1.5 Discussion on History
A. Listen to a discussion in a history class, and answer the questions.
convinced – sure of something
disprove – to prove that something is wrong
evidence – something that can be used as proof of something else
predate – to happen at an earlier time than something else
outsider – someone who is not part of a core group of individuals
1. What is this discussion about?
(A) The Polynesian effect on the Americas
(B) What caused Columbus to discover America
(C) Evidence that supports a new theory
(D) A comparison of two theories of discovery
2. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) Columbus brought Polynesian chickens to America.
(B) Polynesians came to the Americas before Columbus.
(C) DNA is now used to solve mysteries of discovery.
(D) A chicken bone has been discovered in Polynesia.
B. Listen again and fill in the diagram with the information you hear.
Who Discovered America?
C. Summarize the lecture using the diagram.
D. Fill in the blanks with the key words to complete the summary below.
A history professor is talking about Christopher Columbus. He believes Columbus was not the first ____________ in the Americas. He says new __________ has shown that
Polynesians came there before 1492. Scientists know this from a chicken bone found in Chile. The bone was from a chicken from the Polynesian Islands. One of the students is not _____________ that the bone _____________ Columbus was there first. The professor explains that the bone _____________ Columbus's arrival by more than one hundred years.
Speaking Tips:
• Open your mouth while speaking. Try not to mumble.
• Pay special attention to the pronunciation of content words and key terms.
• Stress each syllable correctly and accurately.
• Clearly pronounce both vowels and consonants.
• Smoothly link sounds between words within a phrase and in consonant clusters.
• Change pitch between stressed and unstressed syllables.
• Speak in sentences or phrases, not word by word.
• Speak with appropriate speed, not too quickly.
Speaking 1: Sounds
In order to speak coherently, a speaker must consider not only the content and organization of the speech but also its delivery. A speaker's speech has to be clear enough to convey all the necessary information to the listeners. Some English sounds are difficult to pronounce and mispronunciation of these sounds can result in a change in the meaning of the word.
A. Consonant sounds
In English, most words end in consonant sounds. In many other languages, however, words that end in vowel sounds are more common, leading many non-native speakers to mispronounce final consonant sounds. The Russian speakers tend to pronounce all the final consonant sound voiceless. Mispronunciation of final consonant sounds can lead to confusion and misinterpretation on the part of the listener.
1. Read each of the following sentences out loud, accurately pronouncing the final consonants.
1. I was not sure what she meant me to mend.
2. The cat entered the lab and sat on his lap.
3. We will be there in an hour.
4. You should not be so upset.
5. She has not come down yet, let’s hope she’s out of bed.
6. Put the bag in the stack.
2. Listen, and catch the difference between /k/ and /g/. Read the words correctly.
|
could |
good |
|
leak |
league |
|
cot |
got |
|
pick |
pig |
|
coat |
goat |
|
lock |
log |
|
cave |
gave |
|
ankle |
angle |
|
clue |
glue |
|
crow |
grow |
Listen to the sentences. For each one, write the word you hear.
1. One of the cards/guards is missing.
2. What a beautiful curl/girl!
3. My cold/gold has gone.
4. Sarah's class/glass is quite big.
5. There's no clue/glue.
6. I could see her back/bag in the crowded train.
7. He cut through the lock/log.
Read the sentences in both variants.
3. Listen, and catch the difference between /s/ and /z/. Read the words correctly.
|
Sue |
zoo |
|
rice |
rise |
|
said |
Zed |
|
loose |
lose |
|
seal |
zeal |
|
race |
raise |
|
lacy |
lazy |
|
advice |
advise |
|
fussy |
fuzzy |
|
once |
ones |
|
sip |
zip |
|
lice |
lies |
Listen to the sentences. For each one, write the word you hear.
1. We're hoping for peace/peas.
2. The price/prize was wonderful.
3. It was full of lice/lies.
4. Be careful, don't sip/zip it too fast.
5. She heard a bus/buzz.
6. He only has a few pence/pens left.
Read the sentences in both variants.
4. Listen, and catch the difference between /p/ and /b/. Read the words correctly.
|
pit |
bit |
|
rope |
robe |
|
pat |
bat |
|
tripe |
tribe |
|
port |
bought |
|
tap |
tab |
|
pull |
bull |
|
cup |
cub |
|
pride |
bride |
|
rip |
rib |
Listen to the sentences. For each one, write the word you hear.
1. Have you got a pet/bet?
2. There's a pin/bin in the corner.
3. She saw some pears/bears in the garden.
4. The peach/beach was dirty.
5. Have you seen the plays/blaze?
6. The rope/robe is too short.
7. What does 'tripe/tribe' mean?
8. The doctor looked at the rip/rib.
Read the sentences in both variants.
5. Listen, and catch the difference between /t/ and /d/. Read the words correctly.
|
two |
do |
|
sight |
side |
|
ten |
den |
|
heart |
hard |
|
ton |
done |
|
plate |
played |
|
town |
down |
|
bat |
bad |
|
train |
drain |
|
set |
said |
Listen to the sentences. For each one, write the word you hear.
1. There was something wrong with the trains/drains.
2. She tied/dyed the scarf.
3. They saw a trunk/drunk lying on the ground.
4. He writes/rides very well.
5. This cart/card has just arrived.
6. My brother hit/hid the ball.
7. He has never made a bet/bed.
Read the sentences in both variants.