Skills 1

Read the passage carefully, and then answer the questions below.

Getting In Touch Through The Ages

Nobody knows who wrote the first letter or when, but we know that 4,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt people carried letters by hand over hundreds of kilometers. Very few people could write, so there were special people, called scribes, who wrote letters for everyone else.

The first stamp didn’t appear until 1840 and it cost just one penny. Nowadays one of the original stamps cost €375. Letter writing was so popular in the 1840s that people delivered the post several times a day.

An American company - Remington and Sons - made the first typewriter in 1871. All the letters in the word "typewriter" were on the top line of the keyboard so that salesmen could demonstrate the machine more easily. Amazingly, the letters are still in the same place on the modern computer keyboard!

In 1875, when Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated a fantastic new invention called the telephone, nobody was very interested in it. The first fax machine appeared at around the same time, but it was so enormous that no one wanted one - in fact, fax machine didn’t become popular for another hundred years.

Then there was the walkie-talkie, a small two-way radio first used by the US army in the 1930s. However, since they weighed around 13.5 kilos, the talking was perhaps easier than the walking! After World War Two, they became popular with police officers.

Nowadays, we can send messages and pictures around the world in a few seconds using computers and mobile phones. It is hard to believe that e-mail was only invented in 1971, and the first text message was sent in 1992. Today we send over a billion text messages around the world every single day, and an incredible thirty-six billion e-mails.

1. How did people deliver letters in Ancient Egypt?

2. How much did the first stamp cost?

3. How often did they deliver letters in the 1840s?

4. How are the letters arranged on a modern computer keyboard?

5. When did the first fax machine appear?

6. Why was it difficult to walk with the first walkie-talkies?

7. When was the first text message?

8. How many e-mails do we send every day?

Four people have talked about what they have done in their free time so far this week. Answer the questions below.

Nick: I’ve spent about thirty hours on the Internet so far this week. I'm really into it. I usually go on about 9.00 in the evening after dinner and homework. I maybe stay on until half past eleven in the evening when the rest of my family are all in bed.

Mi: I haven't watched any TV so far this week. I don't have a television. I hate television - it’s really bad for you.

Phong: I haven't written any letters so far this year. Nobody writes letters these days, do they? I always send e-mails or cards if it's a birthday or something personal.

Mai: I don't know how many books I've read so far this year … too many to count. I've read five books this week. I usually read about four or five in a week. I love reading. If I really like a book, I might read it five or six times.

1. How many hours has Nick spent on the Internet this week?

2. When does Nick often go to bed after going on the Net?

3. Why does Mi hate television?

4. How can Phong communicate with others?

5. How many books does Mai read in a week?

Complete each sentence so it means the same as the sentence above.

1. He got in through the window. I saw him.

→ I saw ____________________.

2. She made herself sick. She had worked very hard.

→ She had worked so ____________________.

3. The traffic was bad. However, I arrived on time.

→ Though ____________________.

4. We were late. We missed the first act of the play.

→ We were so ____________________.

5. They're the birds. I fed them this morning.

→ They're the birds that ____________________.

6. I don't know many English words

→ I wish ____________________.

7. “Do you have many friends?”

→ She asked me ____________________.

8. We don't have a lot of money, so we don't buy a lot of new books.

→ If we ____________________.

9. Learning English is not easy.

→ It is ____________________.

10. “Would you like to come to my birthday party, Sarah?” asked John.

→ John invited ____________________.

Complete the sentences, using the given words in the brackets.

1. The film was boring. She decided to go home early. (so ... that)

2. It is a difficult question. All the students can't answer it. (such ... that)

3. Mr. Brown wants to use solar energy. Mr. Brown does not have enough money to buy necessary equipment. (but)

4. Shakespeare died in 1616. He had written more than 37 plays before then. (by the time)

5. Douglas fell off his bicycle last week. He has had to use crutches to walk. (since)

6. I turned off the lights. After that, I left the room. (before)

7. The other passengers will get on the bus soon. Then we'll leave. (as soon as)

8. Susan sometimes feels nervous. Then she chews her nails. (whenever)

9. The frying pan caught on fire. I was making dinner at that time. (while)

10. I won't return my book to the library. I'll finish my research project first. (until)

Use the words or phrases to complete the letter.

Dear Mary,

1. I / have / great time / here in England.

2. I / be / here / three months / my university term / start / two months ago.

3. I / live / dormitory / some foreign students.

4. They / come / different parts / the world.

5. They / be / very friendly and pleasant, / and / their English / much better / mine.

6. I practice / speak English / them / every day.

7. Now / make /good progress.

8. My pronunciation / much better / and / I / understand / almost everything.

9. I / hope / my English / considerably / improve / the end / course.

10. Write / me / soon.

Yours truly,

Mai Lan