Vocabulary exercises

Exercise 1. Give the past form of the following verbs:

melt, wash, turn, hurry, feel, grow, stand, ride, catch, set, wake, mean, bend, freeze, begin, fall, lose.

Exercise 2. Match the nouns with adjectives to make common phrases:

Example: heavy rain, heavy snow, etc.

Nouns: rain Adj.: heavy bright

wind strong clear

fog fresh clean

snow thick cloudy

sky thin hot

air cold

Exercise 3. Add the missing forms:

1. north … northerly

south southern …

east … …

west … …

2. north – east … north-easterly

north – west north-western …

south – east … …

south – west … …

Exercise 4. Give the degrees of comparison of the following adjectives:

dark, heavy, hard, large, old, severe, pleasant, bad, good, strong, weak, little, much, far, near, late, clear, hot, warm, beautiful.

Exercise 5. Answer the questions using Essential vocabulary.

1. How many seasons are there in the year? What are they? What is your favourite season?

2. When does spring begin in your city? In the north of our country? In the south?

3. What is the weather like in March? Does it often snow?

4. When does it often rain?

5. What is an Indian summer like?

6. When do trees become red and yellow? Is it a beautiful sight?

7. When does winter set in Volgograd? Is it cold in winter? Are frosts very hard? When are the trees covered with snow?

8. Is the weather in Volgograd changeable?

9. Does the weather usually keep fine in summer?

10. What is the weather like today?

11. What city is famous for its fogs?

12. When is it slushy? muddy?

13. Do you like rainy weather?

14. Do you like it when it is hot? warm? cool? rainy? misty? sunny?

Exercise 6. Change the following sentences according to the example.

Example: When the sun shines … (the weather is sunny)

When the sun shines we say (that) the weather (it) is sunny.

1. When it rains … (rainy). 2. When it drizzles and sleets … (nasty). 3. When a

cold wind blows … (windy). 4. When there is a fine mist over the city … (misty). 5. When a fog is spreading … (foggy). 6. When the frost is hard … (frosty). 7. When it is warm … (fine). 8.When the sky is covered with clouds … (cloudy). 9. When the sky is clear … (cloudless). 10. When the weather often changes … (changeable). 11. When there is much snow … (snowy). 12. When we are in for a spell of good weather at the beginning of September … (Indian summer) 13. If the weather doesn’t turn to the worse … (to keep fine).

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with prepositions and postverbal adverbs wherever necessary:

1. London is famous … its fogs. They have fogs especially often … autumn. When a thick fog spreads … the city people can’t see each other at arm’s length.

2. … heavy rains we are … … a spell … good weather again.

3. It looks like rain: the sky is cast … dark clouds, a cold wind is blowing.

4. I prefer to stay indoors … rainy weather.

5. Indian summer is a short period … warm sunny weather … the beginning of autumn.

6. If the weather keeps fine we can go … the country … Sunday.

7. Many people are fond … winter sports.

Exercise 8. Look at the words and word combinations given in the table and say:

a) what we (can) see (watch, notice) in winter, spring, summer and autumn;

b) what we (can) hear in winter, etc.;

c) what we (can) feel in winter, etc.;

d) what we want (expect) winter, spring, summer, autumn to be.

What can we do in …	Winter	Spring	Summer	Autumn
Watch See Notice	snowflakes fall(ing)down; Father Frost draw(ing) pictures; children skate(ing), play(ing), etc.	flowers get(getting) into blossom; grass turn(ing) green; birds come(coming) back, birds make(making) their nests, etc.	children play(ing) outdoors; people swim(ming); lie (lying) in the sun; plants grow(ing), etc.	Leaves fall(ing) down; leaves turn(ing) red, yellow, brown; birds fly(ing) to warm countries; children go(ing) to school, etc.
Hear	snow crunch(ing) under the feet; wind blow(ing)	birds sing(ing) sweetly; people laugh(ing)	children laugh(ing); birds sing(ing); leaves of the trees whisper(ing)	birds cry(ing); rain pour(ing); wind blow(ing), etc.
Feel	days grow shorter; nights grow longer, snow storm blow(ing); frost bite (biting), etc.	warm wind blow(ing); air smell fresh; sun shine brightly, etc.	days grow longer; flowers smell lovely; sun get(ting) warmer, etc.	weather change; cold set(ting) in, etc.
Want	to be fun for everyone; not to be severe, to be snowy, etc.	to come quickly; to be beautiful; to be full of warm days, etc.	to be long; to be full of sunny days; not to be very hot, etc.	not to be very cold and rainy; to show us its beauty, etc.

Exercise 9. Look at Picture 2 and answer the following questions:

1. Which of the four seasons is it?

2. Is the sky overcast with heavy clouds or is it clear and bright?

3. Is the sun shining brightly?

4. What is the ground covered with?

5. Are the fruit trees in blossom?

6. Do you see any flower-beds in the picture?

7. Who do you see in the picture?

8. What are the grown-up people doing?

9. What are the children doing?

10. Do people stay at home in spring or do they prefer to go out into the garden?

11. How do you like to spend your time in spring?

Exercise 10. Look at Picture 1 and ask one another questions using the words and word combinations given below:

picture 1 picture 2

season; summer; hot, cold; the sun; to shine brightly; on the bank of the river; to bathe, to swim; to boat, to fish (to go boating, to go fishing); to lie in the sun (on the sand); to pick flowers; to pick (to gather) berries and mushrooms; in the woods; to spend one’s vacation (holiday) on the seaside; to travel by car; to go cycling; in a rest-home; on the shore.

Exercise 11. Describe Picture 3 using the words and word combinations:

picture 3 picture 4

autumn; weather; nasty; the sky; to be overcast; cold, wind, to blow; low clouds, to drive across the sky; to rain heavily (hard); to hurry along the streets; to wear raincoats; to carry an umbrella; to get wet through; cars, trolley-buses, buses; to go (run) along the streets; to splash; mud; passers-by.

Exercise 12. Look at Picture 4 and make up a dialogue. Use the Essential Vocabulary, Conversational Phrases and Hesitation Devices.

Conversational phrases.

Weather remarks: It seems to be getting warm, doesn’t it?

It’s very windy (mild, wet, stormy) today.

I’ll be glad when the rain’s over, won’t you?

It’s nice (cold, warm, hot), isn’t it?

Hesitation devices: um, er, well, actually, in fact, you see, you know, the thing is, I think…, I believe …, I suppose ….

Exercise 13. Complete the following sentences using the words in brackets:

1. The sky will be clear if the wind … (to stop). 2. I shall go to the country if the weather … (to be fine). 3. We shall go to the skating-rink if the frost … (to be not severe). 4. The snow will melt if the sun … (to be hot). 5. You will feel warm if you … (to put on) a warm coat. 6. The days will be longest when summer … (to come). 7. I shall go home if it … (to rain). 8. We look forward to the time when spring … (to come).

Exercise 14. Describe your favourite season using the words below:

spring sets in; nature comes to life; the days get longer and warmer; to break into blossom; the air is fresh and cool; the leaves in the trees yellow and red; the sky is clear; the countryside looks lovely; the temperature is rising (falling).

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21