Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. Topic 1 People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. People attend college for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge of themselves and of the world around them. Career preparation is probably the primary reason that people attend college. These days, the job market is very competitive. Careers such as information technology will need many new workers in the new future. At college, students can learn new skills for these careers and increase their opportunities for the future. Students also go to college to have new experiences. For many, it is their first time away from home. At college, they can meet new people from many different places. They can see what life is like in a different city. They can learn to live on their own and take care of themselves without having their family always nearby. At college, students have the opportunity to increase their knowledge. As they decide what they want to study, pursue their studies, and interact with their classmates, they learn a lot about themselves. They also, of course, have the opportunity to learn about many subjects in their classes. In addition to the skills and knowledge related to their career, college students also have the chance to take classes in other areas. For many, this will be their last chance to study different subjects. Colleges offer much more than career preparation. They offer the opportunity to have new experiences and to learn many kinds of things. I think all of these are reasons why people attend college. Topic 2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use the specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Parents shape their children from the beginning of their children’s lives. They teach their children values. They share their interests with them. They develop close emotional ties with them. Parents can be very important teachers in their children’s lives; however, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally. For example, they may limit a child’ s freedom in the name of safety. A teacher may organize an educational trip to a big city, but a parent may think this trip is too dangerous. A school may want to take the children camping, but a parent may be afraid of the child getting hurt. Another problem is that parents sometimes expect their children’s interests to be similar to their own. If the parents love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if the child prefers art? If the parents enjoy sports, they may expect their children to participate on different teams. But what if the child prefers to read? Parents want to pass on their values to their children. However, things change. The children of today are growing up in a world different from their parents’ world. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, can’t keep up with rapid social or technological changes. A student who has friends of different races at school may find that his parents have narrower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents don’t understand or value the digital revolution. Parents are important teachers in our lives, but they aren’t always the best teachers. Fortunately, we have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and we learn from our peers. Books and newspapers also teach us. All of them are valuable. Topic 3 Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Food is a basic part of life, so it follows that improved methods of food preparation have made our lives better. Nowadays we can prepare meals much faster than we could in the past. We can also enjoy a greater variety of food and eat more healthfully, all because of modern methods of food preparation. Microwave ovens have made it possible to prepare delicious food quickly. People these days rarely have time to shop and prepare meals the old-fashioned way. We live very fast lives. We are busy working, caring for our families, traveling, playing sports, and many other things. Because of microwave ovens, we have time to enjoy a good meal with our family and then play soccer, go to a movie, study, or do anything else we want to afterwards. Modern methods of preserving food have made it possible to enjoy a wide variety of food. Because of refrigerators, freezers, canning, and freeze-drying, we can eat fruits and vegetables that come from far away places. We can prepare a meal one day and save the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to eat at another time. We can keep different kinds of food in the refrigerator or on the shelf. It’s easy to always have food available and to be able to eat completely different meals every day. Healthful eating is easier now than it ever was. Because of modern transportation methods, fresh fruits and vegetables are available all year round. Modern kitchen appliances make it easy to prepare fruits and vegetables for cooking. Bread machines make it possible to enjoy healthful, home-baked bread whenever we like. We can eat fresh and healthful food everyday because modern methods have made preparation easy. Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. New food preparation methods have given us more choices. Today we can prepare food that is more convenient, healthier, and of greater variety than ever before in history. Vocabulary: Primary adjective [not gradable] more important than anything else; main Pursue [T] to follow or search for (someone or something), in order to catch or kill them Shape [T] To shape a belief or an idea is to decide or influence its form. He said that he thought religion had lost much of its influence in shaping the way people think. Ties plural noun Ties are the friendly feelings that people have for other people, or special connections with places. I no longer feel any ties with my home town. (specialized) digital also describes information that is recorded as a series of the numbers zero and one. Revolution noun (a) sudden and great change, esp. a violent change of a system of government Peer [C] a person who is the same age or has the same social position or the same abilities as other people in a group Do you think it's true that teenage girls are less self-confident than their male peers? He wasn't a great scholar, but as a teacher he had few peers (= people who were of the same ability as he was). Microwave (oven) [C] a machine that cooks food very quickly Fridge, refrigerator, US dated ice-box noun [C] a container which uses electricity to preserve food at a cold temperature freezer deep freeze noun [C] A freezer is a container, operated by electricity, which preserves food at a very cold temperature so that it becomes solid and can be kept safely for a long time. Can [T] -nn- Food and drink is canned when it is put into a closed metal container without air. He works in a factory where they can fruit. To freeze-dry something, esp. food, is to preserve it by freezing and then drying it. Leftovers plural noun This recipe can serve four easily, and the leftovers (= food which has been prepared but not eaten) are just as good eaten cold. Appliance [C] a device, machine or piece of equipment, esp. an electrical one that is used in the house such as a cooker, fire, washing machine, etc. electric/domestic/home/household appliances Bake verb to cook inside a cooker, without using added liquid or fat Either, neither either used as a determiner You use either in front of the singular form of a count noun to say that something is true about each of two people or things. It's a mistake for either parent to ask children about what happened while they were visiting the other parent. In either case, Robert would never succeed. `either of' Instead of using either, you can use either of. For example, instead of saying `Either answer is correct', you can say `Either of the answers is correct'. You could hear everything that was said in either of the rooms. They didn't want either of their children to know about this. You use either of in front of plural pronouns. One speech by either of them would have ended his uncertainty. He was better dressed than either of us. WARNING You do not use either without `of' in front of a plural noun or pronoun. Some people use a plural form of a verb after either of and a noun group. For example, instead of saying `I don't think either of you is wrong', they say `I don't think either of you are wrong'. It's a wonder either of you are here to tell the tale. This use is acceptable in conversation, but in formal writing you should always use a singular form of a verb after either of. used as a pronoun Either can be used on its own as a pronoun. This is a fairly formal use. Either is acceptable. I was given two computer print-outs; my name was not on either. used in negative statements You can use either or either of in a negative statement to emphasize that the statement applies to both of two things or people. For example, instead of saying about two people `I don't like them', you can say `I don't like either of them'. She could not see either man. There was no sound from either of the flats. `Which one do you want?' `I don't want either.' used to mean `each' When you use either in front of `side' or `end', it can have the same meaning as `each'. For example, `There were trees on either side of the road' means `There were trees on each side of the road'. a narrow road which had small houses built on either side of it. If you say that two things are on either side of something, you mean that one thing is on one side of it and the other thing is on the other side. The two ladies sat in large armchairs on either side of the stage. two small summerhouses at either end of the yew-tree walk. used as an adverb When one negative statement follows another, you can put either at the end of the second one. I can't play tennis and I can't play golf either. `I haven't got that address.' `No, I haven't got it either.' `He's never been like this before.' `He's never had that ghastly colour, either.' For other ways of linking two negative statements, see entries at neither and nor. Unit 28 Both, either, neither Main points * You use `both', `either', and `neither' to talk about two people or things that have been mentioned or are known to the hearer. * You use `both' with plural nouns, and `either' and `neither' with singular nouns. * You use `both of', `either of', and `neither of' with plural nouns or pronouns. 1 You use `both', `either', and `neither' when you are saying something about two people or things that have been mentioned, or are known to the person you are talking to. There were excellent performances from both actresses. Denis held his cocoa in both hands. No argument could move either man from this decision. Neither report mentioned the Americans. 2 You use `both' when you think of the two people or things as a group. You use `both' with a plural noun. Both children were happy with their presents. Both policies make good sense. 3 You use `either' when you think of the two people or things as individuals. You use `either' with a singular noun. Either way is acceptable. She could not see either man. 4 You use `neither' when you are thinking of the two people or things as individuals and you are making a negative statement about them. You use `neither' with a singular noun. In reality, neither party was enthusiastic. Neither man knew what he was doing. 5 You can use `both' with a specific determiner such as `the', `these', or `my'. Both the young men agreed to come. Both these books have been recommended to us. Both her parents were dead. WARNING: You cannot use `either' or `neither' with a specific determiner. 6 You can use `both of', `either of', or `neither of' with a plural noun or pronoun. Note that when `both of', `either of', and `neither of' are followed by a noun rather than a pronoun, you must use a specific determiner such as `the', `these', or `her' before the noun. Both of these restaurants are excellent. Either of them could have done the job. Neither of our boys was involved. Note that `neither of' is normally used with a singular verb but it can be used with a plural verb. Neither of us was having any luck. Neither of the children were there. 7 Remember that you can also use `both', `either', and `neither' as conjunctions. You use `both and' to give two alternatives and say that each of them is possible or true. I am looking for opportunities both in this country and abroad. Both I and my wife were surprised to see you there. You use `either or' to give two alternatives and say that only one of them is possible or true. You can have either fruit or ice cream. I was expecting you either today or tomorrow. You either love him or hate him. You also use `neither nor' to give two alternatives and say that each of them is not possible or is not true. Neither Margaret nor John was there. He did it neither quickly nor well. either or You use either and or when you are mentioning two alternatives and you want to indicate that no other alternatives are possible. You put either in front of the first alternative and or in front of the second one. Recruits are interviewed by either Mrs Darby or Mr Bootle. He must have concluded that I was either naive or impudent. I was expecting you either today or tomorrow. People either leave or are promoted. Either the government will have to give these people what they want immediately or it must take firm steps to end the strike. In conversation, either is not always used immediately in front of the first alternative; it is sometimes used in front of a verb earlier in the sentence. For example, instead of saying `I will ring you either today or tomorrow', people sometimes say `I will either ring you today or tomorrow'. I suppose you either find it funny or boring. She would either have been Australian or South African. This use is acceptable in conversation, but you should avoid it in formal writing. used in negative statements You use either and or in negative statements when you are emphasizing that a statement refers to both of two things or qualities. For example, instead of saying `I haven't been to Paris or Rome', you can say `I haven't been to either Paris or Rome'. He was not the choice of either Dexter or the team manager. Dr Kirk, you're not being either frank or fair. This should not be disastrous either morally or politically. See also entry at neither nor. neither You use neither or neither of to make a negative statement about two people or things. You use neither in front of the singular form of a count noun. You use neither of in front of a plural pronoun or a plural noun group beginning with `the', `these', `those', or a possessive. So, for example, you can say `Neither child was hurt' or `Neither of the children was hurt'. There is no difference in meaning. Neither man spoke or moved. Neither of them spoke for several moments. WARNING You do not use neither without `of' in front of a plural form. You do not say, for example, `Neither the children was hurt'. You also do not use `not' after neither. You do not say, for example, `Neither of the children wasn't hurt'. People sometimes use a plural form of a verb after neither of and a noun group. For example, they say `Neither of the children were hurt'. Neither of them are particularly obvious. in those moments when neither of you are speaking. This use is acceptable in conversation, but in formal writing you should always use a singular form of a verb after neither of. used as a pronoun Neither can be used on its own as a pronoun. This is a fairly formal use. Neither was suffering pain. She chose first one, then another, but neither was to her satisfaction. adding a clause When a negative statement has been made, you can use neither to indicate that this statement also applies to another person or thing. You put neither at the beginning of the clause, followed by an auxiliary, a modal, or `be', then the subject. `I didn't invite them.' `Neither did I.' I was not what I pretended and neither were they. Inversion GRAMMAR Inversion means changing the normal word order in a sentence by putting part or all of the verb group in front of the subject. Usually an auxiliary is put in front of the subject, and the rest of the verb group is put after the subject. If no other auxiliary is used, a form of `do' is used, unless the verb is `be'. in questions Inversion is normal in questions. Are you ready? Can John swim? Did he go to the fair? Why did you fire him? How many are there? You do not need to use inversion when you are expecting someone to confirm what you are saying, or when you want to express a reaction such as surprise, interest, doubt, or anger about what has just been said. You've been having trouble? She's not going to do it? `She's gone home.' `She's gone back to Montrose?' WARNING You must use inversion in a question that begins with a `wh'-word, unless the `wh'-word is the subject. For example, you must say `What did she think?', not `What she thought?' Inversion is not used in reported questions. You do not say, for example, `She asked what was I doing'. You say `She asked what I was doing'. See entry at Reporting. after place adverbials Inversion occurs in descriptions of a place or scene when an adverbial of place is put at the beginning of a clause. This type of structure is found mainly in writing. On the ceiling hung dustpans and brushes. Beyond them lay the fields. Behind the desk was a middle-aged woman. Note that in this kind of inversion the main verb is put in front of the subject. Inversion is used in speech after `here' and `there' when you are drawing attention to something. Here's the money, go and buy yourself a watch. Here's my card! Here comes the cloud of smoke. There's another one! WARNING You do not use inversion when the subject is a personal pronoun. Here he comes. There she is. after negative adverbials Inversion occurs when broad negative adverbs or other negative adverbials are put at the beginning of a clause for emphasis. This structure is used in formal speech and writing. Never have I experienced such agony. Seldom have enterprise and personal responsibility been more needed. Rarely has so much time been wasted by so many people. The police said the man was extremely dangerous and that on no account should he be approached. Note that inversion also occurs in formal speech and writing after adverbials preceded by `only'. Only then would I ponder the contradictions inherent in my own personality. See entry at only. after `neither' and `nor' You use inversion after `neither' and `nor' when you are saying that the previous negative statement also applies to another person or group. `I can't remember.' `Neither can I.' Research assistants don't know how to do it, and nor do qualified tutors. after `so' You use inversion after `so' when you are saying that the previous positive statement also applies to another person or group. `I've been through the Ford works at Dagenham.' `So have I.' `I hate KB.' `So do I. A most unsociable place, isn't it?' `Skating's just a matter of practice.' `Yes, well, so is skiing.' Bioff went to jail. So did the national president. Note that when `so' is used to express surprise or to emphasize that someone should do something, inversion does not occur. `It's on the table behind you.' `So it is!' `I feel very guilty about it.' `So you should.' other uses Inversion occurs in conditional clauses that are not introduced by a conjunction. This structure is formal. Had the two tied, victory would have gone to Todd. Inversion can occur in comparisons after `as'. The piece was well and confidently played, as was Peter Maxwell Davies' `Revelation and Fall'. Their father, George Churchill, also made jewellery, as did their grandfather. Inversion is often used after a quote. See entry at Reporting. neither nor In writing and formal speech, neither and nor are used to link two words or expressions of the same type in order to make a negative statement about two people, things, qualities, or actions. You put neither in front of the first word or expression and nor in front of the second one. For example, instead of saying `The President did not come and the Vice- President did not come' you can say `Neither the President nor the Vice-President came'. Neither he nor Melanie owe me any explanation. He neither drinks nor smokes. WARNING You do not use `or' after neither. You do not say, for example, `He neither drinks or smokes'. You always put neither immediately in front of the first of the words or expressions linked by `nor'. You do not put it any earlier in the sentence. You do not say, for example, `She neither ate meat nor fish'. You say `She ate neither meat nor fish'. In conversation, people do not usually use neither and nor. Instead of saying `Neither the President nor the Vice-President came', you would normally say `The President didn't come and neither did the Vice-President'. Margaret didn't talk about her mother and neither did Rosa. I won't give in to their threats, and neither will my colleagues. Instead of saying `She ate neither meat nor fish', you would normally say `She didn't eat meat or fish'. Instead of saying `She neither smokes nor drinks', you would say `She doesn't smoke or drink'. Karin's from abroad and hasn't any relatives or friends here. You can't run or climb in shoes like that. nor `neither nor' You can use nor with `neither' to make a negative statement about two people or things. Neither Margaret nor John was there. He spoke neither English nor French. For a full explanation, see entry at neither nor. used to link clauses Nor is also used to link negative clauses. You put nor at the beginning of the second clause, followed by an auxiliary, a modal, or `be', followed by the subject and the main verb, if there is one. The officer didn't believe me, nor did the girls when they came back. This argument fails to explain how the present developed countries were able to progress, nor does it explain the recent success of some of the developing countries. You can put `and' or `but' in front of nor. I would have nothing to do with it, and nor would most of us. Institutions of learning are not taxed; but nor, in many cases, are they much respected. You do not normally begin a sentence with nor, but you can sometimes do so when you want to make the sentence seem more dramatic or forceful. Despite these strong calls, there has been little official action. Nor has the government shown interest in assessing energy conservation's cost-effectiveness. I do not want these letters. Nor do I even want any copies. `nor' in replies You can reply to a negative statement using nor. You do this to indicate that what has just been said also applies to another person or thing. `I don't like him.' `Nor do I.' `I can't stand much more of this.' `Nor can I.' or You use or when you are mentioning two or more alternatives or possibilities. You use or to link nouns, noun groups, adjectives, adverbials, verbs, or clauses. Would you like some coffee or tea, Dr Floyd? A bad tax or an unjust law can be changed. It is better to defer planting if the ground is very wet or frosty. [...]... miles will not be earned on either the FFB award or companion ticket US written You can purchase a published fare ticket or one of our TWA Getaway* Vacations tour packages by contracting either TWA, or your travel professional and earn your FFB miles US written In celebration of our new, expanded service, you will receive DOUBLE FFB miles when you fly TWA to either Reno or Jackson through November 30,... make your check payable to Handgun Control, Inc., and return it with this form in the enclosed postage-paid envelope to: [name] [and] [address] Because we devote 100% of our efforts to passing gun control legislation, contributions to Handgun Control, Inc are not deductible either as charitable contributions or business expenses US written More advanced exercises will include portraiture, abstraction,... I've done either me or my dad have found Erm BR spoken You don't like making them and you don't like them to be made for you either [laughs] [laughs] You just don't like decisions BR spoken I could either get into this social circle that wasn't my sort of social circle or I could simply strike out on my own BR spoken Are you a romantic person? I just thought I'd put the cat among the pigeons... animals and don't have the money or the time, either to take an extra one US written You either have a good prospect or a terrible one US written Fits 95% of all cars and trucks in the front or rear window gutters on either side US written Complete kits contain a sixty minute color video tape, a wall chart with quick reference lessons and art supplies pertaining to either cartooning or drawing US written... latest medical information on osteoporosis US written Zimick's luxurious 220 thread-count 100% cotton percale pillow shams add an artful finishing touch to your bed dressing, with vegetable dyed ribbon ties falling freely from either end US written These frames may be used either vertically or horizontally US written We take pride in knowing we've assembled a stunning collection of items from all... basics of either acrylic or oil paint handling soon become automatic US written Forms received after the second class meeting, either in person or by mail, will not be honored US written At present, forty-one states already have laws that either ban private military organizations or outlaw paramilitary training US written If you must leave your vehicle in one of these places, please make arrangements... entry at either or linking more than two items When you are linking more than two items, you usually only put or in front of the last one After each of the others you put a comma Often the comma is omitted in front of or Savings may come in useful for holidays, for expensive items of clothing, or perhaps for buying a car The costs of progress are all too often ignored, concealed or written off used... amendments or innovations were given heavy publicity If your wife or husband is proficient in English there are many study courses from which they can choose `either or' You use either with or when you are mentioning two alternatives and you want to indicate that no other alternatives are possible Either goes in front of the first alternative and or goes in front of the second one Most of the fuel... registration information line at [telephone] for more details US written That didn't work either US written But when she didn't return at night either, they starved in the cold just twenty feet from the ocean US written But she was gone now either tragically, or else she was picked up by a camper who didn't know she had kittens out there US written Legitimate organization have many animals and don't... Wetmore, [telephone] [address] [drawing] Mayfield in England US written We were quite tired by then, but we did dance at Sidmouth on the Esplanade by the sea on the appointed day morris teams dancing side by side for as far as you can see in either direction, and we also were asked to dance in a showcase of teams in the Market Square US written I don't have to send an SASE to my travel agent to get my airline . Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. Topic 1 People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example,. control legislation, contributions to Handgun Control, Inc. are not deductible either as charitable contributions or business expenses. US written More