Level Tests

These tests are not for marks on your report, but for my information, so see where you are now.

For each test show me the final result on your screen.  Do not close the window.

Exam English level test.  You have done this before.  Log-in with a false identity, to keep your privacy.  There is a reading and a listening quiz.

You can try this TOEFL practice test, but it is much harder.

Good luck.

EXAM DATES and requirements

ESL EXAMS 
- will be the last two days and periods of ESL, Thursday, 6/12, and Friday, 6/13

Thursday, 6/12, P1
- grammar, multiple-choice and short answer
- reading, multiple-choice and short answer

Friday, 6/13, P2
- listening, multiple-choice and short answer
- writing, longer answers in paragraph and short essay form

Use and bring
- pencils, pens, etc
- English or English-Japanese/Korean/... dictionaries that do not have any Internet connection (paper or electronic)
- spare blank paper

Do not use
- smartphones or tablets, or other Internet devices (leave in bag with sound off)
- paper with notes written on them

Pathways 2, Unit 1: Happiness

We'll work on rough copy tomorrow to Friday, this week

Content:

- write an essay about happiness in your community
- include a clear topic-sentence in each paragraph of the body
- use vocabulary from the unit, and other vocabulary

Due dates: 

- rough copy is due Friday, 05/30, so that we can peer edit, especially for paragraphs and topic sentences

- good copy is due Monday, 06/02 (emailed and printed before the start of class!)

- presentations will be Thursday, 06/05 and Friday, 06/06

How to present it:

- the text must be three hundred to five hundred words, and you must print me a copy

- the font must be 'Times New Roman', size 12.  It must be double-spaced
- you must read the essay, or pre-record the essay to play it

- you should make this more interesting than simply a reading

- use pictures or video, of your own or other

- don't make a Power Point text-heavy presentation

Blog post for Monday, 5/19

Good morning, and welcome back from Golden Week.

You have a blog post due for Monday, 5/19.  The topic is your choice: I suggest something about your week off during Golden Week, or the JHS/SHS field trip.  Usual length, etc.

ESL Golden Week homework!

Conditionals Test on Monday, May 5/12

CONDITIONAL TENSES: 'If'
Begin practicing for the conditional on your apps and here:
- British Council Conditionals 1, explanation and exercises
- British Council Conditionals 2, explanation and exercises
- Explanation of all types 

Conditionals

A conditional sentence is a sentence containing the word if. There are three basic types of conditional sentence:

1. if clause > present simple tense : main clause > future tense (will)
   • If you help me, I will help you.
   • If I win the lottery, I will buy a new car.
   • If it snows tomorrow, we will go skiing.
2. if clause > past simple tense : main clause > would
   • If you knew her, you would agree with me.
   • If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.
   • If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing.
3. if clause > past perfect tense : main clause > would have
   • If you had helped me, I would have helped you.
   • If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new car.
   • If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing.

Of course, it is possible to start conditional sentences with the main clause:

• I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.
• I would buy a new car if I won the lottery.
• I would have bought a new car if I had won the lottery.

Passive Quizes

You have four!  They add up to 49; however, I will give you a mark out of 50: there is a one-mark bonus, 2%.

Like last time, do them all, and tell me all four marks.  Do not post the results or email them: write them and your name on a piece of scrap paper and give me the paper.

The first three are simple multiple choice:
- PASSIVE VOICE 2 (out of 10)
- PASSIVE VOICE 3 (out of 10)
- Passive Quiz (out of 15)

The last one is more difficult, even though it is multiple choice: the examples are correct, but you must choose why they are written in passive voice.
- Passive Quiz 2 (out of 14)


CONDITIONAL TENSES: 'If'
You can begin practicing for the conditional on your apps and here when you have finished the passive quizzes:
- British Council Conditionals 1, explanation and exercises
- British Council Conditionals 2, explanation and exercises
- Explanation of all types 

Conditionals

A conditional sentence is a sentence containing the word if. There are three basic types of conditional sentence:

1. if clause > present simple tense : main clause > future tense (will)
   • If you help me, I will help you.
   • If I win the lottery, I will buy a new car.
   • If it snows tomorrow, we will go skiing.
2. if clause > past simple tense : main clause > would
   • If you knew her, you would agree with me.
   • If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car.
   • If it snowed tomorrow, we would go skiing.
3. if clause > past perfect tense : main clause > would have
   • If you had helped me, I would have helped you.
   • If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new car.
   • If it had snowed yesterday, we would have gone skiing.

Of course, it is possible to start conditional sentences with the main clause:

• I will buy a new car if I win the lottery.
• I would buy a new car if I won the lottery.
• I would have bought a new car if I had won the lottery.

Homework: last week of April

First, text reading and answers:
- answer p. 4, A, B, C (by yourself)
- read pp. 5-6
- answer p. 7, B, C, D and E (by yourself)
- finished by Thursday

No Blog due

Links to information from this unit on 'World Happiness':
- Ranking
- Map
- Main page

G8/9
- passive voice grammar quiz on Friday.  Study!
- K MJ has a presentation on Thursday

Unit 10: Famous Photographer

Due date: 

- good copy will be due Thursday, 04/24

- presentations will be Thursday, 04/24
- we'll work on rough copy tomorrow to Tuesday/Wednesday
- you will send me the text and pictures by email, by the start of class

Content:

- write an introductory paragraph about the photographer
- write a paragraph about each of the pictures you will show (four to five photographs)
- use vocabulary from the unit to describe the pictures, and other vocabulary

How to present it:

- you must show the pictures

- the text must be three hundred to five hundred words, and you must print me a copy
- the font must be 'Times New Roman', size 12.  It must be double-spaced.

Edward Burtynsky

Passive Voice Quiz: 4/18

Passive Voice Quiz: 4/18

You will have a quiz on the use of the passive-voice this week.  Once again, review using the apps on your phone, or you can try these tests.  Here is a longer explanation, and here is the shorter.  Read the shorter first.  Active is the regular way, and passive is less common and sounds weaker, but you use it to avoid saying who/what is doing the action.

                                  ACTIVE                                             PASSIVE

Simple Present	Once a week, Tom cleans the house.	Once a week, the house is cleaned (by Tom).
Present Continuous	Right now, Sarah is writing the letter.	Right now, the letter is being written (by Sarah).
Simple Past	Sam repaired the car.	The car was repaired (by Sam).

Current Events: US to send two Aegis class destroyers to Japan

Due Monday, 4/14

Story: US to send two more warships to Japan by 2017.  These are destroyers with Aegis anti-missile weapons, mainly to stop missiles sent from North Korea.  

1. Write a summary of the story. This must be in sentences, and about 300 to 500 words, and IN YOUR OWN WORDS. This is the part you explain.

2. Choose five most important or new vocabulary words to explain to the class. Define them in simple English, in your own words, so everyone should understand.

3. Post to your blog, with the title: "Current Events: XXXXXXX"

4. Hyperlink where your story information comes from, like I have at the top.

Blog: Your Choice, for next Monday.

Make sure you finished the Current Events post due this morning.

Before next week Monday you must finish a blog on a topic of your choice.

CURRENT EVENTS post by Monday 3/31

This must be ready for the day you return to school after the break.  Do not forget #3.  I think ZY is already done!

1. Find a recent news story online in print or in video that you can understand, and can explain to the rest of the class. You should also read/listen to the story in your own language; however, you must also listen/read to it in English and share it in English. International news is the best choice.  Paste a link to the story in your assignment blog post: post an English link, please.

2. Write a summary of the story. This must be in sentences, and about 300 to 500 words, and IN YOUR OWN WORDS. This is the part you explain.

3. Choose five most important or new vocabulary words to explain to the class. Define them in simple English, in your own words, so everyone should understand.

5. Post to your blog, with the title: "Current Events: XXXXXXX"

Unit 9: Animal Behaviour

Due date: 
- good copy will not be due until Thursday, 03/13
- presentations will be that Thursday and Friday
- we'll work on rough copy next Monday to Wednesday
- you will send me the text and video or presentation by email, by the start of class

Describe the behavior of your animal:
- write an introductory paragraph
- tell me about the different behaviours it has (what you photographed from the board)
- each behavior category is a paragraph
- write a concluding paragraph

How to present it:
- you can present it on your blog, Powerpoint, Prezzi, Imovie, etc.
- you must have video showing the animal behaviour
- you can show video of the behaviours while reading your presentation
- or put the audio of your reading into the video
- the text must be four hundred to five hundred words, and you must print me a copy
- the font must be 'Times New Roman', size 12.  It must be double-spaced.
 

Music assignment delayed until Thursday next week.

Monday through Wednesday we'll do some review of paragraphs.  Your music presentations will be on Thursday.

Enjoy the day off today!

Unit 8: favourite musician, band, or song - show and explain.

Due date: 
- good copy will not be due until Monday, 02/17
- we'll work on rough copy this Thursday and Friday
- you will send me the text and video or presentation by email, or on a USB (etc.) by the start of class

Three reasons, five paragraphs:
- write an introductory paragraph
- tell me three reasons, or more, that this music is a favourite
- each reason is a paragraph
- write a concluding paragraph

You have a choice of how to present it:
- the simplest way is with your text on Word, and tell me a link to a video of the music on the Internet
- the text must be four hundred to five hundred words. 
- the font must be 'Times New Roman', size 12.  It must be double-spaced.

- or you can write it on your blog, Powerpoint, Prezzi, Imovie, etc.
- you must have video or audio of the music (video is more interesting)
- you will read us your presentation while showing us the pictures/video from your presentation

BI-WEEKLY CURRENT EVENTS BLOG ASSIGNMENT

1. Find a recent news story online in print or in video that you can understand, and can explain to the rest of the class. You should also read/listen to the story in your own language; however, you must also listen/read to it in English and share it in English. International news is the best choice.  Paste a link to the story in your assignment blog post: post an English link, please.

2. Write a summary of the story. This must be in sentences, and about 300 to 500 words, and IN YOUR OWN WORDS. This is the part you explain.

3. Choose five most important or new vocabulary words to explain to the class. Define them in simple English, in your own words, so everyone should understand.

5. Post to your blog, with the title: "Current Events: XXXXXXX"

 

The first one is due by Monday at 8:30, 2/03.  All blog are due Monday morning.

 

'Current Events' will be every other week for your blog.  The weeks between will be 'free topic'.

"Where would you most like to explore? Why would you like to go there?"

Due date: 
- good copy will not be due until Thursday, 01/16
- you will send me the text and presentation by email, or on a USB (etc.) by or at the start of class

You have a choice of how to present it:
- you can write it on your blog, Powerpoint, Prezzi, Imovie, etc.
- it must have pictures and/or video of the place
- you will read us your presentation while showing us the pictures/video from your presentation- the text must be four hundred to five hundred words. 
- the font must be 'Times New Roman', size 12.  It must be double-spaced.