CATW Practice - Jobs and Obesity

Here is a new CATW Practice. You found it here first.

http://www.spirfit.org/CUNY/Downloads/CATW/Unofficial/Jobs_Obesity_CATW_Prompt.pdf

Other CATW Practices are available below:

http://cuny.SpirFit.com/2011/01/official-catw-practice-prompt-with.html

http://spirfit.org/CUNY/Downloads/CATWpractice1.pdf


Feel free to choose the “Subscribe” options on the right side of this page.

Writing Exercise - Revising a Paragraph on New Orleans Jazz (Part 1)

Let’s do a revision exercise. Revise the following paragraph from a student’s essay. Please read it, correct any errors, and improve the paragraph in any way. You are encouraged to also rephrase sentences to clarify them for the reader, but try your best to keep the original writer’s meaning. For my students who’ve done this in lab, you could find the link to a corrected piece at the bottom, but please try to do it on your own first.

There are a lot of cities in the United States that influenced and change history and culture of the whole country. One of these cities was New Orleans. It was large city with a big number of immigrants. In 1890, the largest black urban community in the United States lived in New Orleans. Early African Americans of New Orleans came from Africa as slaves. In the early 1900’s, New Orleans became the most famous center of jazz, because of African American musicians. Black musicians and some white musicians helped to develop jazz in bars and on Basin, Rampart, and other streets in the French Quarter.

Click here to see how this paragraph can be corrected and revised, or go to - http://spirfit.org/CUNY/Downloads/ErrorCorrection/NewOrleans_Paragraph1_Rephrased.pdf

Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this piece for free in your class, for public distribution, on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at cuny.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org/Blogs

ESL Lesson: Common Expression 4

Choose the right word.

Please fill ___ the blanks.

A. up
B. out
C. down
D. in


Please scroll down for the answer, after answering on your own.















Choice D is the right answer.
Please fill in the blanks.

This is a question from a TOEFL exercise. Unlike the examples in a previous blog of mine - ESL Common Expression Lesson 3, “fill in” would be the correct choice here. You fill out forms , but you fill in the blanks.

If you want to learn to use "fill in" correctly, just memorize the following examples.

On this exam, please fill in the blanks.

I will be absent from work tomorrow. Can you fill in for me?

When the drummer in our band was hospitalized, we scrambled to find a substitute drummer to fill in for him.

What kind of material do they use to fill in the holes in the wall?

Note: Although "fill in" is commonly used in everyday speech, it is not so good to use in writing. Also, please refer to the blog on "fill out" at http://cuny.SpirFit.com/2011/05/esl-lesson-common-expression-3.html to make sure you know the difference.

I recommend you print and/or save this lesson in a folder. Review it once tomorrow, once next week, once next month, and once six month from now. If you do so, the correct use of this expression will be engraved into your brain.

Feel free to choose the “Subscribe” options on the right side of this page. It’s free. Feel free to also contact me for lessons in person (for a fee) or through online chat (for a fee, but with a huge discount).

Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free to print for your own use, to print to distribute, or to post on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at CUNY.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org

Pass the CUNY ACT Reading (CAT Reading) Exam With This Protocol

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More CUNY ACT Reading material at 
http://spirfit.org/Academy/actreading/index.htm

The CUNY ACT Reading/CATR Exam is administered on a computer and it is not time-limited. The questions are all multiple choice questions. I have created a protocol in taking the ACT Reading Exam which many students have found useful. They have found that following this protocol improved their performance in reading comprehension and resulted in having more of the answers correct. Also, you may adjust or revise this protocol according to your individual needs. You should definitely use this protocol for ACT Reading practice exams provided by your professor or instructor.

ACT Reading Protocol
1. Read passage CAREFULLY at least twice. Sum up each paragraph in one phrase/sentence in your head. (If scrap paper is provided, do it on scrap paper.)
2. Write in one sentence the overall message, or main idea, of the author.
3. Write in one sentence also the attitude or tone of the author (toward an issue, a character, or toward whatever the passage is addressing).
4. Begin answering the questions. For each question, read from the beginning of the passage up to the point where you believe the answer is located. (If you do this and you have the author’s main idea/overall message in mind and have his attitude or tone in mind, you will do well.)

Note
•By the time you are done, you should’ve read the entire passage AT LEAST THREE TIMES, but probably more times.

• Keep in mind that the creator of the questions in most cases is not the author of the passage. Think in the perspective of the creator of the questions who is probably an English instructor or professor. You have to try to get into the minds of two people, the author of the passage and creator of the questions.

• Use POE (the process of elimination) when answering the questions.

• Be careful not to just focus on one detail or one small area of the passage while ignoring the rest.  (This is a common mistake from students who have trouble passing the ACT Reading Exam.)  Use the entire passage to get to the main idea (or the main message) as well as the attitude and tone of the author (as mentioned in steps 2 and 3.)


An Unconventional Tip
Before reading, get your mind into the alpha state which will help you increase reading comprehension. You can put yourself into the alpha state within 20 seconds by doing a breathing exercise, a mind-calming technique, or saying a prayer. This is backed up by scientific studies. The alpha state is also known as the “relaxation response” or the relaxed alert state. The more practice you have in reaching the relaxed-alert state, the more success you will have in improving reading comprehension.

Additional Note
This lesson applies to the CUNY ACT Reading. The ACT Reading exams outside of CUNY may be somewhat different.



Copyright: © 2006, 2010, This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for your web site, blog, or e-zine if and only if you include this copyright notice with the following statement and web links. More teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at:

SpirFit.org/Academy
cuny.SpirFit.com
SpirFit.org/Blogs

Inquiries may be sent to: healthsciencewriter@gmail.com

ESL Lesson: Common Expression 3

Choose the right word.

Please fill ___ this form

A. up
B. on
C. down
D. out


Please scroll down for the answer, after first answering on your own.















Choice D is the right answer.
Please fill out this form.

This is a question from a TOEFL exercise. When it comes to forms and applications, you generally use “fill out”. You fill out forms. You fill out an application. You fill out the census. (A census is a set of forms used for collecting information about you and the rest of the population.) If you want to learn to use "fill out" correctly, just memorize the following examples.

When I arrived at the job interview, they first requested me to fill out an application.

“The municipality could lose $112 for every person who doesn't fill out the census.” Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press.

When I went to this doctor for the first time, his assistant told me to fill outa form.

When I was applying for new insurance, they required me tofill outa medical history form.

Note: I recommend you print and/or save this lesson in a folder. Review it once tomorrow, once next week, once next month, and once six month from now. If you do so, the correct use of this expression will be solidified into your brain.

Feel free to choose the “Subscribe” options on the right side of this page. It’s free.

Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free to print for your own use, to print to distribute, or to post on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at CUNY.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org

ESL Lesson: Common Expression 2

Choose the right expression.

How long does it take ________the nearest train station?

A. get to
B. to get
C. to get to
D. getting to


Please scroll down for the answer, after answering it on your own.















Choice C is the right answer.
How long does it take to get to the nearest train station?



This is a question from a TOEFL exercise. “To get to” is commonly used in speaking, but it’s not so good to use in writing.

It’s a waste of time to try to rationalize why this answer is the right choice. For fluent English speakers, we just immediately know the correct one because we’ve heard it a million times. We don't pause for two minutes trying to rationalize why we choose the words "to get to". The best way for you to learn this is to see or hear it a million times. Okay, maybe not that much. Here are some examples of sentences using “to get to”.

What bus do I need to take to get to Broadway?

What does it take to get to medical school?

How many fights does the boxer need to win to get to the top?

What kind of grades do I need, to get to Stanford?

I want to get to class on time today.

You need to go toward the light to get to heaven.


Note: I recommend you print and/or save this lesson in a folder. Review it once tomorrow, once next week, once next month, and once six month from now. If you do so, the correct use of this expression will be solidified into your brain.

Feel free to choose the “Subscribe” options near the upper right side of this page. It’s free.










Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at CUNY.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org/Academy

ESL Lesson: Common Expression 1

Choose the right expression.


_____________ the floor manager, we don’t need to work this Friday afternoon.
A. According
B. According of
C. According from
D. According to

Please scroll down for the answer after answering it on your own.

















Choice D is the right answer.
According to the floor manager, we don’t need to work this Friday afternoon.

This is a question from a TOEFL exercise. It’s a useless waste of time to try to rationalize why this is the right choice. For fluent English speakers and proficient English writers, we just immediately know the correct one because we’ve seen it 1000 times. We don't pause for two minutes trying to rationalize why we choose the words "according to". The best way for you to learn this is to see it 1000 times. Okay, that maybe an exaggeration. Here are seven examples of professional writers using “according to”.

“Soccer star David Beckham was involved in a car crash on the 405 Freeway Friday morning in Torrance, according to the California Highway Patrol.” - Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times

“According to an American official familiar with his interrogation, Mr. Mohammed was first asked about Mr. Kuwaiti in the fall of 2003, months after the waterboarding.” - Scott Shane, New York times

“According to a recent report in the Toledo Blade, a billboard in Michigan between Detroit and Ann Arbor on I-94, clad in a scarlet background with bold white letters, takes a jab at Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and his familiar sweater vests.” - ESPN

“According to a senior military official, the body was washed, shrouded and dispatched with a funeral prayer.” - Leor Halevi, Contributing Writer to the New York Times

“They were dropped by mini-parachutes from rockets that open during flight, according to the New York Times.” - BBC News

“The Memphis river gauge was at 47.12 feet at 2 pm local time, according to the National Weather Service.” - Brian K. Sullivan, Bloomberg

“Women under 50 should decide whether or not to start having mammograms after having discussions with their physicians about their specific risk factors, according to a U.S. health task force.” - U.S.A. Today


Note: I recommend you print and/or save this lesson in a folder. Review it once tomorrow, once next week, once next month, and once in six months. If you do so, the correct use of this expression will be solidified into your brain.





For other academic lessons, feel free to go to: http://SpirFit.org/Academy

Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at CUNY.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org

To Improve Your Writing, Rephrase and Correct Errors

Let’s do an exercise in rephrasing and error correction. The following is a draft by an ESL student. Please read it and correct any errors. You are encouraged to also rephrase sentences to clarify them for the reader, but try your best to keep the original writer’s meaning. For my students who’ve done this in lab, you could find the link to a corrected piece at the bottom, but please try to do it on your own first.

I was on bed for five day with sickness. Because I took a bath so late the night before. The first day about 6:30 a.m. when I open my eyes to get up of the bed, I call my wife and I told her that I feel an unhealth condition I feel sick. She put her hand on my head and said, you have fever, you better stay on bed I going to give you a tea with a aspirin. Where I staied the all day in the house.

The second day I was more bad because now isn't only fever the what I have. Also I have cold now. I told my wife what I get too. She told me, You better go to the doctor. I went to the doctor and he gave me some pill and something to drink. I don't like go see the doctors because the only think that they do and said to me take some pill and relax. I told my wife do me a tea with some herbs that we used in our country. She made a tea with a herb call Limonsillo this is a Spanish name is used for fever and cold.

The fourth day I was feeling more better. That day the fourth I don't have fever. I was feeling more strong. I still have my cold but no so bad that the day before. This day the fourth I drank my tea again with a Contac.

The fiveth day I could say I was fine. Not fever my cold more and much better. I could say that when you believe in somethink that work to you. Because I drank that tea knowing that is going to work.

The Corrected Version
Click here for the corrected piece, or go to- http://spirfit.org/CUNY/Downloads/ErrorCorrection/ErrorCorrectionExercise_Corrected2.pdf

Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at cuny.SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead

Breaking News! Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan,according to White House officials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?hp

However, it's hard to tell whether the war on terrorism will get harder or easier. Is chopping off the head (of Al Qaeda) effective or will he become a martyr thereby strengthening his followers? We must remain vigilant, as Al Qaeda may try to retaliate.



"The death of Mr. Bin Laden is a defining moment in the American-led war on terrorism. What remains to be seen is whether the death of the leader of Al Qaeda galvanizes his followers by turning him into a martyr, or whether it serves as a turning of the page in the war in Afghanistan and gives further impetus to the Obama administration to bring American troops home."

Writing Assignment
Write an essay addressing any of the following questions. How do you feel about this news? Do you think Al Qaeda and other followers of Bin Laden will be weakened by this, or will Bin Laden become a martyr strengthening the devotion of his followers? How will this news affect the U.S.? The Middle East? The world?


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