REFLECTION TASK 2A

Hi folks! :) Today, I wanna talk about technology which has taken over our lives and is now in everywhere of our lives. The reason why I chose this topic is that technology has changed numerous things: our habits, way of living, hobbies, and even  our impressions. When did sayings such as “I am following you”, “I added you”, “I ‘shared’ your photo” start to be used? Just imagine someone saying these things to another person decades ago. The people saying these would either be labelled pervert or a psychopat, right?  It does not sound weird now though. And that is because technology introduced us new sayings, a new way of expressing ourselves. That can either be considered positive or negative. In my opinion, it is not so bad. I mean, what is wrong with widening our knowledge of vocabulary and having changes in our lives? Yes, it could mean taking the easy way out from time to time. However, I think technology provides us with a lot of opportunities such as improving ourselves and having easy access to information and these are not just things to overlook. Another thing technology has brought about is that we are more socially connected than we were. It may not be true for everyone. Yet, it is obvious that social websites such as facebook and twitter actually connect people, enabling them to share photos and stuff with others. And these are not the only things that technology has provided us with. By means of the internet, we can cook whatever we desire at any time by just checking out the recipe online. What is more, we don’t have to wait in line at banks thanks to online banking. Same goes for online shopping, saving us from the long lines of the stores. In conclusion, there may be people against technology and they may even support the idea that it changed our lives in a negative way. However, considering all these advantages it presents us, I think technology is one of the biggest gifts that our age has ever offered us.

EXERCISE FROM PAGE 9

Although the numbers of death caused in traffic accidents in the EU is going down, experts are still trying to find ways of reducing the number throughout the EU to around fatalities per year by 2010. Traffic safety is improving but experts believe that achieving the 2010 goal will prove difficult. Recent statistics show that in 2005 in the EU 41.600 people were killed in road accidents. Although progress has been made, most experts agree that this figure will have fallen to only around 32.000 by 2010, which means that the EU target will be missed by about 7.000. On the other hand, as the amount of traffic is increasing it is possible to argue that the situation is not as bad as it looks. However one interprets the statistics, it remains true that as times goes on.It is becoming harder and harder to reduce the figures especially accident-reduction schemes cost a lot of money. Many have tried and failed to reduce the number of accidents, and in the UK as a whole, only Sweden is pursuing the goal of zero accidents. Accident reduction is more difficult for newer EU member who are currently facing very rapid growth in traffic and are having difficulty in building new roads and introducing safety measures at a fast enough rate. To complicate matters, most new members have very little experience in dealing with the demands of heavy traffic. Experts suggest that any programme must also set about changing the way drivers behave. Despite what people often say it seems to be the younger generation that cause most accidents. In line with this research, many countries are introducing tougher driving tests, and are concentrating on the main causes of accidents; speed, reckless overtaking, alcohol, and over-confidence.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 169

1. 

a) As it was a public holiday, there was a lot of traffic on the roads.

- It being a public holiday, there was a lot of traffic on the roads.

b) When I opened the letter, I realized it was from Professor Alton.

- On opening the letter, I realized it was from Professor Alton.

c) The palace was destroyed by fire during the war but later reconstructed.
- Though destroyed by fire during the war, the palace was later reconstructed.
d) As Carol walked from the room, tears streamed from her eyes.
- Carol walked from the room, tears streaming from her eyes.
e) I broke the camera as I tried to remove the memory card.
- In trying to remove the memory card, I broke the camera.

f) My hair has become soft and shining since I've used Glosso shampoo.

- Since using Glosso shampoo, my hair has become soft and shining.

g) Jan was taken to hospital after she was knocked down by a car.

- Jan was taken to hospital after being knocked down by a car.

h) After he had been shown to his room, George lay down on the bed and slept.

- Having been shown to his room, George lay down on the bed and slept.

2. 

Restoring the sight of people blinded by macular degeneration, a condition of the eye, could start within five years, according to a British team developing human eye stem cell implants. More than 500.000 people in the UK have blindness caused by macular degeneration, a disease marked by a loss of central vision due to degeneration of the macula, a spot at the back of the eye. Having been given almost €4 million towards the cost of developing a stem cell therapy by an anonymous philanthropist, a team from two British universities are starting to conduct trials. Commenting on the project, a spokesman for the team told us affecting up to one third of the population, this condition is a major cause of blindness, so a new kind of treatment is vital. In previous operations, having transplanted tissue from patient's own eye, we have seen about %25 of patients report improvement. However, creating new eye cells grown in the laboratory from human embryos will be much more effective.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 8

15 Tiptree
Warwick
CV29 7AL

Friday, 15th October

Hi everyone,

  I'm having problems getting a new phone connection were, so instead of sending e-mails as usual, I'm actually sitting down to write a letter.
  I imagine you'll be surprised to get this as I've never been much of a letter-writer. I am putting the return address in big letters at the top, because to tell you the truth I am beginning to feel quite lonely here.
  Well, perhaps I don't mean that exactly . There are plenty of people for me to talk to. In fact, I am settling in to student life quite well, but I don't really know anyone yet. I've got a room in a house a long way from college, and I seem to spend a long time on the bus. A lot of students here cycle, so I'm trying to find a cheap bike, and I'm also thinking of moving nearer to college when I find somewhere. Sorry - an interruption , someone is knocking at the door. More later. Later. One of the girls downstairs is having a party, and I'm invited. And the phone line has been fixed, so I expect you'll get an e-mail from me very soon! In fact, I'm considering tearing up this letter, so just ignore everything I've said...

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 168

1. a) Not knowing the way, I got lost several times. (True)

b) After leaving the room, the telephone rang. (After I had left...)

c) Having lost my money, the conductor wouldn't give me a ticket. (As I had lost...)

d) While falling asleep, there was a loud knock at the front door. (While I was falling asleep...)

e) By forcing open the window, I was able to get into the house. (True)

f) Not wishing to be a nuisance, I left as early as I could. (True)

g) Having opened the box, it turned out to be empty. (When I opened the box...)

h) Though feeling tired, Helen went out clubbing with her friends. (True)

i) Having asked my name, I was taken to meet the prime minister. (After I had been asked for my name...)

j) On arriving the station, the train had already left. (When I arrived...)

2. a) Although feeling dizzy, Sarah managed to play on until the end of the match.

b) Being a powerful swimmer, George reached the island in less than an hour.

c) Without waiting for a reply, the mysterious stranger vanished into the night.

d) It being a Friday, everyone in the office was in a good mood.

e) While walking across the field, Kita noticed something glittering by the path.

f) Abandoned by its owner, the old dog sat by the side of the road.

g) Though shocked by what he had seen, Martin tried to keep calm.

h) There being no chance of escape, the two men gave themselves up to the police.

i) If using a fan-assisted oven, reduce cooking time by half an hour.

j) By signing your name here, you agree to the conditions listed below. 

3. Located near the equator, the Galapagos islands are a group of islands of the coast of Ecuador. Found by Spanish colonists in 1535, and first illustrated on maps in about 1570, the islands were rarely visited being a haven for pirates. Having developed their own specializations and escaped the attentions of predators common elsewhere, the Galapagos species had became unique and unafraid for people. Passing ships hunted seals giant tortoises. Once caught the tortoises were kept alive on ships for long periods and later eaten. After facing near extinction, few of these creatures remain today, visited by the naturalist Charles Darwin in 1835, the islands still have a close association with Darwinian theory. Being the home to many species isolated from the main island. Discovering later that birds which differed from island to island were in fact the same species, Darwin used evidence from the Galapagos in the development of his theory of natural selection. Now, protected as part of a national park, the island are popular with 'eco-tourists'. Efforts are continuing to save their wildlife.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 23

THE AGEING POPULATION 

The number of men and women in the US aged 60 or over still in work has been rising for more than a decade. Economists have given a number of reasons for this trend. First, since 1985 the US economy has been expanding, so there has been an increased demand for labour. At the same time, the cost of some services, such as health care, has been increasing so workers need to earn more money in later life. In addition, changes in social security benefits and rules have had a considerable effect on labour patterns. First, in 1977 and 1983 changes to the Social Security Act raised the full-benefit age from 65 to 67 and introduced other changes that make delaying retirement more attractive. Then, in 1986, the Age Discrimination Act ended compulsory retirement for all workers, allowing them to work later in life. Changes to pension laws have also encouraged workers to stay in employment longer, as this gives them more chance of a larger pension when they retire.

EXERCISES FROM PAGE 22

1. Ian McEwan is a British writer who, according to many critics, has written some of the best novels of recent years.

2. Born in 1948, he spent much of his childhood abroad as his father was an army officer.

3. He studied English literature and creative writing at the universities of Sussex and East Anglia. 

4. He has written a number of successful collections of short stories and novels.

5. His novel The Child in Time won the Whitbread Novel Award in 1987. 

6. His later novels, including Amsterdam, Atonement and Saturday have been very successful.

7. Amsterdam received the Booker Prize for Fiction 1998.

8. Atonement and Saturday also won literary prizes.

9. However, McEwan has always been a controversial writer. 

10. Some writers have accused him of stealing details in Atonement from the work of another author, Lucilla Andrews.

11. However, he pointed out the acknowledgement made to Lucilla Andrews in an author's note in the book.

12. During this controversy, the American author Thomas Pynchon wrote a defence of McEwan in a British newspaper.

REFLECTION TASK 1B

Hi everyone! Today, I want to introduce you "Banksy", who is a pseudonymous English graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. The most fascinating thing about him is that his real name, date of birth and birthplace are unknown. He first appeared on the streets of Bristol. His satirical street art and revolutionist epigrams contain dark humour and a distinctive technique. His works of political and social commentary can be seen on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and each work of his is either antiwar or environmentalist. He also criticizes consumption frenzy by his art in his unique way. There are many people who consider his work simple vandalism. However, each message underneath his works is remarkable and also proves his cleverness. Despite his notable talent, he prefers not to be recognized. Therefore, his identity remains unknown and there has also been speculation that Banksy is a woman or actually a team of seven artists. Yet, it is believed that he works solo. And no matter what gender, he has an incredible talent. When he was asked about his technique, he said "I use whatever it takes. Sometimes that just means drawing a moustache on a girl's face on some billboard, sometimes that means sweating for days over an intricate drawing. Efficiency is the key." That explains well how much effort he puts into his work. Otherwise, it would not be possible to produce all these amazing works:

News from New York Times (Past and Present Tenses)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/science/new-flame-challenge-contest-takes-on-sleep.html?ref=science

REFLECTION TASK 1A

Hi! :) I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Büşra Nur Güner and I am eighteen years old. I am from Diyarbakır but my parents live in Düzce. We moved there about fourteen years ago. So, obviously, I graduated from Düzce Anatolian Teacher Training High School.

I was born on 26th February 1996. I had lived in Diyarbakır until I was five, when we moved to Düzce for my father's job. I have got two brothers and a sister.

I am a university student at METU in the department of Foreign Language Education. I really love English and have interest in it, so I chose this department. My elder brother and sister also graduated from METU and this is my picture from my brother's graduation. My family was extremely happy when we learned the results that I was a METU student as well! :)

Now, let me talk about my interests and hobbies. I really like watching movies and I generally spend my free time doing that. I particularly like Indian movies, I watched many of them and my favourite one was, of course, "3 Idiots". I think it is really fun besides being extremely educative.

I also like hanging out with my friends. I like going to the cinema or going to a café and chatting with my friends in particular. Quiet places where I can grab a cup of coffee and spend time with my friends are my favourite ones. I miss my highschool friends a lot, we used to go out and have fun and I really miss those days.. :(

I like poetry a lot. I like reading poems. My favourite poets are Cemal Süreya and Nazım Hikmet. I think poets have excellent talent and I have always been impressed by how nicely they can express their feelings. As my mother told me, I think I also used to write poems when I was 6 or 7 because I knew how to write and wanted to write different things. I vaguely remember those days and I wish those poems were not lost so I could read them now. :)

In the future, one of my biggest dreams is to make a world tour, visit as many places as I can and taste different foods while interacting with other people from other cultures. I hope I can make it! :)

 

TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS: EXCERCISES

Determine if the verbs in the following sentences are transitive or intransitive. If transitive, indicate the object of the verb.

• The birdcage swung from a golden chain. (intransitive)

• Margaret angrily crumpled her letter in her fist. (transitive)

• Someone answered that question. (intransitive)

• He shuddered with fright during the scary part of the movie. (intransitive)

• The rats chewed their way into the old house. (transitive)

• Acorns drop from the trees every fall. (intransitive)

• Charlie combed his hair nervously before the dance. (transitive)

• We bought paper napkins for the picnic. (transitive)

• Zelda smiled at the thought of a parade in the snow. (intransitive)

• Fish and potatoes sizzled in the pan. (intransitive)

What objects are missing?

• You wash the dishes and I'll dry them

• Are you ready to order hamburgers?

• Do you drink tea after meals?

• Who scored the winning goal?

• It's your turn to deal the cards.

• I'll weed the grass and you can water it.

EXCERCISE ON PARALLELISM

• Besides being in great shape, how healthy she looks!

• The doctor wanted to find out why Linda was underweight and what her blood sugar level was.

• Instead of being on a fad diet, following a regular program of exercise is more beneficial for me. 

• What I like best about my fitness center are the modern Lifecycle machines and a beautiful Olympic size swimming pool.

• Not only is Jim healthy, but he is also athletic.

• Due to his son's persistence and his desire to lose 10 pounds, Frank decided to join a fitness center.

• Realizing that his eating habits were the cause of his illness, Richard began to plan his meals more conscientiously and in a careful way.

• Julian decided to try a homeopathic treatment as well as changing his diet.

• Shari really enjoys ocean kayaking and going hiking in the desert.

• This is a combination of vitamins that builds up the immune system and at the same time that prevents infection from spreading.

FURTHER EXERCISE ON PARALLELISM

• We must either raise revenues or reduce expenses.

• Stoics deny the importance of such things as wealth, good looks, and a good reputation.

• In his farewell address to the army, the general praised his soldiers for their unsurpassed courage and thanked them for their devotion.

• The crowd that had gathered outside the court was loud and angry.

• The police have a duty to serve the community, safeguard lives and property, protect the innocent against deception, and respect the constitutional rights of all.

• Sir Humphry Davy, the celebrated English chemist, was an excellent literary critic as well as a great scientist.

• The Johnsons were cheerful, knowledgeable, and generous traveling companions.

• The delegates spent the day arguing with one another rather than working together to find common solutions.

• My sister's promotion means that she will be moving to another state and taking the children with her.

• A company is responsible not only to its shareholders but also to its customers and employees.

• Examples of aerobic exercises are distance running, swimming, cycling, and walking.

• Consuming too much of a fat-soluble vitamin can be as harmful as not consuming enough.

• The gyrocompass not only points to true north at all times but is unaffected by external magnetic fields.

• Everything that could make a sound was either removed or taped down.

• If you hire a contractor to make home improvements, follow these recommendations:

1. Find out if the contractor belongs to a trade association
2. Obtain estimates in writing.
3. Ask for references.
4. Make sure that the contractor is insured.
5. Avoid contractors who ask for cash to dodge paying taxes.

• The new instructor was both enthusiastic and demanding

• Annie's dress was old, faded, and wrinkled.

• By the time she was two, the child was not only active but also well coordinated.

• It is a truism that to give is more rewarding than to get.

• A battery powered by aluminum is simple to design, clean to run, and inexpensive to produce.

CORRECTING RUN-ON SENTENCES WITH A PERIOD OR A SEMICOLON

• Benjamin Franklin was an important political figure during the period of the American Revolution. He was a man of many other talents as well.

• He lived in Boston as a young man; there he learned the printing trade.

• Franklin published an almanac. He also experimented with electricity.

• Franklin started a university. In Philadelphia, he also started a lending library.

• Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He was also one of the signers of the peace treaty that in 1783 formally ended the American Revolution.

CORRECTING RUN-ON SENTENCES

Animal Care in Zoos

The earliest known zoo was the Park of Intelligence in the province of Hunan. It

was started by a Chinese ruler about 1150 B.C. Today, zoo facilities are limited and

zookeepers cannot keep every animal on display year-round. In the winter, in colder

climates, most birds must be brought indoors, but zookeepers cannot always keep each

bird on view for the public. Many visitors are surprised to see that some animals

remain outside all year. Penguins, polar bears and timber wolves are happy outdoors in wintertime. Some animals are always indoors in northern areas. Reptiles and small

desert animals always have indoor displays. Zookeepers must provide indoor shelters

for large animals such as elephants. How large those shelters must be! Today, zoologists understand much more about animal behavior and zoos are being designed that are similar to the animals’ natural habitats. Viewers can closely observe animals at animal parks where animals roam freely. Zoo kitchens keep a wide variety of foods and these are used to prepare meals that meet each animal’s nutritional needs. Zoos contribute to wildlife conservation and they nurture species that are in danger of becoming extinct.

CORRECTING SENTENCE FRAGMENTS AND RUN-ON SENTENCES

Chinese New Year

The biggest and most popular of all Chinese festivals, The Chinese New Year, is an

exciting and colorful holiday falling anywhere between January 21 and February

19. The New Year is celebrated by Chinese people all over the World. They parade

through the streets and set off fireworks. People pay visits to friends and wish them

luck and prosperity with a greeting that means “happy greetings, and may you gather

wealth.” On the final day of the year, preparations are made for a great New Year’s

Eve supper. All doors are sealed with paper strips and no one may leave or enter

until the next morning. Businesses are closed for days after the new year begins.

Children receive presents of money in red envelopes, so no wonder they look forward

to this festival.

ANGER MANAGEMENT TASK

• Even though Dave loved his girlfriend, he couldn't kiss her. (Complex & Declarative)
• Why on earth did he accept to be treated that way when he didn't act angrily at all? (Complex & Interrogative)
• If you want to be a good actor like Adam Sandler, watch his masterpieces. (Complex & Imperative)
• What a lovely wedding proposal it was! (Simple & Exclamatory)
• Dave went to anger management therapy but he didn't know Dr. Buddy Rydell was actually his therapist. (Compound & Declarative)
• How shocked he was when he was taken to anger management therapy! (Complex & Exclamatory) 

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