Vocabulary Worksheets

Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th Edition

Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses

Worksheet 1. Reading: Nobel Lecture by Al Gore, Oslo, 10 December 2007

© The Nobel Foundation

(These excerpts are used with the permission of The Nobel Foundation.)

Read this excerpt from Al Gore’s speech upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Then review
the glossary and complete the exercises that follow it.

1 We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency—a threat to the survival of
2 our civilization ... But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis
3 and avoid the worst—though not all—of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively, and
4 quickly.

5 … Today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell
6 of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an open sewer. And tomorrow, we will
7 dump a slightly larger amount, with the cumulative concentrations now trapping more and
8 more heat from the sun.

9 As a result, the earth has a fever. And the fever is rising. The experts have told us it is not a
10 passing affliction that will heal by itself ....

11 In the last few months, it has been harder and harder to misinterpret the signs that our
12 world is spinning out of kilter. Major cities in North and South America, Asia, and Australia
13 are nearly out of water due to massive droughts and melting glaciers. Desperate farmers
14 are losing their livelihoods. Peoples in the frozen Arctic and on low-lying Pacific islands are
15 planning evacuations of places they have long called home. Stronger storms in the Pacific
16 and Atlantic have threatened whole cities. Millions have been displaced by massive flooding
17 in South Asia, Mexico, and 18 countries in Africa ....

18 As temperature extremes have increased, tens of thousands have lost their lives. We are
19 recklessly burning and clearing our forests and driving more and more species into
20 extinction. The very web of life on which we depend is being ripped and frayed.

21 … Now comes the threat of climate crisis—a threat that is real, rising, imminent, and
22 universal. The penalties for ignoring this challenge are immense and growing......For now
23 we still have the power to choose our fate, and the remaining question is only this: Have we
24 the will to act vigorously and in time, or will we remain imprisoned by a dangerous illusion?

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 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses

Worksheet 1 (page 2)
25 The future is knocking at our door right now. Make no mistake, the next generation will ask
26 us one of two questions. Either they will ask: "What were you thinking; why didn't you act?"
27 Or they will ask instead: "How did you find the moral courage to rise and successfully
28 resolve a crisis that so many said was impossible to solve?" We have everything we need to
29 get started ... We have a purpose. We are many. For this purpose we will rise, and we will
30 act.
Glossary
Line 5 dumped — threw carelessly
Line 5&6 thin shell of atmosphere — thin layer of air surrounding the earth
Line 6 sewer — an underground pipe that carries waste from cities
Line 7 cumulative — increasing gradually as more of something is added or happens
Line 7 trapping — preventing from escape
Line 10 affliction — something that causes pain or suffering, especially a medical condition
Line 12 spinning out of kilter — turning rapidly, with no control
Line 15 evacuations — movements of populations to leave a place
Line 22 ignoring — paying no attention to
Line 23 fate — the outcome; the results
Line 24 will — strong desire

Comprehension practice

Decide whether each sentence is true or false, according to the reading. Circle T if the
sentence is true and F if the sentence is false.

1. On this planet, we are facing an environmental emergency. T/F

2. The future is totally hopeless. T/F

3. People are dumping millions of tons of pollution into the air. T/F

4. Experts say that the pollution is part of a cycle, and will heal itself. T/F

5. Major cities in North and South America are now underwater. T/F

6. Because of the warmer climate, there is now more water on the planet, and
there aren’t any droughts. T/F

7. People in some low-lying islands will probably have to leave their homes
because of flooding. T/F

8. Storms in the oceans are getting worse. T/F

9. Some species are becoming extinct. T/F

10. We can choose to make changes now to save the planet from serious harm. T/F

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 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th
Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses
Worksheet 2. Definition practice
Write the letters of the correct completions in the blanks.
1. In Line 1, confronting means .
a. losing b. winning c. facing

2. In Line 1, a threat is .
a. a death b. a possible danger c. an improvement

3. In Line 2, a crisis is .
a. an emergency b. a small problem c. differences

4. In Line 3, consequences are .

a. causes b. results c. meanings

5. In Line 3, boldly means .

a. quickly b. carefully c. strongly and confidently

6. In Line 10, heal means .

a. cool off b. get worse c. cure

7. In Line 11, misinterpret means the opposite of .

a. place b. understand c. speak

8. In Line 13, massive means .

a. dry b. huge c. average

9. In Line 14, livelihoods means .

a. means of support b. lives c. neighborhoods

10. In Line 19, recklessly means totally without .

a. money b. care c. forests

11. In Line 20, a web is similar to .

a. a system b. an insect c. the Internet

12. In Line 20, ripped and frayed mean .

a. built up b. torn c. used

13. In Line 21, imminent means .

a. close in time b. close in space c. behind

14. In Line 22, penalties are .

a. punishments b. results c. stories

15. In Line 24, an illusion is something that is like a .

a. fact b. dream c. reference

16. In Line 27, moral courage means .

a. physical strength b. customs c. strength of character

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 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th
Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses
Worksheet 3. Vocabulary practice
Complete each sentence with the correct word from the list.
affliction
reckless
dumped
sewer
frayed
species
ignore
threat
livelihoods
will

1. A: I threw out the batteries. I __dumped__ them in the trash. B: Oh, no!
Not in the trash! You’re supposed to recycle them.

2. A: You’re giving me a ticket, Officer? What for?

B: Speeding and __reckless__ driving in a residential area.

3. A: You need new jeans, Sammy. Those are all __frayed__ at the bottom. B: No, Mom,
that’s the style. They’re supposed to look worn and torn.

4. A: Jin gets bad migraine headaches very often.

B: I know. Migraines are a terrible _affliction_. When he has them, he can’t function.

5. A: Is the hurricane going to be a _threat_ to our area? B: We don’t know yet. But
we’d better get prepared in case it comes.

6. A: People in this town are worried.

B: They sure are. They heard that the factory is going to close, and they’re afraid of
losing their _livelihood_.

7. A: Susan is going to accomplish a lot in life, don’t you think?

B: Oh, yes, I agree. She has a very strong_will_to succeed.

8. A: Bengal tigers are becoming extinct, aren’t they?

B: I’m not sure, but I think they are an endangered _species_.

9. A: Oh, what’s that awful smell?

B: It’s the _sewer_. It overflowed during the storm.

10. A: Betsy is so irritating. She says such stupid things.

B: Just _ignore_ what she says. She talks nervously, that’s all.

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 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th
Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses

Worksheet 4. Vocabulary practice: Which word doesn’t belong?

In each item, check the one word that doesn’t belong in the group with the others.

1. O spin O turn O speed O revolve

2. O danger O loss O threat O challenge

3. O species O class O type O life

4. O die O heal O cure O repair

5. O massive O huge O average O enormous

6. O rip O sew O tear O fray

7. O fate O fortune O illness O future

8. O imminent O shortly O soon O much later

9. O confront O face O run from O deal with

10. O shy O bold O strong O confident

11. O price O penalty O cost O prize

12. O will O desire O brain O wish

13. O purpose O fun O goal O objective

14. O illusion O reality O dream O fantasy

15. O result O effect O penalty O consequence

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 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th
Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses

Answer Key

Worksheet 1
1. T 6. F
2. F 7. T
3. T 8. T
4. F 9. T
5. F 10. T

Worksheet 2
1. c. facing 9. a. means of support
2. b. a possible danger 10. b. care
3. a. an emergency 11. a. a system
4. b. results 12. b. torn
5. c. strongly and confidently 13. a. close in time
6. c. cure 14. a. punishments
7. b. understand 15. b. dream
8. b. huge 16. c. strength of character

Worksheet 3
1. dumped 6. livelihoods
2. reckless 7. will
3. frayed 8. species
4. affliction 9. sewer
5. threat 10. ignore

Worksheet 4
1. speed 10. shy
2. loss 11. prize
3. life 12. brain
4. die 13. fun
5. average 14. reality
6. sew 15. penalty
7. illness
8. much later
9. run from

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt for classroom use.
 Vocabulary Worksheets
Understanding and Using English Grammar, 4th
Edition
Chapter 5: Review of Verb Tenses

Word List
affliction livelihood
bold massive
challenge misinterpret
confront moral courage
consequence objective
crisis penalty
cumulative prize
desire purpose
dream reality
dump reckless
evacuation rip
fantasy sewer
fate species
fray spin
goal threat
heal revolve
ignore trap
illusion web
imminent will

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