Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Baccalaureate

Letter to the Editor: Urban Waste Crisis

Read the letter to the editor. In the blanks, write the correct pronoun or correct form of the verb in parentheses. Use the form correct for formal English.

Many parts of our once-beautiful city are starting to look like mini-garbage dumps. You will recall that legislation requiring recycling within the city limits was passed last year, and the mayor and other local politicians encourage us to recycle, but in my apartment complex, there are no bins for recycling. The result is that people take no responsibility for their own actions, and everyone tosses their trash and recyclables—glass, plastic bottles, cans, etc.—right in with the food that is being thrown away. The manager of the...

My Ideal Job

How do I imagine an ideal job? While a well-paid position is often considered a good job, an ideal one encompasses much more. In my opinion, an ideal job is one where you have your own office and set your own rules.

Nowadays, it is standard to work eight hours a day, but some people attempt to work longer to increase their salary. Unfortunately, this often has a negative influence on their health.

There is no such thing as a perfect job in the real world. If a person wants to achieve their ideal career, they must choose their future profession early. That is why we begin planning in school, then attend universities or colleges to gain the necessary qualifications. After graduating, we start our careers. At the beginning, we must work...

Cope With

I'm finding it hard to cope with all the work I've got at the moment. I'm so stressed.

Back Up

I always back up my important photos onto a pen drive in case I lose the original.

Calling For

The public are calling for (demanding) new elections as soon as possible.

Called Off

Unfortunately, the concert was called off (cancelled) because the band were ill.

Come Round

He always used to come round (visit) to my house after school when we were kids.

Cluttered Up

The front of his car is so cluttered up (filled untidily) with McDonald's boxes that you can't see the floor.

Came Across

I came across (found) my old CD collection while I was cleaning the attic, I'd completely forgotten about it.

Up To

What are you up to tomorrow night? (doing)

Act On

He gave...

Self-Driving Cars: Separating Fact from Fiction

Are Self-Driving Cars Fully Autonomous?

a) While testing the Google car, humans never had to take control and drive it.

FALSE. “With someone behind the wheel to take control if something goes wrong, seven test cars have driven 225,000 kilometers with only two human interventions.”

b) Since robot cars can be made to weigh less, they will use less petrol.

TRUE. “Because the robot cars would eventually be less likely to crash, they could be built lighter, reducing fuel consumption.”

Understanding Google's Self-Driving Car

a) According to the text, what does a Google self-driving car look like?

It looks like a small car with a lot of gadgets on the roof.

b) Give at least three advantages of robot cars.

Verbs: A

• Arise - arose - arisen - surgir

Verbs: B

• Be - was/were - been - ser/estar
• Be able - could - been able - poder
• Bear - bore - borne - soportar
• Be born - nacer
• Beat - beat - beaten - golpear
• Become - became - become - llegar a ser
• Begin - began - begun - empezar
• Bend - bent - bent - doblar
• Bet - bet - bet - apostar
• Bind - bound - bound - atar
• Bite - bit - bitten - morder
• Bleed - bled - bled - sangrar
• Blow - blew - blown - soplar
• Break - broke - broken - romper
• Bring - brought - brought - traer
• Broadcast - broadcast - broadcast - emitir
• Build - built - built - construir
• Burn - burnt - burnt - quemar
• Burst - burst - burst - estallar
• Buy - bought - bought - comprar

Verbs: C

• Catch - caught - caught - coger
• Choose - chose - chosen - elegir
• Come - came - come - venir
• Cost

Elvis Lives!

It was as her 11th birthday approached in 1960 that Karen wrote to Elvis, who was serving as an American GI in Germany. Even though they [her family] realised its value to collectors, they donated the letter to the local Elvis Presley society.

Elvis's Missing Letter

Elvis's letter took so long in reaching his fan because the letter was mislaid by the landlady who was asked to post it to the girl. It was not until the landlady's relatives were cleaning the house many years later that they accidentally discovered the letter and donated it to the Elvis Presley society, who finally gave the letter to Karen. Karen cried when she received the letter and her plans are to keep it rather than to sell it because she was moved to learn that

Skin Art: A Historical Perspective

Ancient Tattooing Practices

Roman Use of Tattoos

False: The Romans considered decorative tattooing barbaric and used tattoos to mark slaves and criminals.

The Origin of the Word "Tattoo"

False: Captain Cook introduced the word "tattoo" to the English language, taken from the Tahitian word "tatau."

Polynesian and Sailor Tattoo Traditions

True or False?: The Polynesian people used tattoos as symbols of protection against enemies.

True or False?: Sailors often had crosses tattooed on their bodies, believing that enemies would hesitate to strike the image of Christ.

Amphibian Decline: A Global Warning

A Harbinger of Environmental Disaster

True: The discovery of amphibian decline, reported in the journal "Science," is considered

Vocabulary

Emotions and Feelings

• Thankful: grateful for something
• Grief-stricken: deeply sad or sorrowful
• Left out: being left alone
• Hopeful: to trust that something is going to happen
• Trapped: stuck
• Rebellious: someone who doesn't follow rules
• Puzzled: surprised
• Impressed: to be amazed because of something
• Discouraged: out of motivation
• Down and blue: sad
• Affectionate: someone who displays their emotions
• Shame: a feeling of guilt, regret, or sadness that you have because you know you have done something wrong
• Generous: freely giving or sharing money and other valuable things
• Bragged: a pompous or boastful statement
• Dreading: to be reluctant to do, meet, or experience.
• Coward: become frightened and be scared about doing something
• Mild: gentle in nature or behaviour
• Frustrated:

Essential English Irregular Verbs (R-W)

This table provides a comprehensive list of essential irregular verbs in English, covering forms from R through W, along with their Spanish meanings. Memorizing these forms is crucial for correct past tense and perfect tense construction in English.