English Language Skills Development: Practice Drills

Posted on Jul 18, 2025 in English

Everyday English & Basic Questions

Conversation Context: This conversation takes place between an interviewer and a passer-by.
Daily Routine: The woman always has dinner at home. After dinner, she stays at home.
International Calls: For an international call from the room, first press. The country code for Brazil is: 55.
Family & Home: Are the children at home? Yes, they are.
Weekend Activities: What does Jane do at the weekend?
Preferences: Some people don’t like red wine. Peter enjoys watching soap operas on TV.
Comparisons: Ann is older than Mary.
Opinions: Margaret thinks that her job is boring.
Future Plans: This Saturday, Lucy’s going to go to a concert. Bob and Ted are camping at the beach.
Washington D.C.: In Washington D.C., in the capital, you can see the President’s offices. In the White House, you can visit some rooms.
Greetings: Hi, I’m Janice. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too.
Student Introduction: Are you a new student? What’s your name? Yes, I am. I’m Mark.
Personal Information: How old are you? I am sixteen years old.
Hobbies: What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Going to the movies.
Abilities: Can you swim? Yes, I can.

Neighborhood & Future Predictions

The Neighborhood used to: have many people.
According to Mrs. Jones, life in the future: people will live longer.
According to Mr. Jones: the neighborhood hadn’t changed much.
Louise: knows how expensive life will be.
For Louise, life in the future will be: more expensive.

Grammar Practice: Sentence Completion

It was a nice day and the children were playing outside.
Where did you use to live when you were a child?
I am going to stop eating junk food.
Rick isn’t here, he must be sick.
Jack has been looking for a job since May.

Reading Comprehension: Text Analysis

Honey & Human Language Insights

The word It refers to: research.
According to the text: Research is still being done into possible medical uses for honey.
According to the text, honey helps to heal wounds because: it stops bacteria from growing.
The passage suggests that: we might never know the origins of human language.
The word they refers to: questions.

Narrative Completion: A Sudden Noise

Last night I went to bed early and read a book when suddenly I heard a noise.
I got up to see what it was.
I called the police when my sister came into my room silently.

Reading Comprehension: The Dog Chase

Meg: was being chased by the dog.
Matt: turned right into Marlow Street.
The dog: followed Matt to his house.
The owner of the dog: let the dog off its lead.
In the end: Matt went to the supermarket.

Grammar & Sentence Structure

An architect is a professional who designs and builds houses and other buildings.
She told me that she was late.
English is spoken in many parts of the world.
I like horror movies. So do I.
Can you tell me where the bank is?

History of Media: Television & Radio

Television appeared in London before the Second World War.
Radio was only entertainment.
Television was expected to have more advantages than radio.

Vocabulary Definitions

The following word means concocted: invented.
The following word means fostering: developing.

Sequence Data

B A C E D

Contextual Understanding: Interviews & Scenarios

Interview Analysis

Interview Location: This interview probably takes place in an auditorium after a panel discussion.
Interviewee’s Stance: The person being interviewed disagrees with animal testing in medical experiments.

Daniela & Scott Scenario

Daniela: lied because he wanted to get rid of Scott.
Scott: would have told him his father-in-law was coming.
Scott wants: to stay with her.

Advanced Grammar & Verb Tenses

Jim looks tired. He must have worked hard today.
By this time tomorrow, I’ll have arrived in Paris.
You’d better tell Mary not to talk in here.
The more you practice speaking Chinese, the easier it gets.
She was late, but she managed to get here.

Reading Comprehension: Orb Spiders & Kidnapping

Orb Spinners and Their Webs

The main idea of the passage is: orb spinners and their webs.
According to the passage, the difference between the sheet web and the orb web is: the texture.
The word their refers to: orb spinners.
According to the passage, web-making by spiders and human building activities are: hard to compare.
The phrase at random is closest in meaning to: quickly.

Kidnapping Incident Summary

During the kidnapping: the kidnappers harmed the boy.
Once in the campsite: Joey asked Galacko to get him down from the tree.
In the end: The boy got medical attention.

Event Analysis: New Year’s Eve Celebration

Roger: felt his expectations weren’t fulfilled regarding the celebration.
The celebration for New Year’s Eve in that year: in New York was not well organized.

More Grammar Practice

Peter’s house had been broken into several times.
I got up so late that I hardly had time for breakfast.
Tom would have gone to the party if he had been invited.
Some unexpected difficulties have arisen.
The racer will be driven about 1,347 miles on Tuesday.

Reading Comprehension: One-Room Schools

Author’s Main Purpose: To mention some advantages of one-room schools.
Educator/Parent View: The author implies that many educators and parents today feel that one-room schools provide a good education.
Reason for Disappearance: According to the passage, one-room schools are in danger of disappearing because there is a trend towards centralization.
Current Number in U.S.: According to the passage, there are about 800 one-room schools in the U.S. today.
Major Characteristic: In the second paragraph, a major characteristic of the one-room school system mentioned is that it does not limit learning to one grade level at a time.

Travel Destination: Discover Budapest

Introduction

If you haven’t visited Budapest, maybe it’s time you did! Built on the River Danube, it’s one of the most captivating cities.

Body Paragraphs

First paragraph: Capture the rhythm of Budapest!
Second paragraph: The architecture in Budapest is, rightfully, among the most beautiful in the world.
Third paragraph: For those looking for something different, there are many excursions to go on.

Conclusion

So, how about it? Why not make Budapest your next holiday destination? Without a doubt, you’ll be enchanted by the city’s magic.