Reading comprehension for 8°

ACTIVITY
Read the text and answer the questions.

The magnificent Redwood trees are some of the largest trees in the world! They are found mostly in northern California where cool temperatures, misty rains, and dense fog allow them to grow.

Redwood Trees can live thousands of years. The oldest of these trees can grow to over 300 feet tall. Some rise higher than the Statue of Liberty! A few are so wide that roads can be built through them.

Redwoods trees are preserved in California's Redwood National Park. Every year, nearly a million visitors come to see the giant trees. Others just like to drive along the 33-mile long Avenue of the Giants, a road that winds through the park and surrounding areas.

 QUESTIONS

1.The author seems...

A.   ?    bored by the Redwood trees.
B.   ?    to not know that much about the trees.
C.   ?    impressed with the Redwood trees.
D.   ?    to think Redwoods can grow anywhere.

2.How many people come to Redwood National Park?

A.   ?    no one knows
B.   ?    almost a million
C.   ?    a couple of hundred
D.   ?    a few

3.Redwood trees can...

A.   ?    stop growing at 100 feet tall.
B.   ?    live without water.
C.   ?    live a very long time.
D.   ?    live about as long as a person.

4._________ Redwood Trees can grow to over 300 feet tall.

A.   ?    One or two
B.   ?    Old
C.   ?    No
D.   ?    All

5.Redwood trees grow...

A.   ?    everywhere in the United States.
B.   ?    where it is icy cold.
C.   ?    where it is cool and misty.
D.   ?    where it is hot and dry.

TIM'S DAY

Tim works for a company in Sacramento, California. He's a customer service representative. He gets up at six o'clock each workday. He drives to work and begins his job at eight o'clock. He speaks to people on the telephone to help them with their banking problems. People telephone the bank to ask questions about their accounts. He doesn't give information about accounts until people answer a few questions.

Tim asks callers their birth date, the last four digits of their social security number and their address. If a person gives incorrect information, Tim asks him to call back with the correct information. Tim is polite and friendly with everyone. He has lunch in a park next to his office. He returns home at five o'clock in the evening. After work, he goes to the gym to work out. He has dinner at seven o'clock. Tim likes watching TV after dinner. He goes to bed at eleven o'clock at night.

1. Where does Tim work?

a. In Europe
b. In the USA
c. In Asia
 

2. When does he get up?

a.  He gets up at seven o'clock in the morning.

 b. He gets up at six o'clock in the morning.

c.  He gets up at six o'clock in the afternoon.
 

3. How does he get to work?

 a.He walks to work.

 b.He drives to work.

c. He takes the bus to work.

4. What does he do during the day?

a. He helps customers in a bank.

 b.He helps customers on the telephone.

c. He helps customers outside
 

5. What does he do to check information?

 a. He asks people some questions.

b. He tells them to call later.

 c. He asks to see documents.

6. Which question does he NOT ask?

 a.What is your birth date?

 b. What is your job?

c. What is your address?

7. What does he do if the information is incorrect?

a. He gives banking account information.

b. He asks the callers to call back with correct information.

 c.He asks to speak to the parents.

8. What is Tim like on the job?

a. He is unfriendly and helpful.

b. He is funny and helpful.

 c.He is polite and friendly.

9. Where does he eat lunch?

a. At work

b. In a park near work

 c.At home

10. What does he do in the evening?

a. He works out at the gym and watches TV.

b. He works out at the gym and reads a book.

c. He watches TV and plays ping pong.

 

 

READING COMPREHENSION FOR 9º

ACTIVITY

Read the text and answer the questions.

The Effects of Stress

There is a famous expression in English: "Stop the world, I want to get off!" This expression refers to a feeling of panic, or stress, that makes a person want to stop whatever they are doing, try to relax, and become calm again. 'Stress' means pressure or tension. It is one of the most common causes of health problems in modern life. Too much stress results in physical, emotional, and mental health problems.

There are numerous physical effects of stress. Stress can affect the heart. It can increase the pulse rate, make the heart miss beats, and can cause high blood pressure. Stress can affect the respiratory system. It can lead to asthma. It can cause a person to breathe too fast, resulting in a loss of important carbon dioxide. Stress can affect the stomach. It can cause stomach aches and problems digesting food. These are only a few examples of the wide range of illnesses and symptoms resulting from stress.

Emotions are also easily affected by stress. People suffering from stress often feel anxious. They may have panic attacks. They may feel tired all the time. When people are under stress, they often overreact to little problems. For example, a normally gentle parent under a lot of stress at work may yell at a child for dropping a glass of juice. Stress can make people angry, moody, or nervous.

Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental illnesses. Depression, an extreme feeling of sadness and hopelessness, can be the result of continued and increasing stress. Alcoholism and other addictions often develop as a result of overuse of alcohol or drugs to try to relieve stress. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, are sometimes caused by stress and are often made worse by stress. If stress is allowed to continue, then one's mental health is put at risk.

It is obvious that stress is a serious problem. It attacks the body. It affects the emotions. Untreated, it may eventually result in mental illness. Stress has a great influence on the health and well-being of our bodies, our feelings, and our minds. So, reduce stress: stop the world and rest for a while.

1. Which of the following is not a common problem caused by stress?

a.  physical problems

b.  anecdotal problems

c. mental problems

 d. emotional problems

2. According to the essay, which of the following parts of the body does not have physical problems caused by stress.

a. the arms

 b. the stomach

c. the lungs

d. the heart

3. Which of the following show how stress can affect the emotions? 

a. it can make people feel nervous

b. it can cause panic attacks

c. it can make people feel elated

d. it can make people feel angry

4. Which of the following can result from long-term stress? 

a. bliss

b. depression

c. alcoholism

d. whimsy

5. Choose the best answer to explain how alcoholism is caused by stress.

a. alcohol is used to relieve stress

b. alcohol is popular

c. alcohol is a chemical

d. alcohol is similar to medicine

6. Which of the following is not caused by long-term stress?

a. bloating

b. addiction

c. anorexia

d. alcoholism

7. Choose all of the answers that can complete this sentence: Stress can affect the respiratory system by __________.

a. causing stomach problems

b. causing asthma

c. a loss of carbon dioxide

d. causing breathing problems

8. Symptoms of emotional stress include __________.

 a. feeling joyous

b. feeling hungry

c. feeling thirsty

d. feeling tired

READING COMPREHENSION for 8°

ACTIVITY

Read the text and answer the questions.

The Frog and the Ox

Many years ago there was a magnificent ox. One day, when he was taking an afternoon walk, a poorly dressed and unimportant looking frog saw him. The frog felt envy toward the beautiful, strong ox. But the frog yelled to his friends, "Look at this ox! But he is no better than I am, if I tried." The frog swelled up to twice his normal size. "Am I the size of this big ox now?" he asked his frog friends. "You will have to be much bigger to be his size," they said. The frog swelled up even bigger. "How about now?" he asked his friends. "No, but you better not swell up more or you will kill yourself," they warned.

But the frog wanted to be as big as the ox and puffed, and puffed. He never got as big as the ox because he burst first.

1. Magnificent means

a. great and good looking.

b.  proud.

c. poor.

2. The frog was

a.  poorly dressed.

b.  magnificent.

c.  green.

3. The ox was

a.  green.

b. poorly dressed.

c. magnificent.

4. What emotion did the frog feel toward the ox?

a.  fear

b. pride

c.  envy

5. The frog made himself bigger by

a.  eating a lot.

b. swelling up his body.

c. doing nothing.

6. The frog's friends told him,

a. "You look great."

b. "You need to be bigger."

c. "You look as big as the ox."

7. The frog finally

a. burst from puffing himself up

b. was as magnificent as the ox.

c.  got as big as the ox.

8. The lesson from this story is

a. try to be bigger than you are.

b.  be yourself - don't try to be like another.

c. don't try to be better.

ACTIVITY TAG QUESTIONS 8º

ACTIVITY

A. Complete each of the following sentences.

1. Bruce knows Janet, ______ he?

a) knows

b) doesn't

c) do

d) did

2. Alice did a good job, ______ she?

a) does

b) do

c) didn't

d) is

3. Bob and Janet can't swim, ______ they?

a) cannot

b) can

c) can't

d) do

4. It won't be difficult, ______ it?

a) won't

b) does

c) will

d) is

5. You like my hamburger, ______ you?

a) don't

b) aren't

c) didn't

d) won't

B Complete with the corresponding tag question

1. Alison is 26,

2. She teaches French,

3. She can windsurf,

4. She isn't Australian,

5. She doesn't speak Spanish,

6. She can't fly a plane,

7. She has  brown hair,

8. She met everyone yesterday,

9. She  finishes her book yet,

10. She didn't get up late,

11. You're going to the restaurant, 

12. You like wine,

13. Mary is here,

14. They are not leaving,

15. She knows the waiter,  

16. We aren't getting dessert,  

17. It is not raining,

18. You are preparing the meal,  

19. She likes to watch television,  

20. You know about the specials,

READING COMPREHENSION FOR 9º

ACTIVITY

A. Read the text about some English villages. Then look at the sentences at the bottom of the page and decide if each sentence is True or False.

Explore the Villages around Hartbridge

Many visitors come to Hartbridge to see the wonderful art galleries and museums, the beautiful buildings and the fantastic parks. Few people go outside the city, and so they miss out on experiencing the scenery and the fascinating history of this beautiful area. This brochure will tell you what you can see if you take a short bus ride out of the city.

Camberwell

The historic village of Camberwell was once the home of the wealthy Hugo family. They lived in a huge country house, Camberwell Court, and owned all the land in the area. The family sold their house in the 1940s, and it is now open to the public. You can spend a whole day walking around the house and gardens. There is a small exhibition about the family, a children’s play area, a gift shop and a restaurant. But the village of Camberwell is also worth a visit. There are some beautiful cottages with well kept gardens, and there is a small church which dates back to the eleventh century. To get to Camberwell, take Bus 46 from the Bus station. Buses leave every two hours.

Hidcot

Hidcot is an attractive village situated on the River Owell. Wildlife lovers should visit the Nature Park to the south of the village, where there are large numbers of rare birds and flowers. However, you will probably see plenty of wildlife from the bridge in the village centre! In Hidcot, you can take a two-hour river cruise - a great way to see the countryside and learn about the local wildlife from a guide. If you prefer to explore the river by yourself, it’s well worth walking one and a half miles along the river to the pub ‘The Boat’ which cannot be reached by road. Here, you can hire small boats and explore the river at your leisure. To get to Hidcot, take Bus 7A to Reeford. Hidcot is half way between Hartbridge and Reeford.

Tatterbridge

The beautiful village of Tatterbridge was home to the children’s writer Jane Potter, whose stories of Benjamin Bear are loved by adults and children around the world. Jane Potter’s home is now a museum and tea shop, and is well worth a visit just for its wonderful gardens. It also has a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and books. Tatterbridge has a number of interesting shops including an excellent cake shop, and ‘Wendy’s Giftshop’ where you can find lots of unusual gifts made by hand by local artists. Lovers of Jane Potter’s books should also walk to the Green Valley woods, which have not changed since Jane Potter wrote her stories there one hundred years ago.
To get to Tatterbridge, take Bus 4 from outside the cinema. It takes about 40 minutes to get there.

Moordale

This old industrial village is the highest village in the area. Here in the hills, coal was found in the late eighteenth century, and people came here in great numbers to take it out of the ground and transport it to the nearby towns. Many industries grew up in the area, including a paper factory and a cotton factory. The industries all closed down in the nineteenth century, and since then Moordale has gone back to being a quiet farming village. However, if you walk from the village centre up the steep hill to the north, you can still see the paths where horses used to carry the coal. There is a four mile walk around the village which has some amazing views, but walkers are must be careful as the path is steep in places and they could slip. To get to Moordale, take Bus 7A to Reeford, and then take the number 38 bus to Moordale.


1. It is unusual for visitors to visit the villages near Hartbridge.

 True
 False

2. The Hugo family allows people to visit their current home.

 True
 False

3. The leaflet advises visitors not to spend all day at Camberwell Court.

 True
 False

4. You can hire small boats from the bridge in Hidcot.

 True
 False

5. You can take the bus directly to ‘The Boat’ pub near Hidcot.

 True
 False

6. The leaflet says that the gardens are the best part of Jane Potter’s home.

 True
 False

7. Jane Potter wrote her books in the Green Valley woods.

 True
 False

8. You can visit the paper factory and the cotton factory in Moordale.

 True
 False

9. You will see horses on farms as you walk around Moordale.

 True
 False

10. You can get to all four villages directly from Hartbridge.

 True
 False
 False

B. Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.

Questions

1. The statistics state that.

a. although obesity is prevalent, it is not considered as a serious illness.

b. obesity is considered as a serious illness.

2. Obese people

a. may suffer from severe illnesses.

b. may suffer from mild ailments.

3. Modern medicine

a. can cure obesity.

b. cannot cure it at all.

4. The best treatment for obesity is

a. related to individuals lifestyle.

b. medical.

ACTIVITY ABOUT TAG QUESTIONS FOR 8º

ACTIVITY

A. Complete the sentences with:   isn't  -   aren't  -  don't   -   doesn't

1. He's rich, ______ he?

2. These are your glasses, _______ they?

3. You live in Fairfield,  __________ you?

4. It's a lovely day, ___________ it?

5. She isn’t late, ________ she?

6. You studied, ___________ you?

7. They walk to work, __________ they?

8. Bill likes chocolate, __________ he?

9. Those flowers are beautiful, ________ they?

10. Anna is from Sweden, ___________ she?

B. Write the correct tag questions.

1. He reads the newspaper, ________________ ?

2. You are Indian, ________________ ?

3. They had a nice weekend, ________________ ?

4. Peggy didn't use the pencil, ________________ ?

5. Mary has answered the teacher's question, ________________ ?

6. The boy is from Turkey, ________________ ?

7. Sue wasn't listening, ________________ ?

8. Andrew isn't sleeping, ________________ ?

9. Tom and Maria will arrive at Heathrow, ________________ ?

10. She has a brother, ________________ ?

ACTIVITY ABOUT PRESENT PERFECT

ACTIVITY

Complete the sentences in present perfect

1. Where  you  (be) all the time?
2. I  (not, see) you for a while.
3. I  (work) a lot for some weeks.
4. They  never  (be) to any theatre so far.
5. She  (not, play) the guitar for some years.
6. What  you  (do)?
7.  you already  (see) the new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art?
8. She  (not, read) any books in English, has she?
9. Charles and Jill  (not, meet) so far, have they?
10. Why  they  (not, ask) me?

Complete the table in present perfect simple.

positive	negative	question
He has swum.
	She has not slept.
		Have you phoned?
Tina has cried.
	They have not run.

Write sentences in present perfect simple.

1.    Phil / not / miss / the bus - 

2.    they / not / plant / a tree - 

3.    Vanessa / catch / the ball - 

4.    we / sell / our old car - 

5.    the train / leave / the station - 

Write questions in present perfect simple.

1.    you / correct / my mistakes - 

2.    you / practise / your English - 

3.    she / tidy up / her room - 

4.    the boss / sign / the letter - 

5.    Mary / shut / the door -