SESSION 15: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 15: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F):

a. The zodiac system is three millennia old.

b. Earth’s relationship to the stars has changed in the past 3,000 years.
c. A thirteenth sign would not change the dates of our current star signs.
d. Astronomers have only recently found out about the thirteenth sign.
e. Some people with the Virgo star sign might really be Leo.
f. Star signs were originally to predict harvest times, not horoscopes.
g. A popular astrologer said the news was fantastic.
h. She said her star signs show she has 140 characters.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. on its head .......... a. found out
2. wobbly .............. b. comforted
3. determined ......... c. worried
4. new .................. d. wonky
5. shocked ............. e. forecast
6. upset ................ f. upside down
7. predict .............. g. stupid
8. reassured ............ h. fresh
9. ridiculous ............ i. quipped
10. joked ............... j. astounded

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. turned the astrology world ..... a. the Earth’s orbit

2. the Earth's wobbly .............. b. go to war
3. the ancient Babylonians ........ c. of this news
4. changes in ........................ d. horoscope writers
5. his recent announcement ....... e. on its head
6. life might change because ..... f. has shocked people
7. star signs were never meant ... g. determined the dates
8. provide an income to ........... h. for ages
9. determine when to ............. i. orbit
10. We've known about this ...... j. to predict our future

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

RECENT - RELATIONSHIP - TURNED - SINCE -SIGN - WOBBLY - INCLUDE - DATES

An astronomy professor has (1) ____________ the astrology world on its head by suggesting the 3,000-year-old zodiac system is wrong. Professor Parke Kunkle said the Earth's (2) ____________ orbit means things have changed in the past three millennia and now has a different (3) ____________ to the stars. He said the ancient Babylonians determined the dates of the Zodiac and decided not to (4) ____________ a thirteenth sign called Ophiuchus. He believes the changes in the Earth’s orbit now mean this (5) ____________ must be included in the Zodiac. This would change all of the (6) ____________ we are used to with our star signs and many of us would have a new one. Professor Kunkle is surprised his (7) ____________ announcement has shocked people: "Astronomers have known about this (8) ____________ about 130BC," he said.

CALLED - HARVEST - UPSET - HARD - DETERMINE - AGES - CAUSED - PREDICT

The story has (9) ____________ millions around the world to worry their life might change because of this news. People who were happy at being a Virgo are (10) ____________ because they are now Leos. Kunkle says people should not be worried because star signs were never meant to (11) ____________ our future or provide an income to horoscope writers, saying: "You could predict when to (12) ____________, when to plant, by the stars. So there is some predictive nature there. Then they took it too far, using it to (13) ____________ when to go to war and people's personalities." Popular astrologer Susan Miller has reassured people they needn’t worry and (14) ____________ the news "ridiculous." In an interview with ABC News, she joked: "We've known about this for (15) ____________ ….Trying to explain something technical in 140 characters [on Twitter] is (16) ____________."