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)