Showing posts with label EF p 190. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EF p 190. Show all posts
EF p 190. Fancy a Down-to-Earth Holiday? Writing an Article. Verb Form Gap Fill
Read the following text and fill in the gaps with the verb that best fits each space using the correct verb form of the verbs below. There are TWO extra verbs you will not need. The activity begins with an example (0).
Verbs: picture, stumble across, work, always/fascinate, kowtow, give, curb, find, nod, tell, swap, finally/allow, clearly/wait, dig.
Task instructions: You have been asked to write an article describing your experience of an unusual type of holiday for a students’ magazine.
Fancy a Down-to-Earth Holiday?
Are you tired of doing the same thing every summer? (0) Picture this: you're sprawled on a beach towel, bored out of your mind, watching other tourists do exactly what you're doing – absolutely nothing. Sound familiar? If you (1) your head right now, it might be time to trade that sun lounger for something more memorable.
I (2) by history, but let's be honest – reading about ancient civilisations in dusty textbooks isn't exactly thrilling. So when I (3) an advertisement for an archaeology training holiday, I was intrigued. A week of hands-on historical detective work? Sign me up! My friends thought I'd lost my mind. "You're paying to dig holes in the dirt?" one asked. "You could do that in your garden for free!"
Our group was wonderfully eclectic. Eight of us gathered that first morning: a retired school teacher who (4) for years for this adventure, two enthusiastic American college students armed with expensive cameras (naturally), an out-of-work actor who (5) us dramatic readings of historical texts at every opportunity – including at breakfast – and a few others who, like me, were simply curious. We stayed in a converted farmhouse where the accommodation was refreshingly simple but comfortable, and the home-cooked meals were absolutely delicious. Proper food, not the usual holiday fare that makes you wonder which century it's from (though given our location, that might have been appropriate).
After some basic training in archaeological techniques – learning the difference between a significant find and a rock was harder than you'd think, and I'm still not entirely convinced about some of my "discoveries" – we (6) to join a real dig at a nearby archaeological site. Imagine carefully brushing away centuries of soil with what looks like a toothbrush, never quite knowing what might emerge. The tension, the concentration, the sheer excitement of it all! Also, the backache. Nobody mentions the backache.
Then it happened. As I (7) methodically through my assigned section, convinced I (8) nothing but more dirt, my trowel struck something hard. My heart raced as I gently uncovered a tiny fragment of pottery, its surface surprisingly smooth despite the passage of time. When our instructor examined it later that day, she confirmed it was Roman. "Beginner's luck!" she announced with a grin. Meanwhile, the retired teacher who (9) for three days had found precisely one modern bottle cap. I tried not to look too smug.
Would I recommend an educational holiday? Absolutely. In fact, I'm already planning my next one – mediaeval castle restoration, anyone? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with traditional beach holidays if that's your thing. But personally, I can't think of anything more rewarding than learning a new skill, meeting fascinating people, and coming home with stories that are actually worth (10) at dinner parties.
Oh, and I still got a sun tan – just with considerably more dirt under my fingernails and a newfound appreciation for professional archaeologists who do this every day without complaining. So, what would your life be like if you (11) predictable for unforgettable this summer?
KEY
1. 're nodding
2. 've always been fascinated
3. stumbled across
4. 'd clearly been waiting
5. gave
6. were finally allowed
7. was working
8. 'd find
9. 'd been digging
10. telling
11. swapped
Extra verbs:
To Curb: To check or keep in check; to restrain. Sp. frenar, restringir.
"The government introduced new laws to curb inflation."
To Kowtow: To act in an excessively subservient manner.
“I refuse to kowtow to the demands of a bully.”
EF p 190. An Article about Childhood. Word Formation
Children’s lives have changed (1)____________ (ENORMOUS) over the last 50 years. But do they have (2)___________ (HAPPY) (3)____________ (CHILD) today?
1 It’s difficult to look back on one’s own childhood without some element of (4)_____________ (NOSTALGIC). I have four brothers and sisters and my memories are all about being with them, playing board games on the living room floor, or spending days outside with the other (5)_______________ (NEIGHBOUR) children, racing around on our bikes or exploring the (6)___________ (NEAR) woods. My parents (7)_____________ (HARD) ever appear in these memories, except as (8)_____________ (PROVIDE) either of meals or of severe reprimands after some (9)______________ (PARTICULAR) (10)________________ (HAZARD) adventure.
2 In the UK at (11)__________ (LITTLE), the nature of childhood has changed (12)______________ (DRAMATIC) since the 1970s. First, families are (13)______________ (SMALL) and there are far more only children these days. It is common for both parents to work outside the home and far (14)____________ (FEW) people have the time to bring up a large family. As a result, boys and girls today spend much of their time alone. Another major change is that (15)_____________ (YOUNG) tend to spend a huge proportion of their free time at home, inside. This is often due to the fact that parents worry much more than they used to about real or imagined dangers, so they wouldn’t dream of letting their children play outside by themselves.
3 (16)____________ (FINAL), the kinds of toys children have and the way they play is (17)____________ (TOTAL) different. Computer and video games have (18)____________ (PLACE) the board games and more active (19)____________ (TIME) of my childhood. The fact that they can play the games on their own (20)_______________ (FAR) increases the sense of (21)___________ (ISOLATE) felt by many young people today. The irony is that so many of these games are called ‘(22)___________ (ACT)’.
4 Do these changes mean that children today have a (23)___________ (LITTLE) (24)__________ (IDYLL) childhood than I had? I personally believe that they do, but perhaps every generation feels (25)__________ (EXACT) the same.
KEY
1. enormously
2. happier
3. childhoods
4. nostalgia /nɒˈstældʒə/
5. neighbourhood
6. nearby
7. hardly
8. providers
9. particularly
10. hazardous /ˈhæzədəs/
hazardous: Involving risk or danger, especially to somebody’s health or safety.
hazardous waste/materials/substances/chemicals
They endured a hazardous journey through thickening fog.
It would be hazardous to invest so much.
hazardous to somebody/something
a list of products that are potentially hazardous to health
11. least
12. dramatically
13. smaller
14. fewer
15. youngsters
16. Finally
17. totally
18. replaced
19. pastimes
20. further
(adv)
to a greater degree or extent Sp. más, más a fondo.
to develop/increase/enhance/improve something further
to strengthen/support something further
Costs must be further reduced.
The police decided to investigate further.
My life is further complicated by having to work such long hours. She was getting further and further into debt.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Their share price fell further today.
21. isolation
22. interactive
23. less
24. idyllic
25. exactly
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