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ELECTION DAY http://www.ToLearnEnglish.com - Resources to learn/teach English |
I) ANTICIPATING
Answer these questions:
II) ORAL COMPREHENSION
Here is the script of the tape. Fill in the gaps with the missing words:
Americans, election, governors, held, Monday, Representatives, Senators
Tuesday, November 5th, is _______________ day in the United States. _______________ will go to voting places to choose all 435 members of the House of _______________ and 34 _______________. They will also elect 36 state _______________ and other state and local officials. And voters in 40 states will vote to support or reject financial proposals. Such elections are always _______________ on the Tuesday after the first _______________ in November.
III) READING COMPREHENSION
>> TEXT:
ELECTION DAY
The decision to hold elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was made by lawmakers many years ago. It involved the general and permanent laws of the United States. They are listed and kept in a group of books known as the United States Code. The Code is prepared and published by a legal office of the House of Representatives.
In 1845, the code established that presidential electors would be appointed on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every fourth year. In 1875, it established the date for electing members to the House of Representatives in every even-numbered year.
In 1914, it established the date and the time for electing members to the Senate.
The lawmakers chose early November because most Americans at that time lived on farms. They thought November was the best time for farmers and other workers to be able to travel to voting places. Their harvest was finished and the weather was still good enough in most of the country to permit such travel.
The lawmakers chose Tuesdays because most of the people had to travel long distances to voting places. Monday was not considered a good day for an election. It would have forced people to begin their trips on Sunday, the day many people attended church services.
The Federal Election Commission says lawmakers chose the Tuesday after the first Monday because they wanted to prevent Election Day from falling on the first of November. There were two reasons for this. November first is All Saints Day, a holy day for Roman Catholics. Also, most business owners worked on their financial records on the first day of each month.
The Federal Election Commission says Congress was worried that the economic success or failure of the earlier month could influence those votes.
>> QUESTIONS:
1. When are US elections organized?
a) On the first Sunday after the first Tuesday in November
b) On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
c) On the second Tuesday in November
2. What is the United States Code?
a) Books containing laws
b) Books which tell the history of the U.S.A.
c) Best-sellers
3. What was decided in 1845?
a) The day when presidential electors are appointed
b) The day when Presidents are appointed
c) The day when the members of the Federal Commission are appointed
4. Why did lawyers choose early November for electing Senators?
a) Because they thought that more people would be able to vote on that date.
b) Because there was a law stating that it could only be organized in November.
c) Because it is a very sunny month.
5. Why was Monday not a good day for the elections?
a) Because voters would have been forced to begin their trip on Sunday.
b) Because nobody worked on Mondays
c) Because many people attended church services on that day
IV) GRAMMAR: The Passive voice
The laws are listed and kept in a group of books known as the United States Code. The Code is prepared and published by a legal office of the House of Representatives.
>
Syntax:
Subject + BE (tense of the active sentence) + Past
participle
Important: If you need to tell who is doing the action, use BY. America was
discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
> Examples
> Present (be+ing) : Peter is eating an apple. >> An apple is being
eaten by Peter.
> Present simple: They make shoes in this factory. >> Shoes are made
in this factory.
> Preterite: They built this bridge in the 13th century. >> This
bridge was built in the 13th century.
etc.
Fill in these sentences with the verbs in brackets (passive voice) :
1. The man who shot President Reagan in 1981 ______________________
(arrest) immediately.
2. In some police stations, films about life in prison ______________________
(show) to young delinquents.
3. The murderer ______________________ (arrest) tomorrow.
4. The treasure ______________________ (find) yet.
V) VOCABULARY
Find the correct definitions.
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A) an election B) a senator C) a governor D) a voter E) a lawmaker F) harvest G) a church H) All Saints Day I) a failure J) to prevent |
1) A maker of laws 2) The head of a state government 3) A place for public (especially Christian) worship 4) The act of selecting someone 5) Keep from happening of arising 6) A Christian feast day honoring all the saints; first observed in 835 7) A citizen who has a legal right to vote 8) A member of a senate 9) An event that does not accomplish its intended purpose 10) The yield from plants in a single growing season |
VI) ANSWERS
> Reading Comprehension: 1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (a) 4. (a) 5. (a)
> Oral Comprehension: Tuesday, November 5th, is election day in the United States. Americans will go to voting places to choose all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 34 Senators. They will also elect 36 state governors and other state and local officials. And voters in 40 states will vote to support or reject financial proposals. Such elections are always held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
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Grammar: