Exam 2014 - 2 with answers - June 2014

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA CUID  - B2 AVANZADO-  JUNIO 2014   Exam 2

PART 1 -  READING  - two passages

Passage 1

Read the following text and answer the multiple-choice questions.

Volunteering could lengthen life           Adapted from: Telegraph.co.uk

Volunteering may improve your health, according to a new study which found that those who do it live longer and are more satisfied with their lives

People who volunteer report having lower levels of depression and higher levels of well-being than average, while some research suggests it promotes a longer and healthier life.

A review of 40 academic papers on the subject by University of Exeter researchers found that volunteers are a fifth less likely to die within the next four to seven years than average.

Across the studies volunteers had lower self-rated levels of depression and higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction, although this has not been confirmed in trials. It is thought that volunteering can be good for the physical health of older people in particular, by encouraging them to stay active and spend more time out of the house.

Volunteers often explain their motives in terms of wanting to "give something back" to their community, but without receiving anything in return, the reported improvements in quality of life are harder to explain, experts said.

An estimated 22.5 per cent of people in Europe devote part of their spare time to volunteering, compared with 27 per cent in America and 36 per cent in Australia.

Dr Suzanne Richards, who published her systematic review in the BMC Public Health journal, said: "Our systematic review shows that volunteering is associated with improvements in mental health, but more work is needed to establish whether volunteering is actually the cause.”
"It is still unclear whether biological and cultural factors and social resources that are often associated with better health and survival are also associated with a willingness to volunteer in the first place."

In a separate study from the University of Michigan, researchers suggested three reasons why volunteering may be beneficial. First, it involves physical activity; second, the social connections we make help to reduce our stress; and third, it gives us a deep sense of happiness.

Choose the right option according to the text

1. Where was the research made available to the public?

a) Online.

b) At a conference.

c) In a newspaper.

d) In a journal.

2. Why does a researcher think more work is needed?

a) We need to volunteer more.

b) A researcher's work is never finished.


c) To prove volunteering is good for our mental health.

d) Work is good for us.

3. According to the studies, volunteers:


a) Live four to seven years longer than average.

b) Do not receive anything in return.


c) Report lower levels of depression.


d) Have a good physical health.

4. According to the text, volunteering:


a) is proved to be the cause of better mental health.


b) is proved to depend on biological and cultural factors and social resources.

c) may improve your well-being and life satisfaction.


d) is popular among the elderly.

5. According to the article:


a) Volunteering is more common in Australia than in Europe and America.

b) Volunteering is associated with more work.


c) Volunteers always want to be in the first place.


d) Half of the population in Europe devotes their spare time to volunteering.

6. What did University of Michigan researchers suggest?

a) A nationwide volunteer program.


b) More research.


c) Three reasons why volunteering is good for us.

d) None of the above is correct.

Passage 2 

One in five songs "advertises" alcohol

Adapted from: Sciencedaily.com

The songs young people listen to could be (7) ____ them to drink more alcohol. This is the conclusion of a study into the extent to which (8) ____ contain references to drinking. Researchers from the John Moores University in Liverpool, England assert that public health warnings on liquor may be of diminishing value because of the prevalence of terms surrounding alcohol in pop songs. The study found that one in five songs in the UK music charts contains references to intoxicating beverages. This figure is double that from a decade ago. They also found that songs from 1981 contained relatively few references to alcohol. John Moores attributed some of the rise (9) ____ an influx of US-imported songs.

Researchers said the exposure of young people to alcohol in the media is "a major concern". Professor Karen Hughes warned that references to alcohol are a "form of advertising and marketing for alcoholic products." She said: "Public health concerns are already focused (10) ____ the impacts of alcohol advertising on the drinking behavior of young people, (11) ____ the growing reference to alcohol in popular music could mean that positive, alcohol-promoting messages are reaching much larger audiences." Dr Hughes added: "Health and other professionals should be vigilant to ensure that popular music does not become a medium for reinforcing and extending cultures of intoxication and alcohol-related (12) ____."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article

7.	(a) encouraging	(b) encourages	(c) encouraged	(d) encouragement
8.	(a) lyricist	(b) lyrical	(c) lyrics	(d) lyric
9.	(a) for	(b) to	(c) at	(d) by
10.	(a) in	(b) on	(c) at	(d) to
11.	(a) yet	(b) regardless	(c) so	(d) even though
12.	(a) wickedness	(b) injure	(c) mischief	(d) harm

PART 2 -  USE OF ENGLISH

Choose the right option

13. Patrick ...... first aid and home safety courses at the community center for the last three years.

a. was giving    b. had given    c. has been giving    d. has being giving

14. The Ellis Falls Annual Community Art Fair ...... in a week with something for everyone.

a. opened    b. is opening    c. has opened    d. was opened

15. If she ...... the values assessment test, she could have found out what her personal values are.

a. took    b. takes    c. had taken    d. has taken

16. If the office building were in a good location, ...... interested in it?


a. would the company be    

b. will the company be    

c. had the company been

d. is the company

17. This amazing house ...... to the public. We must go see it!

a. has just been opening

b. has just being opened


c. has just been opened

d. had just been opened

18. Ingrid told Mark, “Submit your application tomorrow.”


a. Ingrid told Mark to submit your application the following day.

b. Ingrid told Mark submit your application tomorrow.


c. Ingrid told Mark to submit his application the following day.


d. Ingrid told to Mark to submit his application the following day.

19. The little boy asked, “Who invented this funny alarm clock with wheels?”

a. The little boy asked who had invented that funny alarm clock with wheels.

b. The little boy asked who has invented that funny alarm clock with wheels.

c. The little boy asked who invented this funny alarm clock with wheels.

d. The little boy asked who invents this funny alarm clock with wheels.

20. I met a woman named Sarah. Sarah told me her firsthand experience of sustainable living.

a. I met a woman named Sarah, whose told me her firsthand experience of sustainable living.

b. I met a woman named Sarah, that told me her firsthand experience of sustainable living.


c. I met a woman named Sarah, which told me her firsthand experience of sustainable living.

d. I met a woman named Sarah, who told me her firsthand experience of sustainable living.

21. I often regret ...... so-called ‘bargains’ when I discover that the reduction wasn’t as big as I thought.


a. buying        b. to buy        c. both a and b are possible      d. buy

22. Before you become overanxious about your symptoms, I ...... the doctor ...... you.


a. have/examine

b. have/to examine

c. would have/to examine

d. would have/examine

23. Did you ...... your blood ...... before you started taking this medication?

a. get/checked

b. gets/checked

c. get/to check

d. get/check

24. The director chose plain black costumes ...... the message of the show would be communicated more clearly.


a. rather than

b. even though

c. wherever

d. so that

25. You should see the contemporary art exhibit ...... modern art doesn’t usually appeal to you.

a. in case      b. so that        c. even if         d. provided

PART 3 -  WRITING - two pieces

A

You are studying English abroad at a language school attended by many international students. You are planning a surprise birthday party for a friend who has been feeling particularly sad and homesick.

Write an e-mail to another classmate and invite him/her to the party, explain the reason for the party, give the date and time of the party and suggest what and who he/she could bring to the party.

Write 120-150 words.

B  

Choose ONE of the following topics and write a well-structured essay of about 120-150 words. You must use grammatically correct sentences with accurate spelling.

OPTION 1

Many of the medical problems that people are experiencing in today's world are due to the fact that we have a very sedentary lifestyle. To what extent do you agree?

OPTION 2

Nowadays, families are not as close as in the past and a lot of people have become used to this. Explain the reasons for this and discuss any possible effects it may have on society.

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Answers

1 d   2 c   3 c    4 c    5 a    6 c    7 a   8 c    9 b    10 b    11 c    12 d    13 c    14 b    15 c    16 a    17 c    18 c    19 a    20 d    21 a    22 d    23 a    24 d    25 c

Write an informal e-mail

Please, write this informal email - from the exam- and send it to me for correction.

Write an informal e-mail to a friend telling him/her about your weekend. 

State your reasons for not being able to go to work on Monday. 

Use the appropriate style for the situation. 120 to 150 words.

Exam 2014 - 1 with Answers - June 2014

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA CUID 
(B2 AVANZADO) 
JUNIO 2014 

DURACIÓN: 2 HORAS

NO SE PERMITE EL USO DE DICCIONARIO, DISPOSITIVO ELECTRÓNICO, NI DE NINGÚN OTRO MATERIAL EXCEPTO BOLÍGRAFO

INSTRUCCIONES:

Conteste a TODAS las preguntas de tipo test ÚNICAMENTE en la hoja de lectura óptica.

Entregue ÚNICAMENTE la hoja de lectura óptica y LA HOJA con la composición escrita (writing)

No olvide escribir sus datos personales en AMBAS HOJAS.

El examen escrito se califica sobre un total de 100 puntos. La parte de opción múltiple vale 50 puntos y la parte de redacción vale 50 puntos. Para aprobar el examen se ha de conseguir un mínimo de 30 puntos en la opción múltiple y obtener un mínimo de 25 puntos en las redacciones.

Hay que aprobar ambas partes. Las respuestas incorrectas NO restan puntos.

NO use lápiz, sólo bolígrafo azul o negro

POR FAVOR, RELLENE EL FORMULARIO ANTES DE COMENZAR:

NOMBRE Y APELLIDOS: ___________________________________________________ 
DNI: _______________________-_____ 
NÚMERO DE TELÉFONO: _____________________ 
CENTRO ASOCIADO:___________________________________________________

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

PART 1  -  READING (two exercises)

EXERCISE A

Read the following text and answer the multiple choice questions.

"Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was."             Jackson Pollock 

Born on January 28, 1912, in Cody, Wyoming, Jackson Pollock remains one of America's most controversial artists. He was both renowned and criticized for his conventions.

During his youth, Pollock's family moved throughout Arizona and California, his father, an alcoholic, left the family when the artist was eight. Later on, he enrolled in the Manual Arts High School, where he learned to draw but had little success expressing himself. He was eventually expelled for starting fights. When he was 18, Pollock moved to New York City to live with his brother, Charles. He soon began studying with Charles's art teacher, representational regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton. Pollock spent much of his time with Benton, often babysitting Benton's young son, and the Bentons eventually became like the family Pollock felt he never had.

Pollock admired Pablo Picasso and soon he decided to leave traditional techniques to explore abstraction expressionism via his splatter and action pieces, which involved pouring paint and other media directly onto canvases.

"Sometimes I use a brush, but often prefer using a stick. Sometimes I pour the paint straight out of the can. I like to use a dripping fluid paint. A method of painting has a natural growth out of a need. I want to express my feelings rather than illustrate them," he used to say. It was this desire to find a more direct form of expression that led to Pollock and his contemporaries being called the 'abstract impressionists'.

Pollock led life to the full, it was a troubled existence which led to a violent death. He died after driving drunk and crashing into a tree in New York in 1956, at age 44.

"Artist and friend Cile Downs said once, "It's a lot easier to think about the drama of his history than it is to think about what he did in the realm of art."

Choose the right option according to the text

1  From the text we can infer:
    A. Pollock was an outstanding student at the Manual Arts High School.
    B. Pollock was a troublesome teenager.
    C. Pollock never studied Art.
    D. None of the above are true.

2  According to the text, Pollock was known for:
    A. Both his troublesome existence and his original painting.
    B. Being an alcoholic.
    C. Having travelled throughout Arizona and California.
    D. His original way of painting.

3 Some of Pollock’s painting techniques included:
    A. Throwing paint directly from the can.
    B. Using brushes.
    C. Using brushes and sticks. 
    D. A and C are true.

4 According to the text we are told that:
    A. Pollock had only one brother, Charles.
    B. Pollock had many brothers and sisters.
    C. Pollock ́s father abandoned his family.
    D. Pollock never got along with anyone in his family.

5 Pollock and his contemporaries were called abstract expressionists because: 
    A. They admired Picasso ́s paintings.
    B. They expressed their feelings rather than illustrated them. 
    C. They splattered paint all over the canvas.
    D. They didn ́t use brushes.

6 According to the text we can infer:
    A. Pollock adopted Benton ́s son.
    B. Pollock was adopted by the Bentons. 
    C. Pollock was keen on the Bentons.
    D. Pollock lived with the Bentons.

EXERCISE B

Burglars and burglaries

Read the text below and choose the correct word to fill in the gaps from the ones provided below

Believe it or not, you'll find burglary high on the list of the Top Ten fears people have nowadays. An informal survey carried out among university students from Minnesota revealed that most of them had had their homes (7) ................... into more than twice, and a few had been burgled more than five times! Amazingly, none of these students owned valuable jewelry or a collection of ancient Greek pottery. Most of them, in fact, were unemployed. The most typical burglary, it seems, involves the (8)................. of modern electronics, small household gadgets, PCs, media players and so forth. This may have something to do with the (9) ............. that the average burglar is under eighteen.

Surely enough, these kids are not so (10) .............. professional criminals, as hard-up young people who need a few bucks or drugs. Unfortunately, police inspectors have no luck (11) ............ any of the stolen goods and alarms or big locks don ́t seem to help either.

In most cases the burglars typically gain entrance through a sliding glass door or back door, stealing jewelry and ransacking the house within minutes.

Truth is, you can ́t do much about it, but as a precaution, you should (12) ............ lock your doors and windows, even when leaving for "just a minute." You should never leave a house key under a doormat, in a flower pot, or on the ledge of the door.

7. a. got       b. destroyed    c. broken     d. entered

8. a. moving      b. robbing     c. carrying    d. theft

9. a. fact       b. information     c. idea    d. knowledge

10. a. many      b. much    c. that     d. like

11. a. keeping    b. about      c. tracking     d. recovering

12. a. never        b. always     c. sometimes        d. seldom

PART 2 -  USE OF ENGLISH

Choose the right option

13. Fergie ......since she was eighteen to buy that dress. 
a. had saved 
b. been saving 
c. saved
d. had been saving

14. I ...... a good baseball player when I was young.
a. am 
b. have been 
c. used to be
d. was being

15. On Sunday, we ...... in this cottage for ten years.

a. will have living
b. will have been living 
c. have been living 
d. will live

16. -“Really, Mary, you ...... that medicine, it might hurt your stomach”.
a. oughtn ́t drink

b. shouldn ́t drink 
c. wouldn ́t drink 
d.have to drink

17. Andrew ...... better in his research paper if he ...... her instructions. 
a. would have done / had followed 
b. had done / had followed 
c. would to do / had followed 
d. is doing / follows

18. If Grace ...... how demanding the job was, she ...... it.
a. had known / would have taken 
b.- knew/would take 
c. had known / wouldn ́t have taken 
d.- knows / will take

19. Instead of buying a new dishwasher, why don't you have your old one ......?

a. fixing 
b. fixed 
c. get fixed
d. fix

20. Don't ...... your child...... so dangerously, turning around on ladders. 
a. let / play 
b. lets / plays 
c. let / plays
d. get / play

21. Samantha remembers ...... the supermarket, but nothing after that. 
a. to go 
b. go 
c. going to

d. having been

22. These walls and those ancient stones are all ...... remains of the village.

a. that 
b. who 
c. where 
d. (no clause is needed)

23. He is neither pessimistic ...... optimistic about his prospects for the future.

a. or 
b. nor 
c. either 
d. neither

Choose the right option for the following sentences (reported speech)

24. Tom asked Sally, “What sort of project are you working on now?”

a. Tom asked Sally what sort of project Sally is working on at that time. 
b. Tom asked Sally what sort of project she was working on at that time. 
c. Tom asked Sally what sort of project he was working on now. 
d. Tom asked Sally what sort of project she would be working on now. 

25. The woman said to me, “This dictator has done a great damage”

a. The woman said to me that this dictator had done a great damage. 
b. The woman said to me that that dictator has done a great damage 
c. The woman said to me that that dictator had done a great damage. 
d. The woman said to me the dictator had done a great damage.

PART 3 - WRITING (two exercises)

A Write an informal e-mail to a friend telling him/her about your weekend. 
State your reasons for not being able to go to work on Monday. 

Use the appropriate style for the situation. 120 to 150 words.

B Choose ONE of the following topics and write a well-structured essay of about 120 to 150 words. 

You must use grammatically correct sentences with accurate spelling.

• -  OPTION 1
• In your opinion, what is the best career nowadays? Is it possible to get a job nowadays if you have a degree? Are you optimistic about the future? Why?
• 
  
• -  OPTION 2
• Should governments legalize drugs? What social problems do you think legalization of drugs would produce? Do you think this would create or stop some of the existing problems nowadays? 

Answers 

1. B - 2. A - 3. D - 4. C - 5. B - 6. C - 7. C - 8. D - 9. A - 10. B - 11. D - 12. B - 13. D - 14. C - 15. B - 16. B - 17. A - 18. C - 19. B - 20. A - 21. C - 22. A - 23. B - 24. B - 25. C

Writing assignment

Based on the questions on Module 6 Finances, write an opinion essay (150 words) where you discuss the issue and express your point of view. 

Try, if possible, to omit the use of the pronoun "I" so as to make your essay more impersonal. 

Referring to nouns

      1 Articles

a/an

We use a/an

• to refer to something for the first time:I’d like to talk to you today about an exciting development.
• to refer to any one from a group of several: Climate protection is a challenge for our entire society. (one of many challenges)
• to classify people or things as belonging to a group: Envisat is a fully-equipped observation satellite. (there are different kinds of satellite)
• to say what job somebody does: My brother is an engineer.

!! We can only use a/and with singular countable nouns.

the

We use the¡

• when the listener/reader knows which thing we mean (it may have been mentioned before): Envisat is a fully-equipped observation satellite… The satellite was launched in 2002.
• or it is understood which thing we mean: As part of the conference on environmental awareness… (we are at the conference now so it is clear which one I mean)
  Compare: I went to a conference on environmental awareness last week. (the person I am talking to do not know which conference I am talking about)

• when there is only one of this thing: the earth, the sun, the twentieth century, the sixties, the Government, the Prime Minister (there is only one government and one prime minister in each country)

• for superlatives: It is equipped with the best eyes possible.
• to talk about playing a musical instrument: He plays the piano and she plays the guitar.
• with certain proper nouns:
• nationalities (the British, the Chinese, the Egyptians)
• rivers (The Thames, the Yangtze, the Nile)
• island groups (the Maldives, the Philippines, the Seychelles)
• mountain ranges (the Alps, the Himalayas)
• seas and oceans (the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Pacific)
• country names that represent a group (the United Kingdom, the United States)
• many famous/historical buildings (the White House)
• noun phrases with of (the Great Wall of China, the Temple of Heaven)

!! With university names we can say the University of Bath or Bath University.

No article

We use no article

• with plural or uncountable nouns to talk generally about things:It will deliver information about our changing environment. 
  It offers everything that scientists could wish for. (scientists in general not a specific group of scientists)
• with certain proper nouns:
• continents (Europe, Asia)
• countries (Australia, China)
• states or counties (Michigan, Cambridgeshire)
• town and cities (Tokyo, Jeddah)
• mountains (Everest, Kilimanjaro)
• lakes (Lake Superior)
• companies  (Microsoft, Sony)
• buildings and places with the name of a town (Heathrow Airport)

• with mealtimes: I have lunch at 2:30.

• In common expressions after prepositions: to/at school/university; to/in class; in prison/hospital/bed

!! We can use the/a if we want to be specific. Compare:

When I was a child I used to walk to school.

When I was a child I went to the school on the other side of town.

However, we cannot use an article with the following expressions: at home; at/to work; at night; by bus/bicycle/car/train/plane; on foot

2 Demonstratives: this, that, these, those

We use these words to show whether something is near or remote, in terms of time or place:

	near	remote
time	I’d like to talk to you this morning about an exciting development. (today)	My mother called me later that day. (I am telling you this on a different day)
place	I like these pictures. (here)	Oh, I prefer those pictures. (over there)

My father likes the classical music and listens to it all the time. the classical music I saw a man sitting in a restaurant. A woman came and joined him, but the man got up and left without speaking to her!    ✓      Sun was shining and it was a lovely day. The sun I can play piano. the piano I come from United Arab Emirates. from the United Arab Emirates I’ve applied to study at the University of Edinburgh.   ✓       I usually go to work by the bus. by bus My wife is doctor. a doctor Sorry I’m late –car wouldn’t start this morning. the (my) car I’m going to take a cruise down river Nile. the River Nile I once saw a cat wearing a pink coat and boots!   ✓      My husband collects the antiques. He’s always going to auctions. collects the antiques

1 x Local legends say that 2 x Borneo’s few thousand wild elephants are descendants from those brought to 3 the island from India or Malaysia as 4 a gift to 5 the sultan in 6 the eighteenth century. Biologists from 7 x Columbia University’s Centre for Environmental Research and Conservation compared DNA samples from Borneo elephants with Asian elephants in Sumatra, India and elsewhere. 8 The findings confirmed their suspicions: Borneo’s elephants are genetically different. In fact 9 _______ DNA differences are so great between them and their closest relatives (elephants in Peninsular Malaysia) that 10 _______ populations may have separated up to 300,000 years ago, say 11 _______ scientists. The animals became isolated when 12 _______ island became totally cut off from the mainland due to 13 _______ rise in sea level. Borneo’s elephants are, therefore 14 _______ important, separate population. 1  No articles with generalizations 2  No articles with countries 3  the (referring back to Borneo which has just been mentioned) 4  a = one 5  the (there is only one sultan of Borneo) 6  the (there is only one eighteenth century) 7  No article necessary when the name of the university comes first 8  The (the findings of this study) 9  the (the specific differences between this DNA) 10 the (the elephant populations already mentioned) 11 the (the scientists mentioned earlier = biologists) 12 the (the island of Borneo) 13 a (not mentioned before and only one of many which have occurred) 14 an (used to classify this group of elephants)

1 This (the one we are writing) 2  people’s (people in general) 3  interviews (not referred to before and plural) 4  questionnaires (not referred to before and plural) 5  our (data for our survey) 6  Both (only two methods) 7  these (referring to something just mentioned) 8  neither (only two mentioned) 9  Our findings (not findings in general but the ones we got from our survey) 10 This (the idea just referred to: people like to take holidays in the summer) 11 the people 12 the survey (the one previously mentioned) 13 Beach holidays (in general not specific ones) 14 Spain (no article with countries) 15 France 16 Most (more than two were surveyed) 17 Each (person is singular; it would need to say all of the people) 18 every (all here means ‘the whole year’) 19 The price of the holiday (holiday = thing, not person or animal)

both that

each their

every those

my neither

none this that

1  Each 2  both 3  neither 4  Every (each) 5  this (that) 6  that (this) 7  my 8  their 9  That 10 none 11 those/these

We can use this/that/these/those to refer back to something previously mentioned in the text:

The total cost of the Envisat programme is 2.3 billion euros over 15 years. Included in this sum …  (= this sum = 2.3 billion euros)

We can refer back to whole sentences or ideas with this and that:

Seeing the earth from outer space highlights how tiny and fragile our planet is. Envisat helps people to understand that. (= understand how tiny and fragile our planet is)

There is often very little difference between this and that when used in this way, so we could say:

Envisat helps people to understand this. 

3 Possessives

We use possessive determiners (my/your/his/her/its/our/their) to tell us what or who something belongs to:

Our blue planet; their children

!! We cannot use possessive determiners after other determiners (e.g. a, the). We use determiner + noun + of + possessive pronoun:

this planet of ours (not this our planet)

We use ‘s with singular nouns and irregular plural nouns. We use s’ after regular plural nouns:

Europe’s technological showpiece; the children’s toys; my parents’ house

We usually use noun + of instead of ‘s when the thing we are referring to is not a person or animal:

the price of the hotel (not the hotel’s price)

4 Inclusives

each, every

• Each and ever are used with a singular noun and verb.
• Each is used for things or people in a group of two or more, with a focus on the individuals in the group: Each European citizen has therefore invested seven euros in the environment.
• Every is used for three or more things, with a focus on the group. Often the difference in focus between each and every is very small: Every citizen will have access to precise information about changes in the environment (= Each citizen…)

We can use each (but not every) + of + noun/pronoun: Each of the students gave the teacher a present. (not every of the students)

all, most, some

• We use all/most/some + plural noun and verb to talk about things in general: Most children like sweets.Some people believe space exploration is a waste of money.
• We use all/most/some +of + pronoun or determiner + noun to refer to a specific group: Most of the children at my school play football.

!! We do not need to use all + of before a noun, but we need of  before a pronoun:

All the children at my school play a musical instrument.

All of them like music. (not all them)

!! When all is followed by a singular noun referring to time the meaning is different. Compare:

I worked hard all day. (= I worked hard for one whole day)

I worked hard every day. (= I regularly worked hard)

both, neither, either, none

Both, neither and either refer to two people or things. We use both + plural noun and either/neither + singular noun:

Both satellites were launched in the 1990s.

Neither person knew very much about Envisat before the conference. (not one or the other)

I don’t mind where we go. Either restaurant is fine. (one or the other is fine)

!! We use both + of + determiner + plural noun (or pronoun) with a plural verb. We can use either/neither + of  + determiner + plural noun (or pronoun) with a singular or a plural verb:

Neither of my sisters lives/live in the same town as me.

Both of them are married. (not Both of them is married.)

None means ‘not one’ (of a group). It can be followed by a singular or plural verb:

None of our countries is/are able to ignore the implications of global warming.

Grammar Exercises

1. In some of these sentences there is a mistake with articles. Underline each mistake and write the correction.

My father likes the classical music and listens to it all the time. the classical music

I saw a man sitting in a restaurant. A woman came and joined him, but the man got up and left without speaking to her!    ✓     

Sun was shining and it was a lovely day._________________

I can play piano. _________________

I come from United Arab Emirates. _________________

I’ve applied to study at the University of Edinburgh. _________________

I usually go to work by the bus. _________________

My wife is doctor. _________________

Sorry I’m late –car wouldn’t start this morning. _________________

I’m going to take a cruise down river Nile. _________________

I once saw a cat wearing a pink coat and boots! _________________

My husband collects the antiques. He’s always going to auctions. ________________

Answer

2. Fill in the gaps with a/an or the or put a cross (x) if no article is needed.

1  x  Local legends say that 2 ___ Borneo’s few thousand wild elephants are descendants from those brought to 3 ___ island from India or Malaysia as 4 ___ gift to 5 __ sultan in 6 ___ eighteenth century. Biologists from 7 __ Columbia University’s Centre for Environmental Research and Conservation compared DNA samples from Borneo elephants with Asian elephants in Sumatra, India and elsewhere. 8 ___ findings confirmed their suspicions: Borneo’s elephants are genetically different. In fact 9 ___ DNA differences are so great between them and their closest relatives (elephants in Peninsular Malaysia) that 10 ___ populations may have separated up to 300,000 years ago, say 11 ___ scientists. The animals became isolated when 12 ___ island became totally cut off from the mainland due to 13 ___ rise in sea level. Borneo’s elephants are, therefore 14 ___ important, separate population.

Answer

3. Choose the best alternative.

Report on holiday survey

1 This / That survey aimed to find out about 2 people’s / the people’s ideal holidays. We used 3 the interviews / interviews and 4 the questionnaires / questionnaires to collect 5 our / their data. 6 Both / All of 7 those / these methods of data collection were quick and simple to carry out and 8 neither / none of them were too demanding of the public. 9 Our findings / Findings show that many people like to take their holidays in summer. 10 This / The view was reinforced by the destinations suggested by 11 the people / people involved in 12 a survey / the survey. 13 The beach holidays / Beach holidays were the most popular, particularly in 14 the Spain / Spain or 15 the France / France. 16 Most / Both people in the survey said they looked forward to their holiday. 17 Each / All person we interviewed agreed that it was important to have at least one holiday 18 every / all year. 19 The price of the holiday / the holiday’s price was important to most people, with general agreement that value for money was a primary consideration.

Answer

4. Fill in the gaps with words from the box.

My home town is smaller than London, but there are some similarities. 1 …………… of the two cities is famous for its architecture. For example, 2 …………… Kuala Lumpur and London have tall, modern buildings, set amongst older historical buildings. Although both cities have rivers running through them, 3 ………… city is by the sea, which is a shame, as I think some of the most beautiful cities in the world are by the sea.

4 …………… major city in the world has one thing in common –being large and busy- and 5 …………… is true of both London and Kuala Lumpur. In fact, some people don’t like my city because it is so noisy and busy, but 6 …………… is one reason why I love it.

A lot of city markets take place in the day-time, but in 7 ……………. Home city they don’t open until it’s dark! Malaysians tend to buy all their groceries at the night markets. In London people tend to use supermarkets for 8 …………… food shopping.

It is always hot in Kuala Lumpur, but London can get very cold. 9 …………’s probably why there are almost 10 …………… in the winter. In some restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, you can go to the kitchen and point at the food and say, ‘I’ll have one of 11 …………… , please!’ You can’t do that in London!

Answer