Quiz : READING COMPREHENSION
1. What is the author’s main purpose in the passage?
A. To describe the San Andreas Fault
B. To give a definition of a fault
C. To explain the reason for tremors and earthquakes
D. To classify different kinds of faults
2. How does the author define the San Andreas Fault?
A. A plate that underlies the North American continent
B. A crack in the Earth’s crush between two plates
C. Occasional tremors and earthquakes
D. Intense pressure that builds up
3. The word originates in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by
A. gets wider C. begins
B. changes direction D. disappears
4. In which direction does the western side of the fault move?
A. West B. East C. North D. South
5. The word it in the paragraph 1 refers to
A. San Francisco B. ocean C. coast D. fault
6. The word intermittent in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by which one of the following?
A. dangerous C. uncommon
B. predictable D. occasional
7. Along the San Andreas Fault, tremors are
A. small and insignificant C. frequent events
B. rare, but disastrous D. very unpredictable
8. The phrase “the Big One” refers to which of the following?
A. A serious earthquake C. The river scale
B. The San Andreas Fault D. California
9. Which of the following words best describes the San Andreas Fault?
A. Straight B. Deep C. Wide D. Rough
Problem 52 Count Nouns
Remember that count nouns have both singular and plural forms. Plural numbers can precede count nouns but not noncount nouns.
There are several categories of count nouns that can help you organize your study. Some of them are listed here.
1. Names of persons, their relationships, and their occupations:
one boy two boys
one friend two friends
one student two students
2. Names of animals, plants, insects:
one dog two dogs
one flower two flowers
one bee two bees
3. Names of things with a definite, individual shape:
one car two cars
one house two houses
one room two rooms
4. Units of measurement
one inch two inches
one pound two pounds
one degree two degrees
5. Units of classification in society:
one family two families
one country two countries
one language two languages
6. Containers of noncount solid, liquids, pastes, and gases:
one bottle two bottles
one jar two jars
one tube two tubes
7. A limited number of abstract concepts:
one idea two ideas
one invention two inventions
one plan two plans
Number (plural) Noun (count-plural)
sixty years
Avoid using a singular count noun with a
plural number.
Examples :
– Incorrect :We have twenty dollar left.
Correct :We have twentydollars left.
Problem 53 : Nouncount Nouns
Remember noncount nouns have only one form. They are used in agreement with singular verbs. The word the does not precede them.
There are categories of noncount nouns that can help you organize your study. Some of them are listed here.
1.Food staples that can be purchased in various forms:
•bread
•meat
•Butter
2. Construction materials that can change shape, depending on what is made:
•wood
•iron
•Grass
3. Liquids that can change shape, depending on the shape of the container:
•oil
•tea
•milk
4. Natural substances that can change shape, depending on natural laws:
•steam, water, ice
•smoke, ashes
•oxygen
5. Substances with many small parts:
•rice
•sand
•sugar
6. Groups of things that have different sizes and shapes:
•clothing (a coat, a shirt, a sock)
•furniture (a table, a chair, a bed)
•luggage (a suitcase, a trunk, a box)
•
7. Languages:
•Arabic
•Japanese
Spanish
8. Abstract concepts, often with endings -ness, -ance, -ence, -ity:
•beauty
•ignorance
•piece
9. Most -ing forms:
•learning
•shopping
•working
Noun (noncount) verb (singular)
Friendship is important
Avoid using the before a nouncount noun. Avoid using a plural verb with a nouncount noun.
Examples :
Incorrect :The happiness means different things to different people.
Correct :Happiness means different things to different people.
Problem 54 Nouns with Count and Nouncount Meanings
Remember that some nouns may be used asnoncount nouns depending on their meanings. Materials are abstract concepts arenoncount nouns, but they may be used ascount nouns to express specific meanings.
Count noun
Specific meaning
Noun
Nouncount
General meaning
an agreement
an occasion
agreement
abstract concept
agreements
a document
all agreements
a bone
a part of a
bone
construction
bones
skeleton
material
a business
a company
business
abstract concept
business
all businessTransactions
a cloth
a piece of
cloth
construction
cloths
cloth
material
a decision
an occasion
decision
abstract concept
decisions
all decisions
an education
a specific
education
abstract concept
educations
all decisions
a fire
an event
fire
material
fires
a glass
a container
glass
construction
glasses
material
a history
a historical
history
abstract concept
histories
account
all history
an honor
an occasion
honor
abstract concept
honors
or an award
all honor
a language
a specific
language
abstract concept
languages
variety
all languages
a life
a specific
life
abstract concept
lives
person’s
all life
a light
a lamp
light
the absence of
lights
darkness
a noise
a specific
noise
abstract concept
noises
sound
all sounds
a pain
a specific
pain
abstract concept
pains
occasion
all pain
a paper
a document
paper
construction
papers
or sheet
material
a pleasure
a specific
pleasure
abstract concept
pleasures
occasion
all pleasure
a silence
a specific
silence
abstract concept
silences
occasion
all silences
a space
a blank
space
the universe
spaces
a stone
a small rock
stone
construction
stones
material
a success
an achieve-
success
abstract concept
successes
ment
all success
a thought
an idea
thought
abstract concept
thoughts
all thought
a time
a historical period
time
abstract concept
times
or moment
all time
a war
a specific war
war
the general act of war
wars
all wars
a work
an artistic creation
work
employment
works
abstract concept
all work
a document
I have a paper due Monday
construction material
Let’s use paper to make the present
Avoid using count nouns with specific meanings to express the general meanings of noncount nouns.
Examples :
Incorrect r. Bradley will receive special honor at the graduation.
Correct r. Bradley will receive a special honor at the graduation. (an
award)
Problem 55 Count and Nouncount Nouns with Similar Meanings
Remember that there are pairs of nouns with similar meanings, but one is a count noun and the other is a noncount noun.
Count noun
Nouncount noun
a climate
weather
climates
a laugh
laughter
laughs
a human being
humanity
human beings
a job
work
jobs
a machine
machinery
machines
a man
mankind; man
men
a person
people
persons
a snowflake
snow
snowflakes
a sunbeam
sunlight; sunshine
sunbeams
a traffic jam
traffic
traffic jams
a noun (count)
The shape of a snowflake is unique
Avoid using a with a noncount noun instead of a singular count noun.
Examples :
Incorrect :California has a good weather.
Correct :California has good weather.
or
California has a good climate.
Problem 56 Noncount Nouns that Are Count Nouns in Other Languages
Remember, many nouns that are count nouns in other languages may be noncount nouns in English.
Some of the most troublesome have been listed for you on the following page.
advice; anger; courage; damage; equipment; fun; homework; ignorance; information; knowledge; leisure; luck; money; music; news; patience; permission; poetry; poverty; progress.
Noun (noncount)
Did you do your homework
Avoid using a or an before noncount nouns.
Examples :
Incorrect o you have an information about it?
Correct o you have information about it?
Problem 57 Singular and Plural Expression of Noncount Nouns
Remember that the following singular and plural expressions are idiomatic:
a piece of advice two pieces of advice
a piece of bread two pieces of bread
a piece of equipment two pieces of equipment
a piece of furniture two pieces of furniture
a piece of information two pieces of information
a piece of jewelry two pieces of jewelry
a piece of luggage two pieces of luggage
a piece of mail two pieces of mail
a piece of music two pieces of music
a piece of news two pieces of news
a piece of toast two pieces of toast
a loaf of bread two loaves of bread
a slice of bread two slices of bread
an ear of corn two ears of corns
a bar of soap two bars of soap
a bolt of lightning two bolts of lightning
a clap of thunder two claps of thunder
a gust of wind two gusts of wind
a singular of noun (noncount)
A folk song a piece of Popular music
number plural of noun (noncount)
I order twelve bars of soap
Avoid using the noncount noun without the singular or plural idiom to express a singular or plural.
Examples :
Incorrect :A mail travels faster when the zip code is indicated on the
envelope.
Correct :A piece of mail travels faster when the zip code is indicated on
the envelope.
Problem 58 Classifications–Kind and Type
Remember that kind and type express classification.
kinds noun (plural count)
types of (noncount)
Cable TV has many different kinds of shows
Dr. Parker gives several types of homework
kind noun (singular count)
one type of (noncount)
One kind of show Is news
One type of homework is a lab report
Avoid using kind and type with a plural noun. Avoid using kind and type without of.
Examples :
Incorrect :There are four kind of Coke now.
Correct :There are four kinds of Coke now.
Problem 59 Infinitive and –ing Subjects
Remember that either an infinitive or an -ing form may be used as the subject of a sentence or clause.
S (infinitive) V
To read a foreign language is even more difficult
S (-ing) V
Reading quickly and well requires practice
Avoid using a verb word instead of an infinitive or an -ing in the subject. Avoid using to with an -ing form.
Examples :
Incorrect :To working provides people with personal satisfaction as well
as money.
Correct :To work provides people with personal satisfaction as well as
money.
or
Working provides people with personal satisfaction as well as
money.
Problem 60 Qualifying Phrases with –ing Nouns
Remember that -ing form may be used as a noun. In some grammar books, the -ing form is called a gerund. Remember that -ing form are usually noncount nouns and that noncount nouns are not preceded by the unless followed by a qualifying phrase.
We have already classified most -ing form as noncount nouns, but there is one pattern in which the is used with a noncount noun-ing noun. When a prepositional phrase qualifies the noun, that is, adds specific information, the may be used with an-ing noun subject.
qualifying phrase
the -ing of noun
The reading of technical material requires knowledge of technical terms
Examples :
Incorrect :Correcting errors in a language class can be embarrassing.
Correct :The correctingof errors in a language class can be
embarrassing.
Problem 61 Nominal That Clause
Remember that sometimes the subject of a verb is a single noun. Other times it is a
long noun phrase or a long noun clause.
One example of long noun clause is the nominal that clause. Like all clauses, the nominal that clause has a subject and verb. The nominal that clause function as the main subject of the main verb which follows it.
Nominal that clause S V
That vitamin C prevents colds is well known
Examples :
Incorrect :That it is that she has known him for a long time influenced her
decision.
Correct :That she has known him for a long timeinfluenced her
decision.
Juni 13, 2012
arnishaeraniee
arnishaeraniee 