Task 3: Article Summary

Lack of clean water is a very serious problem. Many people have no adequate access to clean water, and even suffer from the poor health due to the lack of basic sanitation. Actually, the total amount of water is in abundance in the world. However, some of the water cannot be used directly like the salty water and the water in forms of ice and snow. Furthermore, the water available to use is distributed improperly in the whole world and some are polluted both by human and naturally. Besides, many groundwater aquifers are used too fast to replenish because of the inefficient ways of using. While, water is so important that we use it in many areas with the agriculture and industry as a major. It becomes one of the greatest challenges to overcoming the crisis in water and sanitation for engineers who have historically provided methods to meet water supply and quality needs. To meet current needs, the methods will have to be more sophisticated. One large-scale approach used in many countries is to divert water from some regions to others; whereas it is an explosive political issue since it reduces water for some people as it is diverted to others. Another solution is about desalination, which is to extract the salt from seawater, and has already been used. It is effective but expensive and mainly suitable for seaside cities. It is considered that new technologies may help lower the cost like nano-osmosis. Nevertheless, it is still not enough to solve the problem. Then, engineers are providing more methods to solve the water problem. Technologies like recycling of wastewater and sewage treatment are being developed. Different technical approaches are also available through strategies of reducing water use, such as improved technologies with higher efficiency and small decentralized distillation units. In addition, technical solutions must be developed within a system where the inequities for poor people who have to seek out water supplies at higher costs are recognized and addressed.

Reference:

Provide access to clean water, Grand Challenges for Engineering , National Academy of Engineering, 500 Fifth Street, NW | Washington, DC 20001 | T. 202.334.3200 | F. 202.334.2290

Retrieved on Sep 29, 2008.

From http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9142.aspx

Task 2--- Grammar Structure

Task 2: Grammar Mistakes ---- Adjective

Grammar is a very important point when we write our essays. It can influence the whole essay, and we should pay attention to it to make our essay more smooth and accurate. But there are some mistakes that we usually make without recognition. As to myself, one of the common mistakes is about adjective. After doing some research on the Internet, I want to share with you what I know about the grammar structure on adjective.

To start with, adjective is defined as the words which are used to decorate or restrict nouns or pronouns directly or indirectly, such as “big”, “many”, “afraid” and so on. It can be abbreviated as “adj.”. Then what is the difference between directly and indirectly? Usually we call them in two different ways, which are attributive (for directly decoration) and predictive (for indirectly decoration)? When we say “She is a beautiful girl”, “beautiful” here is an attributive; while when we say “She looks very beautiful”, then “beautiful” is a predictive. To sum up, adjective is used as an attributive when it is put before the object, and as a predictive when after the object. However, there are two special cases. One is that the adjective should be put behind the object when the object is an indefinite pronoun, like “something important” and “nothing serious”. The other exception is that once the adjective is related to measurement, it should be put behind. For instance, “we have dug a hole two meters deep”.

After introduction about how to use adjective generally, here are some special rules. Firstly, for the comparative degree, we add –er behind or “more” before it; for the superlative degree, we add –est behind “most” before it. But there are some special cases like “good-better-best”, we need to remember them specifically. Secondly, for many cases, we can change an adjective to an adverb by simply adding –ly behind, such like “quick” and “quickly”. Lastly, it is important to order the adjectives which are used to decorate the same object. We usually order them in this manner:
(1) expressing people’s opinion, like “nice”, “horrible”;
(2) figuring the shape, like “short”, “narrow”;
(3) indicating age, like “old”, “new”;
(4) representing color, like “white”, “red”;
(5) showing the nationality, “British”, “Chinese”;
(6) stating material, like “plastic”, “metal”.
So, as a whole, it should be like: nice long new black British plastic pen.

These are the basic grammar structures for adjective. In order to master them well, it is more important to use them more, and to remember by heart. Practice can always make things better!

So now, it is the time for practicing. Try the exercises below, and check the answers. See how well you can master adjective.

Exercises:
1. (comparative degree)
--- How large is your city?
--- It is ______ yours.
A. larger three times than
B. larger than three times
C. as three times large as
D. three times as large as
Answer: D
2. (comparative degree)
--- Is Mr. White out of danger?
　 --- No, ______ than before, I am afraid.
A. no better B. a little better
C. not worse D. no worse
Answer: A
3. (words used to decorate adj.)
--- The disease he suffers is not easy to cure.
--- I know, but is he ______ better?
A. much B. rather C. any D. little
Answer: C
4. (comparative degree)
He is more diligent than ______ in his class.
A. all the students B. anyone
C. any other student D. everyone
Answer: C
5. There was a ______ change in the weather, and the rain came pouring down.
A. quick B. slow C. fast D. sudden
Answer: D
6. You can speak ______ in front of him, but you can’t eat ______ in his restaurant.
A. freely; freely B. free; freely
C. freely; free D. free; free
Answer: C
7. Tom will not be at the picnic, ______ to the family’s disappointment.
A. much B. more C. too much D. much more
Answer: A
8. --- I have seen so little of Mike ______. Is he away on business?
　 --- Oh, no. He just leaves for his office early and comes back very ______.
　A. later; lately B. later; later
C. lately; late D. late; lately
Answer: C
9. From his ______ voice on the phone I know everything is well under way.
A. satisfactory B. satisfying
C. satisfied D. satisfaction
Answer: C
10. --- He is ______ a brave man.
--- We cannot admire his courage ______.
A. actually; very much
B. indeed; too a lot
C. really; too much
D. truly; a bit
Answer: C
11. The Education Ministry suggests teachers should receive ______ education to catch up with the ______ development.
A. farther; late B. farther; later
C. further; lately D. further; latest
Answer: D
12. --- Why did she spend so much time searching shop after shop only for a blouse?
--- Oh, she was very ______ about her clothes.
A. pleased B. particular C. worried D. curious
Answer: B
13. (words used to decorate adj.)
His voice was quite ordinary, and not ______ angry.
A. a little B. very much
C. a bit D. plenty of
Answer: C
14. Oh, boy, why are you killing your time this way? Can’t you find something else ______ doing at all?
A. useful B. valuable C. worth D. good
Answer: C
15. --- Mum, we have got to be ______ and buy only what we need.
--- Oh, I am glad to hear that.
A. practical B. content C. familiar D. actual
Answer: A
16. Mr. Smith was ______ with the boys who had picked flowers in his garden without his permission.
A. strict B. gentle C. delighted D. cross
Answer: D
17. --- If you’re free tonight, I’d like to invite you to a football match.
--- That is nice of you, but are you ______?
A. rich B. careful C. serious D. true
Answer: C
18. Attention please, everybody! Please keep ______ for a moment. And let me take a photo.
A. calm B. still C. silent D. quiet
Answer: B
19. (words used to decorate adj. in comparative degree)
That night I felt especially tired and went to bed ______earlier than usual.
A. quite B. rather C. fairly D. so
Answer: B
20. (the position of adj. and words used to decorate adj.)
--- Doctor, have I got a bad cold?
--- Oh, there is not ______ with you.
　A. anything wrong much
B. anything much wrong
　C. much wrong anything
D. wrong much anything
Answer: B
21. --- She seems a ______ waitress.
---Yes, each of us always feels______ with her good manners and service.
　A. pleased; pleased
B. pleasant; pleasant
　C. pleased; pleasant
D. pleasant; pleased
Answer: D
22. Sending short messages by mobile phones has become a ______ way to send festival greetings in recent years in China.
A. welcome B. popular C. general D. simple
Answer: B
23. (comparative degree and superlative degree)
I think whoever makes ______ contributions to the company than others should get ______ income.
　A. greater; the higher
B. more greater; a higher
　C. greater; a higher
D. more greater; the highest
Answer: C
24. (order of adj.)
While tidying the room, Jim found the ______ toy bought for him as a birthday present.
　A. fine plastic small
B. plastic fine small
　C. small fine plastic
D. fine small plastic
Answer: D
25. People are encouraged to speak openly, but careless remarks are _____to hurt others’feelings.
A. possible B. probable C. likely D. sure
Answer: C
26. (order of adj.)
If the doctor had not been here yesterday, ______ babies would have died.
　A. the all poor little
B. all the poor little
　C. the poor all little
D. all the little poor
Answer: B



References:
(1) He Tian Yu, 14 December, 2006, English Grammar: Adjective.
Retrieved on 9th September, 2008.
From: http://www.enfang.com/english/2006-12/6191.htm
(2) He Tian Yu, 1 July, 2007, English Grammar: Adjective and Adverb, Adjective and the grammar structure.
Retrieved on 9th, September, 2008.
From: http://www.enfang.com/english/2006-07/3164.htm
(3) He Tian Yu, 4 March, 2007, Grammar Exercises: Adjective and Adverb.
Retrieved on 10th September, 2008.
From: http://www.enfang.com/english/2007-03/8611.htm