Note for teachers:

This is a collection of various texts with tasks

such as fill-ins, synonyms, antonyms, word
order, etc. I am planning to use them with my
advanced groups(FCE) as vocabulary
expansion and to improve their reading skills,
but I wanted the texts to be interesting, and
not the typical ones they get in practice tests.
Some of the texts were even posted in the
ESL forum or the cafe. I hope you find them
useful. They can be handed out as wss, but
can also be played on the overhead projector
or done with sts in groups or pairs.

PS: each text-plan is organised in the following way:

ORIGINAL TEXT
TEXT TASK
FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION
GAME SUGGESTION
ORIGINAL TEXT

A True Friend
- Socrates

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day one fellow
met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?". "Hold on
a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I ´d like you to pass a little test. It ´s called
the Triple Filter Test.". "Triple filter?". "That ´s right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me
about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you ´re going to say.
That ´s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that
what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and...".
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don ´t know if it ´s true or not. Now let ´s try the second filter, the
filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?" . "No, on
the contrary...". "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you
´re not certain it ´s true. You may still pass the test though, because there ´s one filter left: the filter
of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?" "No, not
really." "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even
useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Lesson:
Well we can always participate in loose talks to curb our boredom. But when it comes to you
friends its not worth it. Always avoid talking behind the back about your near and dear friends.

TEXT TASK

Look at the text and find synonyms for the following words: belonging to old times (ancient),
known for, famous for (reputed), respect (esteem), wait (hold on), answer (reply), named (called),
go on (continue), completely (absolutely), in fact(actually), sure(certain), take part in (participate),
stay away from sb or sth (aviod)

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Has your friendship ever been influenced by an unsubstantiated gossip? Have you ever been in a
situation to spread a rumour, but stopped it? How do rumours in public life influence the way we
think about the world? Which items are the most read in the news nowadays? How would you
change it? Do you think using these filters would help us in life and how?

GAME SUGGESTION
Think of more filters which might help or more situations in which such filters would be useful – sts
can do this in pairs and afterwards make posters and choose the best one
ORIGINAL TEXT

THE ORIGIN OF BIRTHDAY CAKES

Origin of Birthday Cakes dates back to ancient times but the cake of then was very different from what we have today.
The word ‘cake’ is said to have been coined as early as 13th century and is said to have been derived from ‘kaka’- an
Old Norse word.

Birthday Cake History

History of Birthday Cake can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who made round or moon shaped honey cakes or
bread and took it to the temple of Artemis -the Goddess of Moon. Some scholars, however, believe that the tradition of
Birthday cake started in Germany in Middle Ages. Sweetened bread dough was given the shape of baby Jesus in
swaddling cloth and was used to commemorate his birthday. This special birthday cake later reemerged in Germany
as a Kinderfest or the birthday celebrations of a young child. Germans also baked another special kind of a cake
called Geburtstagorten as it was baked in layers. This was sweeter that the coarse and bread like cake that were
usually made at that time.

Why is Birthday Cake Round?

In earlier times, Birthday cakes were mostly round in shape. Scholars associate religious beliefs and technical
compulsions for the same. Greeks offered round shape cake to the Goddess of Moon - Artemis as it signified moon.
They even placed candles on the cake to make the cake glow like the moon.

Some scholars think that cake in the ancient world has association with the annual cycles. Round shapes of cakes
were preferred as these represented the cyclical nature of life. Most specifically, the sun and moon.

Technical reason given for the roundness of the cake is that most cakes we know off advanced from the bread. In
ancient times breads and cakes were made by hand. Typically, these were fashioned into round balls and baked on
hearthstones or in low, shallow pans. Hence, these naturally relaxed into round shapes. With the progress of times
baking pans of various shapes were developed and today we see cakes in imaginative shapes and sizes.

Tradition of Putting Candles on Birthday Cake

Tradition of placing candles on Birthday cake is attributed to early Greeks, who used place lit candles on cakes to
make them glow like the moon. Greeks used to take the cake to the temple of Artemis-the Goddess of Moon. Some
scholars say that candles were placed on the cake because people believe that the smoke of the candle carried their
wishes and prayers to Gods who lived in the skies. Others believe that the custom originated in Germany where
people used to place a large candle in the centre of the cake to symbolize ‘the light of life’.

In present times too, people place candles on Birthday cakes and a silent wish is made before blowing out the candle.
It is believed that blowing out all candles in one breath means the wish will come true and the person with enjoy good
luck in the coming year. Some also smear out the name of the person before slicing of the cake to bring good luck.

Traditions and Superstitious Beliefs Related to Birthday Cake

In medieval times people of England used to place symbolic objects like coins, rings and thimbles in the batter of the
cake. It was believed that those who found coin in the cake would be wealthy while the unlucky finder of the thimble
would never marry. Wedding was signified for the person who found the slice of cake with ring. Even today some
people follow the tradition and place small figures, fake coins and small candies inside the cake.

If the cake fell while baking it was considered to be a bad omen and signified bad luck for the person in the coming
year.

TEXT TASK
1. Find synonyms and antonyms (one word or phrase) for the words underlined in the text.
2. Write 10 wh-questions about the text.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Do you think birthday cakes are old-fashioned? What's your fondest childhood memory
concerning birthdays and cakes? Which of the facts from the text were familiar to you from
before? What would your ideal birthday cake look like?

GAME SUGGESTION
Play hot seat with words connected to birthdays, or flavours (vanilla, chocolate...)
ORIGINAL TEXT

How the world works lately... Author Unknown

If a man cuts his finger off while

Slicing salami at work,
He blames the restaurant.

If you smoke three packs a day

for 40 years and die of lung cancer,
Your family blames the
Tobacco company.

If your neighbour crashes

Into a tree while driving home drunk,
He blames the bartender.

If your grandchildren are

Brats without manners,
You blame television.

If your friend is shot by a

Deranged madman,
You blame the gun manufacturer.

And if a crazed person breaks

Into the cockpit and
Tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet,
And the passengers
Kill him instead,
The mother of the crazed deceased
Blames the airline.

I must have lived too long to

Understand the world
As it is anymore.

So, if I die while my

Old wrinkled butt is parked
In front of this computer,
I want all of you to
Blame Bill Gates.

TEXT TASK
Before even reading the poem, write the initial parts of choruses (If a man cuts his finger while
slicing salami at work, etc.) and ask sts to write their versions of the second part of each sentence.
They can do this in pairs. Read them all aloud, before or even after reading the original text. This
is good conditionals' practice.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Which of these really made you smile and which of them were annoying? Which of them are true?

GAME SUGGESTION
Have sts write their own situations beginning with if, and then have them switch notebooks and
finish each others' sentences.
ORIGINAL TEXT

God ´s Pharmacy....
It ´s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made
animals and fish.. All before making a human. He made and provided what we ´d need before we were born.
These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We ´re such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the
human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the res
earch shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and
all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower
cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help
develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like
the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target
bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don ´t have enough sodium in
your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of
the body.

Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the
 female - they look just like these organs. Today ´s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week,
it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It
takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic
chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about
141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male
sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female
and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body ´s cells. Today ´s research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the
body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic,
also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

TEXT TASK
Have your sts translate the article into their mother tongue. They can choose to do 3-4 fruits, not
the whole text.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Food today – healthy or not? How many cooked meals a day do you eat at home? Have you ever
cooked a meal yourself? When you eat out, what do you usually order?

GAME SUGGESTION
1. Have your sts brainstorm food&drink words on the board. Then give them cathegories like
healthy-unhealthy, or vegetables-fruit-drink-snakc-meat-other and have them sort the words
out (copying them improves spelling)
2. role play various funny restaurant situations (you can even have sts suggest situations for
role play cards)
ORIGINAL TEXT

Today ´s Kids Quotes

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
“And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”
One bright little girl replied,
Because people are sleeping.”

A little boy was overheard praying:

“Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it.
I’m having a real good time like I am.”

A father was at the beach with his children

when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
“Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked.
“He died and went to Heaven,” the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
“Did God throw him back down?”

A wife invited some people to dinner.

At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
“Would you like to say the blessing?”
“I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied..
“Just say what you hear Mommy say,” the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,
“Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

Today ´s :How kids end proverbs and quotes.

You can lead a horse to water but...how?

Don ´t bite the hand that...looks dirty.

You can ´t teach an old dog new...math.

The pen is mightier than the...pigs.

A penny saved is...not much.

TEXT TASK
Word formation – form as many new words using prefixes and suffixes as possible from the green
words in the text.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Which proverbs do you know in English? Choose your favourite and write about it. Why do
children speak differently than adults? And in what ways?
GAME SUGGESTION
Provide cut out/ jumbled proverbs in English for your sts and have them match the, properly.

ORIGINAL TEXT

The Stages Of Motherhood

Here is a light hearted presentation of what we all think about our moms, at different points of our
lives. Don ´t get surprised because we all have the same tendency towards our mothers!

4 Years Of Age - My Mommy can do anything;

8 Years Of Age - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot
12 Years Of Age -My Mother doesn ´t really know quite everything.
14 Years Of Age -Naturally, Mother doesn ´t know that, either
16 Years Of Age -Mother? She ´s hopelessly old-fashioned
18 Years Of Age -That old woman? She ´s way out of date
25 Years Of Age -Well, she might know a little bit about it
35 Years Of Age -Before we decide, let ´s get Mom ´s opinion
45 Years Of Age -Wonder what Mom would have thought about it
65 Years Of Age -Wish, I could talk it over with Mom

TEXT TASK
Before actually reading the text, provide the sts with the list of ages from the original and ask them
to write what they believe people expect from mothers at that age.
After reading the text, have them write the same type of a list for fathers or best friends.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

How much of this is true? What would you add? Do you think it changes with time?

GAME SUGGESTION
You can use the lists your sts write. Read a thought, and have them guess the age.
ORIGINAL TEXT

Interesting stories behind some of the greatest logos in the world

Nike
In the Greek mythology, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for warriors, this logo represents the wing in the
famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35, and was registered as a
trademark in 1995.

McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the arch shaped signs on the sides of the company’s then walk-up
hamburger stand, later on, the two golden arches were merged together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the
logo in 1968.

Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo, the first one is a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the
apple represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The second version says that Apple’s first logo was designed by Steve Jobs
and Ronald Wayne, and depicted Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long and was replaced almost
immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow Apple,” a rainbow-colored silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it,
which has been replaced by the monochromatic logo In 1998.

Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple depiction of a three-
pointed star that represents its domination of the land, the sea, and the air. The company was founded Gottlieb Daimler and
Wilhelm Maybach, Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while the Benz came as a result of a merger with Benz and
Cie in 1926.

Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the
challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo first appeared in 1971, and was used for the first time on
Adidas products in 1972.

TEXT TASK
Discuss logos with your sts – their use, meaning, the logos they know, etc. Read the text twice to
your sts. Then give them the list with only the logos, and have them write what they remember
from the text.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Why are logos useful? What is important for a logo? Which logo do you like and why? Choose a
project and create a logo and slogan for it, also writing a brief script for a TV commercial (you can
even have them act it out and record it).

GAME SUGGESTION
Play hot seat or fishing game with key marketing vocabulary.
ORIGINAL TEXT

'Punctuation hero' branded a vandal for painting apostrophes on street signs

By Eddie Wrenn, Last updated at 4:54 PM on 18th August 2009

With his trusty paintbrush, Stefan Gatward has been flying the flag for the English language.
Dressed in a collar, tie and well-polished shoes, the former soldier has been fixing missed apostrophes on
grammatically incorrect street signs in Tunbridge Wells.
Thanks to his dedication, St Johns Close has become St John's Close, and supermarkets which have a 'five items or
less' queue have been blacklisted by him until they provide a queue for people with 'five items or fewer'.
However, the 62-year-old has been branded a vandal and a graffiti artist for his efforts by some neighbours.
Apostrophe catastrophe: Stefan Gatward makes the change to the sign for St John's Close in Tunbridge Wells
Stefan insists he's just passionate about the English language.
The Tunbridge Wells accountant was sick of seeing the signs on his street missing the necessary apostrophe so he
took it upon himself to correct them.
The self-confessed apostrophist said: 'I think one should stand up for things and language is worth standing up for.
The trouble is that everything is dumbed down now.
'I've lived on St John's Close for 14 months now and have had to look at those signs every day. I decided enough was
enough.'
Reaction on the street was mixed - one neighbour offered him praise, but another, also a soldier, took offence.
Mr Gatward said: 'He asked me what I was doing and told me I was wrong. He called me a vandal and a graffiti artist.
'He tried to tell me that the post office would not deliver to the street if you put an apostrophe on the address.'
But Mr Gatward, who served with The Gordon Highlanders in the 1960s, pulled rank.
He said: 'I've been to three universities. I don't know it all but I still know a lot more than a mere corporal.'
Undeterred by the military skirmish, Mr Gatward walked down the road and painted an apostrophe on the other street
sign.
But his fight against poor grammar does not end with street signs.
As well as his anger at 'five items or less' queues, he gets annoyed when people neglect the 'Royal' in 'Royal
Tunbridge Wells'.
He was also livid when he saw a major chain store advertising sales with signs saying: 'until stocks last' rather than
'while stocks last'.
'The trouble is that some teachers don't know how to use grammar properly, so children don't either. Local authorities
just don't bother.
'I fought for the preservation of our heritage and our language but some people seem happy to let that go. I'm not.'
Last night, a spokesman for (Royal) Tunbridge Wells Borough Council told The Times that developers were at fault for
the grammatical errors, and that the signs would be corrected if they were ever replaced.
Earlier this year Birmingham Council banished apostrophes from their street signs for 'simplicity'.

TEXT TASK
Have your sts choose a list of the most interesting 10 words in the text. Then have them use those
words in their own sentences.

FOLLOW-UP ESSAY OR DISCUSSION

Which punctuation symbols do you know and what's their purpose? Why are they important?
What would you say about the man from the article? Does it bug you when you see public signs
full of mistakes?

GAME SUGGESTION
Have pairs of sts write 10 sentences about the text. Some of them should be true and some flase.
Then have them all switch their notebooks and write T next to true sentences and F next to false
ones.