Active Skills for Reading 1 (Unit 10: Growing Up)


CHAPTER 2 - Firsts in Life

Real Life Skill - Choosing the Right Word

English has many groups of words that are similar in meaning but are used differently. A good English language dictionary can .explain these differences. Usage notes in dictionaries tell you how and when to use a word.

A. The following words in red have almost the same meaning but are used in very different ways. Read their meanings and how they are used.

land

  1. an area of ground that is not covered by water: After sailing for a month, the sailors saw land.
  2. an area that someone owns as property: In New York City, land is very expensive.
  3. a country or nation

ground
floor

Ground means the surface we walk on, but when this is indoors, it is the floor: When we have a picnic, we sit on the ground. When I watch TV, I sit on the floor.

soil
earth

The substance in which plants grow is soil or earth. However, Earth with a capital E refers to our planet:
The soil in Thailand is good for growing rice. The farmer picked up a handful of earth. After a month in space, the astronaut returned to Earth.

B. Complete the following sentences using land, ground, floor, soil, and Earth. Use each word once. Discuss your answers with a partner.

  1. In some countries, people don't sleep in beds. They feel more comfortable sleeping on the .
  2. I am considering buying a piece of and building my retirement home.
  3. You should put a plastic sheet on the before you sit down, as it just rained.
  4. contains many different types of materials, including small pieces of rock, dust, sand, and even living things.
  5. Scientists are looking for planets that have the same living conditions as on .
  6. The ship sailed further out into the ocean until I could not longer see any .

What do you think?

  1. What firsts do you hope to experience in the future?

    Answer

    Answers will vary.

  2. Imagine you are going to live and work in an English-speaking country. What firsts do you think you will experience?

    Answer

    first international trip, first love, first time driving a car

  3. When you celebrate firsts, do you prefer to have a big celebration with lots of people, or just a small party with friends? Explain your reasons.

    Answer

    first time to ask directions in English, first native speaker friend, first all-English experience 3. Have students give reasons.

www.universityexpress.heinle.com/interviews

Firsts in Life

In this month's University Express, Lynn Zhou interviews students around the world about important firsts in their lives. Read their answers to the question:

What was an important first in life for you?

Miguel: For me, an important first was getting my driver's license. I got it the moment I turned 18! Being able to drive my father's car that summer gave me freedom, and made me feel like an adult. For example, I'm from Madrid, and my girlfriend is from a suburb about 30 kilometers away. Driving made it easy for me to see her more frequently. Also, I was able to take weekend trips with friends to other cities. I really liked being independent.

Marta: I went on my first date soon after my 16th birthday. It was with my best friend's brother. He invited· me to a movie, but we didn't talk much. We were both very shy. Two weeks, later, I went to a high school dance with him, and we had a great time. After that, we spent most of the summer together, but then he and his family migrated to France. I guess you could say he was my first boyfriend.

Soo-Jin: An important first for me was traveling from Korea to Europe. When I was 18, I spent the summer with my cousin backpacking through Europe. It was my first time out of Korea so I was nervous and reluctant to talk to people. Luckily I overcame my fears and gradually started to open up. I learned to be more independent. I made friends with other travelers at the hostels we stayed at, and I keep in touch with many of them even now.

Chapter - 2: Vocabulary Skill - The Prefix Sub-

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