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Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Dian Fossey. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

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READ

Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who studied gorillas in Africa. Her research and life in the mountain forests of Rwanda made her famous. She wrote a book about her work, 'Gorillas in the Mist'. A major Hollywood studio paid her a million dollars for the movie rights. Her brutal murder in 1985 had to be added to the film.

Fossey was born in 1932. She became interested in animals from a very early age and enrolled on a veterinary course. At university, she studied occupational therapy, which would help her later research. She became interested in Africa in her late twenties. She took out a loan and went to Tanzania, where she met the man who would change her life, anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey.

Fossey was encouraged by Dr. Leakey to carry out long-term research on mountain gorillas. In 1967, she set up the Karisoke Research Centre in the remote Rwanda rainforest. She became an international celebrity in 1970 after appearing on the cover of 'National Geographic' magazine. It brought huge publicity for her campaign to protect the mountain gorillas and save them from extinction.

Fossey was strongly opposed to zoos. In 1978, she tried to stop two young gorillas from being taken from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany. Twenty adult gorillas were killed during their capture. She also disagreed with "conservation tourism", which disturbs the animals' natural habitat. Many believe she was killed by those who wanted to make big money from gorilla tourism.

245 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

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Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Dian Fossey. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who studied gorillas in Africa.

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What really happened to the Library of Alexandria? - Elizabeth Cox

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How do animals see in the dark? - Anna Stöckl

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Conditional sentences, all types, Exercise, Statements

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Conditional sentences, all types, statements - Exercise

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Are you an upper intermediate (CEFR level B2) learner of English? Practise and improve your reading skills with these texts and exercises.

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Like vs. As

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As and like are often confused since they are both used to compare actions or situations. There are, however, important differences.

As

We use as to talk about job or function.

I worked as a shop assistant for 2 years when I was a student.

He used his shoe as a hammer to hang the picture up.

In comparisons, the structure ' adjective ' is often used.

In the following comparisons as is a conjunction - it's followed by a clause with a subject and a verb.

He went to Cambridge University, as his father had before him.

She's a talented writer, as most of her family are.

Like

In the following comparisons, like is a preposition and it's followed by a noun or a pronoun.

I've been working like a dog all afternoon.

None of my brothers are much like me.

She looks just like her mother.

Like and As if/As though

Like, as if and as though can all be used to make comparisons. There is no difference in meaning among the 3 forms.

You look as if you've seen a ghost.

You talk as though we're never going to see each other again.

It looks like it's going to rain.

Expressions with 'as'

The following expressions all use as.

As you know, classes restart on January 15th.

I tried using salt as you suggested but the stain still didn't come out.

As we agreed the company will be split 50/50 between us.

Their house is the same as ours.

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As and like are often confused since they are both used to compare actions or situations. There are, however, important differences. We use as to talk about job or function. I worked as a shop assistant for 2 years when I was a student. He used his shoe as a hammer to hang the picture up.

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They are very short and great to practice your listening.

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Asking and answering "hello"

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Stop Saying "I'm Fine" - Ways to Respond to "Hello, how are you?"

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Oxford University Press, English Language Teaching - elt.enquiry@oup.com

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Students >Solutions >Advanced >Grammar >Unit 8 - Exercise 2 - Modal verbs

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Learn English - English dictation tests for beginner and intermediate ESL learners - quick dictation and dictation texts and spelling tests

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1. Introduction

You have 80 minutes to write two texts. The first text will always be an essay and should be 140-190 words long. The second text can be an article, informal email or letter, a formal email or letter, a report, or a review and should be 140-190 words.

The examiners give you a grade based on 4 things:

Content - Did you write what you were asked to write?

Communicative achievement - Was your writing too formal, too informal, or just right?

Organisation - Did you link paragraphs and sentences? Is there a logical flow from start to finish?

Language - Did you show off your sparkling vocabulary or did you use basic words? Did you make lots of grammar and spelling mistakes?

2. Time management

The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you should spend equal time on them. That gives you 40 minutes per text. Spend some of that time planning and some checking. For example:

You might think that's too long for the planning stage, but the more you plan the fewer problems you will have later.

3. You can't cook without a recipe

Many of my students hate the planning stage and like to just start writing as soon as possible. But the finished product is normally not very good. Imagine a chef in a restaurant - does he go into the kitchen and start throwing vegetables into pans? No - he gets a recipe and follows the plan!

So, take a deep breath, think about what you have to write, what you want to write, and how you can write it.

You can even start to think about good words you know, and advanced sentences that you can include.

Example: Before I started writing this page I listed all the sub-headings. I knew how I would start, and how I would finish. It's much easier to write with the structure already prepared.

4. Content

Now let's look at what Cambridge cares about in your writing. The first point is the content itself. If you are asked to write a letter to your friend and you write a poem - well, it doesn't matter how good that poem is. Maybe you can write the best poem in the history of the world - the examiner will be impressed, and then give you zero points.

Here's a sample FCE writing task:

You have to write about pollution and the environment, and you have to include 3 points. 2 of those points must be transport, and rivers and seas. If you don't include transport you can't get full marks in the exam. If you don't write about damage to the environment, you can't get full marks.

READ THE TASK AND DO EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS

5. Communicative Achievement

The next thing Cambridge wants is for you to show that you understand about tone. In the previous example, you were asked to write an essay for your English teacher. How formal should that be? You're not writing to a lawyer so you don't have to be super formal, but you aren't writing to your best friend, so you shouldn't be too casual.

For that essay, you should use a neutral or slightly formal style.

That means you need to study how to write in different ways. Spot the difference in tone in this extracts from letters:

1.

Guess what? I bunked off school and tramped up and down the beach all day. Great fun! I found some nearly-fresh muffins in a box, so that was lunch sorted. Free food! Niiiiiice.

2.

Dear Mr and Mrs Biggins,

I regret to inform you that we have taken the decision to suspend Jack from school for the next week. Not only did he fail to come to school today, but we received a call that he had stolen a container of confectionery from a local business.

In short, try to make sure that what you write is appropriate for the person you are writing to.

6. Organisation

Cambridge love when you link sentences together with words like 'whereas' and 'however', and link paragraphs with phrases like 'Firstly, secondly'.

You must learn how to use these phrases if you want a good grade.

One easy way to get a higher score in 'organisation' is to ask a question, and then answer it.

7. Language

Your writing will be more interesting and you'll get a better grade if you can use a wide variety of language. Use high-level vocabulary when you know it; don't repeat the same word too many times; don't make too many mistakes; try to use a variety of grammar (not just 'subject verb object' all the time).

You will be rewarded if you learn (and use) some appropriate phrasal verbs, idioms, and collocations. Compare these sentences:

1. The food was good and the service was good and we had a good time.

2. The food was delicious, while the service was faultless. Did we have a good time? Absolutely!

I hope you agree that the second is much nicer to read. Is it much harder to write? Not really. And if you don't know the word 'faultless' you might know a different word that would fit. Even if you said 'good' again, the sentence would get you a much better score in FCE because the 'while' connects the first two parts and the question connects the last two.

8. FCE Essays

You have to write an essay, so this is the first thing you should learn to write. Essays are about giving information and your opinions, comparing and contrasting.

Title: Use a title at the top of your essay. The title should be interesting so that someone would want to read the article. Imagine two friends share a link on Facebook. Which are you more likely to click on?

1.

Why Pollution is Bad

2.

Climate Change is Fake, and Here's Why

Most people would click on the second one! You don't have to be so provocative in your essay, but do try to make it interesting.

Structure: Use the task as the structure. In the example from question 4, you could have these paragraphs:

- Try to connect the title you have chosen with the conclusion. If you call your essay 'Climate Change is Fake!' you should end by saying 'and that's why climate change is not real.'

- You should write in a balanced way - don't only say that something is good or bad. Example:

'It's clear that pollution from cars is a big problem that should be looked at. The air in some cities is not fit for humans. But the car isn't totally a villain - it's also a symbol of freedom for many people. So we need a solution that lets people drive their cars, but without being too harmful. For example, electric cars let people get to work but are cleaner than diesel engines.'

- As a minimum, move from paragraph to paragraph by using phrases like 'firstly, secondly'. But try to learn some more advanced versions, too.

- There's more help in this article:

9. FCE Reports

Often, you'll be able to choose to write a report in part 2. The reader will usually be your teacher or a group you belong to. You have to give facts and make recommendations.

Example:

A group of English students is coming to your college. Your English teacher has asked you to write a report on one local tourist attraction. In your report you should

If I were writing that, I'd use this structure:

(Title:) Report on Old Trafford Football Stadium

The aim of this report is to describe Old Trafford and to say why it's the best destination for students who visit our college.

(a description of the stadium, its history)

(what you can do there - the stadium tour, the gift shop, touch the magical grass)

Why It's Perfect for Visitors

(the tour is given in English so it's good practice, football is universally popular, it's great for taking photos)

For the reasons I have mentioned, I highly recommend visiting Old Trafford with the visiting students. I'm sure they will all have a great time.

10. FCE Reviews

Reviews are quite a good choice for part 2 because you've probaby read thousands of reviews in your own language - reviews of movies, video games, hotels and so on. So you should be quite familiar with the format.

The main skills you need are: describing things, explaining, and giving your opinions.

IMPORTANT - You are allowed to lie in the exam! I personally hate the movie Titanic, but I remember quite a lot about it. If I had the task of reviewing a movie I love, maybe I would choose Titanic. The story is clear in my head, I remember the names of the actors, the director and the theme song... I can pretend to like it if it helps me pass the exam...

- Like in the essay task, I encourage my students to use an interesting title. 'Titanic - Their Hearts Will Go On'.

- Use the question to help you structure your review.

- Go to the following link for more help:

11. FCE Articles

Articles in First Certificate are usually written for English magazines or newsletters. The main thing is to make your articles interesting to read, and to give your opinions on the topic.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

Q - Do I have to use British spelling?

A - No. You can use American spelling.

Q - How important is spelling and punctuation?

A - You aren't expected to be perfect, but if a mistake stops the reader from understanding what you want to say, that's quite bad.

Q - How important is the word count? What happens if I write too many words?

A - If you do the task properly you will write the correct number of words. You won't lose marks if you write 5 words too many. Focus on writing what you have to write, and the word count will take care of itself.

Don't waste time in the exam counting how many words you have written!

Q - My handwriting is terrible! Will I lose points?

A - Just make sure a human can read it - if you are very messy, write a little bit slower. If you usually end up with lots of things crossed out - you need to plan better!

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Tips and advice for the Cambridge B2 First writing test. How to write essays, reports, reviews, and articles.

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Stop Saying "What?" - English Vocabulary Expressions!

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Buy Domains - dictationsonline.com is for sale!

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Uses of the present perfect simple

Recent past actions (just, already, yet)

To talk about past finished actions when we don't know or say when the action happened. There's often a present result.

We use just for actions that happened a very short time ago.

We also use the present perfect simple with the words already and yet.

Experiences (never, ever, before)

To talk about past experiences when we don't say when something happened.

We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences.

How much we have done of something of how many times we have done something

To talk about how much of something we have done or how many times we have done something (none, one, two, three, etc.) up to now.

The best thing I've ever done

We can use the present perfect simple with the superlative and ever.

Actions from the past till now (how long, for, since, lately, all day/morning, etc.)

With stative verbs ( be, know, etc.) for situations that started in the past and still continue. We normally use expressions like how long, for, since, lately, all day, etc.

Uses of the present perfect continuous

Actions from the past till now (how long, for, since, lately, all day/morning, etc.)

With dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue or have just finished, and often have present results.

To express duration, we often use words like how long, for, since, lately, all day, etc.

We can use the present perfect continuous for either continuous or repeated actions from the past till now.

Present perfect simple or continuous?

Situations that started in the past and still continue

We can use either the present perfect simple or continuous for situations that started in the past and still continue. But we must use the present perfect simple with stative verbs, and we normally use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs (although the present perfect simple is also possible.)

We use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue when we want to emphasise how long the situation has lasted.

I have been waiting for hours ! (=I want to emphasise that I've been waiting for a long time).

Finished and unfinished situations

We use the present perfect simple for finished actions in the past, and the present perfect continuous for situations (happening from the past till now) that may or may not have finished.

Actions with present results

We can use both present perfect simple or continuous for recent actions with a present result, but we use the present perfect simple when the present results come from having finished the action, and we use the present perfect continuous when the present results come from the process of performing the action (which may or may not have finished).
Do the exercises

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Present perfect simple or continuous - Test English

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Recent past actions (just, already, yet) To talk about past finished actions when we don't know or say when the action happened. There's often a present result. We use just for actions that happened a very short time ago. We also use the present perfect simple with the words already and yet.

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(Exam practice)

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cefr fce- free reading practice  exam practice english language elt efl grammar writing structure cambridge business exercises b2

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Read part of an employee handout regarding working with businesses in other countries.

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https://elt.oup.com/student/solutions/int/grammar/grammar_02_012e?cc=global&selLanguage=en

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https://linguapress.com/grammar/tests/past-tenses.htm

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Useful tips for letter writing or, to be more precise, phrases which you may need when writing formal letters.
Linking Words and Phrases - Video
Writing Formal Letters

Starting

We are writing you with reference to (the above order).

With reference to your advertisement/letter of 10 March......

We are pleased to have your inquiry of 25 of July....

We acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 12 April .....

With reference to your letter inquiring about...

With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday (about...),...

We wish to remind you that.....

I am writing this letter to request the cancellation of........

I am writing this letter to complain in the strongest terms about the poor service that I have received from your company.

Action

Please advise us as soon as the.......

Please open a .............in favour of (name of the company)..........

Payment can be made on any basis acceptable to you.

Could you please supply us with information about the company's standing.

We have been informed (by one of our clients) that..........

We regret to inform you, (however,) that....

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused.

We must insist on...

Please note that the closing date/deadline for the ......... is 30 September, so will you please complete the attached forms and return them as soon as possible.

Any information you supply will be treated confidentially.

May we remind you that your statement is still outstanding.

Will you kindly balance your account promptly.

We are puzzled to have had no remittance from you.

You already have an overdraft of....

Please give the matter your immediate attention.

We will be left with no alternative but to (take legal action)... unless payment is received within the next seven days.

Our circumstances do not allow us to wait/to go on waiting any longer.

Please look into the matter.

We were dissatisfied to find that....

We shall have to terminate the contract.

On examination we have found...

We greatly appreciated your patience in this matter.

Enclosures and Attachment

We would be grateful if you could forward/send any further information (you may have) about.... (products and terms of payment/this case)

We will be pleased to supply any further information you require.

We are sending the herewith the......

We look forward to doing business to our mutual advantage.

We would like to make a decision on this as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we suggest that you call the .........

We hope to meet your requirements.

Please send us by return the terms and conditions on ..............

For purposes of quick contact a reply by telephone would be appreciated.

We look forward to the opportunity of being at your service.

Could you please let us know in your earliest convenience whether the above terms and conditions are acceptable for you.

We hope that the matter will be settled to our mutual satisfaction.

We very much hope that you will be able to.....

I would be grateful if you could spare me a few minutes.

As our demand/request/issue is very urgent, a quick answer would be appreciated.

Would you (also forward details of charges).......... at your earliest convenience?

I should/would be pleased if you could send me .......

We trust/hope you will find this condition acceptable.

If there is any other information you need, please do not hesitate to contact us at the above e-mail address.

Thanking you in advance.

I would be most grateful if you would reply as soon as possible so that this matter can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Please find enclosed....

I am enclosing.......

Please find attached....

Useful Words and Phrases for Writing Formal Letters.

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Useful Words and Phrases for Writing Formal Letters in English - ESLBuzz Learning English

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Useful tips for letter writing or, to be more precise, phrases which you may need when writing formal letters. Linking Words and Phrases - Video We are writing you with reference to (the above order). With reference to your advertisement/letter of 10 March...... We are pleased to have your inquiry of 25 of July....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je_LyX_66w0

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https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-m_infinitive-ing.htm

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https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/gerunds-and-infinitives/

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https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/phrasal-verbs-list.htm

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6 ways to STOP translating in your head & THINK in another language! | #spon

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English news and easy articles for students of English

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News in Levels « World News for Students of English

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We write news in three different levels of English. We want to help you understand English more. Now all students can enjoy reading and listening to news.

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PTE General

The Pearson Test of English General
(Formerly The London Test of English, these are designed to reward positive achievement in English language learning. The tests consist of two parts: a written paper and an interview.

There are six levels of the General test:

The writing paper tests listening, reading comprehension and writing skills.

Recognition
Levels 4 and 5 are recognised for admission to UK universities and by many international companies.

How do the PTE General tests compare to other exams?
Click here to see a comparison table.

Where do I take the test?
At a test center in your country.

When can I take a PTE General test?
May, June, August, November, December.

How much does it cost?
The test fees are set by each center.These tests are reasonably priced. The higher level tests are more expensive than the lower level ones.
Expect to pay £50 for level A1 and £100 for level 5.

Resources for PTE General are reproduced with permission from Pearson

For further details, please contact:
Pearson Test of English

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PTE General English Tests from Pearson Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Pearson Test of English General (Formerly The London Test of English, these are designed to reward positive achievement in English language learning. The tests consist of two parts: a written paper and an interview. There are six levels of the General test: The writing paper tests listening, reading comprehension and writing skills.

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cambridge esol ielts exam practice english language elt efl grammar writing structure bulats bec ket pet fce cae cpe

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Cambridge English exams - Information and practice tests for IELTS, First (FCE), Advanced (CAE), Preliminary (PET) and other Cambridge exams

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Cambridge English - free practice tests for IELTS, CPE, Advanced (CAE),First (FCE),Preliminary (PET) andKey (KET)