Year 8 English

Skills Book Name: ____________________________ Complete an activity each week and remember to return to school on the due date so that it can be assessed. If you lose or do not keep this book in an acceptable condition, you will need to replace it. NOTE: This book is designed to revise what you have learnt

about grammar so far. If you have difficulty with any of the

terminology then you should refer to the BBC Bitesize English

site or any other reputable grammar website. You may also

ask your English teacher or Tutor.

BBC Learning English – Words in the News- Homework 1

Hostage gang arrested in Venezuela – 30 January 2008

© BBC Learning English 2008 http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/

Four gunmen who'd held more than 30 people hostage inside a bank in Venezuela have

surrendered to police. The men escaped in an ambulance but were later stopped on a

highway and surrounded. This report from James Ingham:

It was a tense standoff that lasted more than twenty four hours - this quiet farming town

suddenly at the centre of what many described simply as a nightmare. It began when four

gunmen entered the bank intending to make a quick getaway. When they spotted a police

patrol, they panicked and so began the siege - more than thirty people held hostage.

As the hold-up continued, some managed to make calls and send texts to friends and

relatives. Others stuck hastily written notes in the windows pleading for help. The gunmen

were demanding money and a guaranteed escape.

At first authorities refused but finally a deal was struck and the robbers fled the building in

an ambulance, taking with them five hostages. The others were then able to leave. They

emerged looking emotional, clearly relieved to be free. But the drama was not yet over.

Police had promised the gunmen that they wouldn't be followed but several hours later

they were stopped on a highway and surrounded. The men released their remaining

captives, threw down their weapons and surrendered; a tense ordeal ending without a

shot.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Are the following sentences true or false?

VOCABULARY Match these words and phrases to their definitions.

1 tense standoff A.

no-one would go after them or try to catch them

2 the siege B when a person uses violence or the threat of violence to steal something

3 hostage C people who are held against their will

4 hold-up D nervous and anxious disagreement where neither side is willing to change or compromise

5 a deal was struck and the robbers fled

E very difficult, unpleasant or painful experience

6 emerged looking emotional

F a person who is held against his/her will and not released until certain things are done (e.g. money is paid or here, the robbers are allowed to leave the bank without the police arresting them)

7 they wouldn't be followed

G came out showing very strong feeling or emotions (usually anger or sadness)

8 surrounded H the situation where a place (here, the bank) is controlled by people with guns who will not allow the other people there to leave freely

9 captives I an agreement (here, between the police and the thieves) was reached and the thieves escaped

10 ordeal J here, the police stood in a circle around the robbers, giving them no chance to escape

HOMONYMS Homonyms are words which are SPELLED THE SAME but which have different meanings. For example, book can be a noun and means something that you read or it can be a verb that means reserve a table in a restaurant. Here are some homonyms from today's text. Use a dictionary to find the correct definition for each. The first word has been for you. 1. tense (noun) a verb which tells you the time something happened. 2. tense (adjective) I nervous, not relaxed. 3. bank (noun) 4. bank (noun) 5. quick (noun) 6. quick (adjective) 7. spotted (adjective) 8. spotted (verb) 9. managed (verb) 10. managed (verb) 11. calls (verb) 12. calls (verb) 13. deal (noun) 14. deal (verb) 15. free (adjective) 16 free (adjective) Extensions: Put these homonyms into sentences. To challenge yourself further, vary the openings of your sentences. Creative task: Imagine that you are the robber, write/ record a diary entry from the day before the robber. Detail your plans and motives. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Homework 2 Women's studies to end in UK universities © BBC Learning English 2007

Women’s Studies is to disappear from British universities as an undergraduate course this summer. It’s part

of a gradual decline in the academic discipline which became popular following the 1960s feminist

movement. This report from BBC Social Affairs reporter Adrian Brown:

London’s Metropolitan University stopped taking new students for its undergraduate degree in Women’s

Studies in 2005 and the last 12 students will graduate with a BA in the subject this July.

Its demise follows that of other Women’s Studies departments across Britain that have lost both funding

and students or been merged into other disciplines.

Critics say the subject was a product of its time and that the feminist arguments of the 1970s no longer

apply. It became the butt of many a joke in the mainstream media and in today’s competitive job market

students steer clear, preferring degrees that will secure employment.

But all is not lost for the subject. Postgraduate studies will continue in this country and Women’s Studies is

thriving in many countries such as India and Iran.

Are the following sentences true or false?

Match these words and phrases to their definitions.

1 demise A not taken seriously, made fun of

2 funding B the situation is not completely negative

3 been merged into other disciplines

C ending or finishing

4 a product of its time D reasons in favour of treating men and women equally

5 feminist arguments E get a job

6 the butt of many a joke

F money that is available (usually from outside sources, for example, the government)

7 steer clear G stay away from, do not go near

8 secure employment H

something that was appropriate or needed in a particular time or era (here, in the 1960s women and men were not treated equally so Women’s Studies was seen as a useful and relevant subject to study at university)

9 all is not lost I is doing well, is successful or is popular

10 is thriving J been put together to be studied with other academic subjects

PREFIXES Match the prefixes and suffixes with their meanings below:

Now, fill in the blanks using one of the words in the box below along with the appropriate prefix or suffix. READ YOUNG IMAGINATIVE LEGAL PAIN OPERATIVE POLITE SAD TALL

1.The news of the King’s death brought much ___________________ to the people

here.

2. She knows it’s ___________________ to drive without a seatbelt but she does it

anyway.

3. He was so ___________________. He didn’t even say ‘thank you’.

4. I love those books. I’ve ___________________ all of them and they’re even better

second time round.

5. The essay was completely ___________________. I’m sure she copied it straight off

the internet.

6. They say childbirth is one of the most ___________________ experiences in a

woman’s life.

7. The patient needs one week of bed rest when she’s ___________________.

8. Even though she’s ___________________ than Jack, she’s much

__________________.

Extensions: Research prefixes and suffixes: choose one and list all of the words that use the pre/suffix. Creative task: Invent a new course to be offered at University. Design a poster/ leaflet advertising your course.

Homework 3

Indicate whether the following are subordinating (S) or coordinating (C) conjunctions

1. while

2. for

3. unless

4. and

5. even though

6. nor

7. although

Make a list of five more subordinating conjunctions (you will need to research this if you

don’t already know):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Write three sentences that begin with a subordinating conjunction. Ensure that you use

commas appropriately.

1. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

8. once

9. but

10. or

11. yet

12. so

13. since

14. than

Extensions: Write a paragraph using six different conjunctions. Creative task: Imagine that you are going on a cycling expedition; what would you pack? Draw and label the contents of your bag.

Homework 4

Choose prepositions to fill the blanks in these sentences.

The old man walked slowly ………………. the mountain.

A cat crept ……………. the wall.

She takes great pride ………………… her appearance.

Zidane kicked the ball ………………… the goal.

Put the book back …………….. on the shelf.

Choose from: on, in, up, along, into

Make a list of ten prepositions that have not been used so far:

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.

Give three prepositions which could be used in each sentence below:

.…………

The knife was …………. the table.

………….

………….

The child sat …………. his cat.

………….

JLS and Tinie Tempah were the big winners at the 2010 Music of Black Origin (MOBO)

awards on Wednesday.

JLS won best album and were named best UK act, as well as getting the loudest screams

from fans during the star-studded do at Liverpool's Echo Arena.

Tinie Tempah, who released his first single just seven months ago, also had a great night,

winning best newcomer and best video for his single Frisky.

N-Dubz and Plan B were among the other winners at the 15th Mobos ceremony.

Tinie Tempah is on a roll at the moment, having sold more singles than any other artist

in the UK so far this year. And he said he was thrilled by his MOBO success: "Last year I

was here as a spectator just watching my friends pick up awards," he told the audience.

"So now it's nice to be here and to have finally won something."

The show was co-hosted by Radio 1's Reggie Yates and Strictly Come Dancing judge

Alesha Dixon.

The winners of all the awards are decided by public vote.

Highlight all of the 17 prepositions used in this article.

Extensions: Write one simple sentence, two compound sentences and three complex sentences using prepositions. Creative task: Create a new awards ceremony for Saltash.net. Design an invitation to the ceremony, giving details of venue, special guests and other important information.

Homework 5

Find an article online or from print media that you would like to use.

Headline:___________________________________________________________________

Summarise in thirty words what the article is about

Complete the following table

Sentence type (simple/ complex/compound/ statement/ command/ question/ exclamation)

Evidence (use a quote from the article you have chosen)

What is the effect of using this type of sentence?

Choose three simple sentences from your article and using what you have learnt so far,

change them into complex sentences.

Extensions: Complete another table for an article written for a different audience; what comparisons can you make? Creative task: Use GoAnimate and create a short video informing about the different types of sentences and how they are used.