METU/SFL
D.B.E.
April 2017
Upper-Intermediate Group
Weekend Homework for April 10-14
I. CLOZE TEST
Fill in the gaps with ONE word only. Then, check with the answer key.
(1)__________________ than 90% of the world is right-handed, but if
you're a lefty, don't feel alone in a right-handed world. Billions of people
live on the globe. Therefore, there are (2)__________________ lefties out
there!
Today, everyone knows that being a lefty is perfectly OK and totally
natural. (3)__________________ left-handed people have healthy and
normal brains, just like righties.
What Makes a Person Left- (or Right-) Handed?
Scientists aren't sure (4)__________________ some people turn out to be left-handed. However, they have
noticed that (5)__________________ left-handed runs in families. As a result, they're pretty sure
your genes (DNA) influence (6)__________________ you turn out a lefty.
Getting hurt can (7)__________________ make a person a lefty. Sometimes righties badly injure their right
hand and can't use it (8)__________________. Those kids and adults usually learn to use their left hand and
become lefties. (9)__________________, lefties can become right-handed if they hurt their left hand, so it
works both ways.
Are Left-Handed People More Creative?
It's not true that lefties are always artists. Right-handers Rembrandt and Van Gogh are two good examples,
but here's how (10)__________________ theory began. For both righties and lefties, the brain is divided
right down the middle into two sides (11)__________________ hemispheres. One hemisphere is on the right
side of your head, and the other is on the left.
The right hemisphere controls movements on the left half of the body, (12)__________________ includes
the left hand. The left hemisphere controls movements on the right side.
Creative thought (writing a song, drawing a picture) happens mostly on the right side of the brain. This
means, if you're left-handed, the theory goes that you're (13)__________________ to have a lot of creative
thought going on.
However, thought processes in your brain are way too complex to be limited to just one hemisphere.
(14)__________________ sides of your brain work together when you think, and just because you like using
your left hand doesn't mean you only think with only one side of your brain.
1
Do You Fit in a Right-Handed World?
Products (15)__________________ as scissors, are made to fit snug in your hand. Since the majority of the
people are right-handed, these products are designed (16)__________________ be used on someone's right
hand. Lefties can learn (17)__________________ to use right-handed scissors and other tools. Many
companies now produce left-handed products, including scissors, workshop tools, sports equipment, and
even musical instruments.
School is one place a lefty might need some special stuff. For (18)__________________, many desks are
designed for righties, leaving a lefty (19)__________________ place to rest his or her elbow. Be sure to tell
a teacher if you need a different desk in order to feel comfortable in class.
Handwriting can create problems (20)__________________ a left-handed person often will hook his or her
hand around, thereby smearing the ink on the page or the chalk on the chalkboard.
Do Lefties Have the Upper Hand in Sports?
While left-handers face a (21)__________________ of obstacles, they enjoy a real advantage on the playing
field. In basketball and other sports, a left-handed player can easily surprise an opponent, forcing a change in
strategy. To (22)__________________, a left-handed basketball player will dribble with his or her left hand
and come in for a basket from the left side. When you're dribbling a soccer ball, left-handed soccer players
often outsmart their opponents because they're also left-footed!
With that kind of advantage, it's no surprise that a number of super athletes (23)__________________ been
lefties. They include baseball great Ted Williams and tennis star Rafael Nadal, but lefties have more than
physical ability. Scientist Albert Einstein, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and cartoon character Bart Simpson
are (24)__________________ left-handed. In other words, if you're a lefty, you're in good company!
Taken and adopted from: http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/lefties.html
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II. LANGUAGE REVISION
A. Rewrite the following statements using reduced adverb clauses.
1. Since the people of the village had experienced a similar earthquake before, they were well aware of what
to do.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. When yoga is used as a physical therapy method, it can cure spinal problems such as scoliosis or hernia.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. When the four-year-old boy saw his mother lying on the floor, he called the neighbors for help.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. While the old lady was watching her great-grand-daughter taking her first steps, she could not help the
tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Because the K-9 dogs are trained to be used in operations to catch drug smugglers, they are highly
popular among police forces in many countries.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
B. Below is a text on spacewalks. Fill the gaps in the text using the statements (a-e) that follow the
text. Use reduced adverb clauses. The statements are given in the correct order.
In 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano had a dangerous and frightening experience during a spacewalk.
(1) ____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________. At first,
Parmitano wasn’t sure what it was. (2) _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
“My head is really wet,” he told them. As the amount of water began to increase, Parmitano realized there
was
a
problem.
“It’s
too
much
…
Now
it’s
in
my
eyes,”
he
remembers
saying.
(3) ____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________. By this time,
the water had surrounded his eyes, nose and ears. (4) ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
His radio communication was completely cut off, but using hand signals, he communicated with his partner.
All
of
his
fellow
astronauts
were
relieved
when
he
finally
made
it
into
the
airlock.
(5) ____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________ and discovered that it contained almost half a liter of water.
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Where had this water come from? NASA discovered that a problem with the suit’s liquid cooling system had
caused water to leak, which caused some of the water to get into Parmitano’s helmet. Since the incident,
NASA has taken steps against this problem in order to correct it. Nevertheless, the incident highlights the
dangers that astronauts are exposed to each time they go outside a spacecraft. Spacewalks are safer now than
they were fifty years ago. However, as Parmitano’s experience illustrates, there are still risks involved.
a) Parmitano felt water in his helmet while he was working outside the International Space
Station
b) Since he didn’t know where the water was coming from, Parmitano asked the NASA flight
controllers what to do
c) The flight controllers stopped the spacewalk because they were concerned that Parmitano
might not be able to breathe
d) Although Parmitano was made blind by the water, he was able to follow his connecting cable
back to the space station
e) After he had entered the space station, Parmitano took off his helmet
C. Read the text below and rewrite the sentences in bold using reduced adjective or adverb
clauses.
STORIES OF CULTURE SHOCK
Culture shock is the personal disorientation a person may feel when they have to experience an unfamiliar
way of life in a new country due to immigration or for education-related reasons. (1) The stories which are
posted below were written by international students in the US. These stories tell of their experiences of
culture shock, impressions they had of the US, and the transition from living at home to living in a new
place:
Haneul, from South Korea:
“(2) Before I came here, I thought that everything in the US would be extra large. In my imagination,
everyone was overweight, meals were big, and clothes were huge, but that was only my imagination. When I
saw Burlington College, I was shocked by the size of the school. It had one single building with only three
floors, and there were fewer than 500 students in total. My previous school in my country was so large that I
would run between classes so that I could get to the next class on time. I thought to myself that I was wrong
about the XXL image of America. However, things worked out very well later. (3) Because I was in a small
school, I could meet almost everyone in the school. That also helped me build close relationships with the
teachers and express myself in class. In the end, I was glad that my first impression was wrong.”
Ali, from Turkey:
“In Turkish, the word for “cake” is “pasta,” and I didn’t know what “pasta” actually meant in English; I
thought it was the same as it is in Turkish. On the plane to the US, I saw “pasta” on the airline menu. (4) As
I hadn’t learned the correct meaning, I became excited about having cake on the flight. I was sorely
disappointed to see what they served me after I ordered pasta.”
Chiang, from Thailand:
“(5) I cried a lot while I was getting on the plane. It was hard for me to think that I would not see my
family for such a long time. Also, as a girl from Thailand, I had limited experience with American culture,
so I found some things quite confusing. For example, my host family hugged me as soon as we met at the
airport. That was too weird for me because Thais only hug when they know each other very well. Of course,
things that once surprised me became what I am familiar with today. (6) Since I started school, I have
gradually got used to my new life here.”
4
Alexandru, from Romania:
“(7) After I moved to the US, I stayed at a hostel for a while. Then, I finally moved to my apartment on
October 31st, which is more commonly known as Halloween. However, I had never heard of this American
holiday when I was in Romania.
All night, people in scary costumes kept coming to my door, which made me think that they were crazy.
They were yelling and screaming, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying at all.What’s worse, (8)as
I was unable to speak English well, I couldn’t ask them why they were doing that. I spent much of the
night completely terrified, under a table with all the lights off.”
1. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5
III. DIALOGUE COMPLETION
Complete the dialogues with ONE statement or question. Write your answer in the blanks provided.
1. A: How about going camping this weekend?
B: __________________________________________________________________________
A: I see. We can go some other time. May be when the exams are over.
2. A:__________________________________________________________________________
B: Neither did I! Jane must have been disappointed to see that neither of us was at the party.
A: Let’s send her a birthday card and apologize.
B: Good idea.
3. A: Which of the two candidates should we hire for this position?
B: I think we should offer the position to Stephen.
A: Why? ___________________________________________________________
B: In terms of qualifications, yes. But I think Stephen has a lot more experience than Daniel.
IV. RESPONSE TO A SITUATION
Respond to the situations provided in ONE statement or question. Write your response in the blank
provided.
1.
You are going to give a presentation. Though you are well-prepared, you fear that if someone asks you
a question during the presentation, you might be distracted and get confused. You won’t mind
answering any questions provided your classmates ask them after the presentation, so before you start,
you state your preference:
__________________________________________________________________________________
2.
You are in class. The teacher has asked you to read a text and make notes. She has insisted that you
should not write full sentences while making notes. While you are doing the task, you realize that the
student sitting next to you is trying to write full sentences, so you say to him / her:
__________________________________________________________________________________
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V. READING
The Silk Road: Connecting the People of Asia and Europe through Trade
1 People in ancient times gave the name the “Silk Road” to the trade route connecting Europe and
Asia. One of the world's most historically important trade routes, the Silk Road began to be used
around 100 BC, when Chinese merchants traveled across Asia with the purpose of trading silk
and other products within the Roman Empire. The Silk Road provided a link between distant
cultures for almost 2,000 years. As people traveled along this route, they exchanged goods and
ideas. The Silk Road wasn’t just a single road; it was a network of trade routes through cities in
Asia. Merchants traveled along the Silk Road with their goods in caravans. Instead of travelling
the whole distance of the Silk Road, they usually moved along the route from one trading center
to another. When the merchants arrived at a new town, they did more than trade goods. They
socialized with the people of that town. They learned about each other's similarities and
differences. They told stories about the places they had been to in order to give each other
information about travel conditions along the Silk Road.
2 Travel along this route was difficult due to the hardships along the way. Caravans often had to cross
the hot dry deserts of Central Asia, with no water for miles. They also had to travel through some of
the highest mountains in the world, posing great challenges. The Silk Road was full of dangers all
year round because it had a severe climate and geographical conditions. In addition to heavy
snow and flooding of the dangerous mountain passes, traders also had to worry about being
attacked and robbed by thieves.
3 Although the Silk Road got its name from the valuable silk fabric that traders carried from
China to Europe, merchants traded many other products as well. Furs, tea, spices, and jewels
also moved from East to West, making traders wealthy. However, it wasn't a one-way road.
Silver, gold, ivory, jade, carpets, cosmetics, and glass moved in the opposite direction, from
Europe, Arabia, and Africa. The story of the Silk Road involved more than just trade and silk.
As people traveled along this route, they also carried ideas with them and made connections
with other cultures. The earliest travelers brought their own languages and cultures. They
learned about each other's customs, beliefs, religions, and philosophies. Many important
scientific ideas and technical discoveries traveled along the Silk Road, too. Among them were
the magnetic compass, gunpowder, and the printing press. In this sense, the Silk Road was the
information superhighway of its time.
th
4 The Silk Road lasted until the 15 century, when a sea route from Europe to Asia was
discovered. Since sea trade was safer, less expensive, and faster, and ships could carry more
goods than camels could, the Silk Road gradually fell into decline. Although the Silk Road no
longer exists as a trade route, sites along its length have become popular tourist destinations.
Travel companies offer all kinds of tours that you can take to explore this region. A good tour
will help you discover the beauty of places along the Silk Road and learn about the history and
achievements of civilizations that once dominated the way.
7
I.
Fill in the gaps according to the information in the text using CORRECT GRAMMAR.
Make sure you include all the necessary information.
(para. 1)
The “Silk Road” is the name that was (1) _________________________________that connected
Europe
and
Asia
by
ancient
people.
The
Silk
Road,
which
is
(2)______________________________________________ in the world, began to be used around
100 BC. At the time, Chinese merchants were traveling across Asia in order to
(3)__________________________________________ within the boundaries of the Roman Empire.
For almost two millennia, the Silk Road acted as a link between distant cultures. Goods and ideas
(4) __________________________________________between people as they traveled along this
ancient route, which was a network of trade routes through cities in Asia. Traders did not
(5)__________________________________________ of the Silk Road. Instead, they moved along
the route with their merchandise in caravans, from one trading center to another. When the
merchants reached a new town, they (6)__________________________________________. In
addition, they socialized with the people there, learned about each other’s similarities and
differences, and gave each other information about the conditions along the trade route by t elling
stories about the places they had been to.
(para. 2)
Travel
along
the
Silk
Road
was
not
easy
because
there
(7)__________________________________________. Merchants would have to travel across the
hot Central Asian deserts, which (8) _________________________________. Traveling through
some of the world’s highest mountains was also very challenging. Having
(9)__________________________________________, the Silk Road was full of dangers all year
round. Also, traders had to worry about both the harsh conditions of the mountain passes and
thieves, who were ready to rob them.
II. Answer the following questions according to the information in the text.
1.
Why does the author call the Silk Road “the information superhighway of its time”?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2.
Explain the reasons why the Silk Road lost its popularity as a trade route in the 15th century.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
8
ANSWER KEY
I. CLOZE TEST
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
More
many
Most / All
why
being
whether / if
7. also
8. anymore / well / effectively
9. Likewise / Similarly
10. that / the
11. called
12. which
13. likely / supposed / bound /
expected
14. Both
15. such
16. to
17. how
18. instance / example
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
no
because / as / since
lot
illustrate
have
all
II. LANGUAGE REVISION
A.
1. Having experienced a similar earthquake before, the people of the village were well aware of what to do.
2. (When) used as a physical therapy method, yoga can cure spinal problems such as scoliosis or hernia.
3. (Upon/ on) seeing his mother lying on the floor, the four-year-old boy called the neighbors for help.
4. (While) watching her great-grand-daughter taking her first steps, the old lady could not help the tears of
happiness rolling down her cheeks.
5. (Being) trained / having been trained to be used in operations to catch drug smugglers, the K-9 dogs are
highly popular among police forces in many countries.
B.
1. (While) working outside the International Space Station, Parmitano felt water in his helmet
Parmitano felt water in his helmet while working outside the International Space Station
2. Not knowing where the water was coming from, Parmitano asked the NASA flight controllers what to do
Parmitano asked the NASA flight controllers what to do, not knowing where the water was coming from
3. (Being) concerned that Parmitano might not be able to breathe , the flight controllers stopped the
spacewalk
4. Although made blind by the water, Parmitano was able to follow his connecting cable back to the space
station
5. After entering / Having entered the space station, Parmitano took off his helmet
Parmitano took off his helmet after entering the space station
C.
1. The stories posted below were written by international students in the US.
2. Before coming here, I thought that everything in the US would be extra large.
3. Being in a small school, I could meet almost everyone in the school.
4. Not having learned the correct meaning, I became excited about having cake on the flight.
5. I cried a lot while getting on the plane.
(While) getting on the plane, I cried a lot.
6. Since starting school, I have gradually got used to my new life here.
7. (After) moving to the US, I stayed at a hostel for a while.
I stayed at a hostel for a while after moving to the US.
(After) having moved to the US, I stayed at a hostel for a while.
8. (Being) unable to speak English well, I couldn’t ask them why they were doing that.
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III. DIALOGUE COMPLETION
1. (Sorry) I can’t go camping this weekend. I have to study for the exams. / Sorry, but I have to study for the
exam.
2. I didn’t go to Jane’s birthday party.
3. (I think) Daniel is as good as Stephen / better than Stephen. / Don’t you think Daniel is as good as / better
than Stephen? / Isn’t Daniel good / better?
IV. RESPONSE TO A SITUATION
I’d rather answer your questions at the end of the presentation / I’d rather you asked your questions at
the end of the presentation.
If you have any questions, please keep them to the end of my presentation.
Can / Could / Will you wait until the end for your questions, please?
2.
You shouldn’t / aren’t supposed to write full sentences.
The teacher has asked us not to write full sentences.
V. READING
1.
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
given to the trade route
one of the most historically important trade routes
trade silk and other products
were exchanged
travel the whole distance
traded goods
were difficulties (along the way).
had no water for miles.
a severe climate and geographical conditions
II.
1. Because people/ merchants/ travelers carried ideas with them (and made connections)./ brought
their own language and cultures./ learned about each other’s customs/ beliefs/ philosophies. /
exchanged many (important) scientific ideas/ (technical) discoveries.
2.
A sea route that was safer, less expensive, and faster was discovered (in the 15 th century).
A sea route was discovered (in the 15 th century and this enabled merchants to carry more
goods).
10