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Instructions: Complete the following vocabulary development chart (The first one has been provided as an example).
Instructions: Complete the following questions using sentence format. 1. What might disturb your “slumber”? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 2. In your opinion, what is worse: physical isolation or emotional isolation? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 3. What is something that your have attempted “countless” times and you feel you are still not proficient at? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Instructions: Read the text and complete the comprehension and writing questions that follow. Throughout history, great nations have always exported their language and culture. We need only think of ancient Greece, Britain and more recently, The United States. China now seems prepared to enter this arena and assume its position as a dominant international influence. In a Globe and Mail article entitled “Will China join the culture club or wield it?”, Jan Wong states that English is definitely losing its sphere of influence. “In the past decade, English has declined as a native language from 9 percent to just 5 percent of the world’s population.” In the new millennium, Mandarin and not English is becoming the must-learn language. According to Statistics Canada, Mandarin is now the third most spoken language after English and French. 1 Wong points out that those who argue that English will continue to be the language of choice of international business and technology “may have forgotten that Latin was once the language of science in the 17th century.” 2 Economically, China has grown by leaps and bounds. It is the fastest growing economy in the world and has grown by almost 10 percent every year for the past 20 years. It is predicted that within two generations, China will surpass the United States as the world’s most powerful economy. After years of isolation, civil war and a stagnant economy, China seems almost desperate to takes its rightful place on the world stage. Across the skyline of most major cities, one will find hundreds of construction cranes soaring into the horizon and countless satellite dishes bringing the rest of the world to China. Shanghai boasts the latest railway technology; whereas, Beijing aspires to incorporate ultra-modern design in its newest architecture. There are almost 600 McDonald’s restaurants in China and the number of cell phone users increases by five million every month. Globally, we experience China’s influence in our marketplaces which are saturated with low-cost DVD players and clothing items, of which almost 50 percent are produced in China. Many leading economists predict that China will surpass Japan as the world’s second leading economy by 2016 and quite possibly, overtake The United States by 2040. Despite its rosy economic future, all is not well in China. Behind all of the steel and glass of these new skyscrapers, lies a population in search of a new identity. Old beliefs are quickly being eroded by greed and business obsessions. Rural poverty and urban alienation are exacerbated by the growing gap between the rich and poor. 3 Across the country, peasants are being pushed off their land as land becomes a valuable resource necessary for continued urban development. Analysts and consumers alike are awaiting China’s ‘cultural’ response to this economic boom. Walk down any busy street in Shanghai or Beijing and it’s hard to miss the influx of Western fashion and culture. However, with the seamless interweaving of cultures through the internet, it won’t be long before we see China’s influence on native populations on the streets of Paris, New York and Toronto. 4 Napoleon once counseled “to let China sleep, for when she awakes, she will shake the world.” There is no doubt, China has arisen from slumber and the world awaits. 1. The word “wield” (in the 1st paragraph) is: (a) an adjective (b) a verb (c) a noun (d) an adverb 2. Find a synonym in the last paragraph for the word “optimistic”. ___________________ 3. What does the phrase “with the seamless interweaving of cultures through the internet” (in the 3rd paragraph) mean? Restate in your own words. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 4. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT: (a) There are fewer than 600 McDonald’s restaurants in China. (b) China currently has the second largest economy in the world. (c) Jan Wong is a journalist. (d) Generally speaking, urban incomes are higher than rural incomes. 5. The author has removed the following sentence from the article: Urban incomes are generally six times higher than their rural counterparts. Indicate where this sentence logically belongs by circling the square # to add the sentence to the paragraph. 6. Why does the author say that: Mandarin is becoming the must-learn language?” (in the 1st paragraph) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ? Extension Questions for Writing top Answer the following questions using sentence format. 7. In your opinion, can you foresee any obstacle(s) in China’s quest to become the dominant economy? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 8. Do you think there will ever be a ‘universal language’ that will be used in both business and technology? Why or Why not? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Active & Passive Voice [Issues of Style] In English, it is more common to use active voice rather than passive voice. Nevertheless, the passive is acceptable and at times, preferred: 1. We use the passive when the actor is unknown or unimportant: [example] A cure for SARS has yet to be discovered. My Ford was assembled in Oakville, Ontario. 2. The passive is used when discussing history. [example] Most wars are fought over disputed territory or scarce resources. 3. We use the active voice when the actor is more important than the action. [example] I watched the presidential debate on television last night. 4. Try to avoid using active and passive in the same sentence. [example] The house was cleaned and we washed the dishes. è The house was cleaned and the dishes washed.
Instructions: Identify if the sentence is correct [C] or incorrect [I]. If the sentence is incorrect, rewrite the sentence to repair the active/passive error. 1. Pizza was eaten by me last night. _______ 2. Some people painted hieroglyphs on ancient cave walls. _______ 3. When you put your nose to the grindstone, you see immediate results. _______ 4. The flowers were planted and we trimmed the hedges. _______ 5. The employees loved their boss and her mistakes were forgiven by them. _______ 6. The phone was answered by Kathryn on the first ring. _______ 7. Jean-Paul teaches English during the day and runs marathons on the weekends. _______ 8. A significant number of the clothing items we buy are made in China. _______ 9. As we approached the downtown core, many gleaming skyscrapers were seen by us. _____ 10. If you practiced more, your pronunciation could easily be improved. _______ 11. The children sat down on the floor and began to colour. _______ 12. The light was turned off by me as I left the classroom. _______ 13. Soldiers fought the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. _______ 14. Rena painted her living room and a new carpet was laid by her. _______ 15. The team was carefully selected and they represented their country well. _______ 16. The computer company is expanding and many new products are being developed by them. _______ |
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