1.         Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. Therefore, it is suitable for jewelry, coins, and ornamental purposes. Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever. For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago. Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science. For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications. The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits. Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship. In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty, but also for its utility.

2.         Hurricanes, which are also called cyclones, exert tremendous power. These violent storms are often a hundred miles in diameter, and their winds can reach velocities of seventy-five miles per hour or more. Furthermore, the strong winds and heavy rainfall that accompany them can completely destroy a small town in a couple of hours. The energy that is released by a hurricane in one day exceeds the total energy consumed by humankind throughout the world in one year.

3.         Albert Einstein, one of the world’s geniuses, failed his university entrance examinations on his first attempt. William Faulkner, one of America’s noted writers, never finished college because he could not pass his English courses. Sir Winston Churchill, who is considered one of the masters of the English language, had to have special tutoring in English during elementary school. These few examples show that failure in school does not always predict failure in life.

4.         Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning, do not always have the same emotional meaning. For example, the words “stingy” and “frugal” both mean “careful with money.” However, to call a person stingy is an insult, while the word “frugal” has a much more positive connotation. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive, but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-called synonyms are not really synonymous at all.

Practice 1

1.         Driving in winter, especially on snowy, icy roads, can be less troublesome if you take a few precautions. First, put on snow tires if you plan to drive on snowy, icy roads very often. Second, check the amount of antifreeze in your radiator and add more if necessary. Next, add antifreeze to your windshield washer fluid: otherwise, the fluid will freeze and possibly break the container. Finally, it is also a good idea to carry tire chains, a can of spray to unfreeze door locks and a windshield scraper in your car when driving in winter weather.

2.         Researches in the automobile industry are experimenting with different types of engines and fuels as alternatives to the conventional gasoline engines. One new type of engine, which burns diesel oil instead of gasoline, has been available for several years. A second type is the gas turbine engine, which can use fuels made from gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, other petroleum distillates, or methanol.

3.         Some form of written communication has been used throughout the centuries. In the earliest times, people carved or painted messages on rocks. Later on, people began to write on pieces of leather, which were rolled into scrolls. With the invention of the printing press in the middle of the fifteenth century, the modern printing industry was born.

4.         American Indian names are very descriptive, for Indians were usually named for a physical attribute, for an occurrence in nature, or for an animal. Indians with distinctive physical characteristics might be given such names as Big Foot or Crooked Leg. If there had been a big storm on the day of a baby’s birth, the baby might have been named Thunder Cloud. Grey Eagle, Red Dog, Big Bear, and Spotted Wolf are examples of Indian named after animals.

5.         The validity of standardized intelligence tests is being seriously questioned by educators and psychologists. For one thing, individual I.Q. scores vary considerably. Many experts also question whether I.Q. scores are related to intelligence. Furthermore, most psychologists agree that intelligence tests are biased in favor of middle-class children. In fact, motivation seems to be just as important as intelligence in determining a person’s ability to learn.