CONVERSATION Read this conversation
Brian: Diane Grant? I haven’t seen you for ages.
Diane: Brian! How have you been?
Brian: Pretty good. Say, you’re really changed!
Diane: Oh, well, I’ve lost some weight. And my hair is longer than before.
Brian: Well, you look great! How are you?
Diane: I’m doing really well. I got married about three years ago.
I have two kids now.
Brian: That’s terrific!
Diane: And how about you, Brian? What have you been up to?
Brian: Well, I moved away – to San Francisco.
I’m just back here on some business today.
Diane: Oh, you have a new job?
Brian: Yes, I work for a travel agency now.
Diane: Really? How do you like it?
Brian: The work is wonderful! And my salary is much better than before.
Diane: That’s great! You look different, too.
Brian: Well, I’ve grown a mustache.
Diane: That’s what it is! It looks good on you.
Brian: Thanks, Diane.
GRAMMAR FOCUS: Comparisons of Adjectives
Cấp độ so sánh ngang (so sánh bằng) dùng để so sánh 02 chủ thể có cùng tính chất, đặc tính, trạng thái.
So sánh ngang được thể hiện theo công thức: AS + ADJECTIVE + AS She is as tall as her sister is.
We are as intelligent as our friends are.
He is not as quick as his sister is.
So sánh hơn được thể hiện trong công thức: ADJECTIVE - ER + THAN (đối với tính từ có 01 âm tiết) hoặc MORE/ LESS + ADJECTIVE + THAN (đối với tính từ có 02 âm tiết trở lên). Cấp độ so sánh hơn được dùng để so sánh 02 chủ thể với nhau.
She is more beautiful than her sister (is).
Big cities are more polluted than small towns (are).
They are more talkative than we (are).
He is less active than his sister (is).
China is larger than Canada (is).
* Lưu ý: đôi khi không cần có TO BE ở cuối câu trong câu so sánh.
Read this conversation
Paul: I’m going to Australia next year. Aren’t you from “down under”, Kelly?
Kelly: That’s right.
Paul: I hear there’s not much pollution, and the beaches are clean and beautiful.
Kelly: Oh, yes. Australia has some of the most famous beaches in the world – like Bondi Beach.
Paul: What else should I see?
Kelly: Well, the Great Barrier Reef is there.
It’s the longest coral reef in the world.
Paul: Wow! It sounds beautiful. You’re lucky to be an Australian.
Kelly: Thanks, but actually, I’m a New Zealander.
GRAMMAR FOCUS: Comparison of Adjectives
Cấp độ so sánh hơn nhất được dùng để so sánh từ 03 chủ thể trở lên. So sánh hơn nhất được thể hiện theo công thức: THE + ADJECTIVE – EST + …… (OF ALL/ IN ..) (đối với tính từ 01 âm tiết) hay THE + MOST/ LEAST + ADJECTIVE + …..
Linda is the tallest girl in her class.
He is the strongest of all his friends.
This picture is the most beautiful of all the pictures here.
These are the most important lessons to learn.
Comparison is the least difficult grammar point in English.
Một số tính từ thường gặp trong so sánh.
Adjective Comparative (hơn) Superlative (hơn nhất) large
long nice old short slow tall dry cheap close cold cool young deep dirty easy funny heavy hot big beautiful famous attractive boring exciting expensive important popular interesting good bad
larger longer nicer older shorter slower taller drier cheaper closer colder cooler younger deeper dirtier easier funnier heavier hotter bigger
more beautiful more famous more attractive more boring more exciting more expensive more important more popular more interesting better
worse
the largest the longest the nicest the oldest the shortest the slowest the tallest the driest the cheapest the closest the coldest the coolest the youngest the deepest the dirtiest the easiest the funniest the heaviest the hottest the biggest
the most/ least beautiful the most/ least famous the most/ least attractive the most/ least boring the most/ least exciting the most/ least expensive the most/ least important the most/ least popular the most/ least interesting the best
the worst
Practice 1: Complete the sentences with proper comparisons of adjectives. (Hoàn thành các câu sau với hình thức so sánh của tính từ)
1. London is ______________ than Lisbon. (expensive)
2. Public transportation in Toronto is _____________ than in Los Angeles. (good) 3. The weather in Portland is not ______________ as in San Diego. (nice)
4. São Paulo is much ______________ than Brasilia. (large)
5. Which country is ______________, Monaco or Vatican City? (small) 6. Which waterfall is ______________, Niagara Falls or Angel Falls? (high) 7. Which city is ______________, Hong Kong or Cairo? (crowded)
8. Which lake is ______________, the Caspian Sea or Lake Superior? (large) 9. Which mountain is ______________: Mount McKinley, Mount Everest, or
Pujiyama? (tall)
10. What is ______________ river in the world, the Nile or the Amazon? (long) 11. Which country is ______________ with tourists: Spain, France, or Italy?
(popular)
12. What is ______________ ocean in the world, the Pacific or the Atlantic? (deep)
Practice 2: Complete the conversations with the correct comparison forms of
adjectives. (Hoàn thành các bài hội thoại sau với hình thức so sánh đúng của tính từ) 1. A: Which is ____________: the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, or the
Empire State Building? (old)
B: The Statue of Liberty is ____________ (old). They built it in 1886. They didn’t build the Eiffel Tower until 1889, and the Empire State Building until 1973.
2. A: Is a Concorde airplane ____________ than a 747 or DC-10 airplane? (big) B: No, a 747 is _____________ (big). It carries up to five hundred people; the Concorde only carries about a hundred passengers, and a DC-10 about 300 people.
3. A: Which is _____________: a pound of gold, a pound of butter, or a pound of feather? (heavy)
B: They all weigh the same.
4. A: Which country is ______________: the U.S., China, or Canada? (large)
5. A: Which is ____________: Moscow, New York, or Shanghai? (big)
B: New York is _____________. It has over 14 million people. Shanghai has about 13 million, and Moscow has about 10.
6. A: Which is _____________: Australia, Argentina, or Brazil? (small) B: Argentina is _____________. (small)
READING
Things You Can Do to Help the Environment
Our environment is in trouble. People and industries are polluting the air, rivers, lakes, and seas. You may think that there’s nothing you can do to help. That’s not true. In fact, there are many things you can do to help the environment. Here are a few.
Cars
The burning of gasoline is one of the biggest sources of carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere. Some people believe that CO is causing global warming. They think CO thins the ozone layer, which protects us from the sun’s rays. So try to walk, bicycle, or use public transportation. And if you drive a car, drive at a steady speed – this is more efficient than speeding up and slowing down.
Energy
The biggest use of home energy is for heating and cooling homes. So turn the heat down, especially at night. Replace regular light bulbs with fluorescent or halogen bulbs, which use less energy.
Products
Don’t use disposable products. In a single year, people in the United States use enough disposable diapers to reach to the moon and back seven times. If you use disposable products, use products made from recycled materials. Also, recycle whenever possible. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
Water
Showers use a lot of water. In one week a typical American family uses as much water as a person drinks in three year! Buying a special “low-flow” shower head or taking shorter showers can cut this use in half. Also, fix any leaky faucets.
Decide whether these sentences are True or False. (Xác định các câu sau đúng hay sai)
____ 1. Industries are polluting the air, rivers, lakes, and seas.
____ 2. Carbon monoxide protects us from the sun’s rays.
____ 3. Walk, bicycle, or use public transportation will reduce CO in the air.
____ 4. Regular light bulbs use less energy.
____ 5. Use products made from recycled materials will save much energy.
____ 6. In one week a American family uses as much water as a person uses in three years
Read this passage