Sunday, May 24, 2009

Friendship is Like Money


1. Friendship is like money. It is easier to make than to keep. Sincere friends are rare, and we treasure friendships.

VOCABULARY
• Words that have similar meanings are synonyms. Look at the sentences above and find the synonyms.

1. What adjective means true? ________________
Please use this word in your own sentence.
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________
2. What adjective means uncommon? _____________________
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________
3. What verb means keep because it means a lot to you, you cherish it ______________
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________
• Words that have the opposite meanings are antonyms. What words in the sentences above are antonyms?

1. harder ____________
Please use this word in your own sentence.
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________
2. to break ________________
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________
3. common _____________
YOUR TURN _________________________________________________________





GRAMMAR
Comparisons with like Friendship is like money.
1. My husband sleeps like a log.
Logs just lie there and don’t move.
When my husband sleeps, he just lies there and doesn’t move, so he sleeps like a log.
2. Question: When comparing friendship to money, how are they similar (alike)?
Answer: You can make a friend. You can also make money.
3. Mary is like a pig.
Question: How is she like a pig? How are they similar?
Answer: ___________________________________________________
CONVERSATION
1. Do you think money is easier to make than to keep? Tell me what you think and why?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

2. Do you think friends are easier to make than to keep? Tell me what you think and why?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Is it true that friends are like money, easier to make than to keep? What do you think?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

4. Make a check. √
Not necessarily Important
A. Friends keep confidences. __________ _________
B. Friends are loyal. __________ _________
C. Friends show warmth and affection. __________ _________
D. Friends are supportive. __________ _________
E. Friends have similar occupations. __________ _________
F. Friends make similar income. __________ _________
G. Friends are physically attracted to
each other. __________ _________
H. My friends are about my age. __________ _________
I. Friends have similar education. __________ _________

5. What other qualities make a good friendship?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. CONVERSATION Friends can be good medicine.
Explain what you think this sentence means. Give an example.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
©Gati 2009

Music Alone Shall Live

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
and the other’s gold.
Pronunciation
The before a vowel sound makes “the” “theeeeeee”
For example:
1. The other class is in room 104.
2. The apple is on the table.
3. The eggs are in the fridge.
4. The ice cream store sells chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
5. The opposite of small is big.
6. The umbrella is in the closet.
7. The hour is over. There’s no more time today.
But . . .
1. The University of California at Berkeley is a good school.
YOUR TURN Please write a sentence with “the” and a vowel word following it.

______________________________________________________________
Grammar One and the other
For example:
1. I have two sisters.


One is 5 years old, and the other is 7.
2. One of my books is new, and the others are used.



YOUR TURN. Please write a sentence using One and the other.
3.
______________________________________________________________

When talking about new and old friends, what does it mean: One is silver, and the other’s gold? Please talk to your partner and then write what you think.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________©Gati2009

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Pick Yourself Up


From the Film: Swing Time 1936 (Lyrics by: Dorothy Fields / Music by: Jerome Kern)

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers
[She: I can’t teach you anything.]
(He)
Please teacher, teach me something,
Nice teacher, teach me something.
I'm as awkward as a camel, that's not the worst,
My two feet haven't met yet,
But I'll be teacher's pet yet,
'Cause I'm gonna learn to dance or burst.

(She)
Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start All over again.

Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!

Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.




(He)
I'll get some self-assurance
If your endurance is great.
I'll learn by easy stages
If you're courageous and wait.

To feel the strength I want to,
I must hang on to your hand,
Maybe by the time I'm fifty
I'll get up and do a nifty.
[All right I’ll show you again.
Remember, three steps to the left, three steps to the right and turn.[
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
[No one can teach you to dance in a million years.]

VOCABULARY

1. From the song, fill in the words that have the same or similar meanings.
I’m as awkward as a camel.
a. I can’t dance very well. I’m clumsy and unable to move like a dancer.
I’m ________________.

I’m awkward, and that’s not the worst (of it).
I am MORE THAN awkward. My left foot doesn’t know what my right foot is doing.
(My two feet haven’t met yet.)



2. Superlatives as nouns.

1. the worst the fattest the heaviest the most expensive
the best
the farthest

Examples: a. He is the worst driver I know. (adjective + noun)
aa. He’s the worst and I’m the best. (noun)

b. This is the heaviest backpack I have ever carried. (adjective + noun)
bb. Mine is the lightest and yours is the heaviest. (noun)

From the song:

3. teacher’s pet noun But I’ll be the teacher’s pet
a. The teacher like James the best. He is the _________________________ .

4. I’m going to dance or burst. verb
a. He was chewing bubble gum. He blew a big bubble and then it burst. (boom!)
b. The balloon burst.
c. I’m going to learn English or _______. (fall down, collapse without any strength),

5. Don’t lose your confidence. Noun also self-assurance
a. She believes in herself and her abilities. She has _________________________.
b. I have ___________________ in myself.

c. Adjectives: confident and self-assured.
She feels ______________ and she is _______________________ .
d. I feel ________________ and I ______________________________ .

6. If you slip, you might hurt yourself. verb
a. The floor was wet and I ___________________________ .

7. a pleasant trip trip has two meanings here:
a. a journey (noun) and
b. a fall (noun) to fall (verb)
c. It was an awful __________. I _____________ on the sidewalk.

8. to fall: to fall down; to fall from power (like a King or politician)
a. George Bush was once a powerful man, but he ______________ from power.

9. Work like a soul (noun) / inspired (adjective).
A soul = a person
a. Every person has rights. Every living _______________ can live a good live.
b. He made me feel enthused, thrilled, exhilarated. I was ________________ .

10. Take a deep breath.
a. The doctor told me to _____________________________________.
b. When you are nervous and worried, stop and __________________________

11. If your endurance is great, you can continue for a long time.
a. I have a lot of ____________________. I can walk five miles and not get tired.

12. I’ll learn by easy stages. (noun)
a. English is difficult, so I must learn it step by step. Little by little I will learn it.
b. When you learn to dance, you also learn it ___________________________ .

13. strength (noun)
a. The quality of being mentally and physically strong is to have strength.
b. He has ________________ in his arms.

14. I’ll get up and do a nifty [first-rate, very good move, turn, dance step]. (adjective)
a. You look quite ________________________________
b. She did a _________________ dance step.

15. NOUNS ADJECTIVES

Confidence confident
Self-assurance self-assured
Strength strong
The worst bad worse than
Courage courageous
Inspiration inspired

YOUR TURN:
Write a sentence using each of these words:
1. Confidence
____________________________________________________________________
2. confident
____________________________________________________________________
3. self-assurance
____________________________________________________________________
4. self-assured
___________________________________________________________________
5. strength

6. strong
____________________________________________________________________

7. the worst
____________________________________________________________________
8. worse than

____________________________________________________________________
9. courage
____________________________________________________________________
10. courageous

____________________________________________________________________

IDIOMS
1. Sick and tired You’ll be sick and tired.
a. I don’t want to answer the telephone during dinner. I’m _____________________
of those bothersome phone calls.
b. I’m __________________________ of waiting for late busses. I’m going to call
the MUNI office and complain.

2.You’ll be a man, my son.
a. I know it is difficult when things go wrong, but you will learn a lot.from difficult circumstances. These difficult things will help you grow up. _______________________________________________

2. What words rhyme with what?

a. worst rhymes with burst
b. _________________ rhymes with __________________
c. _________________ rhymes with __________________
d. _________________ rhymes with __________________
e. _________________ rhymes with __________________
f. _________________ rhymes with __________________
g. _________________ rhymes with __________________
h. _________________ rhymes with __________________

GRAMMAR
1. Find all the verb commands. Circle them within the song. Then write them in a list.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

CONVERSATION

1. Who is teaching whom to do what?

____________________________________________________________________

2. What advice does the woman give the man? (Use an infinitive in your answer.)
She tells him
___a._________________________________________________________________

___b._________________________________________________________________

___c._________________________________________________________________

___d._________________________________________________________________

___e._________________________________________________________________

___f._________________________________________________________________

___g._________________________________________________________________

3.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again is an English proverb.
The meaning is similar to the refrain of the song:
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

What does it mean to you?

Pres. Obama's Inaugural Speech 1-20-09



January 20, 2009
(SOURCE PHOTO NEW YORK TIMES & TEXT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE 20/01/2009)
President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address

Inaugural Address
By President Barack Hussein Obama

“. . . We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
http://zebrambizi.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/president-barak-obamas-inaugural-address/

GRAMMAR

1. Please write down every verb you see in the excerpt of President Obama’s Inaugural Speech. Also tell me what the SUBJECT of each VERB is. Make a √ under the tense.
SUBJECT VERB Present Tense Past Tense Present Perfect base form
a. We remain √ to remain

b. ___________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________
e. ___________________________________________________________
f. ___________________________________________________________
g. ___________________________________________________________
h. ___________________________________________________________
i. ___________________________________________________________
j. ____________________________________________________________


2. to pass Present tense Past Tense past participle
pass/es passed passed
Examples:
a. I want to pass my {citizenship, driver’s license, typing,______________ test.
b. I never pass any tests the first time I take them.
c. She always passes her tests with “A”s.
d. He passed the math test, but he didn’t pass the English test.
e. I have not passed my driving test yet.
YOUR TURN
f. (pass or passes)
_______________________________________________________
g. (passed) ________________________________________________________

3. must is a modal. Use modals with base form verbs (but NOT with infinitives!)
“Must” means It is necessary or essential.
Examples:
a. We must pick ourselves up. We must dust ourselves off. We must begin again.
b. I must learn English grammar before I can speak the language well.

YOUR TURN What is essential or necessary for you to do? Answer with MUST.

______________________________________________________________________


2
VOCABULARY

Find words in the story and fill in the blanks with the word (using good grammar – nouns, verbs, adjectives).

1. I don’t want to go back to China. I want to ________________ here.

2. He is a rich man. He is ____________________.

3. May went to the market, did her laundry, and cooked lunch – all before noon. She was very _____________________________ .

4. The economy is bad. People have lost their jobs. There is a _____________ in the country.

5. She always has new and good ideas. She’s very creative and _______________ .

6. All the merchandise they sell comes from China. I like their ________________ .

7. The hotel provides meals in your room (room service), does your laundry, and shines your shoes. We like their ______________________ .

8. We are able to do a lot of things. We even have the _________________ to do more.

9. I believe as I have always believed. I’m going to do as I have always done. I’m not going to change and do something else. I’m going to __________________ .

10. Some streets are wide and others are ______________________. (So are shoes.)

11. There is no question that I will come to your party. I will ____________ be there.

12. She fell down but wasn’t really hurt, so she ______________ herself ______
and walked home.

13. He fell down and got his clothes dirty. He then stood up and ____________
himself _______.

14. You can make yourself a better person. You can redo your image so people see
you differently. You can ___________ yourself.



15. Prefix “un” means NOT and makes the adjective negative
undiminished unpleasant unnecessary
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3


CONVERSATION (Please talk to your partner first. Then write your answers in complete sentences.)

1. What is the President’s full name? ____________________________________

2. What’s his wife’s name? ___________________________________________

3. In the picture, why is he raising his right hand? ________________________________________________________________

4. What is he doing with his left hand? ________________________________________________________________

5. This is an excerpt from what speech? ________________________________________________________________

6. When did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

7. Where did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

8. Why did he give this speech? ________________________________________________________________

9. Why did President Obama say, “We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin again the work of remaking America”?

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The He-Toad and the She-Toad




A tree toad loved a she-toad
who lived up in a tree.
He was a two-toed tree toad,
but a three-toed toad was she.
The two-toed tree toad tried to win
the three-toed she-toad's heart,
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground
That the three-toed tree toad trod. (1)

But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. (2)
He couldn't please her whim. (3)
From her tree toad bower (4)
With her three-toed power,
The she-toad vetoed him. (5)
_______________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY
a tree toad = any frog that spends a major portion of its life in a tree
(Toads usually have 4 front toes, and 5 back toes.)

1. trod (v) = past tense of tread [pronounced like “red”]
The two-toed tree toad loved the ground that the three-toed tree toad trod.
(a) drove
(b) jumped
(c) walked on, walked over, or walked along.

We often say that when someone is in love, he loves the ground his lover (she) walks on.

2. tried in vain = to try but end in failure
For example: He looked for her in vain but he never found her.
(a) in the closet
(b) without success; ending in failure
(c) win the lotto

3. whim (n) = a sudden desire (She had a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.
They went to Hawaii on a whim.)

“He couldn’t please her whim.”
(a) She kept changing her mind.
(b) He was not happy with her.
(c) She had another frog friend.

3. bower (n) = She looked at the he-toad from her bower
(a) a pretty flower
(b) a shaded leafy place
(d) water

4. vetoed (v) = past tense of to veto
(a) rejected; said “no”
(b) voted
(c) cut her toe

GRAMMAR

1. Notice when you tell about something, you start with “a” .
A tree toad loved a she toad.

2. Then you can say “He” or “She” or “The” (“It”).
He was a two-toed tree toad.
The two-toed tree toad loved the ground she walked on.

When you tell about something. You start with “A”.
For example: a. I have a sister. She lives in Hong Kong.
b. We went to a movie. It was good.
c. She saw a house she wanted to buy, but the house was too expensive.
YOUR TURN: d. (Write a sentence with “a” )
_______________________________________________________________________

e. (Tell me more about “d” above.)
________________________________________________________________________


CONVERSATION

1. What is this poem about?
________________________________________________________________________

2. How did the story end?


3. Who do you think is more powerful in love, a man or a woman? Tell me why.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Gati©2009

Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Stolen Car


Mr. Smith left his car outside his apartment one night, as usual; but when he came down the next morning to go to his office, he discovered that the car wasn’t there. He called the police and told them what had happened, and they said that they would try to find the car.
When Mr. Smith came home from his office that evening, the car was back again in its usual place in front of his house. He examined it carefully to see whether it had been damaged and found two theater tickets on one of the seats and a letter which said:
“We’re very sorry. We took your car because of an emergency.”
Mr. And Mrs. Smith went to the theater with the two tickets the next night and enjoyed themselves very much. When they got home, they found that the thieves had taken almost everything that they had had in their apartment.

CHINESE PROVERB (saying): Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
VOCABULARY
Choose the meanings of the words. Then try using the words in your own sentences.
1. .as usual (He left his car outside his apartment, as usual.)
a. sometimes b. never c. usually
YOUR TURN ______________________________________________________
2. came down v. (When he came down, he discovered the car wasn’t there.
3. discovered v. (He discovered that the car wasn’t there.)
a. noticed or learned b. .took a picture c. drove the car awa
4. examined v. (He examined it carefully.)
a. went to the doctor for a check-up b. picked it up c. observed carefully; inspected
5. damaged adj. (Had it been damaged?)
a. hurt b. touched c. painted

GRAMMAR
1. Prepositional phrases (preposition + object) How many can you find in the story?
a. outside his apartment..
b. down the next morning.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
2. Reflexive pronouns.
Myself Yourself Himself /Herself/ Itself Ourselves Yourselves Themselves
Use these words only when the subject refers back to itself. For example:
a. I never have any help when I do my homework. I always do it myself.
b. She lives by herself. (She lives alone. No one lives with her.)
c. They built their home themselves. (No one helped them.)
YOUR TURN Write 2 sentences, one singular and one plural.
a. __________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________


3. PAST PERFECT TENSE (HAD + past participle)
There are two past actions. Circle which past action happened first.
a. He told them what had happened.
b. He examined the car to see what had been damaged.
c. When they got home, they found the thieves had taken everything.
d. Everything that they had had in their apartment was gone.
YOUR TURN Underline the past perfect verbs. Then circle the first past action.
e. He had never seen an elephant until he went to the zoo.
f. I had eaten already, so I wasn’t hungry.
g. She hadn’t ever been to an American wedding until her sister got married.
f. ____________________________________________________________
CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner and then write the answer to the questions in complete sentences.)
1. What happened to Mr. Smith’s car? What did Mr. Smith do about it?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Who returned the car and what did they leave for the Smiths?

3. What did Mr. Smith find on one of the seats in the car?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. What do you think the Chinese proverb means and what life lesson can you learn from this story?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
sgati©2009

The Train Trip


Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train. Five of them were quiet and well-behaved, but the sixth was a rude young man who was causing a lot of trouble to the other passengers.
Finally this young man took his two heavy bags and got out at a station. None of the passengers helped him, but one of them waited until the rude young man was very far away. He then opened the window and shouted to him, “You left something behind in the compartment!” Then he closed the window again.
The young man turned around and hurried back with his two bags. He was very tired when he arrived, but he shouted through the window, “What did I leave behind?”
As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back, opened the window and said, “a very bad impression!.”
VOCABULARY (Choose the correct answer.)
1. a compartment n. (Six people were traveling in a compartment on a train.)
a. a kitchen b. A separate room, section, or chamber c. an automobile
2. well-behaved adj. (Five of them were quiet and well-behaved.
a. rude b. polite c. nice-looking
3. bags n. (He got out with his two heavy bags.)
a. boxes b. notebooks c. luggage
4. impression n. (You left a very bad impression.)
a. An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of an experience
b. Finger prints
c. A flower garden
5. What are the opposites of these words? Look at the story and write the words.
a. noisy (adj.) ____________________
b. polite (adj.) ____________________
c. shut (v.) ____________________
d. light (adj.) ____________________
e. near (preposition) ____________________
f. opened (v.) ____________________
g. whispered (v.) ____________________

GRAMMAR
The verb to be can be used with ING verbs
For example: I am studying now. (present continuous tense)
Yesterday I was doing my homework when the telephone rang. (past continuous)
1. What past continuous verbs are used in this story? a________________________________ b.______________________________________
YOUR TURN:
a. Please write a present continuous sentence.
_____________________________________________________________________
b. a past continuous verb
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Please circle and number the 17 past tense verbs in the story.

3. PAST PERFECT TENSE
This is a past tense, but it is used when there are two past actions, one happened before the other. The first action is the PAST PERFECT. For example:
a. As the train began to move again, the passenger who had called him back, opened the window and said, “a very bad impression!.”
b. I hadn’t seen my friend for two years. Then I saw him when he came to San Francisco on vacation. [PAST PERFECT is used when you know the past story.]
YOUR TURN. Try to write a PAST PERFECT sentence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner and then write complete sentences for your answers.)
1. How many people were traveling in the same compartment on the train?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How was the sixth passenger different from the other five?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What did the young man leave behind?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think the man who shouted from the window did the right thing? Please explain why or why not? What would you have done?



sgati©2009