Topic: Nature – Snow storm and snow removal Grammar: Past and past perfect Pronunciation: The Chaos poem, first 10 verses
AUDIO
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TEXT
When I woke up this morning, everything outside was white. It had been snowing all night, leaving an accumulation of at least 30 centimeters of snow on the ground. On my deck, the snow was even deeper—probably close to half a meter.
The street, sidewalks, and driveways were all buried under the heavy snowfall. A man was shoveling around his car parked on the street, while another was pushing a snowblower to clear his driveway.
The city had already begun clearing the roads. From a distance, I could hear the noise of the snowplow’s engine and the scraping sound of its blade against the pavement. Slowly but surely, the city was digging itself out from beneath its thick blanket of snow.
NEW WORDS
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TEST YOUR VOCABLARY
Choose the Correct Word
1. A slow build-up of more and more of something over time.
A) blanket B) accumulation C) driveway D) scraping
2. A flat outdoor platform made of wood, usually attached to a house.
A) deck B) engine C) sidewalk D) blade
3. A path beside a street where people walk.
A) pavement B) sidewalk C) driveway D) blade
4. A short private path where cars can drive or park, usually beside a house.
A) snowblower B) driveway C) deck D) shovel
5. The amount of snow that falls from the sky.
A) snowfall B) accumulation C) blanket D) pavement
6. Using a shovel to move snow or dirt from one place to another.
A) shoveling B) scraping C) plowing D) blanketing
7. A machine that removes snow from the ground by blowing it away.
A) snowplow B) snowblower C) engine D) scraper
8. The machine in a car or motorbike that makes power to move it.
A) blade B) engine C) deck D) scraper
9. To rub something hard and remove something from its surface, often making a rough sound.
A) shoveling B) scraping C) blanketing D) accumulating
10. The sharp or flat cutting part of a tool or machine.
A) blade B) engine C) driveway D) sidewalk
11. A hard surface made of concrete or asphalt where people or vehicles can walk or drive.
A) accumulation B) pavement C) blanket D) blade
12. A warm cover made of cloth that you put over your body to keep warm.
A) deck B) blanket C) driveway D) engine
Answer Key: 1B, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5A, 6A, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10A, 11B, 12B
TEST YOUR LISTENING SKILLS – ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
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1. What surprised the person in the story in the morning?
A) The snow was melting
B) Everything outside was white
C) It was raining
D) The wind was very strong
2. How much snow was on the ground?
A) Less than 10 centimeters
B) Around half a meter
C) At least 30 centimeters
D) More than one meter
3. Where was the snow even deeper?
A) On the street
B) On the deck
C) On the roof
D) In the garden
4. What were the sidewalks and driveways covered with?
A) Leaves
B) Ice
C) Mud
D) Heavy snowfall
5. What was one man doing near his car?
A) Painting it
B) Shoveling around it
C) Cleaning the windows
D) Driving it
6. What was another person doing?
A) Using a snow blower
B) Building a snowman
C) Driving the snowplow
D) Playing in the snow
7. What was the city doing?
A) Cleaning the parks
B) Digging snow from under the houses
C) Clearing the roads
D) Delivering food
8. What sound could the narrator hear?
A) Rain on the roof
B) Shovels hitting ice
C) The snowplow’s engine and scraping blade
D) Birds singing
9. What does “thick blanket of snow” mean in the text?
A) Snow looked like a warm blanket
B) Snow was soft and fluffy
C) Snow covered everything like a blanket
D) People put blankets over the snow
10. What does the text show about the city’s response to the snowfall?
A) People ignored the snow
B) Only the narrator was working
C) The city started clearing snow early
D) Nothing was being done
Answer Key
1B, 2C, 3B, 4D, 5B, 6A, 7C, 8C, 9C, 10C
PRONUNCIATION TIPS
The Chaos Poem