ADVANCED / INTERMEDIATE English Lesson: The planets

Always remember that during the lesson we are continuing our RP practice to be able to improve our pronunciation and diction.

These English lessons contain the following six sections.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. New Vocabulary Section
                                       2. Reading and Pronunciation Section
                                       3. Questions Section
                                       4. Video Listening Section
                                       5. Grammar 1 Section
                                       6. Grammar 2 Section

1). NEW VOCABULARY SECTION:

Here are five advanced / intermediate English words for an advanced / intermediate English student, along with their meanings and example sentences:

• Mercurial

  • Meaning: Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile.
  • Relation to Mercury: Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and has a rapid orbit, reflecting the swift changes associated with the term “mercurial.”
  • Example Sentence: Her mercurial moods made it difficult to predict how she would react to the news.
  • Question: What might cause someone to have mercurial moods?

• Venereal

  • Meaning: Relating to love or sexual desire; pertaining to Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
  • Relation to Venus: Venus, named after the goddess of love, embodies the romantic and alluring qualities associated with this term.
  • Example Sentence: The venereal allure of the painting captivated everyone in the gallery.
  • Question: How might an artist capture venereal allure in their work?

• Terrestrial

  • Meaning: Pertaining to Earth or its inhabitants; earthly.
  • Relation to Earth: Earth is known as the “terrestrial planet” due to its solid ground and ability to support life.
  • Example Sentence: The documentary explored terrestrial ecosystems and their diverse inhabitants.
  • Question: Why is understanding terrestrial ecosystems important for environmental conservation?

• Martial

  • Meaning: Warlike; relating to the military or armed forces.
  • Relation to Mars: Mars is named after the Roman god of war, reflecting the aggressive and combative connotations of “martial.”
  • Example Sentence: The country celebrated its martial history with a parade.
  • Question: What aspects of a culture might be highlighted during a martial parade?

• Jovial

  • Meaning: Cheerful and friendly; good-humored.
  • Relation to Jupiter: Jupiter, named after the king of the Roman gods, symbolizes joviality and abundance.
  • Example Sentence: His jovial nature made him the life of the party.
  • Question: How does a jovial person influence the atmosphere of a gathering?

• Saturnine

  • Meaning: Gloomy, sluggish, or morose.
  • Relation to Saturn: Saturn is associated with the Roman god of agriculture and time, often linked with melancholy and seriousness.
  • Example Sentence: The saturnine expression on his face suggested he had received bad news.
  • Question: What might cause someone to exhibit a saturnine demeanor?

• Uranian

  • Meaning: Heavenly or celestial; relating to the sky.
  • Relation to Uranus: Uranus, a planet associated with the sky and heavens, reflects the ethereal quality of “Uranian.”
  • Example Sentence: The uranian beauty of the night sky inspired the poet.
  • Question: What kind of imagery might a poet use to describe uranian beauty?

• Neptunian

  • Meaning: Related to the sea; oceanic.
  • Relation to Neptune: Neptune, named after the Roman god of the sea, embodies the mysterious and vast qualities of the ocean.
  • Example Sentence: The artist captured the neptunian essence of the waves in her painting.
  • Question: How can an artist convey neptunian themes through color and texture?

• Plutonian

  • Meaning: Relating to the underworld; dark and mysterious.
  • Relation to Pluto: Pluto, named after the Roman god of the underworld, is often associated with darkness and mystery.
  • Example Sentence: The novel’s plutonian themes explored the depths of human fear.
  • Question: What elements of a story contribute to its plutonian atmosphere?

• Solar

  • Meaning: Relating to or derived from the sun.
  • Relation to the Sun: The sun, central to our solar system, provides light and energy, making “solar” synonymous with radiance and power.
  • Example Sentence: The solar panels efficiently converted sunlight into energy for the home.
  • Question: What are the benefits of using solar energy compared to traditional energy sources?

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2). READING & PRONUNCIATION SECTION: The planets of our solar system.

• Mercury: Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest to the Sun. With a surface heavily cratered and barren, it resembles our Moon. Despite its proximity to the Sun, Mercury has a very thin atmosphere, resulting in extreme temperature fluctuations, ranging from scorching heat during the day to freezing cold at night.

• Venus: Often called Earth’s “sister planet” due to its similar size and composition, Venus is shrouded in thick clouds of sulfuric acid, making its surface extremely hot and inhospitable. With a runaway greenhouse effect, it boasts the hottest surface temperatures of any planet in the solar system. Venus rotates very slowly and in the opposite direction to most planets.

• Earth: Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only known planet to support life. It has a diverse climate and a rich biosphere. Earth’s atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, which supports a wide variety of life forms. It is unique for its liquid water, which covers about 71% of its surface.

• Mars: Known as the “Red Planet” due to its reddish appearance, Mars has the largest volcano and canyon in the solar system. It has a thin atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide, with surface conditions that include dust storms and polar ice caps. Mars is a focus of planetary exploration due to the possibility of past or present life.

• Jupiter: Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, a gas giant known for its Great Red Spot, a massive storm that has raged for centuries. Its atmosphere is primarily hydrogen and helium, and it has a strong magnetic field. Jupiter has at least 79 moons, including the four large Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

• Saturn: Famous for its stunning ring system, Saturn is another gas giant composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Its rings are made of ice and rock particles. Saturn has over 80 moons, with Titan being the largest and possessing a thick atmosphere. The planet’s low density means it would float in water if there were a large enough body of water.

• Uranus: Uranus is an ice giant with a bluish hue due to methane in its atmosphere. It is unique in that it rotates on its side, likely due to a collision with an Earth-sized object. Uranus has faint rings and 27 known moons. Its atmosphere consists largely of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

• Neptune: Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun and is known for its deep blue color, also due to methane in its atmosphere. It is a dynamic planet with the strongest winds in the solar system. Neptune has a faint ring system and 14 known moons, with Triton being the largest and geologically active.

4). VIDEO LISTENING SECTION:

Questions:

1.  What does “gravitationally bound” mean?
2. What is the smallest planet in our solar system?
3. How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water?
4. Whish is the second smallest planet in our solar system?
5. What is a gas giant?
6. How old do scientists believe our solar system is?

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5). GRAMMAR SECTION ONE:

How to pronounce the ‘ed’ sounds in regular verbs.

‘ED’ practice text

In this text remember that we are practicing our RP but at the same time we are going to practice how to pronounce the ‘ed’ in regular verbs. Here is an explanation.

In English, the pronunciation of the past tense suffix “-ed” varies and is determined by the final sound of the root verb:

1. /t/ Sound: We use this sound when the root verb ends in voiceless consonants (except for /t/), such as /p/, /k/, /s/, /ʃ/ (sh), /ʧ / (ch), and /f/. For example:
– “walk” becomes “walked” and is pronounced as /wa: kt/
– “laugh” becomes “laughed” and is pronounced as /laugh: ft/

2. /d/ Sound: We use this sound with root verbs ending in voiced sounds, which include all vowel sounds and voiced consonants (except for /d/), such as /b/, /g/, /v/, / z/, etc. For example:
– “call” becomes “called” and is pronounced as /ca lld/
– “rob” becomes “robbed” and is pronounced as /rob bd/

3. /ɪd/ or just /d/ Sound: We use this sound distinctly when the root verb ends in either a /t/ or a /d/. This additional syllable makes it easier to pronounce. For example:
– “want” becomes “wanted” and is pronounced as /ˈwant: id/
– “need” becomes “needed” and is pronounced as /ˈneed: id/

6). GRAMMAR SECTION TWO:

Here is a comprehensive guide to the grammar rules for all of the perfect tenses in English, along with examples:

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Rule: The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or an action that began in the past and continues in the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (have/has) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Structure:

• Subject + have/has + past participle

Examples:

• I have eaten breakfast. (Action at an unspecified time in the past)
• She has lived here for five years. (Action that began in the past and continues in the present)

Past Perfect Tense

Rule: The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It is formed by using the past tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (had) followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Structure:

• Subject + had + past participle

Examples:

• I had finished my homework before the movie started. (Action completed before another action)
• They had left by the time I arrived. (Action completed before another action)

Future Perfect Tense

Rule: The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future. It is formed by using “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Structure:

• Subject + will have + past participle

Examples:

• I will have finished my project by tomorrow. (Action that will be completed before a specific future time)
• She will have travelled to five countries by the end of the year. (Action that will be completed before a specific future time)

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up until now, often with an emphasis on the duration. It is formed by using “have/has been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).

Structure:

• Subject + have/has been + present participle

Examples:

• I have been studying for three hours. (Action started in the past and continues up to now with emphasis on duration)
• She has been working here since June. (Action started in the past and continues up to now with emphasis on duration)

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past and was completed before another past action. It is formed by using “had been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).

Structure:

• Subject + had been + present participle

Examples:

• I had been reading for two hours when the power went out. (Ongoing action in the past completed before another past action)
• They had been living in Paris for a year before they moved to London. (Ongoing action in the past completed before another past action)

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Rule: The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time, often with an emphasis on the duration. It is formed by using “will have been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).

Structure:

• Subject + will have been + present participle

Examples:

• By next month, I will have been working here for five years. (Ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time with emphasis on duration)
• They will have been traveling for 24 hours by the time they arrive. (Ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time with emphasis on duration)
• These rules and examples should help you understand and use the perfect tenses in English accurately.

ANSWERS TO GRAMMAR QUESTIONS:

Let’s break down the paragraph to address each of the grammar questions:

1. Complex Sentence:

   • Example: “These devices, equipped with high-resolution sensors and sophisticated image-processing capabilities, offer remarkable convenience and accessibility.”
   • Structure: This sentence is complex because it includes a main clause “These devices offer remarkable convenience and accessibility,” and a non-essential participial phrase “equipped with high-resolution sensors and sophisticated image-processing capabilities,” which provides additional information about “these devices.”

2. Participial Phrase:

   • Example: “equipped with high-resolution sensors and sophisticated image-processing capabilities”
   • Function: This participial phrase describes the noun “These devices.” It functions as an adjective, providing more detail about the technological capabilities of the devices.

3. Relative Clause:

   • Example: “which can limit creativity in more controlled photographic environments.”
   • Explanation: This relative clause modifies the noun phrase “the control manuals and lens versatility that professional digital cameras offer.” It adds information by explaining the limitation posed by cellphone cameras in comparison to professional digital cameras.

4. Parallel Structure:

   • Example: “the ease with which one can capture and instantly share high-quality images with others, transcending geographical boundaries.”
   • Analysis: The parallel structure in this sentence is found in the phrases “capture and instantly share.” Both verbs are in the same form, creating a rhythm that enhances the clarity and flow of the sentence. The use of parallel structure emphasizes the dual capabilities of modern digital cameras and cellphones in capturing and sharing images.

 

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