Active Skills for Reading 1 (Unit 2: Inventions)


CHAPTER 2 - The Most Useful Inventions

Vocabulary Skill - The Suffixes -ful and -less

The suffixes -ful and -less have opposite meanings. When -ful is added to a word it means with or full of. . When -less is added it means without. Some root words can have both suffixes added to make adjectives that are antonyms. For example, useful describes something that is helpful and has a use. Useless describes something that is not helpful or does not have a use.

A. Look at the words in the box. Add the suffixes -ful and -less to each one to make positive and negative antonyms, then write them on the correct line. Can you add any more words?

use
care		 thought
help		 rest

Positive:

Negative:

B. Match the following definitions with the correct words from A. Be careful; not all of the words will be used.

  1. thinking of others
  2. moving around a lot; not relaxed
  3. not paying attention when doing something
  4. not able to do anything in a bad situation
  5. calm, peaceful, relaxed
  6. having no purpose

C. Complete the following sentences with the words from A.

  1. Ming was very and added salt to his coffee instead of sugar.
  2. Be very not to mix the eggs too quickly.
  3. We felt so when the other team beat us. There was nothing we could do.
  4. This knife is ! It doesn't cut anything.
  5. That was very of you to talk about Carol's weight. You know she's very sensitive about it!
  6. Aki doesn't sleep well. He was so that he got up four times last night.

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TALK ABOUT IT

Forum  |  Science Stuff  |  The Most Useful Inventions

TOPIC: THE MOST USEFUL INVENTIONS

The other day, my friends and I had a discussion about the most useful invention of all time. There were many good ideas-the train, the car, and the airplane. They're all useful, but they were not my choices. For an everyday, useful invention, I vote for the air conditioner. I live in Taipei, and during the summer the temperature can be 35 degrees Celsius or higher. It's so hot! I'm not joking when I say _ that, without ah air conditioner, people here couldn't work or study. The weather is so hot that it can make you feel unwell if you don't drink enough water and get enough rest. What do you guys think is the most useful invention of all time?

Posted by Cindy Wu on Saturday, April 13

I don't know if I agree with you, Cindy. For me, the most useful invention of all time is surely the Internet. we can now reach people and do business faster. I own a clothing store in Mexico City, and there's a lot . of competition. I also have a website. Now,:people from all over the world can buy my clothing. With emails, ;! can keep in touch with friends and family in Mexico and around the world. It's faster than usual mail, and it's cheaper than using the phone!

Posted by Jorge on Sunday, April 14

Jorge, I also think that the Internet is useful. But, in my opinion, there is an "invention" that is even more important, and that's electricity. Of course, this isn't a man-made invention, but without people like Benjamin Franklin and Alessandro Volta, we wouldn't have learned how to use it. And without electricity, many of the world's most important modern inventions would not work.

Posted by Kazuo on Monday, April 15
Chapter - 2: Vocabulary Comprehension B - Words in Context Chapter - 2: ReaI Life Skill - Dictionary Skills: Identifying Parts of Speech

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