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5. GEOLOGY

SESSION 12

Source: reddit.com

In PART 1, the final session of the course will take you on a trip to Dominican Republic, where you will discover everything about a mysterious substance called amber and the secrets it conceals.
PART 2 deals with the last of our Language Tools. It contains two very good video-explanations of comparison and some exercises related to them.
Finally, PART 3 is the ultimate challenge about Cultural Landmarks. Revise Johnson, Lovelace, Boyle, Lederberg, Curie and Turner before accepting this challenge or you will lose all your lives before reaching the end.

PART 1

Jewel of the earth

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is an English broadcaster and natural historian. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural history documentary series forming the Life collection that together constitute a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth. He is the only person to have won BAFTAs for programmes in each of black and white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K. In 2018 and 2019, he received Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narrator. He considers his 2020 documentary film, David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet, his personal witness statement of his life and the future. Continue reading...

EXAM UPDATE

Due to COVID-19, the listening class test has been cancelled. Check new assessment procedure below.

FINAL EXAM
100% of the mark
(5 January 2021)

•   Reading comprehension
• Vocabulary
• True/False
•   Cultural landmarks 1-6
•   Grammar
•   Writing

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STRUCTURE

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  Watching

• Jewel of the earth (4 sections)

  Comprehension

1. Section 1: A-B-C-D exercise
2. Section 2: Open questions
3. Section 3: Fill in the blanks
4. Section 4: Open questions

  Language Tools

5. Comparative (with video)
6. Superlative (with video)
7. Comparative vs Superlative

  Playing

• Challenge #1: Cultural landmarks

SECTION ONE

A mysterious substance

Watch the video and answer the A-B-C-D questions below.

NOTE: The video will start in a few seconds. If you have problems to visualise the videos on this page, please download the 9'59" video from Madoc. Click here to download.

A. Choose the right answer.

1. How old was David Attenborough when he first held a piece of amber?

a. 10 years old

b. 12 years old

c. 20 years old

d. 21 years old

Check answer

2. When do you have the biggest chance of finding amber on the shore?

a. At night

b. On a sunny day

c. After a storm

d. In winter

Check answer

3. What legendary explanations have been given for the origin of amber?

a. divine teardrops

b. rainbow crystals

c. solid raindrops

d. liquid sunshine

Check answer

4. Who was Pliny the Elder?

a. A Roman emperor

b. An artist living in Rome

c. A Greek philosopher

d. A Roman expert in natural history

Check answer

5. How does amber actually come about?

a. It is hardened tree resin

b. It is solidified insect blood

c. It is fossilized sea shells

d. It is dessicated limestone

Check answer

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PREVIOUS SESSIONS

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11. Volcano

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10. Particle accelerator

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9. 'Oumuamua

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8. Evolution

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7. Immune war against HIV

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6. Chemistry in fiction

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5. Mercury pollution

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4. Fortnite

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3. Artificial Intelligence

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2. The story of One

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1. Animals that count

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SUGGESTIONS

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Improve your English speaking, listening and writing skills with Duolingo, a free, fun-to-use app.

Gum tree resin
Source: ABC.net.au

SECTION TWO

Dominican amber

Watch the second section of the video and answer the questions below.

B. Open questions. Answer using your own words or quoting the video.

1. Where did David Attenborough go in the 1960s to look for amber?

Check answer

2. Is this amber younger or older than Baltic amber? How old is it?

Check answer

3. How, according to him, does it feel to find a piece of amber?

Check answer

4. What is there in the piece of amber they decide to enquire about? Where did it come from?

Check answer

5. What insect was found trapped in the amber?

Check answer

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LANDMARKS

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6. Charles Henry Turner

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5. Marie Curie

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4. Joshua Lederberg

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3. Robert Boyle

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2. Ada Lovelace

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1. Katherine Johnson

Dominican amber pendant
Source: Amber International

SECTION THREE

The stingless bee

Watch the third section of the video and fill in the blanks with the missing words.

C. Fill in the blanks.

She must have been familiar with many of the plants in that forest, indeed she depended on them. So, based on the Poinars' findings, and with a little bit of amber magic, we can follow her back home.

This (1) flower shows that the amber trees were not the only giants reaching up into the forest canopy. It belonged to a sebo, whose great (2) is supported by wide buttress roots.

But the (3) flowers of all came from a (4) tree, the nazareno. It seems (5) that these trees (6) the forest canopy. When one of these (7) fell, it would have opened up a (8) which other, (9) plants could fill, plants like palms.

And here are their flowers, (10) that palms were another key element of that forest.

So we have built up a (11) of what part of the forest was like and even identified some of the (12) which might have tempted my (13) But (14) .

Stingless bees
Source: IntechOpen.com

Buttress roots
Source: sciencephoto.com

Check answers (Do not click this button until you complete the exercise)

SECTION FOUR

The way to inmortality?

Watch the final section of the video and answer the questions below.

D. Open questions. Answer using your own words or quoting the video.

1. What was the bee probably doing when she was trapped in resin?

Check answer

2. Why would a bee try to do that? (2 reasons)

Check answer

3. What prospect does David Attenborough touch upon at the end of the program?

Check answer

Jurassic Park ambercane
Source: pinterest.com

Prehistoric moth in amber
Source: Sadigh Gallery

PART 2

Language tools

The following two videos are easy-to-understand explanations of comparison in English. Please watch them before doing the exercises.

COMPARATIVES

E. Write the correct form of the adjectives in the boxes.

1. My house is than yours.

2. This flower is than that one.

3. The book you lent me is than the one I was reading.

4. Non-smokers usually live than smokers.

5. Some dog breeds are than others, don't you think?

6. A holiday by the sea is than a holiday in the mountains.

7. It is strange but often a coke is than a beer.

8. Do you think Jeff Bezos (Amazon) is than Bill Gates (Microsoft)?

9. The weather this summer is even than last summer.

10. The thief was than the cops, and he ran away with the money.

Do not click
until you fill in
all the boxes!!

SUPERLATIVES

SUPERLATIVES

F. Write the correct form of the adjectives in the boxes.

1. This is probably song I've ever listened to.

2. Who do you think is in the world?

3. What is month of the year in Ireland?

4. My current English teacher is teacher that I've had in years.

5. Mary invited me to restaurant in town yesterday.

6. I find Chinese language to learn.

7. You and I may not be rich, but Peter definitely has money of the three.

8. Tombuctu is place I've been to.

9. I have dad in the world. He bought me a new car!

10. I've owned other dogs before, but Toby is of them all.

Do not click
until you fill in
all the boxes!!

ALL TOGETHER NOW

G. Choose between the comparative and superlative form of the adjectives in the boxes.

1. As the time for the performance got nearer, I got .

2. Ben says he’s feeling much after his illness.

3. I have been free time this year than I did last year

4. I think Mohammed Ali was boxer that has ever lived.

5. It was film I had ever seen.

6. Out of all the members of the choir, Jason sang .

7. Out of all the students in my school, I practice .

8. Slow down! You're than me and I can’t keep up!

9. The news was much than anyone had feared.

10. Veronica has been since she moved schools.

11. Who do you think is talented actor to win an Oscar?

12. You’ll need to be able to run than this if you’re going to do the marathon.

Do not click
until you fill in
all the boxes!!

PART 3

Grand finale! Landmark quiz

CHALLENGE #1

Show how much you know about our six scientists. You have 5 lives to confront 58 tricky questions in less than 15 minutes! Only the most skilled will be at the top of the leaderboard. Go for it!

Source: Forsyth County News

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