Weekly Lesson A Unique Circus Use your browser's print command to print this lesson |
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Vocabulary
an act |
N. a short performance or skit in a circus |
the audience |
N. the people watching or listening in a performance |
to celebrate |
V. to recognize a special occasion or event with a fun activity or party |
a costume |
N. clothes worn in a play, movie, circus, or other performance |
cruel |
A. enjoying the pain and suffering of others, intentionally causing pain and suffering |
to distinguish |
V. to set apart, to make the difference, to mark the difference |
to juggle |
V. to keep many things in the air at the same time by throwing and catching them quickly |
a magician |
N. a person who performs magic tricks |
mesmerizing |
A. to be so beautiful or amazing that one becomes speechless and lost in a trance |
to range |
V. to vary from one extreme to another, to represent all types between two very different categories |
Vocabulary in Conversation
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following conversation. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
Lars: What did you do to ______________________ your birthday?
Barbara: My friends took me to see Cirque du Soleil. What a show! It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The performances were ______________________ - they were art!
Lars: Wow, it sounds like you really enjoyed yourself. What ______________________ Cirque du Soleil from other circuses?
Barbara: It simply has class. The ______________________ have a certain style that you don't see in other circuses. There is soft, romantic lighting and fantastic music which ______________________ from classical to jazz. But, what really sets the circus apart is the ______________________ with their beautiful fabrics, rich colors and fairy tale designs.
Lars: It sounds amazing, but I always feel a little guilty when I go to the circus. It seems so ______________________ to use animals for our entertainment.
Barbara: Cirque du Soleil doesn't believe in using animals. They rely on human performers including acrobats, trapeze artists and contortionists.
Lars: That's wonderful. I wish other circuses would do the same.
Barbara: And the human performances are much more fun. There was one clown who actually ______________________ eight wine glasses at one time. I couldn't believe it. There was also a ______________________ who performed a series of comical tricks involving members of the ______________________. I loved the whole thing. You really should see them while they are in town.
Lars: I think I'll go this weekend.
Vocabulary Follow-Up
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following sentences. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
1. The ______________________ applauded until the musician played another song.
2. He is mean and ______________________. There is absolutely no good in him at all.
3. This Halloween, I am going make my own ______________________. I think I am going to be a witch.
4. She ______________________ two jobs and her volunteer work for the church. On top of that, she paints and speaks four languages. She is amazing!
5. The ______________________ pulled a rabbit out of his hat.
6. I can't really _____________________ these two wines; they taste the same to me.
7. This year they are going to ______________________ their anniversary in Hawaii.
8. The ballet was ______________________. The combination of abstract and traditional dance left the audience staring in awe.
9. The members of the class I attended ______________________ from young students to older professionals.
10. I wouldn't really recommend the play. The first and second ______________________ were fantastic, but the third was very disappointing.
"Get"
A)
"Get" can be combined with many adjectives. In such situations, "get" means "become."
A) Martin is getting sleepy. In example A, "is getting" suggests that Martin is becoming sleepy. In example B, "got" suggests that Sharon became rich. |
Rewrite the following sentences using the above form.
1. She's becoming tired.
2. They became bored and left the conference.
3. In the last two years, she has become much more mature.
4. Take a sweater in case you become cold.
5. My interview is in twenty minutes and I am really becoming nervous.
6. After her husband died, she became very depressed.
7. You should stop annoying him because he is going to become angry.
8. She is becoming older and that's why she is having problems walking and seeing clearly.
9. The wart on his hand became too big, so he had to go to the doctor and have it removed.
10. You had better take your car to the mechanic before the problem becomes worse.
B)
Not all adjectives make sense when combined with the above form. Decide whether or not the words below make sense when combined with the Get + Adjective form. Write either "Yes" or "No" next to the word.
1. tired |
11. central |
2. dark |
12. better |
3. blue |
13. excited |
4. hot |
14. wet |
5. dead |
15. hungry |
6. thirsty |
16. tall |
7. smaller |
17. shrinking |
8. changing |
18. fat |
9. healthier |
19. sad |
10. sick |
20. confused |
Focus on Verbs
The following passage should be completed by putting the verb in parentheses in the Present Continuous, Simple Past, Present Perfect Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous. Hint: Notice that all the blanks below are associated with durations such as "for two days" or "the entire time." If you are confused, you should refer to the English Page's Verb Tense Tutorial.
Live Abroad!
My English is really getting better. I (try) ________________________ to learn the language since 1985, but only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high school in 1988, I (study) ________________________ the language for almost three years; however, I was only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more years, I (struggle) ________________________ through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad.
I found an exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (stay) ________________________ with a host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I (sit) ________________________ there the whole time staring at the host mother and father hoping that there would be some breakthrough. Nothing.
When I returned, I mentioned to a friend that I (have) ________________________ problems with the language for years. He recommended that I spend a year in an English speaking country. I decided to go abroad again. I (research) ________________________ exchange programs for a couple of weeks and finally decided on a school in the United States.
Well, it worked. I (live) ________________________ and (study) ________________________ in the U.S. for more than two years. I (stay) ________________________ here for at least another year before I return home. By then, I should be completely fluent.
Weekly Lesson Answers A Unique Circus |
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Vocabulary in Conversation
Lars: What did you do to celebrate your birthday?
Barbara: My friends took me to see Cirque du Soleil. What a show! It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The performances were mesmerizing - they were art!
Lars: Wow, it sounds like you really enjoyed yourself. What distinguishes Cirque du Soleil from other circuses?
Barbara: It simply has class. The acts have a certain style that you don't see in other circuses. There is soft, romantic lighting and fantastic music which ranges from classical to jazz. But, what really sets the circus apart is the costumes with their beautiful fabrics, rich colors and fairy tale designs.
Lars: It sounds amazing, but I always feel a little guilty when I go to the circus. It seems so cruel to use animals for our entertainment.
Barbara: Cirque du Soleil doesn't believe in using animals. They rely on human performers including acrobats, trapeze artists and contortionists.
Lars: That's wonderful. I wish other circuses would do the same.
Barbara: And the human performances are much more fun. There was one clown who actually juggled eight wine glasses at one time. I couldn't believe it. There was also a magician who performed a series of comical tricks involving members of the audience. I loved the whole thing. You really should see them while they are in town.
Lars: I think I'll go this weekend.
Vocabulary Follow-Up
1. The audience applauded until the musician played another song.
2. He is mean and cruel. There is absolutely no good in him at all.
3. This Halloween, I am going make my own costume. I think I am going to be a witch.
4. She juggles two jobs and her volunteer work for the church. On top of that, she paints and speaks four languages. She is amazing!
5. The magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat.
6. I can't really distinguish these two wines; they taste the same to me.
7. This year they are going to celebrate their anniversary in Hawaii.
8. The ballet was mesmerizing. The combination of abstract and traditional dance left the audience staring in awe.
9. The members of the class I attended ranged from young students to older professionals.
10. I wouldn't really recommend the play. The first and second acts were fantastic, but the third was very disappointing.
"Get"
A)
1. She's becoming tired.
She's getting tired.
2. They became bored and left the conference.
They got bored and left the conference.
3. In the last two years, she has become much more mature.
In the last two years, she has gotten much more mature.
4. Take a sweater in case you become cold.
Take a sweater in case you get cold.
5. My interview is in twenty minutes, and I am really becoming nervous.
My interview is in twenty minutes, and I am really getting nervous.
6. After her husband died, she became very depressed.
After her husband died, she got very depressed.
7. You should stop annoying him because he is going to become angry.
You should stop annoying him because he is going to get angry.
8. She is becoming older and that's why she is having problems walking and seeing clearly.
She is getting older and that's why she is having problems walking and seeing clearly.
9. The wart on his hand became too big, so he had to go to the doctor and have it removed.
The wart on his hand got too big, so he had to go to the doctor and have it removed.
10. You had better take your car to the mechanic before the problem becomes worse.
You had better take your car to the mechanic before the problem gets worse.
B)
1. tired YES |
11. central NO |
2. dark YES |
12. better YES |
3. blue YES |
13. excited YES |
4. hot YES |
14. wet YES |
5. dead NO |
15. hungry YES |
6. thirsty YES |
16. tall YES |
7. smaller YES |
17. shrinking NO |
8. changing NO |
18. fat YES |
9. healthier YES |
19. sad YES |
10. sick YES |
20. confused YES |
Focus on Verbs
Live Abroad!
My English is really getting better. I (try) have been trying to learn the language since 1985, but only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high school in 1988, I (study) had been studying the language for almost three years; however, I was only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more years, I (struggle) struggled through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad.
I found an exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (stay) stayed with a host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I (sit) sat there the whole time staring at the host mother and father hoping that there would be some breakthrough. Nothing.
When I returned, I mentioned to a friend that I (have) had been having problems with the language for years. He recommended that I spend a year in an English speaking country. I decided to go abroad again. I (research) researched exchange programs for a couple of weeks and finally decided on a school in the United States.
Well, it worked. I (live) have been living and (study) studying in the U.S. for more than two years. I (stay) am staying here for at least another year before I return home. By then, I should be completely fluent.