The best of Prog rock

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

TESTING YOUR ENGLISH



JOHN LENNON – A DREAMER
In 1969 many people were shocked to open their newspapers and see photographs of the Beatle, John Lennon, and his new Japanese wife, Yoko Ono, sitting naked in bed in their hotel room in the Amsterdam Hilton as a protest for peace. Lennon, the writer of songs like All you need is Love and Give peace a chance, put into words the hopes of many young people for a new and better world. A world of freedom and peace, without wars, religion, governments and even countries. John Lennon had become more and more interested in these ideas in the late 1960s. In 1968 he traveled to India with the other Beatles to study meditation with the Maharishi and in the same year he returned a special award from the British Queen, as a protest against Britain’s part in the wars in Nigeria and Vietnam.
In 1971 he wrote perhaps his most famous song. Imagine, which expresses his ideas of the perfect world. It is particularly tragic that a man ________ believed so strongly in peace was to die so violently, less than ten years later (1980), when he was killed in front of the building where he lived in New York by a crazy fan, Mark Chapman.

1. What is incorrect according to the text?
a) John Lennon took some photographs naked with his spouse in a hotel room.
b) John Lennon and Yoko Ono had no clothes in the photos.
c) They were arrested when the photos were taken.
d) People were shocked with what they did.
e) They wanted to protest against wars in the world.

2. Which pronoun completes the blank in the in the last paragraph of the text?
a) which                                                                   
b) what
c) whose                                                                  
d) where
e) who

3. A ‘writer of songs’ is known as a _________________ .
a) lyrics                                                                    
b) songist
c) lyricist                                                                 
d) singer
e) singwriter

4. ‘John Lennon was killed by Mark Chapman’ is an example of passive voice. The active voice for the sentence is:
a) Mark Chapman killed John Lennon.                
b) Mark Chapman has killed John Lennon.
c) Mark Chapman kills John Lennon.                  
d) Mark Chapman is killing John Lennon.
e) Mark Chapman was kill John Lennon.

5. An award is a ____________ .
a) price                                                                       
b) protest
c) prize                                                                       
d) song
e) monarch

6. When people saw ___________ photos in the papers they got shocked.
a) his                                                                         
b) its
c) her                                                                         
d) your
e) their

7. In the text ‘in the same year’ refers to _____________ .
a) 1971                                                                        
b) 1969
c) 1980                                                                        
d) 1968
e) 1960

8. Based on the picture, choose the correct alternative:
a) The cockroaches love to smell cigarette ends.
b) The cockroaches sometimes smoke the cigarette ends on the floor.
c) The cockroaches are becoming sick because of cigarette ends.
d) The cockroaches don´t get a disease due to cigarette ends.
e) The cockroaches throw cigarette ends on the floor.


9. The word ‘cockroach’ forms the plural with ES. Which of these words forms the plural in a different way?
a) witch                                                                     
b) epoch
c) inch                                                                       
d) church
e) clutch

10. ‘Don´t throw’ is an example of:
a) verb in the simple present, negative form.           
b) infinitive
c) imperative                                                           
d) past participle
e) simple past, negative form.

11. ‘To throw’ is an example of  _____________verb.
a) irregular                                                              
b) regular
c) auxiliary                                                            
d) phrasal
e) modal

12. The past tense of to throw is ______________ .
a) throwed                                                             
b) threw
c) through                                                              
d) thrown
e) thought
13. What do we conclude about the sign above?
a) If it there´s a fire use water or the elevator.       
b) If there´s a fire, you can use anything.
c) If there´s a fire don´t use anything, but water. 
d) If a fire occurs wait for a few minutes.
e) In case of fire buy some water immediately.
14. In British English, the word for ‘elevator’ is:
a) lift                                          d) leather
b) ladder                                   e) wood
c) scalator


Monday, July 2, 2012

THREE IDIOMS WITH BIRD


1. birdbrain – a person regarded as silly or stupid

2. to have a bird´s eye view – an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as if the observer were a bird.

3. a little bird told me – I was informed by a private or secret source
* People from different parts of the world wrote sentences using these three idioms. As they are learners of English, we can notice spelling and grammar mistakes in some of them.

Orlando, Brazil
I believe a lot in God and I always try to be a nice person and I don´t say or do bad things to anyone. For this reason, some people think I am a birdbrain. But since I know that all we do, come back to us, I know I have a bird´s eye view. You may be asking how does he know these things? A little bird told me that.

Louie, Belgium
A little bird told me that i have won the lotto. I hope it is true otherwise he is a birdbrain.

Fredrick S. Jarboe, Liberia
one of my workmate is a birdbrain, who always says things above my imagination. I am thinking of ways to undrestand him.I will used my birds eye view and reasons to discouver him.

Nidal, Kuwait
Thank you for the idioms because they are the most difficult in learning English . Our world's disaster is that it is ruled by birdbrain who unfortunately do not have a bird's eye view . No wonder , a little bird told me .

Ai Li, Malaysia
i have a neighbour who is birdbrains and she has some kind of strange behavior. she doesn't like to talk to people. she likes to be alone and be quiet.During weekend, she likes climbing up hill to have a bird's eye views which makes her feels relax. A little bird told me that she has another strange behavior, to clean bathroom every day to make sure it;s clean all the time. that's her way of indulging herself.weird, doesn't she?

Vidyasekaran, India
Recently one of my friend shared his experience after relocating to work at his indian office from USA. The very first day after he reported to the office he couldn't stand to see those whom he thought as having a birdbrain are now considered as leaders. After gaining critical approvals from clients over the years, he feel like fittering away his repuration on hearing a little bird say that the company doesn't like people returning from onsite.

Hiroki, Japan
"A little bird told me an important information about some leaders of any countries. They always tell their people to try to keep safety about their life and global environment. But actually they always waste any resources for their life. I guess they might be birdbrain."Thank you very much for the interesting programme. Now I've studying English, so it's useful in this site. I expect the next one.

Alessandro, Brazil
A Little Bird told me that having an eagle's eye view is much better than having a bird's eye view.
Dasha, Ukraine
I'm Dasha from Ukraine..I'm going to be an English translator so, I'm so interested in English idioms! A little bird told me about your wonderful lessons and I've decided to come here... I hope that I'm not too birdbrain and I'll understand everything here...
Yenpham, Vietnam
A little bird told me that he has a bird's eye view, and as such he must know who a birdbrain is.

Gang, Taiwan
If I have a bird's eye view of humankind, a little bird should tell that I have a birdbrain.

Giovanni, Brazil
We have many birdbrain's referee in Brazil!

Jose Luis, Puebla, Mexico
A little bird told me about, and I thought; I don't want to be a birdbrain and must improve my English, then I said I'll have a bird's eye view searching on the web for this site.

Darek, Poland
We have many birdbrains in Poland, especially the members of our government are birdbrains;-) Greetings!

Guthemberg, Brazil
Yes, I've known many birdbrainds in my life. However, a little bird told me that I must be quite peaceful with them. Being peaceful and as comprehensible as possible is the best way to deal with them.

Yo, Japan
In Japan, most of politicians are birdbrain.

Jasmine
Do you know who is that boy sitting besides Chloe?Well, he is Brian and he is a very nice guy who is kind, knowledgeable and have a bird's eye view on everything.Oh, really? I thought he had a bird brain when he was in primary school..Well, I think he changes a lot after studying in the university. And you know what? He and Chole just start going out last month.Wow.. how do you know?A little bird told me.

Jasmine, Taiwan
sorry,I forgot to write the name of my country...I hope I am not a birdbrain as making this mistake..

Adapted from www.bbc.co.uk