W M J X T H G I L N

BEGIN BITE BLOW

BREAK BRING BUIL

BUY CHOOSE COME

EAT FALL FIGHT

FIND FORGET GIVE

GROW HAVE HEAR

HIDE KEEP KNOW

LEAVE LIGHT LOSE

MAKE MEET RING

RUN SEE SING

SWIM TELL THINK

WAKE WAVE WRITE

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THE VERBAL GROUP

The verbal group is a group of words whose headword is a verb.

1: Verb+Noun group

School teachers are losing their patience

2: Verb+ adjective

More opportunities to the elderly are relevant.

3: Verb+ adverbial group

They appeared recently .

1. Verb+ prepositional group

Some money will be transferred to retired workers.

2. Verb+ clause

Neighbours´ complaints appeared when the construction began .

Exercise

Identify Noun Groups and Verbal Groups in this text. Indicate the components of each Noun
Group and Verbal Group.

Definition - What does  Cellular Phone mean?

A cellular phone is a telecommunication device that uses radio waves over a networked area
(cells) and is served through a cell site or base station at a fixed location, enabling calls to
transmit wirelessly over a wide range, to a fixed landline or via the Internet.
In this networked system, the cellular phone is identified as a mobile system consisting of the
equipment and SIM card that actually assigns the mobile telephone number.
A cellular phone is also known as a cellphone or mobile phone.
Derived from the mobile communication concept of two-way radio technology, the cellular
phone has steadily evolved and advanced. In the infancy of cellular phones, service was very
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rudimentary, and phones were extremely heavy--much like heavy battery packs. Today’s
handheld cellular phones are smaller and pocket-sized.
The seamless quality experienced in contemporary society is the result of many years of research
and development. Modern cellular phones now meet market demands need with greater
efficiency, while communicating without the bonds of wire-limiting mobility. The cellular phone
has evolved from voice telephony to an instrument supporting many services other than voice
calls, i.e., short message services and Internet access.
Taken from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/6413/cellular-phone

List of Adjectives ending in -ED and -ING

There is quite a long list of adjectives ending in -ED and -ING in English, and most of them are
based on a verb that can be changed into an adjective by adding either -ED or -ING.
Some of the more common ones include: (Look the meaning up in the dictionary).
 Alarmed - Alarming
 Aggravated - Aggravating
 Amused - Amusing
 Annoyed - Annoying
 Astonished - Astonishing
 Astounded - Astounding
 Bored - Boring
 Captivated - Captivating
 Challenged - Challenging
 Charmed - Charming
 Comforted - Comforting
 Confused - Confusing
 Convinced - Convincing
 Depressed - Depressing
 Disappointed - Disappointing
 Discouraged - Discouraging
 Disgusted - Disgusting
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 Distressed - Distressing
 Disturbed - Disturbing
 Embarrassed - Embarrassing
 Encouraged - Encouraging
 Entertained - Entertaining
 Excited - Exciting
 Exhausted - Exhausting
 Fascinated - Fascinating
 Frightened - Frightening
 Frustrated - Frustrating
 Fulfilled - Fulfilling
 Gratified - Gratifying
 Inspired - Inspiring
 Insulted - Insulting
 Interested - Interesting
 Moved - Moving
 Overwhelmed - Overwhelming
 Perplexed - Perplexing
 Pleased - Pleasing
 Relaxed - Relaxing
 Relieved - Relieving
 Satisfied - Satisfying
 Shocked - Shocking
 Sickened - Sickening
 Soothed - Soothing
 Surprised - Surprising
 Tempted - Tempting
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 Terrified - Terrifying
 Threatened - Threatening
 Thrilled - Thrilling
 Tired - Tiring
 Touched - Touching
 Troubled - Troubling
 Unsettled - Unsettling
 Worried – Worrying

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

On a recent program, we explained that knowing just a few root words in English can help you
understand the meaning of hundreds more words.

To refresh your memory, a root word is the simplest form of a word. For example, two forms of
the root for the word “see” are vis- and vid- such as in the words "television" and "video."

Today, we will tell you about prefixes and suffixes – groups of letters that appear at the
beginnings and endings of words.

Learning the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes can help you understand unknown
English words you come across. It can also help you become better at spelling words.

Prefixes

Let's start with prefixes.

A prefix is a letter or a group of letters that we add to the beginning of a word. Prefixes change
the meanings of words. For example, the prefix un- (or u-n) can mean "not," "remove," or
"opposite." Adding un- to the word "happy" gives you the word "unhappy," which means not
happy.

U-n and r-e (or re-) are the two most common prefixes in the English language. Re- means
"again" or "back," such as in the words "rethink" "redo" and "repay."

Here are a few things to remember when learning prefixes:

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1. Different prefixes in English can have similar meanings, such as un-, in- and non- all of
which mean "not" or "opposite of." Also, the prefixes mis- and ir- mean "wrong," "wrongly,"
or "incorrectly."
2. Notice that double letters are possible. For example, when you add the prefix im- to
words that begin with the letter "m," you get two "m"s as in "immeasurable." That's also true
when you add un- to words that begin with the letter "n," as in "unnoticeable." The same is
true for many other prefixes.
3. When adding a prefix to a word, the spelling of the base word never changes. For
example, the prefix un- did not change the spelling of the word "happy." And, the
prefix re- would not change the spelling of the word "live" in "relive.
4. "Watch out for "lookalikes" – words that look like they contain prefixes but, in fact, do
not. For example, the un- in the word "uncle" is not a prefix, nor is the re- in the words
"reach" or "real."
PREFIXES
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE

UN- The opposite of Unnecessary

IN- The opposite of Invalid

IM- The opposite of Imposible

IL- The opposite of Ilegal

IR- The opposite of Irreverent

NON- Not non-toxic

MIS- Bad, incorrect Misunderstand

DIS- Opposite Dissatisfy

ANTI- Opposed to, against Antisocial

DE- The oppositte of, Decode

UNDER- Below, beneath Underestimate

RE- Again Reorganize

OVER- Too much Overconfident

SEMI- Half, partly Semiconductor

EQUI- Equal Equidistant

MAXI- Large Maximum

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MINI- Small Minicomputer

MACRO- On a large scale Macroeconomics

MEGA- Very large or great Megalomania

INTER- Between Interactive

SUPER- Extremely, more or better tan Superhuman

noorma.

TRANS- Across, beyond Transmit

EX- Former Exclude

EXTRA- More thaan is usual, expected Extracurricular

or than exists already

SUB- Under Subgroup

INFRA- Below or beyond a particular Infrahuman

limit

PERI- Not ass important as the Peripheral

main aim, part, etc. of
something.

ANTE- In front of Antecedent

PRE- Before Preschool, prefix

PRIME- Main, most important Primary

POST- After Postgraduate

RETRO- Back, backwards Retroactive

MONO- One, single Monothematic

BI- Two, twice, double Binary

TRI- Three, having three Triangle

QUAD- Four Quadruple

PENTA- Five Pentagon

HEX- Six Hexagon

OCT- Eight Octopus

DEC- Ten Decimal

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MULTI- Several Multiple

PRO- In favor of Promotion

AUTO- Self, relative to vehicles Automatic

CO- Together with Cooperation

NEO- New Neoclassical

PAN- Involving all members of a Panamerican

group, of everything.

An important part of the information of the chart above was taken from the book
Introducción a la lectura en inglés by Rebeca Beke (2002). Cuaderno de Postgrado n• 30.
Comisión de Estudios de Postgrado, Facultad de Humanidades y Educación, UCV.

SUFFIXES

Now, let's turn to suffixes.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word. Suffixes are commonly used to
show the part of speech of a word. For example, adding "ion" to the verb "act" gives us "action,"
the noun form of the word. Suffixes also tell us the verb tense of words or whether the words are
plural or singular.

Some common suffixes are -er, -s, -es, -ed, -ing and -ly.

Here are a few things to remember when learning suffixes:

1. Some suffixes have more than one meaning. For example, the suffix -er may suggest a
person who performs an action, like a teacher. But "er" is also commonly added to the ends
of adjectives and adverbs. They compare two things and show that one is "more" than the
other, such as in "faster" and "stronger."
2. The spelling of a base word can change when a suffix is added. This is true of most base
words ending in the letter "y." For instance, when we add the suffix -ness to the word
"crazy" to make "craziness," we replace the "y" with an "i." This rule is also true of many
base words ending in a silent "e" when the suffix begins with a vowel. For example, in the
words "write," "make" and "manage," we drop the "e" in the words when we add -ing to
make: "writing," "making" and "managing." We also often drop the silent "e" before the
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suffix -able such as in "usable." Be careful, though, because with some words, we keep the
"e," such as in "changeable" and "loveable."

Taken from: http://lomen.con-text.co/suffix-meanings-chart/

Exercise

Identify roots (base of the word), prefixes and suffixes in the following sentences.

This exercise will give you practice in recognizing and using common prefixes, suffixes,
and roots (principal part of the Word).

Instructions

For each sentence below, study the one word that's in bold print. Identify the root word (or base)
along with any prefixes and/or suffixes that are attached to it.

1. We watched a preview of the new Pixar movie.Root: ____________

Prefix: ____________
2. The dancing cat was seen by more than two-million
YouTube viewers.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________
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3. The teacher handed out paper hearts to the students who had done extra
work.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________
4. The magician made the rabbit disappear.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________
5. At the end of his performance, the magician made a graceful bow to the
audience.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________
6. Shyla asked the magician for his autograph.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________
7. Because of the lightness of the breeze, the sailboat moved quite
slowly.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________
8. Despite the heaviness of his backpack, Jack raced up the
hill.Root: ____________Suffix: ____________
9. Some dogs are shy or unfriendly, and they might bark or snap if you try to pet
them.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
10. Esther quickly reopened the door and called for her cat.
Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
11. We stood on a bluff overlooking the
ocean.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
12. In today's world, no part of the globe
is unreachable.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
13. My father never lets anyone see him
dressed informally.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
14. Everyone thought that Mr. Darcy was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the
world.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
15. Preschoolers should have plenty of opportunities to run, play, and listen to
stories.Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________
16. The speaker pointed out the unfairness of blaming high schools for the poor preparation
of college freshmen in reading, writing, and math.
Root: ____________Prefix: ____________Suffix: ____________

COGNATES AND FALSE COGNATES

Cognates are also calls "True friends". That is, words un two different languages that look the
sale and have the same meaning.

Examples:

Computer, products, television, company, etc.

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False cognates are words that are very similar to words in Spanish but they are not related, that
is to say, they do not have the same meaning than in Spanish. When words are similar to words
in our language it does not mean that they have the same meaning.

Exercise

Complete the following chart. Follow the example. Indicate when a false cognate can also have
another meaning.

FALSE COGNATE INCORRECT MEANING CORRECT MEANING

Relate

LECTURE

L ECTURER

ACTUAL

ACTUALLY

S IGNATURE

D IRECTION

SUCCESS

PARENTS

L A R G E

COMPREHENSIVE

ASSIST

ATTEND

C OLLEGE

RESIGN

FASTIDIOUS

A PPARENT

REPORT
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E X I T

SUBJECT

R A R E

REALIZE

LIBRARY

DESIGN

P ATT E R N

SUPPLY

L ITERACY

L ITERATE

RESUME

SUPPORT

POLICY

G R A S S

FIGURE

A R M

A R M Y

S A L E

S ENSIBLE

R ELATIVE

INDUSTRIOUS

ASSIST

ATTEND

C OLLEGE

PREVIEWING
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You will be given a list of content of an article. You have to guess the title of each article and its
topic.

1. Title:____________________

Contents: -Heavy duty unit.

- Images on the left side.

- One piece long wall plate.

-Upgrade viewing experience.

- Easy installation.

-Post-installation adjustment.

Topic:_____________________

2. Title:______________________

Contents: -Beauty.

- The process of creating.

- Beautiful sculpture.

- Special gifts for pregnant wives.

- Beautiful Robin Bird which matches.

- The bird on the music box.

Topic:____________________________

3. Title: ______________

Contents: - everyone loves music.

- Musical instruments.

_ Keyboard.

- Piano.
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- Recorders.

- Classical guitar.

- Drum set.

Topic:_____________

4.Title:_______________

Contents: -Indoor gardens.

- Mirrors.

- Frames and pictures.

- Home fragance.

- Clocks.

- Decorative accesories.

- Flower pots and planters.

- Noticeboard.

- Vases and bowls.

Topic:__________________

5. Title:___________

Contents: -Etymology.

- Origins.

- Birth of Athens.

- Masks.

- Scenic elements.

- Orchestra.

- Skené.
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- Actors.

Tragic playwrights.

- Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides.

- Dionysia.

Topic:___________________

GETTING TO KNOW NEW WORDS

Look up the following words in the dictionary. Indicate the part of speech they belong to and
give synonyms and antonyms of each of them.

W O R D PART OF SPEECH MEANING IN SPANISH SYNONYM IN ENGLISH ANTONYM IN ENGLISH

(Noun, verb,

adjective, adverb)

Acquiesce

AMASS

EFFACE

CASTIGATE

MATRIARCHAL

L A U D

BANAL

EUPHEMISM

RACONTEUR

SUCCINCT

LAMPOON
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HERETIC

CHARLATAN

LISTLESS

PRIDE

MEDICORE

MALICE

REMORSE

RANCOR

FINDING SYNONYMS

From the choices offered, select the missing synonym for each numbered word group and write
that synonym on the corresponding line.

to concur- to condone- charlatan- profuse

precursor- banal- inexorable- listless

to chastise- equivocal- grueling- potent

1. unclear- evasive- confusing- undecided

______________________________________

2. To agree- coincide- assent- approve

______________________________________

3. Trite- hackneyed- commonplace- stale

_______________________________________

4. Languid- indifferent- uncaring

____________________________________________

5. To scold- castigate- punish- censure

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_____________________________________________

6. Impostor- quack- fraud- cheat

____________________________________________

7. To overlook- excuse- pardon

_______________________________________

8. forerunner- harbinger- herald

_______________________________________

9. Immovable- relenless- inflexible

________________________________________

10. Punishing- tiring- demanding- exhausting

_________________________________________

11. Abundant- bountiful- lavish- lush

_________________________________________

12. Powerful- effective- efficacious

_______________________________________

MATCHING

Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B and then write the meanings in
the space provided IN English and in Spanish. Look up the pronunciation in the dictionary.

A B

1. coalesce (a)pompous language

2. laud (b)Accidental
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3. cursory © to ridicule

4. bombast (d)disdain, scorn

5. platitude (e)to scatter or fan out

6 . a v e r (f) to obliterate, wear away

7. fortuitous (g)Lenient

8. deride (h)Continuous

9. prerogative (i)to praise

10. contempt (j) superficial or hasty

11. augment (k)to come together

12. disperse (l)to declare firmly

13. efface (m) banality

14. indulgent (n)to increase

15. incessant (o) right or privilege

FINDING THE ODDBALL

In each word group, cross out the oddball-the one unrelated word or phrase.
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1. bigot- phony- hypocrite- heretic- fake.

2. ridicule- derision- hauteur- disdain- derogation

3. insist- assent- comply- yield- acquiesce

4. clamorous- noisy- vociferous- persistently- vocal- nasty

5. articulate- hyperbole- lucid- effective- clear

6. relevant- pernitent- germane- interesting- related to

7. provoke- preclude- forestall- hinder- prevent

8. proud- inevitable- arrogant- haughty- supercilious

9. flatterer- toady- sycophant- brownnoser- hedonist

10. hackneyed- terse- clipped- concise- succinct

POETRY READING

‘Your Children Are Not Your Children’ — Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

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For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,

but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might

that His arrows may go swift and far.

I´m NOBODY by Emily Dickinson

I'm nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!

How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

Raindrops and umbrellas by Ligia Álvarez

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A wet sky above,

Coloured umbrellas below

Raindrops coming down.

My kitten by Ligia Álvarez

When my kitten dreams, she is a girl.

Daylight by Ligia Álvarez

Dawn knocked on the window.

She asked my wandering soul to abandon dreamlike fantasies and mysteries.

She begged my sleepy body to move away from my silken and woolen bed

To search for Daylight

Far from

My spider´s web.

Afternoon kites by Ligia Álvarez

Afternoon…

September…

Four o´clock

Multicolored kites flying

Above my head

Filling the heavenly frame

My sun watching them

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Enjoying their

Sweet and melodious songs

Your moon

Imagining them

Our stars

Looking forward to meeting them.

SHORT STORY READING

Ernest Hemingway – ‘Cat in the Rain’

There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel. They did not know any of the people they
passed on the stairs on their way to and from their room. Their room was on the second floor
facing the sea. It also faced the public garden and the war monument. There were big palms and
green benches in the public garden. In the good weather there was always an artist with his easel.
Artists liked the way the palms grew and the bright colors of the hotels facing the gardens and
the sea. Italians came from a long way off to look up at the war monument. It was made of
bronze and glistened in the rain. It was raining. The rain dripped from the palm trees. Water
stood in pools on the gravel paths. The sea broke in a long line in the rain and slipped back down
the beach to come up and break again in a long line in the rain. The motor cars were gone from
the square by the war monument. Across the square in the doorway of the café a waiter stood
looking out at the empty square. The American wife stood at the window looking out. Outside
right under their window a cat was crouched under one of the dripping green tables. The cat was
trying to make herself so compact that she would not be dripped on. ‘I’m going down and get
that kitty,’ the American wife said. ‘I’ll do it,’ her husband offered from the bed. ‘No, I’ll get it.
The poor kitty out trying to keep dry under a table.’ The husband went on reading, lying propped
up with the two pillows at the foot of the bed. ‘Don’t get wet,’ he said. The wife went downstairs
and the hotel owner stood up and bowed to her as she passed the office. His desk was at the far
end of the office. He was an old man and very tall. ‘Il piove,1 ’the wife said. She liked the hotel-
keeper. ‘Si, Si, Signora, brutto tempo2 . It is very bad weather.’ He stood behind his desk in the
far end of the dim room. The wife liked him. She liked the deadly serious way he received any
complaints. She liked his dignity. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked the way he
felt about being a hotel-keeper. She liked his old, heavy face and big hands. Liking him she
opened the door and looked out. It was raining harder. A man in a rubber cape was crossing the
empty square to the café. The cat would be around to the right. Perhaps she could go along under
the eaves. As she stood in the doorway an umbrella opened behind her. It was the maid who
looked after their room. ‘You must not get wet,’ she smiled, speaking Italian. Of course, the
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hotel-keeper had sent her. With the maid holding the umbrella over her, she walked along the
gravel path until she was under their window. The table was there, washed bright green in the
rain, but the cat was gone. She was suddenly disappointed. The maid looked up at her. ‘Ha
perduto qualque cosa, Signora?’3 ‘There was a cat,’ said the American girl. ‘A cat?’ ‘Si, il
gatto.’ ‘A cat?’ the maid laughed. ‘A cat in the rain?’ ‘Yes, –’ she said, ‘under the table.’ Then,
‘Oh, I wanted it so much. I wanted a kitty.’ When she talked English the maid’s face tightened.
‘Come, Signora,’ she said. ‘We must get back inside. You will be wet.’ ‘I suppose so,’ said the
American girl. 1 ‘It’s raining.’ 2 ‘Yes, yes Madam. Awful weather.’ 3 ‘Have you lost something,
Madam?’ They went back along the gravel path and passed in the door. The maid stayed outside
to close the umbrella. As the American girl passed the office, the padrone bowed from his desk.
Something felt very small and tight inside the girl. The padrone made her feel very small and at
the same time really important. She had a momentary feeling of being of supreme importance.
She went on up the stairs. She opened the door of the room. George was on the bed, reading.
‘Did you get the cat?’ he asked, putting the book down. ‘It was gone.’ ‘Wonder where it went
to,’ he said, resting his eyes from reading. She sat down on the bed. ‘I wanted it so much,’ she
said. ‘I don’t know why I wanted it so much. I wanted that poor kitty. It isn’t any fun to be a
poor kitty out in the rain.’ George was reading again. She went over and sat in front of the mirror
of the dressing table looking at herself with the hand glass. She studied her profile, first one side
and then the other. Then she studied the back of her head and her neck. ‘Don’t you think it would
be a good idea if I let my hair grow out?’ she asked, looking at her profile again. George looked
up and saw the back of her neck, clipped close like a boy’s. ‘I like it the way it is.’ ‘I get so tired
of it,’ she said. ‘I get so tired of looking like a boy.’ George shifted his position in the bed. He
hadn’t looked away from her since she started to speak. ‘You look pretty darn nice,’ he said. She
laid the mirror down on the dresser and went over to the window and looked out. It was getting
dark. ‘I want to pull my hair back tight and smooth and make a big knot at the back that I can
feel,’ she said. ‘I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her.’ ‘Yeah?’
George said from the bed. ‘And I want to eat at a table with my own silver and I want candles.
And I want it to be spring and I want to brush my hair out in front of a mirror and I want a kitty
and I want some new clothes.’ ‘Oh, shut up and get something to read,’ George said. He was
reading again. His wife was looking out of the window. It was quite dark now and still raining in
the palm trees. ‘Anyway, I want a cat,’ she said, ‘I want a cat. I want a cat now. If I can’t have
long hair or any fun, I can have a cat.’ George was not listening. He was reading his book. His
wife looked out of the window where the light had come on in the square. Someone knocked at
the door. ‘Avanti,’ George said. He looked up from his book. In the doorway stood the maid. She
held a big tortoiseshell cat pressed tight against her and swung down against her body. ‘Excuse
me,’ she said, ‘the padrone asked me to bring this for the Signora.’

Identify:

Characters, plot, setting, conflict, theme, resolution.

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Take out key words.

Why is Cat in the rain the title of this short story?

Who was Ernest Hemingway? Find out about him! Look for his biography.