PET Practice #1

PET Practice #1

go to: http://www.angelfire.com/on3/esl/archives/PET_exercises.html

01. Reading Practice

02. PET Exam Sign Reading Part 1

03. Complete exercises #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

go to: http://www.pearsonlongman.com/exams/ket-pet/pet/reading-test.html

01. Complete parts 1 and 2.

go to: http://www.pearsonlongman.com/exams/extra/study-tips/study-tips1.html#plan

01. Read the tips for: writing, planning, listening, vocabulary, speaking & reading

I. Which of these tips are you already doing?

II. Which of these tips do you think you will use?

III. What plan will you use to prepare for this exam?

due: Thursday August 27th, 2009

Assignment #5/Acronyms - LuDwiG

Acquiring Acronym

Acronyms are both very popular and very important in the English language. It makes our speech & writing more efficient. It is important to learn the meanings of acronyms, so you can more easily understand the language. You use many acronyms when communicating on the internet, such as: lol (lots of laughs), btw (by the way) & wtf (what the fuck?).
Translate the following acronyms:

Translate the following acronyms:

1. CNN: Cable News Network.

2. UFO: Unidentified Flying Object.

3. SCUBA: Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

4. IBM: International Business Machines.

5. VHS: Video Home System.

6. DVD: Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc.

7. SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.

8. LASER: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

9. RADAR: Radio Detection And Ranging.

10. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

11. FAQ: Frequently Asked Question.

12. CD-ROM: Compact Disk - Read Only Memory.

13. DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid.

14. JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group.

15. ATM: At The Moment.

16. BCE/A.D.: Before the Common Era /After Death OR Before the Christian Era /After Death.

17. EU: European Union.

18. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement.

19. 4WD: Four Wheel Drive.

20. AWD: All Wheel Drive.

21. CIA: Central Intelligence Agency.

22. FUBAR: Fucked Up Beyond All Repair or Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition

23. FIDO: Field Integrated Design and Operations. (NASA)

24. ABS: Anti-Lock Brake System.

25. TLC: Tratado de Libre Comercio

Assignment #4/Early Modern English & Modern English "LuDwIg"

Kenneth Branagh & Emma Thompson in Henry V

go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Modern_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakepeare

answer: the following questions on your blogsite

due: Sunday October 19th, 2008

1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.

- The Great Vowel Shift was a major change in the pronunciation of the English Language. It was between 1200 and 1600.

During the Great Vowel Shift, the two highest long vowels became diphthongs, and the other five underwent an increase in tongue height with one of them coming to the front.

2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.

- American English
- British English
- Caribbean English
- South African English
- Indo-Pakistani English.

3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?

- the two people were, Samuel Johnson (English) and Noah Webster (American).

4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?

- 53 countries have given modern English official status.

5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:

I. First language?

- 380 million.

II. Second Language?

- 600 million.

6. When was Early Modern English spoken?

- It was spoken From about the end of the Middle English period (the latter half of the 15th century) to 1650.

7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?

8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?

- Indo-European
- Germanic
- West Germanic
- Anglo-Frisian
- Anglic.

9. Name 4 worldwide uses for Modern English.

- It use in such diverse applications as controlling airplanes, developing software, conducting international diplomacy and business relations.

10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of Modern English around the world? Why?

11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare's writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare's plays?

- Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Edward de Vere.

12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.

13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.

- comedies

- histories

- tragedies

14. In which town was Shakespeare born?

- Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon- Avon

15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?

16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In you opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:

To be or not to be, that is the question;

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to — 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,...

17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare influenced novelists such as
-Thomas Hardy,
-William Faulkner,
- Charles Dickens;
-the American novelist Herman Melville,
- the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?

-Henry VI part 1.

19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?

- Blank verse: is a type of poetry, distinguished by having a regular meter, but no rhyme. In English, the meter most commonly used with blank verse has been iambic pentamer.

- Iambic pentameter: is a type of meter that is used in poetry and drama. It describes a particular rhythm that the words establish in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet". The word "iambic" describes the type of foot that is used. The word 'pentameter' indicates that a line has five of these 'feet'.

20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.

- Richard Burbage, William Kempe, Henry Condell and John Heminges.

MiDdLe EnGliSh - "LuDwiG"

Middle English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight

read: article pages

answer: the following questions on YOUR blog site.

due: October 1st, 2008

Clearly Identify: Assignment #, title & your name (last, first)

1. Approximately when was Middle English spoken?

- Middle english was spoken approximately between 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century.

2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?

- When the Chancery Standard a form of London -based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the introduction of the printing press into England by William Caxton in the 1470s, and slightly later by Richard Pynson. By this time the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in south east Scotland was developing into the Scots Language. The language of England as spoken after this time, up to 1650, is known as Early Modern English.

3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:

A. Pig: Pork

B. Cow: Beef

C. Wood: Forest

D. Sheep: Mutton

E. House: Mansion

F. Worthy: Honourable

G. Bold: Corageous

4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.

-Nouns: Despite losing the slightly more complex system of inflectional endings, Middle English retains two separate noun-ending patterns from Old English. Compare, for example, the early Modern English words engel (angel) and nome (name)

- Verbs: As a general rule (and all these rules are general), the first person singular of present tense verbs ends in -e (ich here - "I hear"), the second person in -(e)st (þou spekest - "thou speakest"), and the third person in -eþ (he comeþ - "he cometh/he comes"). (þ is pronounced like the unvoiced th in "think"). In the past tense, weak verbs are formed by an -ed(e), -d(e) or -t(e) ending. These, without their personal endings, also form past participles, together with past-participle prefixes derived from the old English ge-: i-, y- and sometimes bi-. Strong verbs form their past tense by changing their stem vowel (e.g. binden -> bound), as in Modern English.

- Pronouns: First and second pronouns survive largely unchanged, with only minor spelling variations. In the third person, the masculine accusative singular became 'him'. The feminine form was replaced by a form of the demonstrative that developed into 'she', but unsteadily – 'ho' remains in some areas for a long time. The lack of a strong standard written form between the eleventh and the fifteenth century makes these changes hard to map.

5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?

- Generally, all letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts but continued spelling conventions.) Therefore 'knight' was pronounced /ˈknɪçt/ (with a pronounced K and a 'gh' as the 'ch' in German 'Knecht'), not /ˈnaɪt/as in Modern English.
In earlier Middle English, all written vowels were pronounced. By Chaucer's time, however, final -e had become silent in normal speech, but could be optionally pronounced in verse as the meter requires (but normally silent when the next word begins in a vowel). Chaucer follows these conventions: -e is silent in 'kowthe' and 'Thanne', but pronounced in 'straunge', 'ferne', 'ende', etc.

6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?

- Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 14th century. It is believed to have contributed in a significant way to the development of the English language as spoken and written today.
Because of the differing dialects of English spoken and written across the country at the time, the government required a clear and unambiguous form for use in its official documents. Chancery Standard was developed to meet this need.

7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?

- The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer.

8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.

- Religious characters, such as a monk and a pardoner, travel alongside a sailor, miller, carpenter, and a knight, among others. When the group stops for the night, the host of the pilgrimage proposes that they all tell stories to each other along the way.

The pilgrims agree to tell four stories each, two on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back. The person who tells the best story, as determined by the host, will have his way paid by the rest of the group. The tale-telling begins with the knight and proceeds as the pilgrims near Canterbury, each person telling a story that reflects their social position, and some telling stories which are intended to make fun of others in the group.

9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?

- They took this journey for paying their respects to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?

- The name of the Italian book was The Decameron, and it was written by Giovanni Boccaccio.

11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?

- Because The Canterbury Tales was the first English literary works to mention paper.

12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:

d. A medieval romance poem, with Arthurian themes.

13. Who is Sir Gwain?

- Sir Gwain is a knight of King Arthur Round Table.

14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?

- The Green knight offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day.

15. What is the similarity between Sir Gwain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?

-The beheading challenge.

16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?

- The poem describes the pentangle as a symbol of faithfulness and an "endless knot". It is described as "a sign by Solomon". Solomon, the third king of Israel, in 10th century B.C. was said to have the mark of the pentagram on his ring, which he received from the archangel Michael. The pentagram seal on this ring was said to give Solomon power over demons.
The symbol was also associated with magical charms which, if recited or written on a weapon, would call forth magical forces. However, concrete evidence tying the magical pentagram to Gawain's pentangle is scarce.

17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?

- The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem. For example, three kisses are exchanged between Gawain and Bertilak's wife; Gawain is tempted by her on three separate days; Bertilak goes hunting three times, and the Green Knight swings at Gawain three times with his axe. The number two also appears repeatedly, as in the two beheading scenes, two confession scenes, and two castles.

18. What is the significance of Sir Gwain's neck wound?

-The neck, specifically, was believed to correlate with the part of the soul related to will, connecting the reasoning part (the head) and the courageous part (the heart). Gawain's sin resulted from using his will to separate reasoning from courage.

19. Which actor played The Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?

-Sean Connery was the actor in the film.

20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gwain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.

- I dont watch soap operas, I even don't watch T.V.

Old English (Anglo-Saxon)

go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_english

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

read: article pages

answer: the following questions

1. When was Old English spoken?

- Old English was sponken between the mid-5 th century and the mid- 12th century.

2. Name 4 language groups which influenced the development of Old English.

1- Celtic language

2- vikings

3- norman invasion

4-danelaw.

3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.

- fricative(labiodental)= f (v)

-fricative(dental) = θ (ð)

-fricative(alveolar)= s (Z)

-affricative(postalveolar)= tʃ (dʒ)

-fricative(palatal) = (ç)

4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.

- Old english should not be regarded as a single monolithic entity just as modern english is also not monolithic

5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?

- There are 34 letters in this alphabet.

6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?

- Beowulf was originally written in Old English.

7. In the See Also section, click on: Beowulf. Appoximately when was Beowulf written?

- Beowulf was approximately written between the 8th to the 11th century.

8. Even though Beowulf was written in England, the story takes place in which countries?

- The story takes place in what is now Denmark and Sweden.

9. In the poem, which 3 antagonists does Beowulf battle or fight against?

- The antagonists are Grendel, a Dragon, Grendel's mother.

10. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the story?

- Beowulf is fatally wounded in the final battle, and after his death he is buried in a barrow in Geatland by his retainers.

11. Who was the author of Beowulf?

- It was written by an anonymous author.

12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf?

- Beowulf has been adapted a number of times for other novels, theater, and cinema, including the 1999 film "Beowulf", the 2005 film "Beowulf and Grendel" and the 2007 animated film "Beowulf".

"MySeLf"

Well my name is Luis Jesus Soto Albornoz,
I was born on the 6the of august 1981 in Santiago-Chile.
Now I'm 27 years old
I'm studying pedagogy in english and I really like it.
My dad is Luis too and my mom is veronica.
I've got two sisters, one is elder than me she is 28 years old, the other one is younger than me she is 23 years old....
I live in La Florida, with my parents, my elder sister, my cousin gabriel he is 5 years old.
My youger sister is married and she's got two chidren, Thomas is 3 years old and Fabian is 6 months

so that's all for now......

MaRiAh CaReY

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" follows up "Bye Bye" and "Touch My Body" - Mariah's history making 18th #1 single (surpassing Elvis Presley's 17 #1's)

(July 15, 2008 - New York, NY) International superstar Mariah Carey's newest single from her RIAA platinum album E=MC², the #1 Most-Added "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," will be the subject of a unique competition. Beginning July 15th, the "Mariah Remix Contest" will allow fans and remixers throughout the world to create distinctive new mixes of the song, using individual tracks from the master sessions of "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time." The "Mariah Remix Contest" is being launched by MariahCarey.com, in conjunction with UltraStar Entertainment, the digital media company behind her official site and fan club, and IndabaMusic.com, the leading music collaboration website and online community for musicians.

Eight instrument stems from "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," including lead vocals, keyboards, brass, bass, and drums, will be available at www.indabamusic.com/mariahremix throughout the duration of the 6 week contest. In addition, an advanced audio package including 20 stems and project files for ProTools, Logic, and Garageband will be made available for those who wish to create more advanced entries.

Submissions will be accepted through August 28th, with online fan voting beginning the next day, and ending on September 12th. The 10 remix finalists, as voted by fans, will be judged by the celebrity panel of Mark Sudack (co-executive producer of E=MC2), Kerri Mason (Dance Columnist, Billboard), and Mantis Evar (EVP, Indaba Music).

The grand prize package will include $5,000 cash, the winning remix posted on Mariah's official website, www.MariahCarey.com, her record label's website, www.IslandRecords.com, and MySpace page, www.MySpace.com/MariahCarey, and the winning remixer featured as Mariah's 'Top Friend' on MySpace for one month. The second prize winner will receive a complete Pro Tools recording system, courtesy of www.Sweetwater.com. All ten finalists will win a signed copy of E=MC².

In conjunction with the "Mariah Remix Contest," fans will have the opportunity to take yet another step closer to Mariah by signing up for a complimentary 90-day membership to her fan club, Honey B. Fly, at www.MariahCarey.com/remix. Members of Mariah's hugely popular fan club enjoy access to ticket presales, exclusive media, merchandise discounts, giveaways, and more.

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is the third single from E=MC², and follows up hit, "Bye Bye" E=MC² arrived in stores April 15th and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with first week Soundscan sales of 463,000 copies - the biggest first week total of Mariah's career.
"Touch My Body," the album's first single, made history when it became Mariah's 18th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 - surpassing one of the most enduring chart records of the past half-century, Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. "Touch My Body"'s two weeks at the top marked Mariah's 78th and 79th cumulative career weeks at #1, which tied Elvis' long-standing all-time high of 79 weeks at #1, as calculated in Billboard. At the same time, Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1 hits.

The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² follows-up The Emancipation Of Mimi (released April 12, 2005), Mariah's worldwide 10 million selling #1 album. Mimi contained "We Belong Together" (Grammy winner for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song) and "Don't Forget About Us," Mariah's 16th and 17th #1 singles respectively - which tied Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. Mimi generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), two #1 singles, and countless more honors during its 18-month stay on the charts. Mimi was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar. Soundscan's biggest-selling album of the year, it brought total sales of Mariah's albums, singles and videos to over 160 million worldwide, securing her place as the top-selling female recording artist in history.