Intermediate III
PREPOSITIONS AND VERB COMBINATIONS
READING 4
Volcanoes
Are you familiar with the following names: Anahim, Chilcotin, Garibaldi, Stikine, Wells Gray Clearwater, Wrangell or Cascades? No? Well, if you’re interested in learning more about
Canadian volcanoes, type up any of these names in your search engine and you can begin to
discover something very interesting about Canada’s diverse landscape.
An erupting volcano is undoubtedly, one of nature’s most awesome1 spectacles. Just imagine
how terrified you might be in front of fountains of lava spewing2 into the air? Imagine the terror
of the sound of gases, hissing4 loudly as the bottom of the Earth’s centuries-old furnace3 as
pressure is finally released. In a series of massive explosions, ashes5, cinder6 and rock are blasted
up7 into the atmosphere. What if you were stuck on one of Earth’s paradise islands, as what was
once considered as a dormant8 snow-capped9 mountain, suddenly roared to life10 and you had no
way to escape its wrath11?
Pompeii
You have probably heard or read about Pompeii. In the year 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius (near
Naples, in what is today called Italy) blew its stack12, launching tons of molten ash13 and
sulphuric gases miles up into Earth’s atmosphere. Poisonous vapours and molten debris
engulfed14 the surrounding areas and literally suffocated neighbouring Roman cities’ inhabitants.
Pompeii and Herculaneum were both obliterated15 over a period of approximately 48 hours.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
1
Eighteen-year old Pliny the Younger was living with his uncle (Pliny the Elder) in the town of
Misenum when Mount Vesuvius exploded. A few years after the events, which killed his uncle
and almost destroyed all of his family, Pliny the Younger wrote to his friend Cornelius Tacitus.
His letters are the oldest, well-documented testimony16 we have today of a volcano’s eruption.
Let’s read some of Pliny the Younger’s eyewitness report:
“On August 24th... a cloud from Mount Vesuvius, was ascending17 the appearance of which I
cannot give you a more exact description of than by likening it to18 that of a pine tree, for it shot
up to a great height in the form of a very tall trunk, which spread itself out at the top into some
sort of branches; occasioned19, I imagine, either by a sudden gust of air20 that impelled21 it, the
force of which decreased as it advanced upwards, or the cloud itself being pressed back again by
its own weight, expanded in the manner I have mentioned; it appeared sometimes bright and
sometimes dark and spotted, according as it was either more or less impregnated with earth and
cinders.”
Pompeii was buried22 under over 60 feet of pumice23 and ash. It was lost for a very long time
(almost 1700 years). Both Herculaneum and Pompeii were rediscovered in 1599 by architect
Domenico Fontana. However, both towns needed another 150 years before someone started to
unearth24 them. Pompeii and Herculaneum have been unearthed and you can visit a number of
intact buildings. If you ever travel to Italy, try adding Pompeii into your itinerary.
Canadian Volcanoes
You may think that volcanoes are not a part of Canada’s history. If so, you are mistaken25. In
fact, in 1775 a devastating eruption occurred in British Columbia. Aiyansh-Tseax River’s
volcano explosion is said to have killed approximately 2000 natives26. It destroyed two villages,
a number of hunting and berry picking areas, as well as a good number of salmon spawning
streams27. The effects of the volcano’s explosion would certainly be counted in terms of millions
of dollars in today’s currency28.
There are still many active volcanoes along the Canadian Cordillera in British Columbia and in
the Yukon. Although most of Canada’s volcanoes could be described as “Sleeping Beauties”,
they do contribute to Canada’s varied landscape. In fact Canada’s fifth highest waterfall owes its
birth to the many layers of volcanic rock in the Murtle River valley.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
2
What Causes Volcanoes to Erupt?
When you’re standing on solid ground, it may be difficult to imagine what you might find if you
were to dig deep. Far below the earth's crust29, hard rocks are replaced by soft rocks and then
ultimately by liquid rocks with gases and minerals (often called magma30).
Since the magma is always building up pressure and the earth is always spinning, it sometimes
causes a crack in the earth. The two sides of the crack may shift31. This is called plate tectonics,
known to be the cause of volcanic eruptions. The magma will burst32 through the crack. When
magma comes out or erupts, it is called lava.
Although most people know that lava flows are lethal33 (and they certainly can be destructive),
they are not usually the most deadly kind of volcanic hazard. You could, in fact, watch the
majesty of a volcanic eruption from a safe distance.
Volcanoes and Benefits
Even if volcanoes have caused the deaths of over 200,000 people since the 1400’s, they might
not be our worst enemy. Volcanic ash can greatly improve soil fertility. In many countries, dried
lava is used in building roads. Lava can be a source of precious metals such as gold, silver,
copper and lead. It can even produce precious gems (see opals). Furthermore, when a volcano
erupts, it releases healthy gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen. When oxygen mixes with
hydrogen, it creates water vapour and that begins the water cycle. A recent BBC special series
called “Earth” credited volcanoes for life on our planet.
On a personal note, Jimmy O. of Manitoba credits volcanoes for his happiness. “When I met
Jenny, it was love at first sight... for me. I was a 98 pound weakling at the time. When I
approached Jenny and declared my intentions36, she told me that she would only marry the
strongest man in Winnipeg. As you can imagine, I was no Hercules, but I was determined. Being
a book-worm37, I had read about volcanoes and Hollywood films. So, I saved enough money to
travel to L.A... I came back with a real picture of me holding the world’s biggest boulder. We
got married that same year!”
Are you surprised? Lava stone is very light and is often used in movies to impress audiences.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
3
Vocabulary: Volcanoes
2nd paragraph:
1.
Awesome: marked by beauty and danger; causing to admire and fear, all at once.
Note: Since the early 2000s, youth has adopted this word to qualify
anything and everything they admire and appreciate. They misuse it by
occulting the element of danger that defines it. As the English language
evolves rapidly in accordance with popular usage of a word, it is likely that
this new definition will appear in dictionaries in the very near future. (Once
again, this is very different from the French way of doing things. No
official authority has been set up to act as controller and arbitrator for the
English usage of words, as is l’Académie de la langue française.
2.
Spewing: spitting, erupting
3.
Furnace: structure for heating
4.
Hissing: making the sound (sssssssssssssssssssss)
5.
Ashes: cold or cooled cinders (no longer burning)
6.
Cinder(s): burning ash
7.
Blasted up: exploded
8.
Dormant: asleep, quiet, with minimal activity
9.
Snow-capped: topped with snow
10.
Roared to life: exploded
11.
Wrath: great anger
3rd paragraph:
12.
Blew its stack: exploded
13.
Molten ash: lava, liquid rock, melted rock
14.
Engulfed: overcame, covered
15.
Obliterated: destroyed
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
4
4th paragraph:
16.
Testimony: witness
5th paragraph:
17.
Ascending: rising, moving upward
18.
Likening it to: comparing it to
19.
Occasioned: caused
20.
Gust of air: shot of air, push of air, current of air
21.
Impelled: drove
6th paragraph:
22.
Buried: beneath the ground and covered
23.
Pumice: a light spongy stone thrown up from volcanoes, used for cleaning ,
smoothing and polishing
24.
Unearth: dig up
7th paragraph:
25.
You are mistaken: you have made a mistake; you have the wrong opinion
26.
Natives: natural inhabitants of a country or territory
27.
Salmon spawning streams: salmon (fish) reproduction rivers
28.
Today’s currency: contemporary money
9th paragraph:
29.
The Earth’s crust: the outer layer of the earth about 30-50 km thick, composed of
rock
30.
Magma: liquid rock with gases and minerals
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
5
10th paragraph:
31.
To shift: to move, to slide
32.
To burst: to explode, to break open
11th paragraph:
33.
Lethal: poisonous, deadly
34.
The majesty: the awesomeness (see #1)
13th paragraph:
35.
Weakling: feeble person
36.
Declared my intentions: proposed marriage
37.
A book-worm: a person who is extremely fond of reading and studying
38.
Boulder: a large rock rounded or worn by the action of water or weather
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
6
Changing from Active to Passive Voice
When you change the verb in a sentence from the active to the passive voice, the object of
the verb in the active voice becomes the subject of the verb in the passive voice.
Examples: 1. The editor wrote the story. (Active Voice)
The story was written by the editor. (Passive Voice)
2. The hunter noticed tracks in the snow. (Active Voice)
Tracks in the snow were noticed by the hunter. (Passive Voice)
Notice that the passive voice is made up of the different forms of the verb to be together with
the past participle of the principal verb. In fact, it is the conjugated parts of the auxiliary to
be that determine the picture/image implied.
Since only transitive verbs can have objects, it is apparent that only transitive verbs can be
changed into the passive voice.
Note: The word that shows the doer of the action is often omitted in the passive voice.
Example: I found the purse. (Active)
The purse was found. (Passive)
Do the first 3 together in class; then, work with a classmate. Write out the sentences,
changing the verbs from active to passive and from passive to active. Make sure that the
tense of the verb remains the same. Remember that it is the conjugated auxiliary ‘to be’
that implies the picture/image. Check to ensure that all the necessary components for
passive voice are present in your sentence:
1- Invert the sentence so that the subject of the verb becomes the ‘receiver’.
2- Include the auxiliary ‘to be’. Conjugate it according to the picture evoked by the tense.
3- The last component is always the past participle.
(it never ENDS with ‘ing’).
1. The engineer quickly stopped the train.
__________________________________________________________________
2. Many rabbits are killed by wolves.
__________________________________________________________________
3. Robert will represent our school at the meeting.
__________________________________________________________________
4. The landlord has notified the tenant to leave.
__________________________________________________________________
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
7
5. Every year, the farmer taps the sugar-maple trees.
__________________________________________________________________
6. Much sediment is carried by rivers.
__________________________________________________________________
7. These posters had been made by senior pupils.
__________________________________________________________________
8. Our examination results will have been published in the newspaper.
__________________________________________________________________
9. The sightseers were being conducted by a guide.
__________________________________________________________________
10. Several travel books will be being ordered by the librarian.
__________________________________________________________________
11. The policeman caught the thief.
__________________________________________________________________
12. More freight is now being transported by plane than ten years ago.
__________________________________________________________________
13. The driver had applied his brakes at the time of the accident.
__________________________________________________________________
14. The corn has been damaged by the frost.
__________________________________________________________________
15. We are going to reach the summit at twilight.
__________________________________________________________________
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
8
INTERMEDIATE III
PREPOSITIONS AND VERB COMBINATIONS
Special Recording 1
Scenario
1. Relate a memorable experience and tell about it. It should be 7 to 10 sentences.
Vocabulary: memorable: refers to something that sticks in your memory. It could
be positive or negative, pleasurable or painful.
2. To relate your story, use only and all past verb tenses.
a) Use Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous to draw attention to your
story. Check your sentence to ensure that it corresponds to the 1st event
of the sequence or to the beginning of the story being related. You may
use the Past Perfects anytime and anywhere during your story, as long as
it all corresponds to the above.
b) Use Simple Past to relate the details and the facts.
c) Use Past Continuous whenever you wish to imply simultaneousness.
Examples for the use of Past Perfect: Notice that no matter where we place a
Past Perfect in a sentence or in a story, it always indicates the 1st action of the
sequence of events.
It had been snowing all day when my plane landed in Alaska. I found my car was stuck
in the snow; so, I called a tow truck. While I was waiting for the tow truck to arrive, a nice
fellow offered me a ride.
or
When my plane landed in Alaska, I found my car was stuck in the snow. So, I called a tow
truck. While I was waiting for it to arrive, a nice fellow offered me a ride. All of this
happened because it had snowed all day.
or
When my plane landed in Alaska, I found my car was stuck in the snow. It had been
snowing all day. I called the tow truck and while I was waiting for it a nice fellow offered
me a ride.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
9
Sentence 1:
Sentence 2:
Sentence 3:
Sentence 4:
Sentence 5:
Sentence 6:
Sentence 7: _________________________________________________________________
Sentence 8:
Sentence 9:
Sentence 10: _________________________________________________________________
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
10
Prepositions
Exercise 1
Instructions:
Use the “Litany” of prepositions to fill in the blanks.
Take time to interpret the various possibilities. Take notice of the ‘English way of
Thinking’ in regards to the various choices.
I work ________________ ABC Company, ______________ the shipping department. Our
offices are located _____________ Montreal, ____________ Carling Avenue. My department is
____________ 53 Carling Avenue. I work ____________ the main floor most of the time;
however, my desk is _____________ the second level ___________ the rear of the building.
Please feel free to pay me a visit next time you come _________ the city ____________ the
country. Come straight _____________ the reception desk; it’s ___________ the lobby
___________ the front of the building. The receptionist will page me __________ the intercom
system if I’m outside _____________ the yard, _______ the site. I will hear the call and come
back __________ the building. I’ll pick up the phone ___________ the service desk and meet
you. We can stop for coffee _____________ the cafeteria. Or should you prefer, we can go
straight ___________ my office and get down to business immediately.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
11
Intermediate III
Prepositions and Verb Combinations
Homework Box
Homework in view of Lesson 5
1. Always start by practicing your reading corrections ALOUD.
2. Prepare your recording on tape by first reading Volcanoes in view of clearing up
vocabulary. Use the vocabulary sheets that have been provided. Then, listen to the
CD before reading.
3. Study your ‘Litany’ of Prepositions and your Verb Tense Chart.
4. Reminder: ___________________________ is going to be the first speaker for
Name
Personal Talk at Lesson 5.
5. Carefully look at your corrections for Special Recording 1. Practice them. Then,
go to the Developing-Writing-Skill section of the Assignment Page of our website
to type up your corrected sentences. This will be called Essay 1. It will be
corrected. This is due for Lessons 6 or 7.
6. For recapitulation of your study of the active and passive voices, practice the
exercise from Student Materials, Lesson 5. Expect to be tested regarding this
exercise at Lesson 12.
Inter III-PVC - Materials - Lesson 4
12