Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Secondary education

A Day of Decision: Choosing Action

Well, after waiting so long, one day I decided to succeed. I decided not to wait for opportunities but to look for them myself.

My New Perspective

I resolved to change how I viewed the world:

• I decided to see every problem as an opportunity to find a solution.
• I decided to see each desert as an opportunity to find an oasis.
• I decided to see every night as a mystery to solve.
• I decided to see each day as a new chance at happiness.

Discovering Inner Strength

One day I discovered that my only rival was nothing more than my own weakness, and that facing this is the single best way to improve ourselves.

Overcoming Fear

That day I stopped fearing losing; I discovered that fear itself prevents winning. I discovered that I was...

English Active and Passive Voice Conjugation

Summary of Events

It concerns an engineer, Mario, who possesses considerable wealth. This engineer lost his family during the Second World War as a child. To escape that tragedy, he decides to travel to Africa and builds a large, beautiful house there. Unfortunately, war re-enters his life through two rival factions, initiating an absurd conflict that results in massacres, orphans, and maimed individuals. Many children come to Mario's large house seeking refuge, and he welcomes them with open arms. However, the military does not look kindly upon his charity and threatens him. In the end, Mario's house is not destroyed due to a colonel, who perhaps was an angel in disguise.

Characters

Mario

Mario was a wealthy engineer who, despite his riches, was...

Famous Writer: J.K. Rowling

Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, a small village near Bristol, in the southwest of England. She is famous for her books, the most well-known being Harry Potter.

When she was six years old, she wrote her first tale, Rabbit. She studied French at the University of Exeter, and later she went to London for work. In 1991, she moved to Portugal to teach English, where she had a daughter. Later, she divorced and moved to Edinburgh in 1994, where her sister lived.

Mona Lisa

This is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. In the foreground, I can see a beautiful woman wearing a dark dress. Her hands are clasped, with her right hand resting in her left. She seems to be sitting down and is smiling at...

The Life of Bernat Metge

Bernat Metge was born in Barcelona, where he was raised among doctors and apothecaries. His father, a spice merchant for the court, died when Bernard was very young. His mother remarried Ferrer Sayol, who served as a court clerk and Protonotario. A cultured man with a strong command of Latin, Sayol introduced Metge to the world of letters and the official royal career path.

Thanks to his stepfather's prestige, Bernat Metge gained easy access to the position of foreign minister and served as a clerk to King John I during his reign. Driven by a passion for knowledge, he became a prototype humanist. He served as a teacher and confidant to King John, a position that brought both privilege and challenges, including accusations...

Understanding Prehistory

Prehistory extends from the emergence of our first ancestors, about 5 million years ago, to the invention of writing, about 5,000 years ago. There were no written texts during this period.

The Three Periods of Prehistory

• Palaeolithic Age: It means "Old Stone Age." It extends from the appearance of our first ancestors to about 11,000 years ago. They lived from hunting, fishing, and gathering wild fruit. They were nomadic and lived outdoors, in caves, or in wooden huts. They were organised in small tribes and made stone tools. They discovered fire about half a million years ago, using it to heat, cook, and drive animals away. They believed in supernatural forces, had rites, and believed in an afterlife. About 35,000 years

Mystery and Paranormal Tales

The Scottish Castle Encounter

Gordon, Duncan, Fiona, and Heather visited Fiona's uncle in a Scottish castle. While sleeping on the fourth floor, they encountered the spirit of the uncle's ancestor. The ghost brandished a sword, leading to a tense confrontation.

The Astronaut's Digital Message

Anna, an aspiring NASA astronaut, received a computer from her uncle. She began receiving mysterious messages from an astronaut who had passed away ten years prior.

The Haunted House Mystery

Sally and her family lived in an old house where the kitchen was frequently found in disarray. The grandmother believed the culprit was her late husband. Eventually, the house crumbled to the ground, revealing footprints belonging to the grandmother'...

Synonyms

• Whether
• Chances
• Restore
• Skills

Passive Voice

Passive:

1. Stability was thought to be the most important thing in a society.
2. Children aren’t brought up in families here.
3. My uncle was sent some beautiful roses.
4. A lot of alcohol is being drunk at the party.

Rewrites

1. John must have copied...
2. We will have our windows washed tomorrow.
3. I shouldn’t have left my soma...
4. You aren’t allowed to have long,.../ You Can’t have
5. I bought a Mercedes to impress my new girlfriend.

Translations

1. You should give that disgusting director a taste of his own medicine.
2. That sweet smell brought back memories of my childhood.
3. Children are being taught while they sleep in the New World.
4. I like perfumes that set off emotions.
5. Some shops use very subtle scents so that the customers

Билет 1

Текст №1. Русская транскрипция (для чтения вслух)

СТЬЮДЕНТС ЛАЙФ ЭТ КЕЙМБРИДЖ. Ин зэ оулд дэйз стьюдентс вё клааджимен энд лайф воз стрикт. Фрэндшип виз янг лэйдиз воз нот элауд. Румз хэв э плезнт вью оувэ ганденз. Стъюдентс мэйк ти энд инвайт фрэндз. Сёвэнтс клиин зэ румз. Стъюдентс кэн стэй аут тил миднайт. Проктоз энд «Булдогз» вотч бихэйвё энд файн стъюдентс. Стъюдентс этенд лекчез ин зэ монин энд плэй...

Reported Speech: Statements

Direct Speech

• "My brother always blames our parents for his problems," Erin complained.
• "We're having money problems now," my parents admitted.
• "I haven't bought tickets for the concert tonight," he said.
• "I found these old family photos yesterday," John explained.
• "I'll lend you this book," Maddy told me.
• "You can stay here any time," my aunt promised.
• "You must arrive on time for your exams," the teacher reminded us.

Reported Speech

• Erin complained that her brother always blamed their parents for his problems.
• My parents admitted that they were having money problems then.
• He said that he hadn't bought tickets for the concert that night.
• John explained that he had found those old family photos the day before.
• Maddy told me that