CICLO DE INICIACION

UNIVERSITARIA

INGLES CIU

Nombre del estudiante: ____________________________________

Sección: ___________________________

Abril – Julio 2011

English CIU
Compiled, adapted and revised by Rubena St. Louis, Marta Trías and Silvia Pereira.
Proof-reading by Yris Casart in 2008.
Updated by Carlos Mayora in February 2009.

Departamento de Idiomas
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Apartado 89.000
Caracas 1080A, Venezuela
(212) 906-3780 phone
http://www.id.usb.ve
E-mail: dep-id@usb.ve

Copyright © 2009 Rubena St. Louis

Editing and proof reading by Silvia Pereira, Marta Trías and Carlos Mayora for the compilation,
adaptation and 2011 edition.

The materials in this guide have been written, adapted and/or selected for their value in helping university
students of English CIU. Credit for selections is given to the respective copyright holders. Please get in
touch with us if you think credit is due for any particular section.
This guide is solely intended for compulsory academic use in the course English CIU.
Commercialization outside the USB is strictly prohibited.
 Table of Contents

Introducción ………………………………………………….. ii

Contents Overview …………………………………………………… 2

Unit 1: Fashion and food

Lesson 1: Fads or trends …………………………………………………… 7

Lesson 2: Fast vs. slow food …………………………………………………… 20
Lesson 3: Colour symbols …………………………………………………… 31
Lesson 4: Chocolate …………………………………………………… 41

Unit 2: People and nature

Lesson 5: Humans or robots? …………………………………………………… 53

Lesson 6: Can animals think? …………………………………………………… 65
Lesson 7: Antarctica …………………………………………………… 75
Lesson 8: A fantasy world …………………………………………………… 84

Apéndice I: Material para el

aprendizaje autónomo –
Estilos de aprendizaje y
vocabulario. …………………………………………………… 92

Apéndice II: Material para el

aprendizaje autónomo -
Gramática …………………………………………………… 109
 INTRODUCCIÓN

La Guía de Inglés para el Ciclo de Iniciación Universitaria es el resultado de un

esfuerzo por facilitar al estudiante un nivel lingüístico básico necesario para enfrentar
con éxito los estudios de idioma inglés incluidos en las diferentes carreras que ofrece la
Universidad Simón Bolívar. Está diseñada para el joven estudiante venezolano que
recién finaliza estudios de secundaria y quiere realizar con éxitos sus estudios de idioma
inglés en el medio académico.
De igual forma, la Guía Inglés CIU busca consolidar, ampliar y enriquecer los
conocimientos de inglés adquiridos en el Bachillerato pero incorporando un cambio de
actitud hacia el aprendizaje de inglés de manera más autónoma, amena y motivadora.
Los contenidos incluidos en esta Guía provienen en la aplicación de pruebas de
detección de necesidades y los temas fueron escogidos pensando en los jóvenes y en sus
necesidades.
La presente Guía está dividida en tres unidades de cuatro lecciones cada una, las
cuales incluyen lecturas, ejercicios y explicaciones; una sección de vocabulario que el
estudiante debe aprender o consolidar en este nivel; una sección de estilos y estrategias
de aprendizaje; y, por último, una sección de gramática básica con ejercicios para que el
estudiante adquiera un nivel mínimo indispensable que lo ayude a asegurar y aumentar
sus conocimientos de inglés para el estudio autónomo.

Las autoras

Las autoras
 2

Lesson Discussion Vocabulary

1. Fads or trends? Effect of technology on our Reviewing words used for
society: asking questions.

Emergence of a new Looking at words used in

language. – texting text messages.

Piercing: What we should Looking at words related to

know about it. cell phones and
technology.

Reviewing words related to

parts of the body.

2. Fast vs slow food. Fast food in our society Reviewing words related to
today: What foods are food.
good for us?

3. Colour symbols Colour and fashion in Reviewing colours.

different countries in the
past and in the future. Reviewing professions.
Project:
1. Colours and society. Reviewing adjectives
2. Colours in music. commonly used in English.

4. Chocolate Looking at the discovery of Reviewing words related to

chocolate. chocolate.

Chocolate in Venezuela. Reviewing common verbs

with regular past tense
Copies of the text “The endings.
history of chocolate” must
be made for the students. Reviewing common verbs
It is not in their SB. with irregular past tense
endings.

Grammar
Reviewing sentence structure. Activating schemata for text
Reviewing different parts of
speech in English.
Reviewing the role of nouns
in a sentence.
Reviewing the different types
of nouns in English.
Reviewing the role of verbs
in a sentence.
Recognising different tenses
in English.
Reviewing the use of
adjectives in English.
Reviewing the position of
adjectives in an English
sentence.
Reviewing of the role of the
past tense in English.
Construction of the regular
and irregular form of the past
tense.
3
Strategy Additional material
Making compound
comprehension. nouns.
Using Word webs for Same word, different
vocabulary learning. meaning.
Using the dictionary to find the
meaning of unknown words.
Using graphic organisers for
summarising information.
Activating schemata using Making nouns from
images. verbs.
Using the dictionary for finding Selecting the correct verb
new words. for a text construction.
Guessing vocabulary meaning
from context.
Inferring information from a
text.
Using images to learn new People and professions.
vocabulary.
Turning nouns into
Using images for word adjectives.
association.
Using word webs to
Using the dictionary to find extend vocabulary.
different parts of speech for the
same word.
Word association. Following a recipe.
Using images to activate Writing a recipe.
vocabulary.
Writing the correct form
Using images for prediction of regular and irregular
verbs in a text.
Using a graphic organiser to
summarise information.

Lesson Discussion
5. Humans or robots? The use of robots and
robotics in society today.
Writing project
6. Can animals think? What is intelligence? Can
animals be intelligent?
Writing assignment
7. Antarctica; An Unexplored places.
unexplored continent. Countries and places in
South America.
8. A fantasy world The interest in the fantasy
worlds created by Tolkien,
Rowling and Lewis: From
Writing project books to films.
4
Vocabulary
Reviewing verbs that illustrate
action.
Reviewing verbs that show
capabilities.
Reviewing parts of the body.
Reviewing animals.
Reviewing words related to
feelings.
Reviewing words related to
mental abilities
Reviewing words related to
geography.
Reviewing common
adjectives in English.
Reviewing words related to
literature and fantasy.
Looking at words with
negative and/or positive
connotations.
Reviewing words related to
games.

Grammar
Reviewing the use of modal
verb CAN.
Reviewing the role of
prepositions in English.
Reviewing the role of pronouns
in English.
Looking at the types of
pronouns.
Reviewing the role of adjectives
in a sentence.
Reviewing the construction of
the comparative and superlative
forms of the adjective.
Reviewing the role of the
passive and active voice in
English sentences.
Reviewing the construction of
the passive in English.
Reviewing past participle in
English.
5
Strategy Additional material
Using prior knowledge to activate Using images for
schemata on topic. descriptions.
Using schemata for predictions Writing the endings for
sentences.
Using images to activate
vocabulary. Proofreading sentences.
Working as a group to make a list of
words.
Checking predictions.
Using graphic organisers for
summarising information.
Turning verbs into
Using a semantic map for abstract nouns.
vocabulary learning.
Selecting the correct
Using images to activate noun for pronoun
vocabulary. referent.
Comparing animals and humans.
Using semantic maps for word Selecting the correct verb
association. and verb tense for text
completion.
Predicting information.
Sharing information with
classmates.
Using the dictionary to find the Using the passive voice
meaning of unknown words. for text construction of a
film review.
Using words and images to create a
story.
Using a quiz for prediction of
information in a text.
CICLO DE INICIACION UNIVERSITARIO

ENGLISH CIU

UNIT 1: Fashion & Food

 7

Unit 1: Lesson 1

Fad or trend? A fad is something, a hair style for example, that is popular with a small
group of people for a short period of time. A trend, on the other hand, is something that gains
popularity with society over a long period of time. Do the images above represent fads or
trends?

What do you think?

Look at the image below. With a classmate discuss what it says about our society.
Here are some WH questions you can use.

________________________
________________________
Where is he?
What is he doing? ________________________
Why is he doing it? ________________________
________________________
________________________

What about you? Here are some questions for you to answer. Use your dictionary to find the
words you want to use. Then, share your information with the class.

What special People I text: Options available:

options does your
cell phone have?

How much money

do you spend on
your phone?

How much time do

you spend on the
phone every day?
Time I spend on cell:
Who do you send
text messages to? Money I spend on cell:
What do you do if
you forget your cell
at home?
 8

Let’s look at a fad? Or a trend?.........Cell phones

Almost everyone has one; no one leaves home without it. The cell phone. It’s
hard to believe that only 20 years ago, very few people had even heard of the
cell phone and only business executives owned one. Today, the cell phone is
a low-cost personal item. In many parts of the world, there are more cell
phones than land line phones. In Europe, there are even more cell phones
than people! Its growth is amazing. In Luxembourg, there are 158
subscriptions per 100 people while in India about 6 million mobile phones are
added every month.

In its most basic form, a cell phone is a wireless telephone or two-way radio. When you speak
into the phone, your voice is converted into radio waves. These waves travel through the air
until they reach a receiver at a cell phone tower. The station then sends the waves through
the telephone network to the person you are calling.

Today, customers can not only make and receive phone calls but send and receive text
messages, listen to music and take photographs. Major communication companies like Nokia,
Siemens and Sony Ericcson have been perfecting the technology to produce newer and better
models. The latest technology is 3G. This offers customers a number of high speed mobile
services which include e-mail, games, photomessaging, video calling and messaging, news
and information services and a Personal Information Management system with notes,
calendars and to-do lists.

Cell phones have also influenced our social life and our behaviour. A recent study carried out
by Context, a Baltimore consumer company, reported that cells phones are the principal
medium through which teenagers socialize and that those who do not have a phone might feel
excluded from their peer group. People are now asked to turn their phones off in places of
public performances, like during concerts and at the theatre and in certain public places, like
the library or the bank. In countries like Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom, drivers are
not allowed to use cell phones while they drive. A new “language” is also being created by
those who send text messages. In only 20 years the cell phone has changed the way in which
we live, work, play and communicate.

Looking at vocabulary:

1. Word representation
What do these images represent?

________________________ ________________________ ________________________

 9

Go back to the text and find the words which are related to the images. Write them in the
space provided.

______________ ______________ ______________

______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________
________ ________ ________

2. Technology and language

Users of cell phones are creating a new language. Can you find the word or phrase from the
box which matches the text message abbreviation?
Is there a Spanish equivalent? If so, write it in the corresponding column.

Text message Corresponding meaning Spanish equivalent

abbreviation
MUSM _________________________ __________________________
ASAP _________________________ __________________________
7K _________________________ __________________________
GTSY _________________________ __________________________
WUF _________________________ __________________________
CM _________________________ __________________________
F? _________________________ __________________________
EZY _________________________ __________________________

Call me Friends? Glad to see you

Don’t know As soon as possible Easy
Hugs and kisses Be right back Where are you from?
Miss you so much Sick I love you too

Can you write the text message abbreviations for the four not used in the first exercise.

Text abbreviation Meaning

1. ________________________ ___________________________________________
2. ________________________ ___________________________________________
3. ________________________ ___________________________________________
4. ________________________ ___________________________________________
 10

Grammar review: Parts of speech

Words play an important part in communication. They all have special roles that help them
transmit information. In English, there are eight (8) different kinds of words. We have
nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, articles and conjunctions. Look at
the example below:

Modern cell phones have quickly become essential items in our society.
A B C D C A B E F B

A adjective C verb E preposition

B noun D adverb F pronoun

A word can also play more than one role. Use your dictionary to find the Spanish equivalent
of the following words. Look closely at the part of speech.

Dictionary example:
Walk: /sustantivo/ caminata /verbo/ caminar

English Part of Spanish Example in an English sentence.

word speech equivalent
________ _______________ __________________________________________
________ _______________ __________________________________________
fast
________ _______________ __________________________________________
________ _______________ __________________________________________

________ _______________ __________________________________________

light
________ _______________ __________________________________________
________ _______________ __________________________________________
________ _______________ __________________________________________

The words “fast” and “light” can play different roles and have different meanings according to
the context in which they are used. So it is important that we identify the role each word
plays in the sentence to be able to understand the message or to be able to look for the correct
word meaning in our dictionary.

In Unit 1, we will be reviewing nouns, verbs and adjectives. Let’s begin.

 11

Looking at nouns:
A noun is the word we use to name a person, place, animal, thing or idea.
There are 5 classes of nouns: proper, common, concrete, abstract and collective.
Examples are taken from the text.

 A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, idea or thing.

Example: Nokia, Europe

 A common noun is the name given to a person, place or idea in general.

Example: customer, phone

 A concrete noun names a thing that can be touched, seen, heard, smelt or tasted. It
names tangible things.
Example: telephone, person

 An abstract noun names an idea, a feeling or a state or being. It names things that
cannot be touched, seen, heard, smelt or tasted.
Example: life, service

 A collective noun is the name given to a group or a unit.

Example: people, group

Working with the text.

Finding examples of nouns.

Go back to the text on cell phones. Find examples of the different kinds of nouns. Use your
dictionary to find the Spanish equivalent of each word. What information does the dictionary
give you about the word?

Class of noun Example Spanish equivalent Dictionary

entry

Proper __________________ __________________ __________

__________________ __________________ __________
Common __________________ __________________ __________
__________________ __________________ __________
Concrete __________________ __________________ __________
__________________ __________________ __________
Abstract __________________ __________________ __________
__________________ __________________ __________
Collective __________________ __________________ __________
__________________ __________________ __________
 12

Looking at proper and common nouns

Find five (5) other examples of proper nouns in the text. Copy them below.

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

Find five (5) other examples of any type of common nouns. Copy them below.

_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

Now look closely at the way in which these nouns are written. What do you see?

Nouns are singular when they refer to only one person, place, idea or thing, or plural
referring to more than one. Look at these phrases taken from the text. What do you notice
about:

1) the endings of the nouns. What do you see? **

2) the verb endings. What do you see?

Singular nouns Plural nouns

A cell phone is a wireless telephone…. There are 158 subscriptions….
The station then sends the waves….. ..cell phones are the principal medium..
A new language is also being created… These waves travel through the air….
** Look at the irregular noun endings in the student file.

Work it out and write the rule

Look at the examples above. Decide with a classmate on the general rules for the
use and formation of nouns.

In English, a proper noun is written with a __________________ letter. The plural

of many nouns is formed by adding _____________ to the singular form of the
noun. Nouns agree in ____________________ with the verb.
 13

Game time

Play the “Challenge” game: Noun type and meaning

1. Form groups of four.

2. In each group, think of at least twenty (20) nouns that you know in English. You may
need more than 20 as both teams might have the same words.
3. Be sure to know the correct Spanish equivalent of these nouns.
4. Decide with your group what class your group of nouns belongs to.
5. When answering, group members can decide together on the class of the noun given by
the opposing team.
6. Each member of the group must take a turn answering.
7. Challenge your opposing group.
a. Say the name of your noun.
b. Let the other group give the type of noun.
c. If the answer is correct, the opposing group gets 1 point.
d. If the answer is incorrect, your group gets 1 point.
e. You can also challenge the opposing team by asking for the meaning of the
noun in Spanish. Challenges are worth one point each!
8. The first group to get 20 points wins!

Another fad or trend?

This fad or trend involves the use of needles and jewelry in the human body.

Can you identify the parts of the face that can be worked on? Write the Spanish equivalent
in the space provided.
Spanish equivalent
a. Cheek ________________________________
b. Ear _________________________________
c. Eye _________________________________
d. Eyebrow _________________________________
e. Neck _________________________________
f. Nose _________________________________
g. Lip _________________________________
Now, write the letter on the corresponding part of the face.

On what other parts of the body can this technique be used? Write at least four other parts of
the body which can be pierced in the space below.

Other parts of the body which can be pierced are:

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

 14

What do you think?

Why do people get a piercing? Do you have one? Do you know of someone who
had had one done? Share your ideas with the class.

With a partner, make a list of the things you should do before and after you get a piercing.

Before I get a piercing done: After I get a piercing done:

Now let’s read the text.

Body piercing
Body piercing has existed in many cultures for centuries. The Greeks, Egyptians
and Romans pierced and tattooed their bodies. They did this to show a person’s
importance in a social group or to protect them from evil.

Today, many young people worldwide are having their bodies pierced. It seems to be the
current trend. If you’re thinking of getting a piercing, here are a few things you should know.

 Make sure that the body piercing studio uses clean, sterilized piercing equipment.
You can get a serious infection, including HIV, if the needles have not been sterilized
properly.
 Buy the right kind of jewelry for the area that you want pierced. If the jewelry is too
small, it can restrict the flow of blood to the area and that will lead to swelling and
pain. If the jewelry is too heavy, too thin or if you are allergic to the metal it is made
from, your body will reject it.
 Find out about the risks associated with the different parts of your body that you
pierce. For example, if you have a tongue piercing, the metal jewelry might damage
your gums and chip the enamel of your teeth. If you want a navel pierce, remember
that the area needs air to help the healing process. Tight clothing might irritate the
area and cause infection.

You should then check the type of jewelry you can use. Implant grade stainless steel
jewelry is the best as your body is less likely to reject it. 18K gold should be used for a
new piercing and 14K for an old one. Use sterling silver only on healed areas and never
in moist areas of the body as the mouth or genitals. People who are highly sensitive to
metal should use Teflon or nylon.
 15

After you have had the piercing, here are some things to remember:

 Wash your hands with soap and water before touching the pierced areas
 Keep things clean which will come into contact with the area. For example, clean
your cell phone if you have an ear piercing.
 Wear loose fitting clothes if you have a navel pierce.
 Check your jewelry to see if any parts have become loose. This is especially
important if you have a tongue pierce.
 Rinse your tongue or lip piercing after every meal. Use an antibacterial, alcohol-
free mouthwash.
 Eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals to help your body heal.

If you decide to pierce a part of your body, try to keep this information in mind to reduce any
harm to your body.

Rating what I learnt

Go back to what you wrote on your “Before and after piercing” list. Compare it to the
information in the text. On a scale of 1 (I learnt nothing new) to five (Everything was new),
rate the amount of new information you got from this text. Circle the number.

1 2 3 4 5

Looking at vocabulary
Look at the pictures below. Identify the part of the body which has a piercing.
Write the word under the corresponding picture.

______________ _____________ _____________ ____________ _____________

Word web
Go back to the text and find words which you can associate with the
words found in the circles below. Write them around the word.

tongue- infection
piercing
 16

A piece of advice: Piercings and jewelry

What should we know about the jewelry we choose? Go through the text and find this
information. Put it in the corresponding place on the graphic organizer.

On your own
Would you like to have a piercing? What parts of your body would you like to
pierce? Go back to the face and mark the spot with a P.

My recommendations
Look at these images of piercings. Choose two (2) and write recommendations
for people who would like to pierce this part of their body. Add any general advice.

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
 17

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Working on your vocabulary.

Remember to work on your vocabulary by adding the words from today’s unit to
your personal Leitner Manual Computer box.

Checking up on Grammar
Look at page 105 for additional explanations and exercises on parts of speech.
 18

Additional Vocabulary and grammar exercises for Lesson 1.

Word builder: Making compound nouns

In English we can create new words by joining two other words together. Let’s see how it is
done using NOUNS.

tea cup teacup

cell phone cellphone

1. Combine nouns from columns 1 and 2 to make a new word. Write this word in column 3.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3

police driver ___________________________

kitchen paste ___________________________
water officer ___________________________
table scraper ___________________________
wall phone ___________________________
bird towel ___________________________
office cloth ___________________________
cell paper ___________________________
taxi office ___________________________
tooth building ___________________________
head melon ___________________________
sky song ___________________________

1b. Now fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the most appropriate word from
column 3.

1. When the weather is hot, many people like to eat _________________________.

2. There is a new brand of __________________________ for people with sensitive gums.

3. I will begin to work at the ________________________ of the bank which is downtown.

4. When my father lost his job, he began to work as a _____________________________.

5. Use the ____________________________ to dry the dishes.

 19

2. See how many words you can make with these three nouns. Write the new words in the
space below the corresponding noun. Then look up the words in the dictionary.

room brush bag

Now select two (2) other nouns from columns 1 & 2. Write each word in a circle below.
Then create as many new words as you can. Write them below the corresponding noun.

Look up your words in the dictionary. Do they exist in English? __________________

What do your words mean?

Do they mean the same?

Some words in English have more than one meaning. The same noun is missing from the
pair of sentences. Can you select the correct noun from the box to fill in the blanks? Then
look up the word in your dictionary. Write the Spanish equivalent in the space provided.

1a. John won the 500 meter ____________________at the University track meeting.
1b. Many people suffer discrimination because of their ____________________.

1a.________________ ________________________________________________________
1b.________________ ________________________________________________________

2a. The car ________________ was filled with suitcases for our family trip.
2b. The elephant uses its ____________________ as a weapon when angry.

1a.________________ _________________________________________________________
1b.________________ _________________________________________________________

3a. Be sure to go to the ____________________ to ask for that loan. We need it.
3b. I always go for long walks along the river ________________ when on holiday.

3a.________________ __________________________________________________________
3b.________________ __________________________________________________________

RACE TAP TANK

STAR TRUNK BANK
 20

Unit 1: Lesson 2
Fast vs. slow food
We spend a lot of time eating. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are our main
meals. Of course, we also have snacks, like popcorn or a piece of cake, but many of us also
like to eat “Fast food”.

Look at the images below. Which ones do you think are “fast food”? Write “FF” next to the
image.

a. _ _____ b. ____ c. _____

d. ____ e. ____ f. _____

Can you name the foods above? Work with a classmate and try to identify each one of the
images. They check your answers with another pair.

a ________________________________ b ________________________________
c ________________________________ d ________________________________
e ________________________________ f ________________________________

What are examples of fast food where you live?

Fast Food in ___________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

Here are some questions for you. Share your answers with the class.

Do you eat fast foods? ________________________________

What kind of fast foods do you eat? ________________________________

When do you usually eat this type of food? __________________________

 21

What am I called in English?

Can you remember what these foods are called in English? If not, look at the box below. The
letters have been scrambled. Unscramble each one and then write the English word below its
corresponding image. The first letter of each word is given.

L___________ A__________ T_________ B __________ B_________

C__________ F_________ S__________ R______ E_________

tmoaot egsg appesl hisf ucleett

cenckhi sagaeus barde reic banse

Now let’s take a look at Fast Food.

Some interesting facts about Fast Food….

We eat them all the time, burgers, hotdogs and pizzas. They are all examples of
fast food, items that can be prepared and served quickly. If we are in a hurry, we drop in at a
McDonald’s ® or Kentucky Fried Chicken® outlet for a quick meal, or we can buy frozen
pizza at the supermarket and heat it up at home.

But are fast foods an invention of the 20th century? Apparently not. In Ancient Rome,
citizens could buy food from bread and olive stands and in 100 BC, Hillel the Elder became
the first person to make a sandwich. He put a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, spices and
wine between two slices of matzohs, a flat bread made of flour and water. However, the
sandwich got its name from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich who lived in England.
In 1762, he asked for dried meat to be placed between two pieces of bread so he could
continue playing cards while he ate.

In the Middle Ages, people in England ate pies filled with chicken and wildfowl and those
who lived near the sea ate seafood cooked on the quay. In the Middle East, there was falafel
and Flatbread and in Asia people visited noodle shops. In India, fast foods included Papri
Chaat, Bhelpuri and Dahi Vada and in some parts of West Africa, char-grilled meat sticks
were sold on the roadside, as they still are sold today. The hot dog dates back to the 9th
century although it was Charles Feltman, a German immigrant to the United States, who
first put the sausage into a roll, making the hotdog we know today. That was in 1867.

So fast food wasn’t invented by a modern society constantly on the go. It has been around for
as long as Man has, fulfilling our need for food whenever and wherever we might be.
 22

Let’s see if you can match the image of the fast food to its name and the country with which it
is associated. Write the word and country below each image.

______________ ______________ ______________ _______________ _______________

______________ ______________ _______________ _______________ _______________

Fast Food Countries/World zone

sandwich noodles USA Middle East
hot dog pies England Asia
falafel olives West Africa India

Looking at vocabulary:
Good vs. Bad food?

Why do we eat fast foods? Are they good for us? In groups of three, make a list
of the foods you think are good for you. Use your dictionary to find the English
equivalent of the words you want to say.
Share your list with the class. Write any new word in the Class list page.

Our list Class list

 23

Looking at vocabulary: Guessing meaning from context

Here are some words that can be used to describe food. See if you can guess the
meaning of the words in this exercise. Select the correct option for the underlined
word in each one.

Tasty: ______________________________________________
Healthy: ______________________________________________
Traditional: ______________________________________________
Fresh: ______________________________________________

Which is a traditional Venezuelan breakfast?

a. pancakes b. arepa with cheese c. croissants

Which is a healthy snack for a child?

a. chocolate chip cookies b. ice cream with syrup c. apples

An example of fresh fruit is:

a. fruits in a can b. fruits on a tree c. dried fruits

Which parts of your body do you use to taste food?

a. mouth and tongue b. legs and feet c. shoulder and hands

Go back to word list. Write the meaning of each in your own words.

Which of the words would you use to describe Fast Foods?

Words which describe fast foods are:

Grammar review: Verbs

Let’s look at another class of word that plays a very important role in a sentence….a verb.

Look at the following sentences taken from the text. What role does the underlined
word play in each sentence? What does it do?

1. Many people eat hotdogs, burgers and pizzas all the time.
2. Some foods travel very long distances to reach their destinations.
3. Hilder the Elder became the first man to make a sandwich.
4. I believed that fast food began in the 20th century.
 24

Verbs can be called “doing or action” words because many of them describe actions as, for
example, in the first two sentences, eat and travel. However, some verbs also describe
existence or states, like become and believe.

We also have auxiliary or helping verbs. These are used with the main verb to form
phrases of two or more words. Can you determine which verbs are auxiliaries in these
sentences? Underline them. What are the main verbs? Circle them.

1. Fast food is reaching more and more parts of the world today.
2. Some parents have decided to replace snacks for healthier foods.

Some verbs also need to be followed by additional information. This information often
answers the questions: What? Who? Why? When? How? Where?

Look at the sentences we have used. Can you find the additional information?

Work it out and write the rule!

Where are verbs usually found in a sentence? Look at the examples below. With
a classmate, work out where verbs are generally placed in an English sentence.
First, find and underline the verbs.

1. Big companies produce much of our food today.

2. Italians know and love good food.
3. Many people think that fast food is a bad idea.

In an English sentence, verbs usually come _______________ the ________________ and

before the __________________________________.

Go back to the text. Choose a paragraph and Underline the verbs. Copy them into the box.

Paragraph: ________________ Verbs found:

Now that we’ve looked at fast foods, let’s turn to slow food. Have you ever heard of the Slow
Food Movement? If not, read ahead.
 25

Slow food
While some people love to eat fast food, others are fighting
against it. An Italian named Carlo Petrini started a movement
called Slow Food. What does this mean? The members of this group believe
that we should eat food that tastes good and is produced in a clean way which
does not harm the environment or our health.

Have you ever heard older people complain about the insipid taste of fruits and
vegetables? Well, this occurs because produce must be picked when they are
still not yet ripe so that they can be shipped thousands of kilometres away to other countries.
With slow food, fruits and vegetables are allowed to ripen before they are harvested. The
result is quality ingredients and good, tasty and nutritious food at the end.

Think about it
Here are some questions for you to think about concerning the differences
between fast and slow food producers. Read each question and then circle the
most appropriate answer.

1. What kind of farmer would members of the Slow Food movement buy from?
a. large scale producer b. small farmer

2. Would the food grown on these small farms be:

a. cheap b. expensive?

3. Would people prefer to buy food grown on a:

a. large farm b. small farm?

Would you join the Slow Food movement? Why? Why not?

Looking at tenses
In English, we use three basic tenses: present, past and future. Each of these tenses
also has a progressive form, indicating that the action is still taking place and a perfect form,
indicating that the action was completed. We also have two voices: the active voice and the
passive voice. You will meet some of these forms later on. For now, it is important that you
recognise them when you see these structures in texts.

ACTIVE PASSIVE
Simple Forms Progressive Forms Perfect Forms
Present speak/s am/is/are speaking have/has spoken is/are spoken
Past spoke was/were speaking had spoken was/were spoken
Future will/shall speak will be speaking will have spoken will be spoken
 26

Recognising the different tenses

Read the following excerpt which was adapted from
http://blog.oup.com/2007/05/food_trend/, a blog on food.
Underline the different tenses you find in the text.

When the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Rome in 1986, Carlo Petrini was deeply
concerned. He believed that the industrialization of food was standardizing taste and leading to the
loss of thousands of local and regional foods. He launched the Slow Food movement in Barolo,
Italy. Slow Food International was started in Paris three years later. Its major publication is Slow:
The International Herald of Tastes; The Magazine of the Slow Food Movement. Today, Slow Food
is active in fifty countries and has a worldwide membership of more than 80,000. Since its
inception, the movement has expanded to tackle issues such as the industrialization of agriculture
and the health and environmental impact of the fast food industry. It is dedicated to preserving
endangered food ways, celebrating local food traditions, such as animal breeds and heirloom
varieties of fruits and vegetables, and promoting artisanal products. It advocates economic
sustainability and bio diversity through educational events and public outreach programs.

Now place the verbs in the corresponding column. Then check with a classmate.

ACTIVE PASSIVE
Simple Forms Progressive Forms Perfect Forms

Present

Past

Future

Missing Ad verbs
This ad for the Slow Food Organisation was taken from
http//www.slowfood.com. But all of the verbs in the ad are missing. Read
the text. Then select the most appropriate verb from the box to be placed
in the empty slot. You do not have to change verb tenses.

Slow Food _______________a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that

_______________in 1989 to _______________fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local
food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they _______________, where it
_______________, how it _______________and how our food choices _______________the rest
of the world. Today, we _______________ over 85,000 members in 132 countries.
_______________more about us and what we_______________ .

do eat comes from find out was born

is drink leaves affect was produced
allow have tastes counteract was founded
 27

On your own.
Some of the information from the article on fast food in other countries has been
partially deleted. Can you help recreate it by choosing the correct information to go
into the spaces in the document? Use the images as well as the words in the box to
help you.

There are many different kinds of fast food in countries around the world. For example, in
Japan people eat ____________. This is sticky ___________ served with raw ___________. In
Western countries, rolls filled with _____________, ___________ or cucumber are also very
popular.

In the Netherlands, a popular fast food ____________French fries, meat

and sauce. Mayonnaise _________ the most common sauce although
spiced ketchup or peanut sauce ___________. The frikandel ________a
long, dark-skinned sausage which _____________ in deep fat and served
with fries and salad.

is is fried is used served consists of is

In the Far East, fast food is made up of some kinds of ___________, __________ or
_______________. Most of the food is fried.

Finally, in the Middle East there are kebab houses. The meat, lamb, beef or
mutton, ___________ from a rotisserie, a vertical spit. It _____________ on a warm
tortilla with salad.

fried eat is cut is served

 28

Game time:
Here are two games you can choose to play. You can either review your
knowledge of food and drink by playing Hangman, or you might want to try
the Mime game. See if the opposing team can guess the verb you are
miming.

Let’s play Hangman!

Before playing
1. Teams think of a number to select the order of the game.
The turns will be according to this number. If the first team cannot answer, the second team
will be given a chance to answer.

1. Form groups of four.

2. In each group, think of twenty (20) words which represent food and drink. You may
need more than twenty as other teams might have the same words as you.
3. Be sure to know the correct Spanish equivalent of your words.
4. Select one member of the group to go to the board.
5. Draw lines to represent the letter of your word.
6. Give the members of the other groups opportunity to call out a letter.
7. The group that can spell the word wins 1 point.
8. If no group can spell the word, your group gets 1 point
You can also challenge the opposing team by asking for the meaning of the noun in
Spanish. Challenges are worth one point each!
The first group to get 20 points wins!

The Mime game

The objective of the game is to try to guess the verb being mimed by
the opposing team. No spoken words are allowed in this game.

Teams will be given a number and should play in turn.

1. Form groups of four.

2. Make a list of at least 10 verbs.
3. Think of actions that can represent the verbs chosen.
4. Let the opposing groups guess the verb you are miming.
5. The group that guesses the verb gets 1 point.
6. The opposing group can challenge you by asking for meaning of the verb in Spanish.
Challenges are worth one point each!

Working on your vocabulary.

Remember to work on your vocabulary by adding the words from today’s unit
to your personal Leitner Manual Computer box.
 29

Checking up on Grammar
Remember to review the grammar points in today’s lesson from page 129 on.

Additional vocabulary and grammar exercises for Lesson 2

Vocabulary builder: Making nouns from verbs

In English, you can make nouns from verbs by adding the ending er or or. These endings
indicate the person or thing that does the action.

mine fight sail

miner fighter sailor

Make nouns from the verbs given in the table below. Then check the spelling in your
dictionary.

Verb Noun Verb Noun

teach ____________________ walk __________________

run ____________________ drink __________________
speak ____________________ farm __________________
conduct ____________________ fly __________________
swim ____________________ lead __________________
dance ____________________ drive ___________________
read ____________________ edit ___________________

Now, fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the correct verb or noun from the words
above.

1. Jose Luis Mendez wants to be the first Latin American ___________________ to

cross the English Channel.
2. My dream is to study music and ______________________ the Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestra.
3. My family has a large _______________________ in the country that produces
vegetables for the local market.
4. Many people will _________________ in the marathon next Sunday.
5. After spending many years in prison, Nelson Mandela was released to take his
place as his country’s _______________________.
6. You must not __________________ after drinking alcohol.
7. Everyone knows that Luisa is an avid ___________________ of romantic novels.
 30

8. The ____________________ of the local newspaper has agreed to be interviewed by

two of our students.

Traveling around South America.

Have you ever been to Paraguay? Do you know what language is spoken
here? What kind of food they eat?

Read part of this online article on the country and its food. Some of the
verbs have not been written out completely. Can you select the correct
verb and write the appropriate tense? The verbs are found at the end of
each short paragraph. Some verbs are repeated.

Paraguay ______________ a country located in the heart of South America. It _________ no

coasts and the population_____________ largely native Guaranies. As a result, around 95%
of the population _______________this language, although Spanish ___________ the official
language of the country.
(BE (3); RUN; SPEAK; HAVE; DRINK)

The food in Paraguay ________similar to that of other River Plate countries like Argentina and
Uruguay but you __________ the Guarani influence in the use of tropical ingredients. They
_________many grains, especially corn in their recipes. They ____________stews with rice or
mandioc and they also _________ lots of green and red peppers and onions. They ______different
meats like pork and chicken or both. Paraguayans also _____________beef at the barbecue on
weekends or on special occasions. They ___________ their meat dishes with cassava.
(COOK; FIND; SERVE; USE (2); LOVE (2); ADD; BE)

Paraguayans also ____________________ peanuts, sweet potatoes and beans like lima beans,
green beans and peas in their meals. While they ____________ a lot of rice, corn and cassava
________________ still the most important ingredients in their food.
(DRINK; EAT; PRODUCE; INCLUDE; BE)

Paraguayans _____________a special plant called yerba mate from which they ___________ the
drink, mate. They _________________ it with a stick called “bombilla”.

(GET; DRIVE; GROW; WASH; DRINK)

 31

Unit 1: Lesson 3

We see colour all around us. In nature, in our homes and in the clothes we wear. In this
lesson, we’ll look at colour.

How much do you know?

First, can you match these colours to their Spanish equivalent? Write the letter next to the
correct word equivalent.

Colour Table
English Spanish English Spanish
a red anaranjado ___ _________________ _________________
b brown rojo ___ _________________ _________________
c black morado ___ _________________ _________________
d purple negro ___ _________________ _________________
e orange marrón ___ _________________ _________________

What other colours do you know? Include them in the table. Then check your list with a
classmate.

Looking at vocabulary: Colour association 1

What colours do you usually associate with the following? Look for the colour in
the Colour Table and write it under the corresponding image.

_________ _________ ________ _________ __________ __________

Colour association 2
What things do you usually associate with the colours in the box? Look for the word you
want to use in your dictionary. Then share your ideas with the class.
Things I associate with:

Green: ________________________________________________________

Red: ________________________________________________________

Yellow: ________________________________________________________

White: ________________________________________________________

Pink: ________________________________________________________
 32

But, do these colours mean the same in other countries? Let’s see. Fill in the circle with the
colour being discussed in that paragraph.

What colour are you wearing?

Do you like wearing bright colours like yellow and orange? Or, do you like
wearing dark colours like black or brown? One of the first things you notice about a person’s
clothing is the colour. Throughout history people have used colours as symbols. In the past,
colours had special meanings. Today, colour of clothes can also have different meanings. Here
are some of the ways fashion and colour are connected. Since yellow and orange are easy to
notice, let’s see what they mean first.

Noticing yellow and orange

It is easy to notice the colours yellow and orange. Yellow and orange look happy and sunny.
In ancient Rome, for example, people wore yellow clothes to go to weddings. Today, however,
some people wear yellow for safety reasons. For instance, many raincoats are bright yellow.
People wear yellow raincoats so other people can see them easily in the rain. Similar to
yellow, orange can be used for safety reasons. At night, joggers and hunters in the woods may
wear orange clothes.

Relax with green

Green is a gentle colour. People who work in hospitals often wear green uniforms because
this colour relaxes patients. Green is also the colour of nature. It symbolises growth. Many
years ago, in Europe, brides wore green dresses as a symbol of fertility.

Blue is everywhere
Blue is the colour of the sky and the ocean, and it is one of the most popular colours for
clothes- especially because blue jeans are everywhere! The colour blue is a symbol of trust
and loyalty. That is why clothing experts tell people to wear blue when having a job interview
to express they will be trustworthy workers. For this same reason, police officers often wear
blue uniforms.

The powerful colour

Red is often considered a powerful colour. Red ties are sometimes called power ties. Red is
also a cheerful colour. That is why some people say, “When you feel blue, wear red.” In China,
red is the colour of good luck, and people wear red to weddings. Deep red is strong, dark and
attractive, but light red –for example, pink- looks soft and gentle. Pink is a romantic colour;
it is sometimes seen as the colour of love. In some countries, pink is associated with girls;
however, before the 1920s, pink was considered a boy’s colour.

Royal Purple
Purple is the colour of royalty because for so long it was very hard to get therefore it was very
expensive. Purple dye was made from snails. It took more than 60,000 snails to make one
pound of dye. Only very rich people could afford purple dye. Typically only kings and queens
wore purple clothing.

Black and white aren’t always “Black and White”

Black is a serious colour. It is usually associated with death and people wear black clothes to
go to funerals. Black clothes are also considered elegant. Many people wear black clothes
 33

when going to formal parties. Women’s evening dresses are often black. Men usually wear
black suits or tuxedos to go to formal parties.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, western brides have worn white as a symbol o
goodness, purity and happiness. In China, however, white is the colour of death and Chinese
people wear white clothes to funerals. White also shows dirt easily; doctors and nurses wear
white to show they understand how important it is to be clean in their profession.

Conclusion
As you can see, our colourful world is a world of meaning because people have always used
colour as symbols. Look around and you will notice the many ways fashion and colour are
connected.

Text adapted from

Colour, fashion and you

What colour would you wear if…….?
Now that you know something about the meaning of different colours,
which would you choose for the following situations? Circle the most
appropriate one. Then explain your choice.

1. What colour would you wear if you wanted to go running late at night?
a. black b. purple c. yellow d. blue

I’d wear ___________ because ______________________________________________.

2. What colour would you wear if you went to a funeral in your country?
a. black b. red c. brown d. purple

I’d wear _______________ because ___________________________________________.

3. What colour would you wear if you wanted people to trust you?
a. purple b. orange c. blue d. red

I’d wear ____________ because _______________________________________________.

4. What colour would you be expected to wear if you were invited to a wedding China?
a. pink b. red c. green d. black

I’d wear _____________ because ______________________________________________.

5. What colour would you wear if you wanted to go to a very formal party?
a. black b. orange c. yellow d. white

I’d wear _____________ because ______________________________________________.

 34

Grammar review: Adjectives, words that describe.

Many of the words in this text help us to build an image of people and the clothes
they wear. Take a look at these sentences.

1. Many years ago, in Europe, brides wore green dresses as a symbol of fertility.
2. In ancient Rome, for example, people wore yellow clothes to go to weddings.

The words green and yellow give us more information about the nouns dresses and clothes.
They tell us what colour they are. Green and yellow are adjectives. So, adjectives are words
that tell us about the qualities of a noun.

Look at these two sets of sentences. The adjectives are highlighted in bold. What do you
notice about their position in the sentence?

Set 1 Set 2

Only very rich people could afford purple. Black clothes are also considered elegant.
Green is a gentle colour. Women’s evening dresses are often black.

Go back to the text. Find four (4) sentences which contain adjectives. Write them in the
space below. Underline the adjectives and circle the noun they describe.

1. __________________________________________________________________________.

2. _________________________________________________________________________.

3. _________________________________________________________________________.

4. _________________________________________________________________________.

Work it out and write the rule!

Look at the examples of adjectives in the sentences above.
Decide with a class mate where adjectives are found in a sentence written in
English. Fill in the blanks in the Rule Box below.

In English, adjectives come _______________ the noun. Sometimes

they come at the ___________ of the sentence when they follow the
verb _____________.
 35

Working with vocabulary: Dictionary use

Many words in English are derived from other words. For example, the word taste,
can be used as a noun or a verb and from this we can then get an adjective, tasteful or
tasteless. When we use our dictionary, it is important for us to know what role the word is
playing in the sentence. For example, is it a noun, verb, adverb or adjective? In this way, we
will be able to choose the most appropriate meaning.

The words underlined in the following sentences are all taken from today’s text. First,
determine what role the word plays in the sentence. Then, place it in the correct column in
the table. Use your dictionary to find other parts of speech related to the word.
One example is done for you.

1. Black clothes are also considered elegant.

2. Similar to yellow, orange can be used for safety reasons.
3. The colour blue is a symbol of trust and loyalty.
4. Red is often considered a powerful colour.
5. People in hospitals often wear green uniforms because this colour relaxes patients.
6. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, western brides have worn white as a symbol
of goodness, purity and happiness.

Noun Spanish Verb Spanish Adjective Spanish

equivalent equivalent equivalent
1 elegance elegancia __________ __________ elegant elegante

2 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

3 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

4 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

5 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

6 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

7 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

8 __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Go back to the text and find two (2) other sentences. Write the sentences below.

7. _____________________________________________________________________________.

8. _____________________________________________________________________________.

Underline the selected words and fill in the required information in the table.
 36

On your own
Now that we know what different colours symbolise and we also know the
different roles words can play in a sentence, try one (1) of these activities. .

1. Time traveler
You got permission to use the time travel machine to go back into the
past and to jump ahead to the future. Your first assignment as a
fashion reporter is to find out how people dressed in the past at
weddings. You must:
 Name the country
 Get the approximate time period
 Find the colour used at weddings
 Find the reason for this colour being used

Country Time period Colour Reason for use

For your second assignment, use the time machine to travel into the future.
What colours are being used? Why?

Country Time period Colour Reason for use

2. Sentence maker
This machine can make as many words as you’d like it to. It has
already churned out several nouns, verbs and adjectives. Use these to
make your own sentences. Add some words of your own to the pot.
Write your sentences in the space below and then share with the class.

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________
 37

4. ___________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________________

pink
trust purple

gentle
important

buy
wear
have cars

items
fruits be

clothes
buildings
expensive
people

large elegant

3. What colours symbolise.

Choose four (4) of the colours from the list below and write at least two (2) things that you
learnt about them from the text. Colour the sphere. Share your information with the class.

Colour What I learnt about…….

1 Red 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

2 Yellow 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

3 Green 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
 38

4 Blue 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

5 Orange 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

6 Purple 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

7 Black 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

8 White 1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________

What colour is the world? Or Colour in Music

Either:
1. Do some research and find out what colours mean to other
societies around the world. Use pictures to illustrate your
work.

2. Find out what songs in English have colours in their lyrics.

Why are these colours used? Give the lyrics to at least two songs.

Working on your vocabulary.

Remember to work on your vocabulary by adding the words from today’s unit to
your personal Leitner Manual Computer box.

Checking up on Grammar
Remember to review the grammar points in today’s lesson on page 115
 39

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 3

People and professions.

1. Do you know the English words for these professions? Find them in the box. Then write
the correct word below its corresponding image.

_______________ ______________ ____________ _______________ _____________

mechanic sailor photographer pastor painter

construction worker scuba diver teacher sculptor secretary

2. Choose one (1) of the professions above. Write the word in the circle.
Then, extend your vocabulary by writing as many words as possible related
to the profession around it.

3. Can you guess who I am? Read the description of what I do. Then write my profession.

What I do Who I am
I create landscapes, portraits, abstract art. I use brushes to
help me in my work. ______________________

I instruct people who want to learn about different things. ______________________

I play all kinds of music as I accompany singers. My

instrument is made up of many black and white keys. ______________________

I work in shops helping customers to find what they need. I ______________________

sometimes work at the cash register.

I work in the restaurant of hotels preparing food for the

clients. ______________________
 40

Turning nouns into adjectives

We’ve already seen how verbs can be turned into nouns. Let’s look at the way in which nouns
can be turned into adjectives by using the endings below:

al ic
. ful ly ous y les iv
1. Today the nation celebrates its 25th anniversary. As a result, today is a national
holiday.
2. The papers called Lopez a hero after he made a heroic attempt to rescue three children
trapped in a burning house.
3. After so much violence living in the city, our family wanted the peace to be found in
the country. A peaceful environment was essential when looking for a new home.
4. He seems to be a very friendly person. No wonder he has so many friends.
5. She thinks scuba diving is a dangerous sport. But there is no danger at all.
6. I come from a very wealthy family. My grandparents wealth was in diamonds.
7. She doesn’t need your help. She can manage on her own. She isn’t as helpless as you
think.
8. After taking the pill, the effect on her body was noted immediately. Obviously the
medication was quite effective.

Now underline the correct form of the word in the sentences below.

1. The power, powerful, powerless surge of electricity burnt out the appliances.
2. The attractive, attract, attraction woman made heads turn when she entered the room.
3. I feel quite strong, strength, strongly about the proposal to reduce government spending.
4. The switch was turned on flooding the room with light, lightly, lighted.
5. I trust, trustful, trustfulness my doctor completely.
6. The rescue workers only rested when all of the children were safety, safe, safeness.
7. The police are search for a danger, dangerous, dangerously criminal who escaped from
prison.
8. She happily, happiness, happy agreed to the new terms of the lease for the house.
 41

Unit 1 Lesson 4

Many people around the world love to eat chocolate. Do you? Do your classmates? Let’s find
out. Answer the questions in the short survey below and then ask a classmate.

Chocolate lover
1. What kind of chocolate do you like?
a. dark b. white c. milk
2. What is your favourite brand of chocolate?
a. Savoy b. Nestlé c. Pirugina
3. How often do you eat chocolate?
a. all the time b. sometimes c. never
4. Why do you eat chocolate?
_______________________________________

Looking at vocabulary: Word association

What are the words you associate with chocolate? Work with a partner and write
the words in the web below. Use your dictionary.

Chocolate

Share your words with the class. Add any new words to the web.
 42

Where did chocolate come from? Who discovered it?

Can you tell the History of Chocolate? These images represent important people, places and
things that are found in the History of chocolate. Can you match the image to the
corresponding word in the box? Write the word under its image.

____________ ____________ ______________ ___________

____________ ____________ ______________ ___________

_________________ ____________ _______________ ___________

_________________ ____________ _______________ ___________

Mayan king box of chocolate coins Spain

Spanish explorer Aztec rabbit cocoa beans
cocoa pod on tree turkey Switzerland chocolate soda
cup of chocolate West Africa slave Central America

In small groups, use these images to tell your story of the History of Chocolate. Use as many
images as you like. Now, share your story with the class.
 43

The history of chocolate………….our version

Your teacher will now give you a handout with the reading “Chocolate: A Taste of History.”

In what ways are the two stories similar?

Chocolate: A Taste of History. An overview

Get a general idea of the story by filling in the information on the graphic organizer. This
way you will be able to remember the most important details.
What for?
Used by

Examples.

. Now tell the story of the History of chocolate.

 44

Grammar review: Past tense

In this story, the writer talks about the history of chocolate. To do this, which tense does he
use, the Present or the Past? Underline the correct one.

The writer uses the Present tense/Past tense.

Look at these sentences taken from the text. The root form of the verb is underlined.
Look at the endings. What do you notice about them?

1. More than 1,500 years ago, the Mayan people of Central America discovered how to make
chocolate.

2. Visitors to the exhibit learned about the history of chocolate.

3. They used the seeds to make a spicy, hot drink.

4. Then, in the 1500s, Spanish explorers arrived in the New World

Go back to the text. How many other examples of each can you find? Write the verb and the
past tense form in the space below.

Verb Past form Verb Past form Verb Past form

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________
________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________
________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

Work it out and write the rule!

Look at the examples of the past tense endings of the verbs in the sentences and
exercise above. Decide with a class mate the rule for forming the past tense of
these verbs and fill in the blanks in the Rule Box below.

In English, the past tense is sometimes formed by adding _______ to the

infinitive form of the verb.

When the verb ends in ______, the past tense is formed by adding______.

However, there are other verbs that do not have the same ending as the verbs in exercise
above. These verbs have irregular endings. Go back to the section of the text entitled,
A Long History. There are six verbs with irregular past tense endings. Find them and then
write the root verb and the past tense form in the space below.

Verb Past form Verb Past form Verb Past form

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________
________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

We will meet other irregular past tense verb forms in other units. Make a note of these and
learn them.

Chocolates in Venezuela
Did you know that once Venezuela was renowned for its cacao?
Take a look at these Fact Files and learn something about cocoa
and chocolate made in our country.
Types of chocolate
CARENERO SUPERIOR
Made from a blend of Trinitario cocoa
beans, this chocolate has a mixture of
flavours such as spice, citrus, vanilla,
berries and honey.
Its name is derived from the port of
Carenero.
CUYAGUA
Made from a blend of Criollo and
Trinitario beans, this chocolate has a
mixture of flavours such as dairy, peach
and a slight woodiness. Its name is
derived from a village in the state of
Aragua.
CHUAO
Made from a blend of Criollo and
Trinitario beans, this chocolate is one of
the rarest and most complex. It has a
flavour of blueberries, plums, molasses
and a slight touch of vanilla. Its name is
derived from the village in the State of
Aragua.
Other brand names
Irapa, made from 40.5% cocoa, is named
after the Rio Caribe region in Sucre.
Cariaco, made from 60.5% cocoa, is named
after the Caribbean gulf region.
Macuro, made from 70% cocoa, is named
after the region where Columbus is said to
have landed.
45
Important information
Cocoa needs to be grown at an altitude
of 2,000 feet.
90% of the world’s crop is Forastero
while only 2 % is Criollo.
The texture of the chocolate is due to
the kneading process (conching). The
longer the conching, the finer the
texture.
The famous Belgian chocolates in
Caracas are made by La Praline in Los
Palos Grandes.
Types of cocoa
FORASTERO
This is the most common type of bean
and the tree is found in Brazil, West
Africa and parts of Asia.
It grows in abundance and is less prone
to disease. However, it has a plain
chocolate flavour and is high in tannins
which have a bitter taste.
CRIOLLO
The original bean is Mexican in origin
and today is grown mostly in Venezuela.
It is a fragile tree which gives low yields
and is prone to disease. It has, however,
a more superior flavour and aroma and,
as a result, is very expensive.
TRINITARIO
Named after the island where it was
created, this hybrid of Forastero and
Criollo, gives a higher yield and is more
resistant to disease than the latter, and
has a higher quality than the former.
 46

3 4

6 7

10

EclipseCrossword.com

Across
2. Technical name for kneading process.
5. Major type of cacao grown in Brazil.
6. Name of Belgian chocolates made in Caracas.
8. Chocolate made from 70% cacao.
9. Venezuelan chocolate mainly made from Trinitario cacao.
10. This causes bitterness in cacao.

Down
1. Chocolate named after village in Aragua State.
2. Major type of cacao grown in Venezuela.
3. Number of feet of altitude best suited for cacao to grow.
4. Country where Criollo beans are originally from.
7. Venezuelan chocolate named after village in Sucre State.
 47

On your own
Now that we know something about the history of Chocolate and we have reviewed
verbs in the past tense, why don’t you try one (1) of these activities?

Some of the verbs from the paragraphs below have been omitted. Choose the
correct verb from the Word Box. Use your dictionary to look up the meaning of the verbs you
do not know. Write the verb in its appropriate place in the paragraph. Remember to use the
correct past tense form of the verb. One of the verbs has already been written in.

WORD BOX

use roast mix serve

play call make value
cultivate use present demand
believe make conquer trade

Chocolate in Mayan and Aztec Society

Chocolate _______________ an important role in Mayan society. The citizens
___________ chocolate very much so they ___________ the cocoa trees. After harvesting the
cocoa pods, they ___________ the beans. They ___________ the paste with water, chilli
powder, cornmeal and other ingredients. They ____________ a spicy, chocolate drink. They
_____________ it Xocafl which means “bitter water”.
Later the Aztecs also ___________ chocolate. They ____________ with the Mayas for
cocoa and __________ the beans as a form of money. In fact, when they _____________ other
tribes, they _____________ payment in cocoa seeds. The Aztecs also ___________ a bitter,
chocolate drink flavoured with spices. They ______________ that power and wisdom came
from cocoa. Only famous people were allowed to drink it.
Chocolate played an important part in both cultures. Priests _____________ cocoa
beans to their Gods. They also _____________ chocolate drinks on religious occasions.

The past meets the present

This ancient time traveller has just landed in the 21st century and has met a chef. They are
talking about chocolate, of course! Work with a partner and write what each says about
chocolate then and now. Use vocabulary found in the text. First, write the words you will use
in the Word Box below. Then, write the conversation. Remember to use the correct tense of
the verbs.
 48

WORD BOX

In our Mayan society…..

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Well, in our society today…….

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Not basket but Verb ball!

1. Divide into two teams.

2. Each team makes a list of regular and irregular verbs.
3. Team one calls out the infinitive of a verb.
4. Team two has to give the past tense form of the verb.
5. A correct answer scores one point. The incorrect answer is one point for the opposing
team.
6. Each team can challenge the other by asking for the correct answer or by asking for
the Spanish equivalent of the word.
7. The team that scores the most points after 10 minutes of game time, wins!
 49

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 4

A recipe with cocoa and chocolate.

Here’s a recipe using chocolate. Why don’t you try it out and see.

Chocolate-banana-coconut loaf

Let’s first get the ingredients with which we are going to work. Identify the picture of each
ingredient by writing its name beneath each image. The names of the ingredients are also
found in the box. But some letters are missing. Fill in the letters first!
Ingredients

CRE__ M C__E__ SE E__ __S C__C__NU__ __LO__R

CO__OA PO__DE__ __ILK CHOCO__ATE M__L__ __UT__E__
__ANANA S__GA__ BA__ING PO__DE__ VANI__ __A
 50

……..and the cooking implements. But you have to unscramble them first.

__________________ ___________________ __________________ ________________

SPNOO PCU WBOL NPA

The recipe
 1 large ripe banana, peeled and mashed
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 2 eggs, lightly beaten
 1 cup milk
 1 cup caster sugar
 2 1/2 cups plain flour
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 cup dessicated coconut
 250g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
 100g spreadable cream cheese, to serve

Unfortunately, some of the verbs are missing. Can you select the verb and place it in its
corresponding position? The verbs are at the end of the Method.

Method
 Preheat oven to 200°C.
 Grease and flour a 19cm x 9cm x 6cm loaf pan.
 ___________________ together the mashed banana, vanilla, eggs and milk.
 _____________in the sugar. _______________the flour and baking powder over the wet
ingredients.
 Add the coconut and gently fold through the mixture, using a large metal spoon.
 __________________ in the chocolate, being careful not to over-mix.
 Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.
 _________________for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre
comes out clean.
 ___________________ to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
 Turn onto a wire rack to cool. Serve sliced with cream cheese.

FOLD STIR ALLOW SIFT MIX BAKE

 51

Now write your own recipe for your favourite dish. You can also ask
friends and family for traditional recipes, too.

 Find pictures of the ingredients and the implements needed.

 Write the ingredients.
 Write out the method to follow.

Backpacking around Venezuela: Ben’s Backpacking Travel Blog

The following is an extract from the blog written by Ben Adam from Brighton, England about
his travels in Venezuela. This is day five and six of his trip from Puerto Colombia to Merida.
Ben did not have time to put the verbs in the correct tenses. Read the text and select the
correct tense for the verbs found at the end of each sentence.

Puerto Colombia to Merida

From Puerto Colombia we ________________ the bus via Maracay to Merida, a Venezuelan
city sitting at the foot of the Andes. (TAKE)
After the beach in morning, we ________________the bus to Maracay (6,000 Bs each 2 hours),
_________________forces with a fellow backpacker and _________________a bus to Merida at
the station that _______________leave later that night(40,000 Bs). (CATCH; JOIN; BOOK; BE
DUE TO). Not a lot to do in Maracay so ______________a taxi to the shopping centre and
_______________ Saw II (9,000 Bs) as it _____________the only film in English. (CATCH;
WATCH, BE) It ___________awful! (BE) Back to the bus station we _________________around
for the bus, eventually we ______________ our bags on shoving and pushing with the
Venezuelans, before being told the bus ______________full! (WAIT; GET; BE). After getting
our bags back from the disgruntled luggage man we ________________to get on a bus an hour
or two later. (MANAGE). We __________________in Merida frozen to the bone from the air
conditioning on the bus, we __________________a nice posada Jama CHia and the four of
us___________ a room for 15,000 Bs each. (ARRIVE; FIND; GET).

We then ______________a traditional Venezuelan breakfast in the only cafe open for 6,000 Bs.
(HAVE) We then _____________ mountain bikes and _________________cycle up the Andes,
bad idea! (RENT; ATTEMPT). After cycling back down we __________________an ice cream
palour that ____________the Guinness world record for number of flavours. (VISIT; HOLD)

We _______________the evening around the square drinking beer and strange local wine. We
________________BBQ’d meat on a stick and ham and cheese pancakes for dinner. (SPEND;
HAVE.)
CICLO DE INICIACION UNIVERSITARIO

ENGLISH CIU

UNIT 2: People and nature

 53

Unit 2: Lesson 5

Do you like doing chores, housework, and homework? Wouldn’t you love to have
someone or something to help you with the tasks you do not like or want to do? .

What do you think?

How many things do we have in our schools, offices and homes that have
been designed to help us? In small groups, make a list of the most
important devices and what they do. Share your list with the class.

Try to use the vocabulary you already know. Use your dictionary to find the English
equivalent of words you would like to use. Remember to write the part of speech.

Devices What they do.

___________ ________________________________
___________ ________________________________
___________ ________________________________
___________ ________________________________
___________ ________________________________
___________ ________________________________

If you could create a new device, what would it be? What would it be able to do?
Draw a picture of the device.

My new device is a ______________________________

(See drawing below).

It can ____________________________________________.
 54

Robots to the rescue!

Many people dream of having a helper like Rosie, the robot in
the Jetsons. But, can robots really do the same things we do?
First, let’s find the words used in English to express the
following actions. The first letter of each verb is given. Ask
your group for help if you get stuck.

O_______________ F_______________ C______________ F_____________

S__________________ J________________ C________________ P___________

R__________________ T_______________ R______________ W___________

Choose two (2) of the actions above. Can you think of any other verbs that you can
associate with the image? Look at the example below.

Image: _________ Image: _________

JOG
Associated words: Associated words:
___________________ ___________________
WALK ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________

Make a class list of associated words. Add any new words to your Leitner Manual
Computer list.
 55

Now, here are some questions for your group. What do robots look like?
Can they do the same things we do? What can they do? What can’t they do?

They look like……

They can….
__________________________
__________________________ _________________________
__________________________ _________________________
__________________________ _________________________
__________________________ _________________________
__________________________ _________________________
_________________________
They can’t

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________ Now, share your ideas with the class. Make a
class list of what robots look like and the things
_________________________
they can or can’t do. Add any new words to your
list.
_________________________ list.

Read about some robots that are being used today. See if they look like your image of
a robot. Can they do the same things?

Many New Robots

All around the world, scientists are working on creating new kinds of
robots, devices that will one day make our world a safer and better place.
These robots teach people how to dance, have conversations, help people
in emergencies, and much more. Let’s have a look at some of them.

Among the artistic and athletic robots on display at the World Exposition in
Japan, is Cooper, a robot that paints pictures and the Partner Ballroom Dance robot
which actually dances with people. There is also the Batting robot which can hit
balls with a baseball bat and Caddy -05 that can teach you to play golf.

There are, however, robots that do more important jobs. For example, Robot
ACM-R5 looks like a snake with a camera on its head. It can walk up stairs and swim
underwater going into places that are unsafe for people. The golden Kinshachi Robot
also swims like a fish. It goes into the ocean to check the safety of bridges and gather
information for fishing. Another robot gives medical advice just like a doctor and
there is even a robotic brain surgeon that can remove cancer in the brain that human
doctors can’t reach.

Some robots even look like humans. Meet EveR-1, a silicone-skinned Korean
robot with a face that expresses basic emotions like anger, happiness and pleasure.
Eve also has a vocabulary of 400 words and can carry on a basic conversation. Over
in Japan, Repliee Q1, also made of silicon, has sensors and motors that allow her to
 56

turn and react like a human. She can flutter her eyelids, move her hands and even
appears to breathe.

Robots are also learning to learn. There’s Toddler, a robot that has learnt to walk
just like a baby without having prior information built into its program. It really
learns like a human baby. The world of robotics is only just opening up and in the
future robots will be able to do many more things so we can live in a safer world.

Would you like to make any changes to your list? What things will you add?

I now know robots can

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Vocabulary Review: Modal verbs - CAN

We’ve looked a number of things that robots can do. Here are a few from the
text. Write one of the examples your group gave in the previous exercise.
What do you notice about the verb that follows CAN?

1. Batting robot which can hit balls with a baseball bat and Caddy -05 that can
teach you to play golf.
2. Repliee Q1 can flutter her eyelids, move her hands and even appears to
breathe.
Your example:

3. ________________________________________________________________________.

CAN belongs to a group of verbs that we refer to as MODALS. Do you know any
other modal verbs?

One other MODAL verb that I know is : ______________________________.

Work it out and write the rule!

Go back to the examples of sentences with CAN. What do you notice
about the verb that follows CAN? Then, fill in the blanks in the Rule
Box.

In English, the verbs that follow CAN are written in the

___________________________.
 57

Vocabulary: Our bodies

Our bodies are really sophisticated machines made up of many different
parts. Each part plays an important role so that the machine functions
properly. Can you match each part to its role? Write the number next to the
dictionary definition of the word. Then, locate each part on the drawing of the human
body by writing the number in the correct location. Check your answers with a
classmate.

Part of the body What it does.

1 eye one of the parts of the body of a ___
human or animal that is used
for standing or walking,

2 leg the middle joint of the leg, ___

which allows it to bend

3 shoulder either of the two organs in the ___

chest with which people and
some animals breathe

4 skin one of the two parts of the body ___

at each side of the neck which
join the arms to the rest of the
body

5 arm the organ in your chest that ___

sends the blood around your
body

6 lungs the natural outer layer which ___

covers a person, animal or fruit

7 knee one of the two organs in your ___

face, which you use to see with

8 heart either of the two long parts of ___

the upper body which are fixed
to the shoulders and have the
hands at the end

Can you think of at least two other organs in our body? What do these organs do?
Write the part of the body and what it does in the space provided.

Part of the body What it does

9
_______________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
10 _______________ ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
 58

Like all machines, our bodies suffer from wear and tear, break down after some time
and need to be replaced.

Think about it.

What parts of our body can be replaced? Use the list above or look up
new words in your dictionary.

Parts of the body which can be replaced are

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Many years ago, body part replacement was thought to be science-fiction.

One television series which dealt with this topic was The Six Million
Dollar Man. The show premiered on the U.S. television channel ABC on
January 18th 1974. The last episode was aired on March 6th, 1978. Each
episode began with a voice that said:

“…Steve Austin, astronaut, a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we

can rebuild him, we have the technology. We have the
capability to make the world’s first Bionic man. Steve Austin
will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger.
Faster."

Each week, Steve used the superior strength and speed provided by his bionic arm
and legs, and the enhanced vision provided by his artificial eye, to fight enemy
agents, aliens, mad scientists, and a wide variety of other villains.

From January, 1976 to May, 1978 another bionic character was on the
screen in The Bionic Woman. Here Jamie Sommers, a former tennis
player, received two bionic legs which allowed her to run at speeds
exceeding 60 mph, a right arm capable of bending steel or throwing
objects great distances and a bionic ear which allowed her to hear a
whisper a mile away.

Now, more than thirty years later, science fiction has become reality and here’s one
example. Stuart Hughes, a BBC producer, lost his leg when he stood on a landmine
while covering the news in Iraq. Steve now wears a Propio Foot which, unlike
traditional artificial limbs, uses sensors and a built-in microprocessor to mimic the
actions of a human foot. The sensor detects whether the walker is on level ground or
going up or downhill. The software then adjusts the foot movement. Stuart might not
run as fast as Steve Austin, but he can do many things that traditional prosthesis
will not allow him to do.

At the University College of London, researchers have also invented a new technology
that allows skin to bind to artificial limbs made of titanium. These, in turn, are
attached to bones and controlled by our nervous system. Researchers also believe that
 59

in five years, patients will be able to control their bionic limbs through electrodes
attached to nerves.

And finally, an American company has created a chip which can be inserted under
the skin to hold information about the user. It is the size of a rice grain and contains
an identification number, a capacitor and an electronic magnetic coil for data
transmission. These components are placed inside a container compatible with
human tissue. The information is read with a special scanner. Soon, we will be able
to go shopping without having to use credit cards or cash. Science fiction? What do
you think?

Think about it.

Would you like to have a bionic limb? What will you be able to do?
Would you like to have a chip with your data under your skin?
Why? Why not? Share your views with the class.

Bionics: The Past, the Present and the Future

Go back to the text and find out what people with bionics parts could do in the past,
can do at present and will be able to do in the future. Write the information in the
organizer below.

PERSON BIONIC PART CAPABILITIES

 60

Now use this information to write a report about bionic parts.

 Write about each person, what body part was replaced and
what that person can do.
 Remember to include what you think we will be able to do in
the future.

Grammar Review: Prepositions

Look at the following sentences taken from the texts in today’s lesson.

1. Robot ACM-R5 looks like a snake with a camera on its head.

2. From January 1976 to May, 1978 another bionic character was on the screen
in The Bionic Woman.

3. The robot goes into the ocean to check the safety of bridges and gather
information for fishing.

The underlined words are prepositions. Prepositions are used to join nouns,
pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. Look at our sentences again.

 What words do the prepositions join?

 What information does each give you?

In sentence 1, on joins _____________________ and __________________________.

In sentence 2, from joins ____________________ and _________________________.
In sentence 3, into joins _____________________ and _________________________.

Now, re-read each of the sentences and underline the correct option.

On in sentence 1 indicates: location/time/movement.

From in sentence indicates: location/time/movement.
Into in sentence indicates: location/time/movement.

Here is a list of some more prepositions. Do you know what they represent? Write
the preposition under its corresponding image for the activity Where is the ball? 1.

in next to into above in front of

under between behind on out of
 61

Where is the ball?: 1

_________ _________ _________________ _________ ________ __________

Where is the ball?: 2

What about the remaining prepositions from the list? It’s your turn to illustrate these
prepositions in the boxes below. Write the corresponding word under its image.

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

What’s going on?

Here are some more prepositions, but of Time. Do you know the Spanish
equivalent?

At On By Before From
Since For During Until After

Use the texts in your guide to find examples of sentences with prepositions of time.
Write the sentence in the space provided and underline the preposition.
What would be the most appropriate word in Spanish for the prepositions you
underlined?

1. _________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________________________________

6. _________________________________________________________________________
 62

7. _________________________________________________________________________

8. _________________________________________________________________________

9. _________________________________________________________________________

10. ________________________________________________________________________

Dictionary work
Use your bilingual and then monolingual dictionaries to find the meaning of
the following sets of prepositions. Do they have the same meaning in
English as well as in Spanish? If they do, what’s the difference?

English Spanish What’s the difference?

preposition equivalent

Above _______________ _________________________________________

Over _______________ _________________________________________
Below _______________ _________________________________________
Under _______________ _________________________________________
Among _______________ _________________________________________
Between _______________ _________________________________________

On your own!
Do one of the following activities.

 If you could only see what I see

You have a friend who has just had an eye operation and cannot see.
Describe your favourite picture or painting. Remember to use vocabulary
you have learnt. Use as many prepositions as possible. Add any new words to your
Manual computer.

 My robot.
Design your own robot! Give it a name. Tell us what it looks like and what it can do.
Include a drawing.

Working on your vocabulary.

Remember to work on your vocabulary by adding the words from this
unit to your personal Leitner Manual Computer box.

Checking up on Grammar.
Remember to review the grammar points in today’s lesson on page
138.
 63

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 5

Describing the scene.

Look at the two (2) pictures below. Use as many prepositions as you
can to describe what you see.
First make a list of what you see. Then describe the scene.

1. In the computer lab

I can see_______________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

In the computer lab ____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

In the bedroom I can see

_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

In the bedroom
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
 64

We started to write the following sentences but didn’t finish. Please write an ending
for each one. Use as many different prepositions as you can.

1. The picture is hanging _________________________________________________.

2. The children are playing ________________________________________________.
3. The car is parked _______________________________________________________.
4. There are a number of people ____________________________________________.
5. A man was seen going ___________________________________________________.
6. Carl told Mary to wait for him ___________________________________________.
7. The found the lost suitcase_______________________________________________.
8. My flight is leaving _____________________________________________________.
9. It was difficult to get ____________________________________________________.
10. My birthday is __________________________________________________________.

Such awful English!

Sorry, but some of the sentences I wrote below are incorrect. Can you
help me find the mistakes? Circle each mistake and write the
correction above it.

1. When I was younger, the Bionic Woman was my favourite TV show. I watch it

every Saturday afternoon.

2. I’m sorry that you didn’t learned what your instructor taught you.

3. They say the robot swimmmed under the bridge to repair it.

4. The reporter make his first step yesterday with his new bionic leg.

5. Her skin feels just like the real think. Touch it!

6. That robot just blink at me. I saw her do it!

7. The report says that the researchers have just invent a new chip. That’s great

news.

8. Did you see the sports robot? It hitted four balls in one minute!
 65

Unit 2: Lesson 6
Can animals think?
Have you thought about “thinking”? What do we do when we think?

With a classmate, discuss what you believe reflects “THINKING”

Thinking is…

And, what about animals? Can they “think”? But first of all, let’s see if you can
recognise these animals below.

Looking at vocabulary.
Can you match the image to the word in English? The English word has
been scrambled. But, the first letter of each word is written below its
image.

Z__________ S___________ E___________ C__________

D__________ P___________ C___________ O__________

C__________ S___________ L___________ B__________

DLOHPIN EBE NEKSA TCA

EBZRA OTCPOUS INLO RBCA
CMHIP EGAEL APRTRO HASKR
 66

What other animals do you know? Write their names in this semantic map. Then
share yours with the class. Add any additional names to the web.

Animals
I know

Now, do you think that some animals are “smarter” or more “intelligent” than others?
In small groups, make a list of animals you think are “intelligent”. What can these
animals do? Share your list with the class.

SMART ANIMALS

They can…..

And how do we humans compare? What can animals do? What can humans do? Are
there any things in common?

So, can animals think? Let’s find out in this reading on….
 67

Can animals think?

Dandy is a young chimpanzee at the Wisconsin Regional Primate
Center. Recently, he did something that surprised scientists there. One day, Dandy
watched a scientist hide a piece of fruit in the sand. Dandy knew where the fruit
was, but when some other chimps came around, Dandy pretended he did not know
the location. Later, after the other chimps fell asleep, Dandy went right to the spot
where the fruit was. He dug it up and ate it. It was incredible. Dandy planned ahead
and tricked his friends.

A heron in Japan also did something surprising. One day she saw some small
fish in a pond. She invented a new, creative way to catch them. First, she found a
twig and broke it into small pieces. Then, she took one of the pieces to the pond and
put it in the water. She even moved it to a place in the pond where the fish would see
it. When the fish swam over to the twig, she caught one for her lunch. The heron was
able to make and use a tool.

Alex is a parrot that lives in a laboratory at the University of Arizona. His

trainer, Irene Pepperberg, has been working with Alex for twenty years. She taught
Alex to talk, name and count objects, and answer simple questions about them. Alex
is very good at these tasks. He even says, “I’m sorry” when he makes a mistake. But
one day Alex did something that really surprised Dr. Pepperberg. She took Alex to a
veterinarian’s office for surgery. Alex became upset. When Pepperberg started to
leave, Alex said, “Come here. I love you. I’m sorry. I want to go back.”

In Italy, scientists, showed how an octopus could learn how to perform a task
by watching another octopus do it. One octopus watched another open a jar. The jar
had a crab inside for the octopus to eat. After observing how to open the jar, the
octopus was able to open the jar himself. Until recently, many scientists thought only
mammals could learn by watching others.

A gorilla named Timmy had lived alone for most of his life. The zoo workers
brought Timmy to the Bronx Zoo in New York City to live with Pattycake, a female
gorilla. Timmy and Pattycake had a baby. After their baby was born, it became sick
and the mother and baby were taken away. The zoo workers reported that Timmy
became very upset. He wouldn’t eat or sleep. He even cried. He looked everywhere to
see if Pattycake had returned. It certainly seemed like he had fallen in love.

Stories like these raise many questions about animals and the way they think
and behave. Today, more scientists believe that animals can really think.
Text adapted from

Think about it.

Do you know any stories similar to the ones told here? If so, share
them with the class.

Do these examples show that animals can really think? What would humans have
done in the same situation? Discuss with a classmate and then fill out the table.
 68

Animal What he/she did. What a human would have done.

The verdict is : ______________________________________________________________

because ____________________________________________________________________.

Grammar Review: Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that can replace a noun in a sentence. We use pronouns
so that we do not have to repeat the same noun over and over again.

Take a look at these sentences from the text.

Dandy is a young chimpanzee at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center.

Recently, he did something that surprised scientists there.

But one day Alex did something that really surprised Dr. Pepperberg. She
took Alex to a veterinarian’s office for surgery.

Timmy and Pattycake had a baby. After their baby was born, it became sick
and the mother and baby were taken away.

One day she saw some small fish in a pond. She invented a new, creative way
to catch them.

What nouns do the pronouns in bold in each set of sentences replace?

He replaces ____________________________________________.
She replaces ___________________________________________.
It replaces _____________________________________________.
Them replaces __________________________________________.
 69

Work it out and right the rule!

Look at the sentences again. What is the relationship between the
pronouns and the nouns they replace? Where are these pronouns found
in the sentence? When you have the answer, fill in the blanks in the
Rule Box below.

In English, pronouns agree in ____________ and _____________ with the nouns

they replace. Pronouns usually come ______________ the nouns they replace.

Let’s look at some more examples from the text. What kind of pronouns are these?

Dandy planned ahead and tricked his friends.

When the fish swam over to the twig, she caught one for her lunch.

Timmy and Pattycake had a baby. After their baby was born, it became
sick and the mother and baby were taken away.

His, her and their are possessive adjectives. They tell us to whom something
belongs. They are always followed by the thing that is possessed (their baby, his
friends). Go back to the sentences. Can you tell to whom the possessive pronouns
refer?

His refers to __________________________________________.

Her refers to _________________________________________.
Their refers to ________________________________________.

What other possessive adjectives do you know? Write them in the space and try to
make a sentence with them.

Go back to the text. Find three (3) sets of sentences with pronouns. Underline the
pronoun and circle the noun it replaces. Check your sentences with the person next to
you.
There are many other types of pronouns in English. See if
Anyou can findof
example them in the text.
a sentence withGive yourself
other some
pronouns.
BONUS bonus points if you do!
BONUS
____________________________________________________________
BONUS
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
 70

Do you know what the following animals have in common?

Grey wolf Whooping crane Black vulture _______________

They are monogamous. They mate for life. Do you know of another? Paste the
picture in the frame provided or do a drawing. Write the name on the line below.

Image of love: Words and actions that express love.

How do we show love? What actions express this feeling? In groups, see how many
you know. Find the ones you want to express. Share your list with the class.

LOVE is
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Can animals express love? How would they do it? In your groups, discuss how
animals show love to:

 Each other
 humans
 71

Take a look at this news article retrieved from the Guardian online site.
The story was posted on Thursday, August 30, 2007. After reading, give
the article a title. Write it in the box below.

It's a very traditional love story - just on a bigger scale than usual.

A tame female elephant has fled an Indian circus after eloping with a
wild bull elephant that broke open a gate and led her off into the jungle,
her distraught handler said today.

"I brought up Savitri since she joined the circus two decades ago,"
Kalimudddin Sheikh, who unsuccessfully tried to lure his charge away from her new beau,
added.

The wild male, who wildlife officials believe was probably in musth - the periodic
condition in which bull elephants seek to mate - turned up at the travelling circus when it
stopped in the village of Kumar Bazar, in West Bengal state, yesterday.

It broke into an enclosure and led Savitri into the jungle, with the pair being followed by
three other female elephants in the same pen. Their trumpeting alerted circus workers,
who led them back.

Savitri's mind, however, seemed made up. According to one forestry official, she was last
seen bathing with the bull in a jungle pond. When handlers called for Savitri to come to
them, she looped her trunk around the bull's leg and "he protectively shielded her like in a
Bollywood1 blockbuster," the official said.

The forestry department said it would continue to monitor the pair to ensure they did not
cause any damage.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/30/india

Think about it

Did the elephants behave like humans in love? If so, how? Do you
know of similar behaviour among humans?

Savitri , the elephant, has returned to the circus. What do you think she will tell the
other elephants? In pairs, write her account of what happened during her week
away.

1
The name used for the Mumbai (formerly Bombay) based Hindi-language film industry in India.
 72

Use the question forms in the bubbles to help you get information. One
is done as an example for you.

When did it happen? Who?

Where?
Why?

What? How?

Remember to:
 Think about the vocabulary to use.
 Write the correct form/tense of the verb.
 Make sure your pronouns agree

On your own. : Let the animals talk!

What do you think these animals are saying? Fill in the speech bubbles
and help them send us a message

!
 73

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 6

Turning verbs into abstract nouns

We’re seen how verbs can be turned into nouns for people. Now let’s see how by
adding the endings below, we can turn verbs into abstract nouns.

ment ion ion* ation ition ance ence ing

1. We have to pay for our new car. The first payment is due tomorrow.
2. The scientists accepted the grant from the University. Their acceptance of the
money meant that they could continue with their research.
3. After her husband died, Mary no longer wanted to live. Her children tried to
make her understand that the living were more important than the dead.
4. The repetition of our latest play will be next month. We decided to repeat the
work due to many requests from the public.
5. This topic is no longer open for discussion. You had the opportunity to discuss
it for more than a month and you didn’t!
6. On my brother’s insistence, I decided to apply for a scholarship to this
university. Had he not insisted, I would have looked for a job.
7. Venezuela no longer produces a large amount of coffee and cocoa as in the last
century. The production in these areas has fallen drastically.
8. Did you invite Peter and Stuart to your party? I haven’t heard them talk
about receiving any invitation yet.

sion
* Verbs that end in de – decide or t – permit change to

Now write the correct form of the word in the sentences that follow.

1. The _______________________ of his corrupt dealings led to the minister

resigning. (REVEAL)

2. Many people believe in the ______________________ of God. (EXIST)

3. Why don’t you give them ______________________ to go to the beach (PERMIT)

4. Is there any way I can ___________________ you with your problem. (ASSIST)

5. We were shocked when she ____________________ her children. (ABANDON)

6. The ________________ of the new contract will benefit all workers. (SIGN)
 74

7. Do you believe that the __________________ always fits the crime? (PUNISH)

8. Society’s ________________ to change will be its downfall. (RESIST)

Who or what does it refer to?

Read the sentences below. Some of the pronouns are underlined. Can you tell who or
what they refer to? Circle the noun or nouns.

1. John and his brother have just returned from their holiday in Cancun.
2. When it rains heavily, water leaks through the hole in the roof. I must get it fixed.
3. Savatri, the elephant, ran away from her home in the circus when it had stopped
for a performance.
4. “I’m against the implementation of that law.”, the Minister said to his secretary.
5. Although the majority of the people were in favour of returning to their homes
after the floods, a few of them decided to stay at their new location.
6. Please put the newspaper and the magazine on the table. I’ll take them both
home with me.

Finding the right pronoun.

Read this short news item on Orangutans in Borneo. Some of the pronouns have
been removed. Can you select the correct pronoun to go into the space in the
sentences? The alternatives are given at the end of each sentence.

Orangutans on the edge of extinction

The orangutan is an animal that is facing extinction. ______is one
of the most endangered species on the planet and _________could become extinct in
the wild within a short period of time. (THEY, SHE, HE, IT)

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) is the largest project to rescue
primates in the world. In Nyaru Menteng, more than 1000 orangutans have a home.
Many of ______________are ill or have suffered cruelty. (HE, IT, THEY, THEM)
Here __________ are loved, cured and looked after by Lone Droscher Nielsen.(IT,
THEY, THEM, HE) .
______________and her team run this rescue centre. (HE, SHE, IT, THEY)
__________________work is important because the orangutans are vital for the
propagation of the rainforests in Borneo. (SHE, HER, THEIR, HIS)
 75

Unit 2: Lesson 7
Antarctica: An unexplored continent
There are many interesting places on our planet, Earth. Here is one of them, the
Antarctic. It’s one of the seven continents. Can you locate it on the map?

Where in the world are they?

Look at the map of the world below. Can you locate the continents and oceans? Work
In pairs, write in the places that appear in the box. Then check your answers.
Continents Oceans
Africa Antarctica Asia Atlantic Ocean
Australia Europe North America Pacific Ocean
South America Indian Ocean

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nationsonline.org/bilder/world_outline_map_720.jpg

Can you find the North and South Pole? What other places can you identify?

Working with vocabulary

This lesson is about the Antarctica. Here are some words we associate with it. Can
you match the image to the word it represents? Write the word under each image.

_________ ___________ ____________ ___________ _________

snow seal penguin island ice

 76

What other words do we associate with Antarctica? Discuss with the class and write
them in on the web map below.

Antarctica

Before reading the text, let’s see how much you know about Antarctica.
Write True (T), False (F) or I don’t know.
1. Antarctica is a huge island. _______________
2. Penguins live in Antarctica. _______________
3. Antarctica is in the North pole. _______________
4. Antarctica is smaller than Europe. _______________
5. Eskimos live in Antarctica. _______________

Now let’s read the text.

Antarctica, an unexplored continent

Antarctica, situated in the Southern hemisphere, is one of the seven
continents. A lot has been written about Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North
America and South America. These continents are home to many important people,
places and things. But what about Antarctica?
Antarctica, with an area of 14.4 million square kilometres, is not the smallest
continent. It’s bigger than Australia and Europe and is almost as large as South
America. It’s also the coldest, driest and windiest continent. The waters of three
oceans touch the coasts of Antarctica. These are the Atlantic, the Pacific and the
Indian oceans.
Some people think Antarctica is just an empty place. They say “There is
nothing there – just ice and snow.” But Antarctica is an important part of the world.
98% of the continent is covered by ice that is sometimes 1.6 km in thickness and so
about 70% of the world’s fresh water is found there.
Of course, there is one fact you know about Antarctica: It’s cold! In fact,
Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It has about 90% of the ice in the world! In
winter, the sun doesn’t shine for several months and the temperature of the air can
go below - 80° C. In summer, the sun shines almost all the time, but it’s never really
warm. Temperatures vary between 5° and 15° C near the costs. But Antarctica is
 77

home to a very special natural event: the Aurora Australis, or Southern lights, a
glow in the night sky near the South Pole.
What about life in Antarctica? Although people do not live there permanently,
many countries have research stations on the continent where scientists work.
Biologists, for example, study the oceans and the animals that live there, while
geologists study plate tectonics and meteorites. Doctors look at the spread of viruses
and astrophysicists study the sky. What about the plants and animals? Only those
adapted to the cold live there. These include penguins, blue whales, fur seals, mosses
and lichen.
A few people travel to Antarctica just for fun. They say it’s a lovely place.
What do you think of that idea? Would you like to visit Antarctica?

Go back to question 1. Can you answer the questions now?

Write three (3) things you’ve learnt about Antarctica. Tell your teacher and
classmates.

1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________

Grammar review: Describing things.

What adjectives can you use to describe these things? Work with a
classmate and think of as many words as you can. You can use your
dictionary to find the English equivalent of the words.

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
MOUNTAIN

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
RIVER

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

FOOD

________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
BOX
 78

In the text, Antarctica: The unexplored continent, the writer describes the continent by
using adjectives. Remember that adjectives tell us something about the noun.

Look at the following sentences. Can you identify the adjectives? Underline the
adjective and circle the noun.

1. Some people think Antarctica is just an empty place.

2. 70% of the world’s fresh water is found in Antarctica.

3. Antarctica is never really warm.

4. Antarctica is an important part of the world.

Go back to the text and find four (4) more examples of adjectives and the nouns they
describe. Write them below. Underline the adjective and circle the noun. Then check
your answer with a classmate.

1. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________

Comparing things
In the text, the writer compares Antarctica with other places in the world. Look at
the sentences below.

1. Antarctica is bigger than Australia.

2. Antarctica is almost as large as South America.

3. Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.

Look at the table below. We have been asked to compare the four largest countries in
South America. What can we say about them?

Country Size Population Rivers Mountains

(Km) Name Length Name Height
Argentina 2,766,890 40,391,927 Parana 4,700 Aconcagua 6,962
Brazil 8,514,877 183,888,841 Amazon 6,400 Pico da 3,014
Neblina
Colombia 1,141,748 44,065,000 Magdalena 1,540 Pico Simon 5,700
Bolivar
Peru 1,285,220 28,674,757 Ucayali 1,600,1 Huascaran 6,768
 79

1. Argentina is smaller than Brazil.

2. Parana river is longer than the Ucayali.
3. Colombia has more inhabitants than Argentina.
4. Aconcagua is the highest mountain of the four.
Now you write four more examples.
1. _________________________________________________________.
2. _________________________________________________________.
3. _________________________________________________________.
4. _________________________________________________________.

Work it out and write the rule!

Look at the sentences you have just written. Decide with a class mate
when the comparative and superlative form of the adjective is used.

1. Adjective + er is used to ___________________________________.

2. As + adjective + as is used to _______________________________.

3. Adjective + est is used to ___________________________________.

Now, look at the text called The Penguin. Which of these forms of the adjective can
you find? Tick √ the appropriate one (s).

□ ….er □ as…….as □ …est

The Penguin

The penguin is one of the funniest birds and one of the

easiest birds to recognize. Penguins have black backs and white
bellies. They look fat. They stand upright and they waddle. Unlike
most other birds, penguins can’t fly, but they can swim very fast.

The name penguin came from Spanish explorers. These explorers saw penguins
when they sailed around South America in 1519. They thought this type of bird was
one of the strangest birds in the world. To them, the penguins looked like another
strange bird, the great auk of Greenland and Iceland. The great auk was a large
black and white bird that did not fly. The Spanish word for great auk is pinguis
which means “fat”.

There are 17 kinds of penguins. They all live below the equator. Little blue penguins
sometimes called fairy penguins are the smallest of all. They are 16 inches (about 41
 80

centimeters) tall and weigh only 2 pounds (about 1 kilogram). They got their name
because of their indigo-blue feathers. These penguins live in the warm waters off
southern Australia and New Zealand.

The largest penguin is the emperor penguin. It stands almost 4 feet (about 1.2
meters) tall and weighs from 70 to 90 pounds (about 32 to 41 kilograms). The
emperor penguin lives on the ice around the Antarctic continent. This is the coldest
climate on earth.

People say penguins are the cutest, the funniest and the most loved birds. They also
say they’re the most formal. Do you know why? It’s because they look as if they’re
wearing tuxedos.

Go back to the text. Find and underline more examples of this form of the adjective.
Then choose four (4) and write them in the space below.

1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________

Now, check your answers with a classmate. Do you both have the same adjective
forms? If there is a different form of the adjective, write it here:

1. _________________________________________________________________

Work it out! Write the rule!

Look at the way these adjectives are written in sentences.

Adjective Example in text

Strange They thought this bird was one of the strangest in the world
Small Little blue penguins sometimes called fairy penguins are the
smallest of all.
Easy The penguin is one of the easiest birds to recognize.
Funny The penguin is one of the funniest birds.

Now, with a classmate decide on the rule for forming the superlative form of the
adjective.

To form the superlative, add ______ to the end of the

adjective.
When an adjective ends in ______, change to ______
 81

Putting your knowledge to work.

Choose one of the two activities.
1. Your parents are going to buy you a new portable media player for
your birthday. Here are three models on the market. Read the
characteristics of each one and compare them. Now, tell your parents
which player you want and why.

The Proline MP518D player is 1.9 cm in height, 8.3 cm thick and

2.7 cm wide. It weights 30 g and has 8 hours of battery life. It can
store 500 MP3 tracks. It has 2GB built in memory and requires 120
MB hard disk space.

The Apple Ipod Touch (4th generation), 32 GB player is 11 cm

in height, 5.8 cm wide and 0.8 cm thick. It weighs 99 g and has 40
hours of battery life. It can store about 8,000 songs, 40,000 photos,
or 40 hours of video. It does not require an external hard drive.

Touch Screen TFT MP5 Movie Music Personal Media Player

is 9.7 cm high,1.5 cm thick and 5.6 cm wide. It weights 0.32 kg and
has 4 hours of battery life. It has a storing capacity of 4GB for
about 2000 MP3 tracks. .

Or
Your parents are going to buy you a new mobile phone for your birthday. Here are
three models on the market. Read the characteristics of each one and compare them.
Now, tell your parents which player you want and why.

Blackberry Tour 9630 CDMA Verizon is 7.1 cm high and 3 cm thick. It

has a 3.2 megapixels camera, QWERTY Keyboard, Bluetooth. It weighs
0.21 Kg.

Nokia 5230 Quad-band GSM Cell Phone is 19 cm high, 14 cm wide

and 5.6 cm thick. It has an 8.1 cm touch screen. It weighs 0.45 kg
and has 3 GB of memory. It uses GSM900 and GSM 1800 networks.
2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth stereo music; microSD
memory expansion to 16 GB; access to personal/work e-mail and
instant messaging services

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Smartphone is 15.2 cm high and

5 cm thick. It weighs 0.14 kg. It has a 4.0 inches 854 x 480
pixels touchscreen and a 8 MP camera 1GB of internal
memory, microSD card slot and an 8GB card included with
the device.
 82

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 7

My trip to Rio
Susana has just returned from visiting her family in Brazil and is preparing a
presentation on Rio. She is not sure about the verbs with irregular tenses. She can’t
remember how to form the comparative and superlative forms in English, either.
Can you help her by finishing her presentation? The verbs and adjectives are at the
ends of her talk.

Hello everyone,

Today I am going to talk about my trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Rio is the second _____________ city in Brazil and the third
in South America. It has some of the
______________________ beaches in the world but is also one
of the ____________________________cities in the world.

I __________ to Ipanema Beach and _____________ in the esmerald blue water of the
Atlantic. The beach was packed. I think there were ___________ people on this beach
than Playa el Agua in August. I also visited Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain.

I also ___________ the bus to many part of the city. I visited

the statue of Christ, the Redeemer. The statue _________ a
height of 30 metres but is not ______________________ the
monument to Virgen de la Paz in Trujillo which is 46.7 metres
tall. Christ, the Redeemer is ____________________________
Monument to the Virgin.

___________ people live in Rio than in Caracas, as the population is 13 million. Like
Caracas, there are many beautiful areas but also many poor areas. The ____________
areas are the slums and shanty towns called Favelas which are sometimes located next to
some of the ________________ parts of the city.

I __________to a football game at the Maracanã stadium. It is the ____________

capacity stadium in the world and can hold around 200,000 people. On my last day in
Rio, I _____________ the film City of God (Cidade de Deus) which is about one of the
_______________________ places in Rio in the 1980s. That film is also considered to be
one of the ________________________ movies produced in Latin America. I quite
enjoyed my trip to Rio.
 83

GO (2) HAVE WEALTH DANGEROUS

BE SWIM VIOLENT BEAUTIFUL
SEE TALL SHORT HIGH
TAKE BAD SPECTACULAR LARGE

Backpacking around Brazil: Ben’s Backpacking Travel Blog

Remember our friend Ben. This time he is in Rio and he still has his problem with
time. He did not have time to put the verbs in the correct tenses. Hep him by reading
the text and selecting the correct tense for the verbs found at the end of each
sentence.

When we __________________Rio we
______________about tours that
___________into the Favelas. My first
impression ___________ that Favela tours
__________________ dangerous. But I
___________________ to a few people who and
I _________________ this was not the case.
(VISIT; HEAR; GO; BE; SPEAK; REALISE)

We _______________ Rocinha, the largest Favela in Rio de Janeiro and Latin America
with Favela Tourism Workshop. Rejane Rei, ___________________these tours to dispel
the myth that Rocinha ______________ simply a place of drug dealers and extreme
poverty. The tour _______________very safe and there _____________nothing to worry
about. Although drug dealers _________________in the Favela but don’t ____________
to invite police in so they don’t __________________ trouble with a tour group.(VISIT;
START; BE; FEEL; BE; OPERATE; LIKE; CAUSE)

As we ___________________up one road our tour guide _________________ our

attention to two expensive looking houses neighboring Rochina. One __________high
barbed wire fencing and CCTV cameras whilst another had no security at all. The
family whose house _________________no security avoided problems.
They___________________ themselves into the community and _______________ fund
the school near by. (WALK; BRING; HAVE; INTEGRATE; HELP)

The walking tour _________________its way through the narrow haphazard alleys.
We ______________with warm welcomes from the locals and we _______________the
tour with a visit to a school where we ___________________crafts from the local
children. (WIND; MEET; END; BUY)
 84

Unit 2: Lesson 8

Can you identify these famous novelists whose books have sold millions of copies and
have been made into movies?

___________ __________ ____________

Can you match the movies to the authors on whose books they are based?

________________ ________________ ___________

Vocabulary: Once upon a time….

What is the English word for each of the images below? In what kind of
literature do we usually find them? What words do you associate with
them? In small groups make word webs for each of the images. Share your list with
the class. Add any additional words to your list.
 85

Think about it!

In your groups, write at least three (3) sentences linking the four
images.
Then share your story with the class. Use the vocabulary from your list
and check the verb tenses you use.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

What do you think?

Here are the words said by Lord Sauron while he was creating his rings.
How many rings were created?

Read the text aloud, or ask your teacher to read it to you. Does it sound like a happy
text, full of light? Or a dark text full of shadows?

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
2

Dictionary work:
Use your dictionary to find the meaning of the unknown words in the text.
Which of these words have a negative connotation? Write them in the
space provided. Give their Spanish equivalent.

English Spanish English Spanish

_________________ __________________ _________________ ________________
_________________ __________________ _________________ _______________
_________________ __________________ _________________ ________________

2
Verse of the Ring, quoted by Gandalf, two lines of which are inscribed on Bilbo Baggins' ring, identifying
it as the One Ring, Chapter 'The Shadow of the Past'.
 86

Movie goers today are familiar with the fantasy land of Narnia and the
adventurers of the four children who travel there. Another fantasy world,
Middle-Earth, and the struggle to regain the Ring of power also held their
attention in Lord of the Rings and millions of movie goers eagerly await
the continuing story of the young wizards who study in Hogwarts. But did
you know that all of these films are based on children’s stories, some
written as far back as 1937.

The first of the stories of the Lord of the Ring trilogy was written by
J.R. Tolkien, a university professor from Oxford, England. This
story began as a sequel to Tolkien-s first novel, The Hobbit, but then
developed into a much larger tale. Tolkien created a mythical world
which is populated by humans, elves, hobbits, dwarfs and orcs, as
well as other creatures like trolls and balrogs. The story is centred
on the Rings of Power created by the Dark Lord Sauron and the
quest of the hobbit, Froddo Baggins to destroy the One Ring and
with it its creator. He is helped by Sam and other creatures from
Middle-Earth.

A friend of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, wrote the Narnia Chronicles. Lewis

was born in Ireland in 1898 and some of his characters are based on
events from his childhood. When he was seven, his family moved to a
large house and many of his childhood days were spent exploring the
long hallways and empty rooms and making up stories with his
brother. Like Caspian and Rilian, Lewis’ mother died when he was
very young and he was sent, like Edmund, Jill and Eustace, to
boarding school. When children from London were evacuated during
WWII, a girl, Lucy, stayed at Lewis’ home in Oxford. In his novels, the children are
transported by magic to Narnia where they help the lion Aslan fight against evil.
Narnia is made up of different worlds, including our own, and populated by many
different types of strange creatures created by Aslan, as well as humans. It is a world
of talking animals and magic and the children’s adventures are told in six books.

The first person to become a billionaire based on book sales is J.R.

Rowling. Rowling has a “rags to riches” story. Divorced and
unemployed, she got the idea for a story of a boy who goes to wizardry
school while on a train from Manchester to London. Her first novel was
written in cafes and the manuscript was rejected by twelve publishing
firms before it was accepted by Bloomsbury in 1996. The characters in
Rowling’s books are based on people she knew and her own personal experiences with
school life, death and depression. Rowling’s stories follow the adventures of her main
characters Harry, Ron and Hermione and Harry’s struggles against the evil wizard
Lord Voldemort. Unlike the mythical world of Tolkien and the fantasy realm of
Narnia, Harry and his friends live relatively normal lives in a world which, except for
magic, is very similar to our own, with familiar places and institutions. Perhaps it is
this familiarity which has made these books so popular.

Now, can you identify each of the author’s and the books they wrote? Go back to the
start of today’s lesson and complete the exercise.
 87

Grammar review: The passive voice

Look at these sentences taken from the text. Underline the verb in each.
What do you notice about the form of the verb? Two are written in the active
voice and the other two in the passive voice.

1. A friend of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, wrote the Narnia Chronicles.

2. The Lord of the Ring trilogy was written by J.R. Tolkien.

3. This story began as a sequel to Tolkien’s first novel, The Hobbit, but then
developed into a much larger tale.

4. The characters in Rowling’s books are based on people she knew and her own
personal experiences with school life, death and depression.

What is the difference between the two? The active and passive voice has to do with
the relationship between the subject of the sentence and the verb. For example, in
the first sentence, C.S. Lewis, the subject of the sentence, does the action. In the
second sentence, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, does nothing. The action is done to it.

Work it out and write the rule!

Fill in the blanks with the missing information.

The verbs in sentences _______ and ________ are written in the active
voice while the verbs in sentences ________ and ________ are written in
the passive voice.

Here are some other sentences. Look carefully at the form of the verb.

1. In his novels, the children are transported by magic to Narnia where they help
the lion Aslan fight against evil.

2. He is helped by Sam and other creatures from Middle-Earth.

3. When children from London were evacuated during WWII, a girl, Lucy, stayed
at Lewis’ home in Oxford.

In English, the passive voice is formed with the verb ____________

and the ___________________. The _________ must agree with the
________________ of the sentence.
 88

Vocabulary: A game anyone?

One of the most interesting games played by the students at Hogwarts is
Quidditch. Can you recognize the different pieces of equipment needed
for this game? Select the word from the box and write it under the
image.

broom snitch pitch whistle bludger quaffle

_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

and…how much do you know about the game? Take the Quidditch test and find out!

1. How many balls are used in a Quidditch game?

2. What are the players on the team called?
3. Which is the most important of the balls?
4. Which is considered the most dangerous of the balls?
5. How many hoops are on the pitch?
6. How many points are needed to win?
7. What is “blagging”?
8. What is “bumphing”?

Now, read this text to see if you were right. But wait! There’s something wrong.
Some of the words have been blotted out!. These words can be found in the box
below. Can you decide which word goes where in the text? You have to write the
verbs in the correct tense.

play (v) break (v) dangerous win (v) fall off (v)
invent (v) broomsticks throw (v) whistle collide (v)
players throw (v) ball make (v) hoops
 89

Quidditch (1)is played up on (2)broomsticks up in the air. There are three goal posts
at either ends of a field. That field is called a Quidditch pitch. Quidditch has three
balls. The ball that scores the points is the Quaffle. The Quaffle is 12 inches in
diameter and (3)is made of leather bindings. The Quaffle has made some different
changes over the years. The Bludger is probably the most (4)dangerous ball of all of
them. It flies through the air being hit by (5)players called beaters. Serious injuries
have been caused by Bludgers hitting people and causing them to (6)fall off their
brooms. The third and most important (7)ball is the Golden Snitch. The Golden
Snitch is a tiny ball that has wings and is enchanted. The first Snitch was a tiny bird
that was very small and very tiny, but changes to the rules made it illegal to use the
actual bird. The current enchanted, winged ball version of the Snitch (8)was invented
by Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow. If the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch, his or
her team earns 150 points and usually (9)wins the match.

At either end of the Quidditch pitch are three (10)hoops through which the Quaffle
can be scored. In the center of the Pitch is a circle where the balls (11)are all thrown
into the air and the match begins. As the balls (12)are thrown, the players all gather
on the ground and then kick off as the referee blows his/her (13)whistle. During the
game a player can get a foul or (14)break a rule. Here are some fouls that a player
can receive: blagging (applies to all players, it is when a player seizes opponent's
broom tail to slow or hinder), blatching (applies to all players, it is when a person is
flying with the intent to (15)collide), bumphing (applies to beaters only, it is when a
Beater is hitting a Bludger towards the crowd, necessitating a halt of the game as the
officials rush to protect bystanders. Sometimes used by unscrupulous players to
prevent an opposing Chaser from scoring).

When you are finished, check your work with a classmate. Then check your answers
to the Quidditch test!

Text adapted from http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/quidditch.html

Fill in the table below with the word that should go into the black space above.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10
11 12 13 14 15.
 90

On your own
Go back to the information on C.S. Lewis, J.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rolling
and make your own Literary Quiz. Use the “Question words” to help you.

Find a film that you like. Do some research and find out:
 The writer’s name
 The director´s name
 Where it was filmed
 Who were the main actors
 The story line (what the story was about)
Write it up as a short summary of the story.

Working on your vocabulary.

Remember to work on your vocabulary by adding the words from today’s
unit to your personal Leitner Manual Computer box.

Game time
Not basket but Verb ball!
Past tense and past participle

1. Divide into two teams.

2. Each team makes a list of regular, irregular verbs and past participles
3. Team one calls out the infinitive of a verb.
4. Team two has to give the past tense form of the verb and past participle.
5. A correct answer scores one point. The incorrect answer is one point for the
opposing team.
6. Each team can challenge the other by asking for the correct answer or by
asking for the Spanish equivalent of the word.
7. The team that scores the most points after 10 minutes of game time, wins!

Checking up on Grammar.
Remember to review the grammar points in today’s lesson on page 144.
 91

Additional Vocabulary and Grammar exercises for Lesson 8

Here is a short summary of the Lord of the Rings trilogy written by our friend
Susana. This time she can’t remember how to form the passive voice. Can you help
her by putting the verbs into the correct tense and voice?

I loved to read Lord of the Rings and so I naturally loved the

films as well. The books _____________________________ by
J.R.R Tokien before and during the Second World War.

In the olden days the Rings of power ___________________by

the Elven smiths. Then the Dark Lord Sauron created a
Ring to rule the lesser rings. The rings _________________by
the Dark Lord Sauron and they ________________________by
his power so he could use them as a weapon in his campaign to conquer Middle earth.
But the Ring of Power ______________________and ______________________________by
Bilbo Baggins who lived in the Shire.

On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo Baggins had a party and then disappeared. The
Ring of Power ________________________________to his nephew Frodo who decided to
destroy the ring. Now, he must travel to the Cracks of Doom to throw the ring into
the volcano. He __________________________on his quest by Gandalf, Legolas the elf,
Gimli the Dwarf, Aragorn, Boromir and his three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and
Samwise. On the trip the group _____________________to travel through the Mines of
Moria, where they ______________________by Orcs. Among their adventurers, Boromir
______________and Merry and Pippin ______________by Saruman's Orcs. They escape
and __________________by tree-like Ants. The ants ________________to destroy
Sarum’s forces and the armies _______________________.
How does it end? Read it and see for yourself how order _______________________.

JOIN FIND FILL PASS

STEAL TRAVEL MOTIVATE DEFEAT
BEFRIEND KIDNAP TAKE RESTORE
CREATE KILL WRITE ATTACK
 INGLÉS CIU

Apéndice I:

Material para el aprendizaje autónomo

Estilos de Aprendizaje y Vocabulario

 93

CUESTIONARIO HONEY-ALONSO DE ESTILOS DE APRENDIZAJE; CHAEA

C.M.ALONSO, D.J.GALLEGO Y P.HONEY

Instrucciones:

Este cuestionario ha sido diseñado para identificar tu Estilo preferido de Aprendizaje. No es

una prueba de inteligencia, ni de personalidad. No hay respuestas correctas o incorrectas.
La información que obtengas te será útil en la medida que seas sincero/a en tus respuestas.
Si estás más de acuerdo que en desacuerdo con el ítem selecciona 'Mas (+)'. Si, por el
contrario, estás más en desacuerdo que de acuerdo, selecciona 'Menos (-)'. Por favor contesta
a todos los itémes. Contestar al cuestionario no te tomará más de 15 minutos.

Muchas gracias.

1.- Tengo fama de decir lo que pienso claramente y sin rodeos. (+) (-)

2.- Estoy seguro de lo que es bueno y lo que es malo, lo que está bien y lo que está mal.
(+) (-)

3.- Muchas veces actúo sin medir las consecuencias. (+) (-)

4.- Normalmente trato de resolver los problemas metódicamente y paso a paso. (+) (-)

5.- Creo que los formalismos coartan y limitan la actuación libre de las personas. (+) (-)

6.- Me interesa saber cuales son los sistemas de valores de los demás y con que criterios
actúan. (+) (-)

7.- Pienso que el actuar intuitivamente puede ser siempre tan válido como actuar
reflexivamente. (+) (-)

8.- Creo que lo más importante es que las cosas funcionen. (+) (-)

9.- Procuro estar al tanto de lo que ocurre aquí y ahora. (+) (-)

10.- Disfruto cuando tengo tiempo para preparar mi trabajo y realizarlo a conciencia.

(+) (-)

11.- Estoy a gusto siguiendo un orden, en las comidas, en el estudio, haciendo ejercicio
regularmente. (+) (-)

12.- Cuando escucho una nueva idea enseguida comienzo a pensar como ponerla en
práctica. (+) (-)

13.- Prefiero las ideas originales y novedosas aunque no sean prácticas. (+) (-)

14.- Admito y me ajusto a las normas sólo si me sirven para lograr mis objetivos. (+) (-)

15.- Normalmente encajo bien con personas reflexivas, y me cuesta sintonizar con personas
demasiado espontáneas, imprevisibles. (+) (-)

16.- Escucho más de lo que hablo. (+) (-)

17.- Prefiero las cosas estructuradas a las desordenadas. (+) (-)

 94
18.- Cuando tengo cualquier información, trato de interpretarla bien antes de hacer
alguna conclusión. (+)
(-)

19.- Antes de hacer algo estudio con cuidado sus ventajas y desventajas. (+) (-)

20.- Siempre es un reto de hacer algo nuevo y diferente. (+) (-)

21.- Casi siempre procuro ser coherente con mis criterios y sistemas de valores. Tengo
principios y los sigo. (+) (-)

22.- Cuando hay una discusión no me gusta ir con rodeos. (+) (-)

23.- Me disgusta implicarme afectivamente en mi ambiente de trabajo. Prefiero mantener

relaciones distantes. (+) (-)

24.- Me gustan más las personas realistas y concretas que las teóricas. (+) (-)

25.- Me gusta ser creativo, romper estructuras. (+) (-)

26.- Me siento a gusto con personas espontáneas y divertidas. (+) (-)

27.-La mayoría de las veces expreso abiertamente cómo me siento. (+) (-)

28.- Me gusta analizar y dar vueltas a las cosas. (+) (-)

29.- Me molesta que la gente no se tome en serio las cosas. (+) (-)

30.-Me atrae experimentar y practicar las últimas técnicas y novedades. (+) (-)

31.-Soy cauteloso a la hora de sacar conclusiones. (+) (-)

32.-Prefiero contar con el mayor número de fuentes de información. Cuantos más datos
reúna para reflexionar, mejor. (+) (-)

33.-Tiendo a ser perfeccionista. (+) (-)

34.-Prefiero oír las opiniones de los demás antes de exponer la mía. (+) (-)

35.-Me gusta afrontar la vida espontáneamente y no tener que planificar todo previamente.
(+) (-)

36.-En las discusiones me gusta observar cómo actúan los demás participantes.
(+) (-)

37.-Me siento incómodo con las personas calladas y demasiado analíticas. (+) (-)

38.-Juzgo con frecuencia las ideas de los demás por su valor práctico. (+) (-)

39.-Me agobio si me obligan a acelerar mucho el trabajo para cumplir un plazo. (+) (-)

40.-En las reuniones apoyo las ideas prácticas y realistas. (+) (-)

41.-Es mejor gozar del momento presente que deleitarse pensando en el pasado o en el
futuro. (+) (-)

42.-Me molestan las personas que siempre desean apresurar las cosas. (+) (-)

43.-Aporto ideas nuevas y espontáneas en los grupos de discusión. (+) (-)

44.-Pienso que son más conscientes las decisiones fundamentadas en un minucioso análisis
que las basadas en la intuición. (+) (-)
 95

45.-Detecto frecuentemente la inconsistencia y puntos débiles en las argumentaciones de

los demás. (+) (-)

46.-Creo que es preciso saltarse las normas muchas más veces que cumplirlas. (+) (-)

47.-A menudo caigo en cuenta de otras formas mejores y más prácticas de hacer las cosas.
(+) (-)

48.-En conjunto hablo más que escucho. (+) (-)

49.-Prefiero distanciarme de los hechos y observarlos desde otras perspectivas. (+) (-)

50.-Estoy convencido que debe imponerse la lógica y el razonamiento. (+) (-)

51.-Me gusta buscar nuevas experiencias. (+) (-)

52.-Me gusta experimentar y aplicar las cosas. (+) (-)

53.-Pienso que debemos llegar pronto al grano, al meollo de los temas. (+) (-)

54.-Siempre trato de conseguir conclusiones e ideas claras. (+) (-)

55.-Prefiero discutir cuestiones concretas y no perder el tiempo con charlas vacías.

(+) (-)

56.-Me impaciento cuando me dan explicaciones irrelevantes e incoherentes. (+) (-)

57.-Compruebo antes si las cosas funcionan realmente. (+) (-)

58.-Hago varios borradores antes de la redacción definitiva de un trabajo. (+) (-)

59.-Soy consciente de que en las discusiones ayudo a mantener a los demás centrados en el
tema, evitando divagaciones. (+) (-)

60.-Observo que, con frecuencia, soy uno de los más objetivos y desapasionados en las
discusiones. (+) (-)

61.- Cuando algo va mal le quito importancia y trato de hacerlo mejor. (+) (-)

62.- Rechazo ideas originales y espontáneas si no las veo prácticas. (+) (-)

63.- Me gusta sopesar diversas alternativas antes de tomar una decisión. (+) (-)

64.- Con frecuencia miro hacia delante para prever el futuro. (+) (-)

65.- En los debates y discusiones prefiero desempeñar un papel secundario antes que ser
el/la líder o el/la que más participa. (+) (-)

66.- Me molestan las personas que no actúan con lógica. (+) (-)

67.- Me resulta incomodo tener que planificar y prever las cosas. (+) (-)

68.- Creo que el fin justifica los medios en muchos casos. (+) (-)

69.- Suelo reflexionar sobre los asuntos y problemas. (+) (-)

70.- El trabajar a conciencia me llena de satisfacción y orgullo. (+) (-)

71.- Ante los acontecimientos trato de descubrir los principios y teorías en que se basan.
(+) (-)
 96

72.- Con tal de conseguir el objetivo que pretendo soy capaz de herir sentimientos ajenos.
(+) (-)

73.- No me importa hacer todo lo necesario para que sea efectivo mi trabajo. (+) (-)

74.- Con frecuencia soy una de las personas que más anima las fiestas. (+) (-)

75.- Me aburro enseguida con el trabajo metódico y minucioso. (+) (-)

76.- La gente con frecuencia cree que soy poco sensible a sus sentimientos. (+) (-)

77.- Suelo dejarme llevar por mis intuiciones. (+) (-)

78.- Si trabajo en grupo procuro que se siga un método y un orden. (+) (-)

79.- Con frecuencia me interesa averiguar lo que piensa la gente. (+) (-)

80.- Esquivo los temas subjetivos, ambiguos y poco claros. (+) (-)

PERFIL DE APRENDIZAJE

1.- Encierra en un círculo cada uno de los números que has señalado con el signo más (+)
2.- Suma los círculos que hay en cada columna.
3.- Coloca estos totales en la gráfica. Así comprobarás cual estilo o estilos de aprendizaje
prefieres.

I II III IV

3 10 2 1
5 16 4 8
7 18 6 12
9 19 11 14
13 28 15 22
20 31 17 24
26 32 21 30
27 34 23 38
35 36 25 40
37 39 29 47
41 42 33 52
43 44 45 53
46 49 50 56
48 55 54 57
51 58 60 59
61 63 64 62
67 65 66 68
74 69 71 72
75 70 78 73
77 79 80 76
Totales:
Grupo Activo Reflexivo Teórico Pragmáticos

Descripción de los Estilos de Aprendizaje:

 97
 ACTIVOS: Son de mente abierta, nada escépticos y acometen con entusiasmo
nuevas tareas. Se crecen con los desafíos y se aburren con los largos plazos. Son
personas muy de grupo que se involucran en los asuntos de los demás y centran a
su alrededor todas las actividades.

 REFLEXIVOS: Son prudentes y consideran todas las alternativas antes de dar un

movimiento. Recogen datos y los analizan antes de llegar a una conclusión.
Disfrutan observando la actuación de los demás, escuchan y no intervienen hasta
que están seguros. Crean a su alrededor un aire distante y condescendiente.

 TEÓRICOS: Adaptan e integran las observaciones (hechos) dentro de teorías

coherentes. Enfocan los problemas de forma vertical escalonada, por etapas lógicas.
Son perfeccionistas. Les gusta analizar y sintetizar. Son profundos en su sistema de
pensamiento. Buscan la racionalidad y la objetividad.

 PRAGMÁTICOS: Su punto fuerte es la aplicación práctica de las ideas. Descubren

el aspecto positivo de las nuevas ideas y aprovechan la primera oportunidad para
experimentarlas. Les gusta actuar rápidamente y con seguridad con aquellas ideas
y proyectos que les atraen. Son impacientes con las personas que teorizan. Pisan
tierra cuando hay que tomar decisiones y su filosofía es: si funciona es bueno.

Se puede encontrar una serie de características personales en cada estilo en la Tabla 1:

TABLA 1. Estilos de Aprendizaje

ACTIVO REFLEXIVO TEÓRICO PRAGMÁTICO

 Animador  Ponderado  Metódico  Experimentador

 Improvisador  Concienzudo  Lógico  Práctico

 Descubridor  Receptivo  Objetivo  Directo

 Arriesgado  Analítico  Crítico  Eficaz

 Espontáneo  Exhaustivo  Estructurado  Realista

Adaptado de: http://www.aprender.org.ar/aulas/avadim/recursos/CHAEA1.rtf

http://html.rincondelvago.com/aprendizaje-y-uso-de-tecnicas-de-estudio-en-estudiantes-de-
bachillerato.html
 98

El computador manual de Leitner

El computador manual de Leitner es un dispositivo de

baja tecnología diseñado para la memorización autónoma
y acelerada de grandes cantidades de vocabulario en una
segunda lengua. En su forma más simple, consiste en una
caja de zapatos con una serie de compartimientos
internos colocados a intervalos pre-establecidos (1, 2, 5, 8
y 14 cms). El estudiante “carga” el computador con una
serie de fichas de vocabulario. Para obtener resultados
óptimos, se recomienda el uso del computador a
diario durante quince minutos, o de tres a cuatro veces por semana
durante no más de media hora.

Procedimientos para usar el computador manual de Leitner

1. Cada palabra que se desea aprender se coloca en una ficha. Por un lado que
será el frente se escribe la palabra en letras de molde, grandes y con marcador
de color, en inglés. Por el otro lado, que será el reverso, se escribe el equivalente
en español, en letras de molde, del mismo tamaño, pero con marcador de otro
color (el mismo color para todas las palabras en el mismo idioma).
2. Las fichas se colocan en el compartimiento 1. (Máximo entre 30 y 40 fichas cada
vez)

CORTE TRANSVERSAL DEL COMPUTADOR

Compartimientos
Centímetros 1 2 5 8 14

Trayectoria de la palabra conocida

Trayectoria de la palabra desconocida u olvidada

3. El estudiante lee la palabra en inglés y trata de recordar su equivalente en

español. Si cree recordarlo, la voltea para verificar. Si recordó correctamente,
coloca la ficha en el compartimiento 2.
 99

4. Si el estudiante no recuerda el equivalente en español, debe repetir la palabra

tanto en inglés como en español dos o tres veces. Luego, debe colocar la ficha en
la parte de atrás del compartimiento 1.
5. Cuando quedan sólo de tres a cinco fichas en el compartimiento 1, el
compartimiento debe rellenarse con de 30 a 40 nuevas fichas. De esa forma, se
pueden aprender nuevas palabras.
6. Después de haber repetido los pasos anteriores varias veces, el compartimiento
2 también se llena. Entonces, es hora de revisar las palabras que allí se
encuentran. Al revisarlas, aquellas palabras que el estudiante recuerda pasan
al compartimiento 3, aquellas que no recuerda se colocan en la parte posterior
del compartimiento 1. La revisión continúa hasta que se desocupe por completo
el contenido del compartimiento 2.
7. El principio del uso del computador manual queda así establecido:
…un compartimiento se revisa sólo cuando está completamente
lleno, todas las palabras que el estudiante “se sabe” pasan al
compartimiento siguiente, las palabras que el estudiante “no se
sabe” o que “ya no recuerda” deben regresar a la parte posterior
del compartimiento 1.
8. Después de cierto tiempo, los compartimientos 3 y 4 también llegan a llenarse.
En ese caso, se procede de la misma manera que cuando se llenó el
compartimiento 2. Es importante que el estudiante recuerde que sólo se revisa
el contenido de un compartimiento cuando éste esté completamente lleno.
9. Eventualmente, cuando el compartimiento 5 también esté lleno, el estudiante
revisará esas fichas por última vez. Si se sabe las palabras que allí se
encuentran (lo cual es lo más probable) debe guardarlas en otro lugar, fuera del
computador. De esa manera, se hace espacio para seguir cargando el
computador con nuevas palabras desconocidas. Para el momento en que el
compartimiento 5 se ha llenado, el estudiante ha revisado esas palabras con
una frecuencia tal (distribuida en el tiempo) que podemos hablar de verdadero
aprendizaje.
10. De vez en cuando, es recomendable tomar una muestra de diez palabras de ese
grupo de fichas que se sacó del computador, con el objeto de verificar si todavía
se recuerdan.
Lo ideal es dedicarle unos 15 minutos diarios al uso de esta técnica. La segunda
mejor opción es dedicarle una media hora de tres a cuatro veces a la semana.

Texto sobre el computador manual de Leitner adaptado por Noela Cartaya y

Silvia Pereira del original de Mondria y Mondria-De Vries (1994) y de su
traducción al español realizada por
Genoveva Llinares
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 100

an una, un around alrededor

about sobre, a cerca de arrival llegada
abroad en el extranjero arrive llegar
absence ausencia arrow flecha
absent ausente article artículo
accept aceptar as como/ a medida que
accident accidente ask preguntar/ pedir
accidental accidental at en/ a las
accidentally accidentalmente attend asistir
across al otro lado de attention atención
act actuar attract atraer
action acción attraction atracción
active activo attractive atractivo/a
activity actividad aunt tía
actor actor avenue avenida
actress actriz avoid evitar
add agregar baby bebé
address dirección back de regreso/ hacia atrás
adventures aventuras bad malo/a, mal
advice consejo bag bolsa
after después baggage equipaje
afternoon la tarde ball pelota
again de nuevo band banda
against contra/ En contra de bank banco
age edad barber barbero
ago hace(en el tiempo) basket cesta
air aire be ser/estar
airplane aeroplano bear soportar/ oso
alive vivo/a beautiful bello/a
all todo because porque
allow permitir become convertirse
almost casi bed cama
alone solo/a before antes
along a lo largo de beg rogar
aloud en voz alta. begin comenzar
already ya (Ya le he dicho) behaviour comportamiento
also además behind detrás
although aunque believe creer
altogether completamente bell campana
always siempre belong pertenecer
among entre below debajo
amount cantidad beside al lado
and y best lo mejor
angry bravo better mejor
animal animal between entre
another otro beyond más allá
answer respuesta/ responder bicycle bicicleta
any cualquier/a big grande
anybody cualquiera(persona) bill factura
Anything nada/Ningún birth nacimiento
arm brazo bit pedacito
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 101

black negro Christmas Navidad

block bloque/ bloquear choose elegir, escoger
blow soplar city ciudad
blue azul class clase
body cuerpo clay arcilla
boil hervir clean limpiar/ limpio
book libro clear claro, transparente
borrow tomar prestado clock reloj de pared
both ambos close cerrar
bottle botella cloth tela/ trapo
box caja cloud nube
boy niño coat abrigo/ capa
bread pan coffee café
break romper cold frío
breakfast desayuno collect recolectar
bridge puente colour color
bright brillante comb peine
bring traer come venir
brother hermano complain quejarse
brown marrón complete completar
brush brocha/pincel/cepillo congratulate felicitar
build construir cook cocinar/ cocinero
building edificio cool fresco
bus autobús copy copiar /copia
business negocio corner rincón, esquina
busy ocupado correct corregir/ correcto
but pero/ excepto cost costo
butter mantequilla cotton algodón
buy comprar country país
by cerca de/ por course curso
cake torta cousin primo/a
call llamar /llamada cover cubrir
camera cámara cow vaca
can-could poder, podría cream crema
capital capital cross cruzar/ cruz
car carro cry llorar
card postal/ tarjeta cup taza
care preocuparse cure cura
carry cargar/ llevar cut cortar
cat gato dance bailar
cause causa danger peligro
certain cierto, seguro dangerous peligroso
chain cadena dare atreverse
chair silla dark oscuro
chalk tiza date cita/fecha
chance chance, posibilidad daughter hija
change cambio day día
cheap barato dead muerto
check chequear dear querido
cheese queso death muerte
chicken pollo debt deuda
child niño decide decidir
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 102

delight deleitar / deleite evening tarde/noche

department departamento ever alguna vez
depend depender every todo/ cada
desk escritorio everything cada/todo
destroy destruir exact exacto
destruction destrucción exactly exactamente
destructive destructivo examination examen
dictionary diccionario examine examinar
die morir excellent excelente
difference diferencia except excepto
discuss discutir exception excepción
difficult difícil exercise ejercitarse/ ejercicio
difficulty dificultad excitement entusiasmo
dinner cena excuse excusa
dirt suciedad/tierra expect esperar
dirty sucio expensive costoso
different diferente experiment experimento
disease enfermedad explain explicar
dish plato explanation explicación
distinguish distinguir eye ojo
do hacer face cara
dog perro fail falla
dollar dólar fair justo
donkey burro fall caer/ otoño
door puerta family familia
doubt duda famous famoso
down abajo far lejos
drawer gaveta farmer agricultor/granjero
dream sueño/ soñar fat gordo/ gordura
dress vestir/ vestido father papa
drink trago fault culpa / defecto
drive manejar favor favor
dry seco favorite favorito
during durante feel sentir
each cada feeling sentimiento
ear oreja fellow compañero
early temprano few pocos
earth tierra field campo
easy fácil fight pelea/pelear
eat comer fill llenar
egg huevo film película
elder mayor find encontrar
else algo más fine bien
empty vacío finger dedo
end final/finalizar finish finalizar
engine motor fire fuego
enjoy disfrutar first primero
enough suficiente fish pescado
enter entrar fit quedar/ caber
envelope sobre frequently frecuentemente
even incluso / uniforme flag bandera
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 103

floor piso happy feliz

flower flor hard duro /difícil
fly volar have tener/haber
follow seguir he él
food comida head cabeza
fool tonto health salud
foot pie hear escuchar
for para / por heavy pesado
forbid prohibir helpful servicial
foreign extranjero/ forastero help ayuda
forest bosque her de ella
forget olvidar here aquí
forgive perdonar home hogar
fork tenedor highly altamente
free gratis his su
frequent frecuente history historia
fruit fruta hit pegar
fresh fresco hole hoyo
friend amigo holiday feriado/ vacaciones
friendly amigable high alto
from de honest honesto
front frente hope esperanza
full lleno horse caballo
funny gracioso hospital hospital
game juego host anfitrión
garage garaje hot caliente
garden jardín hotel hotel
gas gas/gasolina hour hora
gather recolectar house casa
general general how cómo
generally generalmente human humano
get obtener hungry hambriento
gift regalo hurry apurar
girl niña hurt herir/herido
give dar husband esposo
glad alegre ice hielo
glass vidrio idea idea
go ir if si
good bueno ill enfermo
government gobierno illness enfermedad
gray gris immediately inmediatamente
great genial / gran importance importancia
green verde important importante
greet saludar in en / dentro de
group grupo inch pulgada
grow crecer indeed de hecho
guest invitado inside dentro de
hair cabello instead en vez de
half mitad interest interés
hall pasillo interrupt interrumpir
hand mano interruption interrupción
happen pasar/ocurrir into en / el interior
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 104

introduce introducir liquid líquido

introduction introducción list lista
invent inventar listen escuchar
invention invención little pequeño / poco
inventor inventor live vivir
invitation invitación long largo
invite invitar look mirar
irregular irregular lot (a lot) mucho
it eso loud fuerte (ruido)
its su low bajo
juice jugo lower inferior
jump saltar lucky afortunado
just exactamente lunch almuerzo
keep mantener mail correo
key llave / tecla main principal
kill matar mainly principalmente
kind clase / amable make hacer
kiss beso man hombre
kitchen cocina many muchos
knife cuchillo map mapa
knock golpear (la puerta) mark marca / marcar
know saber/ conocer match fósforo / combinar
knowledge conocimiento material material
lady dama matter materia / asunto
lamp lámpara may/might puede /podría
land tierra me me / mí
language idioma / lenguaje meal comida
large grande mean significar / malo
last último measure medir
late tarde meat carne
lately últimamente mechanical mecánico
law ley medicine medicina
lawyer abogado member miembro
lead liderar / plomo memory memoria
leader líder mention mencionar
learn aprender message mensaje
least menos mile milla
leather cuero milk leche
leave irse / salir mind mente
left izquierda minute minuto
leg pierna miss perder / fallar
lend prestar mistake equivocación
less menos moment momento
lesson lección money dinero
let permitir month mes
letter carta / letra monthly mensualmente
library biblioteca moon luna
lie mentir / mentira more más
life vida morning mañana
lift levantar most la mayoría
light luz mostly en su mayoría
like gustar / como mother madre
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 105

mountain montaña other otro

move mover ought to debería
movement movimiento ounce onza
much mucho our/ours nuestro/s
music música out/out of afuera/ fuera de
must debe over encima / por encima
my/mine mi/mío own poseer
myself yo mismo package paquete
name nombre page página
narrow angosto pain dolor
natural natural painful doloroso
nature naturaleza paint pintura / pintar
near cerca painter pintor
nearly casi pair par
necessary necesario paper papel
necessity necesidad pardon perdonar
need necesitar parent padre / madre
never nunca park parque/ estacionar
new nuevo part parte
next siguiente party fiesta
nice bonito pass pasar
night noche past pasado
no no pay pagar
noise ruido payment pago
north norte peace paz
nose nariz pen bolígrafo
not no pencil lápiz
note nota people gente
nothing nada perhaps tal vez
noun sustantivo person persona
now ahora personal personal
number número photograph fotografía
nurse enfermera pick escoger
Ocean océano picture cuadro / dibujo
of de piece pieza
off apagado pink rosado
offer oferta/ofrecer pity lástima
office oficina place lugar/colocar
often a menudo plan plan/planificar
oil petróleo/aceite plant planta
old viejo play jugar
on sobre / en player jugador
once una vez please por favor/complacer
one una/o plural plural
only solo polite cortés
open abrir / abierto politely cortésmente
opinion opinión poor pobre
or o popular popular
orange naranja /anaranjado popularity popularidad
order orden pound palpitar/libra
organize organizar practice practicar
organized organizado
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 106

prepare preparar rich rico

present presente / regalo right correcto
pretty bonito ring anillo
price precio rise levantar
prize premio river río
probability probabilidad room habitación
probable probable round redondo
probably probablemente rule regla
problem problema run correr
profession profesión runner corredor
professional profesional sad triste
program programa safe seguro
promise prometer safety seguridad
pull halar sale venta / rebajas
punish castigar salt sal
punishment castigo same el mismo/ igual
purple morado satisfaction satisfacción
push empujar satisfy satisfacer
put poner save salvar /guardar
quarrel discutir say decir
quarter un cuarto ¼ school escuela
question pregunta science ciencia
quick rápido scientific científico
quickly rápidamente scientist científico
quiet silencioso sea mar
quietly silenciosamente season estación
rain lluvia seat asiento
rate índice de secretary secretaria
rather un tanto / preferir see ver
read leer seem parecer
reader lector sell vender
ready listo seller vendedor
real real send enviar
reality realidad sentence oración / sentenciar
really realmente serious serio/a
receive recibir seriously seriamente
record record set establecer
red rojo several varios
regular regular she ella
regularly regularmente ship barco
relation relación shipment un envío
remember acordarse shirt camisa
remind recordar shoe zapato
repair reparar shop tienda
repeat repetir short corto
replace reemplazar show mostrar
reserve reservar shower ducha
rest descansar sick enfermo
restaurant restaurante sickness enfermedad
return regresar side lado
rice arroz since desde
sincere sincero
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 107

sincerely atentamente strong fuerte

sing cantar study estudiar
singer cantante subject sujeto
single uno solo successful exitoso
sister hermana successfully exitosamente
sit sentar such tal
size tamaño suddenly de repente
skirt falda sugar azúcar
sky cielo suggest sugerir
sleep dormir suggestion sugerencia
slow lento summer verano
slowly lentamente sun sol
small pequeño suppose suponer
smell olor/ oler sure asegurar
smile sonreír/ sonrisa surprise sorpresa
smoke humo sweet dulce
snow nieve swim nadar
so tan / así que table mesa
soap jabón take tomar/llevar
solve resolver talk hablar
some algunos / algunas tall alto
something algo taste sabor
sometimes algunas veces taxi taxi
somewhere en algún lugar tea té
son hijo teach enseñar
soon/sooner pronto / más pronto teacher maestro/a
sorry perdón telegraph telégrafo
soup sopa telephone teléfono
south sur tell decir
speak hablar terrible terrible
speaker orador / altavoz than que/de
special especial thank/s gracias
specially especialmente that eso
spell deletrear the el/la
spend gastar their su
spoon cuchara them ellos
sport deporte then entonces
spring primavera there allá
square cuadrado these estos / estas
stamp sello they ellos
stand estar de pie /soportar thing cosa
star estrella think pensar
start empezar thirst sed
station estación this esto
stay quedarse those esos
still todavía / quieto throw lanzar
stomach estómago till/until hasta
stop detenerse time tiempo
store tienda tired cansado
story cuento to a
straight derecho today hoy
strange extraño together juntos
 CIU Lista de Vocabulario Nº ___________ 108

tomorrow mañana week semana

tonight esta noche weigh pesar
too también weight peso
tooth diente welcome recibir/bienvenido/a
towel toalla well bien
town pueblo west oeste
toy juguete wet mojado
train tren what qué
translate traducir when cuándo
translation traducción where dónde
translator traductor whether si
travel viajar which qué, cuál
tree árbol while mientras
trip viaje white blanco
try intentar who quién
turn voltear / voltearse whole completo
ugly feo/a whose de quién
umbrella paraguas why por qué
uncle tío wide amplio
under debajo widely ampliamente
understand entender wife esposa
university universidad Will voluntad
up arriba Win ganar
use utilizar / usar Wind viento
useful útil window ventana
useless inútil windy ventoso
user usuario winter invierno
usual usual wise sabio
usually usualmente wish desear / deseo
verb verbo with con
very muy woman mujer
violence violencia wonder maravilla/ pensar
violent violento wonderful maravilloso
violently violentamente wonderfully maravillosamente
visit visitar won´t (will not)
visitor visita wood madera
voice voz would (verbo auxiliar)
vote voto word palabra
wait esperar work trabajo
wake despertar worker trabajador
walk caminar World mundo
wall pared worry preocuparse
want querer worse peor
war guerra worst el peor
wash lavar write escribir
waste desperdiciar wrong equivocado
watch observar / reloj year año
water agua yellow amarillo
way camino / manera yes si
we nosotros yet aun
weak débil you tú / ustedes
wear llevar (ropa) young joven
 ENGLISH CIU

Apéndice II:

Material para el Aprendizaje Autónomo

Gramática
 110

REPASO DE LA GRAMÁTICA BÁSICA DEL INGLÉS

INTRODUCCIÓN

En esta parte presentamos algunos conocimientos básicos del idioma inglés

de manera muy breve. Es importante revisar cada parte y completar los ejercicios
para que puedas determinar los elementos del idioma que te causan más problemas
o en los que necesites más práctica.

CLASES DE PALABRAS

Las palabras son unidades en una lengua y pueden clasificarse según su

forma, su significado, comportamiento y funciones.

Observa el siguiente ejemplo y trata de determinar la clase a la que pertenece cada

palabra.

I never liked long walks, especially in chilli afternoons.

Ejercicio 1: Completa la columna correspondiente al español. Escribe el

equivalente en español de los ejemplos dados en inglés.

CLASE DE PALABRA Ejemplo en inglés Ejemplo en español

car, Peter, phone call,
Nombres
system
Pronombres
1) personales 1. you 1)
2) posesivos 2. my 2)
3) objeto 3. me 3)
4) relativos 4. that, which, whose 4)
5) demostrativos 5. this, these 5)
6) interrogativos 6. who, what, where 6)
7) indefinidos 7. someone 7)
léxicos be, run, think
Verbos
auxiliares can, will, may, should,

Artículos determinados the

indeterminados a / an

Cuantificadores some, many

Adjetivos interesting, red, good

Adverbios well, strongly
Preposiciones in, on, at
Conjunciones but, and, or
 111

Ejercicio 2: ¿A qué clase pertenecen las siguientes palabras? Escríbela en

el espacio correspondiente.

1. in ______________________ 5. the _____________________

2. be ______________________ 6. play _____________________

3. student __________________ 7. pretty ____________________

4. always ___________________

Ejercicio 3: ¿Crees que ya puedes identificar algunas clases de palabras?

Lee el siguiente párrafo y encuentra uno o dos ejemplos de cada clase de
palabra. Escribe los ejemplos que encuentres en los espacios
correspondientes en la siguiente tabla. Luego, escribe el equivalente en español.
Utiliza tu diccionario si es necesario.

Jean and Pierre are exchange students at the Universidad Simón Bolívar.
They come from France. This is their first time in Venezuela. They really like the
university but they don't like the traffic. It is a problem for them to come to the
university because they don't have a car. They share an apartment in Chacaíto
where it is easy to take the University Bus.

CLASE DE PALABRA Ejemplo en inglés Ejemplo en español

Nombres
Pronombres
1) personales 1)
2) posesivos 2)
3) objeto 3)
4) relativos 4)
5) demostrativos 5)
6) interrogativos 6)
7) indefinidos 7)
léxicos
Verbos
auxiliares

Artículos determinados

indeterminados

Cuantificadores

Adjetivos
Adverbios
Preposiciones
Conjunciones
 112

EL NOMBRE.

El nombre es una clase de palabra que se refiere y da a conocer personas,

animales, cosas, ideas o sentimientos. Es decir, los nombres pueden expresar
realidades concretas o abstractas.

Nombres concretos: computer, tomato, man, rain.

Nombres abstractos: harmony, future, dream, surprise.

Ejercicio 4: Observa los ejemplos y subraya con una línea los nombres
concretos y los abstractos con dos.

"Prejudices are difficult to eradicate from the Herat whose soil

has never been loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there firm
as weeds among stones"

Charlotte Bronte

"Authentic love always assumes the mystery of modesty, even in

its expression, because actions speak louder than words."

Honore de Balzac

"…in giving me the prize they have taken into account the
literature of the sub-continent and have awarded me as a way of
awarding all of this literature"

Gabriel García Marquez

Los nombres contables y no contables

Tanto en inglés como en español existen nombres que representan

elementos contables (un libro, dos sillas, etc.) y no contables (agua, tristeza, etc.).
Con los nombres contables podemos usar a / an, por ejemplo: a person (una
persona), a ball (una pelota), an apple (una manzana). También podemos usar
números antes de los nombres contables: three windows (tres ventanas), five apples
(cinco manzanas). Por el contrario, con los nombres no contables no podemos
utilizar ni a/an ni tampoco números. Para éstos debemos agregar palabras que los
delimiten en unidades contables tales como SOME (ALGO DE) o A LOT OF
(MUCHA/O)

A LOT OF He has a lot of knowledge in the field of engineering.

If you eat a lot of sugar, you will gain weight.
SOME She has some knowledge of history.
I always put some sugar in my coffee.
 113

También se pueden utilizar otros elementos tales como medidas más específicas.

May I have a cup of coffee Would you like a glass of milk?

I'd like a bottle of water I need two kilograms of rice, please.

Los nombres contables pueden tener una forma plural, no así los no contables.

I saw four cars parked in front of the building. 

I drank two waters this morning. X
I drank two bottles/glasses of water this morning. 

En español, a veces se usan como contables nombres que en inglés siempre

se usan como no contables. Esto puede llevar a confusiones. Estos son algunos
ejemplos:

Español Inglés
Un Pan o [varios] panes Bread, a slice of bread, a loaf of bread.
Un Café o [varios] cafés Coffee, some coffee, a cup of coffee

El verbo que acompaña al nombre no contable generalmente se usa en

singular, por ejemplo: Water is essential for life. Asimismo, el pronombre que
sustituya a un nombre contable, también debe estar en forma singular, por
ejemplo: Love is hard to define. It is considered the most powerful feeling. Más
adelante, estudiaremos en mayor detalle la función de los pronombres.

Por su parte, los nombres contables si se utilizan en forma plural, en cuyo

caso tanto el verbo como los pronombres que se relaciones a éstos deben utilizarse
en forma plural.

A man works hard to get what he needs (singular)

Men work hard to get what they need. (plural)

Sin embargo, existen algunas reglas para formar los plurales de los nombres
regulares e irregulares. En la mayoría de los casos se agrega s o es al nombre, pero
fíjate que en el ejemplo anterior, man es singular y men es plural. Pasemos ahora
a las regla del plural.

Plural de los nombres en inglés

Regulares

Casos Singular Plural

Se agrega –s si termina en consonante. book books
Se agrega –es si la palabra termina en s, z, x, sh,ch, o.brush brushes
box boxes
church churches
tornado tornadoes
Si la palabra termina en –y precedida de vocal, entonces boy boys
solo se agrega –s
Si la palabra termina en –y precedida por consonante, spy spies
entonces se cambia la -y por –i y se agrega –es.
Si la palabra termina en f o fe, se cambia por –ves wife wives
elf elves
 114

Irregulares

Casos Singular Plural

El plural y singular son iguales fish fish
sheep sheep
El cambio de plural a singular no sigue reglas. man Men
person People
mouse Mice
child children
Las palabras de origen Latín o Griego, antenna antennae
conservan el plural original de esos idiomas. nucleus nuclei
datum data
hipótesis hypotheses
phenomenon phenomena

Ejercicio 5: ¿Contables o no contables? En la tabla a continuación

encontrarás una lista de nombres. Marca la columna correcta de acuerda a
si son contables (countable) o no contables (uncountable). En la última
columna, escribe la forma plural de los contables. En el caso de los no contables,
agrega una unidad que se pueda contar como se muestra en el ejemplo.

countable uncountable Plural

Car  Cars
Day
Chocolate
Oxygen
Thief
Gasoline
Sugar  two kilograms of sugar
Year
Bacterium
Fish
Forum
Mouse
Watch
Pasta
Salt
 115

Sufijos

Los sufijos son "partículas" que van al final de la palabra y nos dan información
acerca de su clase y significado. En español, por ejemplo, el sufijo –dad indica que
la palabra es un nombre, a menudo de naturaleza abstracta, como en libertad,
bondad, igualdad. Lo mismo sucede en inglés. Estas son algunas de las
terminaciones más comunes para los nombres en inglés.

–dom: wisdom, kingdom –ist: pianist

–er, -or :worker, warrior, actor –ness: happiness
–ance, -ence: perfortmance, audience –ism: criticism
–ity : ability, flexibility –ment: government
–sion, -tion: decision, celebration – ship: friendship
– hood: neighborhood

Ejercicio 6: A continuación te presentamos una serie de palabras

incompletas. Escoge la terminación que mejor completa cada palabra.
Luego busca la palabra en tu diccionario a ver si es correcta la conexión
que hiciste.

–ism –ity –ment

–sion, -tion –ness
–ance, -ence –er
-or –ist – ship
– hood

teach____ educa____ modern____ intellig____

father____ scient____ sing____ cannibal____
owner____ dign____ free____ stupid____
effective____ attend____ move____ capac____
compet____ dimen____ partner____ colonial____
bore____ manage____ readi____ violin____
 116

EL ARTÍCULO

Diferencia en el uso de a/an , the y sin artículo.

El artículo indeterminado en inglés es a/an. Lo usamos cuando nos referimos a algo

indeterminado, no específico y singular.

A car stopped here half an hour ago>>> Un carro se paró aquí hace media hora.

Pero si nos referimos a algo indeterminado plural entonces no se usa

artículo.

Me gustan los perros (en general, cualquier perro) en ingles debo decir I like dogs
sin artículo alguno. Esto es lo que se conoce como el artículo cero y a menudo se
representa en libros de gramática con el símbolo Ø

He is a popular actor. They are popular actors

Se usa an cuando la palabra siguiente comienza con sonidos de vocal. Por

ejemplo: a car, a taxi, an antenna, an engineer.

Ejercicio 7: Coloca a / an delante de cada uno de los siguientes nombres.

Recuerda que debes guiarte por el sonido.

1. _______ eye
2. _______ car
3. _______ animal
4. _______ student
5. _______ book
6. _______ hour

El artículo determinado en inglés es the. Se usa para referirse a algo o

alguien ya nombrado con anterioridad, a algo / alguien único o muy específico para
los interlocutores; ejemplo The Queen of England. Se usa también para aquéllos
elementos inconfundibles, en este aspecto funcionan igual al español. Algunos
ejemplos son:

the Earth the moon the sky

the sun the air the universe
the wind the present / future / past the weather
the Koran the Bible.

Mientras que en español usamos el artículo determinado para referirnos a

algunas partes del cuerpo, o prendas de vestir, en inglés se usan los posesivos.

Me duele la rodilla>>>>> My knee hurts

Ponte los zapatos >>>>> Put on your shoes
 117

Algunas de las expresiones que llevan artículo determinado en español, pero

NO en inglés:

Ir a la cama
Ir a la casa/ Estar en la casa
Ir a la iglesia/ Estar en la iglesia
Ir a la cárcel / Estar en la cárcel
Ir al trabajo / Estar en el trabajo
Go to bed
Go home/ be home
Go to church / be in chuch
Go to jail / be in jail
Go to work / be at work

Tampoco se usa el artículo determinado cuando hablamos en general de _______

inglés español

Deportes I like soccer Me gusta el fútbol

Música I like electronic music Me gusta la música electrónica
Idiomas French is difficult El francés es difícil
Materias de Physics is easy La física es fácil
estudio
Algunas I´ll be there next week Yo estaré allá la semana próxima
expresiones de
tiempo
Comidas What are we going to have ¿Qué vamos a comer en la cena?
for dinner?

Ejercicio 8: Agrega el artículo a/an o Ø a cada una de las siguientes

oraciones.

1. ________Women are more intelligent than ______ men.

2. There is ______ problem with _____ drugs in the area.
3. ______ economics is a difficult class.
4. ______ people like parties.
5. I love to listen to ______ music when I’m home.
6. I have ______ presentation for my French class.
7. ______ information is important for us.
8. ______ ice cream is Bs.F 15
9. There is ______fly in my soup.
10. Apples grow in _______ cold climates.
 118

Ejercicio 9: Ahora debes determinar cuál es el artículo apropiado

(a/an/the/ Ø ) para completar los siguiente párrafos. Selecciona entre las
opciones que se te dan en corchetes.

On 22 January, [Ø / an / a] international scientists produced [Ø / the / a]

long report on [Ø / the / an] global warming. [Ø / the / a] 1990s were the
warmest ten years for 1,000 years, they say. Temperatures will go up
even more quickly in 100 years. [Ø / An / The] sea will be 88
centimeters higher than it is now. Millions of people in [Ø / a / the]
China, Bangladesh, Egypt and other places will lose their homes in [Ø /
the / a] terrible floods. Why is this happening? And what can we do to
stop it?

Most people agree that [Ø / an / the] carbon dioxide in [Ø / an / a] air is

the biggest problem. It is produced when we burn gas and oil. In
November 2000, 160 countries held [Ø / an / the] international meeting
to discuss [Ø / a / the] problem, but nothing was decided. Europe and
China want to produce less carbon dioxide. [ the/ Ø / a] USA, Australia,
Canada, Russia and Japan disagree. They think that we should just
plant more trees. 'More trees will cool [the/ Ø / a] world,' they say.

Tomado de http://www.penguindossiers.com/archive-frameset.asp

Los artículos a / an, the con los nombres contables y no contables.

¿Cuál es la regla?

Fíjate en la tabla y saca tus conclusiones.

Contable No contable
singular plural
Sin artículo cars, books air
a / an a car, a book
the the car, the book the cars, the books the air

Escríbelas aquí:

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
 119

Artículos demostrativos

Los artículos demostrativos en ingles son this – that – these – those.

Observa estas imágenes. ¿Cuáles serían los equivalentes en español de cada uno de
los artículos?

1.

You need to read all those

books before Friday!

2.

Could you pass me that

book, please?

3. 4.

I have to take these books This math problem is

back to the library. difficult.

Ejercicio 10: ¿Entiendes la diferencia? Entonces completa la siguiente

tabla con this – that – these – those.

Cercano Lejano
Singular
Plural
 120

EL ADJETIVO

Clase de palabra que describe y modifica al nombre. Generalmente se

colocan antes del nombre o después de be, look, appear, seem, feel, taste, smell,
sound, y algunos otros verbos.
En los siguientes ejemplos la palabra red (rojo) describe al nombre car o
cars. a carro y especifica el color

José drives a red car. (not a blue one). >>>>>>>> José maneja un carro rojo
The new cars are red. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Los carros nuevos son rojos.
The car is red. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> El carro es rojo

En inglés, los adjetivos no cambian cuando acompañan a un nombre en plural.

Singular: The red car 

Plural: The red cars 
Plural: The reds cars X

Ejercicio 11: En las oraciones que se presentan a continuación hay un error

relacionado con los adjetivos. Encuentra el error, subráyalo y corrígelo.

1. Studying a career and having a job at the same time can be difficults.
_____________
2. Many students need help economic to complete their studies. _____________
3. Surviving through university studies easy. _____________
4. Some students might feel stresseds because of this situation. _____________
5. But there are options different for these students, such as study grants or in-
campus jobs. _____________

Sufijos

¿Recuerdas que los sufijos en los nombres nos ayudaban a identificarlos? Lo

mismo sucede con los adjetivos. Estas son algunas de las terminaciones más
comunes para adjetivos en inglés.

-ive: selective –en: wooden –ic: poetic

–al: financial –able: portable -y: rainy
–ous: mysterious –ful: beautiful –less: powerless
 121

Ejercicio 12: A continuación te presentamos una serie de palabras

incompletas. Escoge la terminación que mejor completa cada palabra
para formar adjetivos. Luego busca la palabra en tu diccionario a ver si es
correcta la conexión que hiciste.

–ive –en –ic

–al -able –y
–ous -ful –less

protect____ gold____ sleep____ mechanic____

chemic____ scientif____ power____ emotion____
enorm____ danger____ patriot____ sunn____
effect____ untouch____ eas____ funn____
wonder____ investigat____ marvel____ coloni____

Hay también adjetivos terminados en –ed , en –ing y en –ly. Ejemplos:

The software is friendly >>>>>>>>>> >>>>> El programa es amigable

The movie was interesting but I was >>>>>> La película era interesante
tired pero yo estaba muy cansado.

Es necesario distinguir entre las terminaciones –ing y –ed. Ejemplo

The message was confusing El mensaje era confuso

I was confused Yo estaba confundido.

Existen otras parejas de adjetivos tales como_____________

interested interesting
boring bored
frustrating frustrated
terrifying terrified
disappointing disappointed
shocking shocked
frightening frightened
annoying annoyed
relaxing relaxed
amazing amazed
 122

Ejercicio 13: Selecciona el adjetivo que mejor completa cada una de las
siguientes oraciones. Tienes que decidir entre un adjetivo terminado en –
ed o uno terminado en –ing.

1. I think Matrix is an amazing / amazed movie.

2. Everybody was shocking / shocked by the end of the film. Nobody expected the
police officer to be the killer.
3. During the philosophy lecture, many people in the room was boring / bored.
Some were almost asleep.
4. I think yoga is relaxing / relaxed.
5. My little brother is annoying / annoyed. He can't be quiet and calm for 10
minutes.
6. Paul is interesting / interested in ancient civilizations. He has read a lot of books
on the topic.
7. We all were disappointing /disappointed when our team lost the final match.
8. When I read the book Dracula, I was terrifying/ terrified.
9. My father felt frustrating/ frustrated when he learned that I wasn't accepted at
the university.
10. Some people love horror movies. I don't. I think they are frightening /
frightened.

A los adjetivos también se le agregan prefijos, es decir, partículas al

comienzo que modifican su significado. Ejemplo

happy unhappy

A los adjetivos se les puede agregar los adverbio so y very para intensificar.
Funcionan de la misma manera que TAN y MUY en español.
Ejemplo:

The movie is very interesting The film was so boring that I fell asleep!

Los comparativos

Fíjate bien en estas oraciones.

Mike is taller than Robert,
but Robert is more intelligent than
Mike.
Iris is beautiful, but her sister is
more beautiful than her.
Alaska is colder than California.
A Ford Mustang is faster than a
Fiat Palio, and more expensive too.
Mike es más alto que Roberto, pero
Roberto es más inteligente que Mike.
Iris es Hermosa, pero su hermana es
más hermosa que ella.
Alaska es más frío que California.
Un Ford Mustang es más rápido que un
Fiat Palio, y es más costoso además.

En estas oraciones se están comparando las cualidades o propiedades entre

personas y objetos. Estos son comparativos de superioridad. Un carro es más rápido
(faster). Fíjate que en los ejemplos unas palabras son precedidas por more y a otras
se les agregó –er. Así que…
 123

¿Cuál es la regla?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Sin importar si se trata de –er o de more los adjetivos en forma comparativa

van seguidos por ___________

Aquí tenemos más ejemplos de comparativos. En algunos se duplica la úlima

consonante y en otros no. ¿Crees poder descubrir otras reglas y además saber el por
qué?

big bigger strong stronger

fast faster weak weaker
nice nicer cold colder
pretty prettier heavy heavier

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Ejercicio 14: Coloca el comparativo de los siguientes adjetivos:

tall _________________ slow _________________

big _________________ fat _________________
rainy _________________ spicy _________________
hot _________________ green _________________
cold _________________ happy _________________
thin _________________ sad _________________

Se puede agregar much para intensificar el sentido del adjetivo en grado

comparativo de superioridad. Ejemplo:

A trip is much more interesting than a new car.

Así como se puede comparar para expresar superioridad, también se puede

comparar para expresar igualdad o inferioridad.

Igualdad

You are as intelligent as the other students.

Tú eres tan inteligente como los demás estudiantes.
The rent of this apartment is just as expensive as the rent in that apartment.
El alquiler en este apartamento es tan caro como el alquiler en aquel.

Claro está, si se usa el verbo en forma negativa, ya no se expresa igualdad.

Pual isn't as responsable as Mark.

Paul no es tan responsible como Mark.
 124

Inferioridad

Soccer is less interesting than baseball

El Football es menos interesante que el baseball.

Ejercicio 15: Trata de re-escribir estas oraciones utilizando otro comparativo,

sin alterar el significado. Por ejemplo:

Pual isn't as responsable as Mark.

____Mark is more responsible than Paul.__________________________________

Si Paul no es tan responsible como Mark, es lo mismo decir que Mark es más
responsable que Paul. También pudiesemos decir que Paul is less responsable than
Mark.

1. Caracas is more crowded than Valencia.

______________________________________________________________________

2. El Hatillo isn't as cold as La Colonia Tiovar.

______________________________________________________________________

3. This lesson is more interesting than the previous one.

______________________________________________________________________

4. Math is less difficult than physics.

______________________________________________________________________

5. A pack of sand is heavier than a pack of cotton.

______________________________________________________________________

Los superlativos

Un superlativo es un tipo de comparación entre un elemento o persona

contra todos los demás de un grupo.

Brazil is the largest country in South America. (Brazil vs. todos los países de Sur
América).
Miguel is the tallest in his family. (Miguel vs. todos los miembros de la familia)
The Metamorphosis the most interesting book that I have read. (El libro La
metamorfosis vs. todos los otros libros que he leído).

¿Cuál es la regla?

En los comparativos se usa more para los adjetivos _______________ y se

agrega –er al final para los adjetivos _______________. Ambos van seguidos por
_______________. En el caso de los superlativos se usa most para los adjetivos
_______________ y se agrega –est al final para los adjetivos _______________. Ambos
van precedidos por _______________.
 125

Ejercicio 16: Usa la información del

anuncio (tomado de
para completar
http://www.laptopcloseout.ca/canada/store.html?target=../../)
los enunciados que comparan los equipos que ofrece esta tienda en línea
en cuanto a su precio. Usa comparativos (superioridad, inferioridad o
igualdad) o superlativos.

1. The Thinkpad SL 400 is ______________________________ all the laptops in

the add.
2. The IBM Thinkpad T40 is ______________________________ the Dell
Latitude D6 10.
3. The IBM Thinkpad T42 is ______________________________ the HP6510b.
4. The IBM Thinkpad T41 is ______________________________ the Dell
Latitude D6 10.
5. The HP65 10b is ______________________________ the The Thinkpad SL 400
6. The IBM Thinkpad T40 ______________________________ the IBM models.

Algunos adjetivos se consideran irregulares de acuerdo a la manera en la

que forman el comparativo o superlativo. Estos son los casos más comunes.

Forma básica Comparativo superlativo

superioridad.
Good Better than The best
Bad Worse than The worst
 126

Ejercicio 17: Responde las siguientes preguntas.

1. What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. In your opinion, what is…?

the greatest sports team:

the best music
the most delicious food
the most interesting class
the best movie
the best thing you can do

the worst sports team

the worst music
the worst food
the most boring class
the worst movie
the worst thing you can do

Ejercicio 18: Completa la siguiente tabla con las formas correctas.

Adjetivo Comparativo superiorioridad Superlativo

interesting
better
The longest
boring
more dangerous
worse
high

Adjetivos posesivos

Los adjetivos posesivos indican relaciones de propiedad. Como son adjetivos,

siempre acompañan al nombre.

My cellphone is cool. 
Her dress is nice. 
That book is my X
Her is nice. X
 127

inglés español
my mi, mis
your tu, tus
her su, sus (de ella)
his su, sus (de él)
our nuestro, nuestros/as
your su, sus (de ustedes)
their su, sus (de ellas o de ellos)

No confundir its (su) con it’s que es la contracción de it is

Ejemplo :

This is my dog. Its name is Bobby. Este es my perro. Su nombre es Bobby

My computer is excellent. It’s new. Mi conputadora es excelente. Es nueva.
El posesivo no cambia con los nombres en plural. Ejemplo:

My friend (singular) My friends (plural)

Diferencia entre pronombres y adjetivos posesivos

Pueden ser adjetivos posesivos si va delante del nombre. Ej. My job . Pero si
van sustituyendo al nombre se llaman pronombres posesivos. Ejemplo. The job is
mine.

Adjetivo posesivo Pronombre posesivo

My car is red The red car is mine

Your car is white Yours is red

her car is in the garage The car in the garage is hers

My car is nice But hers is nicer

Their house is in La Trinidad Theirs is in Baruta

Otra forma que indica posesión es la construcción -‘s. Se usa generalmente

después de personas. Ejemplo:

This is my friend’s house. And this is Laura’s room.

La ‘s indica que lo que sigue está en relación de partencia con lo que antecede.
Laura’s room

Anne is Pablo’s mother.

 128

Aunque es posible también encontrar la construcción 's junto a otras formas.

Ejemplo:

Oil is our country’s most important element.

El petróleo es el elemento más importante del país.
He is Venezuela’s most famous politician.
El es el político venezolano más famoso.

LOS PRONOMBRES

Los pronombres son palabras que sustituyen al nombre en diferentes

contextos y que pueden cumplir las mismas funciones del nombre que sustituyen.
Por ejemplo los pronombres personales sustituyen a aquellos nombres que sirven
de Sujeto en la oración.

Los pronombres personales y pronombre objeto

Los pronombres objeto equivalen en español a me, se, te, nos, os, -los, -las

Prohombre Pronombre objeto

personal
I me
you you
she her
he him
it it
we us
you you
they them

Pronombre personal Pronombre objeto

He has a party Call Jenny and invite her

I can bring food Then, you’ll pay me

They are going to wash the dishes They are going to wash them

Ejemplo
Your grade is better than mine Tu nota es major que la mía.
I forgot my dictionary, Can you lend me yours?. Se me olvido el diccionario, ¿me
puedes prestar el tuyo?
 129

Ejercicio 19: Lee las siguientes oraciones o conversaciones. Escribe en el

espacio el pronombre objeto que mejor sustituya el nombre o los nombres
en itálicas.

1. A: Did you see Paul and Jennifer this morning?

B: No, I haven't seen Paul and Jennifer today? ___________

2. When you see Michael, give Michael these papers. ___________

3. A: Hey, that iPhone is cool!

B: Thank you! I bought this iPhone last week. __________

4. A: Have you ever tried Thai food?

B: No, but I'd love to try Thai food. __________

5. Miss Thomas, the new chemistry teacher, is a terrible person.

Nobody in the class likes Miss Thomas. __________

6. I don't know why Jessica isn't here yet. I told Jessica not to be _________
late.

7. He teacher told you and me to be ready for the exam. _________

Los pronombres posesivos

Existen también los siguientes pronombres posesivos, los cuales equivalen en

español a…

mine mío
yours tuyo
his suyo (de él)
hers suyo (de ella)
its suyo (de inanimado)
ours nuestro
theirs suyo (de ellos / ellas)

Ejercicio 20: Lee las siguientes oraciones y determina si los pronombres

posesivos son utilizados correctamente. Marca con una tilde las correctas y
con una X las incorrectas.

1. Alex quit his job last week. ______

2. Carlos' car is better than my. ______
3. Hers children are very educated. ______
4. Mine new English teacher is very nice. ______
5. My cell phone is out of battery. Could I make a phone from your? ______
6. Your aunt is an engineer, ours is a doctor. ______
 130

Los pronombres relativos

Los pronombres relativos se utilizan para conectar dos ideas referidas a la

misma persona o cosa.

I want to meet the student. The student participated in the competition.

I want to meet the student who participated in the competition.

De esta forma se da más información acerca del estudiante y se evita la

repetición. Aquí están otros pronombres relativos.

Pronombres RELATIVOS Se usa para____

who persona

which cosa

where lugar

Recuerda: Los pronombres relativos son iguales tanto para el singular como para el
plural

Ejercicio 21: Completa las siguientes oraciones con el pronombre relativo que
mejor corresponda.

1. Simón Bolívar was the man ______ fought for the

Independence of Venezuela.
2. Caracas is the city ______ Bolívar was born.
3. Simón Rodríguez was the man ______ influenced Bolívar.
5. He led the Admirable Campaign ______ resulted in the
proclamation of the Second Venezuelan Republic.
6. Bolívar participated in the foundation of Gran Colombia ______ united
Venezuela, Nueva Granada, Quito and Bolivia into one great nation.
7. Bolívar, ______ is often referred to as The Liberator, wrote many important
documents in ______ he exposed his ideals of Freedom, equality and justice for all
the Americas.
 131

Ejercicio 22: Completa esta tabla resumen con los pronombres que falten.

Pronombres Pronombres Pronombres Adjetivos

personales objetos posesivos posesivos
I mine
you
he him
hers
it its
ours
they their

CUANTIFICADORES

Los cuantificados indican una cantidad de forma indeterminada, es decir,

sin llegar a expresarla de manera exacta como con un número o cifra.
Generalmente se colocan delate del nombre. Algunos de los más comunes incluyen
a some, any, much, many. A continuación, encontrarpás más ejemplos.

Many - muchos/as Much - mucho/a Few - pocos/as

Little - poco/a
A Few - A Little – algo Some - algunos/as,
Too many -
algunos/as algo de demasiados/as
Too much -So many - So much - tanto/a
A lot of - un montón
demasiado/a tantos/as de.
None - ninguno/a All – Todo/ Fewer...than - Less...than - menos
todos/as menos ...que ...que
More...than - más Any - alguno/a, Most - la mayoría Enough –
...que cualquier/a, suficiente/suficientes,
ningún/a, algo, bastantes/bastante
nada de
No - ningún/a, Several - varios/as Both – ambos, Every – cada
nada de ambas
Each – cada Either - uno u Neither - ni uno Other - otro/a
otro, cualquiera ni otro, ninguno otros/as
de los dos de los dos.
Another - otro/a
 132

Te preguntarás por qué existen varios cuantificadores en inglés que significan lo

mismo en español (so much y so many por ejemplo). La razón es que algunos
cuantificadores se pueden utilizar sólo en algunos tipos de oraciones (en preguntas)
y en otros casos la diferenta depende de si el nombre es contable o no contable. La
siguiente tabal explica esta diferencia.

Preguntas Oraciones Oraciones Peticiones Nombres Nombres

Affirmativas Negativas y/o no contables
ofrecimientos contables
Many/
Too    
many
Much/
Too    
much
Little/
   
A Little
Few/
   
A Few
Some    
Any    
A lot of     
Fewer    
Less    
More      
Enough     

Ejercicio 23: Utiliza los cuantificadores de la tabla para completar las

siguientes oraciones. En algunos casos, más de una respuesta es posible.

1. How ___________ money do you have?

2. I can't go to the party tonight. I have ___________ homework for tomorrow.
3. Would you like ___________ orange juice?
4. The Monday after the elections, there weren't ___________ people in class.
5. Are there ___________ tomatoes in the fridge?
6. 20 minutes is ___________ time for this exercise. You could do it in ___________
time.
7. Sorry I'm late, but there was ___________ traffic this morning.
8. There' not ___________ sugar in this coffee.
9. How many ___________ cups of coffee do you drink a day?
10. The university needs to hire ___________ teachers for the new courses.
11. We can't make that cake. We don't have ___________ eggs.
 133

EL ADVERBIO

Así como el adjetivo es una clase de palabra que describe o modifica al

nombre, el adverbio es un tipo de palabra que describe o modifica al verbo. Los
adverbios nos dan información acerca de cómo, cuándo o con qué frecuencia se
realiza o realizó una acción.

María eats slowly. María come lentamente.

The students finished the activity fast. Los estudiantes terminaron
la actividad rápido
I woke up early. Yo me despierto temprano.
I usually get to work at 8 o'clock. Yo usualmente llegó a la oficina a
las 8.
Killing me softly with his song Matándome suavemente
con su canción

¿Cuál es la regla?

1. ¿Cuál es la terminación de la mayoría de los adverbios en los ejemplos?

_____________________________________________________________________________

2. ¿Cuál es la posición de la mayoría de los adverbios en los ejemplos?

_____________________________________________________________________________

3. ¿A qué se refiere usually y que posición ocupa?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Como buen observador, probablemente ya notaste que varios adverbios se

forman de un adjetivo seguido de –ly tales como quicly, softly, slowly. En otros
casos el adjetivo y el adverbio son iguales (fase, early, late) . Finalmente, el
adverbio para el adjetivo good es well.

Ejercicio 24: Completa la tabla con el adverbio correspondiente. Si tienes

dudas, busca la palabra en el diccionario.

Adjetivo Adverbio.
easy
nice
careful
angry
terrible
fast
hard
recent
beatiful
skillful
rapid
loud
 134

El VERBO

Es una clase de palabra que expresa las acciones (cantar, correr, etc.), estados (ser,
estar, parecer,) procesos ( comenzar, etc.)

Según su función los verbos pueden ser…

1. LEXICOS: run, eat find

2. AUXILIARES: be, have, do
3. MODALES: Can, could, must, should, may, might, would, will

Léxicos
Los verbos léxicos pueden ser reconocidos por los siguientes prefijos o
terminaciones:

1. - en _______________________ brighten, soften.

2. -ize _______________________ criticize
3. -ate _______________________ activate
4. -ify or -fy ___________________ simplify, justify

Auxiliares
Se combinan con verbos léxicos para formar tiempos verbales compuestos
(ya veremos más adelante). Sirven para hacer preguntas, negar y dar respuestas
cortas con verbos que no sean modales o el BE.

Where do you live?

I don't know the answer.
Does she like chocolate?
Yes, she does.

El Verbo Be (Ser o Estar)

Formas: be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been.

Para afirmar: You are a USB student.

Para preguntar: Are you a USB student?
Para negar: You are not / aren’t a USB student

Ejercicio 26: Completa los espacios con la forma correcta del verbo be.

1. Arango ______ a football player. He ______ a member of the Vinotinto team.

2. He ______ very popular. I ______ a soccer player. I _____ a soccer fan
3. Ronaldo, Mesi, and Raul ________ soccer players.
4. We ______ also baseball fans because baseball ______ very popular in
Venezuela.
5. ______ people from France interested in Baseball too?
6. No, they ______.
7. Raikkonen _______ a soccer player. He ______ a Formula 1 world champion.
 135

8. I _______ Paul and this _______my friend Mark.

9. We _________ very good friends.
10. She _________ usually at home.
11. Flowers __________ pretty.
12. The Earth_______ round.
13. Jenny and Pete __________ twins.
14. J. Rawlings _______ a writer and a teacher.
15. My sister ________11 years old.
16. What ________ your name?
17. Robert ____ not my name. My name ______ Richard.
18. My shoes _________ dirty.
19. Who ____ she?
20. Who ____ they?

Ejercicio 27: Usa el verbo be para hablar de tí y de un amigo o amiga. Usa

oraciones completas.

You Your Partner.

Name:
Nationality
Age.
Favorite Sport:
Best friend:

Modales: Can, could, must, should, may, might, would, will

Se utilizan para (i) expresar obligatoriedad, posibilidad, deseo, habilidad; y

(ii) dar y pedir permiso.
Los modales son iguales para todas las personas (I, she, he, we, you, they).
Después de los verbos modales va un verbo en su forma básica; es decir, sin to.

Expresa inglés español

CAN  habilidad o I can play the piano.Yo puedo*tocar el
capacidad. Can I come in? piano.
 pedir permiso ¿Puedo pasar?
COULD  habilidad o I could fly a kite Yo podia volar un
capacidad en when I was little. papagayo cuando
pasado. Could I use your cell era pequeño.
 Permiso phone? ¿podría usar tu
celular?
 136

MUST  obligación y You must register to Debes inscribirte

necesidad start classes here antes de comenzar
las clases aquí.
MAY  posibilidad After classes I may Después de clases
 permiso just go home. puede que vaya a
May I have a word casa.
with you? ¿Puedo hablar
contigo en
privado?
MIGHT  posibilidad I don’t know what No se qué hare.
I’m going to do. I Puede que vaya al
might go to a movie cine.
SHOULD  que algo es You don't look very No t eves muy bien
aconsejable. well. You should see deberías ir a ver a
a doctor. un doctor.
WOULD  posibilidad o I would travel if I Yo viajaría si
resultado could. pudiera.
hipotético
 Ofrecimientos Would you like Te gustaría algo
corteses something to drink? de tomar?
 habitos en pasado. Every summer we
would go to visit my Cada verano
Grandpa in his farm. solíamos ir a
visitar a mi abuelo
en su granja.

PRESENTE

Escribe el equivalente en español de estas oraciones.

INGLES ESPAÑOL
PRESENTE SIMPLE I work here
PRESENTE CONTINUO I am working here

El presente simple describe acciones habituales (I walk 3 kilometers every

morning); citaciones o hechos que no cambian (the sun rises in the East) estados
mentales o emocionales (I love my mother).
En el español, los verbos en presente se conjugan de diferentes maneras de
acuerdo a la persona. En el inglés, los verbos en presente presentan la misma
forma para todas las personas excepto para he, she, it para los cuales se agrega –s o
–es.
Ejemplo:

I work
you work
He works
She works
It works
We work
They work
 137

Las reglas para determinar cuando se agrega –s o –es son muy similares a
las reglas que rigen los plurales de los nombres. ¿Recuerdas esas reglas?

Ejercicio 28: Agrega –s o –es a los verbos en las siguientes oraciones.

1. She work___ in a bank.

2. Miguel live___ near his parents.
3. My cat eat___ only fish.
4. My father watch____ sports on TV every Sunday.
5. My cousin box___ very well. My might even try to do it professionally.
6. Her uncle go____ to the supermarket every Friday.
7. Her husband always wash___ the dishes after dinner.
8. My dog Skippy wax___ his tail each time he see____ me.

Para preguntar o negar en presente con verbos distintos a be se usan los

auxiliares do y does.

I, you do don't
He, she it does doesn't
We they do don't

PASADO

Escribe el equivalente en español de estas oraciones.

INGLES ESPAÑOL
PASADO SIMPLE I worked here
PASADO CONTINUO I was working here

BE en pasado

I, He, she it was

You we they
were

Ejemplos:

I was I wasn’t
He was He wasn’t Was he?
They were They weren’t Were they?

Los verbos en pasado en inglés se clasifican en regulares e irregulares. Los

regulares son aquellos que al estar en pasado se les agrega -d o -ed.
 138

Regulares

Casos Presente Pasado

Se agrega –d si el verbo termina en -e. arrive arrived

Si el verbo termina en –y precedida por consonante, marry married

entonces se cambia la -y por –i y se agrega –ed.
En verbos de una sílaba que terminan en stop stopped
consonante + vocal + consonante, se duplica la jog jogged
última consonante y se agrega -ed
Sin embargo, esta regla no aplica a verbos box boxed
terminados en z, w o x. vow vowed
Para verbos de más de una sílaba, que terminan en refer referred
consonante + vocal + consonante, se duplica la prefer Preferred
última consonante y se agrega –ed si la última listen listened
sílaba es la que lleva acento.
Todos los verbos que tienen dos vocales o que wait waited
terminan en dos consonantes solo se agrega –ed. join joined
land landed
work worked
walk walked

Irregulares

Casos Presente Pasado

El presente y pasado son iguales quit quit
set set
Solo se cambia la vocal principal del verbo. run ran
drink drank
drive drove
come came
sing sang
get got
El pasado cambia por las terminaciones –ought catch caught
o -aught think thought
teach taught
fight fought
Se cambia el último sonido consonante del spend spent
verbo. bend bent
have* had
make* made
El pasado es una palabra distinta al presente. go went
take took
be was/were

* aunque estos verbos terminan en "e" en su forma escrita, ésta no se pronuncia y

el último sonido en cada uno es el de la consonante anterior.
 139

Ejercicio 29: Completa las siguientes oraciones con el pasado de los verbos
en paréntesis.

1. My father _________ (work) there for 20 years.

2. When I was a kid, I never _________ (listen) to my mother.
3. My cousin _________(have) a lot of toys.
4. I never _________ (walk) to school as I child. I _________ (take) the bus.
5. I _________ (think) Carla was coming.
6. Yesterday, I didn't study. I just _________ (sit) on the sofa and _________ (watch)
TV all day.
7. Thank God, I _________ (quit) smoking many years ago.
8. Jonathan is tired because he _________ (carry) many boxes yesterday.

Para preguntar o negar en pasado con verbos distintos a be se usa el

auxiliar did

I, you
He, she it did didn't
We they

FUTURO

 Con going to + verbo -------para planes específicos

 Con will + verbo --------para predicción o intención

Ejercicio 30: Une con una línea los enunciados de la columna A y B. Luego
escribe toda la oración y utiliza going to + v para la segunda mitad como
se muestra en el ejemplo.

A B
Maggie is hungry See the doctor
We want to see the soccer game Ask for help
My car needs gasoline Turn the sports channel on
I don’t understand the math exercises Eat a snack
Thomas is sick leave
The party is boring Go to the gas station
 140

Ejemplo: Maggie is hungry. She is going to eat a snack.

1.______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________

Ejercicio 31: Completa el texto a continuación con going o will.

Dear, Bertha,

These are my plans for my upcoming trip to Paris next summer:

I ____________ arrive in Paris, France, on July 6th, on Tuesday. I ____________ check in at the
Hilton Hotel.
There are some things I have already decided, but there are others about which I’m not sure yet. I
____________ go shopping in Paris because I’ve heard everything is quite expensive and I’m kind of
short of money. Maybe I ____________ buy some small souvenirs for mom and my sisters, but nothing
else. Although I love museums, I don’t think I ____________ go to Louvre Museum. The tickets are very
expensive and I’ve heard you’re not even allowed to take pictures inside. But there are other museums in
Paris and maybe I ____________ visit some of them. In the afternoons, I ____________ walk around the
city center and take a lot of pictures. At nights, I guess I ____________ visit some cafés or discos. There
is a thing I ____________ do for certain and I have no doubt about it: Visiting the Eiffel Tower. There are
other things too, but that’s basically it. I ____________ fly back home on July 10th. Those are my plans.
What about you?
Anything special for this summer? Write soon.

Love,
Diana.
Participios pasados

Además de pasado, los verbos tienen formas en participio. Estas se utilizan

en construcciones gramaticales como el presente o pasado perfecto o la voz pasiva y
ocurren acompañadas de algún verbo auxiliar (have o be). Seguramente recuerdas
algunos participios. Presta atención a estos ejemplos:

Presente Pasado Pasado

participio
run ran run
drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
do did done

Todos los ejemplos de la tabla son verbos irregulares. En los verbos

regulares, el pasado participio es igual al pasado simple, solo se agrega -d o -ed
según el caso.
 141

Ejercicio 32: Une con una línea el participio con el infinitivo.

brought
put
become worn
go become
bring sent
throw thrown
put sold
begin gone
give given
sell begun
send putted
wear threw
brang
became
went

Verbos especiales

Make, do, say, tell y have son verbos que a menudo se prestan a confusión.

Say: Debe estar seguido de lo que se dice.

Ejemplo: He said that he wanted a new car. >>>> El dijo que quería un carro
Nuevo.

Tell: Debe estar seguido de la persona a quien se le dice algo.

Ejemplo: He told me he was going to come>>>>El me dijo que iba a venir.

Make: Crear o construir. Hacer a alguien hacer algo. Producir o causar una
emoción en alguien.
Sara makes delicious cakes.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sara hace tortas deliciosas.
The best toys in the world are made in Taiwan.>>>Los mejores jugetes del mundo
son hechos en Taiwan
My mother made me wash the car.>>>>>>>>>Mi madre me hizo lavar el carro.
The smiles of children always make me happy.>>>>Las sonrisas de los niños
siempre me hacen feliz.
Her indifference made me sad. >>>>>>>>Su indiferencia me entristeció.

Do: Hacer una actividad o acción. También para referirse a la ocupación de una
persona.
What are you doing?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Qué estás haciendo?
I’m doing my homework.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Estoy haciendo la tarea.
What does your father do?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Qué hace tu papa? (a qué se
dedica?)
He’s a teacher.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> El es profesor.
 142

En el siguiente gráfico encontrarás varias expresiones que se utilizan con do y con

make. Con la ayuda de un diccionario, busca otras expresiones o palabras que
puedas agregar

friends
a sound
money

Someone
do a suggestion
something

Make

something about a
problem
the dishes

your/his/her,
etc.
homework

Do
 143

PREPOSICIONES

Estas son algunas de las preposiciones más comunes en inglés. Busca su

significado en el diccionario y escríbelo en una hoja aparte.

about before down into through

above behind during like toward
across below except of under
after beneath for on up
among beside from over with
around between in since without
at by instead of to

Ejercicio 33: Agrupa las preposiciones del cuadro en la tabla que se presenta
a continuación. Algunas pueden estar en dos columnas a la vez.

LUGAR TIEMPO DIRECCION

for : se usa para referirse a un período de tiempo: a year, an tour, six weeks.
I have worked here for two years.
Since: se usa para referirse a un punto en el tiempo: July, yesterday, last year.
I work here since 2006.

In - On - At (Lugar)
x
x

In on at
In In a city, in a state, in a room, in a country, in a house, in an apartment,
in a college, in the mountains, in a desert, in a book, in a magazine, in a
car, in a taxi.
On On an avenue, on a street, on a river, on a lake, on a beach, on a slip, on a
plane, on a bus, on the right, on the left, on a corner, on vacation, on a
trip, on holidays, on the 2nd/3rd floor, on channel 2
At At 24 Main St, at home, at work, at school, at church, at the airport, at a
university, at 16 (de edad)

In - On - At (tiempo)
In Un período In winter, in may, in 1991, in the morning, in the evening, in
de tiempo the future, in five minutes.
On Un día o On Monday, on March 5, on weekends, on weekdays, on time, on
una fecha the phone
at Un punto At midnight, at noon, at night, at 12.30, at a time, at any time,
en el at the end of the year.
tiempo

(Cuadros adaptados de Mackey, D. & A. Sökmen More Grammar Plus Longman 1996)
 144

Ejercicio 34: Completa las siguientes oraciones con las preposiciones del
cuadro.

In on at after before by

1. _____________ Albert Einstein finished school, many of his teachers thought he

had learning disabilities.
2. _____________ December 17, 1903, the "Flyer" flew a distance of 37m for 12
seconds at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA.
3. _____________ November 23, 1927, Rotheim patented a can with a valve and
propellant systems that could hold and dispense liquids, later called the aerosol
can.
4. _____________ the end of the 19th century, not many people believed it was
possible to travel to the moon.
5. A gas-powered motorcycle was invented by the German inventor Gottlieb
Daimler _____________ 1885.
6. Nesmith invented liquid paper _____________ the time of word processors.
7. The sandwich was invented by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-
1792) 30 years _____________ his death.
8. Thomas A. Edison had invented a device that transmitted voice over long
distances _____________ Graham Bell invented the telephone.
9. X-rays were discovered _____________ 1895 by Wilhelm Konrad von Roentgen.

CONJUNCIONES
Entre las más comunes están las siguientes.

inglés uso español

and Agregar información, unir
elementos comunes.
but Presentar un contraste
entre elementos.
so Introducir un resultado
or Presentar opciones.
because Dar razones.

Ejercicio 35: Agrega una de las conjunciones del cuadro para unir las
siguientes oraciones.

1. I want to prepare a cake ______ I don't have sugar.

2. You can give her a present ______ you can give her the money to buy it.

3. Frank wanted to go to the doctor ______ it was too late.

4. I wanted to graduate as soon as possible ____ I studied harder.

5. People want to have better jobs ______ they want to make money.

6. Pedro is a lawyer _____ also a teacher.

 145

ORACIONES

Afirmativas

Las oraciones tienen sujeto y verbo

Ej. Real Madrid will win
S V
En ocasiones tienen sujeto, verbo y complementos
Ej. Real Madrid will win next year
S V C

Ej Ronaldinho will score a goal

S V O

El objeto es un nombre que (i) es afectado por la acción o (ii) es el producto

de la acción.

The dog bite John El perro mordió a John

He wrote a poem. Él escribió un poema.

Mientras que en español podemos tener Él es mi amigo / Es mi amigo (sin

sujeto)
En inglés no tenemos la segunda opción:

Is my friend X

He is my friend 

Ejercicio 36: Indica si las siguientes oraciones son correctas  o incorrectas

X

1. Él tiene dos hermanos > Has two brothers _______

2. Estoy cansada> I’m tired _______
3. Tenemos una nueva computadora > We have a new computer _______
4. Está fastidiada > Is bored _______
5. Estaremos allá en media hora > Will be there in half an hour _______
6. Estoy seguro de que tengo otro > I’m sure have another one _______
7. Es importante llegar a tiempo > It is important to be on time _______

El orden del objeto directo e indirecto puede ser diferente al español. Ejemplo

I bought a flower for her

OD OI
 146

Pero es muy común encontrar:

I bought her a flower

OI OD

Lo mismo sucede con la preposicion to.

Give me the money or Give the money to me

Ejercicio 37: Coloca en orden las siguientes palabras.

1. my girlfried I always give flowers

______________________________________________________________

2. always my mother delicious for me cooks meals

______________________________________________________________

3. me an send please e mail

______________________________________________________________

4. me phone your number give

______________________________________________________________

Negativas

Si hay verbo be

My name is not Kate. My name is Jane.

My name isn’t Kate.
George Washington wasn't president of Canada.

Con otros verbos en presente.

I don’t like chocolate.

She doesn’t live in Caracas.
They don’t work in the library.

Verbos en pasado

I didn't do it.
Jane didn't have time to finish

Con verbos modales.

You shouldn't smoke.

I can't solve that math problem.
I couldn't come because I had a cold.

Cuando usamos un auxiliary o un modal, el verbo que le sigue va en forma

base, es decir sin to, sin –s o –es si es presente y sin estar en pasado.
 147

I didn't went to the party X

I didn't go to the party. 
She doesn't likes chocolate X
She doesn't like chocolate 
He can't to platy the piano X
He can't play the piano. 

Ejercicio 38: Estas oraciones son falsas. Corrígelas para hacerlas verdaderas.

Ejemplo:
Birds fly under water.
___________No, they don’t fly under water. They fly in the air.__________________

1. Pandas live in Africa.

_______________________________________________________________

2. Fish swim in the air.

_______________________________________________________________

3. Penguins live in the North Pole.

________________________________________________________________

4. Dolphins are fish.

________________________________________________________________

Nature Quiz. (Adapted from Seidl. Grammar One. OUP)

Ejercicio 39: Completa las oraciones acerca de Juan Carlos de acuerdo a

la información en la tabla. Utiliza las formas negativas o afirmativas en
los tiempos adecuados.

Juan Carlos

lives Valencia
graduated UCV
profession Engineer
plans Move to New York - Start his own business
abilities Speak Italia- Drive
likes Rock, action movies.

1. Juan Carlos ______________________ in Caracas

2. He ______________________ from USB.
3. He _________ an engineer.
4. He ______________________ move to Toronto.
5. He ______________________ start his own business.
6. He _______________________ English.
7. He _______________________ drive.
 148

8. He _______________________ classical music.

9. He _______________________ action movies.

There is / are, there was / were

Se usa there is y there was para los nombres contables en singular.

Se usa there are y there were para los nombres contables en plural.

There is / are = Hay

There was / were = Había / hubo
There is a message for you = Hay un mensaje para tí

Es posible usar there are / were con cuantificadores como en los siguientes
ejemplos.

There are a few eggs in the refrigerator

There are several restaurants and cafeterias on campus.
There are some students outside
There are many engineering students here.
There are a lot of young students here.

Para negar, se utilizan las formas negativas de be.

There aren't enough seats.

There isn't much time left.
There wasn't a way out.
There weren't any police officers at the scene.

Para preguntar se invierte el orden entre there y be.

Is there a message for me? ¿Hay un mensaje para mí?

Are there any messages for me? > ¿Hay mensajes para mí?

Ejercicio 40: Escoge una de las opciones.

1. __________ a bookstore nearby? a. There is b. Is there

2. ____________ three bookstores in the area. a. There is b. There are

3. I don’t know if _____________ a cafeteria around here. a. there is b. there

are

4. _____________ banks near here? a. Is there b. Are there

Ejercicio 41: Completa los enunciados utilizando la forma correcta de there

+ be, bien sea afirmativa, negativa o como pregunta.

1. __________ two banks in Básico II

2. __________ a swimming pool in the sports complex
 149

3. A: ________ there a supermarket in the area? B:Yes, _______ is one in El

Placer.
4. A: ________ there an auditorium here? B:Yes, there ________a beautiful one.
5. There ________ demonstrations here last year.
6. How many people _______ there at the party last Saturday?

Oraciones pasivas y activas

Existen dos maneras de expresar ideas usando oraciones pasivas y activas.Ejemplo:

Garfield ate my pizza. (activa)

My pizza was eaten by Garfield (pasiva)

En la oración pasiva, el Objeto de la oración se convierte en el foco de atención y

por eso cambia al principio de ésta.
¿Cuál es la activa y cuál es la pasiva en el siguiente par de ejemplos?

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet _____________

Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare____________

En algunas oraciones pasivas no aparece el agente porque es muy obvio o porque no

se conoce. Fíjate en los siguientes ejemplos:

English is spoken in Australia (es obvio que por la gente que vive en Australia)
The man was arrested. (es obvio que lo arrestó la policía)
The famous picture was stolen. (no se sabe quien la robó)
Paper and plastic are recycled in some cities. (no sabemos exactamente cuales
ciudades y quiénes)

Para formar la voz pasiva es necesario usar el verbo BE y el participio pasado del
verbo.
Escribe en los espacios el verbo be y las formas de participio pasado de los ejemplos
1-4.

BE Participio pasado
1.
2.
3.
4.

Existen pasivas en presente y en pasado. Podrías distinguir cuáles son presente y

cuáles pasadas en los ejemplos anteriores.

Presente _______________________________________________________________
Pasado _______________________________________________________________
 150

¿Cuál es la regla?

Además de invertir el orden del sujeto y el objeto, hay otras reglas para formar una
oración pasiva. ¿Podrías formular la regla para la construcción de pasivas?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Ejercicio 42: Lee las siguientes oraciones e identifícalas como pasivas o activas
marcando con una tilde la columna correspondiente.

A P
Richard G. Drew (1886-1956) invented masking tape and clear
adhesive tape
The first working aeroplane was invented, designed, made, and flown
by the Wright brothers
The aqualung … was invented in 1943 by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and
Emile Gagnan.
Liquid Paper was invented in 1951 by Bessie Nesmith (1922-1980).
Sundbach sold these fasteners to the US Army…
He called his invention the Hookless 2
Hunt invented the safety pin in order to pay a debt of $15…
In 1873, Strauss patented the idea of using copper rivets at the stress
points of sturdy work trousers.
The first bags were made from silk.

Ejercicio 43: Cambia las siguientes oraciones según sea el caso de activas a
pasivas o de pasivas a activas.

1. He sings all the new songs.

______________________________________________________________________
2. A video was taken by a student.
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Dynamite was discovered by Alfred B.Nobel in 1866.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Copper is not used in fiber optics
________________________________________________________________________
5. The relationship between force and motion was expressed by Newton
_________________________________________________________________________
 151

Preguntas
En presente

Con be

Are you an only child?

Is she a good dancer?

Con otros verbos

Do you cook well?

Does he play a musical instrument?

Con WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, WHY, HOW + palabra (how old, how many,
how often, how long, how much)

HOW OLD are you?

How many brothers and sisters do you have?
What do you need?
How does Marge feel?
Where do they live?

Ejercicio 44: Ordena los las palabras para formar preguntas.

1. you Do like sports ?

___________________________________________________________________
2. do play you What ?
___________________________________________________________________
3. play do you How often ?
___________________________________________________________________
4. practice you do Where?
___________________________________________________________________
5. When game next is the?
___________________________________________________________________
 152

Con CAN, COULD y otros modales no es necesario usar auxiliar

Can you speak more than one language?

Can he drive a motorcycle?

En pasado

Las reglas son las mismas que para formular preguntas en presente pero
utilizando las formas en pasado de be y do. Escribe los ejemplos de la sección de
preguntas en presente en los espacios correspondientes cambiándolas a pasado.

Con Be
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Con otros verbos

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Con WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, WHY, HOW + palabra (how old, how many,
how often, how long, how much)
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Ejercicio 45: Escribe preguntas que se correspondan con las respuestas

dadas.

1. A: ________________________________________________________________?
B: My grandfather died when I was 10. It was really sad.

2. A: ________________________________________________________________?
B: I liked children songs, you know, like Old McDonald and staff.

3. A: ________________________________________________________________?
B: My favorite food was potato chips.

4. A: ________________________________________________________________?
B: My brothers and I played baseball and soccer.

5. A: ________________________________________________________________?
B: No, I didn't. We had a cat instead.
 153

Ejercicio 46: Lee el siguiente texto y completa la información que se te

solicita al final.
Elephant, huge mammal characterized by
a long muscular snout and two long, curved
tusks. Highly intelligent and strong, elephants
are the largest land animals and are among the
longest lived, with life spans of 60 years or
more. Healthy, full-grown elephants have no
natural enemies other than humans.
Throughout history, people have prized
elephants for their great size and strength. On
the battlefield, soldiers astride elephants have
trampled and terrified enemies. Elephants also have been trained to carry heavy
supplies through jungles and to haul huge logs from the forests where they once
lived.
Elephants have long been revered and honored, and in Thailand, India, and
other Southeast Asian countries, beautifully decorated elephants still play a
significant role in traditional religious ceremonies. According to Buddhist tradition,
the Buddha chose the form of a white elephant as one of his many earthly
incarnations, and the rare appearance of a white elephant is still heralded as a
manifestation of the gods.
Over the past 40 million years, more than 600 species of elephants have
roamed the earth. Today only three species remain—the savanna elephant and the
forest elephant of Africa, and the Asian elephant. Climate fluctuations over the
millennia and resulting vegetation changes caused the extinction of many elephant
species, but human impact has also taken its toll. At the turn of the 20th century,
elephants numbered from 5 million to 10 million, but widespread hunting and
habitat destruction reduced their numbers to 400,000 to 500,000 by the end of the
century. Present-day efforts to save elephants may be inadequate, and biologists
are unsure if elephants as a species will survive.

English Spanish
7 adjectives used in paragraph 1:

8 nouns in paragraph 2:

5 prepositions used in the whole texts:

Verb form more commonly used

(present, past, past participle)