Reading Exercise (beginners)

The House Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son and one daughter. The son's name is John. The daughter's name is Sarah. The Smiths live in a house. They have a living room. They watch TV in the living room. The father cooks food in the kitchen. They eat in the dining room. The house has two bedrooms. They sleep in the bedrooms. They keep their clothes in the closet. There is one bathroom. They brush their teeth in the bathroom. The house has a garden. John and Sarah play in the garden. They have a dog. John and Sarah like to play with the dog.

My Wonderful Family I live in a house near the mountains. I have two brothers and one sister, and I was born last. My father teaches mathematics, and my mother is a nurse at a big hospital. My brothers are very smart and work hard in school. My sister is a nervous girl, but she is very kind. My grandmother also lives with us. She came from Italy when I was two years old. She has grown old, but she is still very strong. She cooks the best food! My family is very important to me. We do lots of things together. My brothers and I like to go on long walks in the mountains. My sister likes to cook with my grandmother. On the weekends we all play board games together. We laugh and always have a good time. I love my family very much.

A Great Summer Vacation I just returned from the greatest summer vacation! It was so fantastic, I never wanted it to end. I spent eight days in Paris, France. My best friends, Henry and Steve, went with me. We had a beautiful hotel room in the Latin Quarter, and it wasn’t even expensive. We had a balcony with a wonderful view. We visited many famous tourist places. My favorite was the Louvre, a well-known museum. I was always interested in art, so that was a special treat for me. The museum is so huge, you could spend weeks there. Henry got tired of walking around the museum and said “Enough! I need to take a break and rest.” We took lots of breaks and sat in cafes along the river Seine. The French food we ate was delicious. The wines were tasty, too. Steve’s favorite part of the vacation was the hotel breakfast. He said he would be happy if he could eat croissants like those forever. We had so much fun that we’re already talking about our next vacation!

Preparing Food Jack was hungry. He walked to the kitchen. He got out some eggs. He took out some oil. He placed a skillet on the stove. Next, he turned on the heat. He poured the oil into the skillet. He cracked the eggs into a bowl. He stirred the eggs. Then, he poured them into the hot skillet. He waited while the eggs were cooked. They cooked for two minutes. He heard them cooking. They popped in the oil. Next, Jack puts the eggs on a plate. He placed the plate on the dining room table. Jack loved looking at his eggs. They looked pretty on the white plate. He sat down in the large wooden chair. He thought about the day ahead. He ate the eggs with a spoon. They were good. He washed the plate with dishwashing soap. Then, he washed the pan. He got a damp sponge. Finally, he wiped down the table. Next, Jack watched TV.

My name is John Hi! Nice to meet you! My name is John Smith. I am 19 and a student in college. I go to college in New York. My favorite courses are Geometry, French, and History. English is my hardest course. My professors are very friendly and smart. It’s my second year in college now. I love it! I live in a big house on Ivy Street. It’s near the college campus. I share the house with three other students. Their names are Bill, Tony, and Paul. We help each other with homework. On the weekend, we play football together. I have a younger brother. He just started high school. He is 14 and lives with my parents. They live on Mulberry Street in Boston. Sometimes they visit me in New York. I am happy when they visit. My Mom always brings me sweets and candy when they come. I really miss them, too!

Opera Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the lyrics. By contrast, in musical theater an actor's dramatic performance is primary, and the music plays a lesser role. The drama in opera is presented using the primary elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

Dolphins Dolphins are regarded as the friendliest creatures in the sea and stories of them helping drowning sailors have been common since Roman times. The more we learn about dolphins, the more we realize that their society is more complex than people previously imagined. They look after other dolphins when they are ill, care for pregnant mothers and protect the weakest in the community, as we do. Some scientists have suggested that dolphins have a language but it is much more probable that they communicate with each other without needing words. Could any of these mammals be more intelligent than man? Certainly, the most common argument in favor of man's superiority over them that we can kill them more easily than they can kill us is the least satisfactory. On the contrary, the more we discover about these remarkable creatures, the less we appear superior when we destroy them.

Unsinkable Ship Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely should have never happened. It was well-designed and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It had been thoroughly inspected on the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so quickly that most of those on board, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, had no chance to save themselves: Of those who managed to scramble overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of hypothermia before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea. The final death toll amounted to 912 souls. However, there were an unpleasant number of questions about why Estonia sank and why so many survivors were men in the prime of life, while most of the dead were women, children, and the elderly.

Erosion in America Erosion of America's farmland by wind and water has been a problem since settlers first put the prairies and grasslands under the plow in the nineteenth century. By the 1930s, more than 282 million acres of farmland were damaged by erosion. After 40 years of conservation efforts, soil erosion has accelerated due to new demands placed on the land by heavy crop production. In the years ahead, soil erosion and the pollution problems it causes are likely to replace petroleum scarcity as the nation's most critical natural resource problem.

Ketogenic Diet (try out/reading test passage for beginners) 1. Chances are you've heard of the ketogenic diet. It's a high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen that forces the body into "ketosis," or a state of burning fat rather than sugar. Studies show that eating a ketogenic diet can lead to a reduced risk of heart disease, dramatic weight loss, and actual reversal of type 2 diabetes. However fashionable and desirable the ketogenic diet might seem, it's not the only or the most ethical option for those looking to improve their health. 2) Veganism, the complete avoidance of any product derived from animals, is another diet that offers comparable metabolic and cardiac benefits, and it has the added advantage of being cruelty-free. Many people misinterpret veganism as involving lots of grains and therefore lots of sugars, but that is not the case: vegans can get much of their daily protein from beans and nuts, which are rich in iron and fiber. Most importantly, individuals who follow a vegan diet do not consume the huge amounts of saturated fat consumed by those who follow a ketogenic diet.

3) There's an obesity epidemic in America, and it's killing us. The Centers for Disease Control reports that a third of young adults and more than 40% of middle-aged Americans will develop heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, or certain types of cancer as a result of being obese. What can be done to solve this problem? Simple: we need to systematically adopt a ketogenic lifestyle. 4) The reason so many Americans are obese - the cause of most of the preventable, premature deaths in our country is the carbohydrate-rich diet of the average American. We eat too many grains, and we intake too much sugar; instead, we need animal-based proteins and fats. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, a high-fat, low- carbohydrate diet leads to rapid weight loss, a lowered risk of heart disease, and reversal of type 2 diabetes. However impractical the ketogenic diet might seem, it's got to be more practical than dying from eating too many carbohydrates.

Developmental Education (try out the passage) (1) Psychology and motivation play an important role in the developmental classroom. Many students enter developmental classes resentful that they have been denied access to college-level classes. Instructors must therefore respond to the self-sabotaging of students who lack motivation because they either failed in previous academic settings or experienced education to be "unassisted" or even prison-like. (2) Some students may have needed support in learning but never received it because their classes were little more than study halls in which they filled out endless, apparently irrelevant worksheets. When students enter classes expecting too little of both themselves and their pre-college teachers, they never produce the quality of work they are capable of producing, and they may even fail. (3) It is important for teachers not just to be aware of these misaligned expectations, but to address their first manifestations. When students first opt out of an assignment, start to miss too many classes or just hand in work that is not their best, instructors should not simply mark down these failures in their ledgers so that they can grade students according to these deficiencies. Rather, intervention is necessary, and time is of the essence. Draw students into a discussion of what is causing their sub-par performance as early as possible so that they can regain their footing sooner rather than later.

Automated Cars (try out passage) (1) Nowadays even your toaster can be programmed to work in response to a voice command, so it should be no surprise that cars have been assigned the task of driving for us. It seems futuristic, but it now seems certain that cars and trucks will become fully automated. Is this a good thing? (2) Self-driving cars also known as driverless or autonomous cars can scan their immediate surroundings and navigate without any human intervention. The obvious benefit to this technology is convenience, but even if travel becomes less costly and time-consuming, several unresolved problems such as safety and liability make this innovation largely undesirable. There are no legal frameworks or government regulations for autonomous vehicles, and driverless cars open up a world of catastrophic possibilities for cybercriminals such as hackers or terrorists. (3) There are clear advantages to automated features such as speed control or emergency braking, but those are fundamentally distinct from the technology of full automation. Driver-assisted technology is a beneficial goal for automotive engineers, but it's time to draw a line and insist that humans should drive vehicles.

Potatoes changed history, or rather, the lack of potatoes changed history. The Great Famine in Ireland (1846-1849) was partly the result of a potato fungus that destroyed the major food source of the Irish and was particularly devastating to the poor. Food relief from the British was inadequate and came too late. Some estimates place the number of deaths at 750,000, with an equal number of the Irish poor emigrating to Britain, Canada, Australia, and the United States. British economic policy including the policy of laissez faire, which argued against state intervention was partly responsible for the disaster. Among the other culprits were the nature of Irish land holdings, destructive farming methods, and a lack of agricultural diversity.

Chipmunks recently challenged the scientific dogma that small mammals were forced south during the Ice Age 18,000 years ago. DNA samples from more than 200 chipmunks in Illinois and Wisconsin were used to construct a family tree showing that chipmunks migrated further south only after glaciers receded. Scientists determined the chipmunks' migration routes by analyzing mutations in their genes. The longer a group of animals remains in one place, the more mutations they accumulate, increasing their genetic diversity. Animals leaving the refuge for a new area take only a few of the changes, and, therefore, the new group has less variety in its genes. The chipmunk populations found in the south had fewer mutations than those in northern Illinois and Wisconsin.

The Case of Vanishing Socks Every morning, Jerry woke up to find that he was missing a sock. It didn't matter how carefully he organized them the night before, one sock always vanished into thin air by morning. Frustrated and baffled, Jerry decided to investigate. He set up a hidden camera in his room, determined to catch the sock thief in the act. To his surprise, the culprit turned out to be none other than his mischievous pet parrot, Charlie. The camera revealed Charlie's stealthy technique of grabbing a sock with his beak and flying away to hide it in various corners of the house. Jerry couldn't help but laugh at his feathered friend's sock-stealing antics, and from that day forward, he made sure to keep his socks safely stored away from Charlie's prying beak.

The Disastrous Dinner Party Mike and Sarah were thrilled to host their first dinner party for their friends. They meticulously planned the menu, spending hours in the kitchen preparing an array of mouthwatering dishes. The evening arrived, and their guests began to arrive one by one. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. As Mike carried a tray of appetizers towards the living room, their overenthusiastic dog, Buddy, raced past him, accidentally knocking the tray out of his hands. The room descended into chaos as appetizers flew through the air, landing in unexpected places. The guests couldn't help but burst into fits of laughter. Despite the culinary mishap, everyone rallied together, ordering takeout and turning the night into an impromptu pizza party. It became a memorable evening of laughter, friendship, and unexpected culinary adventures.

The Office Prank War In a corporate office where the work was serious, a lighthearted prank war broke out between two colleagues, Alex and Lisa. It started innocently enough, with Alex placing a rubber snake on Lisa's chair. Lisa retaliated by plastering sticky notes all over Alex's cubicle. The pranks escalated rapidly, with each one trying to outwit and outdo the other. Fake spiders, whoopee cushions, and disappearing ink pens became the norm in the office. Soon, the entire office was caught up in the shenanigans, with laughter echoing through the hallways. The war eventually reached a climax when the colleagues joined forces and transformed the boss's office into a jungle, complete with hanging vines and a giant inflatable gorilla. The boss couldn't help but chuckle and even admitted that it was the most creative disruption he had ever seen. The prank war ended that day, but the camaraderie and inside jokes among the colleagues continued to brighten their work environment for years to come.

Finding the Perfect Cup of Coffee Dave was a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur who took his morning brew very seriously. He spent countless hours experimenting with different beans, roasts, and brewing methods to achieve the perfect cup of coffee. One fateful morning, while half-asleep, he accidentally poured orange juice into his coffee mug instead of creamer. Not one to waste a potential discovery, Dave took a sip and discovered an unexpectedly delightful flavor combination. From that day forward, he became known as the "Orange Juice Coffee Guy" among his friends, who playfully teased him but secretly admired his adventurous spirit. Dave continued to experiment, combining coffee with various unexpected ingredients, and even opened his own coffee shop specializing in unique flavor profiles. It turned out that his accidental mix-up led to a successful and hilarious coffee journey.

The DIY Home Improvement Disaster John and Sarah were a couple with ambitious DIY aspirations. They decided to renovate their kitchen, despite having minimal experience in home improvement. Armed with YouTube tutorials and an abundance of enthusiasm, they dove headfirst into the project. However, things quickly spiraled out of control. They accidentally knocked down a load-bearing wall, resulting in the ceiling caving in. Their attempts at installing new cabinets led to wonky, lopsided structures that resembled something out of a funhouse. The paint job turned into a colorful mess, with unintentional splatters decorating the floor. Eventually, they realized that their DIY adventure had gone hilariously wrong. They decided to hire professionals to fix their mistakes, and the resulting kitchen was a beautiful combination of their initial vision and expert craftsmanship. John and Sarah learned an important lesson: sometimes it's best to leave certain tasks to the professionals and embrace the humor in their misadventures.

The Misunderstood Text Message Sam, a busy executive, received a text message from his colleague, Lisa, which read: "I need to talk to you urgently about the Johnson account. Meet me in my office ASAP." In a rush and assuming it was work-related, Sam hurried to Lisa's office, flustered and wondering what had gone wrong. To his surprise, when he arrived, he found Lisa sitting at her desk, holding a cake with a lit candle on it. The entire office erupted into laughter, and Lisa explained that she had sent the message by mistake. It turns out that she was planning a surprise birthday celebration for a colleague named John, whose last name happened to be Johnson. Sam joined in the laughter, feeling both relieved and amused by the mix-up. From that day on, the office had a running joke about double-checking text messages before jumping to conclusions.

The Unforgettable Cooking Disaster Karen, an adventurous cook, decided to try her hand at making a gourmet dinner for her friends. She carefully selected a complicated recipe from a famous chef and gathered all the necessary ingredients. As she began cooking, she followed the recipe meticulously, chopping, sautéing, and seasoning with precision. However, as she reached the final step, disaster struck. In a moment of distraction, Karen accidentally mistook salt for sugar and added a generous amount to the dessert instead of the recommended sweetness. Oblivious to her mistake, she proudly served the meal to her friends. The first bite of the main course caused uncontrollable laughter as everyone's faces contorted in sour disbelief. The dessert that followed was a hilarious disaster, with everyone attempting to politely mask their grimaces. Karen joined in the laughter, admitting her blunder, and they all ordered takeout pizza to salvage the evening. From then on, Karen became known for her unforgettable cooking disaster, and they shared many more amusing culinary adventures together.

The Hilarious Autocorrect Mishap Emily, an English teacher, was having a casual conversation with her friend, Mark, via text message. As they chatted about their weekend plans, Emily wanted to suggest going for a hike but accidentally typed "Let's go for a bike" instead. Little did she know that her phone's autocorrect feature had other plans. The message Mark received read, "Let's go for a hike," autocorrected to "Let's go for a hike" to "Let's go for a bike" and then "Let's go for a hike." Confused, Mark replied, "Are you okay? Why do you keep saying 'Let's go for a hike' repeatedly?" Emily's phone had transformed her innocent suggestion into an infinite repeat of the same phrase. Both burst into laughter, unable to stop the autocorrect comedy. They turned it into a running joke, playfully repeating "Let's go for a hike" throughout their conversations. From then on, Emily always double-checked her messages before sending them, ensuring she wouldn't fall victim to the unpredictable world of autocorrect again.