If you want to improve your English quickly, an easy method is to find a short article or story that interests you and use it to learn new vocabulary and practice your pronunciation, comprehension skills, grammar and writing skills.
Activity 1 – Reading Comprehension
Read the story about Jaime Escalante and then complete the quiz.
Activity 2 – Vocabulary and Pronunciation
Listen and repeat each of the underlined words and phrases. Do you understand them?
| wasting his time |
| violent and dangerous |
| dropped out |
| to build a better life |
| complex |
| patient |
| distrustful |
| approve |
| cheating |
| inspired |
| outnumbered |
Activity 3 – Look for Opposites
Read the text again and look for any words that have opposite meanings e.g. big and small.
Did you find any of these words?
| simple | complex |
| early | late |
| passed | failed |
| patient | impatient |
| trusting | distrustful |
| honest | cheat |
| approve | disapprove |
| inspired | bored |
Are there any words you don’t know? If there are, try to think about their meaning by reading the text again.
Any ideas? If not, use the dictionary to find out.
Activity 4 – Grammar
Look at the text again. What tenses can you notice?
- Can you underline a sentence that uses the Past Simple?
- Can you underline a sentence that uses the Present Perfect?
- Can you underline a sentence which uses a modal verb?
Activity 5 – Writing
Write a short paragraph about a teacher or person who has inspired you.
